by Lisa Lace
They tried to treat Kai first, but the warrior nearly snapped the doctor's head off with his screaming. He had faced many battles over the years, but it had always been his life on the line. Now the most important people in his life were injured, and he was fine. Kai was worried and frustrated. This time, he couldn't solve his problems by killing something.
The door to the suite opened from the inside. The Emperor stuck his head out the door. "Let her son come in. And as for the rest of you, get out of here." Kanton gestured to the courtiers crowded into the medical suite. They filed out one by one, some looking disheveled with ripped clothes or bloody smears on their bodies. Warrel was the last of the royal court to leave, and he gave Kai an unreadable glance.
Right now Kai couldn't care less about Warrel's jealousy. The emperor looked at Kai, his face lined with worry.
"My lord." Kai approached his mother's bed. She was stretched out on the bed and remained unconscious. She had been washed and dressed in a clean gown. He thought she would be awake.
"What's wrong?" Kai's voice sounded strained.
"She was thrown into the air by the final blast. Her head hit the ground, and she couldn't stop herself."
"Is she going to recover?"
"We don't know. The medics gave her drugs to reduce the swelling in her brain, but they've done everything they can do. Now only the gods know if she'll pull through."
"Do we know who is behind this tragedy?"
"Our intelligence suggests this is the work of a group which opposes the treaty with Earth."
Kai closed his eyes. "I will make sure I find these people and kill them," he declared.
"I have no doubt you will, but I have to tell you something. I cannot do my duty as Emperor while I help your mother recover. I have given Warrel authority until I can return. I hope you understand. Right now, Warrel is your Emperor, not me."
"My lord," said Kai. "My loyalty always goes to you."
"As a son's loyalty goes toward his father, yes," said Kanton. "That means more to me than you know. But I want to make one thing clear. Warrel deserves your loyalty as Emperor now. You must follow him."
Kai found himself unable to answer.
"And how is Jenn?"
"The humans say her injuries are not life-threatening. She will recover."
"I'm glad for you."
"My lord, maybe it would be best for the empire if I take my sindare to a place outside Anquera's influence. She is causing too many problems for you."
"Our problems started with Calan Tourab. If we had handled that situation differently, we might have better relations with Earth now."
"We've always defeated our enemies in battle!" Kai was shocked.
"Yes," said Kanton slowly. "But have we considered the costs? Is the life of your mother, my sindare, worth winning all the time? At what point does the price outweigh the benefit to the empire? If Anquera loses its princess, we will have lost our soul. Will any honor or glory be worth it?"
Kai didn't know what to say. He had never imagined he might lose his mother. But the Emperor was correct. If she went to the gods, Kanton would never recover.
"She won't leave us," assured Kai.
"Let's hope that is the case. Take your leave. I wish to be alone with her. I will send word if anything changes."
"Thank you, my lord." He put his hand on the Emperor's shoulder, an intimate gesture that tradition didn't permit in public. Kai bowed his head respectfully and left his mother with her husband watching over her.
Chapter Fifteen
Jenn's head hurt. She was finding it difficult to remember what had happened to her. Jenn vaguely remembered Kai coming into her room and talking to her, but she wasn't sure what either one of them said to each other. There was a human doctor in her dreams though she wasn't sure from where.
From looking around, she thought she was in a medical facility. An Anquesh warrior was standing at attention inside her door. Jenn wondered how long he had been there. Suddenly he spoke. "My lord."
As the words came out of his mouth, the guard changed his posture, looking more formal. His appearance was slightly different from how the warriors presented themselves to Kai. Jenn heard footsteps come toward her. She tried to lift her head to see who was approaching her, but the attempted movement hurt too much. Didn't these people know anything about pain killers?
"Jennifer Carden," said a thin, nasal voice. An alien, one she didn't immediately recognize, walked to stand at the foot of her bed. Jenn slowly realized she had seen him before. He was standing next to the Emperor on the dais during the explosion. The alien wore his hair in smooth dreadlocks, like all the other Anquesh men she had seen, although he tied his hair into a knot on the top of his head. While he wasn't as big as Kai, he was still taller than her. He was imposing in a different way.
"We haven't been formally introduced. I am Prince Warrel, heir to the throne of Anquera."
Jenn swallowed. What was she supposed to say?
"What can I do for you?" Her words sounded sloppy and incorrect. Was she expected to say something else? Jenn dug into her brain, but the fogginess prevented her from accessing the part that held the answers.
Warrel frowned and muttered to an aide standing next to him. The unhappy look on his face caused Jenn to panic slightly. Had she just insulted a member of the royal family?
"Due to recent circumstances, my father, Emperor Kanton, has tasked me with his duties. One of the assignments is making sure the Emissary from Earth is comfortable."
Jenn studied Warrel's face. It looked smooth, like a facile representation of friendliness. But she thought his amiability was only a mask. When she looked at the alien's eyes, she saw they had a glimmer of disgust. A shiver went through her body. The Prince reminded her of a cat getting ready to pounce on a mouse.
Despite the pounding in her head, her instructions on proper protocol moved to the front of her brain and her training took over.
"That's very kind of you, your Highness." Now she was thankful for the lessons TerraMates had forced down her throat. At least she had a vague idea of how to handle the creepy prince. "Commander Imwaden has been seeing to my needs until now."
"Yes," said Warrel, drawing out the word. "That may not be the case in the future."
Alarm shot through Jenn's body. What was going on? Kai had seemed insistent on staying by her side.
"Why would that be, your Highness? I thought he was the Emissary to Earth."
"Anquera needs Commander Imwaden elsewhere."
Of course. Kai didn't want her. Jenn knew this already, but she didn't understand why the Prince was making the announcement to her. He outranked Kai.
"I hope we can get to know each other better." The Prince put his hand on top of hers. "When the doctors say you are stable, you may stay at the palace as my guest."
Jenn didn't like the way Warrel looked at her. He slowly ran his eyes up and down her figure, and she thought she could see him imagining her naked body. She didn't want him to fuck her. She had the feeling his invitation had several strings attached. "That won't be necessary, your Highness."
"I assure you, it is. I would be distressed if anything else happened to you on Anquera. You are the key to the sealing the treaty with Earth. You are an honored guest, and I intend to treat you as one."
After Kai's brief tutorial about the difference between honored and hated enemies, Jenn wondered if 'honored guest' was a new status the prince conferred on her. As much as she wanted to tell the jerk to get lost, she wasn't in a position to speak her real thoughts. She had a feeling she would be more of a prisoner in the palace than in Kai's spaceship.
"I appreciate your hospitality, your Highness."
"Magnificent," said Warrel with an insincere smile. "In private, we don't need to exchange any false titles between us. You can call me lord."
"I'm overwhelmed, my lord."
Warrel nodded happily. "I'll have rooms prepared for you."
Jenn needed to speak with Kai. He may
not want her, but she felt protected when she was with him. She had a feeling no one was safe with Prince Warrel.
Kai's second-in-command, Sevit, stopped when he passed Kai. He was walking down the hall with Tal Oban, the security officer. "Commander. I didn't expect you back on the ship so soon."
He hated leaving the medical facility housing Jenn and his mother, but it seemed to Kai that no one was doing enough to address the threat. Tellen had vanished, and Warrel wasn't returning his calls.
"Did you inspect the Ruvien for damage?"
"Yes, sir," Sevit replied. "There is minor damage to the hull plating from the blast, but the crew is reinforcing it right now. All systems are operational."
"Good. I want all my officers in the ready room in fifteen minutes. Tal, we need all the information you have on races near our borders."
"Yes, Commander," said Tal. His face looked peculiar.
"Is this a problem?" asked Kai pointedly.
"No, sir. You're not giving me a lot of time. The files may be incomplete."
"Then get on it, Lieutenant."
"Yes, Commander."
Fifteen minutes later, his staff sat around a conference table in his office. He looked at everyone. Kai had only known them for six months. Of course, he had read their personnel files and took time to meet with them personally, but their loyalty hadn't been tested yet. Would these soldiers back him under fire? What Kai had on his mind could easily be twisted into a charge of treason.
"What do we know about these bombs?" asked Kai.
"Sir, we were prevented from further investigation by palace security. They said they would handle everything."
"Well, we started analyzing the bombs before palace security became involved. I'm sure we learned something about the instruments that attacked my family and me. Do we have any clues?"
Tal gulped. "Commander, forgive me. Palace security confiscated all the intelligence."
Kai slammed his hand on the table. "Didn't you see the information before they took it?"
"They have ordered me to keep the information secret, by Prince Warrel's command."
"Who is your commander?" Kai looked at his men, gauging their reactions.
"You are our commander," asserted Sevit. Everyone but Tal nodded their head in agreement.
"Sevit, have Lieutenant Oban escorted to the brig."
"You can't do this," protested Oban.
"Take him," said Kai dismissively. "Any warrior who shares his sentiments can join him. Warrel may be the prince, and I serve the royal family, but I am in command of my ship. Is that clear?"
"Yes, sir!" his officers responded in unison.
"Good. Let's get to work. Call up Oban's second and let's see what we can discover. We are going to find out who's behind these attacks and make them pay."
The remaining officers nodded. Sevit ordered Oban's second, Chief Nahen, to the briefing room. He was an older man. Although his dreadlocks were beginning to gray, he carried himself with a warrior's demeanor.
"Chief," said Sevit, "Do you have the records of the blast that injured the human and Princess Andeleth?"
The chief looked around the room.
"Don't bother searching for Oban," said Kai. "He declined to participate in our investigation. If you have any objections, let me know now."
"Commander, I will provide whatever you want."
"Do you have the original records of Oban's sensor sweeps?"
"No, Commander. Palace security took them all."
Kai groaned.
"I do, however, have copies."
Chapter Sixteen
Kai strode through the halls of the palace, heading straight for the one place he thought held answers. He had controlled his outward appearance, but internally he felt like an animal. Kai couldn't believe Kanton had given the title of Emperor to Warrel. Up until this point, Kai had been content to let the Emperor handle the situation with Earth. He trusted his judgment.
He didn't trust Prince Warrel. In his soul, he knew Warrel was incompetent to handle the job, but he had suppressed the feeling for many years.
The security team aboard the Ruvien did a thorough examination in a short amount of time. However, all they could determine was who didn't send the bombs. It was important information, but incomplete. The list of suspects was slightly shorter now. Kai needed assistance figuring out the responsible party, and the person who could help him the most was imprisoned in the palace.
The last time Kai had seen him, Commodore Jeff Bretland expressed his dissatisfaction at being separated from his crew. Kai appreciated the human commander's sentiments. Any good leader would want to reunite with his people. But the Anquesh would not allow Bretland to be in a position where he could encourage his men to escape.
Until the Emperor decided the human's fate, Bretland was under house arrest.
Kai had developed a grudging respect for the human Commodore. In his mind, Bretland had moved from hated enemy to honored enemy. The Earth people may have strange ways of thinking, but some were honorable in their way, Calan Tourab aside. The humans had already paid for that incident. Kai wondered how much additional blood was needed to settle the debt of vengeance.
Would the Anquesh bloodlust be powerful enough to destroy both races?
A single palace guard stood at the entrance to the Commodore's suites.
"Stand aside," ordered Kai.
"The orders say he is not allowed visitors."
"This isn't a visit. It's an interrogation. I need information from the Earth man about today's attack. Are you aware the Princess was severely injured?"
"No, Commander. I mean, yes, Commander, I did hear. I'm sorry about the Princess' injuries."
"If you're sorry, follow my commands."
The man stepped aside even though he looked conflicted. Kai didn't have much time before the guard would verify if Kai had the authority to question Bretland. Kai was acting on his own. He didn't know what Warrel would do, but he suspected the Prince would not look favorably on his actions.
Bretland stood at the broad window looking out onto the city. He turned as soon as Kai entered the room.
"Commander?" said Bretland, walking toward him. He held out his hand for an Earth-style greeting. Kai shook hands vigorously, having learned this exchange from the Earth Commodore. "What is the status of my crew? I haven't heard anything about them."
"They are fine. Everyone's safely on your ships. Anquesh engineers and your crew have worked together repairing your vessels."
Bretland snorted. "You've gained knowledge about our propulsion and weapons systems at the same time, I suppose."
"Of course. As well as your holographic technology," said Kai. "But a full debriefing will have to wait for another time. Commodore, you spoke once before about a threat from one of our allies. At the time, you wouldn't tell me who they were. The political situation on Anquera has changed. Emperor Kanton has stepped down from the throne, leaving Warrel in charge."
"Good Lord," said Bretland, shaking his head.
"I share your feelings about my stepbrother. Can you tell me now? Who pretends to be our friend, but is secretly our enemy?"
"It's a race of big green aliens with bumps all over their bodies."
"The Similcue," Kai breathed. The Emperor was negotiating with them, trying to get them to help in the fight against Earth. The warrior in him was furious at the dishonorable actions of the traitorous bastards.
Before Kai could ask Bretland for more information, the broad picture window shattered with a ping, sending shards of glass flying to the ground. Instinctively Kai shoved the human to the floor, but it was too late for the Earth soldier. Blood pooled in the center of the man's chest, and pain twisted his face.
"Take care of my crew," gasped Bretland. His breathing stopped.
Kai stared at the Commodore. He had been full of life, alive one minute, but an empty shell the next. He looked around the room, searching for anything that would help him understand this senseless death.
In Kai's shell-shocked head, it didn't make sense to kill Bretland now. The Anquesh were taking care of the Earth crew. Who would kill Bretland and why would they do it?
Or was someone trying to kill Kai instead and missed their target?
The door opened, and a guard rushed into the room. He surveyed the scene with a flick of his eyes.
"Move away from the body, my lord."
"Get some more people in here and seal off the area. Let no one in the room other than security," Kai commanded.
"Move away, my lord, and surrender your weapons."
"What do you mean?" Kai asked warily.
"Prince Warrel ordered me to take you into custody."
"Are you daft, man? Someone murdered the Earth representative in front of my eyes."
"That may be so, but I still have my orders. It isn't obvious to me who killed Bretland. I'm just a soldier."
Within seconds, the room filled with more guards. Kai looked over all of them, silently calculating if he could subdue them all. He thought he could do it, but then what? He needed ground clearance to get to his ship in orbit around Anquera, and he couldn't leave Jenn behind.
Kai decided that he was contemplating a foolish fight. More than that, he was also a person who respected the law. He would have to take his fight to another arena.
He handed his weapons over to the guard. "Take me to Warrel."
"That was my next order."
Kai looked down at the stricken man from Earth. He was a person Kai regarded in his heart as an honored enemy.
I will avenge you, Kai thought. He allowed the guards to lead him to his stepbrother.
Kai usually took a moment to appreciate the audience hall of the Anquesh Empire. The sweeping architecture of the vast space and the glittering gathering of nobles from across the Empire always gave him a sense of pride for being part of something bigger than himself.