When I came back to Defender Base that night I lay down in bed, but found that I couldn’t sleep at all: the revelations I’d had talking with Rogelio had been… Unsettling, to say the least.

When I’d asked him about the Repulsoid Emperor, he’d gone… Well, I still couldn’t properly read his facial expressions – him being an alien and all – but I guess he’d gone pale? I had to ask several follow-up questions, and be more than a bit probing, before he finally agreed to talk. According to him, the Emperor was the absolute ruler of the Repulsoid, chosen because of strength and power: anyone could challenge his rule at any time, but no one had ever succeeded. He was just that strong.

There wasn’t anyone who dared to defy him openly, because any public disagreement was dealt with swiftly and lethally; secretly, however, most Repulsoid Soldiers, and even a few Leaders – there were many more than we’d seen, Rogelio told me, but the only ones who went out on the battlefield were the ones who had morphers, and those were just a handful – were unhappy with the Emperor’s rule.

Over the last few years, several people had begun asking themselves, and each other, what was the point in continuing to fight: after all, they hadn’t made any advances since the very first campaign, the one that had been stopped at the Battle of Indianapolis, and the situation was at a stalemate. Wouldn’t it be better to just sue for peace? To negotiate with the humans, to make concessions on the points we apparently refused to compromise on, to find a way to stop the fighting?

Not according to the Emperor. Any such suggestion was tantamount to treason, and dealt with, again, swiftly and lethally.

In short, the Repulsoid didn’t want to fight any more: they would much prefer not to, actually, but they were being forced into battle by the Emperor, who was needlessly prolonging the conflict, because… Because he still thought they could win? Because he saw peace as a threat to his authority? Because he hated humans so much he didn’t want to come to terms with us? A combination of the three? Something else entirely?

I still hadn’t figured that part out.

One thing was certain, though: the Emperor did not share power. Or knowledge. Or anything else. Which meant that whoever had leaked the information about the morphers had dealt directly with the Emperor himself. It had to be someone the Emperor saw as equal.

And I could only think of one person who fit that profile.

I turned my head and looked at the clock at my bedside: three twelve AM. I’d been lost in thought for so long, it was now very late – or very early, depending on how you saw things.

Just as well: at this hour, General Ryder’s office was sure to be empty.

 

 

As I’d figured, the hallways were deserted at that time of night: almost everyone at base was asleep, except for a few guards posted at key locations just in case, and the night shift of soldiers who were probably playing cards in the barracks, trying to while the time away, waiting for dawn, when they would be relieved by the day shift.

No security cameras, either. Once I’d asked the other Defenders why there weren’t any, it looked like a blatant oversight to me, but they’d just shrugged. “No idea,” Megan had answered. “Probably they didn’t think of it when they converted the old school building into Defender Base.”

“Besides,” Amelia had added, “who would be so foolish to attack our base directly? This is where the most humanity’s forces are concentrated, after all. And there’s us.”

Just as well, I wouldn’t have dared even think about what I was about to do if there were security cameras around.

The general’s office was situated in a somewhat remote position, off to the side of a main corridor: I remembered him explaining that it had been the principal’s office the one time I’d been in it, back when I’d signed the contract. It had been what, barely a few months prior? But now it seemed like centuries.

I paused in front of the door, my hand poised to open it, as I realised something: I had no way of getting into his office. Not without breaking open the door, which would surely be noticed. How would I explain it? True, no one would probably think about accusing me. And why would they? But the break-in, someone entering General Ryder’s office and searching it for… Something… would certainly raise suspicions. It would cause trouble.

Still, I had to try.

I lowered my hand on the door’s handle, to try it before breaking the door open.

With a soft clicking sound, the handle turned, and the door swung open.

…It was unlocked?

Why would the general leave the door to his office unlocked? It sounded like a serious oversight to me. Combined with the lack of security cameras, it meant that anyone could sneak into his office as they pleased. It meant--

I shook my head. This was not the time to be thinking about all this. The fact that the door was unlocked was a stroke of luck, best not to linger on it too much.

I quietly made my way into the office. It was neat and organised, just like the previous time I’d been in it: the desk was clear, with just a phone, a laptop and a neat stack of papers on it. Behind it was a bookcase, full of books and what I assumed were reference documents. I let my eyes pass over the spines, and then frowned as one of them caught my attention.

Defender Project – design plans, final revision.

I walked over, pulled it down from the bookcase, and opened it on the desk. Just as I thought, those were the plans for the Defender suits: these were all someone would need to build them. Well, that and the technical knowledge, and the Elerium cores.

Of course, it made sense that General Ryder would have access to the plans: he was the leader of the human resistance against the alien invaders after all. It made much less sense, however, that he would keep them in his office – which was unlocked, without any apparent security measures – rather than the secure archives I’d visited in the previous days.

But this was hardly definitive proof. I would have to find something else.

Taking care not to make too much noise, I started searching the office. I looked at every book in the bookcase, I flipped through the papers on his desk. I even turned on his laptop, but that at least was password-protected; I shut it off and closed it again.

Then I opened the drawers of his desk. The contents were stationery, more papers, and a few folders… And a recorder?

It looked very much like a tape recorder, yes, though this was probably digital. By following the wires, I could tell it was tapping into the general’s phone, poised to record each and every conversation he had.

But why would he record his phone calls in the first place?

Slowly, hesitantly, I pushed the button on the recorder: it crackled to life, and started playing the latest recording that had been made.

“Yes,” came the general’s voice from the recorder.

“I thought we had an agreement,” said a deep, gravely voice, which I didn’t recognise but which was very similar in accent to the way Repulsoid Leaders talked.

“…You shouldn’t be calling me here. This isn’t a secure line.” That was General Ryder’s voice again.

“We were to talk to each other, to find the best time to dispose of our pawns. And yet, I lose three of them in a short time.”

...What?

I listened in amazement as the conversation went on, as the general and… And the Repulsoid Emperor talked to each other, until finally the recording was over, and the device clicked off.

I was stunned. There it was. The proof I’d been looking for. The clear, undeniable evidence that General Alexander Ryder, leader of the human forces against the Repulsoids, was working with the Repulsoid Emperor, and had probably been for a while.

But, once again: why?

Why would the general leave such incriminating evidence in his office? True, the recorder wasn’t out in the open, but a quick, cursory search of the room had brought it to light. And what’s more, the door to the office was unlocked.

That meant that anyone – anyone – who had any suspicions about General Ryder would immediately find proof of his wrongdoing. Why would he not take any precautions?

And suddenly, I realised.

Why would Nixon not destroy the Watergate Tapes?

Because he thought he was untouchable.

That was it. That had to be it. General Ryder had at his disposal the whole resources of the United States military, allegedly to help him fight against the Repulsoids; he also had the Repulsoid Emperor on quick dial, so he could call on him to solve any problems he couldn’t otherwise have managed on his own.

Like my brother. Like Mark.

General Ryder had most likely been the one who’d leaked his and Doctor Winter’s position to the Repulsoids, which had directly led to their deaths.

The general had murdered my brother.

My hand started moving on its own, down towards my morpher; I had to consciously force myself not to push the buttons and flick the lever. Not to morph, run out of the office, find General Ryder wherever he was, and cleave him in half.

No. No. Deep breaths, Stephanie. You have the proof you need, you just need to expose him. To make everyone see him for who he truly is.

I just needed to take the tape out of the recorder… No, the recorder was likely digital. I just needed to take the whole recorder, and--

I froze. A noise had caught my attention: someone was talking, outside the office. Two voices. I couldn’t make out the exact words, though, nor recognise who they were, since they were muffled by the door.

I hurriedly returned everything to its place, turned off the light, and hid under the general’s desk.

I heard the door open, and the light flicked on again. Two sets of footsteps entered the room.

“It should be here on my desk,” General Ryder said. I kept very still, going so far as to hold my breath; he was one of the two people who’d entered the room.

I heard him rustle through some of the papers on top of the desk. “Ah, yes, here it is,” he said. “Just let me sign it, and you can forward it to the Joint Chiefs.”

“Thank you, general. And sorry for disturbing you at this late hour.”

That voice I didn’t recognise; it was a man’s voice, but I’d never heard it before.

“Think nothing of it,” the general replied. “When there’s work to be done, it’s never too late or too early.”

“Still. It was my fault I forgot to forward this form, and the deadline to request more funding is today, even.”

“Well, I guess you won’t forget it next time.”

“You’re right, I won’t. Thank you, sir.”

I heard footsteps leave the room, and the door shut.

The general lingered in his office, though. I heard him mumble and stretch for a bit, then he started walking around the desk, probably heading for his chair. A few more steps and he would spot me, crouching under his desk.

And that’s when the alarm started sounding.

“Alert!” came a voice over the intercom. “Repulsoid attack confirmed! Defender squadron, assemble in the situation room!”

The general swore under his breath. “God damn it, I told him not to attack in the early morning if he can help it. I always dislike having to wake up this early,” he muttered.

With heavy footsteps he left the room, shutting off the light and closing the door behind him.

I let out the breath I was holding and stood up. I glanced at the drawer that contained the recording I’d listened to earlier, and briefly considered taking it with me, but decided against it: my first duty was to the civilians, who were now in danger because of the Repulsoids’ attack. Then, after I got back, I could expose General Ryder to everyone.

I listened at the door for a couple seconds, but I heard no one on the other side; I quickly left the office, and--

Wait, what was that?

I thought I saw a shimmer of light down the corridor, but when I looked again, there was nothing there.

I shook my head to clear it. I was tired, I hadn’t slept in too long. My eyes were playing tricks on me.

I turned around and started running through the corridors at jogging speed, and soon reached the situation room. Everyone else was already there, dressed in their sleepwear – they’d all clearly been woken up by the alarm: the general was the only one who was dressed, in his usual uniform.

“Sorry I’m late,” I said. Then I frowned. “Where’s Mae?”

“Here,” she said, entering the room behind me. “Sorry I’m late, too.”

“Why are you dressed?” Megan asked, looking at the two of us; Maelyn too, I noticed, wasn’t wearing her sleepwear, but rather her normal civvies.

The lie rolled easily off my tongue. “Couldn’t sleep. I was taking a walk around the base, to clear my head.”

“Same,” Mae said.

Megan looked doubtfully at me, but then nodded.

“What’s the situation?” General Ryder asked.

“A group of Repulsoid soldiers is attacking Danville, Illinois,” a soldier who was sitting at Mae’s usual spot said.

“How many?”

“About a hundred, for what we can see.”

“Alright.” The general turned to us. “Transform and head out.”

“Yes, sir!” we said; as always, we simultaneously morphed, and teleported away.

As the situation room vanished in a flash of red light in front of my eyes, I saw Maelyn approach the general.

 

 

As the last soldier dropped to the ground, Yellow tapped the side of his helmet. “Did we get them all?”

“Looks like it,” came Maelyn’s voice over the radio. “I’m not seeing anyone else on the scope.”

“Okay, so we’re done here? Can we come home? I sorely need some more sleep,” Green said.

“Of course,” Mae replied. “The general is waiting for you for debriefing.”

I nodded, and tapped the side of my helmet, too. “Red ready for transport.”

As usual, the four of us materialised in quick succession on the teleport platform at Defender Base. This time, however, something was different: General Ryder was standing in the room, five soldiers armed with assault rifles standing behind him.

Perplexed, I flicked the lever on my morpher. “Power Down,” it said, as my suit disappeared.

“General?” Clyde asked, looking at the soldiers. “What’s happening?”

“Unfortunately, something has come to my attention,” the general replied. “Something that I didn’t think possible, but the evidence is overwhelming.” He sighed deeply, and nodded.

The soldiers stepped forward and raised their guns, aiming straight at me.

“Lieutenant Kennedy, you are accused of high treason,” General Ryder continued. “You are under arrest.”

I felt my mouth fall open. I stared bewildered at him.

“What?!” I heard Amelia exclaim behind me. “No! Stephanie would never--”

“As I said,” the general cut her off, “the evidence is overwhelming. She has been spotted coming out of my office early this morning, and classified material has been found in her room. There is enough to make it clear that she was passing information to someone outside the base. Perhaps even to the Repulsoids themselves.”

My eyes narrowed. “You bastard,” I hissed. “You know perfectly well that’s not true. In fact, it’s you who--”

“Quiet!” he commanded. “Do not make it worse for yourself.” He paused. “Now, give me your morpher, please.”

I hesitated. If I could just morph and teleport away…

“These soldiers are under orders to shoot you if you make any sudden moves,” the general said. “I would recommend against trying anything. And besides, we’ve put a teleporter inhibitor field over the base after you teleported in. There’s nowhere to go.”

I glared daggers at him, but still, moving slowly, I unhooked my morpher from my belt and handed it to him.

“Good,” he nodded, taking the device from me. “You will be held in the guardhouse here at Defender Base until a court martial can be set up. As for you all,” he continued, turning to the other three Defenders, “You are to stay on base until the end of the investigation.”

“But sir,” Clyde protested. “I have to go back home and help my aunt and uncle.”

“No exceptions.”

Clyde looked at him for a moment, and then sighed. “Can I at least call them? To let them know I won’t be coming?”

General Ryder seemed to consider it. “Alright,” he said. “You may make a phone call.” He nodded to the soldiers, who still had their guns trained on me. “Take her away.”

I was led, quite unwillingly, to the cell block I’d visited the previous day to talk to Amet; I didn’t see him, though, I was locked in the first cell, while he was in the third. When the guards had left, I tried to shake the bars a bit, but they were solid steel: they didn’t budge an inch, either the ones that separated the cell from the hallway, or the ones on the window. And, glancing out of the window, I could see a shimmering web of light, almost obscuring the sky: the general had been telling the truth, he was determined to keep everyone on base until he could have me go up in front of a military tribunal – which would be basically a kangaroo court, I was certain of it.

Still, what could I do about it? I was locked in a cell, without any hope of escaping.

I sullenly laid down on the bed, and started to stare at the ceiling. Soon, however, I started feeling very tired, and with good reason: it was mid-morning, and I hadn’t slept a wink the previous night.

I sighed heavily, turned over, and tried to get comfortable. Despite my emotions being in a turmoil, I fell asleep almost immediately.