by L M Lacee
‘Now that is just rude, make them stop that.’ She urged Jorge, who grinned like a Prowler and said.
‘As you wish, Star Daughter.’ He ordered her guard. ‘Weapons free.’
Instantly the doors opened, and the Warriors poured from the craft, shooting as they exited. There were cries of alarm and screams as the Draygonissia fell to the ground and the pinging stopped to be replaced with cries of. ‘Help… help, they are shooting back.’
‘Seems a weird thing to say.’ Peyton commented to Jorge.
‘I have found that when one shoots, one should expect return fire, but it seems these idiots did not.’
Peyton looked out the window again as she chuckled to herself. The sounds of wounded people could still be heard as he told her. ‘Enough time has passed, we should go.’
‘Yes, of course.’
They stepped down from the shuttle and were confronted by at least thirty male Draygonissia lying on the ground, groaning and holding their arms or legs. The darkest green blood Peyton had ever seen seeped from their wounds. She asked Jorge. ‘Did Darby say their blood was green?’
‘Not that I recall.’
‘Are their many races with green blood?’
‘I should image there are millions of races with all different colored blood. Why is this important?’
‘Oh, it is not, I just wondered.’
Warned by Netta of Peyton’s penchant for random questions and observations and the reasoning behind them. He just nodded and guided her away from the wounded Draygonissia.
Peyton noticed some males were unconscious without a mark on them. ‘Do you think they passed out?’
Jorge grinned. ‘I would not be surprised.’
Many of the winged males were curled into fetal positions weeping uncontrollably. Peyton felt pity stir in her heart for them, they seemed so young to have been sent against her Warriors. It appeared the Darganissa’s first line of defense had been young green, silver and golden males. Obviously she felt these were expendable, evidenced by the fact there were no blue males anywhere. It was all so unnecessary, she thought, as annoyance replaced pity, edging toward anger.
‘Well done.’ She praised her Warriors and was not sure if she praised them for wounding so many or not killing any. To take her mind off that thought, she asked. ‘Did you get points for limbs or were they lucky shots?’
The huge Warrior next to her grinned as he scanned the area, as he replied in a voice that curled her toes and came, she was sure from way down in his chest, all deep and snarly. ‘Points, Star Daughter, it was Commander Netta’s idea.’
Peyton grinned that sounded like Netta she did wonder what they won. She had not met this Warrior before but knew his name was Carrick. She had made it her business to read each of the files on the tank Warriors. Jorge made a sign, and Warriors surrounded her as they made their way up the steps and stopped in front of two twenty foot high and just as wide doors. They appeared to be made from a type of material that looked like stone, the doors were blue with bands of all the colors of the Draygonissia, the notable exception being Bronze.
‘Locked.’ A Warrior announced.
Peyton moved closer and touched the door handles and the gigantic doors swung inward showing a long wide hallway. She moaned softly. ‘Why is there always a long scary hallway?’
Several Warriors laughed and then she was swallowed up once more by her guards moving slowly along the corridor. Suddenly she heard blaster shots and then her Warriors returned fire. Within mins silence reigned, and again she heard groaning and screaming, although no one cried that the Warriors were shooting back this time. When no shots were fired for a few mins she asked. ‘Finished yet?’
Jorge answered, ‘Yes, come on out, Star Daughter.’
The wall of muscle parted as she stepped from behind her guards and looked around. Seeing blood everywhere and another forty or fifty green, gold and silver males lying on the floor.
‘Our Warriors?’
‘None injured.’ Jorge replied as they continued moving, with a Warrior walking in front of their group and moving moaning bodies from their path.
Peyton mumbled. ‘Seems sad, did you notice none of them were blue?’
‘We noticed.’ Jorge told her as the same large Warrior said. ‘They should not have tried to kill you or us.’
‘Well true, they fired first, it really gives a bad first impression.’
‘That’s how we saw it.’ Jorge said as he had them stop in front of another set of doors exactly like the outside set.
‘These are big too.’ She said out loud and when she heard another laugh or two she said. ‘I meant the doors.’
‘Of course you did, Star Daughter.’ Jorge returned with a gleam in his eye.
Peyton grinned as she said. ‘I guess they know we are here, let’s get to it Captain.’
They pushed the doors open, and Peyton clapped her hands. Instantly starlight exploded in the room causing the Draygonissia within to become unconscious.
She looked at Jorge. ‘I said no playing around, right?’
‘You did, I heard you.’ He agreed with the same twinkle of humor in his eyes.
They walked in to see there were at least two hundred blue Draygonissia slumped over chairs or crumpled on the floor, all had weapons. At the head of an eight foot oval table sat the Darganissa.
If Peyton had to guess she would say that the light blue male to her right was her Consort. The gold, silver and green males to her left should be her advisers. Peyton reasoned to be seated that close to the Darganissa, they at least had to be important.
She took the seat Jorge indicated half-way down the table with the wall to her back. The seats she noticed had a narrow shaped back, for wings she imagined. Her attention was caught by Jorge as he issued his orders to her guards. ‘Warriors usual procedure, except the five at the head of the table.’
Peyton waited until they had finished removing weapons and binding all the Draygonissia before saying.
‘Warriors take your positions please; weapons drawn, shoot to kill, do not miss.’
They all turned as one toward her and gave her the look. It was the same one they used on occasion, when she said something they deemed offensive about their abilities. Or as Melody was often heard saying, disparaging their Warrior-hood, which Peyton was sure, was not a word.
She smiled as she tried dispelling the look. ‘It seemed like the thing to say.’ As the frowns appeared she hurriedly told them. ‘I will refrain from saying it again.’
With frowns turning to expressions of amusement, they took their positions around the room and in front of the enormous doors. Jorge and the huge Warrior from outside stood either side of her. She looked up at the Warrior and said. ‘Thank you for guarding me, Warrior Carrick.’
He gave her a quick nod, unsurprised she knew his name, he was sure she knew every Warrior’s name.
Peyton saw a smile along with pleasure in his eyes as she turned to Jorge and asked. ‘You searched them?’
‘Star Daughter please.’ He shook his head, which made the others smile and her ask. ‘What… what did I say?’
Jorge ignored her and comm’d the other teams, he nodded letting Peyton know their missions were underway.
FORTY-THREE:
Once more, Peyton clapped her hands. This time it was to wake the people in the room. Noise sounded as all the bound Draygonissia tried to move and found they could not. After a quick comm home to Reeico their inventor and with Jax’s advice. Harm and Dinas had devised a restraint for the Draygonissia, which in effect immobilized their wings and limbs. But that may not have been the only reason for the Draygonissia to make the crying, screaming sounds. It could also have been the huge Warriors scowling down at them.
The Darganissa and her advisors stood quickly, stunned at the appearance of Peyton and her Warriors who were holding blasters on her people.
‘Silence.’ Ordered the blue male standing next to the Darganissa which had the effect of silencing
the room.
He turned to Peyton and politely asked in Coalition proving that the language was spoken here. ‘Who are you?’
Before she could answer the green male yelled. ‘Why are you here?’
‘How dare you enter the court of the Darganissa? You have no right to be here.’ The silver male forcefully told her.
The Darganissa sat back down, Peyton had to admit she was truly exquisite. It was as if an artist had sculptured her in a shade of blue that enhanced every delicate feature of her face. She had long rich blue hair styled in an intricate knot high on her head. Teal eyebrows and lashes surrounded her pale blue eyes, surprisingly they matched her folded wings.
Peyton wondered if she came by her beauty naturally, or if someone with a scalpel and air brush had created her because everything about the Darganissa sang of lies. Unlike her Consort, who was handsome, some would say beautiful, compared to the Darganissa he was a more navy blue as were his wings. His eyes were the same pale blue as his mate’s and oozed earnest sincerity.
The Darganissa stared around her at her immobile Armee and then the Warriors and finally back at Peyton. It appeared she was willing to wait before speaking, which Peyton applauded, she too enjoyed waiting for her opposition to speak first. Although she did wonder how long that stance would last as she addressed Jorge.
‘Why is there surprise when we appear Captain Reidron, people always act stunned, do you know why?’
‘I do not Star Daughter.’
‘We always call ahead and introduce ourselves and explain that I would like to drop in and say greetings. Then people say, no go away we don’t believe you, then when I show up they say. Why are you here and who are you?’ Peyton shook her head and placed a blaster on the table in front of her, as she looked at the silver male and asked. ‘So do you want to start again?’
The gold male stated. ‘You are invading us.’
Peyton scoffed. ‘That is ridiculous, why would I?’
‘This is an act of war.’ Stated the green male.
Peyton sighed as she told him. ‘No, that would be me shooting you. Foolish male.’
‘How dare you just take us hostage?’ The silver male demanded.
‘Shut up now, or I will shoot you.’ Peyton told him. There was instant silence; she shook her head and asked the Darganissa. ‘Really, these are the best advisors you can get, surely you can do better. I will give you one more shot at it?’ She said to Jorge. ‘See what I did there, shot at it.’
‘Very clever, Star Daughter.’
‘Was that sarcasm?’
‘No, Star Daughter, not at all.’
‘Uhuh!’ Peyton waved her blaster toward the Darganissa. ‘Well come on, I am unwilling to play the waiting game today as much as I usually enjoy it. I have people waiting for me.’
The Darganissa said to her Consort and advisors using Draygannis. ‘This is the Star Daughter… this child, I am insulted. You my Consort have been concerned over this insignificant creature. I would be surprised if she could find her shoes, let alone invade our world.’
Except for the Consort the males laughed with the Darganissa. Peyton glanced at Jorge, while mind-sending to him and all her guard the translation from Draygannis to Coalition.
The Darganissa admonished her Consort as she told him. ‘I will handle this little being who thinks she is larger than my rule, and then my Landyn we must talk about security. If this person of no import can just arrive on my world with her wingless males, who else can? Understand my Consort, I am most displeased.’
The male wore an expression between anger and consternation, the other males looked on with pleased expressions. Maybe Peyton thought they were happy he was in trouble and not them.
See that is just rude. Peyton sent to Jorge who nodded his agreement and replied. Belittling one’s own mate is just cruel, especially in front of males who do not like him.
I know, right, just mean?
The Consort stood again and demanded of Peyton. ‘What is the meaning of this unwarranted invasion?’
The Darganissa placed a well-shaped manicured hand on his arm. ‘I will speak.’ She stood and said in Coalition. ‘I am Darganissa Dayrinda, and this is my Consort Landyn Darryan. What can the Draygann Empire do for the Star Daughter?’
With a slight nod of her head Peyton let her see she acknowledged her title. The tightening of her eyes allowed the Empress to see she had seen and heard the contempt behind her words. Peyton answered her in Draygannis and watched the smirks and superior expressions drop from her and her advisors faces.
‘Firstly; I would like to express my appreciation for our welcome, but as there was only a hostile reception, I feel I can forgo that. Normally I would apologize for the amount of injured, but again I feel I can forgo that. My people do not take kindly to being shot at. Fortunately, for you, there appeared to be no Blue Draygonissia.’ She swept her eyes around at the bound Blue males lying or sitting on the floor of the room. ‘I see you kept the best for in here?’ She raised a sardonic eyebrow as she swapped back to Coalition. ‘Secondly; I have been told that you are selling your people and their eggs. This, of course, will not happen.’
‘Who did you hear this from? I demand to know?’ The Consort demanded in Coalition.
Peyton’s voice hardened as she said. ‘You are in no position to demand anything from me. Your planet is mine, and I am demanding that you sit down. I am not happy.’
With that pronouncement she glowed white as the world dimmed for a full min. Screams were heard from all over the building, and they could hear children’s fearful cries. Suddenly from behind a sliding panel a yellow male with gold wings rushed into the room. He waved his hands in the air screaming. ‘Warships are in orbit around our world, we are being invaded!’
He was immediately placed on the floor by a Warrior with a blaster to his neck. Peyton thought he looked like a weed blowing in the wind or did until he was a weed lying on the floor.
Jorge asked the male. ‘Who are you?’
The Darganissa answered for the male. It was easy to see she was amused at the predicament he found himself in and perhaps Jorge thought she was hopeful they would kill him. ‘He is the Minister for the opposition.’
Jorge smirked as he said to Peyton in English. ‘Do you think our females would consider this one a swoon worthy male?’
‘So funny.’ Peyton looked at the weedy male and said to the Warrior holding him to the floor. ‘Let him up please.’
He was released searched and escorted to the seat Peyton pointed at. ‘I know you know who we are, as you were listening behind your secret door. So stop the theatrics, sit down and shut up, if you do not. I will shoot you.’
She waved her blaster around again causing Jorge and Carrick to take a breath in and release it quickly. When they remembered they did not have to duck or drop to the floor in self-preservation. Peyton was renowned for being a very poor shot, she always without fail missed her target, regardless of how big it was. They had all learned to hide or leave the range quickly when she appeared. She had been discouraged from taking part in any more competitions or in fact firing a blaster. When he and Amelia had discussed her inability to shoot, she had told him that at one time Peyton could shoot reasonably well, but just like with her link and comp. More often than not, blasters malfunctioned for her now. Heather hypothesized it was her changing metabolism which caused her to clash with technology. She was trying to understand what was happening inside Peyton’s body but it was a slow process. Mainly Jorge knew because Peyton forgot her appointments.
Before they left the ship Melody had given her this one, after Peyton had walked off pleased with her blaster, even if it was non-operational. Melody had told Netta and Jorge it was the constant whining that made her give in. Jorge believed her, having witnessed the whining for himself last eve.
The yellow male frantically nodded his head and sat still. Peyton returned her attention to the Darganissa.
‘Now, as I was saying. I will remove al
l the ones you call Castque and the eggs. Then you will stop this persecution of your people. I refuse to come back here, I dislike you and your governing toadies and I especially dislike your planet as pretty as it is. The only reason you are all still alive is because I promised your Star. The one you all pray to each eve, before you go and do naughty things to each other, that I would try not to kill you.’ She said to Jorge in English. ‘You see what I am implying there. Now that was funny.’
He shrugged slightly, replying in the same tongue. ‘If Madam says so.’ He sounded bored and she gave him a narrowed eyed stare while pursing her lips. Which was a new expression she was trying out, so far she was having little success with it.
Noticing the expression Jorge just stopped himself from laughing, especially when he encountered Carrick’s amused eyes above her head.
‘So where was I?’ Peyton looked around, it was a plain austere room for a governing court but if as she suspected it was designed to showcase the Darganissa then it did it well. Different shades of blues decorated the room which she admitted she found pleasing. She liked the color blue and refused for these dragon people to put her off the color. She pointed to the curtains and asked. ‘What is that shade of blue called?’
Bewildered, the Darganissa answered before she thought. ‘It is perrum.’
‘Thank you. Oh yes, I remember now, I told the Star above you, that I would not cull you, that is the term is it not?’
The Darganissa hesitantly nodded as she sat back down, her face had gone pale blue. Peyton thought it was not a good look on her. Her Consort clenched his hands together his knuckles whitening in his anger or distress, Peyton was not sure. He looked she thought angry but at who again she was not sure. The gold male looked like he was about ready to throw up, and Peyton was sure the other two were close to passing out.
‘Good, I hate being wrong. Now what I am going to do is let you all live and you can bicker and fight among yourselves. If at any time in the future, I hear you are persecuting your citizens, or are again stock piling eggs to sell. I will return and you will not like what happens then, because if I am made to come back here. I will rip everyone who is in this room and that means you opposition minister.’