Imminent Danger: And How to Fly Straight Into It Read online

“While I have no problem with duels to the death in general,” Varrin told the motionless commander, “I will not kill someone who once devoted his life to protecting mine.”

  Varrin removed Fino’jin’s armor and put it on, adjusting the straps to fit his leaner frame. He was buckling on the shin guards when the intercom blared.

  “Attention! The Ssrisk boarding parties have been contained. The terrestrial has been located and recaptured. All guards, return to your posts. Execution squad B report to the bridge immediately. That is all.”

  “So this is it,” Varrin murmured, pulling Fino’jin’s helmet over his shaggy hair. It was too large, so he took it off and tossed it beside the Skin Slicer’s body. “The girl will be executed, and I will escape.”

  He glanced at his unconscious opponent sprawled on the metal floor. “Don’t look at me like that,” he scolded. “It wasn’t like our mission was guaranteed to succeed. She knew that going in. She chose her own fate.” Varrin groaned. “Then why do I feel so guilty?”

  36

  Much to Eris’s dismay, Grashk refused to go down without a fight, especially after the Rakorsians ordered him to surrender.

  As more guards poured into the control room, the deadly Ssrisk continued to fire round after round. Finally, a fluke shot from one of the Rakorsians hit the edge of a nearby terminal, knocking free a chunk of metal that ricocheted off Grashk’s forehead. When he reeled backward, his attackers stunned him with their strikers. Grashk collapsed.

  One of the Rakorsians clapped binders around Eris and Miguri’s wrists. “Keep your mouths shut, and don’t try to escape,” he said as his companions bound the unconscious Grashk.

  “Honestly,” Eris whispered to Miguri as they were marched back to the command deck. “If I’d known I was going to be captured again, I wouldn’t have bothered escaping in the first place.”

  “If I had known I was going to be kidnapped by Ssrisk, sold to Chakra Corporation, forced to fraternize with an exiled mercenary prince, allied with my previous kidnappers, and captured by Rakorsians,” Miguri whispered, “I would have never left my colony.”

  “Yeah, yeah, I get it. There’s no point regretting things we can’t change.”

  “Actually, I was wallowing in self pity,” the Claktill murmured. “But I think I prefer your version. It sounds far wiser.”

  “What are they going to do with Grashk?” Eris wondered.

  “Stop talking, terrestrial,” one of the guards snapped, shoving her forward with the barrel of his striker.

  The drama of Eris’s second entrance onto the bridge was increased by the simultaneous arrival of execution squad B. The half-dozen Rakorsians were decked out from head to toe in black armor and wielded huge electro-axes.

  “Way to count,” Eris said.

  Kratis, bent over a monitor, straightened and fixed her with an annoyed look.

  “There are only two of us,” she lectured. “You don’t need six axes to behead two people.”

  “Perhaps we execute people by chopping off their limbs and letting them bleed to death,” Kratis replied smoothly. “Did you consider that?”

  Eris blanched.

  “Nothing to say? But I’ve grown to love your sniveling voice so. And I see you have a Claktill with you now—bad luck for him, as he will share your fate.” He sniggered. “Well, as much as I would love to continue this fascinating conversation, I do have a traitorous Ssrisk captain to punish and his ship to destroy.”

  Eris and Miguri were hauled off to the side while Kratis strode up to the main view screen and barked a command. The scaly, indigo visage of Captain Hroshk appeared on the screen.

  “Captain Hroshk,” Kratis sneered. “We have a little matter of betrayal to discuss.”

  “I knew you were planning to double-cross me, Admiral,” Hroshk hissed, “so I took the initiative.”

  Kratis looked genuinely surprised. “I fully intended to hand over the human as per our agreement.”

  “That is not enough,” Hroshk said. “It does not pay the revenge I owe your prince for attacking my ship without warning or provocation.”

  “He attacked your ship without first issuing a challenge?”

  “Yes,” the Ssrisk hissed, tri-forked tongue darting furiously in and out of his fanged mouth. “He brought down our shields through some devious trick and boarded like a common pirate. I owe him a great deal of pain. I broke our agreement because you refused to hand him over to me.”

  Kratis sighed and then nodded. “In light of the situation, I am prepared to allow your betrayal.”

  “What!” Eris shouted. All eyes on the bridge turned her way. “Look, I am in no way, shape, or form on Hroshk’s side, but how can you just let him off the hook like that? It defies all logic!” She shook her head in disbelief.

  “Cease your irritating outbursts!” Kratis spat. Turning back to Hroshk, he said, “I require a small adjustment to our agreement, Captain. I cannot hand the human over to you, because I am about to execute her. I will, of course, assist you in obtaining a replacement.”

  “I accept,” Hroshk said. “I am better off being rid of her. Any human would be preferable to that one.”

  I’m not sure whether to be flattered or insulted by that comment, Eris thought.

  “Excellent,” Kratis said. “Then, in light of our recent misunderstanding, I invite you aboard my ship to watch the execution.”

  And suddenly they’re friends again, Eris thought incredulously. Yet another thing about aliens I don’t understand. Not that I’m going to be around long enough to figure it out.

  “As a show of good faith,” Kratis continued, “I shall also return to you any members of your boarding parties that have survived.”

  “And the prince?” Hroshk asked.

  “No,” Kratis said, his voice suddenly cold. “No matter what breach of conduct Prince Varrin committed, he is Rakorsian. Your betrayal was justified, Captain, and I have responded as such, but the prince is mine to deal with.”

  Hroshk’s forehead scales flared, but he seemed to know better than to push his luck. “Of course, Admiral. Just as we would allow no one else to punish a Ssrisk. I shall come aboard immediately.”

  Before Hroshk cut the channel, he shot Eris a look of such glaring hatred that she physically recoiled. I think he blames me for everything that’s gone wrong for him since he abducted me from Earth, she thought. Ha! Serves him right.

  She gave Hroshk one of her widest grins. Then she recalled that she was about to be killed, possibly through very messy and painful dismemberment, and the grin faded quickly from her face.

  “Take them to execution room C,” Kratis commanded.

  The execution squad hustled Eris and Miguri off the bridge. Execution room C, Eris thought. What kind of ship has an execution room at all, let alone three?

  “Please tell me what is going on, my friend,” Miguri huffed, scurrying to keep up with the fast pace.

  “Varrin sold us out again,” Eris said.

  “Silence!” one of the executioners snapped.

  “Oh, silence yourself,” Eris retorted. “We’re about to be executed. Cut us some slack.” To her surprise, the Rakorsian gave her a brief, scrutinizing look and then ignored her.

  “Are you all right?” Miguri asked quietly.

  “Of course I’m not all right!” she half-shouted. “I’ve spent the last two months being abducted, manipulated, tortured, and betrayed by aliens whose collective morals couldn’t fill a teaspoon! This whole time, I’ve always figured there was some reason why such horrible things were happening to us. And I kept telling myself that, at the very end, right when things were about as bad as they could get, something would finally go right, and I would escape, and go back to Earth, and forget this whole mad adventure ever happened!”

  “My friend,” the Claktill said solemnly, “you are acting like a child.”

  Eris frowned. “That’s a bit harsh.”

  “Perhaps,” he allowed. “But you need somebody to snap you out o
f this new, pessimistic attitude. I am not any happier than you that we are on our way to being executed, but at least I am not whining about it.”

  “I am not whining!”

  “Yes, you are,” Miguri proclaimed. “You are unhappy because you feel life has been unfair to you. Well, you must just learn to accept it. My entire planet was obliterated, for Kari’s sake. My own people banished me because I tried to protect them.” He halted suddenly and focused a stern expression on the gloomy girl. “The galaxy is not fair, and only fools believe otherwise. And you, my friend, are no fool.”

  Without a word, one of the executioners lifted Miguri off his feet and tossed him over his shoulder.

  “I have lived over two hundred years,” Miguri continued, bouncing along on the Rakorsian’s armor-plated shoulder, “and … believe it or not … I have never … in that entire span … met someone whom I respected … as much as you.”

  “Really?” Eris blinked, taken aback. “But why?”

  “When I was lost and alone … in that horrible Ssrisk cell block … you came and saved me from it,” he said seriously, though the bouncing made it difficult for him to talk. “You were cheerful … and determined … and no matter what happened to us … you still managed to … present a brave face.”

  Eris was moved by her friend’s words. “Yeah?”

  “Yes,” Miguri declared. “Even when the Rakorsian … double-crossed you … you still had the gumption … to joke about it afterward … despite how hurt you were.”

  “But this is different,” she protested. “We’re about to die!”

  “So what? If you recall … this is not the first … life-threatening situation … we have been in. How … is this time different?”

  “There’s no way out this time!” Eris exclaimed. “Miguri, we’re going to die, and there’s no one out there to save us! Varrin’s abandoned us, and we can’t contact the Psilosians. It’s hopeless!”

  Miguri solemnly regarded her tear-streaked face. “Perhaps so,” he said quietly, “but that does not mean … we should give our captors … the satisfaction of seeing … our distress in the face of death.”

  “I’m not a freaking Rakorsian,” Eris muttered. “I don’t care how honorably I go to my death.”

  “You should. If these are really … your last few minutes of life … do you want to spend them … moaning over how unfairly … the universe has treated you?”

  Before she could reply, they reached the door of the execution room and were shoved inside. The metal-plated room had a sterile quality, as if it had recently been scrubbed from floor to ceiling.

  The captives were led toward two large gray blocks. One of the executioners shoved Eris down into a kneeling position behind one of the blocks and then pushed her forward so that her head hung over the edge. He grabbed her wrists and secured them to the sides of the block. Turning her head slightly, she could see that Miguri had received the same treatment, although he was so short that his entire body lay across the top of the block, with only his head hanging over the edge. His hair was a mass of drooping white spikes.

  As soon as the captives were secured, execution squad B lined up against the far wall, electro-axes glinting ominously.

  Eris felt the weight of overwhelming despair settle over her. Her misery deepened when she heard heavy footsteps approaching and then the sound of the room’s large metal door swinging shut with a loud clang.

  She was able to crane her head enough to see that Kratis and Hroshk had entered the room. I guess killing people is their idea of a fun bonding activity, Eris thought. They certainly look pleased enough about the way things have turned out. Then she spotted a very badly beaten Grashk stepping out from behind them.

  “Grashk! You’re all right!” she exclaimed.

  Grashk glanced at her, flicked his tri-forked tongue weakly, and then went to collapse in the far corner of the room.

  Eris felt a rush of concern for the reptilian alien. The Ssrisk guard may have been her captor, but he’d tried to help her twice now, even if he had claimed to be just following orders.

  Hroshk approached Eris. “You have caused me no end of trouble, human,” he hissed, crouching down so that their faces were level. “I lost a very rich buyer due to your little escape, and I nearly lost my ship in pursuit of you.” His slimy tongue slid from between sharp teeth, dancing so close to Eris’s face that she felt her skin crawl.

  When Hroshk straightened and walked away, Eris breathed a sigh of relief. Looking over at Grashk, she remembered the day he had spared her the beating on the Ssrisk ship because she’d shown courage in the face of danger. She suddenly felt very ashamed about the way she’d been acting since leaving the command deck. Well, it’s not too late to change that, she thought.

  “I don’t see how it’s my fault, Captain Hroshk,” Eris snapped. “You’re the one who thought he could take on a Rakorsian star cruiser.”

  Hroshk rat-tat-tat-ed as he stepped forward, three arms raised as if to strike Eris. But Kratis seized the scaly alien’s shoulder and pulled him back. “Captain, restrain yourself,” the admiral said. “No need to let a lowly terrestrial’s words affect you so.”

  The Ssrisk hissed, six fists clenching and unclenching in agitation. “Her words mean nothing to me.”

  “Excellent,” Kratis said. “Then shall we continue with the execution? Death screams do so brighten my day.”

  “Wait!” Eris said.

  “What now, terrestrial?” Kratis sighed.

  “On my planet,” she said, craning her neck so she could look him in the eyes, “it’s customary to allow death-row captives a few final words.”

  “Terrestrials!” Kratis laughed. “Very well. You have one minute.” Turning to Hroshk, he added, “Let’s hope this is at least somewhat entertaining after all the trouble she has caused.”

  Only one minute? How can I say everything I want to say in only one minute? “Miguri,” she said, turning her head toward the Claktill, “you told me I should face death with my head held high. Well, slight problem with that.”

  Miguri summoned up a smile. “Our heads do appear to be rather firmly attached to these metal blocks,” he agreed. “It seems we shall have to face death with our heads slightly tilted.”

  His brave words sparked something inside Eris. Raising her head to look at Kratis and Hroshk, she spat, “My last words are for you two. You are the most despicable, spineless, sadistic creatures I have ever had the misfortune to know, and I hope you both end up crushed to a painful and gruesome death at the center of a supermassive black hole.”

  “Watch your tongue,” Kratis snarled.

  “Why should I?” Eris retorted. “I’m about to die, and there’s nothing I can do about it. And you know what the best part is? I don’t care anymore. I’ve enjoyed what little time I’ve had in this galaxy, and that’s just going to have to be enough for me. So bring on the electro-axes. Hack me up, chop off my head, whatever. I’ve lived my life the best way I know how, and I’ll be damned if I abandon my pride just because a bunch of blood-thirsty aliens can’t think of anything better to do with their lives than murder innocent people!”

  “That is right!” Miguri trilled. “Do whatever you like to us, because nothing you do can change the truth. And the truth is you are cowards!

  “Watch what you say, Claktill!” Hroshk snarled.

  “Why should he?” Eris demanded. “We’re dead anyway! No one’s coming to rescue us! And you know what? We wouldn’t want them to! Because we want everyone to see you two are so pathetic that you have to get your minions to commit your murders for you!”

  BOOM.

  Eris screamed as she watched a heavy metal door shoot across the room and bisect two of the executioners standing at the back wall.

  “You don’t want to be rescued?” a deep, smooth voice drawled. “You might have said so earlier, girl. It makes this whole dramatic entrance thing rather superfluous.”

  I know that voice, she thought. Wrenching her head
around, she spotted a familiar figure standing in the demolished doorway, his gray eyes glinting through a fringe of shaggy black hair. He was sheathed from neck to toe in red body armor and clutched a smoking plasma rifle. Eris was so astonished by his appearance and so overwhelmed by the emotions warring inside her—anger, fear, hurt, and hope—that she could only manage one word.

  “Varrin?”

  37

  “You people really do fall to pieces without me around, don’t you?” Varrin observed.

  “You!” Kratis roared, pointing his finger at him. “You swore that you would not interfere with me or my vessel!”

  “Did I?” the prince asked nonchalantly.

  “You know you did! I demand to know what you’re doing here! I am getting dangerously close to believing you just broke a sworn oath!”

  “That’s probably because I did.”

  Hroshk stepped forward, forehead scales flaring. “You!” he hissed. “I owe you an eternity of torment for what you did!”

  “What, sneaking up behind you, knocking out your engines, filling your air ducts with paralysis gas, killing a dozen of your men, and kidnapping two prisoners from right under your snout? I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

  “Rakorsian scum!” the Ssrisk hissed.

  Admiral Kratis turned to Hroshk with a dark look. “Prince Varrin may be a traitor, but you will refrain from insulting my species, reptilian slime.”

  “I will insult whomever I like!” Hroshk bellowed.

  Without warning, the Ssrisk captain drew four strikers, rounded on the admiral, and pulled the triggers. Kratis’s head exploded, splattering the executioners behind him with blood and gray matter. His body tumbled brokenly to the floor.

  “Well,” Varrin said, blinking. “That I wasn’t expecting.”

  Hroshk trained two strikers on Varrin and two on the executioners, who had raised their axes aggressively. “I’ve learned enough from our last encounter, prince, to know that giving you an inch of breathing space could mean death for me. Put down that plasma rifle.”

  “Now why would I do that?” Varrin asked pleasantly. “You’re vastly outnumbered. And outclassed, I might add.”