Chapter 7

“You’ve been here all of 3 minutes and you’re ordering me to leave!” Charity yelled at Hope. “Who the hell do you think you are?”

          “Well, I know I am the messenger, and unlike you, you never shoot the messenger.” Hope answered the rhetorical question, “I am also Lord Zardac’s nice, and right hand, I rank higher than you. And Charity, might I remind you to not question orders given by my Uncle, who has told me to relieve you.”

          “Fine!” Charity snapped throwing her arms up, “I am going to take this up with him.” Charity stormed off. Hope shook her head.

          “Captain Flintoff!” Hope shouted. A masked man sprinted over to her position.

          “Yes Admiral Moonstone.” He said.

          “I need to know where my mother’s ship went or our Lord will not be happy. It took months for us to find her last time.” Hope said.

          “I’ll ask specialist Drip ma’am.” Flintoff replied. He turned round and ran to the furthest station. Hope sat on a nearby log.

          She pulled out a small book from a back pack she had with her, took out a pen and began to write.

 

Extract from the journal of Hope Moonstone

Well, my mother has done it again. Another escape. How does she do it?

          Uncle Zardac says it’s because so powerful. But when I ask why my mother is so powerful he will just change the subject. He must know. Right? He knows all.

          But when I do ask he will say this, “She could change the tide of this war, your mother can, if she could realise how much power she has got.”

          Thing is, he never tells me anything related to my mother. Like he does not trust me. Why would he do that?

          I also feel like this war is coming to an end. I don’t know why though. Could this be one of my gifts?

 

          She stopped writing and put her things away. Flintoff was still on the other side of the clearing. Hope sighed. The clearing was beautiful. The gemstones that made up the flower heads were blue and red and glinted in the green, dapple sunlight. They also swayed in the cooling breeze. This was why Hope hated most of her mother’s friends and her Uncle at times. They tried to keep her indoors for as long as possible. To keep her safe was their claim.

          But being outside, like now, made her feel free, and she would enjoy it while it lasted.

          “Excuse me ma’am,” a small girl whispered in Hope’s ear. “I was just wondering what you your people are doing here?” Hope turned in her seat to face the girl. The girl was of a humanoid reptile species, this girl’s scales were orange. Her eyes red.

          “My people and I are looking for someone.” Hope replied.

          “Who?”

          “My mother. The enemy have her captive. Have done for some time now.” Hope recited. “They force her to do their will.”

          “What’s your mother’s name?”

          “Faith Quinn-Lin Moonstone. The missing leader of Gemini.” Hope said staring at the sky.

          “But that woman was in my village ten hours ago,” the girl argued, “she said she was proud to be a senior member of Libra. That she would never surrender unless she was ordered to. That she was looking for her daughter, Hope Hathor Moonstone.”

          “Well, she could have been lying to you.” Hope countered.

          “No, she wasn’t.”

          “What makes you so sure little girl? “ Hope asked.

          “My people and I can sense the truth when it is being told.”

          “But I’m only repenting what I’ve been told.” Hope said defensively. “I trust that information so I choose to keep believing what I have been told.”

          “Even if it is nothing but lies?”

          “How dare you!” Hope exclaimed. The G.As all turned to look over at Hope. “You think you can get away with telling me what to believe!? You are nothing but an insolent child!”

          The young alien girl began to clutch her throat, gasping for air that did not come. “You won’t make that mistake ever again.” Hope started to laugh, mirthlessly.

          The girl’s eyes rolled back into her skull, then she fell to the floor, limp. The girl was dead.

          Hope’s first kill.