by Liza Probz
Fair enough. How was the computer to know if something was hidden, if it wasn't supposed to know it?
“If such a code existed, would a feedback pulse from our ship's shields be able to cause a malfunction in the shielding around Zanthar?”
“Limited data,” Magnis replied. “Assuming the intense level of shielding that would be required for a planetary-scale defense shield, it seems highly unlikely that our limited shielding could cause such a failure.”
“Highly unlikely?” the major asked.
“The odds are 1 in 500,000,000,000,” Magnis replied.
“That's pretty unlikely,” the major mumbled. “So what the ship is saying is that someone is lying?”
“Right. I didn't think it was possible. My ship just isn't equipped to do that kind of damage.” Sylvie leaned against the nearest wall and let out a long breath.
“But it could provide a convenient excuse. Even if the story didn't hold water in a thorough investigation, it would be plausible enough to let the real Hareema agents sneak onto the surface and start taking over.” The major shook his head.
“And by the time anyone discovered it, it would have been too late.”
“It almost is,” he said, his face dark.
“We can't give up now. We have to find a way to convince everyone that Xivthar isn't a traitor, and that Hareema agents have infiltrated the highest levels of the government.”
“It will have to be something big. Something that a lot of people can see at once. If it isn't, the Hareema will be able to cover it up. We have to out them in front of a crowd so we can insure that others believe us.”
“And I think I have an idea on how to do that.” Sylvie forced a tight smile as her heart fluttered.
Please let X be okay. Please.
Chapter 40
Executions on Zanthar were rare occasions, which meant that they drew huge crowds. The news had spread immediately around the planet, and all those who could get to the central colony in time had hurried there from what he could tell.
The sound of the masses was nearly deafening, and it set Xivthar's teeth on edge. How could the people he had served so diligently turn on him so quickly?
“I'm sorry, little one.” He leaned close to Sylvie to speak into her ear. “I never intended for all this to happen.”
She glanced up at him and shrugged, her expression neutral.
“What's going on with you?” He couldn’t help but question her.
Maybe the events of the last hour had put her into shock. Still, she wasn't acting like herself at all.
“What do you mean?” she asked, her face blank.
“Your reaction. You're a fighter. You've never once given up. Why are you so ready to quit now?”
Her smile was sardonic. “Take a look around you, Xivthar.”
“They were about to cut you open when you got here, Sylvie,” he countered, “and pull out your organs one by one. You didn't give up then. You fought like hell if I remember it right.”
Another shoulder shrug and silence.
“People of Zanthar,” a voice boomed over the audio amplifiers stationed around the perimeter. “We are gathered here on this most solemn occasion in which we will see justice being served.”
The crowd erupted into roaring applause. It was ironic that such a “solemn” occasion would warrant such a boisterous response. The announcer went on to list the crimes against him, but he tuned him out, concentrating on his companion.
“I should have let you go on the transport. I shouldn't have called you back. I regret it more than anything else in my life.”
If he hadn't called the transport back, she could be safe on Earth now instead of awaiting her demise with him.
“Thanks, Xivthar. I can see how much it bothers you, but I’m good. Shit happens, right?”
That's twice she's used my full name. Sylvie had always called him 'X’, so much so that he'd wondered if she even remembered his real name. Something was off… terribly so. Was she in shock?
His Sylvie wasn't this bitter. She'd never been this apathetic toward him, even when he'd locked her back up after she'd sworn she wasn't an enemy agent. And his gut. His gut was no longer clenching. His emotions were flat. He was irritated about the execution and his brother's betrayal, and upset that Sylvie was being dragged into it with him, but his moods had been calm, like they used to be before he'd met the Earthling female.
He only had a few more moments to live. Best to stop pondering what ifs and use his time wisely. He'd tried apologizing to her and it had gone over like a lead balloon. There was one more thing left to try.
His hands were bound behind his back as hers were, but he could still lean into her and press his lips against hers. It was to be their final kiss, the last time they would come together before their lives ended.
The crowd gave more of a reaction than the woman he loved. They screamed, they hissed, they booed their disapproval.
Sylvie just stood there. Her lips were warm and still.
She didn't even close her eyes.
“You're not Sylvie,” he growled, horror grabbing hold of his heart.
The female smiled. “About time you caught on. For a Supreme Regent, you sure are slow.”
A Hareema agent. It had to be. That meant his Sylvie was out there somewhere, without him. Where was she? Was she safe?
His gut constricted immediately with pain so vicious he almost fell to his knees. Now that he'd realized this thing wasn't his mate, his need to be with the real Sylvie felt like a thousand knives stabbing into his stomach.
How did I not notice before?
Xivthar hung his head. He'd failed her. She was out there, left to her own devices, alone and probably scared. When he'd thought she was by his side, his emotions had been tame. But now that he'd realized he was without his mate, his feelings were running riot. Fear. Rage. Regret.
His wild emotions washed over him, making him shake. I need my mate. It was the only thing he wanted as death loomed ahead. I need one more minute with her.
Chapter 41
The ship sailed smoothly over the expanse of the purple ocean. The color reminded Sylvie of X's skin when he was aroused. She bit her lip as fear surged through her heart.
“We're almost there,” the major said a few seconds before Magnis informed them that they were approaching their target. “Let's go over the plan one more time.”
They'd put the scheme together on the fly while they were consulting with the ship's computer. The laboratory where the ship was lodged had a large door that connected to a cargo elevator. The elevator ran the length of the colony, and the highest floor was actually the small bit of the structure that was exposed to the air and not covered in water.
They'd gotten Magnis to carefully maneuver the ship into the elevator and then taken off from the top of the structure. They were lucky. Since nearly everyone had gone to the execution, no one was likely to be watching the camera feed. Or answering proximity alarms. At least, not until after they were already gone.
Their plan was simple. They were going to fly over the execution, somehow make it past the defenses surrounding the arena, and then rescue the regent.
The only part of the plan that was certain was flying over the event. The major had no idea how to make it past the defenses in an Earth ship that had no weapons. As for the rescue, they'd think of something. If they made it to that step.
“I'm picking up readings of three small vessels.” The computer's voice made her jump.
Calm down. You're gonna have to keep cool if you want to get out of this alive and save your mate.
Her mate?
That’s what X was. Like it or not. She'd never planned on finding love on an alien world, but now that it had happened, she couldn't deny it. X was her mate.
“Zantharian light cruisers,” the major said. “They are armed, and their maneuverability is more precise than a dragonfly. Do you think this ship can outmaneuver a dragonfly?”
Sylvi
e knew the ship could take off, land, and fly in a straight line. Magnis was smart, but there were only a few Earth ships of this design and they were sure to be less advanced than their Zantharian counterparts.
“We'll have to think of something, and quick.” Three ships appeared on the view-screen and were headed in their direction.
Her ship had no weapons left.
Strike that.
It had one weapon, the self-destruct, which was now permanently disabled. It was able to deep scan up to a radius of 1000 kilometers, and a light scan of up to 100,000 kilometers. It could put out a signal to other ships and planets, had a low-level defense shield and a very limited tractor beam.
“Incoming transmission.” Magnis played the message. “Unidentified vessel, you are attempting to enter restricted airspace. Reverse course immediately.”
“We need a weapon.” The major glanced over at her. “Either that, or we can crash ourselves into the crowd and hope the distraction allows the regent to escape.”
They were finally drawing close enough to the execution site for Sylvie to take in the scene. The arena was massive, a huge bowl that held hundreds of thousands. It looked like every seat in the house was taken.
In the center of the arena was a dais with a circumference of maybe ten meters. The dais was surrounded by water. In the center of the round platform stood two lonely figures.
The major was right. Without a weapon, they were toast. Not only could they not get past the security ships, but they wouldn't be able to free the regent and get him back on the ship.
Zantharians could put out strong pulses of natural energy, similar to an electric eel. But there was no way the major could create a shock great enough to penetrate the shields of the other ships.
Maybe the major is right. Maybe a crash would be enough of a distraction to get X free.
“Major, if I could get you down there, could you help the regent escape?”
“I would do my best.” He looked at her, his face firm with resolve. “I know you're not Hareema because you took my shock. And there's a woman down there that looks just like you, who is the enemy. Get me close enough and I'll take the agent out. It might be enough to delay the execution long enough to expose the real infiltrators.”
Sylvie nodded. It was the best they could do.
“We're only going to get one shot at this. Magnis, you need to evade those ships long enough to get close to the center dais.”
The major frowned. “You won't be able to get that close, but I know the water is pretty deep. Get as close as you can, then pop the hatch. I'll take my chances in the water.”
Sylvie nodded. “You heard the man, Magnis. Get us as close as you can.”
“Unidentified vessel,” the angry voice of a Zantharian pilot rang through the small cabin, “you have failed to follow instructions. If you attempt to come any closer, we will fire on you.”
“If they shoot me down, I could hit the crowd and kill innocent people,” Sylvie said. “Why don't they just tractor me out of the area?”
“We're on high alert, remember? The aggressive defense agenda, pushed through by our new Acting Regent?”
Sylvie scowled. She'd heard the news as part of the same report that had informed them of X's capture and upcoming execution. “So they are going to risk hurting their own people to take me out? And I'm defenseless?”
“Apparently so.” The major took up his position beside the hatch. “Open the hatch now, in case they fire.”
She gave Magnis the order, and the hatch opened. They'd just breached the perimeter of the arena, closing on the dais.
“The lead ship is charging weapons,” Magnis said.
“Good luck.” The major nodded toward her.
“Save the regent, please,” she replied, then watched as the major flung himself from the ship.
The ship was immediately slammed by an energy ray.
“Altitude control disabled,” Magnis said, and the ship began to flail, the hatch unbalancing it. It listed to the right, then banked left so rapidly that Sylvie wasn't able to steady herself. She slid from her seat and out the open hatch, falling rapidly from the sky.
Chapter 42
The crowd had started to point and shout before the announcer noticed that something was awry. Xivthar followed their gestures with his eyes, taking in the formation of three defense ships and another vessel that was rapidly approaching.
The Earthling ship! His stomach clenched. What was Sylvie's ship doing headed toward the arena?
The hatch opened on the little ship and a figure dove into the waters below. The drop had been dangerous, but there was a chance the jumper might survive.
Might survive, but probably not. Even if the fall hadn't killed him, the gnarsharks that swam in the waters below would.
Executions on Zanthar were performed courtesy of a pool of gnarsharks. These fearsome predators had evolved along with Zantharians, so they'd developed an immunity to high-charge shocks. Therefore the natural Zantharian weapon had no effect on the nasty creatures.
The little Earthling ship was hit with a huge blast that caused it to start wobbling in the sky. Without warning, another figure plummeted from the ship, this one not in a graceful dive, but with limbs flailing. Xivthar thought he heard an agonized shriek, and his heart froze in his chest.
Sylvie?
The second figure hit the water, a little closer than the other one. Xivthar waited, his breath trapped in his chest. After agonizing seconds that felt like hours, a head surfaced. A golden head.
“Sylvie!” he shouted, running headlong toward the water.
“Are you insane?” the Hareema mimic yelled at his back. “You'll be eaten alive!”
Xivthar ignored the creature, and ignored the fact that his hands were bound behind his back. All he could concentrate on was the fact that his beloved might be a gnarshark's next meal. He dove into the water without hesitation.
The pool of cool liquid was deep, the water getting darker the farther it was from sunlight. Xivthar swam hard, kicking his legs to try and move himself upward, but without the use of his hands he wasn't making much headway. Something bumped his leg and he stilled. No.
Glancing up, he realized what had rubbed up against him. The sharks.
They were everywhere, swimming closer and becoming more aggressive in their nudges. Gnarsharks had several rows of sharp, needle-like teeth. Xivthar knew that once he was bitten the first time, a feeding frenzy would begin, meaning he'd be ripped to pieces in mere moments.
He started kicking out at the sharks, trying desperately to move forward. While his kicks were managing to stave off a bite, they weren't getting him any closer to the spot where he'd seen Sylvie surface. He was running out of time, and the frustration was driving him to kick more and more viciously.
He felt a tug on the binding at his back and he turned around, slamming his head into the creature behind him. He'd thought it was a gnarshark, but he realized when his head slammed into a hard skull that it was another Zantharian.
The major, the one who'd disapproved of his spending time with the Earthling female, was trying to undo his restraints.
He must have been the first one to jump from the Earth ship.
Xivthar held still until his restraints were removed. Then he swam like hell for Sylvie.
Before he could reach her, he saw the waters were turning red. Human blood is red, he remembered, and his guts clenched in fear.
He swam through reddening waters until he saw a huge swarm of sharks in front of him. Sylvie's in there. The major swam to his side and gave him a nod. They knew what they had to do.
Xivthar began by grabbing the first gnarshark he could and stabbed his fingers into its gills. The shark flailed, but he worked his hand into the gills on the other side and the shark sped off erratically. He headed for the next one, stabbing at the gills, going for the eyes when he couldn't get to the gills.
He managed to avoid any deep bites, although he was starting to get
a collection of tooth scratches when he hadn't been quick enough to keep his limbs entirely out of harm's way. Beside him, the major was doing much the same, fighting his way through the beasts.
Temporarily blinding another shark, Xivthar finally made it close enough to see his mate. The waters were hazy with her blood, but she hadn't given up. As he watched, she punched a shark directly in the nose.
Xivthar took the opportunity to get close enough to grab her. Her eyes widened at the sight of him, but he could tell that she was weakening. His mate needed air.
Signaling to the major to keep fighting, Xivthar struggled to get Sylvie to the surface as quickly as he could. He knew that once there, they would be far from safe, but at least she could breathe.
They surfaced, and Sylvie pulled in great gasps of air.
“You're alive,” she sputtered.
“So are you,” he said with a smile. Having her back in his arms felt like coming home.
She gave him a beautiful, angelic smile, her lip quivering as she tried to say something else. Her eyes fluttered and she passed out in his arms before she could utter another word.
Xivthar felt a shark bump against his leg and knew it was only a matter of time before one would bite into him. He couldn't carry her unconscious body and fight them off.
“Noruma, forgive me for this,” he said, then charged up, hitting Sylvie with the smallest charge he could.
“Ouch!” she said, her voice weak but her eyes opening.
“Baby, hold on to my neck and don't let go. I'll try to stay close to the surface, but if we're going to get out of this, then we have to fight.”
She slid around to his back and wrapped her legs around his waist. X tucked his head under the water so he could see more clearly.
Soon he was losing blood from dozens of places, his arms and legs so tired he didn't know how much longer he could go on. Do it for her. He pushed himself, his protective instinct forcing him to continue moving forward.
The major swam up beside him as they made it to the shore, the sharks moving in with vicious intent. How neither of them fell prey to the massive beasts was beyond him.
