"Not something I am likely to forget," Trig muttered as she followed Nori further down the dark corridor. "Is it this dark in here because of the battle going on?"
"More likely the bastard just likes his dramatic lighting."
"What is that smell?"
"Death, old blood," Nori raised her head and took a longer scent of the air and grimaced. "Fear. And that is not because of the battle. It's entrenched in the walls." Then she turned and gave Trig a severe look. "Now shut up and follow me quietly. Warrung likes to surround himself with Cyborgs, and some of them can hear as well as I can."
Trig shut her mouth and followed quietly. Trying not to think about what had to have happened there for the scents of blood and fear to be embedded in metal walls.
They made it through two hatches and around three turns before their luck ran out.
Marine grade cyborgs flooded the hall.
"Well," Nori said. "We didn't want this to be too easy." She looked back at Trig who knew she had to have an incredulous look on her face at the woman's blasé words. Nori twirled her sword, warming up her wrists. Under her nanite armor a wave of fur moved over her body like water changing her until she wore her true Shakien skin. Her teeth and eyes changed, her nails lengthened and hardened around the pommel of her sword. It was not the first time Trig had seen it, and she knew that wearing her Shakien skin was another layer of almost impenetrable armor.
"When I clear a tunnel you run for it,” Nori said, her voice now a growl. “From the smell Warrung is in that room. She pointed. With only one other.” She raised her head and scented again, even as the Cyborgs drew closer. “There’s a woman in there with him and the walls are too thick to tell but he is likely armed. So keep your distance. “Do what you came for and I will be right behind you."
"You'll be right behind me dying," Trig said incredulously, eyeing the wall of muscle and machine before them. But there was no more time for debate. The first Cyborg reached them, four more fanned out at his back, blocking their access.
Nori did not even wait for the first one to speak, as soon as he was close enough, and before he had time to open his mouth, she struck, moving so fast his head was removed from his shoulder and she had twirled with deadly skill among the rest of them.
Trig was not the only one who froze in shock as Nori twirled and whirled with her deadly skill. It was only when Nori yelled at her to "Go now!" That she shook herself out of it and ran through the space she had indeed carved out for her. Then Trig promptly slid on some blood and nearly went down amid the carnage.
Luckily, she caught her balance and made it, ducking her head amongst the loud battle she was leaving behind. She felt bad about that, but her skills did not lay in combat. She tried to help she would probably just be in Nori's way. She did look back once to find Nori was still going strong moving so fast among the flashing steel and loud clangs of the fight.
It made Trig think for a moment of Tyber and Lore in the brief battle she had seen. The way they had moved as one in that same way, as if death was a dance and they were proficient. She shook off the thoughts and recognized she was stalling. Then with new resolve and a deep breath to bring her serene mask back in place she slapped her hand against the com plate. Only then wondering if it would be locked against her and how she would get in if it was.
There was a short pause, that had her sucking in a breath, but then the panel swished open and she found herself looking at a man that resembled Lucan Warrung, at least skin deep. He smirked at her and she could see from the look in his eyes he believed she was no threat. It was as Danika had known, even after all the damage they had done to him, Warrung was still underestimating them. Especially the women. He might have had a different view if he could see beyond the hall and into the mess Nori was making of his last line of defense.
"Come in. Truthsayer Kelia correct?” Then he smiled with a whole bunch of sharp white teeth. Reminding her painfully of a shark. "I am thrilled to have you join me."
Trig stepped inside. The door whooshed closed behind her and she had a feeling he would not be opening it for her so easily a second time.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
"I have to say I am surprised to see you here."
Trig looked around the large space she was now trapped in, because after only a glimpse at Cor Warrung she was stalling at delving into his secrets. In self-preservation.
"Not what you were expecting?" he asked before she could turn her eyes to him. When she finally did, the cold death that looked at her from that cruelly beautiful face was enough to give her a whole-body shudder. It was not hard to see why this man inspired such fear in so many.
With her power tight around her she breathed out and met those black eyes. "I think I was expecting something grander." And that was no lie. The command center for his ship might have been large but it had little in the way of luxury about it.
"Yes, well. Thanks to my enemies on Port Sea I have taken unacceptable losses and have been forced to make do with this." He motioned with obvious distaste to the ship around him. "Not to worry, once I have secured Lucan's moon for myself I will be in a much better position to live as I deserve."
Trig raised a brow at that information. A kernel of knowledge gleaned from Lucan Warrung made her think of the Furgarians. She knew they had helped him destroy the pirates that had come before him. She also knew that they were the reason the ocean moon was so full of life and magic. She did not think that they, or Port Sea would accept something as foul as Cor Warrung without a bigger fight than he could imagine.
But she was not about to mention that to Warrung. If she had her way this war would end before he could kill anyone or claim anything. She blew out a slow breath, aware that he was still talking and forced herself to tune back in, even as she opened her gift, and nearly flinched at the foulness that was Cor Warrung and all his secrets and lies. If she had less practice controlling her reactions she would have fallen as scenes and evils perpetrated flashed through her thoughts. She forced herself to absorb it, ignore it and move on.
"I would love to add you to my other truthsayers," he was saying, his eyes trailing over her, clearly liking what he was seeing. It might have been flattering if she could not feel the truth of his intentions behind that look. He saw her as a beautiful fragile thing that he was looking forward to breaking, and he was sorry that he would have to kill me, but the seer had seen that she, Trig Kelia would somehow bring about the final death of Cor Warrung.
Preposterous, he was thinking even as he looked her over and changed his plans with each inch his eyes traversed. There was no way that the being before him could be dangerous to one such as him. But at the same time he thought those things behind lying eyes.
Trig knew he was still planning on killing her, because he would take no chances his seer was right.
Time to do what she came here for.
"Why do you want me dead? What lie could I possibly uncover that would be a danger to the great Cor Warrung?" She motioned to herself and tried to look as innocent as possible. "How could I possibly kill you?"
His eyes flashed back to hers not a second later and his gaze had turned hard and reptilian. She knew she had given something away but there was too much to sift through in his toxic brain. She needed a starting point at least, even if that meant he was that much closer to trying to kill her again. "Who said anything about killing me?"
She tilted her head in surprise and considered the question as if his asking it had not been rhetorical. He was seconds from killing her outright, wondering if she knew something he did not, and if she did how had she learned it.
"I suppose it was Lucan Warrung who suspected you wanted me dead rather than taken and was contemplating why that would be." She shook her head and narrowed her eyes. "I think Danika was the one who said something about you being afraid I might learn the truth of how to kill you, it makes sense, I suppose, as a truthsayer I can sense lies, what other lie could be so important that you would bring an army in
to battle to get at one insignificant truthsayer?"
Cor stood, his eyes never leaving Trig as he took a step closer to her. She was suddenly happy she had not gotten too close to the man, because right now all she wanted to do was turn and run away from his eyes, and his thoughts.
Then she saw something else, a small scent almost of a well-kept secret that was hidden behind layers of paranoia and fear. It was the only thing she had yet to see him fear. Even Lucan and those at PortSea he saw as an irritant he was determined to end, but not as a true threat. Not when he had experimented and augmented himself to his very genetic code to be so close to invincible as to be immortal.
Trig took a deep breath and followed that whiff of secret farther than anyone should have to go in such a twisted psyche. She really hoped Nori got there soon, because to find out what she needed to she was going to have to go deep, and if she was not fast enough Cor Warrung would finish his slow pace to her and remove her head while she still searched.
Knowing her eyes were going to give her away faster than anything else, Trig stepped off the metaphorical ledge she was teetering on and plunged into the abyss. Chasing truth through what appeared to be many lifetimes of lies, and wondered even as she did, if she would ever find her way out again. Before Warrung killed her.
***
Nori kicked a cyborg off her sword and turned to find the pile of bodies was all that was left of them. She blew out a breath and headed for the door Trig had been alone behind for far too long and hoped that when she finally got in there that Trig was still alive to rescue.
She got to the portal and realized her next problem. How was she going to get through the door, when it was clearly sealed from the inside? Looking around there was nowhere to wipe her sword that was free of blood, so with no other choice, and refusing to sheath it so coated she leaned it against the com wall and pulled out her communicator. She pressed in a code and was thrilled when it was Jax's face, and not Tolan Lark who showed on the screen. "Hey Jax, I need a quick electronic lock picked."
"Nori? Where are you? I just heard that Menelaus is on a tear looking for you. Why aren't you answering your com?" Jax scrunched up her nose and narrowed her eyes. "And why are you covered in blood, in full Shakien form and calling from somewhere that is not PortSea?"
"No time for talk, get me through these doors now."
She saw Jax move with a purpose over her com unit, but she talked while she did it. "What's on the other side of the door?"
"Kelia," Nori said and then finished when the door started to open for her. "And Cor Warrung."
She signed off while Jax was still sputtering. Catching sight of Kelia she was running and swinging her sword almost as soon as she had it back in her hands.
Cor Warrung was reaching for Kelia. Even as his head whipped around to see her coming at him, he did not move to face her. It was as if he could not believe she would strike him. She did.
Her memetic sword went through his flesh and bones easily, to Warrung’s clear shock. His reinforced metal skeleton was no match for her steel. He was roaring in rage even as Nori took her next swing. Good thing too because he was fast. He almost ducked her strike. But she was Shakien, and while he might have a whole lot of DNA forming him, he had never added Shakien to his genetic code. And it showed. She took his head with the next ark of her flashing steel, blood splattering her and Kelia even as he continued to stand before them. She caught the horrified look on Kelia's face and met those shocked eyes. Sharing a look, they both turned as one to the body still standing.
"It's going to take more than that,' Kelia finally said weekly.
"Obviously," Nori muttered grimly. Then started hacking.
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
"That's still not going to be enough,” Trig said. Having moved back from the pile of body parts as far as she could, and even in this massive room, it was not enough. "Call the others," she finally said. Shaking herself out of the daze Nori's blade had produced with its constant swing and 'thwack'. "I know how to kill him for good, but we have to keep him from regenerating in the meantime, and no small part of him can escape this room."
Nori chopped him into a few more pieces but looked at Trig like she was insane. "You are kidding."
"Afraid not."
"They are a little busy dealing with the cyborg army right now."
Trig looked around and then at the com against the far wall. She gingerly walked around the spreading stain that had been Cor Warrung. She hit the com and brought up the screen she wanted. When she had no idea how to do what she wanted she turned to the cowering seer in the corner. The one clearly hoping they would forget she existed. Kelia had seen some of her truths too. She no more wanted to be abused by Warrung than anyone else on this ship did. "Can you send the com signal from this room to all the coms still active?"
The woman, a diminutive dark-haired thing with skin so pale Trig wondered if she had ever seen sunlight. "I can."
"Then do it," Trig said. "And I will see that Lucan Warrung knows you did not do what you did willingly."
She swallowed. "Will he believe you?"
"Aren't you a seer?" Nori said with a definite scoff. "Don't you know what's going to happen?"
"I see what comes," she said quietly her eyes going down to the bloody floor and the pieced of Warrung that still seemed to be wiggling. She shuddered. "Rarely what I want to see."
"That sounds helpful," Nori muttered. And went back to her chopping. She looked about as happy about it as the rest of them felt about watching. Though, from what she had seen, if the seer had enjoyed the sight, she would not have blamed her. Warrung deserved worse.
"I will make them understand," Trig said. "But I need you to send the message to stop the battle before someone dies and people are a lot less understanding."
The woman flew to the com, and Trig did not have to look to know the future the seer could see was teetering on the brink. She might not see what she wanted to see, but she had strong survival instincts and she could bet her gift helped her with that. Even if that survival had come at the cost of suffering Cor Warrung as long as she did.
She pressed some buttons quickly and then spoke into the com and it echoed around them as if she had just opened all coms with the message she was sending. Which meant it was probably going a lot farther than PortSea. "This is the seer Mati Gela and I am sending you the video proof of Cor Warrung’s death. Stand down and leave the system as fast as you can. Lucan Warrung will kill any of you that linger. I have seen this, and I have a truthsayer with me who can verify I speak the truth. If you do not leave Portsea and the system claimed by Lucan Warrung, he and his people will kill you."
Trig understood what she wanted when she turned to look at her. Giving her room beside her in front of the com. Her face showed up as soon as she was close enough.
"I am Trig Kelia, truthsayer formerly in the employ of the Alliance. What this woman said is truth, and I can verify that whatever you see that is left of Cor Warrung behind us will be destroyed before we leave this ship."
She was not surprised that after a long pause the open channel was hailed again. She was surprised it was Danika on the com. At least at first.
"It's over," she said. "The cyborgs are going, at least the ones who have been able to portal out before their ships deserted the area. Mac is following them on the Jezebel with the Fire to make sure they leave the system."
Trig nearly sagged to the floor she was so relieved. She would have asked about her men, but she could feel them getting closer in her mind, and that they were less than pleased with her at the moment. She felt the moment they transported on board. "The children, Lara, everyone else?"
"The children and Lara are accounted for. We are waiting to hear the final losses, but the Furgarians made a few appearances at key moments. None of the non-combatants have been harmed." Danika cleared her throat. "You are about to have company."
"Good," Nori said loudly enough to be heard. "This dead bastard is starting to anno
y me."
It would have been wrong to laugh, Trig knew it, but she was still inappropriately tempted. Then there was a loud bang and the portal to the room blew apart and they were suddenly surrounded by angry men.
This time they were their angry men.
"What took you so long?" Nori asked as Menelaus bent his head and stepped through the hole he had just blown in the ship. His eyes seared Trig with heat and he was not even looking at her. Nori did not seem bothered by the clear rage on his face. Or that his eyes were sparking, as if lightning was playing behind them. Nori took a step back without even realizing it. The poor seer dropped to her knees and covered her head, trying once again for invisible.
Trig could have told her he wouldn't see her anyway. He had eyes only for Nori. He tromped through the grisly remains of Cor Warrung and wrapped a big muscled arm around her waist, then walked far enough away that he could place her down before him out of the blood. The sword she still held he ignored completely. Despite that she had just been swinging it with bloody skill.
"Wife," he said. And that was it. He looked her over carefully and then just glared down at her.
Nori shrugged. "What? Trig had an idea." Then she looked at the destruction of the door. "You know we would have let you in."
He snarled.
She huffed. "That bastard," she said motioning to the mess on the floor. "Underestimated women." She motioned to all that was him. "You would not have gotten close enough to do the job." She cocked her head and raised a brow. "And we both know you never would have agreed to letting me come in without you if you were here."
Trig would have continued watching the two of them if a feeling in the pit of her soul had not called her eyes to the destroyed portal. Lore and Tyber stepped inside looking as pristine and untouched as when she had last seen them. Unlike Menelaus who looked like he had come from a bloody battle, they looked completely unruffled. And she had seen them fighting so she knew they had been in the thick of it.
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