Kesh entered into a wall chamber that looked over another twisting tunnel. He heard a cry, and, creeping to the edge, he saw Lyra discovered by two Rahl troops. He leapt down, slamming into one, while bringing the staff down on the other. He was kicked off by the Rahl trooper he had landed on and went down in a heap. His shoulder burned from the shot earlier. He watched as Lyra stared at the two Rahl soldiers, as they balked for a moment.
Jerking his slugthrower up without time to take aim, he fired. The shot took one of the soldiers in the shoulder. It startled the other Rahl, who jerked his baton down. Lyra held her hand up defensively and knocked the baton away by some unseen force. Both of them were shocked by what happened.
Kesh took another shot, taking down the soldier. He turned to the other one, and the slugthrower clicked empty when he tried to fire again. Kesh took up Jonica's staff. He swung it around and smacked the skull-helmed attacker. He brought it around again to strike the soldier again. His finger felt for the depression of the staff and when he found it, ignited the staff's end and slammed the butt end into the icy ground next him It exploded in a blue glow of light. The Rahl troopers were knocked backwards, though Lyra and Kesh were fine.
The room filled with five more Rahl soldiers in the skull-helmed armor. All took aim at Kesh, who stood there, bathed in a nimbus of blue light. All pulled the trigger. Nothing happened. Kesh wished he could see the shocked look on their face when their weapons didn't work.
"Kesh?" Jonica shouted from another perch behind him.
Jonica popped up from the ledge and fired into the crowd, her plasma rifle clicked. Thinking quickly, Kesh saw her flick a switch. The plasma rifle didn't work with the light from the staff, but the slugthrower did. The Rahl tried to change their carbines, but three men were cored before Kesh could whistle for Blue. The lizard let out its hunting shriek and fell onto a group of four soldiers, the scytheclaw cutting down two as Blue fell. The other two tried to run. One was caught by Blue's tail, slamming him to the ground while the other had his neck ripped out by Blue's teeth.
In a few moments, the light of the staff died and the eldritch glow of the ice caves glowed above them again. He looked around at the group. Jonica skittered over the side and slipped her rifle over her shoulder.
"We need to go," Jonica said, making a grab for Lyra.
"Where?"
"Back to the ship."
"How?"
"Leyi said we were close to the Runner."
"You trust him?"
No human. But I can sense the Runner is nearby.
Kesh shrugged and followed Meph, as did the rest of the small motley group. He saw Meph duck out of a cavern entrance where a colder and colder wind was coming from. Kesh followed and found the small grotto where the Runner had landed what felt like a week ago.
"How?" Kesh asked.
Jonica slapped him on the back of the head. "Who cares, let's go!"
Nineteen
In his cabin aboard the troop ship The Dauntless, Torvash sat drinking in the captain's quarters. He had stripped himself from the Collector’s armor of black and red as well as the tight padded suit he wore under the armor. He was down to his small clothes and his blade. "How did I lose?" Torvash asked his empty room. He took a long swallow and sighed. The jug of wine was good. A bit sweet, but it had been some time since Torvash had had anything like this. The face of the storyteller floated in front of his face for a moment before he banished it with another gulp of wine. He looked through the wine glass towards the viewport. "How did I lose?"
"You were overconfident," Kern said. She smirked as she walked into the room unannounced.
"On my ship, you have to ask permission to enter my cabin, witch."
"Don't be like that, Tor." She moved closer, her thick hand touching his face. He pulled away from her touch.
"You know you need company." She wore a thin robe of dark blue around her toned body, and nothing else. She moved closer.
Torvash wanted to be irritated, yet he couldn't find the emotion. He stood up unsteadily. "No. We're not going down that road again." He pushed her away.
Kern didn't move back, instead, she stepped closer and shoved Torvash back into his chair. She straddled his lap and started to grind in a slow rhythm. She wasn't chunky, her body was muscle and sinew and had no ounce of fat. She leaned in and kissed him hard on the lips and bit his lower lip. Her lower jaw captured his lips easily. He tried to push away.
"Really? Do I disgust you?" She pulled the robe open, exposing her scarred and toned flesh and slim, firm breasts.
Torvash's hand touched the outer part of her well-toned thigh. "No," he muttered. "But we can't—"
Kern kissed him again. And again. "Shhhhh, Tor, you did the best you could."
"You said that to me before," he said, looking away. The smell of her hair disoriented him for a moment as she leaned close and licked his neck.
"After your first loss," she whispered in his ear, pressing harder into him.
"Battle of Falchion wasn't a loss," he said. He wanted to push her off him. His hands went to get leverage. She gripped them and pulled them above his head. He felt himself enjoying the boldness. Like last time.
"Lie to others, Tor. Don't lie to me." She smirked. With one hand, she held him close, while the other exposed more and more of her body. She started to grind in his lap, causing friction against his thighs and crotch. He felt her getting wet through his own thin sleeping pants.
"Damn witch," he whispered, losing the resolve to push her off him. Did he even want to do that?
"You enjoy it," she said. She dragged her fingers over his bare arms. Her nails scraped small furrows in his flesh. He quivered under her touch. "Do you want me to stop?"
Yes. "No." He pushed his lips up to hers. She took them and kissed harder, trapping his tongue in her teeth and applying enough pressure to make him cry and wince.
She pulled him closer, and they tumbled onto the floor.
Tangled together, for a moment, Torvash felt peace.
He felt Kern kiss his chest, then the strong sting of something and the smell of medicine. Kern ran an anti-septic stick over the small slash across his chest she gave him earlier in their play. And the large angry welt from that horrid staff. "Got you good there, didn't I?" She asked, looking up with a wicked smile.
"What was that staff?"
"No idea. But we will adapt and win. It is the way of the Rahl." She kissed his shoulder and cuddled in closer.
"Why do I let you do that to me?" He asked, not looking at her. His eyes were staring out of the viewport, looking at the white snowy orb of Europa.
"You like it, Tor," she whispered in his ear before biting his lobe hard.
"Doesn't mean I want it all the time." Part of him felt it was a lie. He felt himself enjoying the nip a bit too much.
She leaned into him and took a deep inhalation. "Your scent is intoxicating." She dragged her tongue over his chest.
"And the rest of me?"
"It is serviceable," she said, looking up with a wink and a smile.
"Can't say it, can you?"
"You know I can't. Nor can you." She said, punctuating her sentence with a jab into the bandage she had placed on him a moment ago.
"I can."
"Say it then," she said, holding his eyes with hers.
He looked at her. Say the words. You can say them. The Empress doesn't control your every thought. "Ever may she reign…Slag."
Kern let out a sigh. "The Empress forged us, Torvash. We are her tools. Enjoy the fun when you have a chance, do what we were made to do when and where we must." She stood up, a light sheen of sweat made her body glint in the soft light of the cabin. She grabbed the bottle of wine and took a long pull. She let out a contented sigh and wiped her mouth. "I have to go check my men, pull yourself together. You're a Collector. We have something to collect."
She handed him the bottle and as she left, she ignored the robe she had shed. She walked out of the cabin, turning to look
over her shoulder. Torvash tried not to stare, but he liked what he saw. He knew it, as did Kern. She gave him a wink and then left.
He took a long slow pull of the wine. He finished the wine in his glass and looked at the rest of the wine in the bottle. He tossed it across the room in disgust. He stood and started to get dressed to go to the bridge. Kern's right. I'm a Collector. I have a job to do.
Twenty
Lyra looked up from the book that had been thrust into her hands once they were back aboard the Runner and off Europa. She sneered at Meph as the cat slunk into the room without Jonica or Kesh noticing. They were busy bickering as they had been since they left Europa. She still didn't like the cat.
Hello child, Meph said.
Greetings, kitty.
Meph let out a low growl for a moment, moving closer to the bed. I am not a kitty. I have a name.
I know. You are still going to be a kitty to me, Lyra said with a smirk. She looked back to the back when Meph jumped onto the bed and butted his head between the book and her. His golden green eyes looking into hers.
I'm trying to read, Lyra thought.
No, you are avoiding the other two. What was said?
They think I don't understand what's going on. Lyra sighed. If you'll excuse—
Do you?
Lyra let out a puff, causing Meph to pull back. He smacked his head on the book, then ducked back and off her as she shifted to try to pet him.
Meph, I'm sorry I—
Forget it, child. What is going on? Meph started to clean himself.
Lyra sat up straighter. Kesh wants to get to Ganymede, and Jonica thinks that Io would be a better spot to lay low.
Both of them are thinking in the wrong direction. We need to get you to Centauri. Once there, you'll be safe on Wormwood.
Lyra cocked her head as she looked at Meph. What is there? I've heard them mention it before, yet I've never heard of it.
Meph sat and looked at her, then started to groom himself more. A place that will be safe, but will also cause more issues.
How?
The worms of the planet are known to find those with psionic abilities more enjoyable to eat. Meph's sardonic sneer filled his words.
Lyra's face wrinkled into a disgusted face. "Then why would I want to go there?"
"What was that, dear?" Jonica asked. She turned to see Meph on the bed. "What did the cat tell you?"
"Nothing," Lyra said. She turned onto her stomach, plopping the book on the thin pad and looking up at them. "Have you two come to a decision yet?"
"Yes," Jonica said with her arms crossed under her breast.
"No, we haven't" Kesh said a moment later.
The two looked at each other. Lyra rolled her eyes and went back to reading. It was impossible as they spoke.
"Io is the only place we can find even a little bit of help. The Rahl have no presence there. And that is what we fought on Europa. Not just the Greenies. We ran into Rahl too," Jonica said.
"One, we ran into a dozen Rahl. Not a whole platoon, so calm yourself. Two, Io is also a stupid place. You don't want to go to Ganymede because of the Dao," Kesh said.
Meph stopped grooming himself. He opened his mind link to everyone. What?
"Calm down Meph," Jonica said.
It will be easier if all of us can hear. Meph's head inclined towards Lyra. We can't go to Ganymede then, Meph continued. We have a price, and the Runner is well known there.
"And?" Kesh said. "You think that they haven't already seen the Runner being as close as she is to Jove and Europa? We need to get to Ganymede, lay low, and then we can get off system with the Gate."
"What about going to Callisto?" Lyra asked.
"What?" The group asked, all turning to look at Lyra.
"What if we go to Callisto and hide there for a time?”
"Callisto is where they were taking you, dear," Jonica said. "If we did that—"
"How would they know? It isn't like this Collector is a psi," Lyra said. "I felt him, he doesn't even want to be on this mission."
"Uh huh," Jonica said. "Lyra, you are a bit sheltered. Collectors have one thing on their mind. The Blood Bitch above all. They are the ones who started the chant 'Ever may she reign.'" Jonica took up a tin cup and drained it of its contents in a swallow. "We're going to Io."
"How are you going to make us?" Kesh asked.
"I'd like to see you fly the Runner without Meph and me."
Kesh looked at Meph, who gave him a stare. "Great!"
"Why don't you want to go to Io?" Jonica asked.
"Its not safe," Kesh said.
"Name one place that is safe," Jonica said.
Centauri Prime, Meph countered.
Kesh and Jonica looked at him.
"The Runner is known, and I'm sure the Gate is going to be guarded," Jonica said.
"And, even if we did get through, who is to say that Centauri Prime is safe?" Kesh asked.
Safer than Sol, Meph said.
"What about Dione?" Lyra asked.
"What? Kesh and Jonica asked.
"What about Dione? We go to the Saturn system instead."
Jonica sighed. "Meph, if you please."
Child, the Saturn system isn't available for two reasons. One, Terran Garrison Five is there. Kesh let out a whistle and a shiver. Second, the mini system is ruled by Admiral Constance. She uses the system as her own personal playground. I would prefer to stay off her lab table.
"What do you mean?"
"Meph's race, most of them, are imprisoned there, and if Meph is found, he will be captured, and the rest of us would be publicly executed."
"I'd rather not do that to Blue," Kesh said with a halfhearted smile.
Jonica gave him a raised eyebrow. "So, Io."
Suddenly, a klaxon went off in the cockpit. Jonica was the first in, followed by Meph, Kesh, and finally Lyra. Jonica punched a series of buttons. "Pit! It’s a system-wide alert."
"Of who?" Kesh asked.
"Who do you think? Us!" She tapped a button and on the display screen, and up came a banner with Jonica's wanted poster, Kesh's found image from the space port of Tharsis, and a capture of Meph. Finally, the face of Lyra passed by. There was a bounty of fifty thousand credits on each of their heads.
Kesh looked at something glowing in red and felt a bit sick. "Well, that isn't good."
"What?"
He pointed to the wanted section. "Dead, not alive. Traveling with a young potential psi girl. The girl is to remain unharmed." There was a small smile on his face when he looked at Jonica.
"What are you smiling at?"
"One, Blue isn't on the list. Two, Io is out."
"How'd you figure?"
"Ganymede is close to lawless, except with the Dao group. Io still has some law and order. We'd be pinged as soon as we landed."
"What makes you think the Dao wouldn't turn us over?" Jonica asked.
"I know a guy. Trust me."
"Uh huh, tell me another."
Jonica, he does have—
"Not you too!" Jonica shouted, looking at Meph.
What? Meph looked at her, giving her an innocent blank look.
"Traitor!"
Twenty-One
The Ransom Runner lowered itself into the atmo of Ganymede. Kesh saw that Jonica was nervous. Meph was on his pillar, his tail swishing back and forth slowly. He touched the mind-link briefly and heard navigation data and jargon going back and forth between the two. He looked out over the greens and yellows of the planet. The light of the Eye of Jove lit the clouds in a dark orange that made the water of Saito Lake a ruddy greenish red.
"Where is the spaceport?" Jonica asked, her eyes searching for something in the city itself.
"It’s on the island," Kesh said. "It is the island."
"Why?"
"The way they designed the city," Kesh said with a shrug.
"How do we—"
"Ferries, or we take a smaller transport to the city. We should take the ferry, less chance of be
ing seen."
"Uh huh."
As the Runner lowered itself towards the spaceport, Kesh smiled at Jonica more and more. "Wipe that smirk off your face," Jonica said, as she turned from the pilot's seat, as Meph jumped out of her lap. "Your friend better deliver."
"He will, promise," Kesh said, with a wink. He was sure that Reins would get the info they needed, as well as the fuel and supplies. The fuel and supplies were not a big problem, but the info might be an issue.
Why would it be an issue? Meph asked.
"Slag," Kesh hissed to himself. "Look, Reins is pretty good, but we might have to wait a few days. I know a great place nearby."
"Thought you spent most of the your life on Mars?" Jonica asked.
"Had a few adventures off planet. That and heard many stories. The Ghrousing House is supposed to be a quality establishment."
"Uh huh," Jonica said. "What makes you think that?"
"Stories."
Jonica and Meph rolled their eyes.
A man waited outside their cargo hatch. He was a little on the short side, had a tall black hat and a thick queue of hair that hung from an otherwise bald head. "Papers?" The man's voice was clipped and formal. He was dressed like a beaucrat.
"Great," Kesh said. "What does he—"
Jonica elbowed Kesh in the gut and then gave the man a bow. She started to speak in some clipped language that was singsongy, yet harsh and guttural at times. The two spoke back and forth for a few minutes, at one time pointing to the rifle on Jonica's back and shouting.
What is going on, Meph? Kesh asked through the mind-link.
He is the spaceport's customs official. He wants to know what our business is and why she is bringing a gun onto Ganymede.
What are they speaking?
Blood for the Empress: Part One of the Empress Trilogy Page 10