LIGHTNOVELONLINE Chapter 27: The Panopticon
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=== [Chapter 27: The Panopticon] ===
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It was a weird sensation walking into the human fortress for the first time. Very weird. This part of the jungle had practically been Otaes' backyard a few short days ago, and now it was completely foreign to her. Well, not really. The exact spot in the hills was always on The Republic's side of the border, not the Union's. Still, she knew this area well. Canau was always a quiet, though tightly guarded, coastal city right next to the border. One surrounded by the shimmering blue seas of the Helen Gulf, and of course the rolling mountains of the northern Kiote jungle. But now, all of that was gone.
Otaes kept a tight grasp on Archer's reins as they flew in formation with the other Kitchi griffon riders. To the north - in the distance - there was still smoke rising from the villas and concrete towers that dominated Canau. The quiet town was quiet no longer, as the humans occupied the city. The Imperial counter attack had failed to materialize, possibly because of what had happened at Raritan, Otaes thought. But just underneath them, interrupting the idyllic verdant mountains, was the fortress that the human's had arrived in. Well, Otaes shouldn't call them just 'the humans'. It's not like The Commonwealth were the only human faction lurking around here anymore. "The Coalition", as that prisoner Eli called them, had seemingly taken their place, appearing out of nowhere to cement itself. For the life of her, she couldn't tell if they were truly friend or foe. Sure, Eli was terrified of their power. But he was a prisoner, after all. He may have helped save Temetet - something she does owe him for. But he was a prisoner for a reason...
Right?
From the head of the pack, Pakena waved his hand as a signal for the other Kitchi to start descending. On the ground, Chief Ani should've already arrived at the base so the meeting could start. Finally, after so much confusion, they'd finally get answers as to who - or what - The Coalition really was. And most importantly, why they were here...
The first thing Otaes noticed upon landing in a dusty airstrip hastily tucked away in the corner of the walled fort, was the smell. It smelled like a chemical burning. A visible smoke stack from a new-looking building close to the Nexus' center confirmed that there was a factory around here, perhaps the source of the odor. It irritated her nose, horribly. The second thing she noticed were the soldiers. The Coalition's security guards and soldiers swarmed around the Kitchi, at first trying to bark orders as if they owned the place. Sure, the fortress was theirs, but this was territory that had existed to the Union long before that portal ever opened up. They were guests on her planet, not the other way around. The lack of respect from the guards nearly boiled into a open confrontation between Pakena and a few of the other Warriors, before being diffused when one of the humans - a woman who seemed to hold the greater authority - got her soldiers to back off and lead them towards The Nexus' core.
As the warriors were led through the Nexus, Otaes took the opportunity to scout around. Afterall, being a scout and picking up on small details were the exact type of thing she specialized in. And here, there was certainly a lot to take in. For one, the prisoners were everywhere. They all wore the same uniforms that Misfit had on, and they looked just as miserable - if not worse. Everywhere, there were prisoners being ordered around by armed guards, building the fortress, carrying supplies from one place to another, everybody was working hard - most likely to no benefit of their own. It left her with a bit of a sour feeling to see all of the prisoners slave away like this. Maybe Misfit was somewhere in their ranks doing that exact type of work? Well, if they hadn't already been sentenced to solitary confinement as Eli was certain they would be. Again, Otaes reminded herself that they were prisoners. And prisoners were prisoners for good reason. Even the Avonian Shock Troopers she couldn't feel too bad for. They were murderers, looters, they carried the Avonian spirit within them - prisoner or not. She could empathize with their suffering, but she couldn't feel too bad for the enemy. There was nothing that would suggest the prisoners here were any different. Even if one of them had very well saved her brother's life...
And then, in the blink of an eye, they were inside - seated at a rather large mahogany table. It was an office of some description, tucked away in the core of the base in what the humans called "The Central Administration". Chief Ani had already been seated at the table when the guard's re-introduced the two parties, and as was probably expected, she was playing the part of diplomat quite well. Smiling with the humans, exchanging gifts with them, telling stories and fabulous tales about the Kiote people so the humans would be at ease - despite them being intruders.
It made Otaes sick, watching Ani like this. Really any of it. Though this was technically the River Republic's territory, not too long ago - in fact within Otaes' living memory - it was Kiote. Ancestral lands. Burial grounds. Villages and farms. Hunting fields for the natural abundance provided to the Kiote people. The Warriors have called this land their home for thousands of years, and in the span of a few days the humans had transformed their home into an abomination. Was Chief Ani blind to the smoke being pumped into their skies? Couldn't she smell the sulfur tainting the air? Couldn't she tell that the humans she laughed with and played the part of diplomat for were destroying this place? No different than what the Republicans or Imperials would've done. Sure, the humans weren't out to kill the elves... for now. But they were not to be trusted. That's for sure.
Well, not all of them anyways. The Coalition wasn't to be trusted. The humans themselves, that was a different story. They were much like the Commonwealth in that regard. A horrible nation full of ugly people. But sometimes those people were good. Misfit was good. At least they hadn't done anything wrong to her or the warrior elf people.
After a few moments of waiting, the leader of The Coalition had finally arrived. He was a rather ordinary looking human. Even meek. Short gray hair that had been neatly combed, clean shaven wrinkled face, and a finely pressed plain suit that carried only a few badgers to denote his rank and little more. On one of the badgers was his title "Overseer". Nothing more and nothing less. He smiled upon entering the room, ushered in by a few uniformed guards, their guns discreetly hidden underneath their clothes. It was bewildering to think that this man, meek and unimposing, was the architect of this wretched place. A demon wearing human clothes and with a warm smile. A fraud. There were plenty of Kovic's type in The Commonwealth's administration. Ugly men inside, diplomats on the outside. Yet another mark for how similar they were. It was as if The Coalition was just the Commonwealth, only a century or so in the future. And if what Eli had told her was true, Planet Earth was a mirror of Narva. A glimpse of an entire world run by humans a century later. It was bizarre seeing these "Aliens". Everything was so bizarre. It was difficult to keep track of what was happening.
Otaes sighed beneath her mask as Kovic and Chief Ani greeted each other, Kovic even learned that it was customary on Planet Narva for people to bow to each other in greetings. Chief Ani of course did not tell him that bowing was an Imperial tradition. Warrior Elves knelt before the Chiefs and accepted a handshake to pretty much anybody else.
“So, welcome to the Nexus. We hope everything here is to your liking?” Kovic got the ball rolling with a jovial old smile as he and the rest of his lackies took seats on their side of the table. Chief Ani reciprocated, meanwhile the guards for both parties - Otaes included - remained standing on opposing ends of the room.
Ani smiled, “Oh it was absolutely lovely. And the Earth meal, absolutely divine! We should exchange dinners some time, provided all goes well here.”
“I don’t see any reason why it shouldn’t! But moving on to matters of business, now…”
Kovic was handed a few papers by one of his staff members. A list of demands, and some things they were willing to give up. Kovic grunted as he briefly flipped through the nearly twelve-page long document, “As I’m sure you’re aware, our manpower is… strained at the moment. Our assistance in defending - uh, Raritan - was a decision we had to make very carefully. Most of our forces are caught up holding the line in Canau or fighting in the outskirts of Raritan as we speak. I think it would be understandable to lay out a few requests that we have before we solidify anything.”
Ani smirked, “I understand, but I believe it can’t be overstated enough that the reason why we are fighting this war is because of an error… on your part.”
Otaes rolled her eyes. Finally someone said it. The Coalition's people looked taken back by the blatantly true statement. They started the war. They intruded where they were not meant to be intruding. Their forces were the ones that reignited a conflict that everyone wanted buried. And now it was their assistance that was required to bury it once more. Anything less would be inconceivable, and The Coalition would've exposed themselves as frauds.
Kovic’s staff members whispered among themselves. One of his officers tapped his shoulders, whispering into his ear.
“The way we understand it, there was a ceasefire between the Kiote Union and the Avonian Empire. A ceasefire that was broken because of the little kerfuffle that happened between us and them?”
“That would be correct. The previous Kiote War was one of the most destructive wars not just in our history, but in the world. We barely held on last time, and that was with the support of our allies. We're even less prepared to fight them now than we were ten years ago when the war first started.”
Kovic shuffled around in his seat, “Well, no offense here but you guys are using bows and spears to fight an army that uses giant walking killing machines and half-robot dragons.”
“Our people have relied on magic and the advantage of our home terrain for centuries. It wasn’t until recently when things began to change. Drastically,” Ani sighed, “During The Sacred War we fought alongside the Avonians – if you can believe it. But there was a bigger threat then. It was the first time those machines had been made. Nothing’s been the same since the war ended. The Avonians developed stronger weapons of war. Eighty years ago, they were using muskets and sometimes even swords. Now, they have mechanical beasts, and machines of death. There are a couple of nations in The Kiote Union that have tried to adapt. Namely the Seville Kingdom. But we don't have the ability to just snap our fingers and industrialize. All of our guns have either been sold to us or gifted by The Commonwealth. We don't have anything even close to resembling armor or any credible type of vehicle. It's just the tactics that have kept our homelands safe for centuries.”
"And this conflict? What actually was the war about?" Asked a general seated next to Kovic.
“At the end of the Sacred War, the relationship between the Kiote Union and Avonians deteriorated, to put it mildly. The River Republic used to be a firm nation in the Union, and a wealthy one at that. They sold goods to the Avonians and their natural resources, in turn the Avonians gave their oligarchs cash – and power. The Riverlanders elected a president to resist corporate exploitation, but the military overthrew him and replaced him with an Avonian lapdog.”
“And that’s what started the first Kiote War?”
Ani nodded.
Kovic leaned back for a moment, seemingly thinking it over. To Otaes, it sounded like Kovic had heard that story before. Or at the very least was familiar with what happened.
"You mentioned a Commonwealth and the Avonians. They're the primary powers of Planet Narva... right?"
Ani again nodded, "There are a few others, but for the most part yes. They're both locked in what we here would call the -"
"Cold War?"
That was surprising. Kovic seemed proud of himself for being able to complete the sentence, for he smirked a little bit and continued on, "We had one of our own. On Earth. Two worlds, staring each other down with weapons capable of destroying our entire planet. We come from a world much like yours in that regard. Unfortunately," Kovic sighed, "But that's why we're here. Our world is advanced, much more advanced than your even. While we lack magic, we have technology. But we can't stop the decline of our planet. The Cold War on Earth started almost a century ago, and the effects have been disastrous. We're still technically living in it's shadow. Telling you everything wrong would take too long, but you have to understand that we're desperate. Refugees. Pilgrims."
"Pilgrims?"
"One of the foundational myths of my home country was about people fleeing the chaos and turmoil of their home, fleeing to the new world, uniting with the natives and building a prosperous and free society where all could live in harmony..." Kovic's sly smile was ingenuine, Otaes didn't know what he was talking about or if it was even remotely true. Likely not, given everything she knows about them now, "And much like our forefathers, we've come here to build a new home. Not as aggressors or colonizers, but as nothing more than desperate refugees without much of a choice in the matter. We need help, and while we accept that the war may have been reignited due to our carelessness, that doesn't mean we can't prove our usefulness and commitment to upholding peace between our people. We want to know everything that there is to know about this world. We want its history, all the factions, all the countries, who’s in power and who isn’t… everything,” Kovic pressed.
“That can be arranged,” Ani acquiesced. The fact Ani couldn't see that Kovic was lying straight through his teeth was astounding, and the idiocy of it all was too much to bear. Otaes needed to do something. She was nothing if not one to repay her debts, and there was one debt owed of her that couldn't be forgiven unless she acted now.
Otaes stepped forward, out of place next to Pakena and the other Kitchi. Pakena's hand immediately went to go and stop her, but she easily brushed him off with a yank of her arm. Slowly she approached Ani, leaned over her shoulder and whispered into her ear through her mask. Keeping her eye on Kovic the entire time, she could see him and the rest of his team trying to see what she was about to say.
Ani paused for a moment and cleared her throat, "Thank you, Otaes," she whispered back. Promptly, Otaes returned back to her position, feeling the burning sting of Pakena's likely wrathful eyes on her the whole time. But she didn't care at this moment. They could entertain The Coalition's foolishness if they wanted to, she'd given up faith in her leaders long before the humans had arrived. But she had her own job to do here. And she wasn't going to let the opportunity slip because Ani was too blind to see she was being taken advantage of.
“Before we go any further, my daughter Otaes reminds me of something important. I’m aware that you use…prisoners. In combat. Correct?”
Kovic looked at his staff, they nodded pressing him to go on, “Yes, yes that would be correct.”
“I have a few personal concerns about that. We are aware that you have a certain prisoner named, Eli Freeman with you.”
“Eli Freeman?” Kovic raised an eyebrow. He looked confused.
The officer from earlier, Captain Juma, gave him a nudge, “He’s one of mine. Misfit Squad.”
“Misfit?” Kovic asked. For his part, he seemed to have no clue that they even existed. Likely he wouldn't, what would someone the likes of Kovic care about one squad of fugitives?
"They're the ones who brought us into contact with the elves," Juma clarified, "More or less."
“So, you have him?” Ani asked.
Kovic briefly nodded, fixing himself before he spoke, “Yes, we – we do. Is there something wrong?”
“The Free-Man and his squad have proven themselves to be a vital contributor to the defense of our city. We really owe a great deal to him and his fighters. My best warrior’s brother was saved by the Free-Man, and he served alongside Otaes to a remarkably faithful extent. Misfit has demonstrated a resolve to defend our capital so strong that you would think they were fighting for their own home! Let’s just say that they’ve become a friend of the tribe.”
“Alright,” Kovic mused, raising a glass of water up to his lips, “What does that mean?”
“The loyalty of the Warrior Elves is extended primarily to those we consider our friends, even more so than our diplomatic allies. What I’m saying is that we want Misfit, in their entirety, free.”
Otaes took a small bit of pleasure watching Kovic nearly choke on his water. After a brief, though impromptu, fit of coughing he recomposed himself. There was a lot of talking among Kovic’s staff. They were just as surprised as he was, “I’m sorry, Ani. But they are prisoners. I can’t just let them go free. They have a sentence, and they are required to serve it.”
“Well, I’m also aware that you have Misfit imprisoned in solitary. Punished for helping us.”
“They violated our laws, Grand Chief. We have reason to suspect that they assaulted two guards and raider our armor. Then they attempted to flee with stolen weapons and equipment. Solitary confinement is the gentle choice for those felons.”
“The version I’m familiar with is that they were trying to rescue their own team.”
“Maybe," Kovic shrugged, "But ask yourselves this. Why was their team out there? Because they deserted! Misfit are a bunch of criminals, same as the rest of them I'm afraid.”
“That doesn’t excuse the fact that their contribution has been invaluable. Without Misfit, our capital could very well be under jackboot of Republican occupation. If it is impossible for Misfit to be freed from the Penal Unit entirely, then we demand that Misfit is returned to their original status and allowed to work with us again in the future.”
“Impossible,” Kovic whispered, “Listen, we can’t just let them get out of solitary. Don’t you understand how that would look? I mean their raid on the armory nearly triggered a prison revolt! A bloody one! To just let Freeman and his gang walk out of solitary would be dangerous. For everyone. We don’t want the other prisoners to get any… magical ideas! It would set a precedent that our rule of law is amenable,” Kovic protested but deliberated further, “Eli Freeman is just an ordinary prisoner, nothing else. If you want, we’ll gladly arrange another penal unit to work with you. One that isn’t in solitary. Or even better, I can dispatch some of my elite headhunters to assist you. But Misfit squad must stay where they are.”
“I’m sorry, but you aren’t seeing them the way I am. There are forces greater than both of us at play. They’ve highlighted the Misfits as special, I’m afraid our cooperation cannot continue until they are freed from their cells. They may remain as part of the Penal Unit, as prisoners, but everything returns back to the way it was prior. We owe it to them.”
Kovic, Juma, and the rest of the assembled staff members glanced at each other. Before they once again turned to Chief Ani...
The solitary cells were miserable, to say the absolute least. The buildings that the cells were housed in looked like they were rushed to be assembled in a manner of hours. Flat and brutal, concrete structures flanking the central administration. Complete with dozens of thick glass windows containing who knows how many disobedient slaves within. The solitary building was still being expanded by the looks of it, as prisoners were marshalled on by guards to continue building new foundations in parts surrounding it. Like everything else about this wretched hive, the solitary building was growing. The influence of The Coalition grew stronger by the second, and it grew more permanent too. An irreversible scar. A wrong that couldn't be righted any more.
At least Otaes could right this wrong.
“This is it,” Juma said, stopping in front of a solid steel door on the second floor of the solitary building. It was a long and quiet hallway lined with a mess of other identical steel doors, only separated by a numerical designation painted on the wall next to them. The only sounds were the occasional wail of prisoners inside, and the low rumbling of a ventilation system inside. The lights were shoddy, despite being new the electric lights seemed unable to operate for more than few moments without flickering. Juma waved her hand and a guard pulled out his keys. With a twist and a pull, the door creaked open. The room inside was dark. Otaes’ eyes adjusted to the lack of light inside. It was a small, cramped space, with a bed and a single tiny sad window mounted high up on the wall. It was a cage fit more for an animal than a human. And then her eyes landed on him. Eli had turned around, his eyes wide. He looked dirty. The hair on his head matted and poorly kept, his clothes dingy, he himself looked… hollow. As if somehow he had been carved out from the inside.
His eyes went first right up to the guards and Juma, but his face contorted when he saw Otaes and Ani standing besides them. It took a minute, and he didn’t say anything. Nobody did. Ani looked at the guards, and they gestured for her to enter inside. Ani looked back to Otaes to stay put while she went in. And just as she walked inside, the door shut behind her…
“Eli Freeman?” Ani asked.
Eli looked up at her, unsure of how she got here, or why she came here. It was strange seeing her here, he was sure that he never would see anyone from the past again. And to have Ani here, in his cell of all places, it was almost frightening.
He swallowed, “Yeah.”
“So this is where they’re keeping you?” She said, her eyes darted around disgusted at the state of the cell.
“It’s not permanent but… home sweet home. For now,” He grimaced.
“Do you know where Misfit is?”
The question stung him. A wave of emotion washed over him from the inside. Slowly, he shook his head, “They separated us days ago. I think. Gave us each five more years, and then threw us in the hole. I haven’t seen them since.”
“You will be freed.”
Eli looked up at her. It was such a certain statement. A bold one at that, “How do you know.”
“Us Warrior Elves owe a great deal to you. If you hadn’t stumbled into our home, I’m afraid I would’ve had to evacuate Raritan. It would’ve been the first time that our capital had been lost to the enemy. Ever… who knows what would’ve happened after.”
“Yeah well, it’s our fault that this war is even happening in the first place.”
“It’s not your fault. Not yours specifically. You’ll do well to know that we keep our friends and family closer than we keep our allies,” She explained, “We’ve been talking with Kovic on negotiating your release, at least from solitary. All of Misfit’s. It’s us repaying our debt of gratitude.”
“I’m just a prisoner,” Eli sighed, “It’s probably better in here than it is out on the battlefield.”
“Do you really believe that?”
“I-“ Eli paused.
Ani took another look around the room, “This place they have you in is for animals. How can you be comfortable rotting away in here? How can you not try and fight back?”
“Fight back, how? Why? I was this close to making it out of the Penal Unit,” He held his fingers up, feeling his heart skip a beat, “This close. I could feel it. Freedom was right there! All I had to do was just sit there, and… and-“
“Collaborate?” She filled in.
Eli sighed, “Yeah. Collaborate.”
“That’s not you speaking. That’s Kovic. Besides, you said it clear as day… it was your job to get Misfit back home. To protect them in the only way you know how,” she extended him her hand to pull him up from sitting, “You can’t protect them if you’re wasting away in here. You have work to do, Freeman. Your story doesn’t end here.”
He could feel hope in his heart once more. A final light, a chance to do what he had to do. The chance to get reunited with Misfit. One more time. He was almost disappointed in himself for giving up so easily.
But again there was the fear of having it all ripped away. The Coalition seemed unopposable. How could he guarantee their safety if they remained under the jackboot of their totality? He could not. It was impossible.
The image of Omar crying as he was ripped away from him brought tears to his eyes. There was a spark of rage hidden somewhere in that image. Something that drowned out his fear. He’d do anything to fix that. No matter how impossible. He had to do it for his team. Anything short of that would’ve not only been a betrayal to them, but to himself. The way a squad leader should.
He nodded, taking her hand as sniffed away the tears burning his nasals and eyes, “Thank you,” was all he wearily said.
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