by Tana Stone
“Working for the Zagrath is provocation enough.” Corvak’s voice was gravelly.
I agreed, but I also knew that not all under the empire’s rule had the freedom we did or the deadly reputation that struck fear in the hearts of anyone who encountered us. Nevertheless, the Vandar raiders were feared because we punished those who stood with the empire. We could not back down or show weakness. Weak warriors did not spend eternity in Zedna with Lokken and the other ancient gods of battle.
“They have surrendered,” I said. “But that does not mean they will escape punishment for their alliance with the empire. Blood will be shed for their treacherous act.”
Nods and grunts of agreement followed my statement, although I noticed Corvak frown. As was fitting his title, he was only content when engaged in a full-scale battle, and his body boasted the scars to prove it.
Our shuttle jolted as it latched onto the enemy freighter, our docking pincers holding the ship in place as it forced the hangar bay open. I held my breath, part of me hoping the surrender was a ruse and there would be phaser fire as we entered the enemy ship, but the hangar bay was deserted.
We rushed out in a swarm, moving in our practiced formation with shields in front. The ship was not nearly as large as ours, but it was brighter, with amber lights flickering overhead as we moved swiftly down the passageways. I flinched from the unnatural brightness, my eyes adjusting. Why did these aliens like to feel as if they were on a glowing star?
Exposed piping hissed, and the hull seemed to groan without provocation as we moved through the cramped ship. The scent of fuel hung thick in the air, along with the smell of scorched steel, no doubt from the hits they’d taken from us.
I swallowed my disappointment at the sad state of the ship we were taking. No weapons, no warriors. It was almost not worth our time.
“A cargo bay, Raas,” one of my warriors said, pointing to a set of doors.
I jerked my head at him and another warrior. “Assess the value and prepare to transport anything worth taking.”
“Where are their warriors?” Bron asked, his voice low so only I could hear him as we continued moving. “Is this a trap?”
“I think we both know it is not.” My own fingers twitched over my axe, but cold realization was settling hard in my stomach. There would be no battle today.
Ahead a figure appeared then quickly ran ahead and disappeared around a corner.
“A human, not a Zagrath,” my majak said, disappointment heavy in his voice. Even though the difference was subtle, it was important.
It was rumored that the humanoid Zagrath were descended from the original people who fled the planet Earth, although they did not call themselves Earthlings now. They’d been part of what had been called the one-percenters. With their sophisticated technology, considerable resources, and even greater greed, these elite humans had dubbed themselves the Zagrath and built an empire, with the mission to colonize and monetize as many planets as possible. They’d also used their wealth to enhance their genetics, so they were slightly larger than humans, with a longer life span. But, they were still no match for the mighty Vandar.
“It matters not,” Corvak growled.
But it did. The other humans who populated the galaxy had been desperate escapees from a dying planet, and they did not have the advantages of the Zagrath. Even with only a fleeting glance, I knew that was one of the smaller humans, and the disappointment nearly choked me.
When we reached the doors to their command deck, two of my warriors rushed through first, battle axes held high beside their shields. When I rushed in after them, the war cry that had been on my lips died. Instead of Zagrath soldiers, or even a rough mercenary crew of aliens, there were a handful of humans sitting at consoles, their eyes wide with fear as they watched us storm their command deck. And standing in front of them was a female who looked like she would have liked to kill all of us.
A female. A human female.
Tvek, I cursed to myself at our bad luck. So much for a day of valiant battle.
Chapter Three
Astrid
All the air left my body when the Vandar raiders stormed onto our bridge, their boots pounding so loudly that it drowned out the sound of my own thudding heart.
Crap. They were even bigger than I imagined. It didn’t help that they were dressed like some kind of space-age Vikings, with leather and metal the only things covering their massive, bronze bodies corded with muscle. Long, dark tails snapped behind them—the ends tipped with black fur—reminding me that they were definitely not human, although the rest of them seemed pretty human, if not full-on medieval. Even the weapons they brandished looked ancient, and I wondered for a moment how these aliens had managed to terrorize the galaxy. How could a bunch of brutes like this take on the Zagrath Empire and not get blown out of the sky?
Then I remembered that their ships could vanish at will, and were rumored to have impressive firepower. So, they must have been more technologically advanced than they looked. I swallowed hard as my gaze drifted over the long black hair that matched their inky-black eyes and the dark markings etched across their bare chests. If I remembered the rumors I’d heard correctly, Vandar were born with the swirling, black lines, and they had something to do with their mating ritual. I tore my gaze away from them, not wanting to think about these brutes and anything to do with mating. Their unusually large, muscular thighs—displayed through strips of leather worn as some sort of short skirt—were distracting enough.
“Who leads this ship?” One of the raiders stepped forward as he spoke the universal language, and I saw that he was slightly taller and broader than the others, if that was possible. His jaw was square, and his hair brushed back, but loose. He was the only one with a single shoulder covered by a cap of metal armor with a strap crossing his chest, and I assumed he was their leader.
He radiated authority, his feet set wide as he appraised our bridge. He had not drawn his battle axe, but instead tapped his fingers rhythmically on the handle. Even though his muscles were taut, his words were measured.
My sister squared her shoulders. “I’m the captain.”
Hearing her voice—strong and steady—made my chest swell with pride. Tara didn’t seem to be scared by the raiders at all, even though it was clear they could have killed us all within seconds.
“You?” The Vandar narrowed his glittering eyes at her, and I could not tell if he was amused or offended.
She jutted out her chin. “Yes, me.”
“You entered Vandar territory,” he said, and this time his voice was little more than a ragged growl. Though low, the sound vibrated through the bridge and made my breath catch in my throat.
Tara didn’t flinch. “A mistake we were trying to rectify when your horde chased us down.”
The Vandar who was clearly the leader scanned the bridge again, his gaze lingering on me for a moment as his tail swished quickly behind him. I was almost positive he could see that I was shaking. “You work for the Zagrath Empire.”
To be aligned with the empire was as good as a death sentence. The Vandar raiders had been fighting a guerrilla war against them for longer than any of us on the bridge had been alive.
Tara shifted from one foot to the other, but did not drop her gaze. “We’re an independent freighter. We have no loyalty to the empire.”
A muscle ticked in the leader’s jaw, and a ripple of movement passed through the other Vandar. Somehow, I knew this was not the right thing to say.
“You only supply their outposts and arm their invaders.”
Tara did not respond.
Maybe if she didn’t argue back they’d let us go, I thought.
“You think you are innocent of their crimes?” The Vandar leader pressed, his fingers drumming across the hilt of his weapon as he began to pace a tight circle in front of my sister, his head snapping with each turn.
“We aren’t Zagrath,” Tara repeated, but this time with an edge in her voice. “We made a navigational error.
We didn’t mean to violate your space.”
He stopped pacing and leveled his gaze at her. “A navigational error?”
My stomach clenched. Technically, we didn’t make an error. I made the error. I sensed Mose’s gaze on me, but I didn’t look at him.
The Vandar ceased tapping his fingers, and the only thing I could hear was my own uneven breathing. “Error or not, we cannot allow you to continue on your mission to supply our enemy.”
Tara grasped her hands behind her. “You can have our cargo.”
“I intend to take your cargo. And execute you. Your penalty for working for the Zagrath. Let it be a lesson to others who dare support the empire.”
There were sharp intakes of breath among our crew. My heart pounded wildly as the reality hit me. My stupidity and lack of focus had sentenced my sister to death—the one person who’d always protected me and looked out for me. My ears started to ring, and black spots danced in front of my eyes.
No no no no no. This wasn’t happening. I couldn’t lose my sister. She couldn’t be executed because of me.
“Executed?” Tara’s voice was a low hiss. “For doing a job so we can eat? The Zagrath control everything. How else are we supposed to survive if we don’t work for them?”
The Vandar leader swept cold eyes across her. “It is done.” Then he scanned the bridge once more and turned to leave.
“You bastard,” Tara growled, as she lunged herself toward his retreating back.
I gasped as she was knocked back by one of the other Vandar warriors, who stepped forward to block her from the leader so quickly I barely registered his movement.
One of the raiders towered over my sister, raising his battle axe.
“No!” I screamed, my voice louder than the ringing in my head. “Stop! I should be the one executed.”
All eyes swiveled to me, including the leader who’d pivoted back around.
Tara closed her eyes where she lay sprawled on the floor, looking more defeated than she had before.
“It’s my fault. I’m the one who made the navigational error. You can’t kill my sis…the captain for my mistake. Please,” I said, hearing the quaver in my voice. “Kill me, instead.”
“No, Astrid,” Tara said, her words an order that would have normally made me fall in line.
Not this time.
“You wish me to execute you in her place?” His dark eyes were on me as he crossed the bridge, his long legs eating up the short distance between us so fast that I backed up a few steps, my ass bumping up against a console.
I nodded, ignoring my sister on the floor shaking her head and telling me to shut up. Even though my pulse fluttered, a calm settled over me as the Vandar held my gaze captive with his own. This was the right thing to do. I’d only survived as long as I had because of Tara. She’d been saving my ass for most of my life. It was my turn to save her for a change.
He cocked his head and eyed me up and down unabashedly, his fingers rapping on the hilt of his weapon once more. His tail had stopped swishing and curled up stiffly, the dark tip the only part twitching. He stared at me for so long that my cheeks burned from the scrutiny. I knew at any moment, he would reject my offer and round on my sister again. I met his eyes when they returned to my face, fisting my hands so tightly by my side the nails bit into my flesh. If he was going to kill me, at least I could be brave enough not to look away.
As I locked my gaze on his, my mouth went dry. Instead of being overcome with fear, my pulse fluttered. I’d expected his dark eyes to be cold, emotionless voids, but they were not. They flashed with heat and curiosity, drawing me to him, even as I fought against it.
“Raas?” One of his raiders finally spoke, and I wondered if that was his name.
He jerked his head around, tearing his gaze from mine and darting it over Tara. “Spare her.”
A wave of relief coursed through me, even as I braced myself for what would come next.
The Vandar leader turned back to me. “You would die to save your captain?”
“Yes,” I said, again holding his deadly gaze as my stomach roiled, the bitter taste of bile burning the back of my throat as fear finally overtook my curiosity. If he was going to kill me, I wished he would hurry up before I humiliated myself by puking all over my own shoes.
“Astrid, no!” my sister cried out. She’d leapt up, but two Vandar held her by the arms to keep her from lunging across the bridge.
He did not turn at my sister’s screams, but his pupils flared, making his eyes even blacker. “I have a deal for you, Astrid.”
I dropped my gaze to the hand on his weapon, confused as to why he hadn’t drawn it. “Deal?”
“Your life for hers.”
My confusion deepened. Hadn’t that been what I’d already agreed to? Why was he toying with me?
“I will let her live, and your ship can have safe passage out of our sector. But I do not wish to kill you.” He leaned so close to my face that I felt the quick inhalation as he seemed to breathe me in. His voice became a low hum that skated down my spine. “You will come with me.”
It took me a while to process his words. “Come with you? You aren’t going to kill me?”
He gave a faint shake of his head.
Even though I should have felt relief, the hairs on the back of my neck prickled. “I thought the Vandar didn’t take prisoners.”
“We do not, but I am Raas.” His hot gaze traveled down my body again. “I can do what I wish.”
From the burning look in his eyes, I knew what he meant. In exchange for my sister’s life, I would be expected to pleasure this hulking alien. Cold chills rippled through my entire body, and my heart raced. The thought terrified me, but also sent a thrill through me. A thrill I tried to ignore.
But if that was what he was after, why did he want me? Anyone with eyes could see that my sister was the pretty one. I’d always been the shorter, washed-out version of Tara with too many curves in too many places.
Maybe he didn’t want me for the reasons I was thinking. Maybe my imagination was just running away from me again. Maybe he just wanted a servant. Either way, there was no choice but to agree. I managed to bob my head up and down.
He leaned his head close to mine again and took another long breath. “You agree to come with me willingly? I want you to say it.”
“I agree,” I whispered, even as goosebumps covered my arms.
He straightened and gave me a brusque nod, turning around and calling over his shoulder. “Vaes!”
I hesitated, until he looked back at me, speaking in the universal language again. “Come.”
My legs were shaky as I followed him, passing my sister, whose eyes were wild.
“What’s going on? Where are you taking her?”
I paused in front of her. “It’s okay. If I go with him, he’ll let the rest of you go.”
“Go with him?” Her gaze went to the enormous raider, and she struggled against the two holding her. “No way. You can’t take her. I won’t let you. She has nothing to do with any of this. I’m the captain. It’s my fault.”
The one they called Raas cleared his throat, although he did not stop walking off the bridge. “You should come before I change my mind, Astrid.”
I threw my arms around Tara even though her arms were being pinned to her side, and I gave her a quick hug. “I’m sorry about everything.”
“Don’t do this,” she begged when I pulled away. “You don’t have to do this.”
I gave her a small smile, blinking hard to keep the tears pricking the backs of my eyelids at bay. “Yeah, I do.”
I turned around, hearing her struggle but forcing myself to follow the massive alien off the bridge without turning around and taking one final look at my sister. I knew if I did, I’d start crying, and the last thing I wanted was for my sister’s last memory of me to be of me sobbing like some kind of baby. I didn’t meet any of the stares of the other members of the crew, either. I didn’t want to see the pity I knew would be e
tched on their faces. Or maybe it would be relief.
I had to practically run to keep up with the leader’s long strides, especially as the rest of the Vandar came up behind me, walking just as quickly as the one they called Raas. There was no sound but the thrum of their boots, like a relentless drumbeat as we moved through the ship. We were walking too fast for me to think about much else, and even my own grief was pushed aside by my attempt to keep pace with them. I paused once we reached the hangar bay and their jet-black shuttle, swallowing hard as I looked at the vessel that would take me away.
As if he sensed my fear, the Raas turned and took me by the arm, propelling me forward and up the ramp before I could think to pull away from him. There were no seats in the ship except for the pilot’s, so I was shuffled to the front as the Vandar warriors clutched an iron rail overhead too high for me to reach. Their bodies pressed in, and I could see nothing but them surrounding me.
The ship’s engines rumbled to life and it surged forward, the Raas wrapping one arm around me to hold me to him so I wouldn’t fall, his tail curling around my legs. It was only when I was cocooned between his thick arm and the firm wall of his body —his heat pulsing into me and making my own skin flush—that the reality of my new life hit me.
I’d made a deal with a Vandar raider. A Raas, no less. One who had complete power over a horde of murderous ships and now over me. I would live the rest of my life—what there was of it—on an alien warship and never see my sister again. Tears rolled hot down my face, the saltiness seeping between my lips.
What had I done?
Chapter Four
Kratos
“Engage invisibility shielding and prepare to resume course,” I commanded, as we touched down inside our warship.
Bron powered down the shuttle. “Yes, Raas.”
I ignored the stares as I led the human down the ramp, flanked by the rest of the boarding party. None of the warriors had uttered a word about me taking the female—not even Bron or Corvak—but I knew they were baffled by my behavior.
