by Lucy Kelly
She overrode his blustering. “Unless and until I hear from Addie that she wants you here, that’s the way it’s going to be. I am the guardian of the people of Earth; no one passes through the gate without my permission. Anyone, who tries to leave the station and get to Earth, will be blown to smithereens. I’m done here. Jeze will show you to your guest quarters. Tyr, take me home,” she said, turning her back, and attempting to stride back through the hatch.
Of course, she had to stop and go through security. It interfered with her grand exit, but she worked with what she had. She wanted Hend to believe she was a tough bitch and his status cut no ice with her. When they were alone, she’d ask Tyr if she had succeeded.
Tyr would have laughed, but he was looking forward to having sex with his mate later. He knew it probably wouldn’t happen if he did. He forced a cough and helped his mate through the hatch and down the corridor.
Jeze waited until the door had closed before he turned to the man standing next to him. One look at the red angry face, and he knew he should do something to smooth things over. At the same time, he needed to back-up his mate. He wasn’t about to overturn her ruling. He remembered one of the last transmissions from HeVan had explained Malpha had joined with the king of the KowLer and was no longer their enemy. A few members of the council were now under suspicion.
“Normally, she uses more tact. However, she is correct. Your visit is suspicious. If there were to be a surprise inspection, the commanders would have been informed anyway. The fact we’ve had no notice creates a problem,” he said. It was as far as he was willing to go to placate the man.
He said no more, but waved his arm for the councilman to follow. After he’d seen him to his temporary quarters, he posted a couple of guards and went to find his mate. He’d just remembered one more thing, and he wanted to see if Suzanna had the same understanding.
Armus was not pleased at all. He kept his rage under control until he had reached his quarters. While he didn’t put it past the bitch to spy on him in here, he could no longer wait to vent. He screamed out his rage and threw his two cases across the room. He would have to change his plans. He didn’t see the woman relaxing her security during what was supposed to be a brief visit. He would have to act quickly.
Moving over to the door, he opened it and requested the guard to take him to the dining chamber. The guard explained that here on Far Star Station, it was called the ‘Mess Hall,’ an old Earth term. The councilman had learned the Earth language used by the Nam-Nin during his voyage. Still, this term meant nothing to him, so he asked the warrior to explain it. He started giving his guard news from home. News he changed to suit his own purposes. When he learned there was suspicion about the council, he explained the downfall of Councilman Morrack and Councilwoman Braza. He wove a tale of truths and lies to an appreciative audience.
After eating his first fresh meal in three weeks, he returned to his quarters to plan. He’d made note of the layout of the station as he passed through to eat. There were handy maps at junction points along the way. These maps were against policy, because they gave a possible enemy too much information. He pointed that out to his guard. It was explained the maps were for the use of the many human females who now inhabited the station with their Ankida. Not all the Earth Nephilim had followed the queen to HeVan.
This was news to Hend. He filed the information away, even as he took note of the maps to learn the layout of the station. Returning to his quarters, he came up with a new plan. He wouldn’t be able to take his precious metals with him. They were too heavy and were still on his small jet cruiser. Luckily, he had all his precious gems with him. If he put on his formal councilman attire, including the long cloak, he would be able to conceal the gems in hidden pockets of the cloak and also in a treasure belt he’d put around his waist.
There had been many others in the dining hall. Soon, most of the station residents would be in their quarters, sleeping. His cruiser was docked on the side of the station that held the bulk of the living space and the arboretum. He waited a few hours until he felt the station would be quiet. Then, dressing himself and preparing a few surprises, he went to the door.
“I’m ready to begin my inspection,” he said to the guard.
“Yes, sir. Where would you like to start?” the guard asked.
“I would like to be guided on an external review of the station. A small two or three-man shuttle would be sufficient for my needs,” he answered.
As this was allowable, and not on the restricted list, the guard contacted command and arranged for a shuttle to become available.
Up in the command center, Karlo, the tech officer, had allowed Suzanna’s suspicions to affect him. He arranged to be the warrior who piloted the shuttle for the councilman. Leaving the command center, he headed for the main shuttle bay.
It would take him several minutes to get there through all the various blast doors. Though a few of the women had complained, none of the warriors had questioned the orders of their commander.
Karlo was surprised to see the councilman wearing his formal robes and became immediately suspicious. He told a warrior on duty in the shuttle bay to inform Suzanna and her Ankida. He would be interrupting a picnic she had planned in the arboretum with a few other women, but it couldn’t be helped.
Hend was surprised the station was so well manned during the night shift. He was pleased to see only one warrior would be coming with him in the shuttle. He also noted it was large and had enough fuel for his needs. It wasn’t a short-range pod. Good—things were going according to his new plan.
He waited until they were on the opposite side of the station from the docking bay, where his private ship was located. Getting up from his seat, he said to the pilot, “I’m going to take off this robe. I hardly need it here, and it does get in the way.”
Karlo nodded; he didn’t care either way. This inspection had gone well, so far. The councilman hadn’t tried to use any of the ship’s scanners. Karlo had locked out the long-range ones anyway, and he had his excuses ready should he be asked. He maneuvered the shuttle, and informed the command deck they were returning, when his short-range alarms went off. Within seconds, a shock wave rocked the station. Then he knew no more, as Hend used a nearby tool to hit him on the head and knocked him out.
Armus dragged the pilot from his seat and dumped him on the floor. Removing the warrior’s blaster, he shot him point blank in the chest. When he sat in the pilot’s seat, he could hear the confusion coming over the com-link. Acting quickly, he brought up the shuttle’s defenses, took aim, and fired on several key points, taking out com systems, exterior targeting and, finally, the main gate transmitter.
With any luck, they wouldn’t have parts to make repairs. Then, turning the shuttle, he put on all speed to the other side of the sun. Once he had a course plotted, he got up and dragged Karlo’s body into the half-empty storage compartment. He didn’t like cluttering up his bridge.
Laughing, he went back to the pilot’s seat.
Chapter Nineteen
HeVan & Earth - Deep Space
The Venger and the two KowLer ships arrived at the Earth Gate two weeks and just over four days after they left HeVan. The engines were going to need some work due to the stress of the trip. Justyn didn’t care, they had all the parts they needed. He had one goal: to capture Armus Hend and drag him into the Arena of Justice, and on to the battleground for the Mok-Tar rite.
He was asleep in his quarters when the gate was reached. The officer of the day signaled his room when they were on approach. Dressing quickly, he made his way to the bridge. Margan, who was also notified, met him there. They were curious to meet Suzanna Aram, the commander of the gate and station. Justyn had told them about the surprise she had engineered to teach all the Nephilim warriors about Christmas.
When he reached the bridge, he hailed the gate. When the return signal came back, it was weak.
“This is Commander Justyn Rephaim, of the Ship Venger, requesting entrance to t
he gate. I have been sending messages ahead of my arrival from both myself and Queen Aditya. I have two KowLer warships with me to aid in the hunt for the fugitive, Hend.”
The screen flickered to life as Justyn spoke. He was surprised neither Suzanna nor her Ankida were in the command center. The officer on duty looked angry and his rough voice underscored the impression.
“It’s unfortunate you were not here before that—fucker,” he said, using an Earth term he had picked up which accurately described Armus Hend. “The gate mechanism, weapon targeting, and communications were all damaged. We have just finished repairs some six hours ago to the communications systems. We sent a warning message to Earth at that time. My apologies, Lord Justyn, the gate mechanism is not yet functional. We have all available manpower working on the problem, but repairing the hull breach to keep the women and children safe has been our first priority,” explained the officer.
Justyn didn’t bother to ask for particulars. He knew the man responsible, Armus Hend. Instead, he asked for an ETA on when the gate would be operable again.
“Our best estimate at this time is four days, my lord,” was the response.
The communications were weak, as they were traveling through the gate. Justyn was aware they could go out at any time. He informed the gate he would be standing by and then transmitted a pulse of information detailing Hend’s crimes. Hopefully, it would get through, and they would send some ships to arrest Hend before he reached Earth. He also transmitted information on the KowLer warships. He hoped, due to the crisis, Suzanna would allow them into her space.
The repair crews must have worked around the clock, because it was only three days later, when the station hailed them with a ready status on the gate.
“The power levels are not yet at full capacity, so your ships will not be able to pass through together. I recommend a pause of three hours between each ship to allow power to replenish to safe levels,” the officer said.
After three frustrating days of waiting, having burned up any extra time he had gained, the only thing Justyn had accomplished were repairs to his own engines and an increase in his blood pressure. Justyn wanted to find out exactly what was happening. Instead of prolonging the com-link, he pushed aside his curiosity once again. He would have his answers when he arrived on the other side and docked at the station. After making arrangements with the KowLer captains, he moved into position to enter the gate. When it opened, he lost no time going through. His own scanners recorded some weakness in the hyperspace generators, and his tech officer made sure to save all scans to share with the maintenance crew on the station. Some adjustments still needed to be made for the gate to be in perfect working order.
Justyn knew every crewmember was looking through ports or view screens as they exited the gate and entered the Earth’s solar system. At first glance, the gate station appeared as they left it. It wasn’t until they came around to dock that they saw the damage. There was the hull breach mentioned in the first transmission; it looked as if it must have been bad, but repairs were almost complete. When they finally docked, the crew was anxious to find out about all that had occurred, and lend a hand wherever one might be needed.
Justyn would leave a skeleton crew aboard the Venger with orders to keep up all long-range scanning. All weapons were armed and put on standby. Justyn planned to speak to the gate commanders to find out if they wanted him to launch additional protections. He had fighters he could put on patrol, if necessary.
He, Margan, and Trake were met at the airlock by a tall warrior named Charl. He had been a childhood friend of Justyn and his brothers, and had been part of the quest to find the lost queen. He had elected to remain at the gate station in the hope he and his brother, Karlo, would find their join. Now he looked at Justyn, read the questions in his eyes, even as his own reflected the sadness of the news he would relate.
Clasping arms, the men quickly left to move down the corridor and make room for others to disembark. No one spoke until they were able to move into an available empty room. There was a small conference table and the four men quickly took seats.
“What further atrocities have been committed by Hend?” asked Justyn, when Charl didn’t immediately speak.
“When he first arrived seven days ago, he was trying hard to be pleasant and polished. Lady Suzanna distrusted him from the first. She ordered he be escorted at all times and watched closely. She also ordered all bulkheads and blast doors be kept shut. If not for her foresight, he might have succeeded in destroying the station and even the gate itself. As it was, the hull was breached, the gate damaged, and our communications taken down. But that is not the worst of it; five warriors are dead and one female Nephilim from Earth. She and one of her Ankida were lost in the hull breach,” he explained in a flat angry voice.
“He has escaped to Earth?” Justyn asked.
“Yes. While we were able to repair communications enough to send a signal to Earth, we have no way of knowing if they got it. Our receivers are still down. The com-link we shared with your ship was enhanced by gate energy. Station to Earth transmissions are powered entirely by us.”
Justyn pulled out his handheld com-link and contacted his ship. He gestured for the others to wait while he had the Venger route his signal through to the satellites they piggy-backed. He could hear a phone ringing. After six rings, it was finally answered.
“Hello?” said a sleepy voice.
“Becky, this is Justyn Rephaim. We have an emergency,” he said.
“Finally! We have been so worried when we couldn’t reach anyone at the gate. Wait, why are you contacting me? Shouldn’t you be on HeVan? Is it Grace, or Addie? Oh, my God, are the babies okay?” she asked one question after another, and he finally interrupted the stream to explain.
“Becky! I have much to tell you and a short time to say it. I am here in pursuit of a criminal. The station tried to send out a message four days ago. I guess you didn’t get it. This fugitive is a former councilman; he attempted to kill Grace and nearly succeeded. He did kill many here at the station, including one Earth female. He escaped and either still en route but most likely about to land on Earth. We’re still working on possible flight paths he may have taken. We must capture him,” Justyn explained.
“Oh, no! Who was it? How could this happen?” she asked.
Justyn asked Charl the name of the woman and more details were relayed.
“Her name was Cathy Faulkner. She joined with two Nephilim named Dax and Dray. Dray was killed with her. Dax and their infant twin daughters still live. I need your help in finding Hend,” Justyn said, getting straight to the point.
“Have you decided how you want to play this?” she asked.
“Play? This is not a game, Becky!” he said. He was so upset, that he didn’t take the time to understand her Earth idiom.
“I meant—do you have a plan of action? I can gather information but it will be hard to find one person amongst the Earth’s population. In order to get what you want, you may have to approach the government openly. It would be better if you could stop him before he gets here.”
“We’ll try to intercept. It’s a long shot, though, he has a seven day head start on us. Please continue to gather information. We’ll be contacting you within twenty-four hours. I’ve just arrived through the gate. I need to consult with people here. Have everyone informed of the situation. Hend must be captured and returned to HeVan to face justice.”
He and Becky discussed a few more things and then ended the call. Closing and putting away his com-link, Justyn turned back to Charl.
“Where is Lady Suzanna? I need to speak to her and her Ankida.”
“The Lady Suzanna was injured in the attack. She was rushed to medical. They were trying to save her life,” said Charl.
This was horrible news. For the next hour, Charl related everything that occurred from the time Hend arrived up through the attack.
“One thing we were able to piece together after the attack—it’s the reason w
e don’t have heavier casualties. Hend dined soon after his arrival. The meal indicates he was on a different clock than we are here, as he had dinner at a time when most of the crew was having breakfast. He asked for HeVanian foods and most likely didn’t recognize the Earth food as breakfast items. When he blew up his ship, much of the sleeping quarters were damaged in the explosion, and if people had been sleeping…” he left the rest unsaid.
Justyn understood what he alluded to; it would have been a bloodbath.
They made plans to utilize the additional manpower to get necessary systems back online earlier than current expectations. By the time they left the conference room, the first of the two KowLer warships was coming through the gate.
The technology of the gate and its power boosted signals so they were able to pass news to the other ships. By the time the second KowLer ship arrived, every member of all the crews was determined to do whatever necessary to get Hend.
Just before the second KowLer ship came through the gate, Justyn was finally able to get in to see Suzanna. She had suffered a broken pelvis, and had undergone extensive surgery.
She would recover, but would have to remain in medical for a minimum of two weeks. Before Justyn was shown into her room, the head of her medical team urged him not to stay very long. When he went through the door, he understood why. She was flat on her back in a med-bed with stabilizers holding her body in place from her waist down. Because she had elected to remain conscious, as much as she could, instead of being put into one of the new healing chambers, her recovery would be slower and more painful.
“Suzanna, I’m sorry to see you’ve been injured. We must try to find more healers amongst the Nephilim women. Grace was near death, and the healers, Addie mostly, were able to heal her within five or six days,” he said.
Suzanna looked over at him. Like her Ankida, Justyn looked tired and worried. They hadn’t told her about all the damage, and she knew she wasn’t the only casualty. Jeze didn’t want her hearing bad news until she was well.
