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“How can you pretend to be so noble? Look at you. Look at what Sable’s done to you. ”
“I don’t pretend, and these bruises are nothing compared to what Sable will get in return. ”
Saying those words, the hunger for revenge opened up inside him, terrifying and powerful. He was no different from Roar. He’d only ignored the urge. But he couldn’t anymore.
Hess ran a hand over his face, shaking his head. “Your problem is that you want to challenge Sable forcibly. This is not a test of strength! We are not in the medieval era! It is about leverage and strategy. ” He waved a hand, growing more anxious. “Look around you. I have control of everything. The Komodo. The fleet of Hovers outside. All the medicine, food, and weapons. I gave Sable some pistols and stun batons, but they are toys compared to what I have kept locked away. Medicines. Food. Communications. They are all under me. We go nowhere and do nothing unless I command it. ”
“You left people off your list,” Perry said.
“Nonsense. They’re mine too,” Hess spat.
“You’re sure?”
“I have been a commander far longer than you’ve been alive, Outsider. My pilots and Guardians are highly trained. If you think Sable’s going to—”
The blare of an alarm exploded into the chamber. Hess’s eyes snapped up to the speakers.
Perry’s balance faltered as the floor kicked up, a feeling like falling in reverse. He jumped off the cot as the room continued to rise in upward lurches. He found his balance and met Hess’s shocked gaze just before Hess fled the room.
The Komodo was on the move.
27
ARIA
How long have we been here?” Aria asked. “In the Komodo?”
“Forty-eight hours, give or take,” Soren said. “Why?”
“I had forgotten it’s mobile,” she said.
They had their established places in the room now. Soren on the lower bunk nearest the door. Her on the other. Roar alternated between sitting beside her and pacing the small space between the beds.
The Komodo had been moving for an hour; the constant vibration reminded her of train rides in the Realms but far rougher. Occasionally, the chamber jerked sharply one way or another. For the first ten minutes, she’d grasped the bed frame and braced herself when that happened. After a particularly violent jolt, she’d decided not to let go.
“Does this thing have square wheels?” Roar muttered beside her.
“Wheels are circular by definition,” Soren said. “But, no, the wheels aren’t square. They’re on a continuous track with advanced suspension designed for maneuverability and tactical strength, not for bursts of speed. ”
Roar glanced at her, a crease appearing between his eyebrows. “Did you get any of that?”
She shook her head. “Not much. Soren, what did you just say?”
Soren sighed, exasperated. “This thing weighs . . . I don’t even know how many tons. It weighs a lot. Moving it is like moving a small city. To do that efficiently over any kind of terrain, each of its segments sits on a rail system—wheels that roll on a track, sort of like old tanks. The track distributes the weight over a large area and makes us stable, so you shouldn’t worry that we’ll tip over. We won’t. The Komodo can climb over anything. What you should worry about is the fact that they’re forcing a workhorse to be a racehorse. ”
“I liked it better when I didn’t understand him,” Roar said.
“They’re trying to outrun the Aether storm,” Aria said, but that made no sense. Hadn’t Loran told her that running was futile? Hadn’t he said that Hess recommended weathering the storm in place?
Soren snorted. “That’s not going to happen. The Komodo doesn’t run; it crawls. My father might be an idiot, but he isn’t stupid. He wouldn’t have issued the order to move during a storm. The Komodo is more vulnerable when it’s mobile, since it makes a bigger target for the funnels. ”
The answer clicked in Aria’s mind. “Sable overpowered the ship. Either that or he’s forcing Hess to move. ”
“Neither one of those is good for us,” Soren said.
The lights in the chamber flickered on and off in an erratic rhythm.
Soren waved his hands in a there you go gesture.
