Reckoning

by KD Jones

  “Why didn’t you recruit more to aid you?”

  “I didn’t want more of my warriors to suffer because of my actions.”

  RosET looked over at the other warrior, Lieutenant StemER. “Even now, you will go to your death to protect the female and the warriors who helped you.”

  “I would not be an honorable male if I betrayed those who are innocent or following their conscience.”

  “You are the most honorable male I have ever met, Commander. We want you to know that many approved of your actions and would have aided you if you had told them what you planned.”

  MarIK was grateful to hear that. “I appreciate that.”

  “You’re not alone, Commander.” As Lieutenant StemER said that, he pointed ahead of them. MarIK ceased walking when he looked at the gathered warriors. Approximately twenty waited for him.

  “The Goddess rewards her worthy warriors,” Lieutenant RosET said, smiling wide.

  “She does indeed.”

  *****

  Sharon felt like a heavy weight was pressing down on her, holding her in place. “What’s going on?” Why did her voice sound so scratchy?

  “Easy, female, the nanos have done a great deal to help your wound heal, but you’re not ready to move around yet,” a young medic she didn’t recognize said.

  “Where’s MarIK? Has he been found yet?”

  “I do not know the answer to those questions. My only concern is for my patient.”

  “Well, get someone who can answer my damn questions!”

  The medic turned to an older male. “Medic DixON, the female is becoming hysterical. Should I tranquilize her again?

  “No fucking way! You’re not knocking me out again.” As the medic attempted to give her some kind of injection, Sharon punched him in the nose and shoved him away from her. Other medics rushed forward to help the other medic up and they looked at her strangely.

  “Easy, Sharon. Calm down.” TanAR approached her from the side, holding his hands up to show that he meant no harm.

  Just then, the doors opened and Lieutenant Commander LazAR stormed in. “What’s going on in here? I was informed there was a security issue.”

  “I want to know what’s going on with MarIK’s rescue.” Sharon stood up, grateful that she was wearing the scrub-like outfit that most wore when spending time in the medic wing.

  “Did someone hurt you?” LazAR asked, looking at the group of medics standing around on the farthest side of the bed from her.

  LazAR snorted. “It’s the other way around, Lieutenant Commander. They need you to protect them from her. She punched Medic WarrEN in the nose.”

  LazAR looked from her to the medic holding his nose. Then he burst into laughter. The others joined in the laughter, except for the injured medic, whose pride was probably more injured than his nose. It wasn’t even bleeding. Of course, her hand was throbbing, but she would be damned if she admitted it.

  LazAR finally stopped laughing and shook his head. “I knew you would be trouble, Sharon. What is it that has you so upset?”

  “I want to know what’s going on with the rescue team for MarIK and I don’t want the medics to sedate me anymore. I don’t like feeling weak and vulnerable and extremely loopy.”

  LazAR looked at the medics. “She seems fine and in her right mind. Can she go to her own quarters to rest?”

  “Yes, but are you sure you don’t require us to sedate her? It will help her heal faster.”

  “She doesn't want that.” LazAR turned to Sharon. Lieutenant TanAR will take you to your quarters and fill you in on what is happening.” LazAR nodded at her, then left the medic wing.

  Sharon stared after him. “Does he always do that? Come in, give out quick orders, then leave without looking back?”

  Everyone answered her at once. “Yes.”

  She looked at the medic she hit. “I didn’t mean to hit you. I’m sorry.”

  He smiled at her but kept his distance. “I’ll live.”

  “Sharon, are you ready to go to your quarters?” TanAR asked.

  “More ready than I can tell you. Except — where are my boots?”

  “They were pretty torn up. I ordered a new pair to be made for you. Until then, we have sandals.” He dangled a pair of dainty Katieran-style sandals that the females on his planet usually wore.

  “I guess these will do.” She took the sandals and slipped them on. Then she eased off the bed. Her side ached, but the pain was not as bad as she had expected. TanAR took her elbow and walked her slowly out of the medic wing.

  “Tell me about the rescue team,” Sharon demanded.

  “Eight warriors on two different shuttles have volunteered to go. All of his own team — and the rest are Katieran warriors. They left an hour after you gave them your detailed account.”

  “How long was I out?”

  “Six hours.”

  “Have they made contact with MarIK?”

  “Not yet. Right now, the team is on radio silence.”

  “I don’t like this. Anything could have happened in the seven or eight hours that I’ve been gone.”

  They stopped outside Sharon’s quarters, the same one she had used while traveling from Kiljor to the trading post. She entered her code, which was the same as before, and they went inside. The lights turned on immediately. “I don’t like waiting.”

  “I get that. If I was separated from a female that I had marked with my scent markers, I would feel just as frustrated.”

  She looked up into his face. “You can tell that?”

  “Yes.”

  “I didn’t realize he marked me. He wouldn’t claim me, even though I asked him to.”

  “He’s an honorable male and wanted to wait to do that at a better time. He probably also didn’t want to claim you when there was every chance that he wouldn’t make it out alive. You must care for him deeply if you allowed him to mark you when you refused others.”

  “I love him, TanAR. I had given up on ever finding my true love. Then out of nowhere, I looked into his eyes and felt this instant attraction. His experiences in life drew me to him, and the fact he opened up about his past made me care for him even more. I feel like I can talk to him about anything, and even if he didn’t understand everything I said, he cares enough to listen to every word.”

  “It sounds like you two really hit it off.”

  “We did. How crazy is that? I came to Katiera a couple of years ago and didn’t find anyone that I felt a connection with. Then, after I felt ready to go back to Earth, I meet the most amazing male. I can’t lose him now.”

  He took her into his arms and gave her a friendly hug. “The Goddess blessed you with a mate. I’m sure she would not take him from you this soon.”

  “I just pray to my God and your Goddess that the rescue time finds him alive and brings him back to me.”

  “I will pray for that as well.

  Chapter 17

  MarIK ate the food that the warriors brought for him, knowing that they did that behind OrIN’s back. OrIN believed in starving his prisoners and keeping them sleep deprived in order to make them weak. His methods had always been questionable to MarIK and he had tried to overrule them whenever he could behind OrIN’s back.

  “What’s going on with OrIN and the Morins?”

  “OrIN and the Morins are arguing again. The team that went to the tunnels came back empty handed. They found no bodies. The other team that went to the cave is due back any minute.”

  OrIN knew that he they would also find nothing there. Knowing OrIN as well as he did, it wasn’t hard to predict what the male would do next. “He’ll call for the transport to be brought soon. If the Morins back out of the deal, he may have a battle on his hands.”

  “The Morins are very displeased but we’ll be ready for them, Commander.”

  “Whatever happens, our priority is to keep the Morins from leaving. We need to find where their transport is hiding.”

  Shuffling at the door had both men standing up and re
ady to fight whatever threat came in. One of the rebel warriors entered, nearly out of breath, as though he had run there full speed. “The team arrived without the female. OrIN ordered to have you brought before him.”

  MarIK looked at the men gathered around. “I appreciate your support, but if things turn bad I want you to escape and turn yourselves into the Katierans. They owe me so give them my name. I believe they will show mercy.”

  “OrIN will torture you before he kills you because he feels you betrayed him.”

  “I did betray him,” MarIK admitted. It had been a hard decision to make, but he had no regrets. He wanted his warriors to understand this.

  “It was the right and honorable thing to do. We won’t leave you, Commander.”

  He nodded, the only outward show of his emotions. The males were good males who had been led astray. He felt a tremendous amount of responsibility for being part of that. They all deserved a second chance to prove their honor and worth. He would do everything he could to make sure that happened.

  The warriors surrounded him and made it look like they were bringing a prisoner to OrIN as they walked down the corridor. MarIK heard the raised voices before they entered the rooms used for the previous banquet. It looked like OrIN was trying to smooth things over with the Morins by offering them a meal. The angry looks on the Morins’ faces showed that they weren’t pacified in the least.

  “You have failed to keep your end of the deal, OrIN,” the Morin commander growled angrily.

  “We lost the girl, which is a shame, but we did aid in repairing your transport. That should be worth something to you.”

  “What would be worth it to me is finding another use for you.” The Morin commander looked at several of his warriors.

  “What do you mean?” OrIN still didn’t understand the danger he was in.

  “If we don’t have the female...perhaps the Katierans would be interested in trading the location of the Morinians in exchange for the rebel leader.”

  “Over my dead body!” OrIN yelled.

  “They may accept your head for the exchange, so keeping you alive is not a priority.”

  MarIK slowly surveyed the entire room. Morins were everywhere. Why would OrIN allow so many to be brought here and without keeping track of where they were? The situation posed a major security threat.

  He turned to speak in a low voice to Lieutenant RosET and Lieutenant StemER. “Get our warriors ready for a battle.”

  Lieutenant RosET motioned for their warriors to spread out. MarIK had a bad feeling that things were about to turn from bad to worse for everyone in that room. He knew his old leader would not take a threat like that idly. OrIN thought too much of his ability to control situations — that was one of his fatal flaws.

  As if on cue, OrIN put his hand on the phase ray that was in his pocket. “I could trade you to the Katierans in exchange for the removal of the existing Prime family. If I were to bring down the enemy of my people, it would make me a hero and I could finally claim the Prime Leader position as mine as it should have been.”

  The Morin commander laughed, “You’re no leader. I have fought many Katierans, Kiljorns, and Colonists, and I can safely say that you are nothing compared to any of them. You are weak, OrIN, so weak your own commander betrayed you and you let a small female escape your hold. You are nothing and your warriors know it.”

  “Watch what you say, Morin.”

  “Why? What are you going to do? You’re a traitor to your own people. You’ve betrayed the Katieran nation, your Goddess, and your own honor. I have never met a male less worthy than you.”

  OrIN pulled out his phase ray. “I’ll show you my honor!” He fired, but his aim was off and the phase ray missed the Morin commander. It was enough to be the catalyst for the chaos that ensued.

  The Morins started firing on Orin and his men. MarIK didn’t want to help, but at the same time, he couldn’t let the Morins get away. He turned to the warriors behind him.

  “Any of you want to leave, go now. Those willing to help me take out the Morins, stay.” A few of the warriors did turn to escape. The rest, he was proud to say, stayed with him. “Half of you take the right side of the room and the other half take the left. I’m going straight to the middle to save OrIN’s stupid ass.”

  As easy as it would have been to let OrIN die as the traitor that he was, he was the only one who had the coordinates of the rebel transport and the Morin transport. He had not trusted anyone the trading post enough to share that information, not even MarIK.

  He shot at a Morin who was preparing to hit OrIN in the back. OrIN turned and glared at him. “Are you hoping I’ll forgive your betrayal?”

  “I can’t let you die just yet, OrIN.”

  OrIN snorted at that. “This wouldn’t have happened at all if you hadn’t stolen the girl. Where is she?”

  “Not here. Duck!” he warned OrIN as another Morin fired his weapon at OrIN’s head. If he had known the Morins were going to be there, he would have insisted that they be restricted in weaponry. Actually, he would have insisted that they not be there at all, which was probably why OrIN had not told him about it.

  MarIK saw an opening to get to the Morin commander. He jumped over a table and rolled on the floor just as one of the Morins shot at him.

  “Cover the Commander!” Lieutenant RosET yelled. All the rebel warriors began forming a circle. As they moved forward, they shot at the Morins that were a direct threat to MarIK. He had to step over a downed warrior and noticed that it was FisON. He had taken a direct hit in the chest. MarIK almost felt sorry for the male, except that he would now have to face his deeds before the Goddess.

  A couple of Morin warriors rushed him, and he fought them hand to hand. Immediately after kicking one of them in the gut, he punched the other one in the face. One raised his weapon, but MarIK managed to knock it out of his hand. The other came at him from behind and wrapped his arm around his neck. The warrior in front of him took advantage of that moment and punched him in the stomach.

  With the Morin behind him still gripping onto him, he kicked out at the Morin in front of him and knocked him down to the ground. Turning, he gripped the arm of the Morin that was around his neck and flipped the male over his head, making him land on his back — hard. At the same moment that both Morins on the ground leapt back up and fired their weapons at him, MarIK dived out of the way. The Morins caught each other in the crossfire instead.

  He looked up just in time to see the Morin commander give the order to retreat.

  “Don’t let them off the luna!” He pointed, gesturing for his warriors to follow the Morins. Half of them did as he ordered, while the other half took care of the remaining Morins. He couldn’t relax yet. The Morins weren’t the only threat.

  Chapter 18

  MarIK turned back around and found OrIN pointing his weapon at him.

  “I saved your life OrIN — now you plan to end mine?”

  “You betrayed me! I gave you my trust, the honored position as my commander, and you betrayed me. For what? An alien female?”

  “You betrayed our people and dishonored all of us by making a deal with the Morins. I don’t understand that. You were furious over the Katierans when you thought they were the ones making a deal with the Morins, yet you turn around and do the exact same.”

  MarIK and OrIN circled each other. OrIN was a good warrior. MarIK had helped train him — which meant that MarIK knew his weaknesses, too. OrIN always protected his left side, where he had suffered an injury as a child that had never healed quite right.

  OrIN lunged forward, punched him in the stomach, and tried to kick his knee, but MarIK was ready for that. He stepped back and avoided the kick.

  “Did you share sex with the female? I bet you did. How did she convince you to turn your back on your friends?”

  He didn’t respond to the taunts about Sharon. “I have known for a long time now that following you was a mistake. You took advantage of my grieving and manipulated me, just as
you manipulated every other warrior who chose to follow you.”

  “You agreed with me about the Earth females. What changed your mind?”

  “I met one of those females and realized that they aren’t a threat to our people, but our salvation.” He punched OrIN in the jaw and ducked when the male tried to punch him back.

  OrIN spit blood to the ground. “I should have known you were the one to help StrykER escape. I was too trusting.”

  “You were blinded by your need for power and vengeance. What you were willing to do to get what you wanted was a disgrace to our beliefs and needed to be stopped.”

  “Do you think that female will take the place of your dead mate? You didn’t deserve the first one, much less a second one. You are not worthy of having a mate!”

  Before he met Sharon, MarIK had thought that very thing. That he didn’t deserve a mate and that he wasn’t worthy. Now, he still wasn’t sure he was worthy of Sharon, but he was determined to be worthy of her if she agreed to be his mate.

  OrIN lunged at him and knocked them both down to the ground. They wrestled and punched each other. One of OrIN’s loyal warriors came over to try to pull MarIK off, which only gave OrIN the opening he needed to lay a few heavy punches to MarIK’s midsection. Before OrIN could build up too much momentum, MarIK drew his knees up and kicked the other male in the chest. MarIK stood up as quickly as he could. OrIN, still reeling from the impact of MarIK’s kick and bleeding profusely from cuts on his face, tried to jump on MarIK’s back, but MarIK threw him off.

  MarIK turned quickly and hammered Orin’s left side. OrIN fell to his knees, clutching his side. MarIK elbowed him in the back and brought his own body weight down on OrIN. It knocked the wind out of OrIN and he hit his face on the floor hard, cracking his lip and splitting it open.

  “Surrender, OrIN. I don’t want to have to kill you.”

  OrIN spit the blood out of his mouth and glared up at MarIK. “I won’t surrender, ever.” He smiled as he saw his warriors circle around them. “Kill MarIK!”