He sounded reasonable enough, but it didn’t calm the feeling of panic filling her chest. “Then why isn’t he back?”
“I don’t know.” He sighed. “I suppose you have a plan.”
“Yes. I’m going to hack into the palace video feed and find out where he is.”
“And then what? We’re surrounded by the Imperial Fleet. It’s not like we can blast our way free.” He frowned. “Or can you?”
“Possibly. Given enough time and the right chemicals. But I don’t want to blast out of here. I just want to find out who’s holding him so I can explain that it’s my fault and tell them to let him go.”
“Do you really expect them to listen to you? You’re a human female and you have no status here.”
She raised her chin. “The emperor picked a human female for his First Consort.”
“True. And if she is indeed your friend, you might have better luck asking her to talk to the emperor.” He grinned, showing a lot of sharp white teeth between those fearsome tusks. “Males are inevitably foolish where their women are concerned.”
“Do you think Athtar is foolish about me?”
“I did at first; I am no longer so sure. Your determination to assist him is admirable, if unwise.”
“I am not a fool.” She glared at him.
“No, you’re a female.”
“With that attitude it’s no wonder you don’t have a mate,” she sniffed, and saw the flash of hurt in his eyes before the rigid mask covered his face. She could have bitten her tongue. “Oh, Grabon, I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean it like that.”
“Don’t apologize. You may be right. Perhaps I have become somewhat… inflexible with age.”
“No, you're not. You’re smart and loyal and a good friend and....” She cast around for something else positive to say. “And big. Big is good. Females like that. And wings! Wings are good, too.”
To her relief, he shook his head and laughed. “Very well, little scientist. I will not despair just yet.”
“Good. Then you’ll let me pass?”
“What are you going to do?”
“I want to set up an antenna so that I can pick up any feeds being transmitted from the palace, audio or video, maybe even both.”
“They’ll be encrypted.” he warned.
“Then I’ll have to decrypt them. I’m hoping that they use keys similar to the ones used by the Fleet.”
“That’s the antenna?” he asked, pointing to the small metal object she was holding.
“Yes.”
“Where do you want it?”
“Closer to the building. Higher is better.”
He turned and surveyed the wall thoughtfully. “I have an idea. Give me the device.”
Hoping she wasn’t making a mistake, she handed it over.
“Does it need to be activated?”
“No. It’s already running but I’m getting a lot of interference.”
“Fine.” He tucked it into a pocket and started for the ramp.
“What are you going to do?”
“I’m going to very politely ask the guards if I can take a flight and stretch my wings.” He shrugged. “If they object, we’ll try something else.”
The we had a nice sound. She really didn’t want to be the only one responsible for helping Athtar. “Thank you.”
“Of course. He is my friend, as well as my captain.” Grabon headed for the landing ramp and she automatically turned to follow him. He stopped and sighed.
“Faith, don’t you think it would be a little suspicious if someone is standing here watching my casual flight?”
She blushed and bit her lip. “Sorry.”
“Go watch through a viewport.”
Dashing for the crew lounge, she only tripped once and made it in time to see him exchanging a few words with the guards. Their alien features were difficult to read but when one shrugged and waved his hand, it was clear enough.
“What’s going on?” Studoc’s voice came from behind her and she jumped.
“Grabon is trying to plant an antenna for me.”
“Really?” He joined her at the window in time to see Grabon take off. She’d never seen his wings extended before and she’d had no idea just how large they were. They swept out on either side, easily twelve feet from tip to tip, as he launched himself in the air.
“Wow,” she breathed.
“Impressive, isn’t it?” Studoc sighed regretfully. “If I had wings like that, the ladies would be all over me.”
“From what I’ve heard, you do all right.”
“I could always do better.” He grinned, and they both returned to observing. The guards, too, had watched Grabon take off, but once he was circling overhead, they resumed their positions in front of the entry. Grabon circled a few more times, then landed on edge of the wall, easily fifty feet above the guards’ heads. Perched there, he had an even more striking resemblance to a gargoyle, and she had a fleeting moment of utter disbelief. How had she ended up in this utterly alien world?
Grabon took off, then repeated the pattern a few times, settling on the top of the wall for brief periods between flights. The sun was starting to set, and he took on a mythic appearance as he swooped and soared in the fading light, gold catching the edge of his wings. After about twenty minutes he dove back down to the ground, furled his wings, thanked the guards and returned to the ship. By the time he reached the lounge, she was already receiving signals.
“That was perfect, Grabon. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. Can you get access now?”
“Just a minute. There,” she said triumphantly. “It was related to the Fleet encryption algorithm. They really need to have someone do a better job with their security.”
“You can suggest that once you infiltrate the palace,” Grabon said dryly.
“I’ll keep it in mind. Good lord, do they have a lot of feeds. I don’t think there’s an inch of the place that isn’t under surveillance.”
“Wouldn’t surprise me. The grandfather of the present emperor was a paranoid old bastard,” Studoc said.
“How do you know?”
“One of the times we came here to drop off Rast. I had a little encounter with one of the old emperor’s concubines.”
“That’s a good way to find yourself buried in the deepest cell in the palace,” Grabon said grimly.
Studoc shrugged and grinned. “She knew what she was doing. Lots of tricks that one, in and out of bed. Worth the risk.”
Faith listened to them banter as she scrolled the feeds. Even private apartments seemed to be under surveillance—and, wow, that was something she never wanted to see again—but it took a while to narrow it down to what appeared to be the behind the scenes views. She was scanning so quickly, she almost missed him.
“There. I found him.” Her eyes filled with tears. “He’s in a cell.”
Grabon and Studoc gathered behind her, trying to look at the small tablet screen. Athtar was pacing a small, windowless room. There was a cot, a table, and two chairs. He looked beyond frustrated, but he was alive and undamaged. She put her finger on the screen and stroked his face. I’m coming for you, my love.
“Nah, that’s not a cell,” Studoc said, distracting her. “Just a holding area.”
“I don’t care.” She glared at him. “I want him out of there.”
“Can you tell where he is?”
Now that she had isolated the right feed, it was easier to move through the different sections it covered. The cell was located in some kind of administrative area that didn’t appear to be too heavily populated, although the entrances were guarded both physically and electronically.
“So now what?” Studoc asked, all four of his eyes sparkling with excitement.
“Now I go get him.”
“Faith, we had this discussion.” Grabon said. “Even if you could get him out, we can’t get him off the planet.”
“I know.” She smiled at him. “You also said I should get Ella to talk t
o the emperor. So that’s what I’m going to do. Go get him and then find Ella.”
“Do you know where she is?”
“Yes and no. There’s a section of the palace which is not under surveillance. Or at least if it is, it’s not part of the feeds I can find. It’s only logical that that area would be the emperor's private quarters. So that’s where we’ll go,” she said triumphantly.
They both stared at her, then Grabon shook his head. “Somehow I suspect that this isn’t as easy as you’re making it sound. How are you even going to get into the palace to begin with?”
“I could knock out the guards,” she said tentatively.
“You?” He looked so skeptical that she would have been annoyed if she didn’t know that he was absolutely correct.
“Not physically. I was thinking of a knockout gas. Could you throw something so that it lands in front of them?”
“Yes, but I’m not going to. You may find their security lax, but I’m sure that they have regular check-ins. Two unconscious bodies would be a little suspicious.”
“Oh.” Her heart sank, and she started searching for other possibilities.
Grabon sighed. “Athtar is undoubtedly going to kill me for this, but there is an entrance on the roof. I suspect it’s for maintenance but it’s unguarded. If you can determine where it leads and if we can work out a route from there, I’ll fly you up there.”
“But the guards…”
“That’s where our favorite distraction comes in. He has to be good for something.”
“I’m good at many things,” Studoc protested, then grinned. “But distraction works. When?”
Grabon regarded the gathering darkness outside the viewport. “Around midnight, I think. Still early enough for me to want to take another flight and for you to be getting bored and looking for some company. And assuming Faith can map out a path.”
“I can,” she said fiercely.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Several hours later, Faith was once again approaching the landing ramp, the rest of the crew gathered around her. She had found a schematic of the section of the palace they were targeting and managed to map out a path where the only barriers she would encounter were electronic locks. At this time of night, there shouldn’t be any administrative personnel wandering the halls. Grabon had reluctantly admitted that it was a feasible approach.
Disappointed that she wasn’t going along, Kanithe had nonetheless loaned her a tight-fitting black bodysuit that covered Faith from neck to ankles. Despite the differences in their body types, the suit had stretched to cover Faith’s body. Kanithe claimed that the material also interfered with heat detection. A utility belt that would hold all of her equipment accompanied the sleek black outfit, and Faith felt like a ninja—right up until she tripped over Precious.
“How did you get here? You’re supposed to be in the cabin.” She bent down and picked up the puppy to give her a quick cuddle, then tried to hand her to Ultana. “Can you take care of her for me?”
Ultana reached for Precious and the war beast started to moan, the loud eerie cry she had used once before. The volume began to increase, and Faith hastily tucked her back against her chest. “Why is she doing that?”
“I don’t know, but if she doesn’t keep quiet, we’re going to have a diversion that we don’t want,” Grabon said grimly.
Faith tried once again to hand Precious over—to Kanithe this time—but the noise started as soon as she extended her arms. “What am I going to do?” she asked, trying not to panic.
Studoc looked at her and shrugged. “Take her with you?”
“I can’t do that. What if she gets hurt?”
“You said you wouldn’t be in any danger,” he reminded her.
“Well, no. I don’t think I will be—but she’s just a baby.”
“A baby who seems pretty determined not to leave your side,” Ultana said dryly.
Kanithe had disappeared at some point during the conversation and she reappeared now with a wide black sash. “Here. You can use this to make a sling to carry her.” Together they arranged the fabric so that Precious was tucked against her chest and Faith’s hands were free. Faith had been afraid that the puppy would protest again, but she settled into the fabric and panted happily.
Grabon shook his head. “A rescue mission carried out by a scientist with absolutely no combat training and her pup. Are you sure you don’t have a stuffed animal you want to bring along?”
Faith glared at him but before she could respond, Studoc stepped in between them. “That’s enough, children. Now I’m going to take my bored self over to the guards and see if I can’t tempt them into a game of cards.”
He walked down the ramp, whistling merrily and headed for the entrance to the palace. Faith watched in amazement from behind the door as he had the guards talking and laughing within a few minutes.
“Our turn,” Grabon said. “Put your arms around me and hide your face against my chest.” He picked her up and held her against his side with one arm, bringing a wing around to shield her from view.
As much as she was used to being carried by Athtar, this felt odd and wrong, but she pushed back her doubts and followed his instructions. He walked easily down the ramp, seemingly unbothered by her weight, and waved casually at the guards before turning his back to them and lifting into the air. The feel of the ground dropping away made her gasp and cling tighter. She hated heights and she kept her eyes firmly closed as he did a quick swoop that made her stomach drop. It couldn’t have been more than a few minutes, but time seemed to stretch interminably until at last he landed.
“You can let go now,” he said, and she could hear the amusement in his voice. She pried an eye open, verified that there was a solid surface beneath her and quickly dropped to the ground.
She shuddered. “I don’t like flying.”
“That was obvious.” He gave a quick look around but there was no one in sight, only a seemingly endless array of roofs forming large black shapes stretching into the distance. “You did block the surveillance of this area, didn’t you?”
“It’s a little late to ask that now, but yes, I did. It’s set on a loop which will continue for another hour. Where’s the entrance?”
“Over here.” He led the way to a panel set into the roof. It was fastened with an actual metal latch and Faith gave it a dismayed look.
“It’s not an electronic lock. I can’t hack through that.”
Grabon flashed her a quick smile. “Sometimes a little brute force is needed.” He bent down and gave a quick yank. The metal groaned and then the latch snapped in two.
Faith gulped. “Wow.”
“Hurry up now. I don’t want to be out of sight for too long.” He raised the panel, revealing a ladder leading down into the darkness. Faith gulped again but forced herself to remember that Athtar was down there in the darkness. She lowered her legs over the side and cautiously felt for a rung. To her relief, it was wide and flat and felt secure under her feet. She took a step down and placed her hands on the upper rung, trying to keep her body arched a little so that she didn’t squish Precious. Fortunately, the puppy was still curled against her and not trying to wiggle around. Two more steps down and her head dropped below the opening.
“I’m going to close the door,” Grabon said quietly. “Are you sure about this, Faith?”
Not really. “Yes,” she said as firmly as possible, relieved that her voice didn't shake. “Athtar and I will be back soon.”
“Very well.” He bowed his head for a brief moment, then stepped back and closed the door. As the sky disappeared from view, Faith had a moment of overwhelming panic. Precious whined softly, the noise unexpectedly comforting, as was her warm little body. With the door closed, Faith realized that it wasn’t completely dark in the shaft; there was a faint light radiating from below. She took a deep breath and started her descent.
By the time she reached the bottom of the ladder, her hands were shaking and her legs were trembling, b
ut she congratulated herself on having made it without falling. Which of course meant that she tripped over the bottom rung and only her hand on the ladder stopped her from a nasty fall. Thankfully her ankle had healed well enough that she felt only a slight residual ache from the long descent.
Now that they were on solid ground, Precious started wiggling and Faith let her out of the sling, stretching her back with a relieved sigh. For a small animal, she was a hefty weight. As Precious sniffed around, Faith approached the exit door. The light from the next room shone around the edge and provided the faint glow she had seen from above. She tried the door, but it was locked. Fortunately, this was an electronic lock and after a brief effort with her tablet, it opened silently. She and Precious slipped through and closed it behind them.
On the other side was a storage room of some sort. Tall shelves lined the walls, stacked with a variety of containers but she didn’t bother to examine them. Instead, she headed for the outer door which should open into the corridor leading to the holding cells. This door was locked as well, but again, it took only a few seconds to free the lock.
She peeped cautiously into the hallway but didn’t see anyone. They stepped through and she paused to check her map. Before she could move away, the sound of hooves came pounding up behind her and her heart sank.
“Stop right there.”
Faith turned slowly and saw two of the big bull-like guards approaching rapidly.
“Who are you? Why aren’t you in uniform?”
“Um.” For once her brain deserted her and she couldn’t think of anything to say as they loomed over her. They were both enormous and their alien features terrified her.
“Why aren’t you in the slave quarters?” The larger guard spoke slowly, as if he didn’t think she could understand him.
Her mouth opened but no words emerged. The second guard shook his head.
“What is it with these humans not knowing how to speak? They must be a very primitive race.”
“Better not let anyone hear you say that, Stathix.”
Faith and the Fighter Page 16
