He went to the long mirror that stood in the middle of the room.
"Computer, reveal the last know coordinates of Lady Nah'Dara Lehr.” The solid mirror image was replaced with the image of a tall woman with shimmering gray eyes.
"Access Denied. For Access to be granted, a Level 7 clearance is needed."
"Lehr 7-1-5,” Kiana said as she walked into the room.
The computer chirped in compliance. It displayed mission logs and data logs, including a flight pattern. The path went directly past Dinti Rixon, one of the pleasure planets of the Rylon sector. Eriq smiled in confidence. She was smart. In the logs, she had enough fuel to make it to the Rylon. Dinti was the only fueling station in the sector.
"Do you know where she is headed?"
Kiana nodded. Her eyes red rimmed with unshed tears.
"Yes, she's headed to my Aunt Myal. She lives on Jordan of Sylon Sector. Her and my father fought often."
"I noticed.” Though, he was grateful for her help, he did not understand why she was so reluctant. “Why are you helping me?"
"I'm not doing this for you. I'm doing this for Nahni.” Kiana nodded her head at Nah'Dara's halo-pic as it sat near her father's. “She's hurting far more than she is willing to let you see.” She smiled slightly. “I think you'll be perfect for her. You are just what she needs.” Kiana walked to the door. “Her nickname is Nahni. Her brother and I are the only ones that she has allowed to call her that.” She smiled in thought. Her mind wondering over what Nah'Dara would do to her if she found out that she told him. “If you catch her, tie her up before you tell her. She didn't want anyone to know."
Eriq smiled. “I'll keep that in mind.” He watched her as she walked out of the room. Her head slightly drooped in sadness.
It was time to get down to business. He needed to find her.
"Computer, show me the most recent halo-pic of Nah'Dara Lehr.” The mirror shifted again displaying a picture of the beautiful woman with long flowing brown hair and beautiful sad green eyes. She was a beautiful woman. In the depths of her eyes he could see her temper brewing, a very formidable force to be reckoned with. He was going to enjoy bringing her back more that he would realize.
"Computer, hail General Caegan Farlow.” It took the computer several seconds before the image of Caegan's sleep deprived face filled the screen. He went back to the ship in space dock complaining that the bed was too lumpy for him to sleep on.
"Santar, do you know what time it is? This better be good.” Caegan's dark brown eyes blood shot from lack of sleep narrowed on the screen.
"I have a problem."
"Can't it wait until tomorrow?” Caegan whined.
"No, it can't. You are the only one I know that I can trust."
Caegan sighed trying to rub the sleep from his eyes. “What is it?"
"She's gone. Nah'Dara left this morning."
Caegan's eyes seemed to clear. “How did you manage that? I've been trying to run her off for years, but you manage to run her off before you bed her?"
Caegan's very pregnant mate came to his mind, constantly chastising him for not settling down sooner with her sisterly love.
"It's a long story that not even I am sure of all the details. I'm going to need your help, though."
Caegan sighed. “I guess I could, but you know—"
"Yeah, I know I owe you."
"Just ‘because you're a Great Prince and all doesn't mean anything, Santar. You're still going to be just ‘Santar’ to me."
"Thanks, Caegan. I will call you when I get more information. In the meantime, here are the schematics on her ship so you will know what to look for.” Finding the keypad secured into wall next to the mirror's interface, Eriq typed in the coordinates and sent the picture file to him. It only took seconds for it to load on to the screen. Caegan chuckled in laughter, which was not hidden very well.
"Are you laughing at me? Caegan shook his head. The last thing he needed was his best friend laughing because he ran off his bride.
"What are you standing there wasting time? You better catch her before someone gets it into their head that she's theirs for the taking."
"Why are you rushing me?"
"Let's just say that if I were you, I would put the hyper-drives on maximum speed in order to catch her. I will be on the look out here. Send me the rest of the schematics on her ship and I'll see what I can do."
"Thank you, Caegan.” Caegan gave a short hoot of laughter before he ended the transmission.
* * * *
Nah'Dara wiped her eyes. She would be damned if she was going to cry. She had to be brave. It was not time to go back, no matter how much she wanted to see her cousin. Her anger swelled just beneath the surface. How dare they use the secret code to find her? She knew that they would try to track her. Swallowing the rage inside of her, she turned her attention back to the stars.
She did not dare call Aunt Myal. She was an elderly woman, but she could pick her way around a communicator being the one who showed her.
Aunt Myal would have no problem in calling her uncle to tell him where she was. She could not take that chance. She just needed a couple of days to breathe. Let LoMoq, stew it out over the next few days. Who knows, he might never come after her. Just like the men that she ran off before.
Chapter 6
"Are you sure she's coming here?” Eriq asked. They had been waiting here for almost three hours on the ship ports of Dinti Rixon. With stealth, they arrived on the planet in the two-passenger cargo transporter, Nadonnis, flying through space at hyper six.
"I'm sure, Santar. Are you going to keep asking me?” Caegan used the tissue regenerator to change his shoulder length brown tresses to a dirty blond color. He now had on a dingy white shirt and a pair of wool pants after he changed out of the silver flight suit, which he preferred. He ruffled his hair a little more to give it that just right, unkempt look.
"No."
"The coordinates you gave me were correct, weren't they?” Eriq nodded. His meticulous behavior was starting to come out causing him to check and recheck them before making the trip.
"Then there is nothing to worry about.” Eriq gave him a puzzled look on the lines of ‘what the hell are you doing?'
"If you're wondering about the outfit, it's my disguise. You need someone that you could trust, so I'm taking the ship dock attendant's place until Nah'Dara comes."
"How are you going to do that?"
Caegan smiled wolfishly. “How do I do anything else? I'm going to put him out of commission for the time being. We would be long gone before he decides to come around."
Eriq gave him a knowing lift of his head. He could see Caegan's plan working. He looked out of the large view portal.
They landed on the planet during the afternoon hours. Most of the streets had been deserted, but now it was night and the main streets were filled with all lifestyles from the sultry to the cunning. The synthesized music filled the air mixing with the smoke of charred meat and the stench of unclean bodies. The violet rays of the moon had shown clearly, when it was not covered by the scattered clouds.
He watched as the attendant walked closer to the ship waving at them from the ground. Eriq opened the comm.
"I'm going on a break. If you want your ship fueled and ready, you'll have to do it yourself. I turned on the self pay.” That was the opportunity that they needed. Smiling at Caegan, Eriq thanked the man. He had helped him more than he would ever realize.
* * * *
The danger hung heavy in the night air as the hours crept along. She only made it to the Dinti System in three days with hyper-drive. Nah'Dara half-expected Dinti Rixon to be a city filled with drugs and thieves since there were tales sent by the ship travelers of her world.
She made sure that her ship was concealed enough. Already the ship dock was located on the outskirts surrounded by the vast Nefti Forest. She looked to the sky. They moon looked as though it was haunted. Its eerie violet hue vaguely shined through the partial cloud cover. I
t barely lighted the pathway into the city.
After landing her small transporter in the ship dock on the outskirt of the seedy town, she pressed the button on the locator to cloak the serial codes.
She smiled.
So far, it had been an uneventful trip. Her hyper-drive worked better since she installed the new infusers giving her engines the extra needed boost. She loved a good space transport. She was able to disrupt her hyper-drive signatures leaving a trail of space dust behind her. She chuckled at the thought of her uncle not being able to find her. Too bad she was on her way to Jordan where her Aunt Myal would at least put up with her until things died down at home.
With the ship taken care of, she paid the dockhand fifty credits to refuel it, take care of any maintenance that it needed. He looked familiar, but then again, he did not, so she pushed it out of her mind.
She walked along the walkway of the city. The stale aroma of dirty bodies, cheap perfumes, and stale cigar smoke filled the air since Dinti Rixon being the only place legal to smoke.
Farizian women walked along the streets scantly clad in material so sheer that it left nothing to the imagination. Haunting blue eyes peered around a shawl that covered the lower half of their face. Their dark areolas and full breast vividly showed through the material. Full hip and tan skin could be seen clearly from the slits in the provocative outfit. The only thing that was covered was the junction between their legs. Paying money was the only way that any man would be able to venture there.
They taunted the men, fat slobs too far gone on drink to care. They just wanted a piece of ass. These women would have something different in mind for them that definitely involved their credits. It was their financial doom, not hers. She walked farther. She did not want to know what happened to the poor bastard once the door shut.
Nah'Dara spied on the thief roughing up an unsuspected victim by holding him up by the throat with one hand while the other six dug in all the poor souls’ pockets. The thief looked in her direction as if feeling her eyes on his back. He sent is deadly warning her way with piercing, crimson eyes. She knew that if she ignored him that this would be her fate. She pulled the hood of her cloak lower to hide her face.
There was no way she was going to play super woman to the victim. At five-foot-three, the seven-armed assailant would stomp her into the ground, even with all her training. Any con man would gladly pay a hefty price for the missing niece of Lord Trenton. This place was dangerous she knew, but no one would expect to find her here. For now, this seedy dark, damp, hole in the galaxy was her refuge from that life of being the wife of a stuffy prince.
She walked ahead not wanting to draw too much attention to herself. The music filled the air at the end of the walkway as she neared a tavern with an inn.
The synthesized music pumping through the wall-encased sound units were even louder as she walked towards the entrance. She eyed the place cautiously stepping towards the door only to be stopped by the bouncer.
The dogged faced Dragani pointed to the sign. No weapons allowed. Not removing the cloak from her face, he handed the man her hand laser stepping inside. Nah'Dara still had her fight stick, which she strapped to her thigh before leaving her ship. She knew better than to part with it in a place like this.
Nah'Dara pushed through the large crowd heading for the bar. She tried hard not to but she stuck out like a royal in the wrong part of the galaxy and here everyone had a horrible staring problem. It seemed like every eye appeared to be on her. She felt every eye on her back as she sat down.
She wrapped the cloak neatly around her before she sat. The bartender took one look at Nah'Dara's cloak lowered head with his beady black eyes snorting his pig like nose. “If the light bothers you that bad then go out side, but in here you take that thing off."
She did not like risks but did as she was commanded. She let the hood of the cloak slide to her shoulders. He smiled at her, a toothy grin showing all of his pointed, yellow teeth. “You're a pretty little thing aren't you? What are you doing in this part of the galaxy?"
"That is none of your concern. All I ask for is a glass of Darkantian ale while I wait.” The keeper snorted.
"Fiery tongues get slit throats around here, miss. It's a fair warning that you hold yours."
No one threatened her. No one dared, for that matter.
Nah'Dara smiled, licking her luscious lips as she leaned across the bar. The bartender followed, but was caught up short when she grabbed his dirty shirt and apron. His feet dangled from the floor.
"I wouldn't even try getting near me. I'll make you regret the day that your mother birthed you. Clear?” The bartender could only nod. “Good."
She sat him back on the floor without giving him a chance to steady himself. After stumbling a bit, he quickly righted himself handing her the glass.
The ale went down as smooth as it was sweet. It never burned her like all the Alliance Vodka she had tasted when she was younger. She would not get too comfortable here. Too many things could happen to a young woman, on her own in this place.
* * * *
Eriq watched his Nah'Dara walk into the bar intently.
His.
Images of her beautiful breasts and round ass in the dream passed through his mind. His cock twitched, but those images did not compare. Nothing did for that matter. Seeing her walk into the bar was even better than her halo-pic. Much better than several nights ago at the gala. This version he liked.
He said her name over in his mind. Even her name sounded regal, proud.
Briefly, their eyes made contact but not long enough for her to gain recognition. His breath caught in his chest as he watched her. He made a mental note of those piercing green orbs as he stared at her halo-pic. Now, as he looked at her, the picture really did not do her justice. She was tall, but the cloak hid all her curves. He saw the curve of her large mouth watering butt surrounded by the cloak.
Probably what she wanted, he though mentally. When he finally had her in his arms, he would most definitely get a handful of her luscious ass.
She walked with the grace of an animal as she walked on the balls of her feet. The sway of her hips with each step was enough to hypnotize every man in this place. It certainly did the trick on him.
He watched her as she held the bartender up, surprised at her strength, but not about her famous temper. He had been fairly warned about it, taking the necessary precautions. He slipped the bartender a sedating packet to put in her drink. Without a care, she drank her ale with ease. He watched those long slender fingers as they wrapped around the shaft of the glass picturing those same fingers around his shaft. He groaned. Spirit, it had been too long since that night in the dream. Her brown hair in a tight braided bun at the back of her head showed off her beautiful dark brown skin. Her skin looked soft even from this distance. He did not like her hair up. He preferred it hanging loose around her shoulders. He would see to that when she was on his ship.
He was taking her back to marry her. Then and only then, would he act on every sexual feeling, that he had for her since the first night he saw her. A trophy, to gain an alliance with his people.
She should have never run. He would have never hurt her. He would have preferred to take her to bed that night, but he fought himself against it. Instead, she shown the only side that he had know from royals such as her. Cowardice!
A spoiled, self-centered royal who needed to be brought down a notch or two. His thoughts took a sudden change. First, he wanted to remain hidden from her, just to watch her in pure fascination in her actions, admiring her. He was not able to look into her mind. But he could still sense the rage surrounding her. Her escape was focused on it. Now it was going to end. Yet, there was another emotion that he did not expect ... fear. It hit him like a cold shaft to the brain. He did not want to acknowledge her fear at the moment. The important thing was getting her back home. He pushed it away focusing on her instead.
With a simple thought, he allowed her to see him. He could feel her a
wareness kicking in. He could feel her anxiety start to stir; the wall starting to build defensively against his prodding. Suddenly, he knew at that moment that she felt him.
The air in the bar changed dramatically. It was cooler, even closer than she noticed before. The hair on the back of her neck stood on end sending a prickly feeling down her back. She felt a pair of familiar eyes at her back. The bar was crowded, yes, but these eyes stared intentionally at her in a full intense glare.
Finishing the ale in one gulp, she sat the empty glass on the counter. Paying the bartender, she hopped off the stool intending to pass more of her time with a game of Tangle. She walked to a Tangle table where a group of Nakots were getting ready to begin a new game.
"Playing, hu-man?” One of them looked up to her with beady black animalistic eyes and brown fur.
"Yes. What are the stakes?” Nakots drool when they see women, no matter how ugly they looked.
Female's a female to them.
"Two hundred credits.” Two of them laughed. A brown and blonde. It was the way they were talking in their full tongues that had her skin crawling. “Don't have that much, hu-man? We think of something else you give, yes?” He looked her up and down wiping at his large snout as he flung saliva onto his partner.
She pulled every amount of mental energy she had not to do the ‘Heebie-Jeebies’ dance. Their dogged faced, drooping skin, not to mention saliva-dripping snouts were a definite turn off for her. She did not shrink away. Maybe her luck was good tonight to win back some of the credits that she had spent.
"I have it. Deal me in.” The Nakot pulled an empty chair back for her, while another shuffled the silver hooked pieces spreading them apart.
Brownie, that is what she decided to call him, pulled his first tangle. Blondie and then Blackie followed. She did not expect them to let her go first, only gentlemen did that. These, she could smell were not gentlemen. She pushed her thought back concentrating on the game.
Premonitions Page 9
