by Cheree Alsop
She held him tight, hoping beyond hope that if the planet took him, it would take her as well. If she could give him her energy, she would in a heartbeat. If there was any of the skull beetle left, she would have asked him, but his tattoos had faded; the skull beetles were gone. There was nothing she could do.
“Have they always been this stubborn?”
“As long as I’ve known them.”
“Sounds like the kind of friend Ovie would have.”
Nova’s head lifted at the voices of the Fay brothers and Anaya.
“Don’t look so surprised,” Redden said.
“Did you really think we could abandon you?” Farlon seconded.
Kovak looked up at them. All three froze at the sight of the light glowing from his eyes.
“That’s bad, right?” Farlon said.
“We may have cut it a bit close,” Redden agreed.
“Hurry up,” Anaya ordered.
Nova realized the Quarians were carrying a box between them. They knelt as one next to Kovak.
“Uh, you may want to give us a bit of space,” Farlon said.
“What is this?” Kovak asked as Nova scooted back.
“It was Anaya’s idea,” Farlon told him. “She woke up and was all angry and destroying the medical room. When we tried to calm her down, she asked where you had gone, then she called you a, what was it again, Red?”
“A gnarl-headed beetle fiend, if I remember correctly,” Farlon replied.
“You deserve it,” Anaya said.
Kovak winced. Nova thought at first it was in reaction to his sister’s words, but then the gladiator’s back arched. Every muscle in his body strained and a groan of agony escaped him despite his tightly clenched jaw.
“It’s killing him!” Nova said.
“Tip it,” Anaya commanded.
They dumped the box out. Nova jumped back as a dozen fiests swarmed from the box straight toward Kovak. She though they were going to attack him, but instead they began to strike at the brick beneath his hands where the energy flowed the strongest. Their massive rodential teeth tore chunks out of the rocks. Squeaks of excitement escaped them and their long tails wiggled as they dug further into the stone. Jagged cracks split toward Kovak’s hands.
“That’s it,” Farlon urged. “Chew faster.”
Nova tore her gaze away from the frantic space rats back to Kovak. His head hung and his eyes were closed. He leaned back so that his hands were the only things keeping him up. His face and skin had gone an ashen gray. Her heart slowed. He looked dead.
A fiest took a big chunk out of the brick by Kovak’s hand and the energy finally gave way, seeping into the bricks below it. Kovak slumped to the side and the fiests jumped past him, looking for another source to the energy they craved.
“Kove, hold on,” Redden said.
He jumped down the step and rolled Kovak over. The gladiator’s head lolled to the side. Nova’s hand flew to her mouth. Anaya put a hand on her shoulder.
“Kovak, come on, man.” Redden shook him, but the Smiren didn’t respond.
Farlon put his head on Kovak’s chest.
“He’s not breathing,” the Quarian said. He balled all four hands together into a club. “Stand back.”
Redden rose and put his arms around Nova. Nova’s knees felt like they were going to give out. She couldn’t stand the sight of Kovak’s blank stare and had to look away.
Her eyes flickered to something beyond the pair and a gasp escaped her.
Malivok, bloody and as angry looking as a wounded brandy bear, climbed up the step to face them.
“This ends here,” he said in a growl. “Nothing will stand in the way of my immortality. You are but insects beneath my foot and I will crush—”
Five shots rang out, one after the other. The Godking backed up a step with each bullet that struck his chest until he stopped on the very edge of the crack once more.
“You-you betray me!” he gasped.
Nova looked behind her at where Anaya stood. The Smiren woman’s feet were planted and her hands raised with a very serious looking pistol aimed at her father.
“You betrayed us first,” she said.
She pulled the trigger once more. The bullet struck the Godking right between the eyes. He fell backwards into the crack without a sound.
Anaya lowered her gun. A tear trickled down her cheek that she ignored.
“Come on, Captain,” Farlon said, drawing their attention back to his battle to save Kovak’s life. “You’ve been through too much to go out like this.”
He slammed his fists down on the Smiren’s chest. Kovak’s body jolted with the Quarian’s force, but his face remained expressionless.
“I’ll break all your ribs if I have to,” Farlon said. “You’d better wake up. Both your girl and you sister are watching!”
He slammed his fists onto Kovak’s chest again. This time, the gladiator sucked in a breath. The gray faded from his face. With Farlon’s help, he rolled onto his side and started coughing.
“Thank Vexus,” Nova heard Anaya whisper.
“That’s it,” Farlon said. “Just breathe.”
Nova felt lightheaded and realized she had been holding her breath. She let it out shakily. Redden rubbed her arm as if he knew what she was feeling.
“Where’s…the Godking,” Kovak asked in a weak voice.
Farlon looked up at Anaya.
Her eyes glittered when she met her brother’s gaze. “He’s never going to bother us again.”
Kovak rolled onto his back and looked up at the sky. He sucked in a breath, then pressed a hand to his bare, bloody chest.
“Why do I feel like I was stepped on by an ephiam?”
Redden laughed. A smile filled with relief spread across Nova’s face.
Farlon grinned. “I’m the ephiam.”
“What does that mean?” Kovak asked.
Farlon shrugged, “You were dead; I brought you back.”
Kovak tipped his head to look at Nova. Concern lightened his gaze. “Are you alright?”
She crossed to him. “You just died and you’re asking if I’m alright?”
He pushed up to a sitting position with Farlon’s help. Blood trickled slowly down his chest from the bullet holes. Though they weren’t nearly as bad as before, the Smiren was definitely not healed. There was no doubt Farlon’s lifesaving technique had done its own damage. Nova couldn’t help letting the worry she felt show.
“Hey now,” Kovak said, his voice gentle. “We’re all alive and the pyramid isn’t going to blow up. That’s what matters.” He ran his hand across her forehead, using his thumb to smooth away the creases.
Nova put her hand over his and moved it to her cheek. His fingers felt warm and rough from all he had gone through. “I have a feeling I’m going to worry about you all the days of my life.”
“Because I’m so devilishly charming?” he asked.
She couldn’t help laughing at his cheeky grin. The relief that he was alive combined with the stress of the situation they had just survived made her head reel.
“Captain, I think we need to get you to the ship,” Farlon said. “You’re too confident for a guy who just died.”
“I agree,” Kovak said, surprising them. “Dancing with death and surviving has left me feeling strangely giddy. It can’t be good for my health and she might just take me again.”
“Death is a she?” Nova asked.
“Definitely,” Kovak replied. “Elusive, mysterious, unpredictable, and dangerous. She sounds two other women I know.”
Nova and Anaya exchanged matching smiles.
Farlon and Redden ducked under his arms. Kovak let them help him to his feet. Despite his confident demeanor, Nova noticed how gingerly he climbed the steps. Fortunately, with the planet no longer on the verge of blowing up, they were able to take their time.
“Parliament owes us,” Redden said as they made their way to the lift. “The explosion from this pyramid could have taken out half the Accor
ds. They have some serious ground to make up, and I’m determined to see that they do it.”
“I’ll leave the politics up to you guys,” Farlon told them. “Give me a battlefield any day over arguing with stuffy Lords and Ladies.”
“Do I need to remind you that you are one of those stuffy Lords?” his brother asked.
Farlon snorted. “Take it back or I’ll shoot you.”
“I’m with Farlon on that one,” Kovak said. “I was a Lord for about fifteen minutes. That was long enough to last a lifetime.”
Nova couldn’t help laughing. “You guys are ridiculous.”
Chapter Thirteen
KOVE
It was getting harder to breathe. When I asked Farlon if he had to break all of my ribs to save my life, he had just laughed, but Nova’s worried looks said my nonchalance wasn’t fooling anyone. I finally gave in to her command that I rest in a chair on the bridge since I was too worked up to go to my quarters. Every muscle ached and the adrenaline refused to fade; apparently dying had that effect on the body.
“And then Regalus, I mean Lord Fay, showed up with at least thirty star ships and turned the tide of the battle!” McKy was saying from the screen. “It was epic, Nova. You should have been here!”
“I was watching my own epic battle,” Nova replied with a glance in my direction.
“Right, saving the Universe and all that,” her brother said with a grin, looking happier than I had seen him since we saved him from Akrul. “Rub it in. I’m sad I missed it.” His gaze turned to me. “This is hard for me to say, but good job, Kove. I owe you.”
“Glad I could help,” I forced out.
“I wish you’d recorded that one,” Jashu Blu said for the third time. “I would pay anything to see Kove fight the Godking. I can’t believe I missed it catching fiests.” The young Quarian shook his head. “I’m going to have to talk to Gardsworn about that.”
Nova and Junquit exchanged a glance. Junquit nodded at Nova’s look of gratitude.
Their wordless conversation made me happy. I was glad things were to a normal place where such exchanges could happen. The Godking had turned everything upside down. My one regret was that Anaya had been the one to kill him. She didn’t deserve to carry the death of her own father on her shoulders. I made a mental note to teach her about Essen al Tirin when I felt better.
Exhausted, I put a hand on the chair arm to push myself to a standing position and attempt to make it to my quarters to escape more of McKy’s bragging about how he had saved Evia when the door behind me opened. Silence flooded through the bridge. I turned gingerly and met Anaya’s searching gaze.
“You’re alive,” she said.
Emotions tumbled inside of me that I didn’t want to confront. Needless to say, my interactions with my sister had been far different than I could have imagined. “I’m told I have you to thank for that.”
She nodded. “That’s why I’m here. I need to ask a favor.”
“A little soon for that, don’t you think?” Redden replied. “Given the fact that you tortured us and we rescued you. I’m feeling the scales are still a little tipped in our direction.”
Anaya ignored him completely and faced me. “I would like to return to the Blavar moon. There are some important things I need to pick up there.”
“Ouch,” Redden said at being ignored.
Even at that moment, I didn’t want to deny my sister anything, but I had to face the truth. “It’s too dangerous. We can’t risk the crew. If the Godking’s soldiers return there—”
“They’re not going to return,” she replied with disgust in her voice. “Our father was a coward who found cowards to follow him. They’ll run to the farthest reaches of the ‘Verse where they first crawled from their holes.”
Farlon chuckled quietly. “Crawled from their holes,” he said. “I like it.”
“So why go back?” I pressed.
“You’ll see,” she replied. When she saw I wasn’t going to give in, she surprised me by lowering her gaze and saying in a humble tone, “Kove, I know you don’t have any reason to trust me, but I’m asking you to just the same.” She paused, then said, “Besides, there are other nobles imprisoned there, and I doubt anyone would’ve let them out.”
I didn’t know what to say. When I glanced at Nova, there was a searching look on her face as she watched my sister. She looked back at me as if she felt my gaze and her eyebrows pulled together in question. I gave a little nod. She nodded in return.
“Junquit, take us to the Blavar Star System,” she ordered.
Anaya’s head lifted in surprised.
“Oh good,” Jashu Blu said. “I can finally get a rock for my collection.”
The moon had an entirely different feel to it when we landed. As Anaya had predicted, the Godking’s troops had disappeared without a trace. I wondered where they had vanished to. I couldn’t decide how I felt about so many people willing to follow such a misguided commander. It made no sense to me.
Nova and the others had gone to the dungeon where Anaya had correctly predicted that the soldiers had abandoned our father’s prisoners. Nova’s not-so-subtle attempt to give my sister and I a bit of privacy filled me with warmth and the slightest bit of doubt. How did I deserve someone so understanding and selfless? The same thoughts after finding out about Lord Briofe’s proposal assailed me. I was just a gladiator; actually, I wasn’t even that. I had been a gladiator bought to be a bodyguard, though it turned out I had actually been purchased with fake marks to stand in McKy’s stead in battle on a forbidden planet. What did that make me now?
“It’s just through here,” Anaya said, breaking through my troubled musings. “Come on.”
She pulled open a door at the far end of what had ended up being a very long walk and led the way inside. I stepped slowly into the room.
I don’t know what I had been expecting, but the small, almost closet-like space wasn’t it. My eyes widen at the sight before me.
Pictures littered the walls. There were so many of them I could only imagine layers underneath. I took another step forward and my mouth fell open at the realization that most of the pictures were of me.
There was a shot of me battling Medio Ayutt in one of my very first fights in the arena. Another showed my fight alongside the trio Spherinx, the deadliest foot brawlers in the ‘Verse. And another showed my foot on the chest of Imperious Vyx, the battle that should have landed me the title of High Imperious, but instead proved to be my last battle before Sigmian sold me to the prison planets.
“Eat this.”
I caught the object Anaya threw out of pure instinct, then opened my hand to see a skull beetle on my palm. A tingle of anticipation ran across my skin even as I turned a suspicious eye to my sister.
“Where did you get this?”
She gave me a small smile. “Relax, Kove. Distrust doesn’t suit you.” She motioned to my chest and her voice softened slightly. “Don’t think I didn’t notice how long it took you to get down that hall. I was walking slower than half of my usual speed, and your legs are longer than mine.” Her accusing gaze was softened by her smile when she said, “Are all gladiators the self-suffering type?”
I followed her gaze to my shirt. Dark patches colored it from the bullet holes in my chest. I had chosen another black uniform from the ship, but the darker spots betrayed me anyway.
“Heal yourself, Kove. You deserve it.”
I glanced back up to find her watching me with our mother’s knowing gaze. It made my heart ache in a way it hadn’t in years.
“Anaya, I—”
She cut off what I was about to say with a shake of her head. “Don’t start. Now’s not the time.” She turned away and said over her shoulder, “Eat that before you fall over.”
I obediently put the skull beetle in my mouth. One swallow and my body took over. Heat chased the weakness from my limbs. I whispered, “Entun”, and felt the tattoos across my chest warm. Healing strength spread through every part of my body, chasin
g away the soreness of my muscles and, most importantly, healing the ribs Farlon had broken and closing the bullet holes the rest of the way.
When it was done, I took a deep breath and let it out with relief. It felt great to do so without pain.
A lingering weight in my stomach let me know that there was a bit of skull beetle left. The reassurance that I would have it to call upon if I needed it was more than welcome.
I walked the few steps to Anaya’s side. The papers spread across the small makeshift desk caught my attention.
“Those are Smiren pennants,” I said. I spotted books on Smiren lore along with charts and diagrams of the trinity tattoos. “Were you studying about our ancestors?”
She glanced at me out of the corner of her eye. “How else do you think I knew how to save you on the pyramid? I found everything I could that survived Smiria’s demise.” Her voice lowered and she said, “It was the only way I could learn about your tattoos and what they stood for.” She shook her head before looking at me fully. “Only my brother would be stupid and stubborn enough to use his own strength to try to stop an entire Andenite pyramid from exploding in a Dark Matter inferno.”
Her comment about my stupidity stung with truth. “How else would you have done it?” I asked with an edge of defiance I couldn’t hold back.
“I would have let it blow,” she said simply.
I stared at her. “What about all the people who would have been killed? Planets and star systems hung in the balance. If I didn’t—”
She put her hands up. “Easy, hero. You do things your way, I do them mine.”
I wanted to shake her, to make her understand why her opinion was wrong. How could she really believe all those people deserved to die?
“Don’t give me that look.”
“What look?” I asked levelly.
She sighed. “The look that says you want to argue with me but you’re older and therefore know better.” She shook her head. “That look dominated my childhood.”
A small smile lifted my lips. “Because I was older and I knew better.”
She snorted. “Argue what you will, oh gladiator of the Bacarian arena. But I’ve seen the darkest sides of humanity. You think having your title taken was the worst that could happen?” She looked past me and said, “I’m not your innocent little sister anymore, Ovie. In my experience, there isn’t much in this ‘Verse worth saving.”