by Corin Cain
23
Raegan
“Entering hostile space,” I report over the com-link. I could telepath to my triad, but I prefer to test myself, listening for any quiver of fear in my voice. There’s no fear, though. Only deadly purpose.
We phase into Toad space above Bugra, our Reaver leading the way with a small troop carrier behind us.
The attack would never work if our Empires were still at war. Thousands of years of peace have made both of our Empires complacent. Only the hubris of the Toads – foolishly thinking there’d be no consequences to trying to enslave Aurelian warriors – has prevented them from posting heightened planetary defences. Those would have instantly turned our scouting ship and the troop carrier behind it into rubble and space dust.
“The scouting report was correct then,” telepaths Baldur.
Karan laughs over the coms. “If it wasn’t, we’d all be dead.”
My fingers twitch. The bond might have controlled Jasmine, but it has a hold on me as well. I ache to be back with her, pressing her against the wall and taking her as mine. Jasmine’s presence is light and far away in my mind, but it’s still constantly there.
And it’s evolved. There was no color to the bond when it first grew between us. Now I feel and see her aura as a light rose color, like a flower ready to bloom.
I shake my head.
Thoughts of her must wait. Let the battle readiness begin.
My instincts are so much more developed since bonding. Even the speed my mind works has increased with the power of the bond. As my adrenaline pulses, I watch Toad defense ships breaking through the atmosphere towards us as if in slow motion.
The Orb-beams from our gunnery stations arc out, and the first Toad ship explodes in a fury of fire. The other three take their bearings, and I can almost feel the fear of their Toad captains as they see what they’re up against.
The transport ship behind us fires thrice – beams blasting against the shields of the Toad ships, sparking in the dead of space.
Bugra is a barren, dry planet below us. The sands are thirsty for blood, and the moment we land I will sate them.
My eyes widen as the Toad defense ships glow black for a moment, and then suddenly phase away, leaving their planet undefended in their cowardice.
Karan laughs over the com-link as we plunge through into the atmosphere of Bugra. “Those cowards would rather let their planet be taken than face us!”
I grin. I’m ready for battle. I can remember every moment of blood and venom when I fought Scorps, and I can’t wait to test my mettle against the upper-echelon of Toad warriors; the elite corps known as Bullfrogs.
“Those cowards are giving us free entry towards the parliament,” Karan warns me, “but those were just their scout ships. We need to strike before their main armada can deploy.”
We burn through the air at full speed, our ship leading the way as we punch towards the parliament palace of the Toad planet. Their parliamentary building is squat and ugly, fitting well with the aesthetic of the hostile planet. I see on my radar – and then with my eyes – as a squadron of thirty Toad fighters appear on the horizon, rushing towards us. If they get to us before we can land and get to safety, this mission will fail – and then the Toad planet will quickly up its defenses.
We have one chance to do this right – when we possess the element of surprise. In these times of peace, the government of Bugra have just a skeleton defense force deployed; one suited to stopping Scorp flesh-ships. They’re not equipped or prepared to combat a trained strike force of Aurelians.
I pilot expertly, landing on the parliament palace as the troop transport hovers overhead. I rush from our ship with Baldur and Karan behind me, watching as Aurelians jump down from the hovering transport ship and follow us inside the palace.
“You all know the plan! Strike fast, strike deadly, and the planet is ours!”
The transport punches off, flying away before the Toad defense ships can blow it to bits.
The air hums as our Orb-blades activate. The three of us lead the charge, bringing our blades against the door that stands between us and the interior of the parliament building. It breaks down easily under our humming blades, and we pile through.
Orb-beams fill the air behind us as we all pile inside. The Toad defense ships are trying to pick us off.
“That way!” I yell, and we all rush forward. I know behind me that our Aurelian troops will be spreading throughout the building, taking down pockets of resistance whenever they encounter them. My triad, however, is going straight for the heart of the of the government.
Alarms ring out through the building. I turn the corner, and stumble across two Toad guards, who open fire with las-guns, the beams bouncing off my Orb-armor. We dispatch them quickly.
I know the layout of the building by heart. We’ve studied the scouting reports, run simulations, and I ache for what I know is laying through the huge wooden doors at the end of the corridor in front of me. Karan rushes forward, kicking the doors open, and I follow him, smiling behind my helmet as I see the shocked parliament members fleeing from inside.
“Get the governors!” I telepath, dispatching Karan and Baldur to round up the keys to the city.
Three Bullfrogs suddenly jump down in front of me.
They are much taller than regular Toads – towering nine-feet-tall, with huge bulging muscles and massive guts. They have thick armor and Orb-axes in their hands, and my adrenaline pulses as the first of them brings his axe down. I barely dodge, the Orb-blade cutting a chunk of my armor off. I jam my own blade into the Bullfrog’s guts and he screams out in pain as I disembowel him. Regular armor can do nothing to stop an Orb-blade. Blood splatters the walls as I whirl in an arc, despatching the first Bullfrog and then slicing the head off a second one, who’d been trying to outflank me.
The third kicks me, and I’m flung back, my Orb-blade clattering to the ground. I’m dazed from the power of his kick and pain flows through my body. The Bullfrog cracked my ribs, and I’m still out of breath as the Bullfrog steps forward and lifts his huge axe above his head, ready to deliver a powerful cleave that will split me apart.
And then, suddenly, the Bullfrog stops with his axe held high in the air. The handle of a blade sticks out his chest, thrown with impossible force and skewering him like a kebab The Bullfrog falls back, gasping in his death throes.
I glance up. Karan had felt my near-death through the bond we shared, and flung his sword across the chamber, saving my life. I look behind him. Two other Aurelians have captured the Toad governors.
More Aurelians pile through the wooden doors, their blades wet with Toad Blood.
“The palace is secured!” It’s Captain Tennant, my first in command.
A Toad governor stands, his mouth wide. “You fools! Reinforcements are coming! How dare you Aurelians break thousands of years of peace!”
Baldur goes to the head of the table where the Toads sit. A huge buffet sprawls out in front of them. The Toads like to eat as they practice politics.
Mockingly, Baldur grabs a com-unit – one of the ones used for parliamentary emergency broadcasts. It’s exactly where the scouting report said it would be.
“You’re going to come here and tell your world that Bugra has been given to the Aurelians as payment. Restitution for the slavery of three Aurelians, and forcing them to do battle in the gladiator arenas.”
The Toad governor looks down, the guilt in his eyes. “That… That is not proven!”
I bring my Orb-blade to his throat. “We were the three enslaved Aurelians.”
The Toad governor gulps and hops to the com-unit. Baldur puts it to his mouth.
“Loyal subjects of Bugra!” The Toad stammers. “There has been a change of governing body, but I assure you, commerce will not halt. Bugra has been given to the Aurelian empire to repay the debts of honor from a breach in the Convention.”
He finishes the address, and passes the coms-link back to Baldur.
“Good,”
my blood-brother nods. “My first in command, Captain Tennant, will take control of the administrative functions. All serving Toad politicians who do not have ties with the slave trade will be allowed to continue serving.”
“The majority of them have ties in the slave trade. We can’t leave them without a government,” thinks Baldur.
As much as I hate the idea of leaving officials who have profited from the slave trade in power, it’s obvious what I have to do. When Aurelians take control of a planet, they simply offer protection and take a tax. As little as possible is changed in the day-to-day running of affairs; except that Aurelian laws prevail, shutting down all slavery and raising the penalties for many crimes.
I clear my throat. “All officials who do have ties to the slave trade will have twenty-four hours to distance themselves from the trade in any way possible. Anyone still involved with slavery following that twenty-four hours will be sentenced to death.”
Toad officials look at each other, confused at how everything could have changed so fast. They don’t realize that their own Toad King let them be used as a sacrifice to keep the peace.
The Toads knew there would be repercussions, but none had any idea that this would happen. On the face of it, Bugra was being invaded. Yet behind the scenes, Aurelian diplomats had worked with the Toads to ensure that there would be no galactic war. It was as that Old Earth warrior, Sun Tzu, had written millennia ago: “Victorious warriors win first and then go to war.”
When I’m satisfied that Captain Tennant has a firm grasp of the building and our prisoners, I walk with Karan and Baldur back up to the roof.
Our Reaver is scarred from Orb-beams, but it will still fly. The three of us sit back, letting our bodies calm after the intensity of battle. We watch in wonder as ship after ship rises up from the cities of Bugra, flying away.
“Slavers. They’re all slavers, taking their business away. By the Emperor, there are so many of them!” I watch as ship after ship flies up and escapes, like flocks of vultures scared away from the carcass they were picking at.
“Those slavers will get a nasty surprise when they leave the atmosphere,” Karan scoffs. “Most of those ships can’t phase-shift.”
I grin, as I remember the last part of our plan. Now that the world is ours, more of our ships have piled into sub-space, ready to force escaping slavers to surrender and liberate their human slaves.
And then, suddenly, I feel something strange in the back of my mind.
I share a look of concern with my triad.
“It’s Jasmine. I can feel her. She’s moving, fast. But why?”
24
Jasmine
Nervousness fills me as the ship lands. The doors swing open, and out step my mother and father.
They look healthy – healthier than I can ever remember seeing them. They’re dressed in Terran clothes. After seeing so many togas, it looks strange to see my father in tan pants and a tight jacket. My mother is wearing a long dress, and my heart swells to see her standing with her back finally unbowed.
Two Aurelian honor guards stand by the ship, staring at my parents with open suspicion. If any harm came to me, they know they’d be executed for failing to protect a bonded female.
Their suspicion isn’t unfounded, though. After so long in prison because of the Aurelians, my father gives a hateful stare to the guards the moment he sees them, and then ignores them completely as he walks forward. Rage radiates from him; I can see it clearly from his demeanour.
My mom runs to me, moving faster than I’ve ever seen her go. She hugs me, and I feel her love in the strength of her embrace.
“Jasmine! You’re safe!”
My father is behind her, his eyes hard. “So, you’ve joined an Aurelian harem?” he says coldly.
I gasp, feeling like I’ve been slapped. “Father! You’d still be in prison if it wasn’t for me.”
He snorts. “I’d rather see the iron bars of my cell than see my daughter as an Aurelian whore. I’m here to bring you home.”
I take a step back. “Take me back?”
He nods. “You’ve hated Aurelians your whole life. You’ve never been one to trade your freedom for material comforts. You truly expect me to believe that the promise of riches is enough for you to change your very nature?”
I furrow my brows. With the three Aurelians farther away, the bond has loosened its grasp on my mind. I gasp as the truth of his words hits me.
I suddenly remember speeding across the vast deserts of Bugra, seeking my meager fortune in the hot sand. I remember, too, the cold, lonely nights – when the stars glittering and glowing overhead were my only company.
But at least back then, no man controlled my destiny. I owned myself, and my future. Despite myself, I still ache for the freedom of the empty horizons in front of me, of the ability to choose wherever I go.
Horror hits me at what I’ve become.
I’ve hated Aurelians all my life, knowing that their iron rule is the opposite of the freedom we humans should have. Disgust fills me, as I remember getting on my hands and knees and crawling to serve those three god-like aliens I’m bonded to.
“I… I don’t know what’s happening to me,” I say, and I cry, – tears flowing down my cheeks as my mom and dad hug me.
When I finally regain control of myself, I force a weak smile. “Come, let me at least show you where I live now.”
My father hesitates. “I suppose we should see how rich these Aurelians are. Is it true that this fabled bond exists? That they think you can bear them children?”
“Yes… Yes, they do believe that,” I reply, trying to gather my thoughts.
My father furrows his brows, squinting – the same expression he’d wear whenever he was trying to calculate numbers in his head for his small business. “You must be invaluable to them, then. Will they even let you leave?”
I nod. “Aurelians don’t believe in slavery – that’s the Toads. Raegan, Karan, and Baldur saved me from Toads. I know you… I know we hate Aurelians – but if it wasn’t for those three, I’d still be on a leash on Bugra.”
My father’s eyes go cold. “Those bastards think they’re better than us. They threw me in jail for trying to keep some of my hard-earned money. We would have been rich, Jasmine – rich! I had an iron-clad tip on a horse. It won while I was in jail! We’d have multiplied our funds by a hundred!”
Confusion hits me, and my mom gives him a worried look.
“Dad? I thought you didn’t pay your taxes so you could afford to get me into school?”
He looks shocked for a moment, then regains his composure. “Yes, well – once my horse won, I’d have had money for that.” He shakes his head. “So, show me this so-called palace.”
I lead them through the palace, showing them the huge pool and the beautiful gardens in the center courtyard. There are rooms here I’ve barely seen myself.
We find Elanor watering plants, doing it by hand even though a robot could have been assigned to do so. She liked the smell of water on leaves, she told me once, and as I breathe in deeply I can see why she takes pleasure in a task that others might think tedious.
Elanor looks up as we approach.
“Hello! You must be Jasmine’s parents. We’ve been waiting so impatiently for your arrival. I am Elanor, Jasmine’s servant.”
My father snorts. “You have servants, now? You’ve become just as bad as the Aurelians.” He ignores me, and extends a hand to Elanor. “I’m Jon, and this is Leanna. We’ll not be staying long. As soon as we’ve seen the place, we’re going back to Terra.”
Elanor cocks her head. “What do you mean?”
I shake my head. “I don’t know. I’m… Reconsidering everything. Maybe this isn’t where I belong. Maybe… I just need to think.”
Elanor smiles sadly. “You know those three would die for you.”
My father grabs me by the wrist, his grip painfully tight.
“Jasmine, those bastards just see you as a tool. Once you have a child wi
th them, they’ll never let you go. You’re too valuable to them. We need to get out of here now!”
Fear grips me. I don’t know what to do. My mind rebels against the thought of being a servant to the Aurelians – to spend thousands of years simply being bred, and used for their purposes.
But, at the same time, I’m happy here. I used to hate Aurelians with a deep passion, and now I wonder if I’ve been hypnotized by the bond; tricked into changing my opinion of them.
No! My triad care for me. I know it whenever they look at me. They’d do anything for me. They saved my life! They’d have rather died than touch me in the gladiator’s arena if I so much as said the word!
I look at Elanor, then back at my father.
But, if they truly love me, they’ll allow me to leave. I’m thinking clearly now, when they’re far away and the bond is weaker. I can… I can be myself when they are gone.
“Take me home,” I say. “Elanor, please, will you be in charge of the estate while I’m gone?”
She nods. “It would be my honor. But, Jasmine – you’re making a mistake. This is your destiny.”
I shake my head. “I choose my destiny.”
We walk out to the ship. The Aurelian guard stops us.
“I’m leaving.”
They pause for a second. I’m not sure if they’ll let us go.
“We have orders to keep you safe,” one of the guards warns. “Wherever you go, we follow.”
My father tries to push them aside, but they don’t budge. He might as well had tried to shove aside one of the marble statues in the garden.
Nevertheless, my father sneers: “If you Aurelian bastards think I’ll let you on Terra, you’re mistaken.”
The two guards simply stand there, implacable – their eyes cold and calm.
“She goes, we go. We stay, she stays. Decide.”
“Fine!” My father rolls his eyes. “Come with us, then.”