"I... will... kill you!" He screamed, staggering toward Danielle. He pulled a loose piece of metal from a rusted frame sitting on the roof. He dragged the jagged metal along the surface of the roof as he walked. The metal made a shrill sound as it grated against the gravel on the roof. When he was in front of her, he raised the piece of metal as high as he could with the pipe section still protruding from his side.
Danielle saw the jagged metal about to be brought down on her. She was almost drained of energy, still recovering from almost being suffocated, but she couldn't lay there or he would chop her into with his impromptu machete.
"Do you have any words before I split you in half?" No'tok asked with a maniacal grin.
"Yeah. Catch!" She hurled the dagger as hard as she could muster. The dagger hit the V'drellian in the neck. Based on the blood she was seeing around the wound, she knew she had hit an artery. No'tok dropped the metal and fell backward, blood pulsing from the wound. With her last bit of strength, she crawled beside the man that she had hated for so long and stared at his face.
The dying man was coughing blood as he spoke his final words. "This body dies, but I will live forever in your nightmares."
All of the anger and hatred that she had managed to push down suddenly came bubbling to the surface. She yanked the dagger from his throat, screamed, and started stabbing him in the chest. Over and over. Again and again. She couldn't stop, she just kept stabbing and screaming.
***
As K'oron neared the top of the stairwell, he could hear the sounds coming from the roof. He ran harder and faster than he ever had before. Then all he could hear was Danielle screaming. Th'warzin, please keep Danielle safe! He pushed even harder, racing through the roof access door without hesitation.
He found Danielle screaming and stabbing away at the body of No'tok. He could tell that she had been doing it for a while now, the entire front of No'tok's shirt had been shredded.
"Danielle." He tried to get her attention, but she never broke her stride of puncturing No'tok's corpse.
"Danielle Hart," he tried again. Still no response.
He got down on his knees beside her and placed an arm around her. "Danielle, please, let go of the dagger."
She finally stopped and dropped the knife. She fell over against his shoulder and began sobbing. He just held her shaking body as she cried.
She caught her breath and looked at the man holding her. "I'm so sorry, K'oron. I wasn't going to kill him, I promise."
He pulled the woman in his arms closer. "That is not important. All that matters is that you are alive. Are you injured?"
She nodded. "My ankle is broke, and he bit a chunk out of my leg." She tried to manage a smile. "At least I didn't get shot." K'oron tore a piece from his cape to bind the bleeding wound on her leg.
"We need to get you home," K'oron said sliding one of his arms under her legs, the other under her arms. He lifted her as he stood up.
He carried her across the roof and down the thirty-eight flights of stairs in the abandoned building. Upon exiting the building they were met by S'ryn.
"I know you ordered me to wait," S'ryn spoke to K'oron, "but I heard screaming after you left and decided to wait here instead."
I am glad you did," K'oron replied, easing Danielle down to the ground. "Danielle has been hurt. I need you to help me get her to my ship." S'ryn took a place under one side of Danielle and K'oron took the other side.
The two V'drellians helped the injured Terran woman to the landing site where all three ships were. K'oron pulled out the retractable bunk in the rear section of his ship and they placed Danielle on it.
"S'ryn, I will tend to her wounds," K'oron instructed. "I need you to fly the ship. The coordinates are already programmed into the computer." S'ryn nodded and took the pilot's chair. The ship was soon in the air and leaving planet Earth in the distance.
K'oron closed the partition between the cockpit and rear of the ship and then collected medical supplies from storage. He turned to look at the woman covered in blood lying on the bunk.
"I'm going to cut your pants leg so I can get a better view of your wound," K'oron told her as he began to cut away the leather below her left knee and removed the makeshift bandage he had put on her leg when he found her. He delicately cleaned the dirt and dried blood from her leg, and could see that No'tok had bitten a small piece out of her leg. He made sure the wound was clean, and then applied gauze packing to cover the jagged hole.
"It is not as bad as I first thought," he informed Danielle. "He only took a portion of the skin. The underlying muscle is still intact. I'll give you a bag of cellular accelerator to help with the wound," he told her while hanging a bag of the purple fluid of a hook on the wall.
Danielle remembered that medicine from her first meeting with K'oron on the Drah'jik. "That's the purple stuff, right?" She asked weakly. The trauma and exhaustion of the fight were taking their toll on her. He inserted a catheter into her arm near the wrist and connected the tubing from the bag to the catheter. The purple fluid began to flow through the tubing and into her arm.
"Yes. I am also going to give you something for the pain," he told his patient. "It will help you to rest." She nodded. He filled a syringe with a green fluid, and injected it into a port in the tubing near the bag." Within moments, her eyes closed and her breathing became more relaxed.
K'oron just sat on the floor of the ship as a wave of exhaustion set in. Now that the immediate threat was past, the realization that he could have lost her began to sink in. He stared at the woman that had stealthily stolen his heart.
"I'm a fool," he spoke to the sleeping woman. "I knew there was something special about you from the first time we spoke on No'tok's ship. I did not know what exactly, but I knew that something about you was different than any other woman I have ever met. It wasn't that you were a race other than V'drellian, it was something inside you. You had honor, courage, and loyalty. The same traits that I attempt to live by. You never gave up, no matter how hard the fight was. You are special Danielle Hart. You are unique in the universe."
He wiped a tear from his cheek. "I thought that by distancing myself from my feelings that I was protecting you, but in truth, I was frightened. I was afraid that you might not feel the same way towards me. I was afraid that it would change our friendship. I was afraid that my feelings for you would somehow weaken me. Now, I know that to be a lie. I am stronger because of you. You make me a better person. You have shown me the strength that comes from emotions beyond anger and hatred. I am a fool and a coward for not embracing my feelings toward you. When this is over, I will tell you all of this again so that you can hear my words. Then I will know how you feel."
He gently touched her hand with his. "I love you, Danielle Hart. I will always love you, even if you do not love me in return. It is my hope that you do love me, and someday you might even consider me to be your mate."
She squeezed his still touching hand, partially opened her eyes, turned her head to face him and smiled. "I love you too, K'oron, and I would be honored to be your mate."
K'oron was startled and somewhat embarrassed. "I... did not know you were awake. This is not how things like this should be handled. I would have..." His brain finally processed what she had said. "You do? You would?"
She sat up carefully in the bunk and gave him a huge grin. "I do, and I would."
For one of the few times in his life, K'oron's face lit up with a huge child-like smile and tears trickled down his face. He sat down on the bunk beside Danielle and embraced her. "You do not know how happy you have made me."
"I'm sure it’s about as happy as you have made me," she replied and leaned over to kiss him.
He balked at the gesture and returned to his normal dignified demeanor. "Danielle, such things are intimate, and should be done in the privacy of one's home."
Danielle laughed. "S'ryn, I'm going to kiss K'oron now!" She shouted through the closed partition.
"Finally," came the reply
from the cockpit.
"I think it’ll be okay," Danielle said to K'oron with a smile. She leaned in and gave him a passionate kiss.
He wrapped his arms around her while they kissed, never wanting that moment to end.
CHAPTER 21
Queen Constance gazed at the front display from her seat on the bridge of the Th'warzin's Wrath. She was getting her first glimpse at the Dominion homeworld, and it was breathtaking. No domes, just sky.
"Welcome to V'drell Prime, Your Majesty," Lt. Commander Morimoto told the woman seated beside her. "That view still amazes me every time I see it. We will be landing soon. I'm sorry that the General and Major were called away on matters and not here to personally welcome you."
The Queen smiled at Morimoto. "I know they have many important things to do besides babysit me. I don't want to hinder what they are doing."
"Your Majesty, bringing you here was one of the most important things any of us have done," Morimoto responded. "It has been an honor." The Queen smiled and tipped her head in acceptance of the compliment.
"Mr. Gor'bal, initiate landing sequence," Morimoto instructed the navigation officer.
The ship slowed to a maneuvering pace, and Gor'bal expertly landed. The walkway tube was extended and connected to the ship.
"This way please, Your Majesty," Morimoto motioned for the Queen to follow her. They walked to the ship's airlock in silence and crossed through the walkway tube to the landing tower.
Upon exiting the tower, Queen Constance saw two lines of uniformed V'drellian officers one on each side of a long blue carpet that led to the landing tower. Standing in front of her was an older V'drellian man wearing a very ornate uniform. She recognized him as the Emperor from her brief video call with Danielle prior to the assassination attempt on her life. Standing just behind him was a woman wearing the uniform of a lieutenant commander.
"Queen Constance of the Commonwealth, it is truly an honor to welcome you to V'drell Prime," Emperor Glars'n said with a flourishing bow.
She offered a deep curtsey in return. "It is my honor to be here, Your Excellency. Although I wish our meeting could have been under more pleasurable circumstances."
"Indeed," the Emperor replied. "The universe is in a time of great chaos, but my hope is that through the unity of our peoples, we might find the strength to restore it to peace and you to your rightful throne." Glars'n looked around as though searching for something or someone. "Your Majesty, did General K'oron and Major Danielle Hart not come with you?"
"No, Your Excellency. I was told they had important matters to attend to. They did leave me in the capable hands of Lt. Commander Akane Morimoto. She has taken care of my every need."
"Splendid," the Emperor smiled. "Let us not stand out in the sun, when there are refreshments inside." He offered her an arm, which she took. "It would be my privilege to escort you."
As they were about to walk, a ship flew overhead and landed next to the Th'warzin's Wrath. The rear hatch opened and S'ryn exited the ship, followed by K'oron, who was assisting Danielle on a crutch.
"Danni!" Queen Constance exclaimed and ran and embraced her friend. The Emperor followed at a brisk walk and approached K'oron. Warmarshal Paige followed as well.
"Your Excellency," K'oron said with a bow, "I apologize for our tardiness. It could not be helped."
The Emperor looked at Danielle's leg, noting the injury. "Are you alright, Major?" He asked with concern.
Danielle smiled. "I am good, Your Excellency. I received the last bite from a rabid dog that needed to be put down. The wound will heal, and No'tok will bother us no more."
"Then No'tok is dead," the Emperor acknowledged. "May Th'warzin cast his soul into utter torment, and may all those that serve the Legion soon follow him." As he was speaking he noticed that K'oron and Danielle were holding hands.
"May I assume that my advice served you well, K'oron?" Glars'n asked, staring at their clasped hands.
"K'oron nodded. "Yes, the words of a friend were exactly what I needed to hear." He turned and smiled at Danielle. "We have pledged."
The Emperor's face lit up. "That is fantastic news! We shall hold a great feast to celebrate. We have much to give thanks for this day. The freedom of Her Majesty, the riddance of No'tok, and your pledging!"
Glars'n turned to one of his aides. "Make ready a feast the likes of which this city has never seen before! Gather all the chefs in the city! Everyone will be welcome, regardless of stature. The war may still loom, but we shall celebrate the victories of today! We shall not lose sight of the happiness that the Legion would steal from us. Go! Do as I have commanded!” The aide offered a deep bow and ran off to fulfill the orders of the Emperor.
Warmarshal Paige had been standing by quietly until now. "Pledged, huh? Does that mean what I think it means?" She asked Danielle smirking.
Danielle nodded with a big grin, "I think it means we’re getting married!" As soon as the words cleared her lips, both Paige and the Queen embraced their friend.
"I see no reason that the bonding ceremony should not commence tonight," Emperor Glars'n said smiling. "It would be my honor and privilege to oversee it. That is, if you would have me?"
K'oron dropped to a kneeling position. "The honor is ours, Your Excellency. Of course, you may be the overseer." Glars'n lifted his friend back to his feet.
"Then it is settled," the Emperor stated. "The ceremony will take place at sunfall."
***
The sun was setting in the capital of V'drell Prime, and a procession was making their way along the thoroughfare toward the palace. In the front, the Emperor and four of his trusted guards from the Order. Behind them were two figures dressed in hooded red robes. After the robed figures, a small group of Terrans and V'drellians followed. The street was lined with more Terrans and V'drellians, those who had not been invited to the solemn ceremony. The crowd on both sides cheered. It had been too long since the Dominion and the Terrans present had celebrated anything, and they were enjoying it.
"I feel like this is too much, don't you?" Danielle whispered from under the large hood of her robe.
"Yes. This amount of pomp is usually only for when the Emperor or Empress would marry," K'oron replied in an equally quiet tone. "I believe that the Emperor is making a spectacle of it solely to distract the people."
They continued the rest of the trek to the palace steps in silence, the roar of the crowd the only noise.
When they reached the steps, a table had been set up. On the table was a washbasin with water, a white cloth, and a dagger. A cushion had been provided for each of them to kneel on. There were chairs for the rest of the procession.
The Emperor took his place behind the table facing Danielle and K'oron. He spoke to those that had accompanied the pledged. "Honored friends, please be seated."
Then in a loud voice, Emperor Glars'n addressed the crowd as a whole. "People of the Dominion! Today is a joyous day. K'oron of the Order of V'drellz Stragizi has pledged himself to another, Danielle Hart of the Order of V'drellz Stragizi. Although not born of the V'drellian race, she had proved her loyalty to our people and our customs numerous times and earned the right to be a citizen of the Dominion and membership into the Great Order through Tr'oka Zur. K'oron has served our people as a member of, and now Commandant of, the Great Order. The law is clear that in order to be bonded, both man and woman must have the blessing of someone close to their pledged partner. Who here that calls Danielle Hart as friend or family would speak on K'oron's behalf?"
"I would speak on behalf of K'oron," Queen Constance stood up. "I have only recently met K'oron, and that was when he helped to save my life. However, I have known Danielle for many years now, and have never met anyone that I trust more. Any man that has earned her love and trust, has mine as well. I know that he will dedicate his life to her heart and wellbeing."
"Thank you, Queen Constance," Emperor Glars'n commenced the ceremony. "Now who here would speak on behalf of Danielle Hart?"
"I
would speak on behalf of Major Danielle Hart," Del'vath stood and addressed the crowd. "When she first stepped off of K'oron's ship, I did not know what a Terran was, yet K'oron spoke on her behalf. She was to be treated as a guest, but a member of our Order challenged her to Tr’oka Zur. Danielle Hart was told what that meant, yet she still chose to accept the challenge. Th'warzin was with her, and she defeated Major Zr'ika to become a citizen of the Dominion, our newest Order member, and our new Major. She has already earned the respect of our Order, and the respect of our Commandant. She is one of us. Her enemies are our enemies, and we would gladly fight with her against any foe."
"Thank you for that, Del'vath," the Emperor continued. "Both man and woman have received a blessing. Now they must become as one."
K'oron picked up the knife from the table. He turned to face Danielle, who offered her right hand to him. He took the knife and made a cut across the palm of her outstretched hand. Then he made a cut across the palm of his right hand. They clasped their bleeding hands together and the Emperor wrapped the white cloth around them.
K'oron looked into Danielle's eyes. "Danielle Hart, your blood now flows in my heart. Every beat now belongs to you. As long as I live, my life is yours."
Danielle smiled at the man in front of her. "K'oron, your blood now flows in my heart. Every beat now belongs to you. As long as I live, my life is yours."
The Emperor smiled and removed the white cloth, now stained with blood, from their hands. "Having pledged yourselves to each other, and mingled your blood, your souls are now one. May Th'warzin guide you both on your journey through this life." Two attendants came forward to tend to the cuts on their hands.
The crowd cheered, and the Emperor raised his hands to quieten them. "Let us celebrate with the newly bonded couple. Let the feasting begin!"
***
This was the first time Gaelon had been to the Legion's Zophitan base since they had put their plan into motion. He was being led around the facility by its commanding officer, General Harmond.
Hart Of Vengeance Page 25
