Rise of Renegades, page 39
There was no derision in her voice, and instead it conveyed respect. He noticed that of the six dakorians walking behind Gellow, two were also hornless. But they showed no measure of shame for their status.
“How’d you get a Delvinoriq?” he asked, using his clamped hands to motion to the corridor. “Did you steal it from the Empire?”
“Who says it came from the Empire?”
They passed a bulkhead window, the view showing the command deck hovering inside the cloud of blue. Its size and beauty were breathtaking, the hull silver and sleek. But now Reklin could see that much of the armor plating was incomplete, with several of the decks on the opposite side open to space. But it had been heavily modified to be stealthier.
“You built it?” he asked.
Visika smiled again, a confident expression that twisted the tattoo across her eye and nose. “You are as intelligent as Gellow described.”
Gellow sputtered a refusal. “I never said—”
“Not with words,” Visika said. “But you inspired fear in Gellow, and fear is an excellent means of communication. Wouldn’t you agree, Reklin?”
He shuddered at the predatory smile. “What do you want from me?”
“Isn’t it obvious?” Her eyes flicked to Siena and back to him.
Instead of claiming she was normal, Reklin feigned confusion. “I don’t understand.”
She chuckled at his response. “They really should have turned you into a Bloodwall. You certainly have the talent for it, if not the right disposition.” She turned to the krey at her side, a male from House Kin’Dohr, judging by her silver eyes. “Lock them up. Notify me when the girl wakes.”
“As you order.” He gave a curt nod and motioned to the dakorians, who pulled Reklin down a side corridor.
“I’ll see you soon,” Visika called, her black eyes amused. “I do hope you’re up for the interrogation.”
Reklin did not respond as the dakorians muscled him out of view, but didn’t care for the glitter of anticipation in the woman’s gaze. Gellow followed with the others, and the krey officer smirked as he fell into step with Reklin.
“She doesn’t look like much,” Gellow said, “but she runs the Ghosts like military—only more brutal.”
“How did she build a Delvinoriq?” Reklin asked.
“She stole the schematics,” he said. “It’s not as big as the real thing, but it’s faster, stealthier, and even more deadly.”
“All from stolen parts?”
“All of it.”
The krey officer came to a halt at a door and motioned the soldiers to put Reklin inside. They shoved him through the opening, which proved to be on the inside of the starboard hull. The back half of the compartment was open, with only the faint glimmer of a shield keeping the atmosphere inside.
“Tampering with the door will disengage the shield,” Gellow said. “Enjoy the view, because you won’t survive Visika’s interrogation.”
“What does she want, Gellow?”
“The only thing that matters,” he replied. “The location of the augment world. A dakorian wouldn’t know it, but it seems the slave girl knows how to pilot, so she’ll know how to get back.”
“Then why am I alive?”
“Because I saw you on Rebor,” he sneered. “And the girl has grown attached. Your pain will force her to speak.”
“You talk too much,” the krey officer said, and shut the door. A faint thud sounded as a locking mechanism engaged, sealing Reklin inside.
He listened to them depart and then crossed to the shield. He was on a lower deck, and looked up to see the command deck. The heart of the ship was two hundred feet from the starboard hull, hovering in an invisible gravity coupler. The ship began to accelerate, and Reklin could just make out the projection rings forming ahead of the bow. The next moment they were jumping to hyperlight.
Siena? Reklin ventured, hoping the mental link went deep enough to wake her. Would her self-healing even function if she were unconscious?
There was no answer, not that he expected one. Erkon-6 rendered a dakorian unconscious for an hour, and a human for six. Siena would not wake up even if severe pain was inflicted on the body, so Visika would wait until the effects naturally expired. Hopefully the synthetic adrenaline would shorten that time enough for them to escape.
The use of the Erkon-6 was obvious. Visika wanted them alive, and it was the fastest method to incapacitate them both. Visika was renowned for her paranoia, and she would not want to risk a potential augment’s escape. He wasn’t sure if them knowing he was an augment was good or bad. It would save his life, but he didn’t want to let such knowledge fall into Visika’s ruthless organization.
In the cell, his augment was all but useless. He knew the exact route back to the Nova, but even if they escaped, they would not be able to flee in the derelict ship. He needed Siena to wake up. Closing his eyes, he mentally shouted, SIENA!
Nothing. Pacing, he considered his options, trying every ten minutes to rouse Siena. The minutes dragged by, and several times he heard Ghosts pass his cell. He’d already checked for a monitor and found two, both in the upper corners. They were watching him, but could not know how he might communicate with Siena.
An hour passed, and then two, and every ten minutes he continued to mentally shout. He had no way of knowing if it would work, or how much the synthetic adrenaline would reduce the time on the poison, but he had no other options. After three hours he gathered himself and mentally roared, Siena!
Again, no response, but this time he heard a faint stirring. He breathed a sigh of relief. The synthetic adrenaline would have accelerated her heart, burning through the Erkon faster. It was their only chance.
Reklin knew Visika would not hesitate to kill him, and would torture him mercilessly until Siena revealed how to reach Lumineia. Which she would. She was strong in many ways, but he had no doubt she would break. He shuddered to think of what Visika would do if she knew Siena had a time augment.
Siena! he mentally shouted again. You need to wake up!
. . . wert huppendsss.
Her words were slurred as her consciousness gradually fought against the Erkon. He was just glad she was waking up. Three hours wasn’t much for them to escape a ship as powerful as the Black Moon, but their fate was sealed if they failed. Two hours, fifty minutes until Visika would assume Siena was awake.
Reklin? Siena sounded distant. Where are we?
On a ship called the Black Moon. Turns out Gellow is part of the Burning Ghosts, and they want you to tell them how to get to Lumineia. The Nova is three decks below us and I believe you are in the cell adjacent to mine.
Why does my back hurt?
Reklin winced. Sorry about that. I injected you with synthetic adrenaline. It shortened the effects of the gas. Otherwise you wouldn’t be waking up for another three hours.
I assume you have a plan to escape?
Siena sounded better. Her voice was clearer and it seemed she was on her feet. Reklin had endured Erkon-6 in training, and knew from experience that waking up brought a throbbing headache and a craving for strange flavors.
Get to the Nova. Get out.
That’s not a plan, she replied.
He grinned at her irritation. We’ve got three hours before they begin an interrogation. They’ll torture me to death, and if you still haven’t answered, they’ll start torturing you. Right now they don’t know we can communicate in this fashion, or what augments you possess. They probably assume you have superior strength because that’s what past augment experiments tried to create.
That explains the metal clamps around my wrists. They’re thick enough to hold a dakorian.
There was a whisper of clanking at the door and Reklin darted to it, putting his shoulder against the wall. Why were they early? Maybe Gellow? Hoping for a private reckoning for what Reklin had done to him?
Hang on, Reklin sent to Siena. Someone is here.
The door whisked open, and as Reklin had guessed, Gellow stood in the opening. He had no companions, giving Reklin a touch of hope. His sneer was the darkest Reklin had ever seen as he pointed to the back of the cell.
“Against the shield. Now.”
Reklin slowly backed up. “Gellow,” he said. “If you kill me here, Visika is going to be furious.”
“I did what you asked,” Gellow said. “Now what do you want?”
Confused, Reklin realized Gellow was not speaking to him. Then Gellow shifted to the side, revealing a claw-like apparatus clenched on the back of his neck, against his spine. Then he moved a little further and a krey stood in the doorway.
Ero Bright’Lor.
“Ero?” Reklin blurted. “What are you doing here?”
Ero grinned. “Rescuing you, obviously.”
Chapter Forty-Two
Ero relished the surprise and shock on Reklin’s face. The dakorian was an elite soldier, trained to adapt to unexpected events, but the dakorian had obviously not expected him to show up on the Black Moon.
“Gellow,” he said,” be a nice soldier and shut the door before someone sees it open.”
“Shut it yourself.”
Ero brushed a hand across his cortex, and the vice on Gellow’s neck brightened. He growled as tiny needles pushed through his bones and sent power into his neck. He tried to swing for Ero, but the clamp tightened further and he fell back against the wall.
“I haven’t seen a spine clamp in ages.” Ero watched Gellow squirm. “But I’m guessing you were bringing it for Reklin.
“Stop!” he snarled. “I’ll do it.”
Ero eased off the spine clamp. “Your compliance is appreciated.”
“I hate you.”
Ero smiled. “I know.”
Gellow activated his personal cortex and jerked his finger across the holo, closing the door to the cell. His other hand twitched towards the spine clamp but he did not touch it.
Reklin shook his head in disbelief. “Ero, how did you get on the Black Moon?”
“Kensen and I were coming to the Nova.” He grinned at the image of a dumbfounded Reklin and Siena when they saw the giant red drake. “But the Gate on the ship was blocked, suggesting either the Nova had been destroyed, or someone was using a Gate clamp. Kensen bypassed the link, and we boarded just before Black Moon’s shield was reactivated.”
“Who’s Kensen?” Gellow asked.
Reklin motioned to his former captain. “Perhaps this conversation would be best without Gellow being conscious.”
“Excellent suggestion,” Ero said, activating his holoview.
Gellow’s eyes widened. “Wait, no—”
Ero grasped the floating dial and turned it up, sending jolts of energy into the spine clamp. Gellow screamed and collapsed, his body convulsing until Ero turned the vise back to zero. Gellow remained on the floor with his eyes closed.
“Is he unconscious?” Ero tapped the fallen dakorian with his toe.
I can no longer hear his thoughts, Siena spoke into Ero’s mind.
Ero flinched at the mental contact. “What was that?”
My mind augment allows me to speak telepathically, Siena said.
Ero shuddered. “Do you have any idea how disturbing it is to have someone else in my head?”
“Do you hear Siena’s voice?” Reklin had been examining Gellow, but he glanced at Ero.
“Did she talk to your mind too?” Ero asked.
“It is disturbing,” Reklin said wryly.
I can hear you both, Siena said, sounding annoyed.
“See?” Ero asked.
Reklin rolled the dakorian onto his stomach and checked the claw-like apparatus. The claws dug into his flesh around the bones. Ero had never experienced a spine clamp, and hoped to keep his unblemished record.
“I don’t understand,” Reklin said. “How did you overpower Gellow to get the vise?”
“You mean how did this weak, pitiful krey overpower the over-muscled and thick-necked soldier?”
Reklin actually looked embarrassed. “Yes.”
“I found the Erkon-6 det on the Nova.” Ero pulled the spent detonator from his side and casually tossed it away. It clattered against the wall. “It had enough left to take down Gellow, and you should have seen his expression when he hit the deck.”
Reklin chuckled and stood. “My guess is he intended to torture me with the spine clamp while he waited for Siena to wake up.”
You left Kensen on the Nova, Siena said. Not a question.
Ero noticed the confidence in her voice, as if she already knew the answer. Could she link to his mind too? Or had she developed another augment? The girl was full of surprises. Reklin’s features revealed nothing.
“He’s trying to get the Nova operational,” Ero said. “He said the projection Gate was disabled.”
Kensen doesn’t know how to repair a ship, Siena said.
“I said trying,” Ero said.
“We need to move quickly,” Reklin said. “When they know what has happened, they’ll lock down the ship and search every compartment.”
“How much time do we have?” Ero asked.
“Another two hours before they interrogate Siena.”
I’m guessing less, Siena said flatly. I think Visika is coming to my cell now.
“She’s early,” Reklin said with a scowl. “She must have been monitoring her to see when she woke up.” The dakorian looked up at the vid recorders in the upper corners of the room.
“I disabled them.” Ero waved in dismissal.
Can’t talk. She’s here.
The mental link faded, and Ero looked to Reklin in confusion. “Who’s Visika?”
“Head of the Burning Ghosts,” Reklin said.
“The Burning Ghosts?” Ero’s eyes widened. “They’re legendary. Are we on their ship?”
Ero was delighted by the news. He’d always liked the Burning Ghosts for their disregard for the Empire, but aside from a few illegal purchases, had never had dealings with the criminal organization. When he’d Gated onto the Nova, he’d only been able to determine they were being pulled into the cargo bay of another vessel, and he’d assumed it was owned by Malikin.
“Don’t tell me you’re a fan,” Reklin said. He picked up Gellow’s hammer lance and hung it on his back.
“Let’s just say I’ve admired their talent for evasion,” Ero said.
“Well if we don’t find a way off their ship, you can admire their talent for death and dismemberment—not necessarily in that order.”
“Too bad.” Ero sighed in regret. “We would have been such good friends.”
“We need a distraction.”
“And how do we distract Visika?” Ero asked. “This ship is the size of a heavy cruiser, and probably has a crew of a thousand.”
“I don’t know,” Reklin said. “But Visika is very intelligent. Whatever we do, it will have to be big.”
An idea crossed Ero’s mind—a very dangerous idea. Yet it would be oh so entertaining. Ero gave a lopsided grin, an expression both confident and a touch devious.
Reklin paused and frowned. “I don’t like that look.”
“Trust me,” Ero said.
“You’re not going to tell me?” Reklin said.
“I think you’ll enjoy the surprise.”
Reklin reached down and used Gellow’s holoview to open the door. “I’m setting it to shut after ten seconds,” Reklin said. “And activating a command override. Gellow won’t be able to get out of the cell until someone lets him out.”
“You’re not going to kill him?” Ero asked.
He was surprised that Reklin would show mercy to his former captain. Shard captains were not usually so reluctant to kill an enemy. But Reklin hesitated as he regarded the unconscious dakorian, and then shook his head.
“No,” he said. “Gellow was my former captain and former friend. I’m not going to kill him in this state.”
“It’s your death.” He shrugged and poked his head into the hall. It was empty, so he nodded. “Let’s go. We need to find a communication cortex.”
Reklin joined him in the hall and the door whisked shut behind them, sealing Gellow inside. Reklin pointed up and to starboard. “Visika built the Black Moon on the design of a Delvinoriq. It’s been heavily modified, but I’m guessing the original design remains intact. If it is, the starboard communication cortex is in a compartment one deck up and further up the starboard hull.”
“Lead the way,” Ero said.
Ero fell into step behind Reklin as they went up the corridor and to a side hatch. As Reklin opened it manually, Ero kept an eye on the corridor for any crew members that happened by. Fortunately it remained empty. When the door was open Ero ducked inside. The narrow aperture was inside the superstructure of the ship, and obviously an access way for a krey engineer.
“You sure you can fit?” Ero asked.
Reklin squeezed in. “I’ll have to.”
“Just don’t get stuck.”
Ero worked his way down the cramped corridor with conduits to either side. At the end, a ladder extended upward. He reached for the rungs and began to climb. Behind him, Reklin’s bones scraped against the sides.
“Could you be any louder?” Ero hissed.
“Sorry,” Reklin said, his voice pained.
Ero glanced down and noticed the partially healed wounds on the dakorian’s back. “What happened on Rebor?”
“I’ll tell you if we survive.”
“Did you get the contracts?”
“I did.”
At the next level, Ero exited the ladder and followed a low corridor to another hatch. He waited for a small group of Ghosts to pass before easing the hatch open. The hallway was clear, so Ero stepped into the open.
“Which way?” he asked.
Reklin wormed his way out of the opening and pointed. “It should be that direction.”
Ero crossed the corridor and followed the slight curve towards the bow of the starship, passing a lance turret, a living compartment, and a pair of storage rooms. He paused often to listen, and was grateful the big dakorian at his back could walk quietly.
Ero was impressed at the design of the ship. The black seracrete walls and the hexagonal pattern on the decking gave the ship a sinister feel, while the lighting was not quite sufficient to illuminate the corridor. The ceiling was vaulted, the alcoves to each compartment recessed—the combination was expansive and exuded power. And yet the sounds of their passage were muffled, granting the feel of stealth.
