Elendil Book 2: The Journey: The Elendil Saga

By Andrea Rose Washington

Still reeling from the events that upended her life, Abriana connects with her Grandparents and their resistance group, the No Kings, for safety.

As she and her friends join their ranks, they train to become the people that can help save Elendil and the entire system from the clutches of Baron and Asher. But as Abriana spends more time with the No Kings, she wonders if there's a larger conspiracy at play.

The more she learns the more Abriana wonders who else was behind the death of so many people she loved.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Andrea Rose Washington
• Release date: Feb 6, 2023
• ISBN: 9798215667453

Book preview

Chapter One

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Day 0

Earth

I studied the house where I spent some of the happiest moments of my life—my father’s parent’s house. I had been on Earth for six months, and this was the first time that I had seen it. The night I was set to leave.

My mother’s parents, the Coopers, informed me I would be endangering their lives if I told them I was alive. It was better for everyone if they all thought I was dead.

They would have asked too many questions. Questions I couldn’t have answered without exposing a part of the universe they could never know existed.

But tonight we were leaving. It was just cloudy enough that it would mask our takeoff, so they had driven me by the house to have one last look and a chance to say goodbye.

There were multiple cars in the driveway and on the street in front of the house. They were having a family dinner, and my aunts, uncles, and cousins were all there. Only two people were missing—my father and me. Could I go in there and explain that I was alive but he was dead? That my mother had come back into my life, our life, and because she did, my father was no longer alive? No, I couldn’t explain any of it.

I knew it was not her fault. She had waited until she thought she could come for us safely, but even then it wasn’t.

How could I have explained that if I hadn’t been outside on the terrace of a castle on another planet arguing with a prince I wouldn’t be alive? Again, I couldn’t explain.

They would have wanted to meet this prince, but they couldn’t have because he was also dead. After all, he left me on a different planet with his uncle. The uncle who was king and who was behind all the deaths and the war that I was going back to fight.

How could I have explained my history to them? How could I have gotten them to understand only to leave them again? I had only just turned eighteen. Barely legal.

I glanced up at the window, and I could see my grandma holding my cousin. She was beaming, giggling at something he was showing her. It would have been easy to go up to their door and knock. I would have told them I was alive. But I couldn’t. I would only have brought all that suffering and pain back because, for a split second, they would have believed if I was alive, so was my dad.

It would have broken their hearts all over again.

Decision made. I turned and got back into the car.

We can go, I muttered to my grandparents in the front seat.

Are you sure? My grandmother’s eyes met mine in the mirror.

Yes. I nodded, looking out the window one last time.

You made the right choice. My grandfather’s voice had a hint of pride to it. He started the car and pulled away from the curb.

As we drove away and the house got smaller, I hoped this wouldn’t be the last time I would see them. Maybe one day after this new journey I was on, I could come back and explain the truth and give them closure.

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Chapter Two

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Day 0 Continued

The Liberator

Still on Earth, I stared up at the ship that would take us to the No Kings on the Liberator, the ship that had already taken half the group to the tiny moon base just outside the Isildur system.

The No Kings, which was their name on Elendil, or the Voiceless, which is what they called themselves, only had about twenty members that still lived on Earth.

The rest of their members scattered around the Milky Way, which I learned had more life in it than any telescopes or scanners on Earth could have found. I learned in my time that their numbers had increased to close to five hundred in the time they were exiled. They had to move off planet to one that allowed them to live with more advanced tech.

There were so many more moving parts within the Voiceless, and no job was too small. It was my first lesson.

Alana assigned me to food and nonweapons inventory. That was all the responsibility they tasked me with. But I guessed it was essential to gather enough to last the Voiceless for years. But by the time I arrived, they had a lot of preordered items packed away. My grandparents and I were the last to leave. Jabo, Daneer, and Janessa all left a few weeks after our initial arrival, all assigned to different placements within the team.

Jabo was assigned to an open space in a unit, and Janessa was assigned to the medical training team. Apparently she had enough medical training. The good news with that was she would never see the front lines when she left with a unit, or at least that was what she was told. She would still train with a unit to learn how to act in the field. She was already at the base as well. Daneer was assigned to the cleaning team because she was a castle maid in her last job; she was also already at the base.

I didn’t have any of the needed skills to get on the security team, a fighting unit, or even medical, so inventory was where I could help.

I spent most of my time—no, actually all my time—prepping for my new future when I wasn’t logging all the items before they left Earth for the ship. My counterpart, who was already on the Liberator, received all the shipments and passed them along to the base.

It was time to leave. The last shipment was loaded. I knew from meetings and news from Jabo and the scattered reports from the Isildur system that the system was falling apart faster than it could put itself back together again. The planets that couldn’t right themselves fell under Asher’s rule. He was expanding his reach slowly, but it was happening. So far he had three new planets under his control disguised as aid.

Elendil was not one of these planets, thankfully, though it was getting bad there.

The last report from a scout said that the northern armies had finally pulled together and mounted a defense, but it was like fighting an uphill battle.

The southern armies took too many vital bases and personnel out in the initial attack. Towns were helping where they could by taking up arms and fighting back. But it wasn’t enough. The next shock came when Baron murdered his parents and took the crown for himself. No one knows why he did; we all thought he was in league with his parents, but now we were left wondering.

Abriana. I turned at the sound of my voice pulling me out of my thoughts; it was my grandmother, Alana.

Whenever I saw the Coopers on my daily run around the neighborhood, I had always imagined they were this sweet older couple that did what older couples did—baked for the neighborhood block parties, traveled, gardened, and did everything else they could to enjoy their retirement.

They were not. It was all an act. Not in a bad way, but they were not the loving or warm grandparents that doted on their grandchild. At least not when they were in uniform. They were generals. Generals with an upcoming war to win.

The night of my arrival was the only time they treated me like I was their long-lost granddaughter. That night had been filled with stories, love, and sweets. The morning that came next, my grandmother, Alana, pulled me aside and explained that our relationship would be different moving forward. That while she was overjoyed to have me back in her fold, she was the leader of the Voiceless, and her first duty was to them. As her granddaughter I had a legacy to live up to, and she could not afford to go easy on me at the expense of her team.

I was the odd man out in the Voiceless, and being the granddaughter of the general did not make her team trust me. I needed to prove that I earned and deserved my spot on whatever team they placed me in—that I was part of the Voiceless. To them I was just an earthling. I did not belong to Elendil as they did. Alana could not make me belong because of my connection to her.

I took her words to heart, which was why I accepted the position they gave me with no pushback but never stopped training. I studied everything I could get my hands on. I became proficient in shooting everything from a handgun to an army-issued rifle. I could defend myself in hand-to-hand combat, and I was learning the best strategies for fighting a battle.

Yes, ma’am, I answered, turning to her, stifling a yawn. It was still either very early or very late, depending on if you were a morning or night person.

We are taking off soon. She pointed to the ship.

I nodded, picking up my last bag. They already had loaded the rest of my stuff onto the previous shipment. It was waiting for me at the base. All I had with me for this journey were a couple of sets of clothes, my toiletries, some snacks, and my tablet. It was standard issue, and everyone in the group had one already preloaded with everyone’s contact information, all the size of a normal tablet. It also had your work scheduled and preloaded. The best part was that I could still load all the media I wanted on it—books, movies, television, music, and anything else I could think of. I downloaded everything I could get my hands on, including the media available from other planets—all of it free.

I didn’t ask how.

Are you ready? she asked.

I nodded. I am, I said, standing up straighter next to her.

Good. Take this moment in; it’s the last moment of your normal life. She paused and took a breath before turning to me fully. I debated if I should tell you this, but I believe you have earned it. You have proven your first test of loyalty.

Excuse me? When? How? I asked, confused about when they had tested me.

Your father’s family. If you had gone into their home, we would have left you behind. It would have shown you were not ready for what was to come. What we are about to undertake will need your all. I cannot have anyone, least of all my granddaughter, having ties outside our group. Your full focus must be on the well-being and the furthering of our movement. This is the only way we will see the end of the war that has taken over Elendil. I ask you to do what I myself do. Give your all to this group, and the group will give their all to you. We are here to speak for the Voiceless.

Yes, ma’am. I smiled. I wanted—no needed—to make her proud. I lost all chance I had with my mother. This was my second chance. I understand.

She smiled at me, and it was the first one I had received from her in a long time. I know you will do me and your grandfather proud. She walked away and onto the ship, and I followed behind her.

I walked up the plank, found my seat among the many available chairs, and sat down.

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Chapter Three

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Day 0 Continued

The Liberator

I closed my eyes and leaned back against my seat as I felt the ship rock.

The ship was located under an abandoned building. It was also the location where my grandparents housed all their off-world tech. Their home base. We would be cloaked during the takeoff, so the public could not view us.

Her second-in-command’s family used the ship stored there when they left. The roof of the building would slide back, and we would take off.

I squeezed my seat belt and bit back a scream as the ship lurched, then shot straight up in the air.

It only lasted for about five seconds before we were back in space and on our way.

I looked around the cabin again. My grandparents were in the front with the ship’s pilot, and