He dragged Ryonna’s unconscious body to the ground next to the ship, then quickly put his hands on her leg. White light engulfed her and her leg made a snapping sound again, this time back into place. A second later, it looked like nothing had ever happened.
Sarah knelt down beside them as Ryonna opened her eyes and touched her leg. It was completely healed. “Thank you, Chase. I owe you both our lives.”
“No, you don’t owe me a thing. I’m just glad you and Ronan are safe.”
She shook her head fervently. “I won’t ever forget this, Chase.”
Sarah leaned back on her heels with a very peculiar look on her face. “I think Argos did something similar to me. Many times, actually.”
Chase looked up sharply, blood boiling as he imagined the horrors his brother must have inflicted upon her. “Did he—”
“Later, okay?” Sarah asked softly. “I promise.”
Chase sighed but nodded his head. They might have been back safe, but he had a feeling the trouble was just beginning.
Argos slowly opened his eyes as he regained consciousness. A controlled shockwave propelled the debris out of the way and he rose to his feet. As he started dusting himself off, a huge smile spread across his face.
Mission accomplished.
Within moments, he reached his ship and took off from Hellstar. The ion turrets acquired a lock on his vessel and started firing. His shields depleted a bit faster than he was used to, but not before he entered hyperspace.
Once he was safely there, he touched a control on his holo-display and opened a comm.
“Status report?”
A Zarlack face appeared on the one monitor. “Subject tracker reports vital signs are stable.”
“Good. How about the transmitter?”
“Receiving live telemetry.”
“Perfect. Argos out.” The holo-display faded off and Argos leaned back against his chair with a smile. “It has begun.”
13
Chase’s fingers traveled delicately across Sarah’s naked, burning skin. His lips were soon to follow, kissing her tenderly on the neck and sending her into waves of shivering anticipation. Her nails raked down his back as he made his way slowly to her face, and then they kissed for what seemed like an eternity.
Everything was going perfectly until an involuntary shudder ran through Sarah’s body.
Chase pulled back immediately. “Are you alright?”
“I’m sorry.” She flushed. “It’s just… I can’t believe this is all real, you know?”
He bit his lip nervously. “Maybe you should tell me what happened the last few days.”
“Somehow I don’t think this is the appropriate time,” she stalled.
He looked steadily into her eyes. “You’re safe now, and we’re alone. Nothing can happen to us and we’ll be on Earth before you know it. Maybe it’s best if we talked about it before.”
Her face fell. “Maybe... I guess you’re right.”
The two of them sat up against the headboard and she launched into the tale. She took him through every bruise, every scar, and every resuscitation. No detail was too small to ignore and no memory too painful. No matter how difficult it was, she plowed on through, taking special care to describe Argos’ powerful mind control. She’d never seen anything like it.
There was a deafening silence when she was finished and she looked up to see that Chase had tears in his eyes. Hard anger and bitter remorse were etched into every line of his face, and when she squeezed his hand, he took a second to control himself before talking.
“I... I don’t know what to say. I’m so sorry.” His face grew dark. “He will pay for this, I promise you that much.”
“Maybe he already did,” she said hopefully. “I mean, who survives a quadrinium enhanced bomb and three thermal grenades?”
Chase’s lips thinned to a hard line. “Furies do...”
“You seriously think so?”
“Sarah, when I faced him, I felt a kind of power flow through my body like nothing else I ever felt before. I sent attack after attack upon him, each one powerful enough to kill ten men, but he dealt with them as if they were nothing more than mosquito bites.”
Her face paled. “Can I tell you something?”
“Yes, of course.”
“I’m… I’m also a little scared of you now.” She glanced away, looking embarrassed.
Chase straightened up in surprise. “Why? You know I’d never let anything bad happen to you. I’d rather—”
“Even so, this man is your brother. You’re from the same planet. What if something happens to you and you lose control? You said it yourself, when you’re angry you could potentially be uncontrollable.”
Chase got up from the bed and walked towards the window. Blue and purple lights from the hyperspace corridor flashed across his bare skin. He stared at his reflection in the glass, deeply impacted by what Sarah had just told him.
What was he now? Was she right? Was he something to be feared?
But at that moment, she got up as well and embraced him, slipping her arms under his and resting her palms on his shoulder. Her soft skin and delicate curves pressed against his back, and when she squeezed his wrist, he lifted her hand to his lips and kissed it.
“Chase, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you.”
“You didn’t. And you’re right. I destroyed my quarters on board the Destiny and that was just a reaction from a vision. In that same vision… I destroyed entire worlds.”
She pressed her face against the back of his neck and kissed him. “Visions and nightmares are one thing… but do you seriously think you could do such a thing?”
“Aphroditis seems to think so.”
“Right...” She suddenly remembered. “Argos is very interested in the Olympians. When he was in my head, I tried to make him tell me why—he seemed obsessed.”
Chase considered this thoughtfully. “He seemed pissed at her during our confrontation.”
“Maybe they hurt him somehow… and he’s seeking revenge?” Sarah guessed.
“It doesn’t matter what it is,” Chase said firmly. “What matters is that I have to stop him.”
Sarah was quick to jump in. “We—”
“What?”
“We have to stop him, Chase. You’ll need my help and the help of your other friends too. Argos is too dangerous a threat for you to deal with alone.”
Chase shook his head. “Nonetheless, I don’t want any of you to get hurt. Again.”
“I don’t think it’s your choice to make.” She smiled warmly. “But that’s very sweet of you. In fact, it’s why I fell in love with you to begin with. But you have to be smart.”
“Interesting choice of words,” Chase murmured, more to himself than to Sarah.
“Why is that?”
“Something Aphroditis said during the battle: that I couldn’t defeat Argos based on powers alone. That I wasn’t ready yet so I needed to outsmart him.”
“And you did, so that was good advice. How do you feel about your powers right now?”
He considered. “I’m starting to feel some sort of control, even though they scare me. But I’m nowhere near his level. At least for the time being, I’m ill-equipped to face him again.”
“Then when we reach Earth, you should focus on training,” she suggested. “There are desolate places on Earth where you wouldn’t risk doing too much damage.”
“Perhaps...” Chase doubted there were any places with such low risk, not if he lost control.
She tightened her embrace and laid her head on his back. His mind wouldn’t stop racing; he kept thinking about his visions, replaying the fight with Argos again and again. He knew full well his fear of hurting innocent people was holding him back, but how could it not be? To wield such power was not something to be taken lightly. He took small comfort in the fact that the healing power at least had come naturally to him. That had to be a good sign.
“Sarah…” He sighed. “I am so sorry for
what Argos put you through.”
She trembled a little but held strong. “It’s not your fault.”
“Maybe it is,” he countered. “Maybe if I had been stronger, I could have prevented you all this pain and suffering.”
“We both know that’s just wishful thinking,” she murmured. “It won’t do either of us any good. And may I remind you that you saved my life jumping in front of my ship when he was about to blow me out of the sky?”
“Maybe he wouldn’t have.”
“You can’t second guess yourself. You’re not this guy.”
“What guy?” he asked curiously.
“The guy that keeps obsessing about the past. This isn’t you.”
“Right now it is”—he sighed again—“and it makes me feel cold and sad.”
She squeezed him firmly. “Then I suggest you leave the past where it belongs. Focus on the now. I am here, I am back, and thanks to you, I am no longer under the control of this mad man. That has to count for something, right?”
Chase turned and took her in his arms. They looked each other in the eyes for a moment before he lowered his lips slowly down to hers.
Ryonna looked at Ronan sleeping. These past few days had been quite the ordeal for him, and he had fallen asleep as soon as they arrived on board the Iron Fire. She stroked back his hair, thinking—with a concerned frowned—that perhaps the ordeal had left marks on her too.
For the first time in her life, she had been unable to sense anything about the crewman that had escorted them to their new quarters. Not his death, not anything. It was unnerving.
But it was also perhaps a blessing in disguise; she had never liked this power. She knew it was supposed to be a gift, a highly regarded one amongst her people, in fact, but to her it had only made things more difficult throughout her life.
How do you manage to develop any sort of longtime relationship with people when you know how and when they’re going to die?
No. It was not a gift, it was a curse. And if she had lost it… it was for the best.
Ronan started moaning in his sleep and she stroked her hand again through his hair. She was so happy to be reunited with her son, so proud of the strength it must have taken to survive Hellstar, so proud of the man he was becoming right in front of her eyes.
A sudden pain in her stomach made her reel back with a gasp. The damn nanite factory was acting up again. Maybe that was the reason she had lost her ability. But what started out as tolerable pain, soon escalated to a near-crippling paralysis. She fell to the floor and tugged herself out into the hall so as not to wake Ronan.
A passing crewman ran towards her. “Are you alright, ma’am?”
He was a short man, even by Alliance standards. Dark haired with concerned, chestnut eyes.
“My stomach,” she panted, doubling over in pain. “Please help.”
The crewman hit a panel on the nearest wall. “Medical emergency on deck two, corridor twelve.”
The last thing she remembered was him kneeling down to help. Then she blacked out.
Chase arrived in the med-bay shortly after. He talked with the doctor currently on duty who gave him a detailed report on the tests they had performed on her and showed him some scans before leaving to tend to other things.
Hesitant to wake her, Chase cautiously approached the bed where Ryonna was sleeping, smiling when she opened her eyes. “Hello, sleepy head.”
“Chase...? Where am I?”
“Medical Bay.”
She looked around in alarm. “On Earth?”
“Soon,” he said calmingly. “We're less than an hour away from jumping out of hyperspace. You’re still on the Iron Fire.”
“Ronan?” she asked automatically.
“He’s fine. I passed by his quarters and he was still sleeping so I let him rest. I’m sure you’ll agree he’s had enough excitement for a while.”
She chuckled weakly. “Indeed. Thank you, Chase.”
The smile faded from Chase’s eyes. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Tell you what?”
“About that thing you have in your stomach. I ran into Tar’Lock and he explained that you had a nanite factory installed inside your stomach. He said something about the fact you needed to reverse the procedure quickly…?”
She sighed. “I thought I had a few more days. It didn’t seem that important at the time.”
“Well, the doc here is worried. It seems your body is rejecting the implant and he thinks you need to be operated on as soon as possible. He prefers doing it on Earth. Some of our best physicians are there, and there’s better operating equipment as well as full operating staff.”
She nodded but then stared up at him anxiously. “There’s something else, Chase.”
“What is it?
“I can’t seem to be able to foresee the moment of passing of the people I meet anymore. When I arrived on Hellstar it was still working, but shortly after—I don’t really know how or when exactly—or why—it’s just gone.”
Chase considered his response. “Does it bother you?”
“No, on the contrary. I’d rather this be gone forever.”
“So why worry?”
“Well…” She paused thoughtfully. “Maybe it was a tactical advantage you could have found useful in the future. As such, it’s a shame to have lost it.”
He frowned. “Why does it matter what is of any tactical advantage to me, Ryonna?”
“Because I owe you a life debt now.”
He shook his head quickly and took a step away. “Oh no you don’t! You saved our asses with that quadrinium. Without it, Earth and the Alliance would have fallen. So if there’s anyone owing anybody anything here, it’s the rest of us owing you, do you understand me?”
She gazed up solemnly. “That’s not how things work, Chase. You saved my hide from that desolate planet and helped me locate Ronan—that’s why I gave you the quadrinium. You coming to Hellstar to save us is another debt, a much more important one for me to repay.”
“Look, I understand Droxians are very proud people with a strong sense of honor. I’m sure you feel you have to do this, but—”
“I need to, and I will.”
“Will you let me finish?”
“Sorry. Please continue.”
“Alright, so as it happens, it’s Sarah who asked me to come to Hellstar. I don’t know how. I don’t know if this is one of my powers, but I heard her telepathically calling to me. So technically, I didn’t come to save you.”
Ryonna smiled. She knew what he was trying to do.
“The fact of the matter is, even if you came to find Sarah, once you arrived, do you honestly expect me to believe that you wouldn’t have tried to locate me and Ronan?”
Chase stalled nervously. “Alright maybe, but not if it had jeopardized my own mission.”
“Very well...” She grinned. “Well, now that my people and yours are allies, I guess there’s no issue with us to being friends.”
“Of course!” he said quickly. “I would expect that even if our people weren’t allies.”
She had him cornered and went in for the kill. “Then as your friend, I’m sorry I lost this advantage, and I hope you’ll let me be part of your entourage.”
He faltered at her logic. “What about Ronan?”
“What about him?”
“Isn’t he too young to be mixed up with what the new Alliance is trying to do? Wouldn’t you rather take him some place safe to look over and protect him?”
She sighed. “I don’t think there is any safe place anymore, Chase. This is an all-out war now, otherwise my people wouldn’t even have considered joining you. I know how stubborn we can be.”
“You can say that again,” he mumbled and they both laughed.
“Furthermore you need to understand that I want Ronan to become a great warrior, and shielding him from danger isn’t really going to help accomplish that.”
Chase nodded practically, but rushed suddenly forward when Ryonna d
oubled over with a groan. “Are you alright?”
“I’m fine, Chase, don’t worry.”
Her fierce bravery even amidst all the pain made him smile. “Look, I’m perfectly happy to have you on our side. You’ve been an invaluable ally and I would love to get to know you better as a friend.”
“Then it’s settled, Chase,” she said happily. “We’ll stay with you, and I think as long as I’m around, I can take care of Ronan.”
“Good.” Chase gave her a comical handshake and she laughed. “Now you should probably get some rest. We’ll soon reach Earth and then you’ll be transferred to a bigger medical center. They’ll operate as soon as possible to remove that contraption in your guts and flush the nanites from your body.”
Ryonna nodded in agreement.
“I’ve also let the doc know they need to bring Ronan to you when we reach Earth. There’s a guard in front of your quarters with orders to bring him to you in case he wakes up before then.”
She smiled at him. And to think, at their first meeting she had been reluctant to trust him. He was, after all, the first non-Droxian she had met who didn’t provide a vision regarding his future death. That alone had destabilized her. She was grateful now that she had let Sarah change her mind.
“Thank you, Chase.”
“You’re very welcome. Now try to rest a bit. You deserve it.”
The Iron Fire exited hyperspace and was soon orbiting Earth. Chase was on the bridge, sitting in the captain’s chair when it happened.
The view was both magnificent and terrorizing. On the one hand, it felt good to see the number of starships now orbiting Earth, especially ships like the Cronos, which were so massive they cast shadows below. However, Chase couldn’t help but notice some huge, dark, grey spots in Earth’s atmosphere where Argos’ abomination of a battleship had launched its deadly, mass-driver weaponry. Chase knew full well Sarah would want to know as soon as possible what cities had been hit, but after their intimate moment in their quarters, she had fallen asleep and he hadn’t felt like waking her up after that. She had been through so much lately, she deserved whatever sleep she could get.
Universe in Flames – Ultimate 10 Book Box Set: An Epic Space Opera Adventure Page 58
