by Vi Voxley
And she was gone. Taken.
Theories rushed through Corden's mind. His brief meeting with Worgen had given him much, but it wasn't enough to be sure. Still, most of them seemed to point in one direction. He needed to get off the ship and so did everyone else. The Raptor had just lost its value to Worgen.
His own fighter stood ready in the same bay, but Corden wasn't going to leave Lana's crew to die helplessly. The general walked over to the command center of the bay and opened a comm link to the entire ship.
"Everyone is to gather in the port-side bay immediately. No exceptions."
He let the authority of a general's voice seep into the message, knowing the crew would obey, as well as the Brions patrolling the ship. One was driven by fear, the other by obedience.
The first to arrive was a Palian, freezing when he saw Corden. Uncertainty was plain on his face, but Corden had no time for long explanations.
"I'm a friend of your captain," he said. "Name?"
"F-Fraly," the man murmured. "A friend?"
"Yes," the general replied. "Very soon two things are going to happen. Your crew members are going to get here. They need to board any vessel that is space-capable and leave. No questions, no nothing. Tell them to head for the nearest ship. And not to run! If they go for the ships, they might live. If they try to flee, they'll most certainly die. Tell the escape pods hidden on your exterior to go too."
The Palian's already-big eyes went even wider.
"How did you—"
"Doesn't matter how I know. Everyone needs to be off this ship as soon as possible. Is that clear?"
"Yes, but—"
"No time. The other thing. The Brions will be here too. Keep the crew away from them. And stay out of my way."
"What do you mean?" Fraly asked, but Corden didn't get to answer.
The first Brion patrol entered the bay and immediately drew their spears. Corden hadn't thought he looked that different to them, but there was something that gave him away. One look was all they needed to know he wasn't one of them.
Four warriors charged him, paying the Palian no heed. Corden was grateful for that, because the warrior pride that didn't allow for Brions to stop for easy prey when they had a real match. At least that much hadn't changed in the ages that separated them.
Behind them, more people entered. The crew backed away from the fighting warriors instinctively, which was good. And the Brions all joined the fight, which was also right as he'd hoped.
He was better than all of them, but they had numbers on their side and more experience between them than Corden could gather in his entire life. He was like wind between a wall of blades, slipping through openings that were barely there.
With grim silence, the warriors around him kept coming, their spears cutting gashes on his arms and legs, while he cut off theirs. The eerie, unnatural silence of their valor squares only accentuated the pulsing, ferocious red glow of his.
Corden had considered keeping Worgen's spear as well, but found the other weapon to be unnatural in his hands. It had probably been custom-built for the dark general, ill-fitting in his grip. He'd cast it away instead, feeling like the gesture was much more of an insult than using it in battle.
The Palian seemed to be doing a fine job with getting the crew moving. It looked like they needed little persuasion to leave the carnage in the bay. Dead warriors lay before Corden's feet, but more came. He kept moving, trying to stay between the Brions and the crew boarding the smaller vessels. Most were nothing more than cargo containers, but they could fly the distance needed. His own fighter stayed untouched, as did the other Brion ships.
He'd almost finished with them when another fighter arrived and a fresh unit emerged from it. These new ones were different, he could tell that immediately. All of Worgen's men he'd encountered thus far had been almost empty inside, but the new unit seemed more alive. The valor squares on their necks were dim, but not dead. They moved quicker, better, more in sync with each other. An elite force?
It didn't matter. They were in his way as much as the others had been, still a threat.
Only even Corden had to admit that the warriors were testing him. Alone against any of them it would have been nothing, but ten of them were pushing his limits much like Worgen had before. Instead of fearing for his life, Corden was thrilled. None of his own men could have given him the fight he was in the middle of, not even the other generals.
These were men who had walked the galaxy for a hundred years. The way they fought was a reflection of that. Efficient, brutal, aiming to kill like the man who commanded their loyalty. But unlike Worgen, there was a hint of tiredness in them. Not physical—their speed was greater than any Corden had met in regular warriors.
The way they moved spoke of being tired of fighting. Corden knew it happened to older warriors sometimes. After seeing more than a lifetime's worth of blood and war and duels, it lost its charm even for the most bloodthirsty monster. And the men he was killing almost seemed bored with it, although that didn't mean they gave him any quarter.
And Corden found out what it might have meant to fight himself. In the madly crashing mayhem of a fight, he nearly fell when he jumped out of the range of a warrior, only to nearly stumble into the spear of another. The blade had been exactly where he'd meant to land and Corden had to change his direction mid-air, stumbling away.
The bastards were studying him. They saw what he was doing and they were compensating for their mistakes. Despite himself, Corden was impressed. All the Brion generals did that, but for mere warriors it usually took much longer to analyze the battles.
Corden grinned, pleased, until he remembered the imminent danger they were all in. He wondered if the warriors knew that, or if they cared. In fact, he was pretty surprised Worgen hadn't destroyed the Raptor already. Could it have been Lana? Had she done something to save her ship? Images flashed before his eyes and a feral roar echoed through the bay. If Worgen laid even a finger on Lana, he wouldn't die quickly.
The bay around them was almost empty. Corden didn't know what the situation was out there, whether the crew made it or were blown to pieces. Whether the fleet was willing to risk letting them in. He saw only Fraly standing farther away, waiting for him.
Corden had questions for him, but they were the kind he could ask any Palian.
"Go!" he yelled.
His cry finally made the warriors around him notice that they were oddly alone. Or else there was something else. All of them retreated away from him, standing on guard. Corden knew the telltale signs of a comm message when he saw it. He couldn't hear what the general said, but it was clear to see. Instead of calling his men away, Worgen ordered them to kill him.
It wasn't the Brion way, to delegate battles like that to subordinates, but Worgen wasn't a true Brion either. Corden would have rather died than sent one of his warriors to fight his worthy enemy in his stead, but it was becoming increasingly clear to him that Worgen didn't think that way. All he cared about was the victory and even wounding Corden probably counted.
He wondered if the general had already figured out who he was.
It was only him and the warriors now.
There were seven of them left, standing in a loose circle around him. It was instantly clear it was a battle formation of some kind, but one he didn't know.
As one, the seven spears clashed together in a thundering clang right where his chest should have been. Corden dodged, sweeping a wide arc under the roof of blades. One of the warriors who had been careless enough to stand too close lost his legs for that. The man collapsed, but not one scream escaped his lips. Corden moved to end his torment, but one of his own companions beat him to it. Without taking his eyes off Corden, the warrior cut his wounded brother's throat and resumed his place in the circle around him.
That was a piece of information to be filed away as well. It wasn't uncommon for Brions to deal out mercy kills, but not like that. There was a haunting heartlessness to it, as if the wounded man had no valu
e anymore.
Everything is measured, Corden thought.
The other six approached him, more careful now. They wouldn't try the same trick with him again, although Corden was ready to admit his reflexes had saved him. A slower man would have died, pierced by seven blades.
The next tried to come at him from behind, which was another thing Brions never did. They were a proud race, seeing no honor in a cowardly kill. And Worgen spoke of restoring the Brions to their glory.
Corden caught the blow, sliding his spear under his attacker's, twisting it out of his hands. The spear fell, but his owner's head hit the floor right after. The other five didn't even blink. Everything about them was unnatural to Corden. Brions wouldn't stop in the middle of a battle to grieve, but they certainly noticed one of their own dying. The cold warriors merely compensated for the absence of the fallen.
The next two tried the old trick of giving him too much to handle at the same time, but Corden saw it coming. He parried one strike, and dodged the other. One kick to the kneecap made one of the men stumble. Corden didn't take the easy kill, knowing the other was right behind him, ready to use his distraction.
He rounded in a flash, stabbing his spear right through his attacker's stomach. Putting his mass behind the spear, Corden swung his spear with the warrior still stuck to it. He sent him flying into his companion, guts spilling all across the floor. The warrior he trapped under his dying body was dead in the next second, his throat cut by Corden's swift strike.
That left only two, which was one too many.
Corden observed them both, approaching him warily. One had only the haunting emptiness in his eyes, but the other showed miniature signs of the rage that burned in the heart of every Brion. The years they'd spent in the dark space had dimmed that, but apparently it was still there. Corden decided that the one with some spirit left was a better option. Any sign of life was also a sign of wanting to keep living.
He charged the other, using his momentum to push the other off balance. The warrior caught his blow with his spear and the last one came to his aid, but it was too late. Corden was faster than both of them, pulling his spear free and cutting the warrior almost in two before rounding on the last one. Behind him, the general heard the corpse hit the floor.
Some hate at last, Corden thought, seeing the eyes of the final remaining warrior.
"This is Captain Lana Cormac," the voice sounded from the speakers.
Corden was so pleased to hear her voice again that he had to take a step back to avoid the blade coming to cut him in half. Lana paused, while he kicked the feet out from under the last warrior, cutting the hand holding the spear clean off. No scream.
Lana started talking again and it was clear to Corden that the Raptor was living its last moments. He twirled the spear around in his hand, knocking the warrior cradling his maimed arm unconscious. The general hoisted him across his shoulder and walked to one of the Abysmal's fighters. As he'd thought, the doors slid open and the control panels came to life with a genetic signature.
He left the body on the bay deck.
"Corden," Lana's voice said. "He knows. He knows who you are."
That was unfortunate, but there was nothing to be done about it. It was only a matter of time before Worgen figured that out, after all.
The fighter took off right when Corden saw the huge warship take aim. With all the ships hurrying out of the way, it wasn't an impossible task for a good pilot to slip away under the cover of the Raptor. That also gave Corden the opportunity to see that Fraly had obeyed him and sent the escape pods away. No one remained aboard the Raptor.
He watched the ship being torn apart from afar, and considered his options. Lana had asked the fleet to help him, but he had no faith in them. Now that Worgen was aware of his true nature, there was only one thing he could do.
Before he could decide which way was best for him to sneak aboard the Abysmal, another ship jumped out of hyperspace. Corden needed only one look to see what it was. A growl escaped his lips.
He'd observed Worgen's actions for days from the Raptor: the general's trick with the escape pod that compassionate ships picked up, only to find the warship's gun turrets aimed at them when they arrived. He had no doubt that was how most of the fleet had been lured in.
And now Worgen had baited a real catch.
It was a gigantic, intergalactic colonization ship. The Galactic Union sent them out to settle newly found worlds. Corden's gaze traveled across the floating palace, resembling a garden more than a ship. Under its transparent exterior, he could see the plants meant to help fertilize the new planet's soil.
Other than the gardens, the gigantic carrier had everything. Medical facilities, supplies, technology, weapons, consoles packed with every piece of information the settlers could need.
He said weapons, but the truth was that the ship had none of her own. It sat there now, defenseless. A flotilla was scheduled to meet it once the carrier reached the edge of known space, but they were still in the Union's presumably safe territory. So much for that.
The fleet around the Abysmal was mostly made up of ships with crews. People who chose to venture into space, ready to face the dangers of it. But the new one... it had families, scientists, simple workers. And, Corden knew, the main reason Worgen had looked for it. Many, many women.
The Flora.
CHAPTER NINE
Lana
It hurt. It hurt more than Lana could have ever imagined.
They said captains had a special connection to their ships. She'd always thought it was more of a saying to romanticize the notion, but apparently not. Watching the Raptor blasted into pieces under her very eyes nearly ripped Lana's heart out. Of course the main source of her pain was her crew, but to her, they had been one.
Her ship, her crew, her life. All gone now.
And Corden... there was a pain that stabbed like actual steel when she thought of him. The man should have been nothing to her, but a sudden rush of anguish made Lana choke up. It didn't make any sense. The Brion binding, becoming his gesha, all of that had been nonsense that she would have put an end to, but a part of her missed him.
Not only Corden himself, but despite her better judgment, the chance to find out what their relationship would have been like. She had known him for mere hours, but his death made her feel like someone had turned off the lights in the entire world.
Maybe it is the actual darkness around me, Lana thought bitterly.
All around her, the walls of the Abysmal seemed to press down on her.
No wonder all Worgen's warriors look like dead men walking. This place would drive anyone insane.
That was what was going on in her head. She wasn't naturally a despairing person, but she was realistic. As captain, Lana had always put on her best face to appease the crew, no matter how bad the situation really was. Only she wasn't a captain anymore, was she?
And then the Flora turned up.
She saw, and felt Worgen take notice of it too. Within one second, the disappointment and anger on the general's face turned to hunger. Lana felt disgusted, seeing how his cruel, black eyes narrowed on the helpless ship.
Oh hell no, you're not getting that one too.
There was no doubt in her heart that Worgen had baited the Flora like he'd done with her ship. The gigantic colonization ship was floating at an awkward distance from the Brion warship. Lana knew exactly what was taking place on the ship's bridge right then. The confusion, the fear, the urge to flee.
By now, the Brions would have already made their demands, ordering the Flora to pull into formation with the rest of the fleet. And not to, under any circumstances, try to signal the Union. Judging by the way the ship hadn't moved—relatively speaking—since its jump, Lana guessed there was an argument taking place.
She could imagine it all so very vividly. The captain trying to keep calm while the officers all shouted over each other, every one of them demanding a different action. To run, to obey, to send a call for help. L
ana prayed that the captain had the good sense not to try to escape.
The broken fragments of the Raptor were still floating in the midst of the fleet, a clear sign for all to see as to what happened to those who tried to run. Of course, the Raptor had done no such thing, but Lana hoped the huge carrier would take the lesson to heart anyway.
Next to her, Worgen's black eyes were gleaming. With every second that Lana spent in his presence, he seemed to come more and more to life. He had appeared as a statue carved into stone, but was now breaking free, shaking off the restraints. No more talk, no more reason. The ones who didn't play his way didn't play at all.
And now the general had the ship he'd clearly been searching for.
We're all about to become worthless to him, Lana thought, her mind desperately seeking a way out of this situation. She looked at the fleet still properly staying with the Abysmal.
If whatever he wants is aboard the Flora, everyone is going to die.
That left Lana only one real choice. After having witnessed the death of her own vessel and all of her friends, not to mention Corden, she was not going to let it happen to anyone else. She had to get on the Flora. Of course, any place was better than the depressing warship, but that was not the point. She was needed there, to not let the carrier repeat the mistakes she made. And perhaps she needed the Flora too. Not to let grief and sorrow overwhelm her, she ached for a purpose.
If only she hadn't lost all the trust General Worgen had for her minutes ago.
"Let me go with you," she told him.
The general didn't even grace her with a look, never mind an answer. Lana pressed on, focusing on her new task. If she couldn't save her own ship, by God she'd do anything in her power to help the fleet and the Flora. Outside, the carrier remained motionless. That was a bad sign.
"I made a mistake," she said, searching for words that wouldn't be outright lies, like Corden had warned her. "I shouldn't have betrayed you, like you said. I know better now. Let me help you and I'll prove that I won't make the same mistake again."
