The Conquest (Kelderan Runic Warriors Book 1)

by Jessie Donovan

  Kason was one of the few who could challenge his father and avoid punishment. “Were the pirates working with the other ships? Or not? That will determine our strategy.”

  “The scouting ship couldn’t tell.”

  While Kason hadn’t wanted so many people in the room when talking with his father, he made the best of the situation. “One more thing, Father. The humans on Jasvar proved to be a worthy opponent. They sent a delegation to negotiate a colonization agreement.”

  One of his father’s brows raised a fraction. “I thought it was uninhabited.”

  “It wasn’t. As soon as we assess and handle the threats, I will bring them to you for a meeting. Your advisors can put together a team to discuss the terms of the colony.”

  He expected his father to admonish him, but the king merely asked, “Do you plan to sacrifice them if the battleships turn out to be enemies? That would solve all of our problems as we could take the colony planet by force.”

  Leave it to his father to pretend as if Jasvar had never been cursed in the first place, let alone how Kason had proved that point. “Sacrifice should be unnecessary. Their presence may help if the battleships are related to the Earth Colony Alliance.”

  “Do as you see fit. Just make sure you succeed.”

  Kason nodded. “We’ll change course directly and I’ll send word when it’s safe. Just make sure to send two other fighter ships to wait near the closest moon at the edge of the star system. They need to be ready for my order, in case we need them to join us.”

  “It will be done.” The king cut the transmission. Since he hadn’t asked about Kalahn, his father must not know she was missing yet.

  However, the strangest part was that his father had acquiesced so quickly. Even a year ago, the king would’ve pressed Kason for every last detail. His health must be declining quickly.

  While he may not be close to the king, Kason vowed to take care of the threat and bring Kalahn back to Keldera before their father’s health could deteriorate further.

  Thorin spoke up. “Since the threat is unknown, has your plan changed?”

  “No. Regardless if it’s the Brevkan or someone else, the possibility of using the female ruse could be useful. Request about forty competent females be sent to our ship when we pass by Keldera in a few hours. Give the excuse of keeping the Jasvarian delegation company. We’ll also send the unwilling males back to the most isolated military base to be watched. Make sure you contact the right people. I don’t want the order to be leaked and cause a panic.”

  “As you wish, your highness,” Thorin said before exiting the room.

  His gut told him he needed someone to watch Thorin. Kason looked to Syzel. “Go with him. Since you have all of the details and numbers we need, make sure he requests the right number and ensure everything goes smoothly.”

  Syzel nodded, and Kason trusted the male to keep an eye on Thorin, too.

  He looked to Jerrick and Enishi. “Start making preparations for training the females. Jerrick, you’re going to have your hands full. I’ll check in once the females arrive.”

  Jerrick asked, “What about Princess Kalahn? Is she still going to help me with the females?”

  “My sister will help with the females, as will the Jasvarian leader, although not necessarily together. Vow to me you will protect both of them with your life.”

  Jerrick made a fist and thumped his chest. “I swear it. No harm will befall them as long as I’m still breathing.”

  “Good.” Kason stood. “I’ll meet you all in the cargo bay when the shuttles arrive. If you need to contact me before that, use a secure comm unit.”

  Once the two males nodded, Kason exited the room. He was taking a huge chance by going forward with the plan, even if the ships were unknown. However, three warships had to be either the Brevkan or related to the ECA. There were no other forces with enough resources to command such ships nearby.

  In either scenario, Taryn’s help would be invaluable.

  He just needed to ensure preparations happened without a hitch.

  ~~~

  Taking a deep breath, Taryn opened her eyes again. Each time she completed one of Kason’s meditations, she felt stronger and better prepared. By the time Jasvar had spaceflight capabilities, she should have a multitude of ideas to address any aliens she encountered.

  Of course, not everyone on Jasvar was going to appreciate the changes. But thanks to the doom virus, living a low-tech lifestyle wasn’t much of an option anymore. Maybe she could send the low-tech diehards to form another settlement near the main one. That might be easier to handle than constantly easing egos and fears. Or, worse, a rebellion.

  As she stood, the door slid open to reveal a woman wearing a brown, flowing dress and an intricate tattoo on her forehead. Unless Kason had already brought aboard more females, it had to be one of the Barren.

  Not wanting the woman to flee, Taryn tugged her into the room and shut the door. Even though the woman probably couldn’t understand CEL, she whispered, “It’s okay. You don’t have to run.”

  The woman tilted her head and said, “Human.”

  “Yes. Do you understand me?”

  “A little. Why here? Prince room.”

  “Do you understand what a secret is?” When the woman looked confused, Taryn grabbed her hand and tugged toward the wardrobe. “Come with me.”

  She punched in the code and brought the woman through the wardrobe. On the other side, Kalahn and Evaine both looked at them. Kalahn said something in Kelderan and the female in the brown dress replied. After about a minute, Kalahn sighed and switched to CEL. “Now we’re going to have to deal with her.”

  Taryn glanced at the woman. “Who is she? And is that a problem?”

  “Her name is Vala Yarlen. She’s one of the Barren and I hope she doesn’t become a problem.”

  Taryn faced Vala and smiled. Pointing at her own chest, she said, “Taryn.” Pointing to the woman, she said, “Vala.”

  Vala smiled. “Hello, Taryn.”

  Greetings were one of the things Taryn knew. “Urani, Vala.” Taryn looked back to Kalahn. “How does she know any CEL at all?”

  “The Barren have a lot of time on their hands. When not onboard one of the ships, they live at one of the citadels and spend their time reading books and researching. Vala must’ve studied CEL.”

  Evaine spoke up. “Well, we can’t keep her prisoner forever. What can we do?”

  Kalahn talked with Vala. All Taryn could understand was “yes” and “no.” Eventually, Kalahn explained, “Vala will keep the secret of finding you in Kason’s quarters provided she is assigned to look after us. Since at least one of the Barren must accompany us in the halls when Kason or one of the other high-ranking officers is unavailable, I don’t see it as a problem.”

  Taryn studied the woman who couldn’t be much older than she. “I think I’ve just discovered a reason to really work on my language lessons.”

  “Why?” Kalahn asked.

  “As much as I appreciate you interpreting for us, I want to ask Vala some questions myself. After all, I need to learn all about Kelderan culture, and the mysterious Barren should be part of it. Maybe Kason will even allow her to join the colony, if she’s interested.”

  Kalahn frowned. “I’m not sure if that would be a good idea. As you can see, the tattoo tells every Kelderan her status. Some might be upset that a Barren is allowed to join a colony even though they can’t help populate it.”

  “Then they can stay with the Jasvarians and become teachers, if they wish. It’ll be a good learning experience for all.”

  Evaine asked, “Do any of them study technology or programming? Engineering? I would love to meet any who do.”

  Kalahn shrugged. “I don’t know. Little is known about what goes on at the citadels.” She talked with Vala and then added in CEL, “Some do, although getting Vala to admit it was tough. She’s used to living in the shadows. All of this attention can’t be easy.”

  Taryn eyed the
tattooed woman and gently placed a hand on her arm. “Don’t worry. I will keep you safe.”

  Taryn smiled, the universal sign everything was okay, and Vala smiled back. “You nice.”

  As she tried to think of what to say that Vala might understand, Kason strode into the room. The instant the door shut behind him, he glanced at Vala and then at Taryn. “What’s going on here?”

  “She walked into your room, and I needed Kalahn’s help to talk with her.” Taryn waved toward the woman. “This is Vala.”

  He grunted. “I know who she is. She cleans my room and brings my meals.” He gave his sister a piercing look. “What did you say to her?”

  “Don’t take that tone with me, Kason. All she asked was to be our escort, if needed. Since Taryn has taken a shine to her, that shouldn’t be a problem.”

  Kason sighed. “Fine. We can talk more about this later. Right now, we need to discuss what I learned.” He made a motion with his hand, and Vala bowed her head before exiting the room. Once she was gone, he continued, “We don’t know if the Brevkan are waiting for us or not. But there are two pirate ships and three warships, so as a precaution, we’re going to prep for our plan.”

  “Pirates as in space pirates?” Taryn asked.

  “Yes. Provided they’re not mercenaries hired by an enemy, a few goods will encourage them to move on. The warships could be anyone, maybe even the Earth Colony Alliance. Although why they would be out here, I don’t know.”

  Evaine chimed in, “I might know.” All eyes turned toward her, and she shrugged. “I read somewhere that my predecessors launched an experimental beacon ten or twenty years ago, with a brief message asking for help. Given the hodgepodge of our technology and its age, no one believed it was more than a rumor, let alone that it would reach Earth if it were true.”

  Taryn frowned. “Why didn’t you ever tell me about this?”

  Evaine put up her hands. “I wasn’t even part of the technology team when it was sent. Much like the others in the department, we thought it was a rumor since no one could find out who had sent it.”

  “Placing blame or focusing on the past won’t help,” Kason interjected. “Either way, you all are staying aboard to help. If it is the ECA, your presence will be more important than ever before.”

  “Well, we’ll see how it goes. My people left Earth 200 years ago. I have no idea what to expect.”

  “I understand. Now, here’s what we’re going to do.”

  As Taryn listened to Kason’s plan and schedule, she forgot about Vala and what the future might entail. All that mattered was handling the present so she could see through all of her grand plans for Jasvar and Keldera.

  Chapter Fifteen

  The next few hours flew by in a flurry for Taryn, filled with last-minute essential phrase lessons and ensuring that there were enough supplies synthesized by the computer for the coming females. When it finally came time to head to the cargo bay, Taryn downed one last energy drink, adjusted her new outfit that walked the line between concealing curves and allowing movement, and then nodded at Evaine and Kalahn. “Here’s to hoping this works.”

  Kalahn replied, “Since I usually only give hope-filled speeches about nothing, I’m excited to be useful.”

  Evaine spoke up, “Not only that, I think after this, women on your planet might start demanding change.”

  “Maybe. But we can think about that later. We only have a few days to train the women and ensure they can handle the pressure,” Taryn added.

  As they exited the room, they found Vala waiting for them in the hall. After Taryn waved hello and they all walked down the corridor, she continued, “Speaking of handling the pressure, where did Kason and the others find them?”

  Kalahn shrugged. “Just because females can’t participate in the military or politics doesn’t mean they can’t hold other professions. Most are high-ranking entrepreneurs, educators, and even law clerks, which is the closest thing to a lawyer they can be on Keldera.”

  “In other words, strong, intelligent women who should pick things up quickly,” Evaine pointed out.

  “Exactly.” Kalahn guided them down another corridor. “There are even a few engineering assistants, which will probably be working with you and Enishi.”

  Evaine rubbed her hands together. “I’m curious to meet him, especially since he’s open to training women.”

  “He knows some CEL, which will help.” Kalahn looked to Taryn. “Jerrick doesn’t, however. So try your best with the guard and sentry training.”

  Taryn raised her chin. “There’s a lot you can do without words when it comes to defense and attack techniques. I actually look forward to trying to best the warrior.”

  Kalahn smiled and lowered her voice. “Just don’t get too cozy or Kason might punch the male. That will draw suspicion and the rest will come out soon enough after that.”

  Taryn rolled her eyes. “Once this is over, it’ll be nice not to have to worry about my every action.” She touched Kalahn’s arm. “I hope you can come to my planet in the end.”

  “Me, too. I’m not sure I can go back to being cooped up with little interaction with others beyond the servants or the Barren. Being a princess isn’t all that grand and not a fate I would’ve chosen.” Kalahn stopped in front of a large metal door. After placing her thumb on a panel, it slid open to reveal the cavernous cargo bay. “Here goes nothing.”

  Kason and several other important-looking and bare-chested men stood to one side, their heads together and talking. Taryn recognized Thorin, but none of the others. However, one had to be Jerrick and another Enishi, not that she could tell who was who since they were all muscled and wearing almost identical outfits of tight pants, boots, and weapons holstered at their sides.

  They were only halfway across the floor when Kason looked up and met her gaze. The lack of heat or any emotion for that matter was strange to see, even if she understood the reason behind it.

  All too quickly, she’d become accustomed to him looking at her as if she were the most beautiful woman in the world.

  Stop it, Taryn. We have much more important matters to worry about. Straightening her shoulders, Taryn gave her most distinguished, take-no-crap expression as they closed the distance. One of the warriors spotted her and the corner of his mouth ticked up. He might be a potential ally. Especially since Thorin didn’t hide the disgust from his eyes as he looked at each of the four females. He nearly sneered when his gaze flicked to Vala.

  To her credit, Vala ignored the look. It was sad to think the Barren might endure such disgust on a regular basis. She hoped it was just Thorin’s reaction and not the norm.

  They reached the males and Kason spoke up in CEL. “The females will be here in the next few minutes. Evaine, this is Enishi”—Kason waved toward a man in his late-thirties with golden hair and light blue skin—“you’re going to work with him.”

  Enishi smiled. “Welcome.”

  Evaine moved to Enishi’s side. “If possible, I want to work with the engines.”

  “Engines?” Enishi echoed. “If you have right touch, maybe.”

  Before Evaine could ask another question, Kason waved to the black-haired, golden-skinned man who had smiled at Taryn. “This is Jerrick. Taryn will be working with him.”

  They nodded at each other, but before Taryn could think of what to say, Kalahn interjected, “And me?”

  “You and Vala will be working with Syzel. He’s going to train you in how to pilot and use the communication systems.”

  Kalahn’s eyes lit up. “Really?”

  “Yes. Those will be some of the most vital roles, and I’m hoping your presence will encourage the others.” A beeping sound echoed inside the room. “That would be the ship with the females approaching. Just one last thing for Taryn and Evaine—you’ve temporarily been granted access to the AI system to assist with the language barrier. While she can do some interpreting, it will be delayed, so try to rely on yourselves as much as possible.”

  The cargo
doors opened, but due to the force field across the entrance, Taryn could see the ship and space beyond it without being sucked outside.

  Even the small glimpse of the vastness with pricks of light was beyond words.

  Maybe someday Kason could take her to see a planet from afar.

  Then the shuttle stopped inside and the craft’s rear door opened. Once the stairs extended, a male warrior descended and soon was followed by a steady stream of women.

  Each of them gaped at the cargo bay, much like how Taryn had done. However, the lead warrior barked an order in Kelderan and the women picked up their paces. When the Kelderan females spotted Taryn, Evaine, and then Kalahn, many of them stopped in their tracks.

  Kason said something and they started walking again. Kalahn leaned over and whispered into her ear, “He told them to treat all of us as friends. I doubt it’ll happen straight away, but try not to display any signs of anger or disappointment unless absolutely necessary. As many have said, change can’t happen overnight. It’s scary for them to be aboard a starship, let alone with one full of men.”

  Kason and the warrior from the shuttle talked for a minute longer before the unknown warrior directed the women to each of the leaders. Kalahn gave her arm a squeeze before heading over to Syzel. Taking a deep inhalation, Taryn moved to where Jerrick stood.

  “Urani, Taryn,” he said, and she returned his greeting.

  Thankfully the group of females assigned to them arrived and prevented Taryn from trying to communicate with the warrior. Still, she was grateful it was Jerrick instead of Thorin.

  She didn’t think it was a coincidence that Kason had kept her, Kalahn, Evaine, and Vala away from that man.

  Once the group of forty or so women each had a place, Kason raised a fist, and the cargo bay fell silent except for the sound of a few cargo bay staff running around in the background.