Zena- Commander

by Edward Lake

  I scowled at the two oafs and ground my teeth. I stepped away from Evander, leaving Taft alone to help him walk. I marched ahead, still glaring at them. Controlling my emotions was a struggle, even worse than when I met Saros face to face for the first time. I had hoped meeting the GGC leaders would be easier. But I was wrong.

  “You must be the famous Zena Ezra? The slave woman who somehow infiltrated the Holy Army and wooed the pastor’s daughter!” The man to my right hooted. He laughed and touched his head. “Oh my, what a ruse!” He was short and round, staring at me with googly eyes. “My name is Fritz Noon, co-leader of the Galactic Gambling Corporation.”

  “And I’m Que Dean. Pleasure to meet you, Zena.” Que was short and round, too. He wore a glittering robe that made my eyes hurt. He reached out to me, the rings on his hand sparkling like the stars. “Kneel.”

  I glanced at Jax and Ada, and they both gave me looks that screamed, do what he says.

  I knelt and looked around, wondering what he wanted me to do. When I saw Que wiggle his chubby hand in front of my face, I nearly vomited.

  “The North Star belongs to the GGC, Zena. Show your respect,” Fritz said. He stared at me and gave me a single nod in the direction of Que’s hand.

  The utter humiliation was unbearable. I closed my eyes as I bent my head down. My lips quivered as I kissed Que’s ring-covered hand.

  The fat man moaned and sighed. “Yes, very good.”

  Next, as Que pulled his hand back, Fritz held his hand out to me, shining with many rings like Que’s. I kissed his hand, too.

  Fritz beamed and pulled his hand back. “Rise, Zena.”

  I stood up and looked past them. In my eyes, I saw red flashes. From my perspective, these men were accountable for my father’s death. I wanted to slaughter them. But slowly, so that I could hear them squeal and cry like the cowards they were.

  Fritz and Que turned their backs to me. They waved us onward as they headed down a polished golden walkway. Jax and Ada walked past me. I followed them, and Taft helped Evander along.

  I carefully studied the ship, shaking my head. So this is how these rich monsters live. Naked, chained women pranced around the ship like bugs on a hill, scrambling for crumbs. Some of them danced to the funky music playing over the speakers, while others blew kisses at me and the rest of the group. I wondered if the women were from the North Star—slaves who had been taken from their families.

  Fritz and Que led us to a large, circular bench. Fritz instructed us to sit while Que ordered one of their servants, another naked woman, to fetch us drinks. Jax and Ada sat on my left side. Evander and Taft sat on my right side, leaving me in the middle of our group of five. Fritz and Que positioned themselves directly across from us.

  “I’m so glad we could arrange this sit-down before Zena’s fight, Jax. Things are a little hectic for us now that the pastor’s empire is under attack. Which is why we requested to expedite the fight. The sooner this war ends, the sooner we can return to the peacefulness we are accustomed to.”

  Jax bent forward, staring at them. “Yes, Sir Noon, I agree. The situation has escalated. We need to end this war now.”

  Fritz nodded. “Very well then.”

  The servant came back with drinks on a golden tray. She carefully gave each of us a drink, then went to Fritz and Que and gave them drinks.

  Instead of ogling the woman like Jax and Ada, I looked down and waited until she was gone.

  “You don’t have to be bashful, Zena. If you win this fight, I’ll let you have any woman you’d like as a reward.” Fritz giggled. “In fact, you can have them all at the same time if you’d like!”

  I showed him a fake smile. “Thank you, Sir Noon. But I have a woman already. She’s all I need.” Sadie wasn’t exactly my lover. Not yet, at least. But I believed she would be. I wanted her to be. In time, I hoped she would want to be mine, too.

  “Ah yes, Sadie Saros. How is she?” Que asked, his cheeks turning red.

  “She’s fine.”

  He shrugged. “Well, most people think women like you and her are disgusting. But I’m not on that side of things. In fact, I think it’s quite riveting.”

  Jax slapped his knee. “Sir Dean. Shall we discuss the event?”

  He took a big sip of his drink. “Ah yes, the fight.” He set his cup down on the tiny table in front of him. “Nearly every member of the GGC will be betting against you, Zena. In their minds, there is no way a woman could kill a man with her bare hands.” He grinned and licked his lips. “But we believe you can. You’ve shown us a tremendous amount of grit and toughness. Rescuing Sadie from the Serpents. Escaping the Holy Army.”

  My eyes narrowed. “Forgive me, Sir Dean. How do you know about those things?”

  He chuckled and glanced at his partner. “We have eyes and ears everywhere.”

  Fritz reached into his robe and pulled out a rectangular device. He pressed a button on the thin piece of metal, and within seconds, a hologram of a bald-headed man popped up. “This is Norv Krane. He’s a slave fighter from District Four. He’s being held on our ship as we speak. The Holy Army has no knowledge of his involvement. For our safety, we intend to keep it that way.”

  I gave him a nod. “I understand. If I win—’’I gulped and exhaled. “When I win the fight, I won’t speak of Norv or the event.”

  All at once, they beamed.

  Jax and Ada stood up, prompting us to stand. Then Jax wrapped his arm around me. “She’s ready.” He looked down at me. “Aren’t you, Zena?”

  Staring at Fritz and Que, a sickness touched my stomach. All my life, I had watched men like Norv Krane suffer and die. I saw my brother Declan kill many men, because he had to. I had always wondered who the leaders of the GGC were. I wanted to know who was responsible for the malicious death sport that took my father.

  After all these years, I had now become a pawn for the corrupt organization. I would have to kill a man and hope that would be enough to save my family. But something told me it wouldn’t be. How far will I go to save them? Can my sanity recover from this? Dear God, help me through this.

  Evander touched my face, breaking my concentration.

  I looked at him, my eyes somber. “What?”

  “No matter what happens, I want you to know that I’m proud of you.”

  I reached out and pulled him close, and we shared a warm embrace. “Thank you.” When we separated, I turned and stared at the GGC leaders. “I’m ready.”

  “Excellent,” Fritz said. He turned his head. “Pilot, the time has come. Take us to the designated location.”

  I looked up and spotted a collection of amplifiers mounted in the ceiling.

  The pilot responded in a hurry. “Affirmative.”

  At last, my time to fight had come. I was ready to kill Norv Krane. If only my father could see me now. If only Declan and Grandma Petra could be here with me. I closed my eyes for a moment and quietly prayed. Dear Lord, can you hear me? I’m ready for war!

  10

  Zena

  Fritz and Que flew us to a remote area on the other side of the North Star. Pains in my chest and stomach formed as the ship landed, and my hands began to shake. The GGC leaders led our group of five down the long ramp on their massive ship. In the sky, thunderous applause rang in my ears. I looked up and saw thousands of swanky aircrafts hovering over our heads. Perhaps tens of thousands, surely more than I had ever seen together at one time.

  Droplets of sweat formed across my brow when we got to the center of an open, dry field. Fritz and Que marched in front of Jax and Ada. I followed them, and Evander and Taft followed me.

  Behind us, two rebel soldiers escorted Norv Krane and a young boy to the field. I turned my head and stared at him. Norv’s face had no emotion. The deep bags under his eyes were dark and wrinkled. He had many scars on his face and arms, too. It seemed as if the boy was Norv’s son. He was clearly a slave like him. I could tell by his messy hair and dirty face, the same way I once looked. He looked just like Norv, too.


  I didn’t know if I would be able to live with the pain of killing an innocent man and leaving another child without a father. Gazing at the poor slave fighter and the boy, my eyes glossed over. If only I could save you both…

  Jarvis Primo, the fat man who did the announcing for all the GGC fights, was on standby. His eyes widened when he saw Norv and me position ourselves across from each other. Moments later, before speaking into the nearest amplifier, he cleared his throat. “Members of the GGC, the time has come! For the first time in the history of this great death sport, the honorable leaders of the GGC will host a fight between a man and a woman!”

  The crowd roared, waving their bags of money chips around like fools. Finally, at the center of the madness, everyone backed away, leaving me and Norv alone.

  The young boy went to the other side of the field. My group of four stood far behind me. Fritz and Que walked over to Jarvis and stood with him.

  The spectators slowly fell into silence, and the air calmed. Norv stared me down, and I glared back at him. I took a deep breath and rolled my neck. Norv bounced on his feet and threw a few practice punches.

  From the corner of my eye, I saw Jarvis jump up and point at me. “The challenger is a former slave from District Four. By now, I’m sure you know her name! She achieved one of the greatest cons in history! She is…the infamous…Zena Ezra!” He stretched his arms out and brayed out an annoying laugh.

  To hear him and the brainless members of the GGC turn my relationship with Sadie into a spectacle angered me. When the war was over, I hoped I would have a chance to kill them all. I was tired of being their rock to kick around. I wanted to do the kicking now. I needed to see them suffer, just as I had, for so many years.

  The fat man turned to Norv. “Her opponent has put a lot of money in your ships! Seven years undefeated. A strong grappler with the power to end a fight with one punch. He is…Norv Krane!”

  The crowd cheered for Norv and shouted, “Death to Zena! Death to Zena!”

  Disgusting slobs. They were the real savages. Pretending to be good men, using men like Norv to get rich. Shameless in their pursuit of fortune.

  Jarvis pointed at me again. “Ezra, are you ready to fight!”

  I quickly nodded.

  He then went to Norv. “Krane, are you ready to fight!”

  He nodded.

  “Round one, fight!”

  The boorish GGC members banged on the ramps of their ships as we moved forward.

  Norv bent low and fixed his eyes on me. He inched closer and closer, swiping at me with his large hands. “We both know you can’t beat me, woman! Don’t fight back, and I promise you I’ll end it quick.”

  I didn’t want to say anything back to him. He was like my father, Valter, and my brother, Declan. Just another slave from District Four, trying to survive. But once the adrenaline took over, my emotions went numb, and I couldn’t hold my tongue. “You’re sadly mistaken. I will beat you, Norv. Not because I want to. Because I have to.”

  Norv screamed and attacked me, throwing wild punches. I ducked and moved backwards. He closed the distance and caught me with a quick jab. I stumbled a bit and covered my head.

  “Keep those hands up at all times, Zena!” Evander shouted from afar.

  I kept my hands up high and waited for Norv to come near me again. Finally, when he made another move, I struck him with a punch to the face. It did nothing but make him madder. He ran after me, reaching for my hips and legs, trying to grab me. He caught my leg and pulled me close. Norv lifted me off the ground with ease and slammed me down on the dry, rocky ground.

  I grunted and tried to push him away. But it was no use. Norv blasted me with punch after punch. Have I been set up? All I could think about was the dried plants Jax had given me. Had he lied to me, to make me think the plants would make me stronger, when in reality they were making me weaker? Did he want me to lose the fight all along? Did he promise the GGC he would somehow find a way to make me lose, so that the betters could cash in?

  I was furious at Jax and afraid for my life. If my speculations were true, all that talk about saving my family was just a trick—to ensure I would agree to do the fight.

  “Oh my! This could be it! Ezra is getting pummeled here!”

  “Get up, Zena! Get up!” Evander hollered.

  I kicked my legs and turned my body. Norv rocked me with a stinging punch that made me see flashes of many colors. He continued his brutal assault, beating on me so hard that the sound of his punches overpowered the roar from the crowd.

  Desperate and dazed, I managed to catch him with a wild kick, right on his chin. The shot sent Norv stumbling to his knees. Within seconds, the flashes in my eyes faded. I wobbled to my feet and staggered backwards. Norv shook off the kick and tried to run after me. But he was hurt, zigzagging all over the place like a drunk.

  “What an amazing save! Now Krane is stunned and hurt!”

  Before either of us had a chance to attack again, Jarvis ended the round. “That is the end of the first round. Caregivers, you may assist your fighter.”

  Jax, Ada and Taft hurried to me and helped me over to Evander. I was panting as I sank to my knees. Still gasping, I stared at him, shaking my head.

  Evander touched my face and checked my bruises. “You’ve got to do better, Zena. He’s going to kill you in this next round if you don’t. You’re faster than he is, lighter on your feet. Move around him, use your jab, and protect yourself at all times.”

  Jax knelt beside me. “You’re doing just fine, Zena. Remember that technique we talked about?” He gave me a sly wink. “You’re stronger than you think. Don’t be afraid to use it.”

  Hmm, maybe he wasn’t lying after all. Even so, Norv had real skills, and I had never been in a fight like this before. The little training Evander gave me wouldn’t be enough. I had to dig deep. I had to remember that I wasn’t only fighting for my life. I was fighting for a chance to save my family.

  Ada reached down and helped me to my feet. “For a second there I thought we lost you.” There was great concern in her voice, the softer side that I liked. She let go and backed away. “You can do this, Zena.”

  The others stared at her, silence hanging in the air.

  She squinted her eyes at them. “What?”

  Jax grinned. “It’s okay. I can see that you like her.”

  “Shut up, Jax. I’m trying to encourage her.”

  Jarvis ran to the center of the field. “Fighters! Are you ready for round two!”

  I jogged forward and stretched my arms. I glared at Norv, blocking out the pain he had caused. “Ready!”

  He moved ahead and pounded on his chest. “Ready!”

  “Round two. Fight!”

  Once again, he ran after me, attempting to grab my legs and take me down. I avoided him easily this time, switching my stance, moving from side to side. But I was done running from him. I needed to engage and let him know I wasn’t afraid.

  I stopped moving and let him come after me. When he got close, I caught him with a jab as he went for my legs. Norv stumbled into me, knocking me to the ground. He was on top of me, but I had a clear shot at his face. I popped him with a few hard punches. Norv covered up and rolled off me.

  I leaped up and went after him. I struck him with several kicks and punches. Norv grunted and spat up blood. Suddenly, my arms bulged, and I felt a sense of invincibility, like I could take on an entire army with my bare hands. I blasted him with shot after shot until my hands hurt.

  “Father, get up! Please, get up!” the young boy cried.

  His voice stopped me. I looked up and saw his sobbing face. I glanced at my fist and saw redness and blood. Then I looked back at the boy.

  “I’m sorry,” I whispered, my voice shaky. I went back to Norv and beat on him with my elbows.

  “Please don’t kill my father!”

  I’m sorry, young one! I have to kill him. I didn’t feel like myself anymore. My hands were heavy and fast. My vision seemed sharper
, too. If the pem-peh plant really was from Mercilus as Jax said, I wondered if the Serpents ate the plants, too. Maybe that’s why they were so strong and fast.

  Rolling around on the ground, still covering his head, Norv wept and hollered, trying to get away from me. But there was no escape. I bent low and blasted him with more strikes. Blood splattered on my face as I went on.

  Finally, sparing my dignity for a moment, and Norv’s suffering, Jarvis ended the second round. “Fighters! Return to your caregivers!”

  I stood tall and looked down at Norv as he began to crawl to his son. I stared at him, in a daze, unsure of what to think. God, forgive me.

  “Zena!” Evander called to me.

  My back to him, still staring at Norv, I winced at the sight of him struggling to reach his son. “I’m fine, Evander.”

  The boy ran to him and touched his face. “I need you, Father. Please, get up.”

  Norv spat out more blood. “Take care of your mother and sister, Ray. I love you, son.”

  Ray spun his head and glared at me. “No!” He stood up and got in front of Norv. “You will have to kill me to get to him!”

  The crowd booed and threw their cups at him. But Ray ignored the crudeness and looked past the flying cups.

  “I won’t hurt you, Ray. But what you’re doing is not safe. They will kill you for interfering with the fight.”

  Ray put his fists up. “I’ll fight them, too! I’ll fight everyone! No one is taking my father from me!” His voice was so soft. I suspected he was only seven years old. Maybe six.

  “I don’t want this for you. I saw my father die at a young age, too.” Tears welled in my eyes. “His name was Valter. He made me feel safe. He was so strong and smart. I thought there was no man in the galaxy who could kill him.”

  Jarvis Primo stepped forward. “Step aside, boy! Or you will be shot down.”

  Before Ray could say anything, Norv rose to his knees and pulled his son back. “Listen to me, son! I said take care of your mother and sister. That is your responsibility now.”

  But the boy refused to give up. “No, Father! I can fight him! I can kill him, too!”