The Prodigal Emperor (The Shadow Space Chronicles Book 3)
Page 43
Marius felt a bit of sadness, that she wouldn't get to have much of a childhood, yet that was overrated, anyway. He hadn't had a childhood, after all, there had always been his purpose, his destiny.
Soon his ship would arrive at the Centauri system and his granddaughter would meet her destiny. She would be trained in the various skills she would need, raised as the daughter of nobility as she should be, and indoctrinated into loyalty to President Spirodon.
The shadow space jaunt had taken a few more days than he had planned, mostly because of the need to avoid unrest across human space as dozens of systems broke off from the Colonial Republic and swore on to the United Colonies. As if they will be trustworthy allies, he thought, I offered so much more... a shame he forced me to take what I needed.
He looked up as he heard a gunshot. His gaze went to the commando on duty. “What was that?”
The officer spoke into his comm. “Reports of shots fired near the bridge, sir,” he said a moment later. “My team is en route.” He looked up then at a spat of gunfire in the corridor outside. He spun towards the door, “Get to cover, sir!”
The hatch slid open and a huge figure lumbered through. The commando officer fired, but his rounds bounced off his opponent to no effect.
Powered armor, Marius thought. Yet the form that came through the hatch wasn't human... its eight limbed figure was clearly Ghornath.
The Ghornath didn't fire, he simply caught up the commando in his armored arms and squeezed. Before he dropped the lifeless body, a tall, beautiful blonde woman stepped through the hatch behind him. “Ah, there you are sweetheart,” she said as she swept past Marius and picked up Kaylee out of her crib. Her face was filled with warmth and good cheer and Kaylee gave a giggle and tried to pull her blonde hair.
“Excuse me,” Marius said as he pulled a grenade out from under his desk. “I have to insist that you set the girl down and step away.”
The blonde woman's gaze fell on him and all the warmth in her face vanished. “Really, a grenade?” Her voice sounded exasperated.
“I'd use a pistol,” Marius said, “but your big friend would just ignore it.”
“So would I,” she said. She closed her eyes and a moment later, the grenade was ripped from his hand and she caught it. “Care to try again?” she asked.
Marius felt the blood drain from his face. Psychic, he thought, psychokenetic, probably navigation skills too, which is how they boarded my ship in shadow space. “This is a diplomatic ship on a diplomatic mission...”
“Oh, please,” she said. She looked over at the Ghornath, “I'll finish up here. Take the girl.”
She passed the girl over to the Ghornath and the big, armored alien took her gently. He made silly noises at her as he did so and she giggled as he took her out into the hallway.
“Now then,” the woman said. “I'm here to pass along a message... the girl is off limits.”
“Oh?” Marius felt a bit of relief. It seemed the woman wasn't here on the behalf of the Shadow Lords, after all. If she wanted to send a message, then she would probably want him alive to send it. More the fool, her, he thought, I will hunt her across the stars to recover the girl and the resources she's shown here just means I'll need to be more cautious when I finally strike.
“Now, then,” she said. “My other companions have set your ship to arrive in orbit over Elysia with no other assistance needed, so there's just the exact phrasing of the message to cover.
Marius frowned as he saw something like fire flicker at the back of the woman's eyes... and then he thought he smelled burning hair. “What do you mean by that?”
What I mean, she spoke into his mind, is that I don't like evil bastards who kidnap little girls.
Marius felt heat wash over his body then, but he didn't have the opportunity to scream before she set him alight with her mind. Marius's last few seconds were filled with overwhelming pain.
When it was done, the woman stepped out into the corridor and then hurried along to where her companion stood with the girl. She took Kaylee up in her arms and gave the girl a smile, “Now then,” she said, “let’s get you back to your father.”
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The End
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About the Author
Kal is science fiction and fantasy author. He’s a US Army veteran with deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan as well as an environmental engineer. He lives in Colorado and is married to his wonderful wife (who deserves mention for her patience with his writing). He also shares his home with his infant son, two feline overlords, and a rather put-upon dog. He likes hiking, skiing, and enjoying the outdoors, when he's not hunched over a keyboard writing his next novel.