The Empress’s catlike eyes gleamed and Zaul stroked his stubbled chin, admiring the extensive curve of Lexia’s ram horns, unusual in a young Jakru female, giving her an aura of power. She was tall, almost as tall as himself.
“You were drugged by Klushniz kidnappers is all we know. Ever since you spoke out against the radicals on the arms movements and the forced sterilization of the lower-caste Gants, they’ve been after your blood.”
Lexia winced. “They hate me, but I won’t let them manipulate the Council.”
Zaul stared grimly for a few seconds at the half dozen crew members on the bridge. The stars had stabilized; the ship had dropped out of hyperlight and the Jakru rebel craft Kestrel lay to with its flotilla of warships, armed and ready in deep space. These were huge gunships with enough firepower to destroy any space station and level a city. He looked with pride on such a fleet fit for a king that had beaten the Mentera. A shame they hadn’t time to destroy the station completely. The Empress’s life was worth more than that.
The Skullroxers would never trace them to these remote coordinates on the other side of Belzar’s Star. Not that they were strong enough to take on his armada. He was glad Miko and his gang of blood-spattered rebels had been confined to Sick Bay. If he had his way he would have both Fenli and Miko executed for the part they played in allowing Lexia to fall into the hands of the depraved hermaphrodite, B & D. He needed to impress certain things on the Empress’s mind and wanted no distractions. It was a wonder she was as lucid as she was, having been confined in that foul locust brine for so long. She had not spoken of her experience on Demen II, but her near-naked, disheveled appearance at her time of rescue had told him all he needed to know. While Jakru intel was at best infallible, the evil reputation of B & D preceded itself.
“A lot has happened in my absence,” the Empress murmured.
“Lucky that I commandeered these battle vessels when I did,” Zaul grunted. “We lost three battleships during the assault on the Mentera station.”
“But you crippled the station?”
“We raked its stern to pieces—tore it out of its orbit, but couldn’t finish the work. Our special ops advance guard radioed word from the landing bay that those vermin had you in that filthy Doraxu craft.”
Lexia sucked in a breath. “The memories are painful—and yet if Miko, Fenli and the rebel locust hadn’t pulled me aboard, who knows what fate would have befallen me?”
“Do not be deceived. That Fenli is a shark who would sell his own mother for a profit. The girl’s a light-skirt, a nobody. The locust—it should be executed like every one of those vile insects. The outcast, this Sket’s just some two-bit smuggler who ended up getting on the wrong side of the mutant B & D. The only one I have any respect for is Miko, the NAVO man. But even him I don’t trust. Something about him doesn’t quite sit right, as if he’s half mutant himself, mixed up with these bloodsucking aliens in some queer way.”
Lexia’s eyes flashed, as if remembering the strange actions of Miko, the mysterious ghost-like avenger who strove to save her from locusts and bots. “For now, they are our allies, Zaul, and I trust you to treat them as such.”
Zaul’s lips parted and showed white teeth. “So you say. I sense they will thwart our mission, like the rest of their rabble. In fact, I do not know who is worse, these ragtag rebels, the Mentera, or our own backstabbers on Chrysalis. As for those Jakru who sold you into the locust hands. When I find them—” His fingers curled into fists.
“Easy, Zaul.” She put a hand on his shoulder. “Let’s keep our wits about us. We’ll return homeward to Chrysalis and make things right.”
“Nay, Your Highness. They will rise to retaliate against you. I did not leave on good terms with the nobility, though I spoke in your favour. I reminded them of the urgency of the mission to rescue you, but they did not listen! Fools! Our intelligence ferreted out that you were captive of the Mentera. No ransom, just a straight kidnapping. Somebody wanted to get rid of you. The Council’s policy was to sit back and negotiate, realizing that a fight with the Mentera would bring ruin to our smaller world.”
“Thank the Virgin Stars I have you, Zaul,” said Lexia with fierce pride. “You’re my one faithful ally.”
Zaul grunted, abashed. He twisted aside. “A hothead according to common opinion...but I’ll kill them, all of the filthy cowards. They have jeopardized your life and put me on their black list for taking the fleet behind their backs. I have been slated for court-martial. Court-martial! Can you believe it?” He huffed out a breath. “Let them try to take me. Imbeciles!”
“I’ll deal with the Mentera and the traitors in due time, but first I must stabilize the situation at home. You said earlier there were riots in the streets—even the canal ways in Quandria’s centre.”
“Aye, Empress, they broke—”
“Colonel, Empress,” interrupted Commander Deral at the bridge. “We’ve intercepted a transmission from rogue BA2 base, and our long range scanners report locust activity at sublight in sector 3.4.”
“Not cloaking their heat signature?”
“Maybe they can’t, or don’t care to, sir? The Mark Evlon 9 that we detected—no, wait, new information—” she touched a finger to her headset “—a Zikri war orb is heading towards one of their bases!—to far Altair.”
“Zikri? Altair? As in the foul creature that assaulted us back on Demen II?”
“Affirmative, Colonel. And there are more of them, full
