“Perhaps they cannot train them as fast as we can kill them,” I said, although the ease of our mission stole some of the glory.
I motioned for two raiders to pry open the doors, then we all rushed onto the bridge, shields high in preparation for a final stand from the enemy crew. When there was no volley of blaster fire, I lowered my shield to study the command deck officers.
There were only two Zagrath males in crisp smoke-blue uniforms, both of them so fresh-faced I was surprised to see they had stubble on their cheeks. One sat at a console and was clearly the pilot, and the other stood with his shoulders thrown back and his chin jutting up. If he was the captain, he was the youngest one I’d ever seen.
Svar emitted a disgusted groan, dropping his battle axe to his side. “You are the ship’s senior officers?”
The captain who was little more than a boy lifted his chin higher. “I am Captain Jernen.”
I glanced at Svar, whose brow was furrowed, then back at the imperial captain. “How long have you been captain?”
He hesitated. “I was promoted just before this mission.”
Fear tingled at the back of my neck as I approached the captain. I towered over the shaking Zagrath, the blood of his fellow soldiers dripping from the curve of my blade onto his black boots. “Tell me, Captain, are we your mission?”
His gaze snapped to mine too quickly. It was all the answer I needed. This single imperial ship with its crew of untrained fighters and green officers was a trap. I wasn’t sure how, but the gnawing in my gut told me it had to do with Alana. And I’d left her alone on my ship.
I turned and ran off the enemy command deck.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Alana
I had to get away from the Vandar guard so I could go hunting for the imperial spy. They were either on board or they would be soon. I could feel it.
I pounded on the door to the Raas’ quarters again. The door swished open, and the guard faced me with his hands on his hips. His broad chest muscles were flexed as he stared me down, one hand shifting to the top of his battle axe. “What?”
I debated how to approach him. Should I try to convince him that the horde was in trouble? That probably wouldn’t fly since all the raiders on board still believed I was a victim of the empire. Convincing him I knew what I was talking about because I was actually an imperial spy would not go well for me.
“I need to talk to the Raas,” I said. “Is he back yet?”
The guard narrowed his gaze at me. “You will see him when he returns to his quarters. Not before.”
I huffed out a breath. Why were all Vandar males so infuriatingly stubborn? “Listen,” I said, attempting to make my voice more persuasive. “It’s about the raiding mission. I have a bad feeling that—“
“The Vandar conduct raiding missions on imperial ships all the time.” He gave me a patronizing look. “It’s the mission of our hordes.”
“Yes, but—“ I started to argue with him but then his face went slack, and he dropped to his knees.
I jumped out of the way as his huge body slammed onto the steel floor with an echoing thud. It only took me a moment to see the blade sticking out of his back and to dodge quickly at the flash of movement to one side.
I spun, scanning the open air corridor and assuming a battle stance.
“So, you haven’t forgotten who you are.” The deadly voice slid down my spine as he stepped out of the shadows.
“Rennick.” I uttered the word like a curse. Of all the imperial assassins, why had they sent him?
The human had dark hair, and a wiry frame that was sheathed completely in black, which made him easy to lose in the dimness of the Vandar ship. His eyes were as black as the rest of him and as cold as an ice planet.
“How long has it been, Mantis?” He gave me a smile that made me shiver.
“Since the academy.”
“Right.” He nodded leisurely, as if we were two schoolmates catching up on old times. The reality was he’d always despised me, especially since I’d bested him at almost everything while we were in training. “That was a long time ago.”
Not long enough, I thought, my gaze raking over his body. He didn’t appear to be holding a weapon, but when it came to imperial assassins, looks were deceiving, and I suspected he had plenty of weapons attached to him, just carefully hidden.
“Why are you here, Rennick?” I didn’t actually have any doubt why the empire had sent him, but I did need to buy some time.
He glanced down at the dead Vandar and then past me into the Raas’ quarters. “To finish the job you could not.”
“You presume too much.”
His slippery gaze traveled down the length of me, taking in the Vandar clothes I’d adjusted to fit my smaller body. “I don’t think so. You even look like them.”
My competitive nature hated the suggestion that he’d been sent in because I had failed at something. I never failed. The truth was, I had never even tried to kill the Raas. Not that I was going to argue that to him.
“You should go before you blow my cover and ruin my entire mission,” I snapped, my ire that he was encroaching on my mission flaring.
“You really expect me to believe that you’ve been on the enemy ship and in the warlord’s private chamber for all this time and still haven’t figured out how to slit his throat?” He made tsk-ing noises. “You’ve never lingered over a mission before.”
“I’m not lingering over this one,” I said. “But this mission requires more time. And I can’t pull it off if you blow my cover.”
“Your mission is over.” A smile curled his thin lips. “As are you, Mantis. The empire doesn’t
