Chapter 102: Dora's Choice!

She didn't need traitors, or cold feet people to be near her. She wanted a warrior, trusted friends she could depend upon. Again, she glanced at James and Rigo, who just came into the deck after everything ended, and envied him for having such a capable and trustworthy aid.

James walked in the deck, looking at the scared paled faces of everyone, especially those who were acquaintances with that traitor. He ignored them, as he would leave their fate into the hand of Dora.

He walked to her, as she sat on her chair, in front of the commanding unit, with the bald head of that traitor lying next to her. The scene was quite messy and bloody, but James knew this suited this girl very well, a girl who would find home in wars rather than in peace.

"It took you so long," Dora said, as she stood from the chair, covered in the traitor blood. "I thought you won't come on this day."

James just smiled, as he knew after getting rid of this traitor, Dora would reflect to her older version of herself, the rebellious one.

"I thought it would be better if I let you take all the spotlight, after all those are all your subjects."

Dora smiled, as she felt a great burden was lifted off her chest and heart when the traitor was killed. She knew she was not free, no threat was directed to her from her own people, and now she was seeing things in different light.

"We are about to reach the destination your man has chosen, what do you intend to do from there?"

Her question was direct, and somehow rude to James, who just glanced over his shoulder to Rigo and Islinda. He knew Rigo meant well when he let her into the info they had, but James was sure once the threat was gone, her personality might show a great shift, as it was happening right now.

He also was sure this shift, if happened, would be temporary, and sooner or later she would run to him, asking for his support and help. But deep inside him he felt hurt, as he hoped she would leave everything and chose him; a childish dread of a boy who came from a military base for war orphans like him.

"I would leave here and go on my way," James faintly smiled, "Why? Do you want to come with me?"

Dora's heart quivered at his question for a moment, a brief moment that was all, and then she regained her composure. She already made up her mind; choosing her mother's heritage over this handsome young boy whom she shared with a lot. This simple decision seemed casual, but later on in the near future she would greatly regret it!

She glanced at him with a faint smile as she replied:

"I would go on my way too, and I hope, James, that we might not cross roads again."

She then moved, away, towards her group of rebels, while James eyed her going away back. "She didn't even thank you properly, great job in saving her," Islinda didn't let this matter slip by this easily, as she muttered in a voice heard by Rigo and James.

"How much time do we have left?" James wasn't concerned about her remark, or the end result of everything, as he asked Rigo about the time left before reaching their destination.

"It's two hours," Rigo said.

"Good, let's be ready then," James replied, as he moved amidst his little group, heading straight away from here. Dora's eyes were stuck over him, feeling so pained from watching him leave like this, like a stranger, like an enemy, however it seemed she didn't realize it yet, the cold hearted genes run deeply inside her family.

"May I ask what we are going to be ready for? Leaving here?" Alex asked, as he was the only one who couldn't keep what was going on in front of him.

"Yes, we are going to leave here," Islinda replied, before she glanced over James, who was now followed by Eli. She admired his state of mind, as they weren't just going to be ready to depart, they were going to prepare for a war.

This wasn't her being pessimistic, but for her being realistic; she lived and trained in a much crueler world than here. She knew what it meant when close people, friends or even blood related, got in front of each other at crossroads, while their interests and their deepest soul desires drove them to kill each other.

James wasn't that interested in this cruiser actually, though it was a force not to be reckoned with, he knew it would attract unneeded attention. However he wasn't sure of how Dora might proceed until they leave here.

He knew the best chance to attack them would be when they were about to leave the cruiser, as their defenses would be lowered, and their offense would be disturbed.

So, he needed to be ready for that. they went to the train, while James ordered Rigo:

"Bring back them men, and make them leave some gifts inside."

Rigo didn't reply much, as he was feeling some responsibility and guilt towards this current risk. He thought, wrongly, Dora would appreciate the kindness and help they provided, not to turn her coat rapidly like this. He executed the orders at once, as he understood what James meant by gifts.

They took the train, and in minutes they reached the goods bay. The place here was still as chaotic as it was. Despite this being annoying to James, he was now glad by this chaotic scene, as he could do whatever he wanted under the nose of Dora's surveillance.

The different rebellious forces just got the news about what happened inside the commanding deck, and it seemed not all of them received these news in celebration, as some were grieving, especially that bald man's men.

James wasn't planning for a coup, as Dora had selected to be away from his side, and he wanted only to leave in peace. He hoped Dora wouldn't be so carried away by her new, unquestionable, authority, and took a wrong turn against him.

Time passed rapidly, as James droids appeared one after another in the place. Rigo ordered them to plant bombs in this deck, using the chaos here as a cover, and when the two hours were about to end, James led everyone to ride in their own cruisers.

The fleet didn't lose any ships amidst the last war, as most of the time they were hidden away from the battle. So, the scene of these cruisers being ready to depart was a scene that attracted everyone else.

James was now in the main commanding deck of his small cruiser. although the cruiser here was smaller, much smaller than the huge cruiser of Dora, James didn't feel any bad at all, in fact he was relieved to finally come back home to his cruiser.

"What are we going to do now?" Islinda asked

"We will leave, hopefully without any troubles," James said, as he stated his true own wish.

"I think she might not let us leave peacefully," she said, as she wanted to focus again over Rigo's mistake.

"I don't think so, she is grateful for James' help," Eli finally decided to step in, as she thought Islinda was trying to frame Dora.

"Really?" Islinda just sneered, as she knew Eli's misunderstanding regarding this matter.

"Stop picking girls, we are about to reach our destination," Rigo said, as the cruiser was now decelerating, and that meant once it stopped, they could ask for permission from the commanding deck to open the hatch and let them go.

This moment was the moment of truth for them, as James hoped Dora would know best and wouldn't make this grave mistake. He wasn't interested in her cruiser, but if she would attack him, he would claim this cruiser from her hands.

Islinda wanted Dora to make this mistake, as this would be her best opportunity to push this immovable mountain, Rigo, away slightly from his master.

Eli was praying Dora wouldn't make this mistake, or else she was sure James wouldn't come here unprepared, and this time he would emerge victorious like any other battle he had before.

Once the cruiser stopped, it felt like a car stopped abruptly after pushing the brakes. After the recoil of this sudden stop, James said:

"Ask for the permission to leave."

Rigo nodded, as he talked to the commanding deck, asking for the permission to open the hatch and let them leave.

Dora heard that request personally, as she was hesitating between letting them go, or kill James and the others, and capture the droids for herself.

She was still feeling envious for James to have these droids, and she wanted to have some of them too, if not all. She didn't know how many droids James had, but from initial intel regarding this matter, he had over a thousand of them.

A number so small to make a difference, and so suitable to form an elite force and claim the title of many leaders and advisors. She would prefer to gather loyal droids around herself, better than questionable people like now.