“You’ve been worried these last few days, Sorceress,” Ketrick said, using his nickname for Riot. “You are not yourself.”
“What makes you say that?” Riot looked up at Ketrick. She did her best to not allow her eyes to linger around his bare chest covered in tattoos.
“Because we’ve patrolled the city’s defenses every day since we’ve arrived,” Ketrick answered. He pointed down to the dense jungle on their right and the open plains on their left. “Don’t think I’m not grateful for our walks, but we’ve been over this. When the Karnayers come, they’ll hit us from the sky first. They’ll unload their soldiers in the jungle to give them as much cover as possible.”
“It’s just something ingrained in me, I guess.” Riot shrugged as the two stopped by the side of the palace. She studied the landscape for the hundredth time. “I plan and I plan some more, and then I do it over again. Despite the fact that nothing ever goes to plan.”
“Despite that fact,” Ketrick said, leaning against the side of the palace walls that rose up so tall, Rippa’s mech would be able to fit underneath. “I believe as you do. The Karnayers will come. When they do, we’ll be waiting. We’ll defeat them.”
“Not all of us share your unrelenting faith,” Riot said, joining Ketrick to lean against the palace’s hard exterior, placing a hand on the wall to either side of her. “Some of us, like yours truly, need to obsess about things.”
“Leaders often do,” Ketrick said, placing his hand on her own. “We never did get to go on that date.”
Riot didn’t move her hand away. If anything, she wanted to get closer to Ketrick, but now wasn’t the time or the place. “We’ll have nothing but time once the Karnayer threat is dealt with.”
“You’re not worried about what your superiors will say any more?” Ketrick asked.
“Like you said, you’re not a Marine.” Riot edged a bit closer to Ketrick so their arms touched. “I can’t see them denying the request of the prince of Hoydren, the man next in line to rule over this planet.”
Ketrick’s red eyes lit with a mischievous light. “You know, we don’t have to wait. We could always—”
Panicked shouts shattered the moment. Running feet sounded from around the palace.
“Story of my freaking life,” Riot said, reluctantly removing her hand from Ketrick’s.
75
Killa, the queen’s general, rounded the corner of the palace, barking orders to her Trilords as she ran. “Find Riot at once. Lock down the city. Send out an alert to the city militia. I want everyone to know what happened.”
Immediately, Trilord soldiers ran to do their leader’s bidding. Killa looked up to see Riot and Ketrick as soon as she had relayed her orders.
“Trouble?” Riot asked, already knowing the answer.
“Always.” Killa narrowed her eyes and looked from Ketrick to Riot and back again. “What were you two—”
“If it’s a matter of importance, you should let us know immediately,” Ketrick interrupted her. “We may be able to help.”
“Of course.” Killa motioned past her shoulder to the city below. “As you know, Remus had offered to trade secrets for a reduction in his sentence. He was playing us the entire time. As he was being moved to a different location from the hole we’d thrown him in, he escaped.”
Riot felt her stomach do a backflip. She knew from the beginning that Remus’ offer to cooperate had some ulterior motive, and here it was. He was just biding his time until he made his attempt.
“Clear the ships.” Riot looked to Killa and Ketrick. “Lock the Titan and I’ll leave the Valkyrie’s rear cargo door open. They’re the only ways off-planet. Remus will be forced to try to steal one if he’s serious about leaving.”
“Understood,” Killa said, nodding slowly. “I’ll send word to the crews immediately.”
“I can stay with you,” Ketrick said. His voice told Riot he already knew his words were uttered in vain.
“I’m a big Marine,” Riot said, shaking her head. “Besides, if he sees anyone around, it’ll spook him. I’ve got this covered. Don’t worry yourself, Muscles.”
Ketrick nodded slowly as Killa and her contingent of guards left to fulfill Riot’s request.
“I’ll be far enough away so to remain in the shadows, but I’ll be there if you need me,” Ketrick said.
“Agreed,” Riot said, winking at Ketrick. “Ease up. I took down a Zenoth hive queen with a hammer, remember? I can take down one unsuspecting Karnayer.”
Riot sat hunched behind Rippa’s armored mech unit, her back pressed to the cold steel of the Valkyrie’s hull. Why she had chosen this spot instead of a more comfortable one eluded her now. The area outside the ships had been cleared but for the normal Trilord patrol that would pass by every fifteen minutes. They couldn’t make it too easy for Remus, or else he would expect the trap.
Maybe he suspected the trap already. He still had to come if he wanted to escape the Trilord city. The only other option would be to try to escape outside of the city walls. That would be the last thing Remus would want to do. There was no way off-planet for him in that direction.
Riot stretched her back to the limited extent that her small quarters provided. She could see the dying light outside of the open cargo bay doors. The twin suns that warmed the planet of Hoydren were making their final descent as the planet’s giant moon took over its reign of the sky.
Whose brilliant idea was this again? Riot asked herself as she did her best to relieve her cramped aching muscles. Oh yeah, you did this one to yourself. Good job, Riot. Now your muscles are cramping, it’s hot, and you skipped dinner.
Riot’s mind was beginning to wander. Had it been an hour, or three? She was starting to lose focus when a shadow crossed the cargo bay door. In a second, her senses heightened. A rush of adrenaline sent her heart beating faster.
She peeked around the edge of the mech unit’s giant leg. Remus stood in the entry way of the cargo bay doors. He looked nothing like she remembered. The once-proud Karnayer leader was a poor imitation of his former self. His white hair was filthy and matted. His blue skin was bruised around his eyes and mouth. The black clothing he once wore was gone, and instead, he wore pants and a tattered, white long-sleeved shirt.
Whatever the Trilords had done to him to exact their vengeance had been brutal. Riot felt pity for him, but for only a second. Remembering the lives he had taken, the dragons he had so cruelly enslaved and bent to his will, wiped away any of the sprouting pity she held in her chest.
Remus crested the cargo bay ramp. He hugged the opposite side of the ship, trying to make himself as small as possible.
Riot sprang from her place behind the mech unit. She raced across the cargo bay hold and threw herself at a wide-eyed Remus. The two went down in a pile. Remus clawed at her, trying to find a dominant position on top. He was taller and lankier than Riot, but she had the edge in muscle.
Riot fought past his arms and slammed him onto his back. The Karnayer’s head bounced off the steel floor and he lay stunned for a moment. Riot took the opportunity to drag him to his feet and throw him against the cargo bay wall as hard as she could. His nose broke against the metal wall as he slumped to the ground. Blue blood raced down his nostrils while a wild look crossed his eyes.
“This can be as painful as you want to make it,” Riot said, readying herself for another onslaught from the Karnayer. “You’re beaten. Give up. Or don’t, and I’ll put you down again. I don’t care.”
Remus snarled and lunged at her once more.
Riot sidestepped his attack. Letting her guard down was a bad idea. He swung with a wild backhand and hit her in the mouth. Pain exploded across her jaw. The familiar taste of blood touched her lips.
“Oh, hell no,” Riot said. She arched back her right leg and caught Remus in the torso with every ounce of strength she could muster.
Ribs cracked inside the Karnayer’s chest as her boot made contact. He doubled over, falling to the ground.
�
��Want to go again?” Riot asked, spitting blood from her mouth. The nanites that healed her wounds were already at work. Riot ran her tongue over the place where her lip had been split. It was strange to feel the wound already closing. “I don’t want to commit a hate crime, here, but if you come at me again, I’m going to beat you like you stole something.”
Remus glared up at her again. For a moment, she thought he would try another assault, but she mistook defiance for defeat. Instead of trying to regain his feet, Remus stayed on the ground, clutching his chest.
“You think you’ve won?” Remus snarled. “My brother will come for me, and with him, the full force of the House of Karn. I’m not going to give you or your kind anything.”
“Yeah, I didn’t think so,” Riot said. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Ketrick at the base of the cargo bay ramp, along with a unit of Trilord soldiers. They waited there for her signal. “When I heard you offered to cooperate I didn’t believe it. Now I know it was only so you could try to escape.”
“Your superiors were too eager to try to make a deal for the knowledge I possess.” Remus looked to his left to take in the group of Trilords at the cargo bay entrance. “I’ve given them nothing. There is no form of torture I won’t endure. The Trilords have starved and beaten me, to no avail.”
“Interesting.” Riot pursed her lips. “Evonne, are you there?”
“I am,” Evonne, the ship’s AI, said from nowhere and everywhere at once. “What can I assist you with this evening?”
“Can you get Wang in here?” Riot said as a plan formed in her head. “I want to try something.”
“Immediately,” Evonne answered.
Remus eyed Riot with a suspicious glare.
“Come on in, guys.” Riot waved over to the group of Trilords gathered at the cargo bay exit. “You can all be part of this, too.”
Ketrick, Killa, and two other hefty Trilords walked in. Their weapons were lowered at Remus.
“Are you injured?” Ketrick asked.
“What? This?” Riot pointed to her lip. “Already healed.”
Wang came at a sprint from around the corner of the ship. He was out of breath but looked to Riot for direction. “I was … I left the Valkyrie like you ordered.”
Riot grinned at one of her oldest friends. Wang’s short Mohawk-styled hair, his sharp features, and his athletic frame were nothing compared to his intellect. He was the smartest soldier she had ever come across and she was proud to call him her friend. Not that she would ever admit any of that.
“You’re good. I told you to leave,” Riot reassured him. “I was just wondering if you could cook up a truth serum cocktail for our friend, here. It doesn’t seem like he wants to cooperate.”
Wang looked over to Remus with a wide smile. “I think I have just the thing. I’ve been experimenting with concentrated dosages of sodium thiopental and the purest form of Scopolamine. What I’ve found is that, when introduced to the patient’s bloodstream, the effects have been—”
“Wang, Wang.” Riot lifted a hand and shook her head. “No one here understands what you’re saying. I get that you’re super excited about it, but Ketrick’s eyes are glazing over.”
“No, I’m sure he understands,” Wang said, looking to Ketrick for help.
“It’s true, brother Wang.” Ketrick shrugged. “You lost me as soon as you opened your mouth.”
Wang shifted his gaze to Killa and the two other Trilords in attendance. The two Trilords next to Killa shrugged.
“I tried to follow along,” Killa offered, “but it was no use.”
“Wang? Uh, Wang…?” Riot said, reeling him back in. “Just go grab it.”
“Right,” Wang said, shifting from a defeated look back to his normal, jovial nature. He took off at a run through the cargo hold to the med bay.
“If you think injecting me with some kind of arcane liquid that is meant to make me speak the truth will work,” Remus spat, “then you are more of an idiot than I took you for.”
“You are just a miserable person, aren’t you?” Riot said, shaking her head. “Do you have any friends at all? I mean, besides your brother.”
“I am very popular on my planet,” Remus said, glaring at Riot and the Trilords around him. “I have plenty of friends.”
“Uh, I think he’s telling falsehoods.” Ketrick leaned on his weapon, a long staff with a hammerhead and an axe head on either side of a blaster. “No one would want to be his friend.”
“This is childish!” Remus roared. “I’m not going to sit here and argue about my relationships on my home planet.”
Wang sprinted back into the room, carrying a syringe.
Ketrick and Killa pointed their weapons at Remus as he shot them murderous stares. Still, he didn’t move as Wang injected him on the right side of his blue neck with the serum.
“You fools are wasting your time.” Remus wiped his bloody nose. “I will never give up my family’s information. I will never…”
Remus’s voice trailed off like he had forgotten what he was going to say next. A blank look came over his eyes.
“How fast is this stuff supposed to work?” Riot asked Wang.
“I don’t know,” Wang said as he shrugged. “It’s the first time I’ve used—”
“Oh, you’re right, you’re right.” Remus hunched his shoulders as his lower lip protruded. In a sad voice, he admitted, “I don’t have any friends.”
76
Riot couldn’t believe what she was seeing or hearing. Remus looked like a little kid sitting on the cargo bay floor. There was a sadness in his eyes, and his tone said he was nothing but sincere as he continued.
“I push everyone away,” Remus said with a shake of his head. “Even my brother who’s coming to rescue me doesn’t really care about me. He’s just doing it to uphold the family name. When he gets here and I’m free, it will be a constant mocking point for him. I’m never going to live this down.”
Riot exchanged looks with Wang, who shrugged. “I guess it’s working.”
“I just … I just wish there was another way,” Remus said, continuing on. He lowered his eyes to the floor as hot tears streaked his face. “Not only have I failed my family, but now I’ll also be labeled as a failure in life. Captured by a group of primitive Trilords and humans who have only just discovered the ability to travel off their own planet. I’m a disgrace. A no-good, friendless disgrace.”
“Hey, hey there, little guy,” Wang said as he took a seat next to Remus on the ground. “You’ll be all right. We’ve all made some pretty serious mistakes in life. I mean, there was this one time I ate some shady Mexican food from a street vendor in Tijuana. He had a kind face, so I thought he could be trusted. That food ruined me. I spent all night and most of the next day on the toilet, beating myself up. I mean, I knew better.”
Ketrick was the only Trilord who knew Wang well enough to crack a smile. Killa and her two other guards looked at one another in confusion.
“I don’t think Remus is going to pose a problem to us for a while,” Riot said to the Trilords, who still had their weapons leveled at Remus. “Why don’t you let us see what we can find out, and we’ll bring him back to you.”
Killa looked over at Ketrick for a consensus.
“I’ll stay here,” Ketrick assured Killa and her two soldiers. “We’ll bring him back as soon as we find out whatever it is we can.”
“Understood.” Killa lowered her staff and motioned to the two Trilord soldiers to follow her from the ship. “We’ll be waiting to receive him once you are through.”
“Ugh,” Remus exhaled, watching Killa and the two other Trilords walk out of the cargo hold. “She’s so mean. Why is she so mean?”
“I don’t know,” Wang said as he let a heavy breath of his own escape his lungs. “Some people are heartless.”
“Wang, I don’t mean to break up the bromance here, but we need to stay on point,” Riot said, reeling her corporal back in. “Focus. We need to find out what he knows.�
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“Oh, right,” Wang said, placing a hand on Remus’ shoulder. “Remus, we need to know when your brother is going to come for you and where he’s most likely to strike.”
Remus nodded along, wiping hot tears from his eyes. “He’s here already.”
“What?” Ketrick said confused. “Where? On Hoydren? How do you know?”
“It’s our way to recruit local militia to do our fighting for us and keep our own ranks strong,” Remus explained. “He’ll be doing what I would have done. He’s meeting with the Brute faction of the Trilord race once more to get them to join his army and fight against you. He’ll probably try to capture more of your dragons, as well.”
“No way,” Riot looked to Ketrick for conformation. “The Brute force wouldn’t fall for the exact same trick again, would they? They were already duped and defeated once.”
“I don’t know.” Ketrick rubbed a hand on the underside of his jaw. “I wouldn’t have thought the Brutes would have taken up the Karnayer banner the first time. Maybe we should pay them a visit.”
“His next move, whether the Brutes agree or not, will be an orbital strike from his destroyer,” Remus continued to relay information, unprompted. “After that, he’ll harass you with Scarab ships, forcing you to keep your heads down while he sends transport ships to unload soldiers and whatever other abominations he has with him. His destroyer is called the Devastation, by the way.”
“I’m going to need some coffee for this.” Ketrick looked over to Riot and Wang. “Do either of you want a cup?”
“How many have you had today?” Riot raised an eyebrow as she looked over at the prince.
“Four or five mugs, I think,” Ketrick said, looking up at the cargo bay ceiling as if his answer was written there somewhere. “I can’t be sure.”
“You have a serious problem.” Riot waved Ketrick away with an open hand. “Go. Go get your fix.”
Ketrick smiled as he left the cargo hold.
“Let’s hope he doesn’t ever figure out what espresso is.” Wang shook his head with a shudder. “He’ll start talking as much as Doc Miller.”
War Wolves: Boxset 1-3 Page 37