As Gayatri looked at her victorious rebel group, she kept her hand on Judy's shoulder for support. She then looked down at the injured, unconscious, and brutally beaten enemies.
She raised her voice, "Rebels. I am not proud of what we are going through and what we are going to do. The people we defeated have families and loved ones too, just like us. But we lost ours to time, to tyranny, and to everything else. The Imperial Regime took what we cared for. However, we are here to make a difference; we will unify the common people. Our next mission is to take over the Ghost City. Even if we lose, it will give our other rebel friends the hope to fight and topple the Imperial Regime.
Friends, we won't kill any civilians. Prepare for battle. The regime has to pay the price for their unnecessary tyranny. We will restore the world, as our forefathers had it once—to nurture and protect the environment for the future."
Every one of the rebels shouted together, "Hear! Hear! Long Live the Rebellion!" "Long Live the World!"
After the speech, Gayatri instructed Judy, "Bring Mitra to me!"
Judy descended from the top of the cave with the help of a rope, swinging through and dropping onto the ground. She looked at the faces of the injured Imperial Troops. They were helpless, shocked, and their skin was slowly burning under the heat of the sun. Their masks were broken. She quickly spotted Mitra and commanded two of her fellow rebels to bring him to the cave. Gayatri descended and went straight inside the cave. Judy followed quickly, accompanied by her fellow rebels and Mitra, who was suffering seriously from pain and skin burns and was being dragged the entire path.
The door slid up and they entered. Gayatri and Judy took off their masks. The other rebels secured Mitra in a cane chair, tying his hands behind his back and his legs together with a rope. He offered no resistance.
Gayatri asked the rebels to leave, instructing them to prepare for their next mission to Ghost City. "Yes, Mother," they replied and left.
Gayatri looked at Mitra and walked toward him. Mitra somehow tried to muster the energy or power to strike the rebel leader. All that rage and anger were fueling inside his body, but he failed.
Gayatri touched his face; he resisted her touch. She took out a bowl of a mixture made from natural herbs and applied it to his face. All the pain and irritation on his skin began to cool down. "How is that possible?" Mitra looked at her with surprise.
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The Admiral and the Imperial Surveillance Group of the Ghost City were struggling to make contact with the Imperial troops, but there was no response.
Meanwhile, Stella, who was part of the security and forensic analysis team and provided insight to the superior commanding officers in the Imperial Outposts, entered. She had been praised for her dedication and accuracy. She brought the analysis report on Judy's supposed death: "It's not her!"
"What!" The Admiral looked surprised.
"It was Jaina's body! Mismatch in blood samples and fingerprint!"
"My goodness!"
"We need to check our data drives for any breach!"
"The last puzzle, check it!"
"We have to verify Judy's background! Even though she was sent by the Headquarters, we didn't do a background check from our end."
"The rebels are gaining ground in their infiltration…"
The security team leader raised his voice and displayed the latest visuals. They saw movements, but the image was unclear—there was a blackout. "What's going on?" asked the Admiral.
"Something is jamming our satellite transmission."
"Fix it."
"Trying."
As they looked at another screen, it showed the hotspots of the individual troopers being disabled one by one. The Admiral panicked, "Raise the Alarm! They will stop at nothing!"
Stella instructed the communications team, sitting beside the security team, "Inform the Governor!"
She turned to the Admiral, "Arjun! Put the city on guard until further help arrives!"
The Admiral looked at the hotspots, astounded by how the troopers were beaten and had become powerless. He looked at a particular number, 101, Mitra's code. That number, too, went disabled. "What are we going to do?" asked Stella, worried by the current turn of events.
Arjun, shocked and clueless, said, "I have no idea, Stella… I really have no idea!"
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Mitra's tracking device was being removed from his arm with the help of a shocker. As the burns were being cured, he shook his head and tried to stand up but failed as his legs were still tied. Gayatri walked back to Judy.
Mitra now noticed Judy, "You died, how can…"
Gayatri stopped him, "Now is not the time for an explanation!"
"Why don't you kill me?" replied Mitra.
"Join us!"
"Why would I want to do that?"
"People like you never believe in anything! So, be part of the greater good!"
"I have tortured the rebels because of you. Your rebels killed my father, and you want me to join this shitty group of yours!"
Judy quickly came forward. Gayatri tried to stop her, but Judy slapped him hard. Mitra tried to hit her back but failed.
"Stop!" commanded Gayatri. Judy walked back.
Gayatri continued, "What makes you think the rebels killed your father?"
"That night… they fired the shot that night!"
Gayatri hesitated to reply, then outlined her plans, "We are going to the Ghost City. You and the Imperial troopers are coming with us as prisoners. We will take your weapons and the vehicles! You will see what we are trying to achieve!"
"I want you dead, Gayatri!"
Gayatri laughed, "A common factor! Do you have anything new to say?"
"Nothing!"
"Only the bounty!" She frowned, "Have you seen what the Imperial Regime does to people?"
"I have seen it! That's for the authority to decide, not me!"
"You can change everything!"
"I am not that kind!"
"Don't you have any pity for those who died for a single drop of water? Is this the world we live in? Is this the world where we exploit our nature, so that we cannot have our freedom for peace and tranquility? Or are you just simply a gun for hire!"
Mitra replied bluntly, "That's the job!"
"Mitra, have you heard of the lost paradise?"
"It's fiction that does not exist!"
"Apparently, it exists! We will take over the radio center of Ghost City and send messages to other stations, so that our rebel spies in the other Imperial outposts will be alerted!"
"Even if you succeed, they will find the rebels and kill them!"
"This is what the Imperial wants you to believe."
"Why are you saying this to me?"
Gayatri observed him as he struggled to move, "You take your time! Think about the future!"
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"Sir, the Governor is ready!" The communications officer told the Admiral.
The Admiral requested the officer, "Transfer the call to my chamber!" He walked towards his office near the Surveillance Room. He opened the door, entered, and closed the door with his fingerprint on the digital scanner. He activated the prompter. The screen on the wall opposite the desk turned on. The Governor appeared on the screen and the Admiral bowed quickly.
The Governor, with cold, dead eyes and noticeable facial bone structure, white hair, and a few years older than the Admiral, spoke in his iron-cold voice, "I am upset about the situation in the Neutral Territory, Admiral Arjun! The Imperial Board is showing grievances because of the outcome!"
"Yes, Governor!"
"Were the troops not trained for such a combat? Disappointing! Our training cost is wasted."
"Sir, the rebels are savages who have a thirst for a fight!"
"And you don't?"
"We failed, sir!"
"Your excuse is not relevant to report to the board members!"
"We need more troops! We need aircrafts!" the Admiral screamed out of frustration.
"Temper! Temper! Admiral Arjun!"
The Governor looked straight at him. Arjun was sweating. "Is Mitra alive?" he asked.
"I do not know, sir!"
"What about Gayatri?"
The Admiral looked at the Governor in silence, inhaled a deep breath, brushed his forehead, and replied, "We will take her down!"
"How?"
"I know they will come to the city."
"Are you certain?"
"I am!"
"Don't fail me, Admiral Arjun."
The visual was disconnected, and Arjun took another deep breath out of fear and suffocation. A small note appeared on the digital tab on the desk. He got up and saw that a battalion had been sanctioned along with one aircraft.
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Judy and Gayatri went into the other room; they observed Mitra through a soundproof glass. "Is it right to convince him to join us?" Judy asked.
"He has to. If he knows the truth."
"Why aren't you telling him now?"
"He won't believe it that way."
"Is this risk worth taking? The other rebels will risk it for you, I will risk it for you, but think about the implications. If we fail sending the message, this fight of ours will be a lost cause."
Gayatri was in conflict. "We will tie him up inside the Jeep! He sits beside me! I will try convincing him!"
"I am not happy about this!"
"I know!" Judy looked at Gayatri with disappointment.
They put their masks on their faces, came out from the cave, and instructed the rebels to bring all the prisoners toward the Indigenous Tribes. Half of the rebels walked toward the Indigenous Tribes, boarded their vehicles, and tied the prisoners up inside. Gayatri and Judy sat inside the confiscated Land Cruiser from last night. Gayatri took the middle seat, with Judy and two others in the back. One of the rebels dragged Mitra and put him on the seat beside Gayatri. Judy pointed a gun at Mitra's head.
Two rebels were in the front. One started the vehicle and held the steering, and the other reloaded the gun. The other rebels boarded the other vehicles and started them. The remaining rebels looked after the Imperial Troopers and started walking toward the Indigenous Tribes, which took some time. The first three vehicles reached the Indigenous Tribes. A few rebels got down, took over the Imperial Jeeps, and they waited for the others to arrive. As the others reached, they tied the Imperial Troopers to their seats one by one and put cloths on their mouths, securing them. Everyone was boarded and a few adjustments were made.
Qasim observed them from a distance and informed the Admiral about the situation—that they were heading toward the Ghost City with their arms and ammunition, and the Imperial troops were taken as captives of the rebels.
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The Admiral received the message; he was tense and worried. Stella looked at her husband, "This is hopeless!"
"I don't know what to do!"
He walked slowly to his office, went toward the mirror, and looked at his own reflection. Stella followed him and held him from behind, intimately; she kissed him. He turned and kissed her back. "I miss you, Stella! So much!"
"I cannot forget the days. Now we cannot love ourselves as we wish."
"We are never alone together, this job, and this pathetic work." They kissed passionately. Arjun took a small breath.
"Can we go for a holiday for some days! Only the two of us!"
"Do you think the Governor will approve?"
His face changed into disappointment. The intercom buzzed. He moved away from Stella, and before picking up, he said to her, "He never does!"
The communicator revealed the acting commander-in-chief of the remaining troops was calling out for instructions. "Tell me, Chief! What is it?"
"Sir, we have set the parameters at the exit gate!"
"Anyone inside?"
"We have a few, but that won't be very effective. How many rebels will be there?"
"As per my contact, around twenty, and they are bringing our people as captives."
"We have to rescue our troops too."
"We have to."
"We wait for them until they come."
"Sure, Sir! Are you coming down?"
"Yes, in a minute."
Arjun hung up the communicator. Stella looked at Arjun, put her hand on his face, and moved her fingers to his mouth, "Duty has no sweethearts." He kissed her hands, fingers, and lips as he locked her mouth; they had tears in their eyes. Arjun walked away from the office, wiped his tears away, and Stella was left alone feeling desolated.
To be Continued: Chapter 7 – Fate is Fluid