Born of Night
Page 41
Hauk cursed foully.
Nykyrian ignored him. "I'm depending on you to make sure she's recognized as my widow. I know I'm asking the impossible, but she carries my child and I want her to have what's rightfully theirs."
He hesitated with the last bit, but it had to be said. "If I don't get the chance, tell her I love her, that I've always loved her and that I couldn't have been more thrilled about the baby. I just wish I could be with her when it's born."
Hauk gnashed his fangs. "I can't do this."
Nykyrian cleared his throat of the lump. "We've had too many missions together for you to go soft on me now."
Hauk looked away. "You always planned to come back from those missions."
He scoffed. "Not really. This is the first time in my life I actually want to return alive. Pretty damned ironic, isn't it?"
Hauk fastened the ring inside his pocket. "What do you want me to tell Syn?"
Nykyrian smirked, jerking his boots off. "Ask him where the hell he was when I needed him most."
Hauk's eyes widened incredulously.
Sighing, he shook his head. "I'm only kidding. If you said that, he'd start drinking again. Since he was the driving force behind The Sentella, I leave it for him to run. He's better at that shit than I am, anyway." He stood and reached for his clothes. "Also tell him that I leave my lorinas to him."
Hauk laughed. "He might dig up your body just to shoot you for that."
Nykyrian paused at the thought. He just hoped Aksel left enough of him to bury.
CHAPTER 31
Caillen sat at the controls of the Malia, waiting for clearance to enter Aksel's base. He smiled at the six crates of damson alcohol Nykyrian had graciously donated to add realism to the scam.
Man, Syn would shit himself to see that wasted . . .
The orange light on his control panel flashed, warning him the probe scanners were on. Pushing in his sequence, he smiled as the jammers hummed on.
"Take that, you swixtas." He laughed.
"Malia cleared," the controller's voice echoed. "Dock in bay eight."
Caillen complied. He loved his job. There was nothing like extreme danger to get the blood pumping and the brain juices flowing.
Several soldiers stood by, waiting to board his ship. Caillen shook his head, and double-checked the settings on his control panel.
He walked past where Nykyrian and the rest were hidden, wasting time. The longer the guards had to wait, the more anxious they'd become. It was a childish ploy, but it always served to unnerve sentries.
With a silent salute to his father's picture that hung by the door--his good luck charm--Caillen slowly lowered the ramp. He opened the hatch and stared down the barrel of a laser rifle.
"Problem?" he asked calmly.
The helmeted soldier cocked his head. "We're expecting Quiakides."
Caillen burst into mocking laughter. "Is that you, Marek?"
The soldier shifted nervously before pulling his helmet off. "Yeah."
He shoved the barrel away from his face and sauntered back inside his ship. The other soldiers filed on board and set about searching his cargo. "Buy a clue. What would I be doing with Quiakides? Hasn't anyone bothered to tell you we don't get along?"
"You run missions for him."
Caillen gave him a droll stare. "Duh. I'd run missions for the devil as long as he pays me on time."
"That's why we're searching you."
He rolled his eyes. "Like Quiakides can't afford a better mode of transportation than this dilapidated junk heap. Forget a clue, buy a brain."
Marek glanced around the ship. "Where's Kasen?"
Caillen shrugged. "Off with Shahara."
There was no missing his disappointed expression.
The other soldiers returned, shaking their heads. "He's clean."
Marek nodded. "You looking for Netan?"
"Yeah, where is he?"
"He's with Aksel." Marek replaced his helmet. "I'll tell him you're here."
Caillen took a deep breath, grateful the ruse had worked. "Do it. I don't have a lot of patience. If he doesn't get here quick, I'm leaving."
Marek motioned his group of soldiers off the ship.
"Hey," Caillen mischievously called down the ramp after him. "I hope you don't mind, but I'm going to lock my systems down while I wait. I just can't trust you mercenary sons of bitches. You guys are a rotten group."
He saw Marek stiffen, but he didn't say a word in reply.
Caillen smiled in self-satisfaction. He locked the hatch, then ran to free the group from their hiding panels in the walls.
Darling moved to the front to monitor communications.
"You'll have to rush," Caillen said to Nykyrian, who checked his blaster's charge level. "If Netan stays on board too long, they'll get suspicious."
Nykyrian nodded, his stomach knotting. He had to succeed. There was no alternative.
They took positions on opposite sides of the hatch, ready to pounce.
Their wait was short. Netan must have really been in the mood to get flagged, as it was, he ended up unnaturally unconscious.
Caillen opened the hatch just enough for Nykyrian and Hauk to squeeze through.
With practiced ease, they made their way out of the bay and down the hallway. Darling instructed their path via a headset and map inside the Malia.
Nykyrian knew he could rely on his friends to get Kiara to safety. They wouldn't let him down.
"Two more corridors, then Aksel's office is on your left," Darling instructed.
Hauk moved.
"Wait." Darling warned.
Nykyrian's heart skipped a beat.
"One being coming down the hall up ahead. There's a door behind Nyk--use it."
Nykyrian led the way into the dark room.
"I hate this shit," Hauk hissed.
He ignored him.
After a few seconds, Darling's voice returned. "Clear all the way. Move."
He opened the door and went out first. They made their way to Aksel's office as quickly as possible.
He tried the door's security code, but it wouldn't budge. "Damn."
"What?" Hauk asked, scanning the hallway.
"Aksel must have changed codes."
Stifling his temper, Nykyrian quickly rewired the lock and raised the door.
He saw Kiara first. Her jubilant face looked up at him with adoring eyes that cut through to his soul. He ran across the room and jerked the chains out of their hook in the ceiling. Relief coursed through him as he picked the locks and freed her wrists from the metal cuffs.
His eyes hardened as he noticed the tear in her dress. "Did he hurt you?"
"No." She held him close. "He was waiting for you."
Nykyrian kissed her, his arms tight around her waist while he thanked God she was safe. She trembled in his arms like a frightened child and he vowed once more to see Aksel pay for this with his life.
Hauk came up behind him. "Come on, we don't have time."
Nykyrian moved away from her. Hauk was right.
"Where's Aksel?" Nykyrian asked her.
"I don't know. He left a few minutes ago."
Hauk cleared his throat and pulled at Nykyrian's shoulder. "You need to see this."
Nykyrian turned around, then went numb. For the first time, he noticed Driana lying on the floor. He crossed the room to stand over her body.
"She's dead," Hauk confirmed, stooping to feel for her pulse.
He looked back at Kiara in confusion over the grisly sight. "What happened?"
She covered her trembling lips with her hand. "She tried to kill Aksel, and he beat her to death."
Wanting to comfort her, he moved back to her and held her close for a few heartbeats, knowing this would be the last time they ever touched. "You're safe now, shona. But we have to hurry."
Handing Kiara over to Hauk's arms, he adjusted his link. "Darling, report."
"You're clear the whole way back."
He nodded to Hauk. "Get h
Hauk hesitated. He gave Nykyrian a look that told him how reluctant Hauk was to leave him to his own defenses. "Walk with peace," Hauk said quietly before dragging Kiara out of the room behind him.
Nykyrian thought over the old League phrase. He finally understood how an assassin could walk in peace.
With a sigh, he welcomed the peaceful slumber of death.
He gave them a good headstart before he left the room. Hauk would take care of Kiara.
This was the only solution.
"Walk with peace," he repeated and opened the door. He ran down the hallway back towards the bay.
"Nyk, to the right!" Darling's voice shouted.
Nykyrian whirled, his hand drawing his blaster. Too late. The shot ripped through his shoulder with a painful sear. Returning the fire, he watched the soldier crumple.
Alarms blared and flashed all around him.
Nykyrian ran full speed, trying to get to his ship before the area was sealed off. The blast shield to the bay rumbled as it came down.
Falling into a roll, Nykyrian barely made it under the heavy steel before the huge door slammed shut with a loud crash.
Unfortunately, he stopped rolling right at Aksel's feet.
"Still predictable," Aksel sneered, clicking back the release of his blaster as he looked at Nykyrian disgustedly. "I knew one day your sense of valor and fair play would be your death."
Nykyrian rose slowly to his feet.
"Kiara's on board and safe," Darling said in his ear. "Detonation in four . . . three . . ."
Aksel leveled his blaster at Nykyrian's head. "You're so disappointing."
The blaster and dummy charge fired simultaneously.
Nykyrian dodged the blaster's shot, then rushed Aksel.
Catching Aksel about the waist, they tumbled to the ground. Aksel brought his legs up and kicked Nykyrian back, then threw himself on top of Nykyrian at the same moment Hauk launched his fighter.
Nykyrian took advantage of the distraction and landed a solid fist into Aksel's jaw. With a curse, Aksel reeled backward.
He extended the blades in his boots and kicked at Aksel, who rolled away. They went at each other with all the years of hatred manifesting in and empowering them. Slashing, punching, they gave it everything they had.
"They're scrambling fighters," Darling warned in his ear.
Nykyrian cursed. He had to get to his fighter and provide cover or they were doomed.
Aksel caught him a slice to his shoulder. Whirling around, Nykyrian returned it with a side wound. Then he kicked him back and bolted to the Malia.
As quickly as he could, he climbed up the small manhole underneath the craft.
"Shields up!" Caillen called.
Nykyrian lay on the steel floor, his shoulder throbbing.
Forcing the pain from his mind, he knew he had to launch before Aksel's men reached Kiara.
Within seconds, he was inside the Arcana, his engines roaring. He launched and flew off in the opposite direction from Hauk.
Darling updated his report. "Fighters are changing course and heading straight for you, Nyk. Three remain after Hauk. It looks clear for us, we're out of here."
Nykyrian checked his monitors. He knew Jayne could handle three fighters with little trouble, but his scanners glowed almost solid white from the amount of ships trailing him.
"Surrender." Aksel's voice snarled through his link.
Nykyrian slowed his speed so that they could catch him--the longer they fought him, the more chance Hauk would have to get Kiara to safety.
This was what he'd always wanted. A warrior's death. To go out in a blazing battle. No begging. No compromising. He would die like a man in a single moment of truth.
He'd come into this world alone and that was exactly how he was going to leave it.
Let the dance begin.
"You want me, brother? Come get some."
Unlike his, Aksel's voice betrayed his fury. "You're outnumbered fifty ships to one."
"Wow, you finally learned to count after all these years. Amazing, truly. Dad would be so proud of you."
"Shut up!"
"Why? Irritating you is so much fun." Nykyrian goaded him intentionally, knowing Aksel would break away from the squadron and engage him one on one.
"Talk about predictable," Nykyrian whispered as Aksel's fighter broke formation and dropped in behind him.
He turned his ship around and prepared for the fight. Kiara would be safe by now. Jayne should be running behind them.
By the time he was dead, she'd be home safe with her father. An icy, calm lucidity descended on him as he accepted the inevitable.
Aksel shot first.
Nykyrian barely had time to dodge the blast of color that skidded past his ship into the darkness of space. Three more shots were fired in rapid succession. Space fights were always interesting to watch. It seemed like there should be some sound. But there wasn't.
All he heard were the sounds in his cockpit and the beating of his own heart. He gripped his throttle tighter, the leather of his gloves creaking ominously.
The other fighters were moving in fast. He had to destroy Aksel first, only then would Kiara truly be safe from the psycho-bastard.
He rolled and tried to come up behind him, but Aksel was smarter than that. He banked and cut, flying out of range.
"Come back here, you wanker . . ." Nykyrian headed after him.
Aksel was headed for his troops.
"C'mon, baby," he whispered to his ship. "Don't let me down after all we've been through."
He opened the throttle and let her burn after Aksel. A dozen shots came at him. He did his best to roll through them, but one caught the side of his ship.
Cursing, he heard Aksel laughing over his link.
"We've got you now, hybrid! Prepare to die."
Nykyrian's blood ran cold as he saw his opening. It was an old trick he hadn't used in awhile, but as he'd told Kiara in her flat, always do the unexpected.
He gunned his engines, heading straight for the cluster where Aksel was. His men panicked and scattered.
Taking the opening, Nykyrian fired his ion canon.
In one brief flash of orange light, Aksel's ship disintegrated. His brother's scream was cut short as he breathed his last.
Nykyrian leaned his head back in satisfaction as he pulled his hand away from his trigger.
Mission accomplished. All that was left now was the dying.
Kiara turned in Hauk's lap as she tried to see what was behind them. She was desperate to see anything of Nykyrian. "We have to go back. We can't leave Nykyrian out there."
Hauk shook his head as he stayed on course. "My orders are to get you to safety."
She wanted to scream in frustration. "Don't you care?"
His hand jerked on the throttle, and the ship listed sideways in response. "I care more than you can imagine, but I also made a promise to him, and I'd open a vein before I'd break it." With another angry jerk, he righted their craft.
Kiara sat back, her tears scalding her cheeks. "He's out there alone," she whispered, feeling sick to her stomach.
"Jayne's gone back for him. He'll be all right."
Kiara heard the doubt underlying his words. She prayed as hard as she could. Nykyrian had to come back, he had to. The thought of him dying . . .
It wouldn't end like this. It couldn't.
She blinked in semi-relief as Gouran finally came into view.
Hauk set his links to pick up her father's frequency. It took several agonizing heartbeats before she heard her father's voice.
"President Zamir, I have your daughter Kiara, but I need a squadron of fighters. One of our pilots is in danger. If I send you the coordinates, will you assist us?"
Silence greeted the request.
Kiara's anger built to a dizzying height. "Father, if you love me at all, you will do as he asks."
"Kiara--"
"Daddy, please," she begged. A sob cut short her words, but she forced her tears aside. "Please don't do this. I finally understand why you've held on to me so close all these years. Why you locked yourself in your room at night with Mom's pictures and couldn't be disturbed. I can't lose him, Daddy. It'll kill me. Please don't make me bury him like we did Mom."
"Baby, don't cry. Please . . ." The anguish in his voice made her tears fall even harder. He cleared his throat. "I'll have a full squadron launched as soon as we can rally them."
In unison, Hauk and Kiara breathed a sigh of relief.
"Thank you, Daddy."
Hauk programmed the information into the computer. As they neared Gouran's bay, they were passed by a squadron of fighters on their way out to help Nykyrian.
Keifer met them in the hangar after they docked.
As soon as she could deplane, Kiara threw herself into his arms, grateful for his support.
Hauk jumped down from his ship and approached her father in steady, predatorial strides. "Sir, I request another ship to join your troops. I haven't the fuel to return in mine."
Her father glanced at her, his arms tightening around her shoulders. To her relief, he nodded. "There are three ships fully fueled on the other side of yours."
Hauk gave a curt nod before heading off to them.
"Hauk?" Kiara ran after him.
He paused and waited until she caught up to him. Her lips trembled as she stared at his Andarion eyes. There was only one thing she wanted, one thing left to wish for. "Bring Nykyrian back to me."
He looked past her shoulder to where her father stood. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a wedding ring and handed it to her. "Nykyrian wanted me to give you this."
Kiara bit back her tears as she stared at the beautiful ring Hauk dropped into her palm.
"He also wanted me to tell you that he loves you."
Her tears broke into a soul-wrenching sob. "Please save him."
"That's my plan, princess." Hauk darted to the nearest fighter.
Kiara slid the cold ring onto her third finger, her fears and worries choking her. The ring was a perfect fit.
Clenching her fist, she turned around and joined her father, wishing she were a little girl again and he could make everything alright just by kissing her hurt and holding her close, but to her deepest regret, those days were long past.
The only one who could kiss away her pain now was Nykyrian.
"Let me take you home," her father said quietly, draping his arm over her shoulders.
Kiara shook her head. "I have to know what's going on. Take me to the control room."
Despite a skeptical look, he did as she asked.
Silently, Kiara sat in a console chair, listening to the pilots' voices as they engaged Aksel's men.
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