by Shae Mills
Chelan glanced down at Shanna, the little girl now asleep. “You know, there would be nothing more noble than to be the best, one more than capable of running her own ship, yet forgo that to fight by the side of a man she loves and wishes to protect at all cost. That, in my mind, serves the Empire on an even higher plane than commanding your own vessel.”
Marri finally smiled. “You think I am one of the best?”
“I know you are. Korba has said it many times, and despite the emotional strain it puts on you at times, he has always kept you by his side and he always will. That speaks volumes.”
Marri actually felt her eyes water a bit, but she squared her shoulders. “You know, that means a lot coming from you after all the things I have done in the past to acquire him despite the bond you two have. You should harbor a deep-rooted hatred for me, an innate distrust. You should want me to have my own ship with orders that keep me occupied at the ends of the galaxy for all eternity.”
Chelan smiled. “First of all, I understand why you have done all that you have in the past to attain him, I truly do. Second, I could never hate you when I look at all you have done for him over the decades, and all you are doing for us now.” She paused. “And third, I will always distrust you around my man.” And they both burst out laughing, startling Shanna and causing her to howl.
Marri continued to laugh as she reached for Shanna. “You are a very smart woman.” And she took Shanna from Chelan. “I have enjoyed our conversation, my Lady, and all the revelations it has unveiled. But right now, I shall attend to our little princess here, and Master Jason should be back momentarily from his morning class.”
Chelan nodded to Marri and bade her good-bye. Then she looked back at the screens, her excitement bubbling forth. She could not wait for Korba and Terig to return with their reports.
Chapter 27
CHELAN DID HER BEST to keep busy during the day, with a vigorous workout and more time spent with both children. She had a nearly irrepressible need to watch the activities on RIBUS 7, but her nerves simply could not take it. Though the entire workforce had been shut down for the duration of Korba’s inspection, she knew things could go sideways in a millisecond.
Finally, evening descended, and all the fighters arrived back home safely. Chelan received a message from Korba that all the involved delegations would be meeting in the main assembly hall for an update but that there was not much new to report. She was welcomed to attend if she wished, and the meeting would begin in thirty minutes. He was heading straight there.
Chelan was weighing her options against her mounting fatigue. Between all the excitement and the long Iceanean day, she was beginning to doubt she would absorb much from the meeting anyway. But she would freshen up just in case. She was turning to head for their chambers when the main doors to the Command Center opened, startling her. Her eyes bulged as Terig rushed in. “My Lord! What is the matter?”
Terig dashed up to her and took her by the shoulders. “I have only a few moments to get to the meeting, but I wanted you to hear this from me first before I report it.”
Chelan was almost frantic. “Hear what?”
“Look, I don’t really know what to do about this right now...”
“Tell me!”
“We were traversing all the crew’s quarters, following kilometer after kilometer of networking, looking for clues as to origins of the alloy and any suggestion as to who may have done the construction and why. But there was nothing forthcoming. The Telesians took some more samples from a damaged area, but I doubt further assays will reveal anything.”
Chelan shook her head at him slowly. “And... So, what else?”
Terig lowered his voice as he squeezed her shoulders tight. “I was outside one of the tubes, adjusting a few instruments for air quality and such, but I was having trouble with some of the calibrations. The group went ahead, half in one direction, half in another. By the time I was done, I had no idea which way Korba had gone. So, I scanned for him.”
He paused, and Chelan thought she was going to pass out, the anticipation almost too much to bear. “What happened?”
Terig took a deep breath. “They weren’t there.”
Chelan became rigid, then shrugged out of Terig’s grasp. “What do you mean, they weren’t there?”
“Korba and his entourage, and the other group that headed the other way, they were all gone.”
“Gone? Gone where?”
“That is the point. I thought the scanner was malfunctioning, so I grabbed another. I ran down along the outside of the tunnel, but there were no readings. I panicked. I thought they had met their end, a breach of some sort, but there were no alerts and all the air sensors were clear.”
“What did you do?” she squeaked.
“I still didn’t know which way Korba had gone, and it didn’t matter. I had to pick a direction and catch up to someone. I sprinted along the inside of the tube, and eventually, there they were, continuing on their journey.”
“And the scanner?”
“Fully functional.”
“Oh my god! The alloy, the Zenatropium—it shields!”
“Yes, my Lady. It appears that in even minute quantities, it thwarts penetration by scanners.”
“Jesus, then there could be people on board?”
“Yes, and actively avoiding detection.”
“Why did you not tell Korba?”
“I needed to be sure first. I will get the Telesians to test for this property.”
“No! Don’t wait! Crews could be in danger.”
“I don’t think so. If whoever or whatever is still on board, they could have done major harm by now, but they haven’t.”
“Korba still needs to know. He can flush them out.”
Terig ran his hands through his hair. “Maybe, but even with what was done today, if there was anyone there, they had little chance of escape. We were all over the area from all ends, hundreds of us.”
Chelan began to pace. “With all the fighters and crews coming and going, whoever it is could have simply left as soon as the inspection began, or maybe they even left long ago.”
“All true, my Lady.”
She stepped up to him. “You have to get me on that ship.”
“No way, not with this information. That would definitely not be wise.”
“I have changed my mind. Please, hold off telling Korba. I suspect since nothing has come of the search, the area is now deemed clear, and crews will be able to begin their work there again. Since you are free to come and go there as you please, getting me there should be relatively easy. You just get me in there once, just for a short time, so that I can feel what I can feel.”
“Oh, my Lady! If his Majesty finds out, I am a dead man.”
Chelan smiled. “Is that a yes?”
Terig turned away from her and put his hands on his hips. He straightened his neck and stared at the ceiling. Then he faced her. “I know you could order me and put me in a difficult situation, but I trust you will not.”
Chelan went to protest, but then stilled herself. What was she thinking?! This was a whole other ballgame, and she had her children to consider. She exhaled sharply and ran her fingers through her hair. “Okay. Then we reach a compromise.”
Terig looked at her expectantly.
She sighed. “Do not say anything at the meeting tonight about the shielding. Korba will be all over the ship with a flamethrower in a heartbeat if he hears the news then. Whoever is on that ship, if they still are, will be dead before his fighter can feather to the ground.”
“Yes—with you in the vicinity, of that I have no doubt. Capture and interrogate is not in his rulebook anyway. But he should still be informed.”
“I now agree. But do it here, in private, the three of us together. He will be on the verge of detonating, but between the two of us we can contain the explosion and hopefully explore other options.”
“Other options?”
“Yes, like letting me go there!”
“I blasted know what you mean! But I need to know who decided to make RIBUS 7 his or her home. Anyone capable of getting to the ship in the first place and capable of travelling to procure the alloy is more than capable of finding a nice hospitable planet to live on. So why there?”
“All good points. And I have no idea why anyone would want to put in all that labor to live out life on an old piece of junk floating in cold dark space anyway.”
Chelan grinned. “See, that is where I have been putting the majority of my brain power. I think I know why.”
Terig’s eyes widened. “Pray tell?”
“Whoever... and however many there are... they have had a past connection with the ship.”
“Crew, maybe?”
“Could be. Or former builders, or anyone enamored with RIBUS 7.”
“Those would be the good tenants. But that brings up the question of why they are hiding. I think the alternative has a few nefarious undertones,” Terig cautioned.
“Like what?”
“There is a lot of wealth on those decks, and a lot of armaments. Just the fighters alone have great military value. Perhaps our guest is in the black market so to speak. Maybe this is his bread and butter.”
“Do you not think that after all these years adrift, if anyone had found her for that purpose, she would have been stripped bare by now?”
“Not necessarily. Look how long it took us to find her.”
Chelan grimaced. “But, the alloy... The repairs, they were done within the year after she was blown to pieces.”
Terig nodded. “Yes, so? They simply found it before we did.”
“Yes, they did, but as of yet, they have made no attempt to further gut her?”
“Okay. I concede that. But right now, I must get to the meeting before Korba comes looking for me. I will keep our secret until we are done there. Then the three of us will talk.”
Chelan smiled. “Yes. Perfect.” And she watched Terig bolt from the room.
IT WAS NOT TOO LONG before Korba and Terig walked back in through the Command Center doors. Though Chelan had been tired before, now she was wide awake, consumed by tremors of excitement and nervousness all intermingled.
Korba heart warmed as he laid eyes on her, promptly taking her in his arms and hugging her close. “Mmmm... it is good to be back with you.”
Chelan smiled up at him and then kissed him on the lips. “It is good to have you back after such a long day. I trust it was productive?”
Korba released her. “It was, and it was not. Regardless, crews will now be working in our mystery area, so that is a bonus.” Then he turned and faced Terig. “My good man here has something he wishes to discuss with us alone, apparently.”
Before Terig could speak, Chelan cleared her throat. “I know what he wishes to discuss, and we should all be seated.”
Korba was instantly on his guard, but he took a chair when offered. He looked between the co-conspirators as they sat, and his voice lowered. “Out with it,” he almost growled.
Chelan raised her hand, stopping Terig from speaking once again. Then she stared into Korba’s wary eyes. “Look, Terig told me something and asked my advice on it, and telling you here rather than at the meeting was my idea, not his.”
Korba nodded stiffly. “Continue.”
“I wanted to tell you here in private, with Terig, so the information and the ramifications thereof can be discussed coolly, with rational minds.”
Korba leaned forward, almost menacingly. “Let us get to the point, shall we?” His eyes then cut into Terig. “Speak!”
Terig nodded. “Yes, my Lord. While we were exploring the corridors earlier, I inadvertently stumbled upon a previously undiscovered property of the alloy.”
Korba’s eyes narrowed. “And?”
“Simply put, in even small proportions, the Zenatropium thwarts intrusions by scanners.”
Korba opened his mouth to comment, then hesitated. He looked to Chelan.
She braced herself, recognizing that the giant man was doing everything in his power to keep a lid on his emotions. She spoke quickly. “We need to discuss the possibility that whoever repaired the portions of RIBUS 7 is still there.”
Korba ground his jaw. “Because of this lack of information, I now have crews working all throughout that area, assuming it is clear.”
She edged closer to him, perching on the edge of her chair. “I know, and they are in no danger.”
“How do you know?!” he shouted.
Chelan winced. “If the being or beings are still there, they have been doing everything to avoid detection. They—”
“They are feeling threatened, cornered, and with all that is available to them on that ship, they could rig the area!”
Terig leaned forward, attempting to take the focus off Chelan. “My Lord. We would like to flush the area out—a military operation to capture the being or beings. It would be to our advantage to be able to question whoever we find as to where exactly the material is coming from and where the manufacturing is happening. With this unique property, the shielding available to us, well, the applications could be vast, the advantages to the Empire beyond anything we have had in detection avoidance thus far.”
Terig and Chelan noticed the Warlord relax marginally, both hoping he had cooled.
But Korba was still festering. “You know, I should punish you both.” He looked at Terig. “You I should run through for withholding this, even if it was for only a few hours. Until I flush the area, my crews are in danger.”
“Yes, my Lord, I understand.”
Then Korba’s eyes landed on Chelan. “One of the only reasons I am not punishing him is because I know you put him up to this.”
Chelan looked down. “I know, my Lord, but I also knew you would move quickly to simply destroy whoever dwells within if we did not speak to you first in this manner.”
Korba jumped to his feet, Chelan and Terig close on his heels as he moved to the consoles. He threw a switch. “RIBUS 7 Comm,” he almost shouted.
“Yes, my Lord?”
“Get the crews from the Zenatropium detail out of there, now!”
“Yes, my Lord.”
Korba hit another switch. “Zane!”
“Yes, my Lord.”
“Get several battalions together and head for RIBUS 7 immediately. The crews in the Zenatropium corridors are being pulled. I want the men to begin at the ends of the corridors, the whole area to be swept in an inward pattern, leaving no chance for anything that may be in them to escape.”
“Yes, Sire. Orders being given now. What is our quarry?”
“I have no idea, but the Zenatropium shields against intrusion by our scanners. There could be intruders. And since the ship is still full of weaponry, if there are beings in the tunnels, they could be armed and exceedingly dangerous.”
“Understood, Sire. Warriors are now on the flight deck. I shall inform them of our mission.”
“And Zane!” Korba closed his eyes and willed himself to give his next order. “Whoever is in there, if at all possible, take them alive.”
“Done, my Lord.” And the link was severed.
Korba turned around and glared at the two of them, his fists clenching as he brought his temper to a reasonable level.
Chelan’s chest was heaving. “My, that was fast.”
“I am efficient,” rumbled Korba. “Zane will be reporting back the minute the warriors hit the decks. The sweep should take very little time if no ordnance or stowaways are found. Prisoners, if encountered, would be wise to surrender. Unless they have the brain capacity of a rock, they know well which ship they have taken up residence on and who commands this one here. To take a stand invites death. I will not endanger
my men for information that can be ferreted out in other manners.”
Chelan felt her mouth go dry, but she knew everything was in motion, and there was nothing she could do, nor should she. Besides, her mate had compromised on the whole affair as it was and crossing him now would only get her in more hot water, which she was in enough of as it stood.
Korba nodded to Terig. “I want you to stay here and monitor the mission with me.”
“Yes, my Lord.”
Korba looked at Chelan. “I suggest you get some sleep. I hope it is a short night, but if there are problems, it will be a long one. In the morrow, I want you fresh so that you can be in on whatever has been discovered.”
Chelan nodded. “Uh, understood, but I do not think I can sleep. May I be permitted to stay here with the two of you?”
Korba pondered her request. Then he thought of punishing her for her insubordination, for interfering with the conveyance of critical military information. He glanced toward their chambers. Drawing in a deep breath, he realized instantly that if she went there, he would take his frustration out on her by exploiting her body in an effort to extinguish every electrified nerve he had within him, nerves that she had lit. That realization forced him to grant her request. What he wanted to do to her would be rough and fast, and though she quite likely would enjoy it, he was not about to risk hurting her, not while he was strung so tight.
Terig sensed the tension in the air and knew the man before him well enough to see that Korba had just refocused his aggression on a new quarry. Glancing at the small woman before him, the prospect of what the Warlord could do to her genuinely frightened him. Then he froze as Korba stalked her, grabbing her by her hair with one hand, tilting her head back, and raising her face to his.
“Tonight,” he rumbled, “or in the morning, I am going to take you within an inch of your life. Do you understand?”
Chelan nodded, and stepped right to him, her hands snaking in under his shroud and to his rock-hard organ. “I look forward to it, my Lord,” and she squeezed him, accepting his challenge.
Korba’s eyes ignited and his chest expanded, his senses aroused and heightened to a hair-trigger sensitivity. He was going to erupt, and it was going to be in her. But for now, he had to focus on what was now potentially a dangerous battlefield on the decks of RIBUS 7.
