They came to an underground hangar of some sort, ancient in construction, but very recent in use. Tiet liked the air quality better in here. A breeze circulated through a network of vent tunnels in the walls and ceiling of the cavern.
"Jayce, where are they?" Tiet asked.
"It looks like they've gone on a raid."
"Raiding what?" Wynn asked.
"Agonotti outposts-we rescue slaves."
Emil looked puzzled. "Slaves?"
"Many people are forced to work the fields. The Agonotti use men like cattle," explained Jayce. "Alec-that's the leader here-he says those devils are breeding their own food supply."
The group looked solemnly at one another. "That would go along with the deal the Guardians had with them," Kale said as he tapped on his forearm computer display. He scanned the integrity of the huge underground chamber.
"But they can't just feed without replenishing their resources," Wynn said. "They're breeding men like cattle for the slaughter."
"That wall over there," Emil said as he walked past them glancing down at his own computer display. "There's a very strong reading of temporal displacement throughout this entire side of the cavern."
"These readings look just like the kind of residuals a transgate leaves behind," Kale said as he joined his friend in his survey.
"There's a whole network. That's how they get from one base to another and make their strikes," Jayce explained.
"How extensive is this network, Jayce?" Tiet asked.
"We have a number of bases all over the continent."
"Sooner or later, the Agonotti will figure out a way to infiltrate your network and once they gain use of your transgates then you will have no place to hide," Wynn said.
"How many rebels are there?" Tiet asked.
"I'm not sure, maybe ten thousand. Plus, there are the people we've been able to rescue, but many of them are women and some of them are with child," Jayce said.
"And where are those women?" asked Mirah. "Do they have any medical care?"
"I'm not sure Ma'am. I don't see them very often, but I think they're hidden away together somewhere. I've heard Alec talking about them a little."
Tiet glanced at his wife just behind him. She remained ready to care for the hurting. She could never be relegated to a mere female. In the most difficult situations, she always stood to the task as a physician first-her confidence always unwavering and he loved her more for it.
"This is going to be difficult," said Tiet. "I'd say they already outnumber us, just by the Agonotti we saw when we fled the planet a few months ago."
"With the right strategy, sometimes numbers don't always mean victory," said Wynn, scratching his short white beard.
"-and in this situation?"
Wynn looked right at the king and said, "I have no idea how we can overcome what we are facing."
"Pajet-"
The rest of the group turned to Kale. He looked over the cavern wall next to Emil, still tapping on his display. Kale looked up wondering at the sudden silence. "The Pajet-we have committed ourselves to Elithias and he will guide our steps," he said matter-of-factly as though it should have been obvious to all of them.
Wynn smiled and looked at Tiet. He knew Kale was right and they should have known that fact already. Kale returned to his computations. He really is unconcerned. Tiet marveled at the faith of his son and realized at that moment that Kale was much stronger than he had ever been. When leadership had been needed against the Baruk he had resisted. When forgiveness had been asked by his brother, he had withheld it until the man's dying moment. Even when Elithias had revealed himself through Aija's preaching, he had hesitated.
But Kale was not that way. He remained steadfast and sure, not only in his own ability, but in his unshakeable faith in Elithias. That was the key. Kale would be a much greater king than he had ever been, because he believed beyond the present circumstances in The Eternal One who holds all things in his grasp.
Suddenly Tiet felt peace in his soul like he had not known since kneeling with Aija in the assembly hall back on Kosiva. Whatever must happen, Elithias remained in control and they were safe in him forever.