Chapter Thirteen
Polemusa had been too nervous to just sitstill while her only child was becoming a creature whose very existence madethe defense queen uneasy. There had been times in the history of the Amazeenwhen the tribes had tried—unsuccessfully—to incorporate a male Reaper intotheir bloodline. That time was still spoken of in hushed whispers for it hadnot been one of Amazeen’s finest hours. Because she could not allow herself todwell on what was happening to Shanee, Polemusa had volunteered to pilot the Raptortoward R-9. She was expertly maneuvering the massive Class 9 Star Destroyerthrough asteroid fields like a hot knife through butter. Such things kept hermind occupied and her thoughts away from Deck Five. She had alreadyoutdistanced the three Delta Division Sub Cruisers that had been assigned byFleet Command to aid the mission.
“We received a message that Captain Brevaalong with three other Star Cruisers have reached R-9, your grace,” the comofficer informed Leveche as he and Bakari took the bridge.
“Open a channel to the Sangunar,Lieutenant,” Leveche ordered.
The happy face of Raoul Breva appeared onthe vid-com. “How goes it, chanto?” he asked his half brother.
“Slowly but surely,” Leveche replied. “Areyou in position?”
“Aye, and we’re cloaked and waiting foryou,” Breva reported. “And that’s the new cloaking device just in case you wereworried.”
“I knew you’d handle it,” Leveche said.“Have you done any recon at all?”
“We know there are two ships on planet. Oneis a Diamhair LRC and the other a short-range sub cruiser with a Riezellregistry. We are reading six life forms—four female and two male—and three ’botheat signatures.” He frowned. “One life form is very weak.”
Leveche and Bakari exchanged a look.
“Keep us informed, chanto,” Levechesaid. “We’ll be there in less than an hour at the rate our pilot is pushingthis baby.”
“Make sure no one leaves that planet beforewe arrive,” Bakari commanded.
“Will do, Burgon,” Raoul acknowledged thenhis handsome face vanished from the vid-com screen.
“You’re going to have to take back theBurgonship from Ben-Alkazar,” Leveche said. “Authority becomes you.”
“Aye, well it’s sat on my shoulders for solong, I don’t know how to act without it,” Bakari replied. “I…”
Colonel Shanee Iphito took that moment tocome onto the bridge and every eye snapped to her tall, lithe frame. Before herTransition from human to Reaper she had been a beautiful, alluring woman. Now,she was extraordinarily stunning with skin that was perfectly flawless and darkgray eyes that seemed to pulsate with sensuality. Her white hair had changed toan unusual silvery shade that was breathtakingly lovely. She had about her anallure that every man—Reaper and humanoid alike—felt to the very pit of hissoul.
“She shifts into a red wolf,” Leveche toldBakari, “and I thought that was extraordinary but now…” He shook his head.“Ailyn is going to have his hands full with this one.”
Rory Quinn was staring at his ex-lover asthough she were a banquet that had been placed before him to devour. He had toshake himself to remember that he was a married man and that he dearly lovedhis lady.
Striding forward in the Reaper uniform thathugged her shapely body as though she’d been poured into the black silk andblack leather, Shanee seemed totally oblivious to the commotion she had createdon the Raptor’s bridge. She walked up to Leveche and stood therewith her hands on her hips.
“Thank you, Lord Gabriel, for your help. Itwas greatly appreciated,” she said, and every male there felt his groin tenseat the husky tone of her voice.
“It was my honor, Lady Shanee,” Levechereplied in the time-honored greeting of one Reaper to another.
“I have programmed my ’bots to take outthose of the Ceannus,” she said. “Unless there is any reason you can think offor us to keep them intact.”
“None that I know of,” Leveche said. “Youmight instruct your constructs not to destroy the mem-chips just to be on thesafe side.”
“I already have,” she said then switchedher gaze to the vid-com. “I would like to see the planet.”
Bakari ordered R-9 brought up.
The planet was covered in a red haze thatgave evidence of the desert sands that continuously swept over the barrensandstone rocks. Dust storms were a hazard on R-9 and one of the reasons it hadbeen chosen by the Alliance as a penal colony in the beginning.
“I’ve a stronghold on the other side of theplanet,” Leveche told her. “It’s sealed but it can be reopened if need be.”
“Are there provisions there?” she asked.“Water?”
“Everything you might need,” he said.“Would you like to make use of it while Ailyn is recouping?”
She looked away from the vid-screen. “Iwould.”
“Consider it yours for as long as you needit then,” he said. “I’ll make sure there are additional provisions—Sustenanceand tenerse—transported in. There are two fully fueled runabouts still there ifyou need them.”
“Once again, your help is appreciated, LordGabriel,” she said.
“I would not like to be in ElspethHarmattan’s shoes,” Quinn said softly to Polemusa. “She’s going to makemincemeat out of that old hag.”
“It is her right to do so,” Polemusareplied. She was staring at her daughter, unnerved by the power, the authorityand the strength Shanee had in spades. She wasn’t so sure she liked seeing heronly child in such a way.
Bakari put a hand on Shanee’s shoulder.“Gabe and I need to go over some things with you before we reach R-9. Is now agood time?”
Shanee agreed that it was and the three ofthem left the bridge.
Once in the Raptor’s conferenceroom, the three Reapers sat down at the long oval table and Leveche leanedforward, his fingers threaded, elbows on the polished oak top.
“You heard the hellion speak to you and youheard Her promise. Listen to Her. She will not lead you astray.”
“You are younger and in better conditionthan your opponent,” Bakari added. “She also has the disadvantage of havingbeen near death. The parasite will be working overly hard to vanquish all thepoisons and diseased cells in her body so it will not be up to strength.”
“You are also a warrioress—bred andtrained,” Leveche reminded her. “Though at one time she
