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People had taken to dancing in public, blasting ‘freedom’ music from speakers and throwing spontaneous outdoor parties. Which often involved any bemused Alliance infantry soldiers and troops still patrolling the cities.
The celebrations had ramped up even more after Selene had announced the release of the thousands of supporters arrested and detained illegally by Massimo, including the five hundred councillors and administrators loyal to the true Prime.
Selene looked out the window of her flyer, wending its way over the flower-lined avenues of New Malindi. As if sensing the excitement and joyous victory of the majority population who’d supported the Free Dunia Council, the planet’s trees, bushes, and plants had unleashed an unexpected explosion of colourful blooms. The stunning clash of violet, primrose, honeysuckle white, pink and deep red hues were made even more lively by swarms of the rainbow-streaked Palisades butterfly. One of the rarest butterflies in Dunia, most likely to be seen flitting around in New Malindi’s tree canopies. The birds, too, added to the celebratory sounds with lilting calls and distinctive whoops in large swarms that took to flight.
‘It’s incredible,’ Rina commented, seated beside Selene.
‘Which makes what’s about to happen even harder,’ her friend said. ‘We should be out there dancing with our people instead of heading to Massimo’s mansion to arrest the man.’
‘So you’d prefer someone else did it?’
‘Hell no,’ Selene said vehemently. ‘I can’t wait to look him in the eye and read the treason charges out to him. First, I want to see him squirm. Then I want to see him put away for the rest of his miserable life and possibly even more. Still, I’d rather be celebrating.’
‘You’ll be recommending the death penalty then?’
‘He committed high treason. If the now re-established security council and the high court make that determination, I won’t deter it. Heck, I might even volunteer to be his executioner.’
‘Give me your gun then,’ Rina said solemnly, pointing to the weapon strapped to Selene’s meta suit.
‘Why?’
‘In case you’re so enraged when you see him, you lose your damn mind and blast him away before he gets the justice he deserves. He needs to face a judge and jury so we can get the court-mandated answers we need.’
Selene’s eyes narrowed, but she handed the laser weapon to her friend without another word.
They left the city centre and flew over the beachside suburbs where New Malindi’s rich and even more wealthy gathered. They flitted between golden beaches across the coastal haven and their modern and art deco homes with gorgeous views over New Malindi’s harbour and golden peninsula where the median house price was a whopping 25 million schills.
Selene didn’t envy the wealth. She knew well enough that most of the waterfront homes had been acquired by corruption, greed and exploitation. Something her father had fought against and a battle which she, too, was keen to pick up as soon as Massimo’s arrest was done and dusted.
In the far distance and high over the sea and the skies was the arched dome that had thankfully remained intact over the seaside capital. Selene thought she saw a corvette high in the sky above them, and she peered out of the upper hatch window of the flyer. But, unfortunately, the clouds and reflection from the dome hid any sign of a drive plume, and she leaned back in her chair, disappointed.
Rina glanced at her friend. ‘Still keeping an eye out for him?’
‘You won’t tell me where he is,’ Selene accused.
‘He’s well - and he’s been running a special op for the last few days. That’s all you need to know.’
Selene pursed her lips; her heart still lost in a deep longing.
‘You’ll see him soon, I promise,’ Rina said. ‘He hasn’t abandoned you to the stars, that you can be sure of.’
Rina’s words sparked a memory, and Selene lost herself, remembering how she’d lain on a glass floor looking up at a bright duo star, wrapped sensually in the arms of a particular man. It was enough to get her heart racing.
‘Heads up, Prime, Colonel,’ the flyer’s pilot announced, breaking through her thoughts. ‘We’re one minute away.’
Rina jerked her chin at her friend and slid on her HUD headset. Selene also donned the headset attachment to her helmet, which was, along with her meta suit, the last remaining connection to Kainan.
She wondered if he’d send word to take it back, but not even one message had come through. Instead, every communication in recent days with The Sable Group and Riders had been formal and official, mostly from Zane, who was still running the Alliance’s Sable-related ops from Eden II. She got the distinct feeling Kainan was avoiding her. And doing a mighty damn fine job at it too.
They flew low over a tree-lined avenue and line of boutique shops and elegant cafes where surprised patrons pointed at the sight of the sleek military flyer so close to the ground.
Then they headed towards an ostentatious gate and extensive driveway leading past an incredible garden and a gleaming white house at its apex—the Makori mansion.
The flyer set down in the garden in front of the house, its engines charring a large circle onto the delicate grass.
Not that Selene cared.Fokk Massimo’s grass. Fokk his entire existence, she thought.
The flyer’s doors slid open, and Selene dismounted.
