Planet: Kestra, Odaport Compound

First Insurgency War

MAIA

Maia rushed through the Insurgent compound with her autoblaster at the ready with each corner she checked. All clear so far. Her inner comms beeped in her ear, with the contact information spreading on the side of her visor, but she focused on the task at hand. "Black Wolf?"

"Mouse, I got him."

Maia faltered around another corner, and one more check before daring to relax. "You got him?"

"Yeah."

James' tone filled with exhaustion and a sense of sheepishness. Maia scowled, then asked, "What happened?"

"Get over here. I'm sending you my coordinates in the facility. Send a message to General Falae that we'll be over at the site," he instructed without hesitation before hanging up. Coordinates flashed on the other side of her screen, guiding her to where she lost track of James in their siege of the quiet Insurgent base.

They all left. They knew. Maia sent a quick confirmation to General Falae and the secret holding site before following the small map at the side of her screen to the coordinates. On her knees by the door, she listened for anything suspicious, but free of the tension, she opened her way to James' coordinates.

Empty storage crates lifted around the walls, where floating platforms rested in suspended animation. In a cluttered mess, James knelt beside another shape with a heavy-lidded expression while his hand rested on the shape's head. Maia raced for them with a hiss. Flattened on his back, Rayan Falae, eyes closed but breathing deep. Maia went to his other side to investigate, then scowled at Black Wolf and took off her mask. "You were supposed to let me know before you advanced on him."

"I know, Mouse," James hissed while pain creased the corners of his eyes. "I might've... fucked up."

"What do you mean 'I might've fucked up'?" Maia pushed her finger into Rayan's cheek. "What happened? Did he resist or something?" She kept her distance while James drew his fingers across Rayan's temples with a searching frown, where the black strands tangled between his fingers. "James? Talk to me?"

James released a sigh and let Rayan go. "He resisted a little, but not nearly as much as I honestly expected him to."

"Okay, and going back to what you meant by saying 'I might've fucked up'."

James set his hand on his knee and refused to look at her. Maia tapped Rayan's chest before standing and opening her communication line. "Alpha-3 reporting in from Eteran base," she said, careful to not reveal too much to any outside influence who listened in. "Requesting immediate EVAC from Landing Site Delta in Quadrant six-four." Maia checked her wristpad, then turned back to James when he scooped Rayan into his arms. "Cargo retrieved and enroute to location." Comms closed off her message, she sighed. "Black Wolf."

"I'll carry him," Black Wolf said in a cautious voice before lifting Rayan off the ground. "Let's just get to the landing site and to General Falae's location."

By the time they escaped the Insurgency base, Maia reflected on the abandoned state of their entry. James hung close to Rayan when they strapped him into the resting seat of the transport. It took them to a small compound out in the Eteran wilderness, out of the eyes of the Sanctum Strike Forces. Maia helped James lift Rayan out of the transport and put him on a gurney, where soldiers rolled him into the safety of the base.

"So, mind telling me what happened while we wait?" Maia asked.

James folded his arms as they entered with the rest of the cargo Maia marked for retrieval within the base. "I don't want to talk about it," he mumbled. "I just want to sit down for a minute." He sat down in the corridor where they took Rayan Falae down to the holding chambers for interrogation. Hand on his heart, he frowned deeper and never smiled.

Maia took a seat beside him to observe, and it took an hour for another soldier to return.

"Guardian Urtanes?" he asked. "General Falae wants to see you and Ranier in the sub-level."

"He's awake?" Maia asked, and leaped when James did, grabbing his shoulder. "Cool it, Black Wolf." His shoulders slacked in her grip, and she took the lead with the soldier. Through the dark corridors of the secret compound, a mixture of voices danced on the stale air.

Two masked Elites held Rayan Falae by the arms, with his hands locked in protective bracers. General Falae, a reflection of her son, stood in front of him with her arms crossed. Both of them faltered in their conversation when they approached and Rayan Falae faced them.

Black Wolf stuttered to a stop beside her with a deepening scowl of abandonment and deep hurt. Rayan's features betrayed everything of the young Insurgent. Fear, panic, and an equal amount of measured hurt matched James along his worn brow.

"Good. Let's get started," General Falae said.

Rayan Falae squirmed in the hold of the Elites, but General Falae frowned at him. "I told you that you won't come to harm."

"Yeah well, that means a lot," Rayan said with a jutted lip, but he bowed his head and their group wandered into the room. Both of the Elites sat Rayan down in the chair, taking off the bracers at General Falae's unspoken word from her nod. He rubbed his wrists, but never lashed out with his freedom when they departed the room, and closed the door behind them. Maia took her place in front of it to block intruders.

Rayan dipped his head lower and refused to look at any of them.

"Now." General Falae took a seat in front of her son. "I have to ask why you let yourself get caught."

Rayan folded his lips into a thin line and switched his attention to James, who met his glare without breaking. To her amazement, James showed a medium of restraint he failed to show before and leaned against the wall. General Falae slipped out a datapad. "I have a couple of questions for you, Rayan."

"I'm not about to betray the First Insurgency just because you ask me to," Rayan said. "Only reason I let myself get caught was for information."

James clenched his fists and pursed his lips at the Insurgent, where Rayan never tore his gaze away from James. Air pressurised in the atmosphere while their bubble cracked with blood.

"I can't exactly tell you anything about the Strike Forces either," General Falae pointed out with a frown. "I'm wondering how you even got half of the information you have. I never talked about this with you — I never wanted this for you."

Questions led to unspoken answers, and Rayan dragged his furious golden attention off of James. He clasped his hands together and refused to look anywhere but his mother. Maia listened to his thundering, stressful heartbeat which echoed around the chamber and grated against her ears.

"Rayan," General Falae said. "I want to stop this war. You're closest to the Insurgency leader. We're willing to compromise."

Rayan returned to James with his own sharp scowl, whose heart skipped in dissonance. "You said I wouldn't come to harm, but what does that mean?" he questioned. "What about people you can't make that promise to? I want to know about these quarantines." Rayan leaned to his mother with a frown. "What is the Sanctum so desperate to hide?"

Maia eyed her commanding officer. For a quick second, unease dripped down her creased features.

"I've listened to some disturbing reports," Rayan went on. "That these unlisted deaths attributed to a spreading virus doesn't exactly fit certain parameters..." He brought his shoulders close to his next. "Some say it's some sort of slow going weapon by the Sanctum to end a dycades old war."

The entire room went quiet.

What... does he mean by that?

General Falae frowned. "We set up those quarantines to curb the sickness related deaths."

Rayan twitched and snapped to his feet. "That's not good enough!" he said with a shake of his fists. "People are dying — faster than ever before. Explain that away. Explain how this virus is hitting us in all the right places — from where we are to where we almost were. Your quarantines aren't doing anything except trapping people!"

Black Wolf rested his head against the wall and folded one leg over the other.

General Falae gazed at her son. "I can't explain it away, Rayan."

Rayan stopped trembling and pressed his lips together further. "This is what you meant," he whispered." This is what you meant so long ago... the Sanctum is divided, isn't it?"

Maia blinked in shock, but General Falae remained unfazed. "Tell me about those rumours you've heard. Meryn Matthey mentioned something similar."

"Who do you think told him about it?" Rayan asked. "I wanted someone not involved with either party to have the knowledge in case something happened." He tipped his head to the side. "It's stuff I've heard while collecting information or from passing conversation." He came closer to General Falae. "I even had the misfortune of getting into one."

"And how'd you manage that?"

Rayan kept his mouth shut.

General Falae sighed. "Okay, I have one more question," she said and got out of her chair, imposing her stature over her son. "I apologize if this is difficult for you to talk about, but I need to know." Maia frowned when General Falae glanced at Black Wolf, whose features twisted into something full of hate, and Maia crept for him to stop the explosion. "I need to know if the First Insurgency had any details on the Eastpoint Massacre."

Rayan gave her a ferocious smile. "You honestly think I'd have joined up with them if they had anything to do with it?" It dropped in a moment. "I ran to Roxton when I realised the defenses were cut. I..." He went quiet, then the bubble overflowed with pain when he turned to James. "I couldn't think about what else I could do in those moments. I joined them because of things I found out about the Strike Forces... things you never talked about with me."

Though he answered General Falae, his words pointed at James.

"What did you find out?" General Falae asked.

"I just know the Insurgency was just as surprised about the attack the pirates did," Rayan Falae answered. "I... I ran to get help. You could see the wall of fire all the way in Roxton." He closed his eyes, and Maia frowned when he inhaled a shuddered breath. "I did ask for them to do something, but what could they do? It was too much of a risk, the leader told me, in case the Strike Forces dropped everything and turned on them at the first sight of the Insurgency. To them, Eastpoint was a noose."

General Falae blinked, and for the first time, Maia baled at the dawning rage within the blues. It disappeared as fast as the solar flare formed. "I am going to release you," she said. "I'll warn you about this once, Rayan... General Keaton wants your head on a platter, but for now I can still reason with him. I can't say how long I'll be able to do that if this doesn't end." Her flaming features dropped into sadness. "Keep this in mind, that I'm still willing to talk and compromise. Go back to the Insurgency leader. You can tell him everything I've said and more if you wish. You're observant."

Horror swallowed Rayan's expression when he switched his attention back to his mother.

They've both realised something...

Something kept from her.

"Mom, I—" he whispered under his breath, but another voice broke in.

"Why?"

James detached himself from the wall, and Rayan returned to him.

"Urtanes, get Ranier out of here," General Falae ordered.

"I just want to know why. I've waited for this moment since I heard he was alive." Black Wolf's voice remained even. "I need to hear it from him. I deserve to know." He came closer to Rayan, who stiffened with a painful twist in his cheeks. "I need to know what happened that day, Rayan. Why did you leave us? What happened at your house? Why was Ava at our house when I made her chase after you?"

Oh no...

General Falae took a small step for her son, but Rayan eyed her with a strong front before frowning at James.

"I let go of her," Rayan said, and his voice wavered. "She pushed me and I failed to grab her before she—"

Energy broke.

Black Wolf lunged at Rayan, who met him with the same fury. Both of them tackled in one moment, and they both fell to the ground in a tangle of limbs and gasps. James sent a punch for Rayan's head, but Rayan dodged and snapped, "What, think I'm going to let you try and cave my skull in again?" He kicked Black Wolf off him, waving his hands at General Falae when she came to stop the fight.

"Why are you so worried? You apparently don't have a brain in there anyway!" James bit and went for another grab. "In fact, I should've just caved your skull in!"

Maia lunged forward, but grunted when James sent a wild fist into her jaw.

Black Wolf, no...

'He liked to paint,' James told her in a moment of vulnerability, full of deep fondness and pain.

Both of them wrestled and tried to overpower the other. Rayan grunted when James sent him into the wall, and Maia took her chance to grab James around the middle while General Falae grabbed Rayan who made his own lunge.

"You're the reason my sister is dead!" James screeched and squirmed, but Maia refused to let go. "You left me!"

"I'm the reason?" Rayan barked out a laugh. "You're the reason she left in the first place! You called me a shitty shot, but I didn't miss." He slammed his feet into the ground and fought against his mother's arms. "Maybe you should've dropped that shield and let what was about to happen happen! I thought you were dead!" Rayan screamed. "I thought you were dead, what do you want from me?"

"Do something right for once!" James snapped, and Maia pressed her hand against his chest when his heartbeat shattered.

"I am doing something right!" Rayan said, shrill. "Better than turning myself into a monster for a system which made the Eastpoint Massacre possible!"

It went into a frozen moment.

Rayan's rage dropped in a haunted moment while his hands trembled. James scowled.

"Yeah... you almost did shoot me. Good to know where we stand," James said, cold.

"Enough," General Falae said, but a mother's despair filled her voice. "You know better than this."

Don't do this.

Rayan wrenched free of his mother's grip and stalked for the exit. James followed him while his scowl twisted into terrified loneliness. Rayan stopped at the frame, then glared at James. "Just remember, you wanted this."

He stormed out.

General Falae scowled. "Maia, get James out of here," she ordered as James slipped to his knees and pressed his palms against the floor.

In another instant, she rushed out of the room and gave chase to her son.

"James..." Maia winced when he got back onto his feet, and rushed out of the room and into the opposite direction.

Disappearing into the dark.