Founder’s Reign

CHAPTER 1

Adan stared at the harbor, his gaze distant, his jaw so tight it almost hurt. The Bolvarans were here. The crescent bay, the pastel buildings and red roofs clinging to the cliffside, the Western Ocean ablaze with the setting sun. None of it had the same impact as the last time he’d stood on that balcony at Ketura, Davi’s family commune. Now it all felt like a taunt. In the distance, Union flags flew from the masts of ships lined up like gray, steel teeth against the shimmering water. A blockade. A Bolvaran blockade, marking the occupied southern side of Port Abarra.

They were still on the Fair Winds when they heard the news–frantically steaming across the Dellan Straits in pursuit of a recently turned rogue Rune Tabata, who’d fled Sander’s Reach with their supply of the serum that allowed them to use Old Tech. Adan had hardly believed the first snatches of news that came over the wireless. Broken reports of Union flags, Troopers in the streets, the word occupation repeated like a curse. Then the directive came through to avoid the southern harbor. So far, the Union had left the northern harbor alone. So far.

Everything had happened so fast. In the weeks since they’d first sailed to Port Calamity, an army of Gray Coats had marched across Ateri and arrived at the doorstep of Abarra, doing only the Founders knew how much damage along the way. The rumors Adan heard weren’t encouraging.

Why couldn’t they just leave him alone?

Not that the occupation was all about him. It was no coincidence that Bolvar had focused on the parts of the city south of the Dorando River. The Abarran First Explorers Institute was there–with all the secrets and Colony tech they’d gathered. Or, at least, what was left of AFEI. But a team of Bolvarans–probably Pinchers–had also shown up at Ketura, forcing their way in and tearing the place apart looking for Adan or anyone who knew him before taking Viram, the house leader, away. The neighbors turning up to investigate all the commotion was probably the only thing that kept all of Davi’s other friends from getting rounded up and hauled away, too. But they still got Viram.

“There you are.”

Adan automatically smiled at the husky, warm tone of Garun’s voice. “I wasn’t exactly hiding. I’m just doing some thinking.”

Garun slipped his arms around Adan and tugged him closer. “I think the word you’re actually looking for is brooding.”

Adan jokingly snorted, pressing his back against Garun’s chest. “There you go thinking again.”

The warm spray of Garun’s soft laugh against Adan’s neck nearly made his knees buckle. “Not my strong suit, no. And it’s not why I’m here, anyway. Sander’s looking for you.”

Adan squeezed his eyes closed, desperate to repel the real world’s intrusion into his tiny fantasy for a moment longer. “It’s not like this place is all that big.”

“I may have been paraphrasing. He may have said something like, go tell that kid he’s done enough brooding and it’s time to start getting ready.”

Adan couldn’t help chuckling. “See? It wasn’t even your word.”

Garun’s grip loosened. “Well, if that’s–”

“No.” Adan clung to Garun’s arms, refusing to let him go. “I’m sorry. I’m being an ass.”

Garun resumed his gentle squeeze. “It’s okay to be nervous.”

“I’m too tired to be nervous.” Adan relaxed into Garun’s arms for another moment, then straightened up. “Alright, let’s go see Sander.”

Sander, Davi, and Bo were deep in conversation standing near the ruined fountain on the main level. Most of the compound’s superficial damage was already under various stages of repair–windows replaced, doors fixed, walls repainted. But the fountain repairs required skills no one in the household possessed. And Port Abarra had more urgent needs at the moment.

Jenra’s absence wasn’t all that surprising. She’d avoided everyone except Bo for both of the boat trips back from the Dellans. Seeing the Union occupation had apparently shifted her mood, but hadn’t stopped her from keeping to herself.

Lev’s absence was also understandable. He’d rushed from the Fair Winds to find his family and ensure they were safe. Whatever feelings he might have had for Rune couldn’t have prevented that. He’d promised to catch up with the squad before they left Abarra, but Adan honestly had no idea if he’d ever see the former Fair Winds crew member again.

As he approached, Adan got a better look at the trio as Davi showed the others something on her tablet.

“–can’t be sure, but it should be somewhere around here.”

Sander nodded, affording Davi a look of respect Adan wished he saw a little more often. Respect, or approval. Not that Sander didn’t take him seriously or respect his decisions. But Davi seemed to have earned a level of respect from Sander that Adan had failed to achieve so far, despite being the one who rescued him from his captivity at the hands of the Norrins. Maybe he’d earn it today.

“We’ll find it.” Sander patted the armor unit hidden under his jacket. “We’ll just scan the areas you pointed out.”

Adan stopped beside Sander. “Find what?”

“An alternate entrance to the AFEI building,” Davi replied.

Bo chuckled. “You’re never going to guess.”

“A sewer.” Adan frowned. “It’s always sewers.”

Davi shook her head. “Not a sewer, actually. A ventilation shaft for the server room.”

“Which means it’ll be dry,” Sander added. “But probably hot.”

Hot was fine. Adan had walked around the Adak in the middle of the day with no problem. In his armor, he didn’t even break a sweat. “I can live with that.”

“And probably not even hot,” Davi said. “The servers will likely be powered down.”

“I wish you were taking us across with you.” Garun’s words again, but this time without desperation. Only resignation. “But I get it.”

“If you want to watch our backs, the best place to be is here on this side of the bridge.” Sander had a way of putting people at ease that Adan desperately yearned to master. “The situation’s liable to be a little hairy once we’re headed back this way.” But he still used a lot of archaic expressions.

“We need to be sure Viram gets back here okay,” Adan added, “if we have to stay and fight.” He focused on Bo. “Have you talked to Jenra?”

Bo grimly nodded. “She’ll keep watch here. She said she’d rather sit this one out anyway.”

Just like she’d sat everything out since they got back to Abarra. Not that Adan blamed her. He was the squad expert on being betrayed by people you were supposed to trust. “Good enough. Should we review the plan before we leave?”

Sander nodded. “We’ve got time. May I?” He reached for Davi’s tablet, held it out in the middle of the group, and activated its previously unknown projection feature. Adan had only just recently learned what a video was. He still marveled at seeing an image floating suspended in the air.

“This is the Institute complex,” Sander continued, pointing at a top down view of the massive, white building. It showed no signs of the recent bombing, so it was an older picture. He waved his hand inside the image, moving it until it displayed the graceful, white stone span of the Bakili Bridge. “We’ll have to find our way there from here once we cross over this bridge. I haven’t verified this yet, but Dr. Kitola assures me that a metal structure underlays the bridge span. That should allow Adan and I to make our way across unseen.”

Sander glanced at Garun and Bo. “You two will wait for us in this area.” He pointed to a spot on the bridge’s north side. “Going over, we’ll be nice and quiet. Coming back, not so much, I’m afraid. You’re our escape if anything there goes south.”

Another archaic expression, but Garun and Bo nodded. “You can count on us,” Bo added.
Sander shifted the image back to the Institute.

“Once Adan and I are inside, we’ll make our way through the facility until we find where the prisoners are being kept.”

“They’ll most likely be on the level below the server room and my lab,” Davi added. “Where you found–” She stopped, for whatever reason unwilling to say his name.

“Rune,” Adan said. “You can say his name. Just because we don’t know for sure why he left, doesn’t mean we should pretend like he wasn’t with us from the beginning.”

Davi nodded, frowning. “You’re right. I’m sorry.”

The momentary awkwardness briefly silenced the squad until Sander quietly cleared his throat. “Alright, then.” He glanced at the fading, rosy glow on the western horizon. “Let’s get geared up and get going.”

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