by Mikayla Lane
The stress was obvious in the paleness of her porcelain skin and the deep circles under her big, beautiful brown eyes. He grabbed her small hand in his large one and gave it a tender kiss before standing to his full six-foot ten height and sucking in a painful breath. His ribs and stomach still aching painfully from Balduen’s fists, despite the medibands.
“Is everyone ready?” Grai asked as Julou handed him back all the items the Valendrans had taken from him before they had thrown him in the make-shift cell.
“They are all waiting outside. They know what to do.” Julou assured him before holding out a weapon to him.
Grai looked at the weapon long and hard considering whether or not to take it. Looking at Tricia’s tearful expression, he shook his head at Julou.
“We’re going with the original plan. We will not deviate from it. You know what’s at stake. Make sure everyone understands that.” Grai looked sternly at the heavily armed people in the room until one of the hybrids nodded her head and moved outside to relay the message to the others that were not of the beast species.
“I want you to go to Maggie and Tristan. Stay with them until someone comes for you. Lock the door and don’t come out.” Grai urged Tricia, holding her hands gently in his as he looked down into her worried face.
“No, I go with you. We can both go to him later. I’m your mate. It’s time we stood together.” Tricia’s light-brown eyes pleaded with Grai to understand why she had to do this. She smiled weakly at him when he just nodded slightly. Keeping one of her hands in his own, he guided her out of the door and into the hallway filled with his people.
Julou led the way to the conference room as Grai and Tricia were surrounded by Julou’s men and their gifted and hybrid women.
Ignoring the gasps and shouts of warning from those gathered outside the conference room, Julou moved past them and flung open the doors. Holding his weapon in front of his chest, he moved to the side upon entering, allowing some of the women to take up defensive positions before Grai and Tricia walked into the room.
“What is the meaning of this?” Banatar said, standing in fury.
The entire room moved at once; everyone around the table stood to their feet and took up defensive positions around Ivint. Valendrans, gifted, hybrids and Julou’s crew all pointed weapons at each other, screaming orders not to fire.
Ivint stared at the battered face of Kalai’s oldest son as he stood silently looking back at him. Making a quick decision that he hoped he would not have cause to regret later, he held his hand up and called for silence.
When the room quieted, Ivint ordered, “Lower your weapons. The sons of Kalai have gone to a lot of trouble to be here. I would like to hear what they have to say."”
When Reven and a few others began to grumble Ivint silenced them quickly, “Now!”
Ivint didn’t show his dismay when it appeared only half of the room lowered their weapons. Banatar didn’t bother to hide his shock when he realized just how many of his females were still holding their weapons… in defense of Grai.
“What the hell is going on?” Banatar demanded angrily.
“The High Councilor asked that you lower your weapons so that we may speak. Please do so and wait outside. All will be well.” Grai told his people, not taking his eyes from Ivint.
Banatar sputtered in outrage until Ivint turned to him, “I believe we need less emotion right now. If anyone cannot remain calm, I would ask that you leave the room now.” Ivint gave Banatar a hard look before turning his gaze to the rest of room. When no one got up to leave, he turned back to Grai and Tricia.
“You’ve gone through a lot of trouble to speak. Please sit down. I believe your brother said we have another thirty minutes or so until your father’s ship blows?” Ivint gestured to the empty seats at the end of the table, next to where Traze was grinning from the only occupied chair.
Grai gave his brother a questioning look and Traze just shrugged his shoulders, “That guy and the cat caught me on the roof.” Traze gestured to David who was still armed and standing in the shadows of the room behind him; and Gibly who was standing in the middle of the conference room table his tail fluffed out and twitching rapidly from side to side.
Grai nodded his head at David, recognizing that he would not give up his weapon. From what he had learned about the man, he didn’t blame him, the last time he did, hadn’t gone well for him. Quickly skimming the rest of the room he sat down confidently and pulled Tricia down to sit beside him.
Holding both hands up, he slowly lowered one and removed a small black object from his jacket pocket. Grai didn’t want to make any sudden moves that would startle the wary group and ruin his plans before he could set them in motion.
“This is an alternate detonator, designed by my brother Koda, who built the explosive device and planted it on the mother ship. He also designed and built the battle cruiser and warships now guarding your own vessels.” Grai looked at the detonator and Traze before sliding it down the table to Reven, who caught it easily.
“You’re telling us that this device will detonate your father’s ship? With him on it?” Reven asked, disbelief lacing his words.
Again, Grai held up his hands and slowly removed another device from a pocket in his pant leg. This device he slid across the table to Risk, who also easily caught it.
“It will connect to the ship’s vid feed. You can watch it blow from inside my father’s room where he is bedridden from a brain wasting disease. You can also view the other council members who are on the ship. We no longer know how many remain since we evacuated our people once the device was planted.” Grai said, his eyes on the High Councilor.
Risk looked questioningly at Ivint. Although he was dying to look at the unusual device and see if it really did do what the Relian said, he would not do so without Ivint’s approval. He was embarrassed when he felt like fist bumping when Ivint slowly nodded his head at him.
“Ivint, you can’t…” Reven never got to finish what he was going to say, before Ivint held up his hand for silence.
“Sir, I have video… holy shit!” Risk uttered in amazement as he scrolled through the different camera views on the Relian ship.
“Wait! There he is… dear daddy.” Traze said with a mocking sneer as he pointed at the screen.
Everyone looked on in disbelief and surprise when Kalai’s prone body came onto the screen. His pale, sunken features couldn’t hide who he was. Ivint was truly startled at the deterioration of the once fierce leader. Whatever affliction he had, had to be greatly devastating to have changed him so dramatically since the last time he’d they had seen him when he threatened Cari and Jess.
“Risk?” Jax asked, confident he would answer her unasked questions.
“It’s real. It’s a real-live feed from the ship. This thing is incredible. I can even view their supply manifests, personnel information… Sir; I have full access to the ship’s computers with this.” Risk told Ivint and looked at Grai like he’d lost his mind.
“Why is it that you have come, Grai?” Ivint asked the seemingly calm man, his sharp eye catching the slightly damp palm holding onto Tricia’s hand and the minor trembling of his hand when he had slid the device to Risk.
“My brother’s and I would like to continue what we have been doing for the last few hundred years. Only without my father, the council and my brother Dagog. And we want your help to make that happen.” Grai answered honestly.
Chapter Three
Banatar was the first to stand to his feet screaming. Grabbing the device from Reven, he began shaking it in his fist at Grai.
“You lying… how dare you come in here and make threats! Using our own women against us! And the things you did to my daughter! You should be in chains! You should be ripped apart for what you’ve done to our people!” Banatar shook with rage; he didn’t want to hear any more of the animal’s lies.
“I understand your thoughts, but nothing is as it seems. If you let me explain, I could clear up many misconce
ptions that you may have. However, you may want to stop shaking and squeezing that. It’s a very sensitive device, and you could accidentally set it off before we are ready.” Grai said as calmly as he could to Banatar before looking to Ivint for help. If the device went off before he was ready, it could ruin any chance he had at negotiating.
Ivint stood and reached out his hand to retrieve the device from Banatar, who turned bright red in the face from his anger. Giving the device one last unintended squeeze in his fury, he pressed it too roughly into Ivint’s hand setting off a small beeping sound.
Ivint looked at Grai questioningly, but calmly. Even Grai was impressed with the man’s granite nerves and confidence when the screens exploded around them seconds later.
Every person in the room stood on their feet and watched in fascination as flames engulfed the hallways of the ship, the other screen showing the large-scale explosions from the view of the orbiting pod.
Traze flinched a little when three of the surrounding ships exploded dramatically when hit with flying debris from the mother ship. “Oh hell yeah! That was awesome!”
“Sir, the orbiting pod bordering that quadrant and this one is beginning to register debris!” Risk said with shock at the magnitude of the explosion. He looked back at the screen in time to see more of the surrounding ships become engulfed in flames.
“Koda, they set it off. Be prepared, it should only take Dagog about an hour to reach you!” Grai said, speaking into a comm device he’d pulled from his pants while everyone was distracted by the explosions.
“High Councilor, with all do respect, we don’t have much time. My brother Dagog and his forces will be coming, and he knows where some of your safe houses are.” Grai punctuated his statement by pointing to the screen with the view from the orbiting pod.
The fleet of ships that had been set apart from the now engulfed mother ship, were heading towards the orbiting pod at a fast pace.
“What game do you play?” Banatar demanded, his rage not diminished by the death of the Relian leader and countless council members.
“If we had more time I would have held off on the detonation until I could explain it to you. As it stands, we have about an hour before the ground and space forces begin a full-scale attack on all of us.”
“Right now we need to try to fortify ourselves on the ground. Koda and his ships can take on Dagog, and he knows it; it's here on the ground where we need to be concerned.” Grai began when he slid a larger comm to Traze.
Traze began typing rapidly and gave a quick fist bump when he was able to change some of the screens in the room. Spread sheets and maps began appearing on the screens not showing the Relian ships.
“If I may, High Councilor?” Grai asked politely, nodding to the screens.
Ivint glanced at Risk who was looking at Traze in surprise and realized the boy had just overran Risk’s computer security. Looking back at the burning Relian mother ship for a moment, Ivint nodded his head, grateful that Banatar was still silent from shock after pushing the button that killed the Relian leader.
Grai stood and walked to one of the screens showing a map of the United States. Pointing to the many red dots on the map, Grai explained, “These are all of the locations of your safe houses.”
“These are all of the locations of our safe houses and storage facilities.” Grai said pointing out the blue dots that were right next to each of the red dots.
“My forces are a mix of the different races enslaved by my father, trusted Relian’s that believe the way my brother’s, and I do, and the gifted and hybrid women we have been able to rescue over the years.” Grai paused when Banatar began to sputter as if ready to start screaming again.
“Banatar silence!” Ivint hissed in irritation and gave a knowing look to Reven. This is one time; he thought, where having the ability to communicate through the Shengari’ would be incredibly useful.
Without warning, the door opened slowly to three of the girls who had come in from locations that were close by. Ivint struggled momentarily to remember their names.
“Sir?” A heavily armed, dark blonde woman with short hair asked questioningly.
“Drew? You were not called in here. Please go back outside. Jane and Bree, go with her.” Banatar told the three woman, who did not even look in his direction when he spoke.
Ivint watched the women curiously as they continued to ignore Banatar and remained standing near the doorway. Noticing the surprised look on the faces of Dread and Viper, Ivint realized what was going on.
“They are using the Shengari’ aren’t they? These are a few of the girls you rescued?” Ivint asked Grai, already knowing the answer.
“That’s a lie! We found Drew and Bree over twelve years ago! And Jane seven years ago.” Banatar interrupted; his chest puffed out as if offended.
The rest of the room paid much more attention during the brief silence that followed Banatar’s outburst. The three women tilted their heads slightly towards Grai, as if listening to something he was saying, before nodding and turning to the room.
“Grai rescued me from one of his father’s camps twenty years ago when I was five and Bree was three. We were raised to know who we were and where we came from. And to be proud of that.” Drew began before Bree interrupted her.
“We learned more about Valendra from Grai and Koda than we learned when we got here.” Bree said with a quick glare at Banatar.
“So you betrayed me! You betrayed your own!” Banatar sputtered in rage, beginning to stand; his hands braced on the table.
He didn’t get far before Ivint had him pinned against the wall, one hand on his throat and the other on his chest keeping him immobile.
“Listen to me now! Look around this room!” Ivint growled lowly at him as he turned his head to look at the screens showing his ships surrounded, all the safe house locations surrounded. And a still burning Relian ship.
“None of this is as it seemed! NONE OF IT! I, for one, am tired of being ten steps behind in this game. I want to know what is going on. The truth! And I want our people safe. If you do not put your emotions aside and pay attention, so we can learn, I will have you removed from the room.” Ivint continued to hold Banatar until he saw the resignation in his eyes.
Ivint could understand his anger, everything he thought was real seemed to be a well-orchestrated fabrication created by Grai. What concerned him, and what he was trying to find out, was why.
When he felt Banatar’s muscles go lax, he let him go and gave him a moment to pull himself together before turning back to Grai and nodding his head at the man.
“When Koda and I first began rescuing the girls from my father’s camps; we attempted to raise them the best we could. Like Banatar, we trained them to fight and defend themselves. That included the beast bond.”
“When they were old enough and trained well enough, we sent them to Banatar to learn more about their people and help protect the others. At the time, it seemed like a good idea, since his group was much smaller back then, and they needed the help. Colored contacts enabled them to hide their beast bonding.” Grai explained quietly, as if embarrassed by his kindness in helping to fortify their defenses.
“What was the purpose of this?” Reven interjected, gesturing to the screen showing their safe houses close to Relian buildings.
“That was two-fold and where my mate, Tricia helped the most.” Grai gave her a gentle smile and patted her trembling hand that he still held in his lap before continuing.
“We knew that at some point if my father didn’t find you, my brother Dagog would. Tricia helped me buy large expanses of properties all over the planet. When we secured the area and had provisions ready, she would go to Banatar and tell him about this great property she had found for another safe house.”
“We would sell the property to them, as is, so that the provisions would be there for them. With our locations so close by, it was easy to keep them stocked with what they needed and lend support if necessary.” At the startled
looks on the faces around the room, Grai decided to switch gears to speed things up.
“Let me go further back for you. When my father first allowed me on the planet almost two hundred years ago, I was to learn the ways of the people, infiltrate and destroy from within. His typical agenda when the planet is rich in resources, and he wants to use the inhabitants as slaves.”
“My mother, my brother and I had other plans. I learned, and built my own empire behind his back. A business empire. One that employed all of those that were not loyal to my father. One by one, we smuggled the captives from other planets and hybrid Relian’s that were loyal to peace, and we brought them here.”
“We gave them jobs and let them lead real lives again. And in order to protect those new lives, they would fight their own when they had to in order to protect it. At the time that was all we wanted. To live in peace. Away from the brutality of my father and those loyal to him.” Grai explained, trying to downplay what he had gone through over the years in order to build a normal life for them all.
“I learned from my father, so I could set up his most loyal of followers and pretend that I had caught them in some act of treason that would make my father angry. It may seem cruel, but it served two purposes. It made my father believe that I was loyal, so he would give me more responsibility, and it eliminated another danger to our new lives here.”
“The company I founded is Freedom Enterprises.” Grai said to the groans and muttered curses of Risk, Jax and Banatar.
“I don’t understand.” Ivint said with confusion, looking to Risk and Jax for answers.
“We’ve been doing business with them for over seventy years. In fact, we have always considered them to be loyal friends and allies. They always went out of their way to get us what we needed almost before we asked for it. They said it was because they had warehouses all over the country. Now I see it was because they were right next door to us.” Risk explained, his surprise clearly written on his face.
“What kind of business?” Ivint asked, looking between Grai and Risk for an answer.