by Corin Cain
Instead, I stop myself, my hand shaking, the blade poised at Tort’s gaunt neck.
“Get up. Slowly!”
He complies, and as he towers over me, I drop the Orb-Knife to his groin instead.
“You make one false move,” I warn, “and I’ll cut your little dick off.”
I feel completely in control of the situation – back in the element. A life mining asteroids prepared me for situations like this, and I can take care of myself.
I frog-march Tort out of the cell and down the hallway outside. It appears we’re in some sort of abandoned warehouse – a great place to hide a captive.
“Where’s your ship?”
“On the roof,” Tort stammers, stumbling as he walks forward. I blinded him, and I’m going to make sure he doesn’t have the chance to get to medical help fast enough to fix his eyes.
I force him up the stairs until we reach his ship.
“Open it,” I say, and he extends the key with a shaking hand. Tort presses a button, and the hatch of the vessel pops open.
“Drop the key.”
He drops it, and I slash the blade down against his Achilles tendon.
Tort wails in agony, stumbling and cursing, falling to the ground. Blood spurts from the gash at his ankle.
Screaming, Tort’s hands stretch out blindly towards me.
“Not so big now, are you, you fucking cunt?” My voice is dripping with pure venom. I’ve never hated anyone more than the accountant. I remember how he talked so proudly of his human slaves – how he punishes them daily.
He’ll never punish them again.
Part of me wants to cut him again – cut him a thousand tiny times, and let him bleed out in agony.
Instead, I dart forward, dodging his grasping hands, and I slit his throat with one smooth, fluent slash of the Orb-Knife.
He gargles, bleeding out on the floor.
I’m breathing heavily. Despite all my rough and tumble adventures, killing will never be easy for me, and the shock of what I’ve just done hits me.
Yet, I don’t feel any guilt. I feel righteous.
For a moment, I stare at the Aurelian’s twitching corpse. Then I grab the keys from the floor and duck into the spaceship.
I climb into the pilot’s seat, and activate the controls.
The Orb-Engines hum as I take off. The ship feels as though I was born to fly it – like I was meant to be behind its helm. I fly high above the capital city, and immediately spot the black dagger of Korgath’s skyscraper, pointed skyward and towering above any other building.
Powering the engines, I scream across the city and come to a graceful halt on Korgath’s private landing pad. I’m running before the engines even power down – bounding down from the hatch and across the landing pad, bursting into the penthouse…
Arok and Brutus are still lying limply on the ground. I rush to their sides, feeling for a pulse beneath the muscle of their huge chests.
I find one. Thank the Gods, they’re alive!
It takes cold water and some gentle slaps before the unconscious giants rouse. They wake up groggily, unsure of what happened, blinking their slate-grey eyes until the events come flooding back to them.
“What… What happened?” Arok demands.
“What happened is I saved your asses.” It’s almost orgasmic, being able to tell these towering aliens that. “Come on – Xeres has betrayed Korgath. We have to help him!”
The two warriors stumble to their feet, and we rush to Tort’s ship. Arok tries to get behind the helm, but I hold my hand out in front of him.
“No,” I say firmly. “I’m flying. You two man the guns, if this ship has them.”
The two huge aliens exchanges curious glances, but then nod – and my heart pulses with adrenaline. This is what I was meant to do – pilot a powerful vessel, like an Aurelian Reaver, with two trusty gunners to rely on.
It’s uncanny. My bond with Korgath works almost like radar. As I handle the controls, I seem to just know which direction to fly in.
I follow my bond, up higher and higher punching through the atmosphere until we see a mothership hanging in orbit.
Instead of slowing, I punch the throttle.
“Slow down!” Arok yells, as we dart towards an open cargo bay. It’s a small entrance, and at this speed, any other pilot would splatter their speeding vessel against the hull.
The crew of the ship see us approach, but it’s too late. They fire defensive beams, which arc past us as I scream through space, closing the gap between us.
Like threading a needle, I dart the vessel right through the doorway, into the cargo hold, and rear up the front of the ship to a shuddering halt before we crash into oblivion.
Our stolen vessel hangs there, Orb-Engines humming, scant feet from the metal deck.
Through the cockpit window, I suddenly see rows upon rows of terrified women, standing in lines.
Those must be the two-hundred slaves.
Korgath stands there too, in front of Xeres, and the moment he looks up I feel the bond connect us.
All he sees is a shimmering black spacecraft, but he knows it’s me behind the helm.
Korgath dives to the side, as my vessel’s blasters start ringing out.
Xeres security staff have no chance against our Orb-Beams. At the gunnery stations, Brutan and Arok prove themselves nearly as good as me with a beam – firing off shot after shot, each one slicing through Xeres’ security team until all that’s left of them are piles of whimpering, dying humans and Aurelians – some missing limbs, some with holes blasted through them, and others cut right in half.
Xeres is still standing. He darts towards the line of women, bringing his Orb-Blade from his belt.
He drops to his knees, holding the humming blade to one of the virgin’s throats.
“Come any closer and I’ll kill her!”
We’re still in the ship, hovering above the deck. Korgath is frozen beneath us, unable to do anything. It’s twenty feet to where Xeres is kneeling, and that poor slave would have her throat cut open before he took a single step.
I step up from the helm, and duck around the corner to one of the ship’s gunnery stations.
“Move over,” I say to Arok. He does, instantly and without question, and I take the controls of the Orb-Beam.
Xeres is backing up now, towards a second vessel further down the landing bay. He had his arm wrapped around the slave’s throat, blade at her neck, ready to make his escape with her as his hostage.
I turn the beam down to 0.02% and line up the sights – ready to take the shot of my lifetime.
“Don’t do it!” It’s Arok, looking shocked at my actions. “If you’re off by even an inch, you’ll kill her!”
“I know what I’m doing,” I say, my voice firm and unwavering.
Get ready, I think to Korgath, not knowing if he can read my mind yet, at this early stage of the bond.
Ready, he telepaths back, and I take the shot.
I slice Xeres’ hand clean off his wrist – slicing through it with an arc from the Orb-Beam as cleanly as a chef might cut vegetables.
His Orb-Blade falls to the ground, still clutched in his twitching, severed hand.
Xeres’ scream is high-pitched as Korgath takes the opportunity and bounds across the cargo bay with inhuman speed. The immense Aurelian tackles Xeres, bringing him to the hard, metal deck.
Arok and Brutus burst through the hatch of our vessel, their Orb-Blades flaring up with a deadly-sounding hum. They disappear down separate corridors into the bowels of the ship, and I realize they’re taking control – going from deck to deck and slaughtering every member of Xeres’ slave-smuggling crew the moment they find them.
Aurelian justice is cold and brutal. Anyone who worked for the brutal slaver deserves a long, slow, painful death…
…but at the blades of Arok and Brutan, they’ll receive a quick, clean one instead.
Moments later, they return – blades dripping red with blood.
“You bet,” I reply. A hulk this size? Child’s play.
Brutus and Arok secure Xeres, stopping the flow of blood from his severed wrist. He’s badly injured, but still a big man and brutally dangerous. The two of them hold him tight, and as I watch, Xeres’ shoulders slump in defeat.
I know he’s not going anywhere.
As his blood-brothers secure Xeres, I walk with Korgath to the bridge. The captain of the ship is still dying, bleeding out on the deck in front of his seat.
Korgath finishes him off with a quick, clean snap of the neck.
I look around the bridge, suddenly feeling a little less confident at my promise of being able to fly this thing.
A vessel this size usually has a bridge crew of at least five. They’re all lying dead on the deck now.
“I can fly this thing,” I nevertheless promise Korgath, confidence in my voice.
I’ve always told myself I’m better than five men combined. Now it’s my chance to prove it.
I get a feel for the controls, rushing from console to console to work them all, and get the engines humming.
“Where are we going?”
“Colossus,” Korgath says.
I nod, and punch the coordinates into the phase drive.
Colossus. The home world of the Aurelian Empire – where the harsh, violent Emperor Raegan rules with a human female and his Aurelian triad by his side.
I swallow hard. I’m going right into the belly of the beast.
To the home world of the very people I once ran away from.
I look up at Korgath, as he moves from body to body, nudging each of them with his foot to confirm their death.
I could tell him now.
I could tell Korgath that I’m not who I claimed to be. I want to, and yet the words still die in my mouth.
He’s getting out of his life of crime now. He’s working towards redemption. He can’t be associated with a criminal. That means, for the rest of my life, I’ll have to keep my identity a secret.
“Hold on tight.” I activate phase drive. Our stolen ship suddenly blinks into nothingness, and for a moment we don’t exist. We’re spread across every atom of the universe, and yet simultaneously absent from all of them.
And then suddenly we’re back – only this time, we’re countless light years away - hovering above the Aurelian home world of Colossus.
A dozen Empire guard ships lock onto us instantly. Warning alarms blast though the ship.
“Alert! Weapons lock! Alert! Weapons lock!”
Our comms link flashes.
“You have two seconds to identify yourself before we blast you out of orbit,” comes the cold, emotionless voice of an Aurelian.
Korgath thumbs the comms unit. “I’m an Aurelian Law Enforcement agent, and I’m bringing in the most wanted man in the universe, the slave trader Xeres.”
He presses the video function, showing his identity. There is silence on the line.
“Y-you’re Korgath. You are the most wanted man in the universe.”
Korgath flashes that rare smile of his.
“Message the Aurelian Authorities. I have been undercover for two centuries. My handler is Wraith, and he’ll confirm my story.”
The comms unit blinks. “Do not move. I repeat, do not make any movements, or you’ll be obliterated. We’re confirming your story now.
There’s an edge to the voice of the security officer. He certainly hadn’t been expecting to speak with one of the most brutal crime lords in the universe, today – and expecting even less to hear the same infamous criminal claim to have been working for the Aurelian Empire for the last two-hundred years.
Cold sweat forms under my armpits. The weapons locks are still on us, and our stolen vessel could be blasted out of existence in an instant. I keep my hands on the controls, ready to phase shift out if necessary.
It’s a futile gesture, but it’s all we have. Truth be told, we’d have to dodge the first shots manually, before the drive goes fully active. Most likely, with the weapons of a dozen Empire Reavers aimed right at us, there’d be no chance for escape.
We can only hope Korgath’s story is confirmed.
The seconds tick by torturously. Then, finally, the comms link flashes again.
“By the Gods, you aren’t lying. Land immediately, at the Royal Palace.” The security officer’s voice is incredulous, but the weapons locks are disengaged and we’re allowed to enter the atmosphere.
I follow Korgath’s directions and pilot the hulk to a massive palace, on the peak of a hill overlooking the luxurious capital of the Aurelians.
We land on an enormous landing deck. It was made for Reavers, but the huge hulk of my vessel fits in the massive royal landing station. The hatch of our stolen vessel shudders open, and I gasp as I see a huge Aurelian waiting for us. He wears a golden crown, and is flanked by two men almost as towering and terrifying as he is.
Korgath leads the way out of the ship, down the cargo ramp.
“Emperor Raegan,” he says, holding out his hand up in greeting, perhaps to show he has no weapon readied.
This towering Aurelian – he’s the Emperor?
As I study him – so tall and towering – I can see leadership in his noble bearing. He looks like an Emperor.
I’m surprised that there’s no submission in Korgath’s voice as he acknowledges the Emperor. He speaks to the ruler of the Aurelian Empire, the most feared and respected man in the universe, as an equal.
I walk beside Korgath, following him down the ramp, keeping my eyes up and my back straight. I’m no slave – no wench to be ordered around. I am by Korgath’s side by my own volition. Behind us, Brutan and Arok drag Xeres. They toss him to the ground in front of Emperor Raegan, as if he’s as worthless as a bag of trash.
Raegan looks down at him – his face imperious and stern.
“Xeres! You’ve been a thorn in the Empire’s side for six-hundred years.”
Then the Emperor looks up, at my bonded mate.
“And Korgath… Your reputation in the universe is nearly as wretched as that of this scum.” He nods towards Xeres. “Tell me – what’s to stop me from dragging you to a prison cell, as I will with Xeres?”
Korgath meets the Emperor’s gaze with impunity.
“I’ve kept people safe that your rules and laws couldn’t,” he growls back. There’s an aura of unspoken violence as the two alphas clash. Neither of them likes the other. Even though Korgath was an undercover agent, two-hundred years spent working on the other side of the law has given him an intense hatred of authority.
For a moment, Raegan just studies Korgath – as if considering making good on his threat, and having him led away in shackles.
Then the slightest curl of his lips betrays him.
“Perhaps. In any event, I wouldn’t have believed that you were an agent of Law Enforcement if your handler, Wraith, had not confirmed it. It’s lucky Wraith’s word is so well-respected.”
Korgath says nothing, meeting the Emperor’s gaze.
Raegan snaps his fingers, and Aurelian guards come to drag Xeres away. He’s wordless, his face a mask of raw fear as he’s led towards the palace.
Xeres has spent centuries robbing innocents of their lives.
Now he will face the executioner’s axe.
With Xeres gone, Raegan turns back to Korgath.
“Well, your mission is accomplished. What now? You expect me to let you return to your life of crime? It’s quite the empire you’ve built up. I can’t imagine it will be easy to abandon it.”
Korgath shakes his head.
“That life is no longer for me. Now I am just a businessman, and I would ask a royal pardon for all the things I’ve done before I leave.”
Emperor Raegan stands, judging Korgath.
“No.”
I stiffen. Even Korgath looks shocked – as if suddenly aware of the predicament this plac
es him in.
Then the Emperor’s lips curl, and he scoffs:
“You will not just be pardoned. You will be honored. Tonight, you will be granted the true status of Elites – you and your triad. For now, though, you are our honored guest. Please enjoy the palace as if it were your own home.”
Elites. I don’t know much about Aurelian politics, but I know the Elites are the top tier of their cultural nobility.
“Thank you,” says Korgath, graciously accepting.
A wizened Aurelian walks from the palace. He smiles when he sees Korgath.
“Korgath! My son, I knew you would succeed.”
“Wraith,” he responds, and I duck my head, not wanting an Aurelian officer to see my face.
All this time, I’d been more worried about Korgath.
Now I start to remember my own predicament – that I’m a wanted criminal too, and I’m here on the very home world of those who would have me imprisoned.
Korgath turns and studies me. He can’t read my thoughts, but through our bond he senses my disquiet.
“Ella. Are you alright?”
“Y-yes,” I lie. “I’m… I’m fine.”
Korgath studies me, as if pondering pressing the issue further. Then he shakes his head.
“Very well. You should go with Brutan and Arok to prepare for tonight. I have other business to attend to, Ella.”
When he says Ella, I cringe. I wish I hadn’t confessed my name to him – but in the heat of passion, while losing my virginity, I couldn’t help but reveal my deepest truth to him.
The wizened Aurelian glances at me, studying me silently for a second with what I fear is a hint of recognition. Then, shaking his head, he turns his attention back to Korgath. I eagerly take the opportunity to follow Brutan and Arok, happy to escape the company of any Law Enforcement Officer who might recognize me.
They lead me into the royal palace, where servants quickly usher us to fine rooms to prepare for tonight.
25
Korgath
I walk into my old precinct – where I once served as a Law Enforcement officer, two hundred years earlier. It seems like a lifetime ago since I was last here – and in many ways, it has been.