by Heidi Skarie
“Zanton, I never meant to dishonor you,” Koriann said. “Please leave us in peace.”
Zanton paused for a moment and looked at her. “You still don’t get it. I need you in order to control Jaipar. Your major has to die because he’s in the way.”
“You can’t force me to marry you.”
Zanton smiled maliciously. “There are ways, my dear.” He thrust his sword toward Erling and continued to fight.
In another room in the palace, Michio’s communicator beeped, announcing that it was time to get up. He groggily reached over and turned it off. The mattress shifted as Toemeka climbed out of bed and crossed to her dresser. She swayed, unsteady on her feet.
Michio sprang from the bed, concerned she might faint again, and put an arm around her. “Are you okay?”
“Just lightheaded.”
He scooped her up. “You shouldn’t be out of bed yet.”
“I’m going to the duel!” she replied, scowling.
“Dr. Tenzing said you’re to rest for a few days.” He carried her back and placed her on the mattress.
“Erling can’t fight this battle. I had a vision where King Zanton gravely wounded Erling in a fight.”
“I’ll stop the duel.” Michio grabbed his pants off the bedpost.
“Do you really think you can convince him not to fight?”
He quickly dressed, then kissed her. “Yes, now stay in bed.”
“All right, just stop that fight.”
Erling countered another sword thrust just as Michio walked into the sitting room. “What’s going on?” Michio exclaimed. Erling and Zanton drew away from each other and looked at him. “You’re King Zanton, I presume.” Zanton nodded curtly. “I thought you challenged Erling to a formal duel. Instead you’ve attack him in his bedchamber with four guards at your heels. Surely duels are fought with more honor in your country.”
“Fenian lost his right to a formal duel when he slept with my fiancée,” Zanton hissed.
Michio glanced at Koriann who stood across the room wearing a man’s undershirt.
“Who are you?” demanded Zanton.
“He’s Michio Kimes, my second,” Erling said.
“Toemeka’s husband,” Zanton sneered. “Too bad the sniper didn’t succeed in killing her.”
Michio’s face flushed with anger and he sent a stream of light off his hand. As it hit Zanton’s sword, extinguishing its light, Tyrin fired his laser at Michio. He collapsed to the floor and lay still. Koriann screamed and started toward him, but a guard quickly restrained her.
“You’ll pay for that!” Erling yelled, fearing Michio might be dead. He thrust his sword at Zanton.
The king reactivated his sword and blocked the blow. “No one interferes with my plans!”
“Erling, watch out!” Koriann cried as Zanton’s blade whistled past Erling’s cheek.
Erling counterattacked and Zanton blocked him, then his sword sliced through the air grazing Erling’s sleeve. Erling was forced to back up as more of Zanton’s blows continued to rain upon him. Zanton lunged, feinted, then lunged again his face red with rage.
As Erling defended himself, he realized he was letting Zanton’s negative emotions affect him. He focused on his love for Master Bakka and felt his anger dissolved. With fury no longer clouding his mind, he saw with inward clarity that his only chance of winning this battle was by tuning in to his higher self.
The two blades hit one another once more, throwing sparks in the air. Erling threw his weight into the weapon and sprang away. Zanton’s sword hit the dresser and the wood sizzled. Unnerved, Erling wondered what toxic substance was on the blade.
Moving in total harmony with his body and weapon, Erling swept up his sword to deflect Zanton’s blade. When his weapon struck Zanton’s, the king’s sword blade split apart, like a pair of scissors, becoming two blades joined at the hilt at an angle from each other.
The second blade caught Erling unprepared and the blade cut and seared into his side. He staggered backward, trying to stay on his feet. His vision blurred and pain engulfed him. He couldn’t concentrate on the fight. Zanton pressed his advantage, lunging with his double blades again and again. Erling barely fended off his advances. With dazed perceptions, he heard Koriann scream at Zanton to stop.
Zanton paused in his assault. “What is my reward if I let this worthless cur live?”
“I’ll marry you,” Koriann said.
His eyes met Koriann’s and he laughed harshly. “You’re mine regardless.”
Erling glanced at the weapon controls and pushed a button on the handle. The weapon whined. Hearing the sound, Zanton attacked with his double blades. Erling’s blades sprang opened and he countered the blow.
As the fight continued, Erling struggled to master the technique of fighting with a double-blade sword. Blood seeped from his wound and throbbing pain made it hard to focus. His blades locked with Zanton’s. The king made a quick, forceful shove with his blades, knocking Erling to the floor.
Koriann broke away from the guard and ran to Zanton, grabbing his sword arm.
“Please let him live!” she begged. Erling staggered back to his feet as Tyrin pulled Koriann away.
“No man offends me and lives!” Zanton roared. “I’m through playing with you, Fenian; now you die!”
Erling thrust his sword blades between Zanton’s, holding the swords immobile, then swung his foot into Zanton’s sword arm. Zanton lost his hold and both swords clanged to the ground. Erling slammed his fist into Zanton’s chin. He followed through with another punch that sent Zanton to the ground and Erling leapt on top of him. Zanton slugged Erling in the jaw, knocking him off. They continued to wrestle, fighting to get the upper hand.
Weakened from his wound, Erling knew if he didn’t overpower Zanton quickly, he never would. He put his attention on the Master once more. The universal life force flowed through him, giving him strength and courage. Erling broke away from Zanton, grabbed his sword and leapt to his feet. He stood above Zanton, one of his sword blades ready to thrust into the King’s heart. “To avoid a war, I’ll spare your life if you agree to leave Jaipar and never return.”
Zanton’s sweat-slicked face contorted and fear shone in his eyes. “I agree to your terms.”
“See that you keep your promise.” Erling removed the sword and Zanton rose to his feet.
“Look out!” Koriann screamed as guards grabbed Erling from behind. Erling fought to free himself. The guards held him fast and took his weapon.
Zanton snatched up his sword and moved toward Erling with steely resolve and the threat of death in his eyes.
“Erling won a fair fight! He let you live. Where is your sense of honor?” Koriann yelled, struggling against the guard who restrained her.
Zanton swung his sword at Erling. A flash of light hit the sword and it froze in midair. The fiery light continued to travel down the sword and when it reached the hilt, Zanton gasped and dropped the weapon.
Michio stood with his hands raised, ready to hurl another beam of light.
“Kimes!” Zanton hissed. “My guard should have killed you!” He shot a blast of negative energy at Michio.
Michio blocked it and the air became highly charged with the clash of power between the two men. “The dark forces you call upon cannot stand against light,” Michio said. He sent another ray of light and it hit the guard holding Koriann. He released her as he sank to the floor.
“Take him!” Zanton screamed. Tyrin fired at Michio, but the energy blast hit harmless against the shield of light surrounding Michio.
“King Zanton, take your men and leave Jaipar!” Michio said.
“Never! I’m Jaipar’s new ruler!”
The door burst opened and Captain Orneil charged into the room, blaster in hand. “Drop your weapons!” Captain Orneil yelled as four of his men and Toemeka rushed in after him. Zanton’s men glanced around uneasily, then tossed their weapons to the floor.
Toemeka rushed over to Erling. “You’re woun
ded,” she said, her eyes wide with trepidation.
“It’s not serious,” he said, returning his attention to Zanton and Michio.
“This isn’t over,” Zanton snarled.
“We’ll be ready for you,” Michio said.
Zanton narrowed his eyes and gave Erling a twisted smile. “You’re a dead man, Fenian.”
A ripple of dread shot through Erling. He heard confidence in Zanton’s threat. Would he die of this wound?
Toemeka spun around and shoved the muzzle of her blaster into Zanton chest. “Shut up, you snake, or I’ll blast a hole through you!”
“You don’t dare kill me. It’ll start a war between our countries.”
“Captain Orneil!” Koriann ordered, “Take King Zanton to his spacecraft and see that he and all his men leave Jaipar. And send for Dr. Tenzing immediately.”
Captain Orneil and his men removed King Zanton, Tyrin and the other bodyguards from the room.
Unable to stay standing, Erling sat on the edge the bed. Koriann pulled a pillowcase off one of the pillows and pressed it against his wound in his side. The white cloth turned red with blood.
“Thank you, Mich,” Erling said weakly as the room began to spin. “You saved my life. I feared Tyrin had killed you.”
“His laser was set on stun. I was knocked out, but other than that unharmed.” Michio looked at his wife. “How did you know we needed help?”
“I knew King Zanton couldn’t be trusted, so I hunted down Captain Orneil. He and his men would’ve been here sooner, but they had to fight their way past Zanton’s guards.”
“Lay down, Erling,” Koriann urged.
Erling started to lie down and gasped as sharp pain pierced through him. Koriann clasped his hand. “Hang in there. The doctor will be here soon.”
Later that morning, Michio sat in the den with Toemeka. She was curled up on the couch with her head on his lap and her eyes closed. He was glad to have a quiet moment alone with her after such a traumatic start to the day. His heart filled with love as he gazed at her beautiful face. The sunlight shone on her golden skin, thick eyelashes and long, black hair. She looked so young and defenseless that she brought out protective instincts in him, but he knew she wasn’t weak. She was strong and self-reliant. He smiled remembering how she’d shoved a blaster into Zanton’s chest.
Koriann entered the den and sat on a chair across from them. Her face was etched with worry.
“How’s Erling doing?” Michio asked.
“He’s in surgery. The sword caused not only a deep cut but burned the skin and muscle underneath.” She shuddered. “I still feel shaky from the fight, but I brought some good news. Zachary, Hendora and Onolyn are arriving today. Their aid is coming just when we need it most.”
Michio smiled. “It’ll be good to see Zachary again. I still remember the time Father and I came to the palace to see your father and Zachary almost knocked me down. The two of you were playing tag in the royal hallways. Your game struck me as incongruous in such a stately palace. You two must have been about nine at the time.”
“I remember being embarrassed. You were sixteen, super-cute and seemed so much older. Her face clouded with sorrow. “Shortly after that visit General Bhandar killed my family, seized control of Jaipar and began executing nobility. Since Zachary’s family was nobility, they were forced to flee to the Village of Kumba for safety. As soon as Zachary was old enough, he joined the Kameet Resistance and worked to restore the Marsindi Dynasty.”
“He was invaluable to the Resistance,” Michio said. “I’m glad he’s returning to Jaipar with Hendora and Onolyn. I’m concerned King Zanton might join forces with Samrat Condor now. It’s unfortunate that he knows so much about Jaipar’s military and their strategic plans.”
Koriann shook her head. “I don’t think he’d join Samrat Condor. He hates him.”
“I don’t trust Zanton. We should send spies to his country to find out what his plans are.”
Toemeka sat up and stretched. “You could send Onolyn and Zac,” she said. “Hendora should leave for Coalition Headquarters as soon as possible to deliver the information Erling and I stole.”
“I’m sorry we woke you,” Michio said, annoyed with himself for talking about military matters after Dr. Tenzing stressed that Toemeka needed complete rest.
“I wasn’t asleep.”
“The only thing you need to be concerned about is taking care of yourself and the baby.” Michio dropped his arm over her shoulders.
She pushed his arm away. “Don’t patronize me!”
“I’m not patronizing you,” he said, unsure of how to best deal with her.
Koriann steered the conversation back to the needs of Jaipar. “Zachary and Onolyn would be a good choice. They have Coalition training for undercover missions.”
“You’d better not mention the mission to Erling until after they’ve left,” Toemeka said. “He’ll want to lead it instead of taking time to recover.”
“He’s the future king of Jaipar and head of the planet’s military. He’s too important to go off on more missions,” Koriann said. “He’s needed here.”
“Future King? Are you two engaged?” Toemeka asked.
“Yes, he proposed last night.”
Toemeka embraced her. “Congratulations.”
In the palace infirmary, Erling swallowed the pain pill Nurse Jetty gave him.
“The surgery went well,” the nurse said. “Dr. Tenzing will stop by soon to talk about it.”
“How long do I have to stay here?”
“You can discuss that with the doctor.” She left the private recovery room as Toemeka entered.
“How are you feeling?” Toemeka asked, sitting on the chair beside the bed.
“I’ll heal. How about you?”
“I’m all right. The doctor said I should take it easy for a few days. Michio’s upset with me for going to Flo Shah and thinks I should rest instead of going to the meeting this afternoon.”
“What meeting?”
“Just an hour ago Koriann received a message from King Zanton. He’s demanding that she surrender control of Jaipar to him or he will join forces with Samrat Condor. A special meeting was called to discuss what to do.”
Erling shook his head. “I never liked Zanton, but I didn’t think he’d go that far. Doesn’t he want Borko to remain a free planet?”
“Maybe he thinks by joining forces with Samrat Condor, he’ll become the ruler of the whole planet.”
“You might be right.”
Toemeka wiped Erling’s sweaty forehead with a washcloth. “Sometimes I wish I wasn’t pregnant so I could be more involved with the effort to defend Jaipar.”
“Why didn’t you tell me you were pregnant when you first came to the palace?”
“I was afraid if you knew you’d treat me as Michio does. He seems to think I’m a fragile lily, but being pregnant doesn’t change my capabilities.”
“It’s against Coalition policy for a pregnant woman to be on active duty.”
“Since when do you worry about rules and regulations?”
“There’s a reason for it. On Flo Shah, you didn’t have your normal stamina.”
Her eyes flashed. “Watch it, Erling, I did better than you on that mission, so don’t get all masculine and superior.”
“Point made.”
The door opened and Zachary entered, still dressed in a flight suit. Erling grinned with pleasure. The slender youth’s bright orange-red hair was cut short, which only made his stuck-out ears more noticeable.
“Zac!” exclaimed Toemeka, embracing him.
“It’s good to see you again.” Zac hugged her with enthusiasm, then put his hand on Erling’s shoulder. “How are you doing, old scoundrel?”
“Been better. When did you arrive?”
“Just flew in.” Zac pulled up a chair and settled in. “Koriann told me what happened so I hurried right over. Hendora and Onolyn will stop by later. I heard you fought a duel over Koriann. That’s prett
y unusual these days. It’ll add a little more color to your already scandalous reputation.”
“Just what I need.”
“I’m glad to see you looking so robust. After talking to Koriann, I thought you might be on your deathbed. King Zanton is a powerful man to cross.”
“He was trying to steal my woman.”
Toemeka chuckled and Zac’s freckled face lit up with a wide grin. Erling could see that he wasn’t going to let the duel slide.
“I don’t think King Zanton would see it that way,” Zac said. “He was the one engaged to Koriann.” Zac gave an exaggerated sigh. “Here I was, aiming to be a ladies’ man, just like you. Now who am I going to emulate?”
“Try Jake,” Erling said, referring to his best friend back on Alandra. “He fits your description perfectly. I’m afraid I never was the man you describe. I was just looking for the right woman.” Erling decided he’d been teased enough; it was time to dish back. “Onolyn won’t like it if you become a womanizer.”
“Onolyn doesn’t much care what I do.”
“I’m sure that’s not true. She’s sweet on you.” Erling winked at Toemeka.
Zac flushed scarlet, even his ears burned red. “Well, I guess I’d better be shoving off. I’d like to stay and chat, but I’ve got my orders. I’ll stop by before I leave.”
“What orders?” Erling started to sit up, but the movement caused sharp pain. He gritted his teeth, wondering why the pain pills weren’t working yet.
“Are you all right?” Toemeka asked.
“I’m fine. Zac, where are you going?”
“Erling, you need to rest,” Toemeka injected. “We’d better go and let you sleep.”
“What are you two keeping from me?” Erling asked. “What’s going on?”
