TIET watched the display from behind Alec. The rebels still managed to have access to quite a bit of technology, even with the Agonotti dominating the population.
"It's confirmed, Tiet. Someone has escaped the mountain with one of our ships. The satellite is tracking them on a course heading toward Sector City."
Tiet breathed a sigh of relief as he glanced back at his wife, who was still assisting one of the young mothers that had just given birth.
"Are they being followed?" asked Wynn.
"It's difficult to tell. One of the advantages the Agonotti have is our inability to detect them as they travel in molecular cloud form."
"My guess would be that they are," said Tiet as he stared at the tracking information. "Look at the speed they're traveling. That's probably close to the max for a troop transport of that type, without blowing the turbines."
"Perhaps they hope to lose the Agonotti somehow inside the city," said Wynn.
"We have a large base under the city with some of our best people there," said Alec. "We can call for them to open up a gate here at the holding station and you can try to intercept them inside the city."
A warning alarm sounded at the computer station. "Sir, we've picked up something you had better see," said one of the data techs.
"What is it?" asked Alec.
"It's an army, sir."
"What? Who are they?"
Tiet and Wynn were at his side pouring over the incoming data. They looked at one another with dread as they realized the nature of the warships and the mass of soldiers assembling in the plains outside of Sector City.
"Those are our warships," said Wynn hesitantly.
"You've brought an army with you?"
"Not exactly," said Tiet. "They're all under the control of Lucin. He managed to assimilate the population on Castai through parasitic invasion."
"You mean we have to fight this invasion army and the Agonotti?"
Neither Wynn nor Tiet wanted to answer the question, but it was still obvious to everyone. Tiet stepped to him.
"None of us has any choice," said Tiet. "We either face them with everything we've got now, or we wait to be hunted down one group at a time. We have to trust Elithias, Alec. He has a plan even if we don't understand it yet."
Tiet stared right into Alec's eyes trying to reassure him. It felt good to walk by the pajet. He didn't have any idea how they could hope to fight against the Agonotti and the symbyte controlled army that was awaiting them, but Tiet was determined he was going to obey Elithias' command from Aija the prophet, no matter what.
"Can you assemble your people at the Sector City base, Alec? Will you fight with us?" asked Tiet.
Alec hesitated a moment, examining the faces of his people in the chamber. "Tranner."
"Yes, sir?"
"Ask Sector command to open a gate here, and send out to all commands to assemble our forces at Sector City."
"Yes, sir."
Alec turned back to Tiet and said, "We'll give you everything we've got, Tiet."
"My friend, no one can ask more than that," said Tiet. "Wynn, I think it's time to contact Grod and have him rendezvous with us in the city. Mirah-"
"I've got to bring one of the young women with us," said Mirah.
"What? But we're going to war."
"Ramah needs immediate care in our ship's med-lab," said Mirah, "This place is just not equipped for an emergency."
"What's wrong with her?" asked Tiet.
"She's hemorrhaging," she said. "If I don't get it under control quickly, she will bleed to death."
"Alright, get her ready to move."
Mirah smiled and kissed Tiet before heading back to her young patient. Now, all they needed, thought Tiet, was enough rebels to face off against thousands and thousands of their former assimilated comrades and thousands more wraith-like, fallen Mithri. He would have been in despair already, if not for the words of the prophet Aija assuring him of Elithias' plan and the inevitable defeat of his enemies.
"You don't look so good," said Wynn. "Are you alright?"
"I guess that's the thing about walking by faith," replied Tiet. "It's never easy."