She picked up the display from where she’d abandoned it next to the packs, shut down the program, and disconnected her comm.
“I’ve disabled the program scanning for ships. If someone out there is searching for us for the wrong reasons, they’d be able to use it to track us.”
Graydon’s expression turned grim. “We won’t know if our people come looking for us. But you’re right. We can’t risk it. Looks like we’re on our own.”
“So, now what?” Nazari asked.
The admiral glanced at the sergeant. “We can’t risk hiking in the dark. It’s too dangerous, and we’ve already got one injured ankle to deal with. We don’t need any more.”
Nazari straightened her shoulders. “I won’t slow us down, sir.”
“I know you won’t, Nazari, but even if you weren’t injured, I still wouldn’t want to be taking on these woods in the dark. Hopefully whoever shot that missile at us is thinking they got lucky and won’t try anything else. We’ll stay right here and start out first thing, as soon as it gets light.”
The captain admiral gave them each a watch, with Mae taking first shift, the admiral second, and Nazari the last and shortest. None of them were able to rouse Jaren. In the couple of packs they’d managed to grab, there were several more thermal blankets, but if they lost these, they’d be in for several cold nights.
Graydon bunked down next to Jaren after checking on him one last time. While Nazari settled in on Jaren’s other side, Mae wrapped one of the blankets around her shoulders and stayed sitting against the boulder. As her three survival companions became still and quiet, the night noises of the forest sounded louder. Through the thick branches of trees above, two of Tocarra’s four moons shone weakly though a soupy cloud cover that also blurred the stars.
Two days. Two days of hiking through rough wilderness—likely carrying an injured soldier if they couldn’t bring Jaren around—before they reached any type of civilization and could call for backup. When she’d agreed to the maniacal plan of hijacking Zander Graydon, she’d never imagined things would turn out like this.
The first thing she’d be doing when they got out of this forest would be contacting Rian and giving him a piece of her mind. And then she’d be telling him that instead of bringing Graydon to him, he could get his ass and his ship over to meet them so he could work out whether or not the captain admiral was really a shape-shifting alien. Hell, it’s what she should have told him in the first place.
Chapter Five
Nadira
The problem with backwater worlds? They were exactly that—nothing more than poor farmers scraping a living off the land. Besides fresh food, there were no decent supplies to be had. And apparently not one bottle of Rian’s favorite weakness of choice: Violaine.
Zahli and the ship’s doctor, Kira, haggled over the price of some fruit. Easy enough to tell the trader had jacked up his prices by about 200 percent when he’d realized they were from offworld.
Rian leaned over, plucked an apple from the display, and took a huge bite out of it, stopping the argument as everyone turned to look at him.
“I hope you’re going to pay for that. In hard credits. We don’t take red currency here on Nadira.” The trader leaned sideways a little, his eyes flashing between them all, while his hand dropped below the line of the table, bowed from the weight of produce.
While taking a second bite of apple, Rian kept a close eye on the shifty trader. The guy better not be going for a gun, because ending this little bargaining attempt with weapon fire would just make him cranky, especially considering how low his supply of Violaine was getting.
Then again…
Rian pulled out his nucleon gun in a quick movement and aimed it at the trader’s forehead.
“We’ll take your goods at the local price.” He took another slow bite out of the apple, his aim unwavering.
The trader paled and went motionless. “The local price is thirty credits per pound.”
Yeah, maybe on a rich planet like Yarina.
“We’ll take your goods at the local price, or we’ll just take them. It’s your choice.”
“Gentlemen, please!” Another man approached, but Rian didn’t take his gaze off the trader, in case the rip-off merchant was stupid enough to go for whatever weapon he had hidden under his table.
“There’s no need for such excitement.” The man stepped into his line of vision wearing an IPC government suit. “Cormann, give our visitors your goods at the local price. After all, we don’t get many offworlders stopping by this part of the galaxy.”
As the trader nodded reluctantly and turned to address Zahli, who currently held all the credits, Rian lowered his weapon.
“Welcome. I’m sorry I didn’t get here to greet you sooner, but I was stuck in a subspace conference with the IPC,” the newcomer said.
The guy held out his hand, but Rian stared at him for a long minute as he reholstered his gun, weighing up his initial impression of the man before slowly returning the handshake. Clueless local given high government position on some no-account world—no threat.
“I’m Leroi Hendricks, the grand chancellor of Liese and high president of Nadira.”
Behind Hendricks, Zahli and Kira shared a concerned look.
Frecking hell. So much for flying under the radar…or Reidar.
Rian forced a smile and moved into an easy stance. “Well, how about that. I can’t say we’ve often been met by a planet’s high president when stopping to purchase supplies.”
Hendricks clasped his hands in front of himself and rocked back on his heels, looking more than pleased. “Like I said, we don’t get many people stopping by this part of the galaxy, but we’re hoping that’s about to change.”
Rian took another piece of fruit from the crate Zahli had purchased. “How so?”
Hendricks motioned for him to come along and then started off at a stroll.
He glanced back at his sister. “Once you’ve secured the supplies, you’re off the books until the twelve hours are up. Comm me if you need anything.”
Zahli nodded and then headed after Kira, who’d already gone on to the next stall in the marketplace.
Rian took a moment to check his comm, but like the last twenty times he’d done so, there was still no new message on the ship’s logs. With every hour he didn’t hear from Mae, the icy claws in his spine dug harder and deeper, telling him something had gone wrong and he needed to help her.
Slipping his comm away again, he took a few quick strides to catch up with Hendricks. As he did, Callan, the ship’s security specialist, and Lianna fell into step a few meters behind them.
“We’re hoping to turn our little planet into a tourist mecca for history buffs,” Hendricks continued, as if there hadn’t been a break in conversation. “You’ve actually landed at a very fortuitous time. We’re having an official celebration tonight to commemorate the discovery.”
“Discovery?” Rian tossed the core of the apple into a garden and glanced back at Callan and Lianna still following at a distance. Hopefully the celebration, whatever it was, wouldn’t get in the way of their plans to launch later in the day.
“We discovered some carvings in a stone wall outside the city. The language is like nothing in this galaxy. Would you care to visit the site? Once you leave Nadira, you could spread stories of the marvel. Help get the word out.”
He’d only been half listening, because he didn’t really care about what some small-time high president thought would put his back-of-beyond planet on the map.
Except at the mention of a language like nothing in this galaxy, his skin started pricking like there were icicles in his flesh. Was this the other boot he’d been waiting to drop and kick him in the guts since going with the unsettling urge to land on Nadira?
“I would love to see your discovery. Can I bring a couple of my people along? We’d be more than happy to spread the word.” Not. No way in the fiery pits of Erebus. Not if his current paranoid thoughts turned out to be r
ight. Jezus, he really hoped for once that he was wrong.
“Of course. The more the merrier, I say. It really is something everyone should see. I think our little planet is going to change history.”
Rian glanced back and nodded at Callan and Lianna. The two of them caught up as Hendricks led them to the edge of the marketplace, where a shuttle sat waiting.
“We have scientists, archaeologists, language specialists, all sorts of people coming and going from the site all day. None of them can make heads or tails of the carvings,” Hendricks said as they boarded the bus.
“You don’t say,” Rian muttered in return, taking a seat near the doors. The more he heard, the less he liked.
The trip out of the city limits to the discovery site took a little over half an hour, and Hendricks kept up a steady, one-sided conversation about the planet and his hopes for the future of his world.
The shuttle set down on the edge of a field bordered by scraggly forest at the bottom of a sheer cliff. Above, inhospitable mountains provided a stark backdrop. A chaotic tent city blocked view of the site, as though it had started out as one or two tents and then increased over time. The makeshift shuttle stop had a line of people waiting to depart once the current passengers disembarked.
Rian followed Hendricks off and then waited for Callan and Lianna to join him before they headed down the track worn into the grass from heavy foot traffic. Closer to the rock face, it got more and more crowded, people working on various instruments, taking notes, and conducting group discussions. Rian shook his head at the commotion. It really must have been the most exciting thing this planet had ever seen.
“And here we are.” Hendricks stopped and waved his arm at the wall with a flourish.
Rian hooked his thumbs into the loops on his belt, waiting for a couple of nerds to move out of the way so he could get a clear look.
The discovery turned out to be a door-shaped indent in the smooth rock face. To the left, a hand-sized square had an orderly bunch of symbols carved on it, while along the top what appeared to be words in a sentence ran the length of the seam.
Frecking hell. Reidar.
Of course, it wouldn’t have run to his current streak of crappy luck that his hunch about the planet was wrong.
And that wasn’t just some random carving in a rock—it was actually a doorway, the symbols on the left a kind of keyboard. Being forced to read and understand their alien language had been just one of the many wonderful things the bastards had imparted to him.
“Fascinating.” He tried to sound interested, really, he did. But it was kind of hard when he was so goddamn pissed. For once, he’d wanted that damned heebie-jeebie, bad-juju sensation that wormed its way down his spine every now and then to be wrong.
Hendricks frowned at him, while Callan and Lianna had knowing, wary looks on their faces. Hell. Those two had gotten to know him too well. Inevitable when they practically lived in one another’s pockets onboard the Imojenna.
“Do you plan on staying very long?” Hendricks asked as they started back through the tent city to where the shuttle waited. “Because you’re more than welcome to attend the celebration tonight.”
Rian glanced back at where the nerds were swarming around the discovery like ants on a dead slug. He had to get back here and take a closer look when no one was around—he needed to know what was behind that door.
“You know, I think we will stick around. Any excuse to join in a party, right, guys?” He aimed a silent check at his two crew members, who both nodded their agreements.
It would eclipse the twelve-hour time limit he’d put on being dirtside, but he was the frecking captain, and if he wanted to change his mind, well, that was his prerogative.
On the shuttle, Callan and Lianna got closer seats to him.
“What’s the shakedown with this situation?” Callan asked in a low voice. “Why are you so hot to party all of a sudden? I thought you wanted to get to Barasa like yesterday.”
Rian glanced around to make sure Hendricks wasn’t close enough to listen in.
“Those symbols? They’re Reidar. And it’s not just a pretty picture—it’s a doorway to whatever’s hidden in that mountain. We’re not going to the celebration, we’re going to wait until everyone else has gone and then come back here to see if we can get inside.”
“Jezus damn.” Callan sat back, a scowl darkening his features. “Even when you make us go dirtside on some piss-poor excuse for a planet, we still can’t get away from the scum bastards.”
“I don’t know whether this means there are any Reidar around. It could just be an unmanned outpost of some kind. But we’re going to find out and add it to our arsenal of things to use against them.”
“Yeah, ’cos that’s working out real well so far,” Callan muttered.
Rian clenched his jaw at the jab. Did they think he liked skulking around the edges of the galaxy? While they’d managed to collect valuable information, they didn’t have the man- or firepower to take the Reidar head-on.
Somehow, he had to find a way to beat back the incursion before the invasion was complete. He might not know what the Reidar had planned for the universe, but years of experience at their hands had taught him it would definitely be the stuff of nightmares.
Chapter Six
Tocarra
Three hours until dawn, and his watch had come to an end.
Zander pushed himself up from where he’d been leaning against a tree for the past few hours and stretched. Jezus, his body hurt all over. Bruises and aches from the crash he hadn’t noticed before had settled into his bones along with the night’s cold.
When Petros had taken first watch, he hadn’t slept a wink. Instead, he’d spent her allocated hours worrying about Jaren and asking himself again and again if it was crazy to think she had anything to do with this unplanned camping trip.
The questions kept stacking up, but he had no proof, which frustrated him even more. Maybe it was an illogical leap to be suspicious Petros had turned up at the same time everything started going haywire. But now he had the added coincidence of her rigging up her comm to the ship’s control panel, only to have a missile find them not even a few hours later.
Could she have called in the missile because he’d survived the crash? But why sit around and wait for it, then warn them at the last minute? She could have just as easily slipped away and left Nazari, Jaren, and him to burn.
If he kicked the paranoia and made himself think logically, it didn’t make sense that she’d ordered the missile strike. She’d seemed just as surprised as he was. Still, his gut told him there was something more to her, and he couldn’t ignore that.
Soreness making his gait uneven, Zander crossed the short open space and checked on Jaren. He still couldn’t bring the young officer around. Had he fallen into a coma or something? He’d thought the kid might have internal injuries, but maybe he’d hit his head as well.
With a heavy sigh, he went to rouse Nazari but found her already awake, eyes open and staring at the sky.
“Did you get any sleep, Sergeant?” he asked as she sat up.
Nazari stood, her movements stiff. “A bit, sir. The pain in my ankle made it a little hard. But I guess my internal clock knew my turn at watch was coming up. I’ve been wide-awake for about fifteen minutes now.”
He nodded downward, indicating the leg she was clearly favoring. “How do you think you’ll go once we start hiking?”
She glanced down, frustration crossing her features, but edged with determination. “I won’t lie, sir, it’s going to hurt, but I won’t slow us down.”
“I respect that, Sergeant. But while it might only be a sprain, that doesn’t mean you won’t do yourself more damage if you’re not smart.”
She crossed her arms, glancing across to where Jaren slept, then returned her gaze to him. “If you don’t mind me speaking freely, sir, my sprained ankle is the least of our worries. When we set out in a few hours, we’ve got to take the terrain hard and fast.”
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The unspoken sentiment being they wanted to give Jaren a chance to get out of this wilderness alive.
“Three hours until sunrise, Nazari. If Petros and I aren’t awake by the time the sun is coming up, wake us. I want to start out as soon as there’s the slightest bit of light.”
“Yes, sir.” Nazari nodded and made her way over to a tree on the perimeter of the small clearing, using the trunk to lower herself again as she kept her injured leg immobilized.
Zander grabbed a spare thermal blanket. Rubbing the back of his neck where a tight ache had taken hold, he moved over to where Lieutenant Marshal Petros lay curled on her side near the large rock. He stepped over her and stretched out in the space between her and the boulder, flicking the thin, reflective sheet over himself.
He settled on his back, getting as comfortable as he could on the hard, cold ground. The old sleeping habits he’d developed as a soldier years ago didn’t fail him, and he fell right into a combat nap.
Except what only seemed like five minutes later, a shaft of light cut across his eyes. As his mind kicked the last of the sleep haze, he went to shield his face with his arm, but it was pinned. That last detail shot an acute dose of adrenaline into his system, instinct telling him another person held down his arm. He rolled to put his attacker underneath him, trapping the person in place.
The beam of light cut across him again through the violet-gray light of predawn, and he looked down to see Petros staring up at him with wide eyes. Hell. She hadn’t been trying to restrain him, but while they’d been asleep, he’d ended up against her with his arm beneath her shoulder. Her gaze shifted past him, and an almost-noiseless hum registered—more like a vibration in the air.
A ship hovered above them, the light that had woken him sweeping in a search pattern across the ground, between the trees. Nazari crouched at the base of a tree fifty feet away, where she’d sat down for her watch earlier. Jaren still lay in the shelter of the huge rock as he’d been left the night before. Squinting, Zander could just see the rise and fall of the younger man’s chest.
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