Adela and Woorunmarra rode out the landing in the Commander’s post, and watched what was happening on the several viewscreens whose cameras had been trained on the parkade.
The area looked considerably different, she noticed, from when she and Billy had attended that final session of the Joint Dominion. The parkade had been a virtual garden then, but bore little resemblance now to the splendor it had once possessed. Where before stood row after row of flowering trees and rolling green lawns, a military encampment had sprung up. Temporary housing and headquarters had been placed in the area surrounding the landing field now occupying the largest part of what had once been an enormous park and gathering area centered in the roadway that circled in front of the Capitol building itself. A landing surface that extended for several hundred meters in each direction had been put down and little, if any, plant life remained.
“Here he comes.”
Montero’s words brought her out of her reflection and she turned to the screen he was watching. The Westland hopper was coming in, slowly and carefully, flanked on either side by Eastland craft. The three ships settled on the landing surface at the same time, kicking up clouds of dust.
“I want to go outside,” Adela said forcefully, prepared for an argument. The Commander surprised her, however, when he nodded and rose, leading the two of them down the shuttle corridor to the embarkation ramp located on the lower level. He selected two armed guards for each of them and gave the order for the ramp to be lowered.
The dome of the shielding was nonpermeable, allowing no breeze to penetrate it, and a wall of heat met them as they descended the ramp. She looked at the sun hanging in the late afternoon sky and was grateful they’d changed into their hot-weathers before leaving the Levant. She walked to the edge of the shield, accompanied by Montero and Billy, and stood quietly as the scene unfolded not far from them.
A ring of soldiers had formed around the tiny hopper, and every pulse rifle was trained on it and its occupants. The guns of the two Eastland craft that had landed with it were likewise pointed menacingly at the little craft. Other weapons, both larger and smaller man the ones that now kept the landing area in their sights, had also been brought to bear on the Kestrel.
Nothing moved. The occupants of the hopper made no attempt to leave the craft until a small open transport, similar in design to the GEMs Adela had seen at the tap station, entered the edge of the landing area from the direction of the Capitol, followed by several wheeled vehicles. The hopper’s cabin hatch swung open when the vehicles came to a stop, and a helmeted man stepped out onto the pavement. Salera, surrounded by security, got out of the GEM and barked an order to several of the soldiers. They immediately approached the hopper.
The man was searched, a little too roughly, Adela thought. Other soldiers, their weapons leveled at the cockpit of the craft, forced the two pilots out onto the landing surface as well, their hands behind their heads. The two were taken to one side and detained, while the other man walked forward under heavy guard and stood before the Eastland Speaker. As he passed in front of them at the edge of the shield he hesitated and turned to them, lifting his helmet’s tinted visor. It was Niles, as they’d suspected.
“Well, it’s your move,” Salera said angrily when the man stopped before him. He swept his arm to take in the whole area, adding, “We’ve met you as you requested. We’ve agreed to your conditions. We’ve lived up to our promises.” He looked over to the shuttle, staring coldly at Adela and her companions, and bowed mockingly in their direction. “We’ve even been given the honor of having the high and mighty Imperial representatives attend.”
“I’m glad they’re here.”
“Well, I’m so happy that you’re pleased,” he said sarcastically. He stood straighter and nodded to the soldiers at his side, who immediately brought their weapons a bit higher. “Now give me one good reason why I shouldn’t take you into custody immediately and end this charade of a war.”
“I’m here to end this charade, too.” He pulled off the helmet and dropped it, allowing it to clatter loudly to the ground. The soldiers fidgeted, the metallic sounds of a hundred weapons being shifted simultaneously breaking through the still, hot air.
Niles came forward, his hair pasted to his scalp with sweat, and stood facing Salera. “This has gone on long enough, Kip. I’ve run the same simulations he has.” He jerked a thumb over his shoulder at Montero. “So have you. You know you can’t win. Let’s stop this now before even one more dies.”
Salera laughed. A soft chuckling sound at first, then he tilted his head back and roared with laughter until tears flowed from his eyes. The young soldiers at his side smiled, following his lead, but they were clearly too unnerved by this confrontation to see any humor in anything that had been said.
“That’s it?” Salera demanded, wiping his eyes. “That’s all this was about?” He laughed again and turned for the GEM, hopping into the open passenger seating. “I think you need to rerun your simulations. But this time, include a factor about the breakdown of the Westland Commander in Chief. I plan to.” He motioned for his driver to take him back to the Capitol.
“Wait!” Several guns clattered as they were reaimed at Niles.
Salera turned in the GEM, his manner seemingly more of annoyance now than anything else. “Yes, Niles?”
The man started to speak, but stopped himself as his face changed abruptly, showing an expression of—what? Adela couldn’t tell from her viewing angle just what had masked the man’s features. Sorrow? Fear? Hatred?
“Open the shield,” she said to the Imperial guard nearest her. The man stood dumbly, not knowing what to do, and looked to Montero for guidance. Adela followed his gaze and stared the Commander in the eyes. “Open it!”
He nodded, and the guard removed a flashlight-shaped object from his belt and pointed it at the shield in front of him, nullifying a circular area large enough for Adela to pass through. A stiff breeze, far cooler than the air inside the shield, blew refreshingly through the opening. Adela stepped through.
Woorunmarra stood by the opening. “Commander?”
“Go with her,” he replied. Woorunmarra stepped through and caught up with Adela. The pair was immediately flanked by several Eastland soldiers, causing the Imperial guards nearest the opening to prepare to follow them. “No,” Montero ordered, stopping the guards before they could clear the opening. “I think they’ll be safer if you stay here.” He nodded once to the man at his side and the opening disappeared.
Ignoring the armed soldiers covering the two of them with their weapons, Adela and the Lieutenant walked steadily to where Niles and Salera confronted each other. Niles regarded her and Woorunmarra as they approached and stood to one side, and Adela saw the look on his face for what it was: pain.
“I’ve brought something you need to see,” he said, facing Salera again. “In the hopper.” He started for the craft.
“Hold it!” Salera called at his back. He turned to several of the soldiers, ordering them to check the hopper before Niles could move any closer to the parked aircraft.
The men trotted for the craft, easily opening the hatch to the cargo hold. One handed his weapon to a companion and, covered by the others, climbed into the hold. A minute passed, then another, and he reappeared in the opening and said something to one of the others, who also climbed inside. They both reappeared a moment later and spoke animatedly to the others.
All but one of the soldiers remained at the open hold of the hopper while the first man who had inspected the craft ran back to stand panting, and fearful, before Salera.