Prince of Luster

by Candace Sams

  Though Nova had glared at him when he’d ordered her to stay behind, she hadn’t put up any objection. His original intent was that they should stay together. Then, it occurred to him that this very thing might happen; that one of the Limaxian ships would head straight for them to cut off their communication. He didn’t want the only woman he’d ever loved anywhere near, just as he’d told Forrell.

  “Th-they’re coming closer,” Forrell gasped as he grabbed his robes tightly around his body.

  “What’s wrong, Forrell? Don’t want a taste of what you’ve been dishing out to these people for years?”

  “If I’d known we’d be blasted, I wouldn’t have come with you.”

  “Too late.” He grabbed the man’s cloak and hauled him into a chair beside the vid-screen. “You’ll be staying with me until this is over. Until the very last second. There was no way I was leaving you alone with Nova. You’re not going back to your residence now.”

  “But if slugs show up there—”

  “That’s the part I didn’t like. But as Nova has so often reminded me, she knows how to get in and out of buildings. I didn’t want to leave her behind, but this was the only way to make contact with the Titan and not put us both in danger to do so. Besides—I trust her. I have faith in her. Which is more than I can say for you.”

  “When Prometheus believes I’ve betrayed him, he’ll strike my residence with a photon torpedo. That little healer will be dead before she can run a hundred yards. She’ll never get the chance to get far enough away.”

  Too late, Marcos realized that Forrell might be right. He had the choice of staying at the console and continuing to contact the Titan, or warning Nova. He grabbed Forrell by the front of his caftan and hauled him closer. “Is there any safe place we can go?”

  “Under my residence, in the tunnels. It’s the only place. I’ve had the underground doors reinforced to foil assassination attempts. There’ll be no food or water, but we can close ourselves off and survive a day or two if necessary. If those doors hold through the blasts and your brother’s ship isn’t destroyed, Prince Darius might be able to get to us. But we have to go now.”

  Marcos glanced at the console once more. Putting the distress signal on auto wouldn’t boost it at increments necessary to provide the best chance for contact. That should be done manually. But every instinct now told him to get to Nova.

  “Hurry up,” he commanded. “There’s no time to lose.”

  • • •

  On the top floor of Forrell’s home, Nova heard the explosions and knew they were getting closer. She grabbed Una, held her pet close, and eyed the door. “So much for us staying together, Marcos Starlaw,” she bitterly whispered.

  She couldn’t wait any longer. Too many times she’d heard those ships coming, and knew what would happen to anything being strafed on the ground. She decided not to wait for Marcos, but take her chances elsewhere.

  She took the lift down to the first floor and ran through the foyer.

  Out on the street, people clustered then moved to the west, attempting to get away from the Limaxian ground craft. But if she headed east, where the ships had already fired, there might be a way to escape. The tunnels under the city wouldn’t help if Limaxians found survivors beneath wreckage and shot fire plasma in them to flush anyone out. That was what had happened the first time there’d been a colony-wide attack.

  As several Limaxians stumbled past the door and shouted commands to their comrades, Nova hunched in the shadows and waited for them to pass. At the other end of the block, she heard their craft moving ever closer.

  Parts of Forrell’s roof were already beginning to crumble beneath the ferocity of the blasts. She threw off her cloak, reached into her boot, and grabbed the governor’s small laser weapon. Marcos had given it to her before he’d left. She’d silently tried to refuse the sidearm, but her beloved enforcer had shoved it into her hands just before he told her he’d return.

  Now, he never would. She realized these attacks were being employed to send the population into a panic, and in an attempt to destroy the buildings up to and including the communication center. The slugs must have heard Marcos’s attempts to reach his brother’s ship and were retaliating. That meant Prometheus had anticipated Forrell’s trying that very thing. And, as she always had, she found herself alone except for Una, surviving the best she knew how.

  Her heart sank. Tears stung her eyes, but she quickly wiped them away. She’d mourn Marcos later. For now, she had to run. He’d want her to live and try to escape.

  With at least one vessel firing on the surface, there might be enough energy released for the Titan’s scanners to read what was happening. If that were true, Darius Starlaw would mount a defense, even if he didn’t know who the enemy was.

  A worse scenario came to mind.

  The Titan’s crew might be under attack right now, or the enforcer ship might be destroyed. Whatever had happened in orbit, her only chance was far away, not in Forrell’s residence. It was now a target.

  Outside in the darkness, she felt more secure. This was how she’d lived for several years, finding her way through dim, night shadows.

  When slugs ran in different directions, firing lasers at any of the human population they could, she hid. Directly in front of her, one slug brawler was left alone as his brethren chased after families who’d emerged from their homes and stores to escape the onslaught. That single slug stood with his back to her.

  She saw her chance and took it.

  Without thinking another instant, Nova fired at the back of that slug’s head and watched him weave in a drunken fashion before he fell to the pavement. She held Una tightly against her body and ran. East was the safest place. People were running toward her, but she ducked behind columns, rocks, transport vehicles, or anything she could find to escape their stampede. And the Limaxians went after them. The foolish slugs on the ground either didn’t realize or didn’t care that their own ships would blast them along with the fleeing humans. But no one noticed her as she waited for the bulk of those fleeing to pass. Even as she ran, she blinked back tears. Marcos would have found her if he could. Or she’d have seen him by now if he’d escaped with others. But nothing resembling the tall, horribly scarred enforcer passed her hiding places. Even in the dark she’d have known him among hundreds.

  One thing, more than any other, kept her moving.

  If there were enforcer ships still fighting anywhere near Delta Seven, they’d surely send messages to Luster and outlying planets concerning the conflict. From now forward, unless all enforcer ships from any world were defeated, help would come. It was the only good thing to come from this night.

  Chapter 12

  Marcos half-pulled and half-pushed Forrell toward his residence.

  Crowds fleeing in their direction forced them to duck behind whatever protective barrier they could, but he was determined to get back to the governor’s residence. It was irrational to think she’d stand around, with explosives going off everywhere, and wait for him. But he couldn’t stand the thought of her going through this onslaught alone. She’d endured enough in her young life; he had to find her.

  Blasts from a single Limaxian ship strafed buildings on the opposite side of the street where he and Forrell huddled. When he got a good look through the smoke created by dozens of large fires from burning buildings, he knew the ship doing the most damage was Prometheus’s own flag vessel. Bigger and better equipped than others in a fleet of Limaxian war ships, it hovered on the horizon destroying everything it could. And he wished there had been another way to warn Darius. But there was almost no chance Prometheus would have allowed this population of humans to go on living at any rate. At least they had the chance to run while Darius was hopefully engaging the other five ships in battle. And that was if the Titan had received any part of the message he’d attempted to send.

  “There’ll be more slugs on the surface now,” Forrell croaked. “They’ll find us.”

  “They will if
you don’t move your butt and get us to the governor’s residence.”

  “I tell you the residence has been blasted already. The girl is dead.”

  Marcos pushed Forrell from behind a column when it was safe to do so. “You’d better pray not. Or I’ll have no more use for you.”

  Forrell gasped as a whiff of acrid smoke filled the air. “You said you’d protect me. You’re an enforcer, sworn to—”

  “I said I wouldn’t let the slugs get you,” Marcos said as he pushed the man harder to make him pick up his pace. He could travel much faster if the oaf wasn’t with him. But he wouldn’t put it past Forrell to find a slug and try to save his own hide by turning him and Nova over to Prometheus. That seemed to have been the way things had worked on this planet for years, with Forrell pitting himself against the slugs, and the people of Delta Seven lost in between their elected official and the invaders.

  When he rounded the corner and saw the roof of the governor’s residence in flames, Marcos’s heart shattered.

  “I told you. Prometheus wanted me dead for betraying him. The girl is gone. We have to get to safety before we’re blasted.”

  “We can’t go into the tunnels now. Even if the slugs think we’re there, the building will collapse, and we’ll be caught under tons of wreckage.”

  “But there’s no place else,” Forrell shouted.

  “Yes there is. We can go back to the cave where you found me. Unless you lied, no one knows about it.”

  “But if we use a transport, Prometheus will see it trying to leave the city. He could track any craft from his ship.”

  “That’s why we’re going to run.”

  “Run? I-I can’t … ”

  “Pick up your feet or I’ll break your neck,” Marcos warned. When Forrell did as he was told and made for the city limits, Marcos stood for a moment and looked back at the residence. The roof collapsed, and the entire inside of the governor’s home went up in flames. “She got out. I know she did,” he whispered.

  He had to believe that. Nova knew what to do. He kept telling himself that as he ran after Forrell.

  • • •

  Prometheus landed his vessel and keyed the communication device hanging from his uniform epaulet. “How fares the Titan?”

  Nothing came back except static.

  He cursed and lifted a hand to motion his crew forward. “I’ll have that bastard’s balls. Find Forrell,” he ordered. “Find his remains if he’s dead, and if he’s with anyone who’s still breathing, bring them to me. He couldn’t have possibly been so bold on his own. He hasn’t the courage.”

  One of the warriors placed a hand on his leader’s shoulder. “Commander Prometheus, we should board our ship and join the fight in orbit. We can deal with this refuse on the ground later.”

  Prometheus pushed the man away, knocking him to the ground. “Fool! The Titan was warned too early. Before our ships could withdraw from the moon’s orbit and engage her. She now has the upper hand. But she won’t keep it if I can convince Darius Starlaw that I control the planet’s surface. He’ll want as little bloodshed as possible. I can ransom for the humans’s safety. Go now. Find as many humans as you can and round them up at the mines.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  • • •

  Nova saw Prometheus long before he got to her location. She held onto Una and wove through the shadows. The city skyline behind her was ablaze. The heat from it kept her from feeling the intense cold.

  As Limaxians drew nearer, she hid herself among metal packing crates and barrels, hunched down, and gripped the handle of the laser weapon, not intending to fire. There was no way to do so and take them all out. So she waited.

  Frightened by the running, the smell of smoke, and the fear she sensed in her mistress’s body, Una began to wriggle fiercely.

  Nova tried to hang onto the pup, but she broke loose and ran. As she saw the furry body scamper back toward town, her eyes filled with tears. Una would likely try to get back to the cave, but being so little, she wouldn’t know how to get over so much debris, most of it burning. And Nova had to sit there quietly and let the slugs go by. Any attempt to retrieve her pet would get them both killed. The best she could hope for was that little Una found some safe place to hide until she could find her.

  She sniffed back tears, ducked her head, and gripped the weapon harder.

  • • •

  At the outskirts of the city, Forrell paused and leaned against a destroyed transport vessel. “I-I simply can’t go on. I c-can’t.”

  “Then I’ll kill you and save the slugs the trouble.” Marcos shook his head and snorted in disdain. “I was damned near burned to death. Parts of me are still recovering, yet you can’t seem to pick up your pampered feet!”

  “All right, all right. I’ll move.”

  Through the snow they trudged. Marcos knew if they were caught out in the open, there was no chance to survive. Not from a slug attack or from the freezing temperatures. Several times, he glanced back at the city and felt his gut tighten. Somewhere, Nova was in the middle of all the burning chaos.

  He had to get back to her. His first concern was Forrell and making sure the governor didn’t escape the justice that would surely be rendered back on Luster. But it felt like he was doing the worst thing in his life. Had it not been for his innate sense of duty, he’d have killed Forrell and gone after his beloved.

  It took close to an hour to reach the cave. By then, Forrell was nearly frozen. Marcos took only a few moments to throw wood on the fire and light it.

  “Stay put, and you might survive.”

  “Wh-where are you going? I can’t stay here alone. Not in this filthy pit.”

  At his wit’s end, Marcos grabbed the man and threw him against the hard cave wall. “You’ll die if you try to leave. The cold will kill you if Prometheus’s brawlers don’t. I’m going back for Nova.”

  “The healer is dead.”

  Marcos stalked to the governor, who had to back into a corner to keep from being pushed to the ground. “If you say that one more time … ”

  “I’m sorry. Of course. She might have survived.” Forrell put his hands up to fend Marcos off. “Just go. I’ll stay here.”

  “You’d better. If you were lying about no one else finding this place but you and one guard, you can be sure the slugs will make me seem like your best friend. Keep quiet, and stay vigilant.”

  “I can assure you, Highness. I’ll wait right here for your return. The slugs don’t know about this cave. Or that you and the little healer are alive. I swear it.”

  Marcos grabbed up a blanket to use as an extra wrap now that his cloak was no longer keeping him warm. He gritted his teeth to prepare for another long march in the cold. At least he could travel faster now.

  All he could think of was getting to Nova. Nothing else mattered. He cursed himself a thousand times for not letting her come with him.

  Making sure he left no trail for Forrell to follow, should he be so brave, Marcos trudged his way back to the city. Everything was ablaze. He cursed himself over and over for not having found another way to warn Darius and stop the Limaxians.

  As he pulled up the hood of his cloak, wrapped the blanket tighter around his body, and bent into the cold wind, he went over the sequence of events that had just transpired.

  There was no right answer. Things couldn’t have gone well when he was outnumbered and outgunned, and not while trudging around with a traitor, trying to save the man’s life when it wasn’t worth saving.

  When he finally got back to the main marketplace, there were no people or slugs present. They’d apparently run and scattered in all directions.

  Buildings on both sides of the road were severely damaged. All the roofs were burning, caving in, or gone entirely. The heat was intense, but he moved carefully forward, avoiding falling debris and the small fires blowing trash started.

  As he searched for Nova and begged the Creator of all things for her safety, he also prayed for his brother. The
Titan was several times larger and much better equipped than the average Limaxian warship. But Darius would’ve brought no backup since doing so would have appeared too hostile to an allied-planet’s dignitaries. His older brother might have been far outnumbered, and the star of the Lusterian fleet might be nothing more than scrap metal by now.

  But even if immediate salvation were lost, lack of communication from Darius would result in more allied ships being sent. If he and Nova could stay hidden until their arrival, they could survive.

  He pulled the blanket over his head and shoulders to keep cinders off his upper body. If the blanket caught fire, it could be discarded. But he had to move forward, through the burning debris, no matter what.

  Two walls of flame suddenly burst skyward from both sides of the street. He ran until he came to the remains of Forrell’s home.

  Like all buildings, the walls had been made of gray stone. The roof had been constructed of pressure-resistant glass and metal brought in on transport ships, probably at a time when trade vessels could still land without being restricted to the airfield. Still, the sturdier material hadn’t kept the structure from collapsing. Only the bottom part of the stone wall remained intact. Everything within the residence was now exposed to the night air. There was nothing but tons of rubble left.

  He had to take a chance. As small as the colony was, he could still search for a long time before finding the woman he loved. “Nova!” he shouted as he strained to see through the burning beams of melted metal and rock.

  No one responded, and he knew he was taking a huge risk. But he couldn’t have stopped calling for her if all the Limaxians in the galaxy were marching up the street behind him. Patience was lost. He couldn’t fathom going on without her.

  Finally, he turned away. His heart broke as he searched under debris and found bodies. Faces of the dead were burned away; any clothing left was equally blackened. If she was among the deceased, he couldn’t tell.

  Surely she’d made it. No one knew how to survive this planet’s disasters better than she.