The Nightwalker

Chapter 6

The ominous feeling was still present as Lena followed Kat to the housing units. The smog from the forges was less evident up ahead, but the semi-serene setting did little to calm her mind. Thane should be fine since she was an Infiltrator, and yet Lena could tell that the woman was in serious trouble.

Thane's position was painful because she was the only guardian Lena had left. With Samara dead, the part of her that longed for a peace pact was threatening to dissolve. She knew her demise would leave an emotional scar that would rake her heart forever. Lena's only solace was the idea that the cruel death, with a twist in her heart, wouldn't happen to Thane. Lena knew that it would take an entire armada to defeat her guardian.

While the guards frisked her back, Lena scrutinized the structures that scattered in the distance. The housing units sat on the olden soil, an array of metal hulls and timbers strapped together that looked neither safe nor provide privacy to the dwellers. The entire facade looked like the bastion of human construction-lazy, a product of hasty decision making from the higher-ups, probably to simply satiate the frustration of masses for the time being.

Lena shook her head. That was mean, she thought. She needed to be level headed and think like consul. Humans had their faults, just like her kind. The thought tasted bitter on her tongue.

Kat caught the look on her face and scowled. "Are you feeling okay? You look like you're two seconds away from fainting."

Lena shook her head. "I'm fine," she said, eager to change the subject. "Back there, they said Thane's on a mission. Where exactly is she going?"

"That's classified," Kat replied curtly, her voice lilted with a drawling accent. "I'm not allowed to tell you anything unless you have a clearance from my brother and Gaius. Clearance for Thane's dossier applies only to high ranking officers such as the Commanders of the Cavalry and the Margraves."

The titles sounded like gibberish to Lena. "And as an apprentice to the Head of Maintenance, I can't ask for one?"

"Well you could," Kat said, her tone conveyed only of professionalism. It left nothing for Lena to exploit. Perhaps if Kat was one of the chatty elders from the Rock, she could steer the conversation to her liking. "But I think my brother won't accept your plea. Gaius is harder to bend."

"Great." Lena exhaled. The entire exchange felt like a dead end. She had no means of knowing what could happen to Thane; much less get an inkling of an idea that could free her from her duties. Anxiety began to creep inside her and took the form of a lump that lodged itself in her throat.

"Come on, pick up your pace. People on this side of the colony hate slow walkers."

Kat jogged in between the houses, leaving Lena to dust. The messy layout didn't even put her in a difficult position. Lena trotted after her and a series of "sorry" and "after you" spilled on her mouth as the residents looked at her with distaste.

Everyone looked like soldiers. Contrary to the Redfern populace, the citizens of Helios Prime carried an impression that screamed strict military lifestyle -different from gaunt faces and small bodies of the fisher folks and farmers. Their rosy cheeks, fit physiques, and the nonexistence of despondency on their faces told her that these people never had to scour for food. All of them, however, looked somber. Wherever Lena looked, men and women beheld an air of urgency. Lena could swear she could taste the panic in the air.

"Why are they worried about the attack?" Lena whispered once she caught up with Kat. "Officer Raphael said that with him as the Overseer, the place is practically impenetrable."

"Nothing's impenetrable when it comes to the invaders," Kat said. "The plausibility of Nightwalkers penetrating our defenses might be small, but it's not impossible."