Denied - 75. Chapter 75

“You would begrudge me some time to judge your intentions?” She straightened, her body poised but her face calm as she folded her hands in her lap. “I know my father and his intentions. I guessed at Anyas. I guessed at yours. What I knew and hoped for was enough to prompt me to action, but a wise person doesn’t recklessly move forward without the most intelligence possible.”

“Wise.” Deke snorted. “You’re practically a—”

“Shh! Watch your tongue,” Anyas snapped, cutting him off with a violent wave of his hand.

The girl’s melodic laugh broke the tension that was ramping up. “You have not told them?”

Captain stiffened against me. “Told us what?”

“I am not some innocent youngling, which is what your crew member was about to imply. Did Anyas not tell you how long-lived the Elites are?”

“I said your father had ruled for millennia. It’s not my fault if they weren’t paying attention or didn’t believe me.” Anyas made a face. “It wasn’t an exaggeration. That is how long he has been in power.”

“Yes. A while, for our people, and a very long time for those who live shorter lives. We do not age as your kind do, taking care to preserve our youth.” She swung eyes that suddenly seemed much harder than before on Deke. “So while I may look young, I am anything but. And when I say I have spent time considering my decision to support my father’s actions regarding his aims for our kind to rule the universe or if the Elites need to learn their value comes from supporting and not controlling other species, I mean I have spent considerable time. Far more than you have spent on this mission.

“Probably even more than you have been serving in your military. Maybe even been alive.” She sniffed. “You are the child here. So perhaps you should sit down.”

I stared at her; she might be willing to help us, but she had a healthy dose of the same haughty condescension that set Anyas apart from his guards. “Why would you help us?” I asked.

“Now that is a smart question.” She pushed herself upright. “I believe I can answer it and even your skeptical friend there will believe.”

“Of course we would take you at your word,” Anyas said smoothly. He pulled out a chair at the head of the table. “My lady.”

“Rilecca is fine.”

“And speak for yourself,” Captain said. He took at the edge of the table by Rilecca. “I have a crew to protect, people who trusted me to avenge. Maybe even find them and set them free for real this time.”

“You speak of Brox’s experiments they are doing. To create beings like them.” She gestured toward me and Danie. “Prototypes for their army. Drones to control the masses. Secret controls. And once they figure it out, there’s no telling what species they’ll stop at. Humans are malleable; it’s why they chose their species to begin with.” Rilecca placed her hand on a screen on the table. A light came on and she licked her finger, then touched it into the light.

Holographic screens lit up in front of every chair around the table. “The planets in purple, we control. The ones in red are well on their way to being fully-integrated into my father’s web. The blues are independent.”

There were more than I expected, which Captain said aloud. “Taking over the universe takes more time than one man has. Even one as long-lived as my father. That is where I am supposed to take the reins, under his guidance, of course. He would remain an advisor, from the system of his choice.”

“Let me guess, one he’s got lots of comforts and lots of enslaved species?” Captain said bitterly.

She inclined her head. “My father was raised in another time. I have had a distressing habit of slipping my guard for some time. What he didn’t know was that I did not remain on this planet. See, my father desires power. I desire knowledge. I have learned so much from the many cultures, planets, and people I have witnessed.” Her expression darkened. “And I have no desire to stamp them out. I am not a clone of my father, no matter what he desires, and he cannot stamp out my free will either.”

“Ahh.” Captain nodded his head. “Now we see the heart of this. Rebellion. Will that see you through your plans and keep my crew safe from retribution from your father?”

Rilecca narrowed her eyes. “Do you imply I reject his fatherly plans for me and push back on a whim? To be difficult? Because my cage might have been bigger and my escapes might have been farther afield but based on what I learned of your Kohen’s life growing up, our pasts are not much different. We were conditioned to our roles. When we weren’t being used, we were locked away.

“No one deserves to have their choices taken from them.” Rilecca’s voice was soft but steel shone through the velvet.

But I knew how brittle the strongest person could feel inside. I leaned over the table past Captain and touched her hand, covering it with mine. “So you came to free me. To help us.”

She took a deep breath. “I did. But I understand why your captain is so skeptical.” She turned her gaze on Captain. “Your crew has been ill-used. Let’s put a stop to it.”

“Well, damn, Captain.” Freska suddenly spoke up from her place along the wall, her links disconnected. “You thought convincing the person in charge that changing their minds about their plans would be hard. Here she is offering to do it on her own.”

“Rilecca is not in charge,” Deke said.

“She is the heir, not the ruler,” Anyas agreed somewhat reluctantly.

Freska snorted. “I found some interesting things in the system, boss. She’s not done surprising us yet.”