Prime Selection

by Monette Michaels

The other man ran toward her, yelling a battle cry. He had a knife in his hand. Before she could stun him, the whine of a fully charged laser sounded loudly in the room. Her would-be attacker dropped to the floor; his body convulsed for a few seconds as his nervous system shut down—and then nothing. He was dead, every neuron in his body fried.

  A’tem moved quickly toward the control panel. He secured the stunned man who writhed in pain on the floor with flex cuffs. “This one will live to talk.”

  “Good.” She went back to the door and shut it, locking them inside. In her peripheral vision, she observed Bram move to stand over the man he’d killed. He spat on the dead Prime before going to the control panel. He sat and entered several commands.

  After a few seconds, Bram grunted. “It’s done.”

  Nadia wasn’t sure whether he was referring to the death or the re-establishment of communications.

  Bram turned away from the controls. He looked at her, a blank expression on his face, but the mixture of emotions underneath his skin threatened to overwhelm her once more.

  “Bram, could you shield more, please?” She looked at the dead Prime. His battle blade was still clasped in his lifeless hand. “I’m sorry about your cousin.”

  “He would have killed you.” A pained expression appeared briefly in Bram’s golden eyes, and then his control strengthened, easing her discomfort. But not before she discovered grief tasted like ashes and felt like a gelid wind.

  “I know. Thank you for acting so quickly.” Nadia approached the communications array. “My jacket?”

  A’tem handed it over.

  Nadia shrugged it on and looked at Bram. “So? We’re in control now?”

  “Yes, Commander. All communications going in and out of the facility are under our control. With a little effort, I will be able to block the mercenaries’ internal communications. I have programmed a search for their frequency.” Bram’s tone was brisk and all business. “What messages do you want sent and to whom?” He sat in the seat his cousin had used, awaiting her orders.

  “Advise both Prime and Alliance commands of the current situation. Tell them we’re in control of Tarn’s communications now. Advise them any Alliance ships approaching Tarn to assist us should hold outside the laser cannons’ range. We’ll verify when we’ve shut them down.”

  Nadia looked at A’tem. “A’tem, can you handle the flow of communications and question this apayebo, ” she pointed to the bound man on the floor, “to get us a head count on the enemy and find out where they imprisoned the Prime military contingent?

  Then inform Alliance and Prime military commands of such.”

  “Easily, Nadia. You are taking Bram with you to shut down the laser cannons.” It wasn’t a question. A’tem took a seat at the control panel.

  “Of course. Bram knows the facility the best. We’ll let you know where to meet us.”

  Nadia turned back to Bram. “Messages sent?”

  “Yes, Commander. I also informed Commander Ard we’re safe and that he can now contact Captains Wulf and Melina.”

  “Excellent. Let’s go shut down some ship killers.” Nadia retrieved her laser rifle from beside the doorway where A’tem had leaned it. Bram was on her heels. “A’tem, if you don’t hear from us,” she looked at her chronometer, “in twenty standard minutes, get the hell out of here.”

  Twenty minutes might be pushing it. But she figured the enemy had already realized something was wrong. With any luck, the majority of them had been trapped behind the coded locks. Those who weren't trapped behind secured doors would need some time to regroup and begin a floor-by-floor search.

  Bram called out. “A’tem, if we do not make it back, the door to the escape tunnel for this section is at the end of this hallway and down a level. It is marked as AA567. Use the door codes I provided. The mercenaries should not know about the tunnel…” he scowled at the bound Prime soldier, “…unless one of the other traitors told them. My cousin,” he spat the word, “and this one did not have the clearance to know of such. But I cannot guarantee there aren’t other traitors who might have.”

  A’tem nodded. “I’ll be fine. Now … go.”

  Nadia led the way out of the room and then allowed Bram to take the lead once more. “Where’s the control room for the weaponry systems?”

  “Three levels down, directly under the communications room. We go this way.”

  Bram entered a door code into a key pad by a red door which led into a stairwell. “Allow me to clear the way, Commander.”

  “On your heels, Bram.” She followed him down the stairs. When he stopped at another red door, she made a note that stairwell doors were all red in this facility. She hung back a second as he went through the door and followed at his hand motion.

  “Bram.” She whispered subvocally into her headset so as not to be overheard in an area probably rife with pissed-off mercenaries and traitors.

  “Yes, Commander?” He replied in the same manner.

  “If something happens to me, you get A’tem and get the hell out of here. That’s an order.”

  Her reasoning was the mercenaries would be less likely to kill a woman. They could sell her and make a profit. She wouldn’t think about what they’d do to her before they sold her.

  “Sorry, Commander. Both Commander Ard and Commander A’tem told me you would say such at some point. They ordered me not to leave you or they would remove my reproductive organs. I am choosing to follow their instructions.” Bram reached back and stopped her with a hand to her arm. “There are men ahead.” His voice was a mere whisper across her headset. He signaled to retreat.

  They drew back several meters and took refuge in a short side hallway dead-ending at a green door.

  Nadia lowered her shields. Bram’s emotions while simmering along the edges of her empathic senses weren’t painful. She then sought outward and gasped. “Yes. Five of them. One is Prime. His emotions are the strongest. You sensed them … how?”

  “My Prime battle senses are elevated for battle. I am trying to shield you and that has worked to our advantage since it has kept the traitorous Prime from reading my approach.” He looked over his shoulder. “Are you in pain?”

  “What you’re doing is working. I sense you as a low boil and the enemy ahead as fearful, angry, and frustrated.” This whole situation had already taught her to be more in control while working on a team with Prime, probably the best thing to come out of this clusterfuck.

  She also suspected and couldn’t admit to Bram that her stronger shields were also a result of drawing on Huw’s strength as the Galanti came closer to Tarn.

  “Huw! Don’t get too close to Tarn. Tell Wulf and Mel—we haven’t shut down the ship killers. Don’t approach.”

  Bram gasped. “You are in communication with another Prime warrior. I feel the telepathic energy. It is very strong. You are a gemate … a battle-mate?”

  So much for keeping her ability to contact Huw a secret. She’d forgotten Prime warriors could sense not only emotions but other psi energy when in close quarters.

  Dumb, Nadia, really dumb. The Prime traitors will sense you also. She tested the men ahead and found their emotions were holding steady. She let out the breath she’d been holding and shielded herself even more.

  “No … no … just empathic and telepathic,” or so it seemed, “I’m not Prime. I have no gemat. ”

  “As you say, Commander.” He didn’t sound or looked convinced. “How shall we proceed?”

  Nadia sighed in relief. Bram was back to the business at hand. But she knew the topic wasn’t closed. If they survived the next few minutes, the word of her abilities would get around. She’d deal with the fallout later. She handed him her rifle and then took off her jacket, tying it around her waist.

  Sex as a distraction had worked the last couple of times; it would work again.

  “We stroll in there arm in arm with our laser pistols hidden behind each other’s backs. And in the short time they’re in shock from our sudden appear
ance, we move apart and take them all out. Kill, not stun. We don’t have time to mess with prisoners.”

  Bram smiled, a wicked twist of his lips. “My thoughts exactly. And since the entry to weapons control is what they are guarding, we are right on your schedule.”

  He came to her side, his laser pistol in his hand. He pulled her to him with one strong arm around her waist and waited until she had her pistol in hand and hidden it behind his back. “I hope your gemat never finds out I touched his woman’s naked waist and back— or saw your breasts, uncovered as they are. I would be dheu mete.”

  Even though Bram had the wrong idea about her connection to Huw, Nadia had to smile as she translated his words as “dead sustenance” or “dead meat.”

  “It’ll be our secret,” she reassured him. Bram’s snort had her choking back a laugh.

  “Let’s do this. I want to get back to our people.”

  “Yes, Commander.” He squeezed her waist. “Let me take out the traitorous Prime.”

  “So ordered.” Nadia understood his need for vengeance was mixed in with his sense of honor. She’d grant him that boon.

  Bottom line, none of the five men would leave the hallway alive.

  They walked into the main corridor and moved down the hallway in tandem. Bram’s touch irritated her skin, but wasn’t painful for which she was thankful. She didn’t need the distraction. When they turned the corner leading toward weapons control, she spotted the group of five blocking a huge door.

  The large Prime noticed them first; he seemed puzzled as he tried to place Bram. His gaze when it swept over her narrowed.

  Nadia nudged Bram. He dove to the right as she went left. They both fired. The enemy hadn’t had time to react. Five laser blasts, all kill shots, and it was over.

  Well, not quite. Bram, trained as an Elite soldier, walked over and fired another lethal blast first into the Prime’s brain and then into the other four’s.

  Nadia stepped over the dead Prime. She shuddered, suddenly so cold she clenched her teeth to keep them from chattering. She’d killed before and would again. No soldiers, if they were honest with themselves, ever got used to taking lives. She hadn’t and had the nightmares to prove it. She and Bram were alive and that was what counted in the long run. Time enough later to deal with the emotions she’d buried deep inside her and encased in ice. There was still a job to do—and possibly even more lives to take before the night was over.

  She approached the door and used the code to activate the monitor attached to the door code entry pad. The room appeared to be empty. She dropped her psychic shields a bit and found no emotions inside the room. The mercenaries had placed the guard only on the outside. Mistake on their parts. She entered the unlocking code and walked in as the door slid into the walls.

  She ran toward what looked to be the main control panel. The monitor showed ships holding just beyond the ship killers range. Gold was here! Relief made her weak at the knees, and she held onto the control panel array to keep from falling.

  The door swooshed shut behind her. “Bram. Our help is in a holding pattern. We need to get this system shut down, but I’m not familiar with all the Prime symbols yet.

  Which are the ship killers?” She waved a hand over the glowing symbols on the board’s touch pads.

  “Allow me, Commander.” Bram came to her side, touched a sequence of pads, and keyed in several lines of code, which streamed over the monitors.

  The facility went dark and silent. For a very long second, she stood frozen. Fear niggled in the primitive part of her brain and icy fingers walked up and down her spine.

  Her limbic system told her to run, but her higher brain told her the infinite darkness was momentary, that she was safe. Still, she breathed a sigh of relief when the emergency lights came on with a low whir.

  “What did you do?” she asked the hulking shadow outlined in the orange glow of the dimly lit room. His eyes gleamed like a bonfire in the shadowy near-darkness.

  “Shut down the power to the entire planet’s weaponry system as you asked.” Bram leaned over and looked into her eyes. “That is what you wished, is it not?”

  Nadia laughed. “Yeah, that’ll do. Let’s get the hell out of here and meet A’tem at the escape tunnel.”

  “Gladly, Commander. Follow me.” Bram walked back to the door, checked the corridor on the monitor, and then entered the door code.

  Obviously, whatever power he’d cut off hadn’t affected the security of the facilities’

  doors. The trapped enemy would still be trapped, but those wandering about would be more dangerous than ever. She, A’tem, and Bram were still not home free.

  Nadia hit a combo of codes on her headset and connected directly to A’tem.

  “Weapons shut down. Notify the Galanti. They’re currently in a holding orbit outside the range of the cannon. Bram and I will meet you at the escape tunnel he told us about.”

  A second or two passed before A’tem responded. “The Galanti is notified. I took the liberty of advising Commander Ard of the situation. He’s sending a three-man team to the other end of the escape tunnel we’re taking. He feared there might be enemy soldiers hiding in the caves. I’ll see you soon.”

  “Good luck, A’tem. Watch your ass. Out.”

  “Same to you. Out.”

  Nadia switched her headset to monitor only. Any slight noise might apprise the enemy of their position once they were out of the security of the weapons center.

  The path between their current position and the escape tunnel could possibly be filled with mercenaries hunting the saboteurs who’d plunged the facility into relative darkness, lit only by the low-level emergency lights.

  Laser pistol in hand and set on kill levels, she put on her night-vision goggles and followed Bram down the corridor as he hugged the shadows along the edges of the corridor.

  Chapter 6

  On the Galanti on approach to Tarn

  Huw sat in his chair on the Command Deck and fumed. He’d pushed his engines into the danger zone and beyond to get them to Tarn as quickly as possible. But just as they were about an hour away, Wulf had slowed the ship to sub-light speed to make a cautious approach to the planet.

  Yes, the planet had ship killers. Yes, Nadia had warned them about a trap … but she—and the others—were down there with who knew how many enemy.

  He looked up and found Mel standing by his chair. “Are you okay, Huw?” She stroked his arm. “You’re whiter than Earth’s ice caps. And your eyes have gone dark amber. I feel the emotions pouring out of you. Is it Nadia? Is she safe?”

  “I can’t contact Nadia, Mel.” Liar. “Sometimes she connects with me. And the last telepathic thoughts I had were the ones about the ship killers. What has Ard said? Has he heard from Nadia’s team?”

  When the communications with the planet had been restored, Wulf had demanded a situation report. Ard gave a brief one on injuries, the safety measures taken to protect the Gold crew members in the caves, and, finally, relayed that Nadia planned to take Crewman Tilga and shut down the weapon systems.

  Huw had wanted to rage and scream at the idiocy of the woman. Ansu bhau. She could’ve sent any of the men to do the job and stayed safely behind in the caves. She was an officer, not battle fodder.

  Somehow, he’d managed to control his emotions and kept his mouth shut. He had already called enough attention to the unusual psychic connection between him and Nadia.

  “Captains!” the soldier monitoring communications shouted. “Commander A’tem has sent a message. Commander Nadia and Crewman Tilga have shut down the weapons systems. We can move in.”

  The Command Deck erupted with shouts and battle cries. Something in Huw’s gut eased—but not entirely.

  “Where is Commander Nadia’s team now?” Huw asked the communications officer.

  “They are moving toward the escape tunnels into the mountains. Commander Ard has sent a team to meet them on the other end and aid them in getting back to their secured area.”
<
br />   Huw nodded his acknowledgment. He’d war-gamed many a time on Tarn as had all of Gold’s Prime crew members. Tilga was following an infiltrate-sabotage-get-out scenario that all Elite-trained soldiers practiced many times. Huw would owe Tilga a drink or two for taking care of Nadia—and the other team member, of course.

  Mel tugged on Huw’s sleeve. She glared at him and Wulf who’d come to join them.

  “What escape tunnels? They weren’t marked on the facility plans Nadia and I reviewed for the joint maneuvers. You Prime are still holding out on the Alliance, aren’t you?”

  His sister-kin was pissed.

  Wulf pulled his gemate away from Huw and up against his side. He brushed a kiss over her hair.

  Huw envied his brother such closeness. He thought of Nadia and wondered how soft her hair would feel against his lips—and then felt searing guilt. Until he’d proven there were no women who could be his destined mate among any Lost Ones they might find, he was not free to think of Nadia as anything other than a colleague.

  “You are Prime, lubha. The information on these things is on a need-to-know basis.”

  Wulf scolded Mel gently. “And now, you, Nadia, and A’tem know. The tunnels are extra lines of defense Prime have against internal and external enemies.”

  “Okay, fine.” Mel huffed. “But once we’re down there. I want to see them so I can compare them to the tunnel systems I’ve seen in other ancient Prime ruins.”

  Mel rubbed her cheek against his brother’s chest. Huw sensed Wulf’s love reaching for Mel; it surrounded her and calmed her ruffled feathers.

  “I will give you a personal tour, Melina mine—once I am assured we are in complete control of the facility.” Wulf turned his gaze away from Mel and looked Huw in the eyes.

  “I assume you’ll want to be on one of the teams that go to the surface.”

  “Yes.” Huw’s tone was abrupt. He didn’t appreciate the knowing look his brother gave him in return. His big brother paid far too much heed to the fact he and Nadia had some telepathic ability with each other. “I will contact Nowicki and coordinate the away teams from both ships. Security teams first, followed by medical and other support teams, correct?”