The sight that met them when they entered the warrior’s quarters brought raised brows and a few chuckles. Sotarios and Geleon wrestled on the floor while the others stood to the side and shook their heads. The two strained and grunted while grappling over an object Sotarios clutched firmly under his arm. Lucien leaned close and finally discerned it was a boot. He looked to Haemon with questioning eyes. The big warrior moved closer so his words could be understood over the melee.
“Geleon was tasked with straightening this room after the ship roll occurred. Sotarios claims the boot under his arm belongs to him and Geleon insists it’s his. Either way, someone is missing a boot.”
Lucien laughed and stepped forward. “Warriors. Cease and stand.”
Oblivious to their emperor’s command, Lucien reached out, grabbed their braids, and yanked backward. The combatants froze and cast their wild eyes in his direction. Masks of rage melted into recognition, and they rolled away from each other and jumped to their feet. The black boot remained in the middle of the room. Snatching it from the floor, Lucien handed it to an amused Ulixes before he approached the red-faced males.
“I have only one question.”
When their brows rose, he suppressed his smile. “Have either of you tried it on to see whose foot it would remember?”
When both shook their heads, Lucien pointed to their bunks. “Sit.” He motioned for Ulixes to bring the boot over.
“Sotarios. You first.”
Casting a smug look to Geleon, Sotarios took the boot and slipped it over his foot. His eyes widened when he tugged and it failed to accept his appendage. He looked up to Geleon and gave a lopsided smile. “I fear I’ve made a mistake. This is your boot.”
Geleon yanked it from his outstretched hand and snarled in response. “That is what I said, you damn idiot. We could’ve avoided this nonsense entirely if you were not so barbaric.”
Sotarios straightened his back and stood. “I’m not barbaric. It looks just like my boot. You cleaned this room, so please explain what you did with mine.”
Geleon met him nose-to-nose. “I didn’t do anything but straighten what was already around each bunk. If you had kept your spare in your locker like the others, then perhaps it wouldn’t have gone missing. This is not the first time you have lost your boots…or your socks…or your shirts…should I go on? You’re a slob, Sotarios.”
Mouth dropping open, Sotarios looked around to the others. “That is untrue. Tell him.” All eyes began studying the ceiling and shuffling uncomfortably from foot to foot. Seeing that he wouldn’t receive any help from the peanut gallery, Sotarios appeared to opt for diversion instead. A winged brow lifted on his forehead and he smirked at Geleon.
“I find it interesting that my feet are larger than yours, Geleon.”
Geleon dropped the boot to the floor and narrowed his eyes. “What does that have to do with anything?”
Smirking, Sotarios leaned back against his bunk and crossed his arms. “You know what they say about large feet, don’t you?”
Geleon cocked his head and studied Sotarios’s smug expression. He was smarter than Sotarios gave him credit for. The usually quiet and undemonstrative warrior cupped his groin and smiled. “Yes. I do, Sotarios. If you want me to prove it’s a false theory, then by all means, whip it out and we’ll measure them.”
Lucien couldn’t stop his rush of laughter. “Enough. I see that we’ve been on this ship entirely too long. You two keep your theories in your pants and the rest of us will keep an eye out for the elusive boot.” He looked around and received vigorous nods and approved grunts.
Lucien chuckled and turned to leave, only to halt as soon as the com link chirped. Eryx opened the channel and Baruch’s deep voice filled the room.
“I suggest everyone come to the flight pod. We’ve got something new to look at.”
* * * *
Kallon looked up when he heard his name, then immediately returned his gaze to the injured warrior sitting on the table.
“Jasilon will help you to the healing tube. You have to remain there for at least an hour since you tore all the ligaments in your knee. You must remain very still or you’ll have a scar from the surgery. I don’t think you’ll want to brag about this one. Stay away from the cargo hold. You don’t seem to do too well with stairwells.”
Upon the warrior’s embarrassed nod, Kallon clapped him on the shoulder and moved around the exam table. He held up his palms as Maxim moved further into the clinic.
“I just got here ten minutes ago. I had a full night’s rest and even ate breakfast.”
Maxim shook his head and smiled. “Not why I’m here, doc. I’ve got news. You have time to come to the command deck? The signal from the emperor’s ship is very strong. They should have grid lockdown very soon.”
Kallon felt adrenaline rush through his body and he willed his breathing to slow. Finally! The steady pulse from the Athenian’s beacon had been intercepted several days ago, and he’d felt as if they would never get close enough. No matter the good news, he continued to carry a sick feeling in the pit of his stomach.
“I can assume that they’re still not communicating or you would have said that first.”
A line formed between Maxim’s brows. “No, nothing yet. But, that doesn’t mean anything. They’re probably just disabled and can’t respond. Don’t try to find trouble, doc. Just be happy with this news.”
Taking a deep breath, Kallon nodded. “You’re right. I should keep my thoughts positive. Yes, of course, I’ll come with you.”
Three levels and four corridors later, they stepped into the command center of the Prometheus. No matter how many times he’d done this very thing, it still took his breath away to see the vastness of space displayed along three consecutive walls and above his head. The ship was massive and could move at an astronomical rate, he’d been told. Today, the ship was stationary, or that was what Maxim had expressed. It was hard to tell when he didn’t have anything close-by to compare with. Was this a new tactic to triangulate the beacon signal?
Glancing up, he stared at the Hesarc galaxy and the Eye of Dii and immediately felt insignificant. He’d been feeling this way for some time now and couldn’t seem to shake it. Perhaps it was the continuous hope and immediate letdown that had him off center. The consistent pulsing chirp of the Athenian’s beacon foretold of deliverance, yet never delivered. He was becoming tired of disappointment. As he did each time, he followed Maxim on numb legs over to the huddled group of officers tasked with bringing their emperor home.
Imbrus looked over his shoulder and nodded. He moved to the side and allowed Maxim to study the tracking grid.
“Maxim. Kallon.”
Kallon acknowledged the distracted greeting with a practiced smile and studied the Insedi when he turned away. He appeared confident and competent, as the war consul to the emperor should. There were no telltale signs of stress or worry upon his handsome face, nor were his hands trembling. Kallon felt safe enough to let his guard down for yet another time. If things were bad, it would surely be evident in the language of his body. Right? Maxim spoke and snapped Kallon from his physiological analysis.
“That can’t be right, Imbrus. Is the equipment malfunctioning?”
Kallon felt his stomach drop.
Imbrus snorted. “My exact thoughts, but no. What you are seeing is accurate. The beacon is five hundred meters in front of us. It confused us all.”
Eyes snapping to port, Kallon couldn’t hold back his thoughts. “Then why can’t we see them?” When the last word passed his lips, panic seized his chest. He quickly zeroed in on the consul’s intense blue eyes.
“Has the ship broken apart?”
“No. There is no large frozen fuel or debris trail. The Athenian is not nuclear powered so it would have left something to recover. We would definitely see that if they had.”
Despite the reassuring words, Kallon couldn’t wrap his mind around the fact that the beacon was somewhere in the vicinity without a ship
wrapped around it. “Then how do you explain this?”
Following the direction of Imbrus’s eyes, Kallon frowned when a small Insedi transport moved outward from the ship. Imbrus relieved him of his confusion.
“There are two cylinders out there. One carries the Athenian’s beacon. We are bringing both on board, and perhaps we can solve this mystery.”
* * * *
Relieved that Maxim had talked Imbrus into allowing him to remain in the transport bay for the vehicle’s arrival, Kallon tried to keep from pacing with anticipation or screaming out with impatience. Either outward show of panic would get him banned from the area. That was unacceptable.
What had probably been no longer than an hour for the craft to reach the location and suck the cylinders inside, it had seemed like an eternity for its excruciatingly slow return. Several more hours passed before Imbrus decided to open their find. Every imaginable scan had been done to assure nothing was going to annihilate the warship.
The two cylinders sitting innocently on the floor of the transport bay were deactivated Insedi missile pods. Why one was giving off a tracking signal had them all shaking their heads. Even Maxim looked ready to burst when they had to wait for communication equipment to arrive. Finally, Drusus appeared on the viewing monitor. Kallon could see a portion of Cato’s tattooed arm as he sat next to the Trejani. He had an insane urge to say hello, but squashed the impulse.
Two guidance engineers arrived and Kallon was ready to kiss them both. Drusus decided the quiet cylinder would be the first one to open.
As the large panel covering the top slid away, Kallon frowned when the engineer peered inside and started laughing. He stepped back when Imbrus leaned forward. The staid Insedi became excruciatingly handsome when a grin split his face and revealed white teeth sporting a delightful small gap between the front two. He turned toward the communication monitor and laughed.
“Your father has a very strange sense of humor, Trejani.”
Drusus wrinkled his brow and leaned closer to the screen.
“I’d choke you, Imbrus, if I could. What did you find? And perhaps I’ll laugh with you.”
Imbrus reached inside and pulled out a large black boot and sat it on top of the missile. Kallon could see his lips twitching even while he tried to steady his features.
“I wager the message’s intent is that we should kick our own asses if we do not find him soon.”
Choked breath and futile attempts to suppress smiles filtered around the room. Not until Drusus burst into hearty laughter did they all release the tension and join him. Kallon allowed days of emotional torture to pour from his body while he laughed with them. He felt lighter, albeit a little hysterical, until he was finally able to reel it in when the others did. Depleted, they all looked to Drusus. The Trejani wiped his eyes and gestured forward.
“Go head. Open the other. Let’s see what message he’ll gift us with next.”
With less tension than before, the engineer opened the second one, lifted the beacon out, and set it on the floor. A leather belt cinched a cloth pouch to the device. When he opened the material, a small disk dropped into his palm. Imbrus took it from his hand and walked over to the communication table and held it up for Drusus to see.
“It is a recording.” Without waiting for the inevitable instruction, he slipped it into the computer and stepped back.
Makar’s steady voice filtered through the room. While the message played on, Kallon felt his muscles relax at the knowledge that they lived. He looked around and saw everyone in the room experiencing the same bone-melting relief. The story was incredible. Some type of anomaly had snatched them from their path and pulled them toward an unknown destination. The whole of the empire had always thought the emperor an intelligent male, but the steps he’d taken to assure their last location was known extended beyond brilliant. He’d given them the coordinates and everything was now in their hands for success or failure.
When the message ended, the room became eerily quiet. All eyes turned to Drusus. Kallon knew he had a staggering decision to make, and he felt confident that the right one would be made. He straightened when the Trejani did.
“How far are we from the coordinates provided?”
Imbrus looked back to the flight commander now studying his handheld.
“One day.”
Drusus cleared his throat and gave a sharp nod. “Good. Make it happen.”
Chapter 5
Kallon didn’t like the look on Maxim’s face. It told him nothing. In fact, he didn’t like anything he’d seen in the last few minutes. The war commander was stalling and he had no idea why. Two anxious days of waiting to reach the coordinates and Kallon felt his patience die a quick death. He had no control over the panic lacing his speech and was surprised he was able to keep from shouting.
“What are they doing now? Why are we just waiting here? I heard Imbrus say this is where the ship rolled.”
Maxim grabbed him by the arm and drew him to the side. He was smiling, but his words were low and issued through clenched teeth. “Slow your roll, amici. You start spazzing and they’re going to throw you out. Do you want that? Damn, doc. I’ve never seen you like this. You need to chill.”
Chin dropping, Kallon took a deep breath and willed his shoulders to relax. “Shit! I’m sorry, Maxim. It took longer than a day to get here and now I keep imagining the emperor’s ship drifting further and further away while we sit on our asses and do nothing. It’s killing me.”
Releasing his arm, Maxim gestured back to the communication console. “Look. They are doing something. The Trejani has asked that they test the area before crossing. It won’t help if we get caught in the same thing they did.”
Kallon straightened and tried to get a grip on his fluctuating emotions. He pasted a smile on his face just to calm Maxim down and relaxed his shoulders. “Oh. That’s good. What type of test?”
Maxim snorted. “That’s what I was just trying to find out before I saw you starting to come apart at the seams. You want to join me so we can find out?”
Nodding, Kallon approached the flight command console and waited for Maxim to join him. Everything around him faded away as he listened to his Trejani’s voice.
“Yes, the small transport would work. It can fly unmanned and we can track it if it’s caught in whatever has the Athenian. Cato has suggested that if it becomes compromised, the Prometheus should test the grid at fifty-meter intervals for a break in the anomaly. Any object will suffice. Just rig it with capability to be pulled back in for reuse, or cut away if captured. It should help you determine the boundaries. Perhaps we can trail beside the craft along the perimeter if we’re fortunate.”
Imbrus smiled. “Excellent proposal. The transport is ready on my signal. I will have the guidance team prep for the boundary testing.”
Drusus leaned forward. “Make it so.”
Looking to his left, Imbrus nodded and the pilot released the craft.
The slow approach countdown rode on Kallon’s nerves. As a precaution, the battleship had stopped well away from the coordinates supplied by Makar. As the meters ticked by and the transport grew smaller on the viewer, Kallon prayed to Dii that it would pass into the demarcation zone without issues. He flinched at Imbrus’s deep voice.
“Five meters. Four. Three. Two. One. Mark.”
Kallon could actually hear the collective sigh of relief washing across the room. The small ship was still moving without any evidence of interference. Imbrus’s voice broke into the quiet celebration.
“Cintus, pilot the transport forward another six hundred meters then circle a return path. Ensure that it covers a diameter wider than the Prometheus.”
With every meter that passed without the transport halting in its tracks, Kallon’s hopes soared. Whatever had engulfed the Athenian had obviously dissipated at this location. Their pursuit could proceed. He looked to Maxim and shared the first real smile they’d experienced in days. Even the Trejani had slumped back in his chair with r
elief. Kallon saw him turn and accept a gentle kiss from his mate. After a lingering caress to her upturned face, he returned his attention to the expectant officers.
“Despite this victory, I’m not entirely convinced that the threat has passed. I’d like the ship cloaked before we enter. I don’t want any more surprises. Cato tells me the ship is also geared with heat and gas emission scan capability. Engage these. Perhaps it might detect the anomaly before we stumble upon it. Let’s find our emperor and those that protect him.”
Imbrus looked more relaxed than he’d seen him in days. With a nod, the pilots moved the massive battleship forward. After several long, expectant moments, their second victory was celebrated. Drusus actually smiled when they notated an hour had passed without issue.
“Excellent. Continue to take it slow and report anything that looks the least bit out of the ordinary. Report to me every hour on the progress. Be safe, and I thank you again for your diligence on this endeavor.”
Kallon turned when he felt a tap on his shoulder. Maxim was grinning.
“Hey. The emperor’s ship has been drifting for days now, so we’ve got a while before we have a chance to catch up. Want to come with me? Cato transmitted the first three seasons of The Sopranos to my room. I could use a distraction. You game?”
Smiling, Kallon headed for the exit. “Totally.”
* * * *
Lucien stepped further into the flight pod and knew his eyes were wide in surprise. “You weren’t kidding about something new to look at. Do you recognize it?”
Makar glanced over and shook his head at Lucien’s question. “No, and I can’t pull up a history of this area since I’m unable to connect with command.”
Lucien glanced back to the planet slowly growing larger in the port viewer. “It looks innocent enough. At least it’s not a gas giant. Perhaps it can support life forms. It’s too far away right now, but I believe I see some shades of blue. It could be water.”
Fueled by Lust: Lucien (Siren Publishing Classic) Page 4
