“Will you all stop shouting?” Ellie roared. The hum was growing exponentially and the urge to run was nearly overbearing. To make matters worse, there was a loud bang and suddenly the already crowded apartment became unbearable as Svoryk and nearly a dozen faceless soldiers appeared.
But Ellie barely had time to register exactly how out of control the situation had become before her panic, spurred on by her growing claustrophobia, manifested into a compulsion that she was powerless to resist.
“El’iadrylline! No!”
She heard Julian shout, but even though he was in the room with her, his voice sounded far away.
“Julian!”
She reached out, but as the pressure dropped one last time, the chaotic scene in her apartment disappeared in a blinding flash.
Suddenly, she was free.
Chapter 12
Julian reached for Ellie, but the sting of the displaced air as she pulsed out of existence told him he was too late. Even though he was certain he knew where she was going, he was powerless to follow. To pulse away without any inertial prompting took an expert level of control. More control than he had and certainly more control than someone who had just learned to steer their own pulse trajectory should have had. The only possible explanation was that the Kyroibi had fully manifested, and yet, that was impossible.
El’iadryov’s instructions had been clear. Julian was to remain with Svoryk, feigning subservience and feeding the Emperor false leads and misinformation. That had been the easy part. The madman wanted the Kyroibi’s power so badly that he was willing to send full fleets to explore desolate and long abandoned systems based on nothing more than second hand rumors of refugee colonies. With his false information network in place, Julian was to find Isaverlline on Earth.
This was the most important part of his mission and consequentially, the most difficult. Isaverlline was defensive and rightfully so, which is why El’iadryov had afforded Julian enough freewill to do what was necessary.
Yet still, he had failed.
He failed to gain Isaverlline’s trust. He failed to keep Svoryk from finding El’iadrylline. But most distressing of all, he had failed the entire mission. He only wished he knew what had gone wrong. The moment the Kyroibi was to awaken fully had been burned so deep into Julian’s memory that he could draw upon it in his sleep. After all of the careful and meticulous measures El’iadryov had put into place, such a significant error was incomprehensible.
But in that moment, disconnected from the chaos surrounding him, Julian’s eyes fell on a small magnetic calendar stuck to Ellie’s refrigerator. Fearful realization clawed at his chest, threatening to rip his very being to shreds. He hadn’t simply made a mistake. He had made an unforgivably stupid and very dangerous mistake. His translation from Ghowrn cycles to Earth years did not account for leap years. A simple concept taught to the youngest of school children had eluded his supposedly superior intellect. He deserved nothing short of execution for what could only be seen as criminal negligence.
Julian pushed through the guilt. He would face the consequences of his actions when the time came. He had surely failed, but he could not give up. Not as long as El’iadrylline still needed him. He was grateful she’d at last accepted her dominion over him. If nothing else, he could take comfort in the knowledge that she was, at least for the time being, safe.
It was unfortunately all he could do at the moment. Two of Svoryk’s soldiers held him immobilized by an incapacitator. Even if he managed to escape, the uncomfortable buzzing in his inner ears revealed that Svoryk had activated a pulse dampener upon arrival. However, the frequency of the buzzing gave Julian a small ray of hope and he had to suppress a smile when he saw the small disc-shaped tool in Svoryk’s hand.
Huptsovians were notoriously paranoid, but Svoryk took mistrust to a whole new level. That he managed to overthrow an entire governing system spoke more of his tenacity and lust for power than of any technological prowess. Clearly, he had no qualms about exploiting Eidyn technology for his own gain, but it seemed Svoryk still refused to undergo the simple procedure that would allow him to effortlessly use the most common of Eidyn conveniences. Instead, the Emperor relied on gadgetry for everything from pulse travel to enslaving his army.
Stripping Svoryk of his technological advantage was a simple matter. A low level concussive static interruption would destroy every gadget the coward carried, but doing so without casualty was impossible. Every soldier wore the faceless mask of the enslaved. Killing even one of them would make Julian no better than the mindless killing machine many already thought him to be.
“Where is my daughter? What did you do to her?”
Isa’s shrill question brought Julian back to the moment and he noted with alarm that Ellie was not the only one who had disappeared. Dryova no longer stood with the captives, but had assumed a featureless appearance and slipped unnoticed into the circle of guards. Whether quick thinking or part of a larger deception, Julian did not know, but he decided the wildcard was not his main concern. Svoryk was nothing if not predictable, and Julian would use this to his advantage.
“My true master is safe,” he assured Isaverlline, using the title that he knew would draw ire from the Emperor as well.
“By the gods, Julian, I will see you destroyed!” Isaverlline's voice was pitched with panicked anger as she reached automatically for her wrist. That her immediate course of action was to punish him came as no surprise, but Julian was shocked to discover Isa’s genuine concern for her daughter was now stronger. He did not want to put too much faith in the Kyroibi’s influence fading on its own, but it gave him hope.
“You needn’t strain yourself, Isaverlline,” he said in a cold voice devoid of emotion. “Your daughter is safe. Her departure was planned.”
“Planned? What plan is this?” Svoryk asked.
“The one that neither of you were capable of torturing from me.” He affected a dismissive air of superiority. “The plan that will very soon be the downfall of the Huptsovian Empire.”
“And you are now willing to talk about this plan?” Isaverlline asked in disgust.
“Of course not,” he said with condescension. “I remain loyal to El’iadrylline. Not you or the so-called Emperor.”
Isa again reached for the implant on her wrist. Seeing what she attempted, Svoryk withdrew a neural scrambler and pointed it at Julian.
“You lie. There is no plan,” he spat, but his trembling arm and panicked eyes betrayed his confidence and Julian laughed.
“Confident are you? I assure you, all that has transpired today has done so because of El’iadryov’s careful calculations.”
Julian watched as two pairs of eyes narrowed.
“El’iadryov is dead,” Svoryk said with a self-satisfied smirk.
“Don’t you dare,” Isa hissed. She finally gave up on the implant and balled her hands into fists, taking a menacing step closer to Julian. “Don’t you dare use that name, you disgusting…”
Julian shook his head, gracing Isaverlline with a pitying smile as she sputtered curses in three languages.
“I’ll remind you, Isaverlline, that you have no control over me,” he taunted, spurring her anger and hoping his calculations were indeed correct and he wasn’t creating an additional problem for himself. “I daresay you never did.”
Svoryk smiled viciously and pulled the trigger on the scrambler. Waves of neural influence ricocheted around Julian and he suppressed a smile. Not only did the attack cause the soldiers to retract the incapacitator and let him go, but the scrambler did nothing as he was now under El’iadrylline’s protection. Luckily, Svoryk had no way of knowing this. Julian stiffened, twitching slightly before allowing his whole body to go rigid.
“Stop, please,” he gasped, contorting his face in agony and falling to his knees for full effect.
“Who is your master, Julian?” Svoryk demanded.
“El’iadrylline,” he hissed through clenched teeth. The pantomime was tiring, but it was necess
ary. Had he fallen to Svoryk’s influence quickly, he would have raised more than a few eyebrows.
Svoryk took a step closer and it took all of Julian’s concentration to keep from laughing at his foolishness. The scrambler was set as high as it would go. His only option was to hold the assassin in the beam until he succumbed to the influence. Closing the space between them would not increase the intensity, though it did give Julian an advantage. Just a few more steps and he could take down the Emperor without casualty. But Svoryk proved himself just clever enough to grasp the concept of self-preservation, staying just out of range of a direct attack.
At last, the charade had gone on for long enough. Julian fell forward, prostrating himself at Svoryk’s feet. “Mercy,” he gasped after drying his mouth for a realistic hoarse effect. “Mercy, please, my master.”
He didn’t have to fake gagging on the words. Even the act of pretending that the sadistic little Huptsovian had control over him was distasteful. At his outburst, the waves around him diminished, but did not disappear. Julian adjusted the appearance of his discomfort accordingly.
“What was that, Julian?” Svoryk asked, unable to keep the euphoria from his voice.
“Mercy,” he said again. “Please, master, show me mercy.”
“And who is your master, Julian”
“I serve Emperor Svoryk,” he panted. “I am loyal only to him. Hail Svoryk, the great leader of the Huptsovian Empire!”
He was overacting, but no one seemed to notice. The wave of influence stopped. He gave one last shuddering twitch before going limp.
“Stand,” Svoryk commanded and Julian obeyed, pushing himself up from the oak floor and wincing at the scene of devastation that had only moments before been Ellie’s charming apartment.
“Okay I’ve seen some crazy S & M stuff in my life, but that takes it. Who the hell are you people?”
Julian turned sharply. The front door had been loosened from its hinges, most likely by the uncontrolled pulse displacement from so many arrivals, but that was not his problem. Bethany, Ellie’s friend and next door neighbor, stood where the door had been, gaping at the scene of devastation.
“Bethany, run! Call the police,” Julian heard Richard warn in a low whisper, but it was too late. Her outburst had captured Svoryk’s attention.
“I remember you,” he sneered, craning his neck to look up at the human.
“Yeah, I’ll bet you do, creep,” Bethany barked with a short, harsh laugh as she recognized Svoryk as the slime ball who tried to follow Ellie out of MochaMoka a few nights before. “Recover from your accident yet?”
Svoryk’s sneer twisted into leering appraisal. With her dark skin, high cheekbones, and broad shoulders, she had all of the desirable traits of the Korghetians, but her dark eyes and coarsely textured hair gave her a curious beauty that Svoryk found intriguing.
“I’ll need to work on your manners, but you’ll make a lovely addition to my collection of exotics.”
“Oh honey, I think I’m a little more exotic than you can han—” Bethany’s barb was cut off when Svoryk signaled for the guard to hit her with a tranquilizer.
“Take her to my ship and have her placed in my chamber,” he commanded, wiping the drool from his chin.
Julian remained calm and impassive, but in his head, he was furiously recalculating his plan. He’d expected Svoryk to dismiss Bethany as insignificant. Now with two additional lives to save, Julian’s only option was to overpower Svoryk before he had a chance to leave the system with the Earthling. However, Bethany was no longer his main concern as Richard Whitmore had caught Svoryk’s attention.
“Another man of power, Isaverlline? Of course, I would expect nothing less from a shallow Korghetian.”
At that, Richard raised his eyebrows.
“Power? Hardly. I’m an entertainer. You hold an entire system under your authority and yet, for all her supposed shallowness, my wife has no interest in a man as powerful as you.”
Julian was taken aback by the man’s boldness, though he’d observed this as a common defense mechanism amongst the humans of Earth. Ill-advised, as it only seemed to escalate an already dangerous situation, however in this instance, that was exactly what Julian had been hoping for.
Svoryk glared. Anger and embarrassment turned his ruddy complexion a shade deeper. His lips mashed into a thin line as he struggled and ultimately failed to come up with a comeback against the Earthling’s barb. But his failure mattered not as he turned his sadistic smile to Isaverlline.
“Julian,” he called out in an almost sing-song voice. “It is time to prove your loyalty.”
“What is it that you wish of me, master?”
Svoryk pointed to Richard, but kept his eyes trained on Isaverlline.
“Kill this pathetic creature.”
“Yes, master.”
Julian turned his attention to Richard, keeping the mask of indifference in place as the man’s fear replaced the false stoicism he’d tried to project.
“Release him and step aside,” Julian commanded. The soldier complied and Julian grabbed the Earthling just as he tried to duck under his captor’s arm and dash for the door.
“What are you doing, Julian?” Richard hissed between gritted teeth.
Julian held his expression deliberately blank as he dropped his disguise, tightening his grip on Richard’s shoulder as the man went slack in his arms.
“Only what you’ve always expected I would. Goodbye, Richard.”
He drew back his right hand, revealing a syringe. It was a needlessly flamboyant gesture, but Julian wanted to make certain everyone, especially Svoryk, had a clear view of the needle piercing deep into the flesh of Richard’s neck. With his left hand, Julian measured weight and density, adjusting the concentration of toxins accordingly. Creating the illusion of death was a simple matter. With a single gasp, Richard went rigid, his eyes widening in perceived torment before slipping peacefully into a death like slumber.
Imprinting the necessary instructions within his human cellular structure was a greater challenge and Julian only had seconds to act. Fortunately, Isaverlline’s piercing scream diverted everyone’s attention. From her perspective, Svoryk’s pet assassin had once again killed her husband in cold blood while she looked on, powerless to stop him, her mind shredding alongside her heart. Gaining her trust would be near impossible, but he had other worries at the moment, such as a way to ensure Richard’s safety without poisoning his blood.
At last Julian detected a strong presence of metal and found that Richard had a tattoo high up on his bicep. A relic of his time in the military. Drawing from that, Julian coded a set of instructions that would compel the man to action when he awoke. He lowered the body as gently as he could without attracting attention, placing him behind a small sofa and out of the line of sight. With any luck, they would be long gone before Richard awoke.
Svoryk ordered Isaverlline sedated. With one last strangled sob, she fell silent. He gave the order to leave and Julian made to follow the soldiers, but the Emperor rounded on him.
“Where is the Kyroibi?”
“El’iadrylline has left this world in the Kyroibi flagship.”
“Headed where?”
“The Eidyn home world,” Julian answered. There was no reason to lie at that point. He knew Svoryk would attempt to torture the information from him and actually hoped he would do just that.
“T’al Eidyn?” Svoryk asked incredulous.
“No,” Julian said with a smirk. “Ia’na Eidyn.”
Svoryk’s already too large eyes went as wide as saucers and Julian could practically hear his thoughts.
“Come then,” he said sharply. “You will navigate us to where she is.”
“I am afraid that is not possible, master,” Julian said, eyes downcast not just in mock subservience, but also to hide the satisfaction he could not keep from projecting.
“And why is that?”
Svoryk took a step closer. A foolish move. While his gadgets protected
him from Julian’s hypnotic influence, he was not impervious to attack. Julian was ready. If Svoryk moved just centimeters closer, he could easily overpower the man, deactivate the gadget, and take control of his mind. If he failed, he would have to resort to barbaric methods of disposing of the power monger.
For the briefest of moments, Julian allowed himself the indulgence of imagining the sound of Svoryk’s bones breaking, but as quickly as the image came, he shoved it away. Allowing his emotions to surface, even in the form of a quick and harmless fantasy was dangerous, as he’d already discovered.
“The coordinates are well hidden. I have spent the last four years trying to extricate the information, but my attempts proved fruitless.”
This was not a lie. From the moment Julian first laid eyes on El’iadrylline, he desired nothing more than to keep her blissfully unaware of the powerful instrument residing inside her. The war was not her burden to bear. Ghowrn may have been her birthright, but Earth was her life. Ellie was happy and comfortable, set up with wealth and an honest desire to make true change in her world. But El’iadryov sealed her fate when he wove the Kyroibi into his daughter’s very being. Julian could no more unburden her than he could unravel all of the secrets of the universe.
However, what he could do was rid the universe of yet another megalomaniacal tyrant.
Svoryk’s anger rose and he raised the scrambler once again, jamming his finger so hard on the trigger that Julian heard the knuckle crack. Warily, he stiffened and made the correct facial contortions to convey discomfort. He allowed his body to slacken, careful to make it look as if the pain had simply buckled his knees. He reached out, intending to attack while making it look as if he was just trying to break his fall, but instead of coming into contact with the soft flesh of Svoryk’s ample belly, Julian was thrown backwards by a mild electric shock.
The force field was subtle and sophisticated, clearly an Eidyn creation. Julian’s initial scan had not detected it and he was lucky his attempt was easily dismissed as an involuntary action. One false move and he would have revealed himself, losing the only advantage he had at the moment.
A Space Girl from Earth (The Kyroibi Trilogy Book 1) Page 12