by L. E. Thomas
Ryker swallowed. “Thank you, sir.”
“Of course, both of you are currently exceeding my wildest expectations. When there is a full-scale Galactic War, thousands of pilots will undergo the same treatment you have—much quicker, of course, now that we have worked out the kinks with you and One. You should be very proud of your service to the Empire.”
I hate you. “Very proud, sir.”
“I would like to reward your service.” He lowered his gaze. “What can I offer you?”
Ryker’s eyes widened, her lips parting. What was he saying? “I do … I do not understand, Captain.”
Setting the tablet down on the table at the front of the room, he stepped toward her. Reaching out his smooth hand, he slid his fingers down the side of her face. Clenching her jaw, she held his gaze.
“Any simple, creature comforts I can offer you?”
Ryker inhaled and held her breath for a pair of heartbeats.
“Go ahead,” he said, allowing his fingers to linger on the base of her bare neck. “I will not punish you. I am asking you to tell me what you want.”
She closed her eyes. “The implant, sir, is very uncomfortable. If there is any way, I would like it removed.”
“No,” he said with a shake of his head. “I’m afraid I cannot do that. Not yet.” Sliding his fingers up her cheek and through her short hair, he smiled. “Perhaps we could get to that point someday, but not now.”
Relaxing her jaw, Ryker managed to smile. “I would like that very much, sir.”
The muscles in his face relaxed. “So would I.”
“If the offer still stands,” she said, “I would love to have time at the gym or time to walk around the ARC. It would be good for both One and me. Being in my quarters at all times is constricting.”
Rampa moved his hand down her neck to her shoulder, his eyes wandering over her body. “I think that could be arranged. We need to keep you in top physical shape, after all. You certainly turned heads on the parade platform back on NPT-six-two-three.”
“Thank you, sir.”
He nodded. “We’ll begin your physical time tomorrow. I’ll inform One. You are dismissed.”
She saluted. “Thank you, sir.”
Turning around, she marched away from the captain and the stench of his cologne. She still felt his fingers on her bare skin, and the thought of his touch sent acid rising in her throat. It wasn’t because of the implant, either.
“Ryker?” he asked as she reached the hatch.
Forcing her best smile, she turned around and faced Rampa. “Yes, Captain?”
He smiled. “I look forward to expanding our working relationship.”
You are sick. “I do, too, sir.”
CHAPTER TWENTY
Ryker “Defector Three” Zyan rounded the final corner of her three-mile jog in the workout facility of the ARC Enforcer. Six other officers exercised in the center of the track, some lifting weights and others working cardio on stationary machines. Sergeant Dak—her Marine bodyguard—lingered at the edge of the track, watching her as she finished her run.
She crossed the finish line, sweat dripping down her face. The Marine tossed her a towel and smiled. Deciding not to look at the man, she buried her face into the towel.
Since Captain Rufino Rampa had authorized her physical training onboard, the past few weeks had been the most tolerable in her “service” to the Zahl Empire. The days were still filled with patrols and “peacekeeping” missions designed to flaunt the power of the Zahl Navy. Ryker spent her nights tossing on the cot in her cramped quarters, fighting back the horrible images of what she had done in the time since she’d first put on the Zahlian uniform.
“Ready to go?”
The Marine’s question interrupted her solace. Ryker sighed. “I am.”
She followed the Marine to the hatch leading into the busy corridor. The crew marched as if on parade grounds. The passage lacked the chatter of the Legion vessels and felt more rigid.
Rampa appeared around a corner from the left, his red uniform perfectly pressed and creased. “Mind if I join you?”
“Of course not,” Ryker said with a nod.
The Marine eased back a few paces like he always did when Rampa arrived. Ryker wiped sweat from her arms and kept her eyes forward. She felt Rampa studying her.
“Have you enjoyed the PT time?” he asked.
“I have.”
He nodded. “Don’t overdo it. I wouldn’t want my prized experiment damaged.”
I hate you. “Of course not, Captain Rampa.”
They walked in silence for a moment, the crew parting at their approach. She knew the sign of respect had nothing to do with her or the menacing sight of an armed Marine marching down the corridor. Over the past months, she noticed Rampa carried with him a certain reverence on the Enforcer. She wondered if the ship’s commander ordered it or if Rampa was well-regarded in the Zahl Navy.
“I came to talk to you about your performance,” he said as they continued walking. “It has been exemplary.”
“Thank you, sir.”
He pursed his lips. “I have considered granting you a reprieve—a promotion if you will.”
At the mention of a promotion, she stopped walking and turned to face him. Her heart pounded, and she pressed her lips together. Although she tried to hide her excitement, her breathing increased as she prayed Rampa planned to remove her implant. “Yes?”
“Yes,” he said, placing his hand on her shoulder. He tapped his fingers on her sweat-drenched shirt. “How would you like to do without the guard? You could become a normal part of the crew and be without the chaperone.” He glanced toward the Marine. “I’m sure Sergeant Dak wouldn’t mind at all.”
Dak smiled. “Not at all, Captain.”
Ryker’s heart sank. After everything she had been forced to do, Rampa still wouldn’t remove the alien object in her brain. The sickening realization returned to her mind: She would never escape this man.
Rampa touched her chin with his smooth fingers. “Something wrong, my dear Defector Three?”
She swallowed. “No.”
Turning his head to the side, he stared at her. “Sergeant, please leave us. I think I can return the pilot to her quarters.”
“Yes, sir.” Dak bowed, spun on his heel, and marched down the hall.
Rampa smiled and took a deep breath. “Now that we are alone … Ryker, I thought you could tell me what is troubling you.”
She licked her lips, her eyes drifting to the wall. “I thought you would consider removing my implant.”
“Oh.” He grinned. “And why would I do that?”
She glared at him, a flash of anger building. Clenching her teeth, she fought her twitching upper lip from forming into a sneer. “I told you of the discomfort weeks ago, and I thought you would consider disarming it or removing it.”
“Hmm.” He rubbed his smooth chin. “I haven’t considered doing it, yet. I think we still have time before I will permit it. Besides, One has done a much better job of taking charge on the missions while you, well, you have gone through the motions just fine. But I have seen no drive from you, no spark that your records show you had when you were at the stick of a Trident.” He smiled. “Perhaps we should see if we could commandeer a Trident for you. Maybe you would feel more comfortable, and that killer instinct would return? Hmm?”
She inhaled through her nose and smelled the faint but familiar odor of Rampa’s cologne.
“I am a cautious fellow,” he continued, taking a step closer to her. “There is a part of me that wonders if you have indeed taken to your role as a Zahlian pilot or if you are playing a part. I would like to believe you, Ryker. I truly would. But I dislike being wrong. I hate it, in fact.”
He touched her cheek and left his hand on her skin. Fighting the urge to recoil, she smiled and met his blue eyes.
“I am glad you chose me for your experiment,” she said, the words rising in pitch as they left her mouth. “It is an honor.”
>
Rampa’s lips parted, and he studied her for a pair of heartbeats. He took a step back, pointing at her with his bobbing index finger. “You almost had me there, Ryker. You really did.”
“How do you mean?” she asked, feigning surprise to the best of her ability. “I am honored.”
Smiling, he placed his hand on her shoulder and guided her down the hall. “I would like to believe you, dear. Why don’t you show the same sort of spirit you are showing today in this corridor in the cockpit tomorrow? Hmm?”
“Yes, Captain. I will do whatever you command.”
They strolled in silence. Rampa stopped in front of the hatch to her quarters. He outstretched one hand. “See? No guard?”
“I am thankful for your trust, Captain.”
Rampa’s eyes moved up and down her body, slowing as he retraced his gaze. “Are you sure you do not want to shower?”
She glanced down at the Zahl regulation attire for PT. “I will do so in the morning, Captain.”
Rampa stared at her body for a long moment, nodding as if lost in thought. He stepped forward and slid his fingers through her damp, short hair. “I mean what I said, Ryker. I want to believe you. I see an important future for the both of us. Together, we are going to shine.”
I hope I can watch you die. “I know we will, Captain.”
Rampa grinned, nodding toward her quarters. “Get some rest now. I look forward with great anticipation to witnessing your renewed vigor in the cockpit tomorrow. In time, perhaps we can make some of your other desires come true.”
He marched down the hallway.
With her stomach bubbling with a fresh wave of acid, Ryker went into her quarters. The small thoughts of rebellion were getting easier to endure. Those thoughts, it seemed, were the only thing left of her.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
A loud boom sounded in the distance. At first, Ryker Zyan thought she was sleeping in the underground bunkers on Lian. The sound ripped through her mind again. She flinched, the realization coming she was nowhere near her home planet. Thinking she was on the Formidable, her fingers probed the side of the bed, and she felt the cold of the steel cot.
Her memories faded.
The Enforcer.
She sighed, opening her eyes to the faint track of lighting along the base of the room. She swung her feet off the bed and onto the floor, the frigid deck tingling her feet.
“Illuminate,” she whispered, rubbing her head.
As the fluorescent lighting warmed and buzzed overhead, she squinted and looked down at her sore legs. She smiled. Her muscles might be sore, but the tone was returning to her thighs since she had been allowed to get back into her physical training.
The sound burst from the hatch once again, startling her. She noticed the few times she had drifted into a deep sleep that she struggled to wake the following morning. The dreams were always vivid, and it seemed she had been out for days. It must be the effects of her unconscious mind battling against the controlling effects of Rufino Rampa’s implant.
Shaking away the effects of sleep, she stepped over to the hatch. She glanced at the digital readout of the ship’s official time and saw it was still in the middle of her sleep schedule. Rampa had removed her Marine guard weeks ago, so who in the world would be disturbing her at this hour?
She pulled back the hatch. Her eyes widened and her jaw dropped. It took a second to comprehend the person she viewed in the corridor.
“Defector One?” she asked, her mouth dry. “What—”
“Never mind,” she said, pushing into Ryker’s quarters and shutting the hatch. “Don’t call me that.”
A wave of energy slapped Ryker, and she felt the sudden effect of her natural emotions flow through her veins like an icy river. Placing her hand on the wall to steady herself, she gasped for breath.
“Easy now,” One said, moving forward to balance Ryker. “This is going to feel strange for a moment. Believe me.”
Ryker gasped, the feeling of normalcy sweeping through her body. She wanted to sprint, the overwhelming fatigue pressing on her since she had been captured having vanished the moment One entered her quarters. The endless and persistent nausea was now gone.
“How … how d-d-did you do this?” Ryker asked, struggling to catch her breath.
One frowned. “Does it hurt?”
“No.” She shook her head. “It’s amazing.”
“Good to be yourself again, right?”
Ryker nodded, her strength returning. She stood up straight and took a long breath. “How did you do this?”
She pulled Ryker closer. “My name is Lena Janas. I was a Star Runner of the Seventh Tarnex when they took me.”
Ryker shook her head. “How are you able to talk about this?”
“Listen!” Her eyes widened. “We don’t have much time! Everything I have done has been an act. I have been given certain privileges because of my good behavior.” She held up her frail arm, and Ryker saw a black bracelet with blinking lights. “Rampa ordered his engineers to give me this.”
“What is it?”
“It jams the signals coming in from the implant, allows me to operate mostly as myself.”
“Why don’t they just remove the implant?”
Lena lowered her gaze. “I don’t think they can remove it.”
Ryker made fists with her hands. “That liar. He said they would remove the implant if I behaved and obeyed my orders.”
“He lied.” Lena exhaled and looked at the floor. “I don’t think they know what the long-term effects of this implant are. I believe they are trying out this bracelet on their most loyal subjects to see if the implant’s power could be nullified, to test its reliability in battle. The implant might be killing us with each passing day. They don’t know. They don’t care.” She shrugged. “Doesn’t matter. I’m not planning on waiting to find out.”
Ryker smiled. “You’re leaving?”
“No,” Lena grabbed her hand and squeezed, “we’re leaving.”
“I can’t—”
“You wanna stay here and die?” Lena pulled her close. “I only have one of these bracelets. You stick close to me, and we can get out of here. Once we get away from this ship, we can send an encrypted message back to the Legion and tell them what’s going on here. We might not get far, but with any luck the message will be received and they can send a team in for a rendezvous.”
Ryker shook her head. “I’m sure Rampa’s got a tracker on our implants or the bracelet.”
“He did.” Lena held up her bracelet. “There’s not one on the implant itself. They were worried how the implant would react in combat if a stunner went off. The electric shock might kill the pilot. But there’s a homing beacon on the end of the bracelet. I believe it’s this node right here.” She pointed to a circular section of the otherwise flat bracelet. “Once I am on board a fighter and away from this ship, I will blast this node, and he won’t be able to track me.”
“Are you sure that’ll work?”
“I’ve had this on for two days, and I asked a lot of questions of the engineer who placed it on my wrist.” She looked away. “I was also … very nice to the man so I could get this information from him. The homing device is drawing power from a separate power supply in the bracelet. The implant will still be blocked if I wear this, and he won’t be able to track us.”
“And you trust the engineer?”
“I can’t afford not to. Our time is short. Based on what they learned from us and our procedures, they are bringing in a new batch of Star Runners in the next few days. I’m sure they’ll start them on a program similar to ours, and I wouldn’t wish that hell on anyone. We have to do this now.” She released Ryker’s arm and stared at the wall. “Besides, I have to try. I owe my son that much.”
Ryker blinked. “You have a son?”
“And a husband.” She nodded, tears welling up. “I owe it to them to make it home. It’s the reason I was able to do all this. I did it all for them. I know you have someone,
too. Maybe a family, I don’t know. Don’t you want to see them again? Do you want to end your days fighting for these fascists?”
Ryker shook her head. “You’re not at all who I thought you were. I’m sorry.”
“We can get all mushy later.” Lena stared at her “Are you with me?”
A mix of emotions flashed through Ryker’s mind. Of course she wanted to see Austin again, but she had given up hope. Now, Lena had come to her quarters in the middle of the night offering her a way out. It seemed impossible. Perhaps it was impossible. But given an opportunity to see Austin again, there was only one answer to give.
“I’m with you.” She felt strength and adrenaline returning to her body. “Let’s get the hell out of here.”
“There we go.” Lena nodded toward Ryker’s locker. “Change into your flight suit. We’re heading for the hangar.”
“Stay close to me,” Lena whispered as they strolled down the corridor leading to the Enforcer’s hangar. “We’ve done this a thousand times, and today is no different.”
Ryker’s shoulder rubbed against Lena’s as they walked. “What’s the range on your device?”
“Mikael said it’s not more than two or three meters.”
She shot Lena a glance. “Mikael?”
“Yeah.”
Trying to stay close to Lena and remain casual, Ryker pushed away the thought of the implant exploding. She knew if they separated for a few feet, her implant would activate and she would be incapacitated. This had to work.
Lowering her face and sliding her hand across her mouth, Ryker whispered, “Did you clear a flight?”
Lena nodded. “My friend allowed me to use his computer after we … I had an Interceptor pulled from the CAP because of a maintenance issue. It’s waiting for us in the hangar.”
Ryker glanced at the woman. She couldn’t imagine what Lena had been through and what she had done to carry her escape plan this far. Maybe she didn’t want to know the details. She shook her head.
