December

by Karen Lofgren

  *

  After seemingly hours, Gavton finally came into the little room Ted had been left in. Ted had gone over every feasible scenario of how this interrogation could go down, but still wasn’t sure how to handle it. Should he tell the truth as much as possible, or should he give away nothing, even the most insignificant detail? Was his will strong enough to hold out if he chose the latter option?

  When Gavton did come in, he came in unimposingly, a surprising feat considering the Drevi commander’s size. He circled Ted for an excruciating amount of time, sizing up his opponent for this game of wits.

  “Why did you go to the Koleans for help? How did you even know they existed?”

  “They came to me,” Ted said, quickly discarding the idea of playing the action hero captured by the enemy. He knew he wouldn’t be able to last. “I simply went along with them.”

  “What exactly happened?”

  “They practically kidnapped me, that’s what happened,” Ted said with a laugh, because it was true.

  “Interesting...” Gavton continued to move, never once stopping, in a predatory circle around the chair. “So you just went along with it.”

  “Pretty much.”

  “Then how did Vandoraa get tangled up in your little... joyride?”

  “He’d snuck onboard the December to take a nap,” Ted said humorlessly.

  “That’s a lie,” Gavton said, his demeanor changing instantly at the dishonor this human was implying his brother committed. “Vandoraa would never...”

  “Believe me, it happened.”

  Before Ted knew what was happening, Gavton reached out and struck him across the face.

  Damn, he can hit hard. Ted spat out a tooth, along with a dribble of blood, the pain excruciating. He’d never had good dental luck throughout his life and one of his greatest, gnawing fears was losing his teeth. Now he would have to get it regrown somehow.

  “You kidnap my little brother and now you have the kanukas to lie about it to my face. I underestimated you, human.”

  “My name is Ted,” Ted growled. “Something none of you Drevi seem to have figured out.”

  His irritation resulted in another blow, but it’d felt so good to get that off his chest that Ted felt the pain was well worth it.

  “How many Kolean ships are out there? What is your strategy?” Finally, the tactical questions. And in spite of how terrified Ted was of this alien and of torture, he refused to give any of that information up.

  “I don’t know. They didn’t tell me.”

  Gavton raised a hand to strike Ted again, and Ted flinched away, but the blow never fell.

  “Don’t you dare hit him!” Vandoraa’s angry voice, sounding more determined and powerful than Ted had ever heard it before, echoed throughout the room.

  Gavton was so startled he seemed to forget that Ted was even there. “Vandoraa? What are you doing here?”

  Vandoraa opened his mouth to explain, but a beeping on the wall added yet another distraction for Gavton. Huffing in irritation, Gavton made his way over to a computer panel on the wall and accepted the incoming call. “This is Gavton.”

  “Sorry to bother you, commander, but... well, we have a problem down in the engine room.”

  “What kind of problem?”

  “Well, the entire coolant system is overheating. If we can’t get it under control, we’ll have to evacuate the ship.”

  “What? How could that be? Are the safeties working?”

  “The computer says they are, but alarms didn’t go off.”

  “Get it under control. If you can’t, send word immediately so the crew can get to Menaarka’s ship.”

  “Yes, sir.” The communication cut off.

  “Brother, I can’t let you do this.” Vandoraa’s words were tinged with sadness, but also an icy determination that seemed to surprise Gavton. Ted only knew enough of the Drevi language to get the gist of the conversation, though he was listening intently, trying to pick up as much as he could.

  “What are you talking about, Vandoraa?” A gasp as he saw the look in Vandoraa’s eyes. “Are you the one responsible for the system overload?”

  Vandoraa said nothing.

  “Brother, please, no.”

  “I am. As we speak, your prisoners are making their escape. And there’s nothing you can do to stop them.”

  “Traitor,” Gavton said, his voice deep and dark. He made a motion to grab his weapon but Vandoraa was faster on the draw. Defeated, and unwilling to shoot his brother, Gavton dropped his gun to the floor.

  “Ted, get up slowly, and come over to me,” Vandoraa calmly instructed the human.

  Ted did so, the open wounds in his mouth stinging beyond belief. He reached Vandoraa and got behind him.

  “I’m sorry, Gavton,” Vandoraa said, shooting his brother in the shoulder before Gavton even had the chance to say anything. With a shocked look on his face, Gavton crumpled to the floor.

  “Vandoraa...” Ted gasped in shock.

  Vandoraa looked miserable. Ted didn’t even know just how big a transgression his savior had committed, all in the name of someone he barely knew. Harming his own family member was one of the greatest taboos of all.

  “Let’s go get Alana,” Vandoraa said. “And fast.”

  Ted didn’t need to be told twice.