Chapter Nineteen

From space, Cygnus resembled a glittering gray hell with stacks of giant white boulders strewn across the sand. Hundreds of ships were in stationary orbit over the arena. I was amazed that not one ship's captain was aware of Zarek's cloaked warbird hovering above them.

Zarek sent Keyan and Gael to scout the area. I was thrilled when Gael reported he had interrogated one of the guards and learned a Coletti warrior was being held in the prefab building next to the arena. Gael couldn't verify if it was Jedrick because the slavers had an electronic shield up that blocked his scanners and made his psychic abilities useless.

"How did they get Earth First technology," Detja grumbled.

A muscle ticked in Zarek's jaw. "Probably from the Rodan."

"Freedom is only minutes away,"I told Jedrick and felt his sudden alarm.

"What's wrong?"

Zarek and Detja were abruptly in my head.

"What is Keyan doing with Master Amir?" Jedrick questioned.

"What? Are you sure it's Keyan?"

"There is no doubt." Through Jedrick's eyes, I watched Keyan, the traitor, strut up to the cell door. "Not so mighty now, are you commander?"

Jedrick rumbled, "Why?"

"The pleasure of seeing you reduced to a mindless slave and the twenty million credits helped too."

A murderous rage filled me. That traitorous bastard was the reason the slavers always stayed a step ahead of us.

Keyan held up some kind of device. "This time nothing will save you and when you die, so will Zadie."

Did he have to sound so gleeful about killing us?

Esme chittered angrily. "Him wear two faces."

"That he does and I'm going to enjoy killing him," I snarled.

Esme's fur stood on end. "Me bite. He dies."

Jedrick bared his fangs. "I challenge you to Ditkar! Fight me in the arena."

"I think not," Keyan smirked and triggered the device.

"No!" I wrapped my psychic energy around Jedrick.

Detja's mind enveloped mine and Zarek threw a powerful mental shield over all of us.

For a fleeting second, shock and mind-twisting pain shot through me as my link with Jedrick weakened. Gasping for air, I fought with everything I had not to let our link shatter.

"Become what they expect, Battle Commander," Zarek commanded.

Holding onto consciousness with a grim determination, Jedrick growled, "He is mine to kill."

"Not if I get to him first,"I gritted between clenched teeth as blackness swirled over me. I felt Jedrick lose consciousness and before I could follow him, Detja's power flowed into me. "No! We have a traitor to catch."

I leaned against my great-grandmother's comforting presence for a moment, and with her help got to my feet. "Yes, we do."

"Gael will meet us at the tavern. He has found a way to gain access to the building where the prisoners are being held." Zarek's narrow-eyed gaze fixed on me. "I want Amir and Keyan captured alive. They have much to answer for."

I gave Zarek my Debbie Sunshine smile. "Yes, my lord."

"You will obey me in this, Zadie. I need to know how many traitors I have in my ranks."

I swallowed hard at the menace oozing from Zarek. "Yes, sir."

"Stay by my side and do not do anything stupid," Detja added.

"Who me?"

"Remember the robotic dog?"

I sure did. "I'll stick to you like glue."

Detja snorted and teleported us. There was a flash of black and we were standing outside a crude arena. The intense heat made me feel like I was stranded in the Ninth Hell. The wind blowing through the rocks created an eerie melody that seemed to emphasize the screams coming from the poor souls forced to fight the Macropus. Adding to the spookiness were the ghostly mirages cavorting over the sand. In the far distance, stony mountains resembling waves of a petrified sea jutted from the gray dirt.

Cak-cak-cak. Cak-cak-cak. Cak-cak-cak.

My attention jerked back to the arena. "What is that?"

"The Macropus warning bark," Detja answered.

I shivered as the screaming started again. The bloodthirsty fans hooted and hollered. "Can we arrest them for watching people getting slaughtered and doing nothing to stop it?"

A pitiless smile curled Zarek's lips. "They will be dealt with."

"Good." That's when I spotted Bjarke mercenaries patrolling the area. "Goddess, they'll work for anyone."

Detja grimaced in disgust. "Bjarke mercenaries are the rodents of the galaxy."

At the gates, heavily armed Tuxrai soldiers were scanning everyone entering the arena.

"Your illusion discs are so good, Detja, that the Tuxrai won't have a clue who we are until it's too late," I chortled.

Detja nodded. "One of my best creations. Engage your device."

I smiled happily as we all transformed into gold miners in serious need of a bath, clean clothes, and a shave. I followed them into the makeshift tavern. In the dimly lit building, filthy tables were packed with an assortment of drunken spectators. The furry Hus Ping bartender was enclosed in a huge iron cage filled with bottles of booze. To get a drink, a customer slipped a credit chip through the grill.

Zarek took a table where his back was against the wall. "Gael is coming."

"I will get us drinks."Detja headed for the iron cage.

I watched a nude female do a weird hippity-hop table dance that made her four breasts bounce wildly. She looked miserable as the drunks groped her and made nasty comments. If I could, I would free her too.

Gael sauntered in wearing a raggedy cloak that hid his face and armor. He took a seat at our table and surveyed the crowded bar. "I am having difficulty believing Keyan is a traitor."

I eyed his swirling aura. Gael was conflicted. I knew Keyan had been his partner for years, but Zarek was a wee bit upset and now wasn't the time to question him.

Gael's head snapped back, and he grunted in pain.

"Do you believe now?"Zarek asked pleasantly.

"Yes, my lord."

I touched his hand. "Do you have any idea why Keyan hates Jedrick so much?"

"Hate?"Gael shook his head. "No. The only disagreement I ever saw was over a female at the Nemi pleasure palace. Jedrick won the duel and the female."

Fighting over a female was so stupid.

Detja placed the bottles of Datol on the table. "You made Zadie a warlord while Keyan was passed over for promotion twice."

Now, that would do it. The sensation of danger hit me. "Something's wrong."

"A containment field just surrounded the tavern," Zarek growled.

A door on the far wall opened and a squad of Tuxrai soldiers stormed into the tavern. Master Amir and Keyan followed behind them.

I blinked in disbelief. Only Keyan was wearing armor. What a bunch of idiots and how were they still breathing?

"Amir is carrying an electromagnetic device,"Detja warned.

Esme scampered down my back.

"Where are you going?"

"Me bite. They die."

I flashed her Amir's image. "Him first."

"Kay."

The Tuxrai soldiers stopped a good six feet away and leveled their laser rifles at us.

"Drop your weapons,"Amir commanded.

None of us did. Our Askole armor could withstand a barrage of laser bolts.

"There is no escape," Keyan gloated. "Today the galaxy will watch as the great Coletti Overlord fights a death match with his mate." He tapped a finger against his cheek. "Who will win? Will it be the mighty Overlord? Or his deadly mate? Or after you are reduced to mindless zombies, will you be eaten by the Macropus?"

Amir pointed the electromagnetic device at us and smiled. "Do not die too quickly."

"Sic'em, Esme."

Esme skittered up Amir's body and bit him on the neck. His eyes rolled back in his head, and down he went.

The Tuxrai soldiers gaped at him in disbelief.

Zarek gave me the stink eye and decked the nearest Tuxrai soldier. One hell of a brawl started as the drunken patrons joined in.

Keyan, the coward, bolted through the far door.

"Oh, no you're not." I chased after him and caught a fleeting glimpse of him disappearing through a metal security door. I skidded to a stop and swiped my hand over the sensor pad. It stayed red.

Esme stopped next to me and wiggled her legs happily. "Him die."

"You are such a good girl."I picked her up and placed her on my head. "Now we rescue Jedrick." I swiped my master key over the sensor pad. The door slid open. Pulling my laser pistol, I crept down the hallway, scanning for booby traps.

"Where are you?"Detja demanded.

"Following Keyan."

"Wait for us."

I crossed my fingers, and said obediently, "Yes, my lady."

"You lie." Esme peered down at me.

"Yeah, I did, but we need to find Jedrick before Keyan kills him."

"Good lie."

"I agree." The hallway split. Did I go right or left? I mentally scanned the area but couldn't sense squat. I took a quick peek down the left hallway. The sensation of sudden, overwhelming danger screamed through my brain. I dropped to the floor as a volley of laser beams sizzled overhead. Booby trap.

"You okay Esme?"

"Me kay."

"Hang on."I rolled into the hallway and blasted the wall mounted automated laser cannon. Kaboom! Thousands of fireflies filled the air.

"No like,"Esme whined.

"Me either."I got to my feet and noticed half the wall was gone, giving me a clear view into the cells. My stomach sank. They were empty except for a pile of warrior braids with red chains woven into them. Those bastards had cut off Jedrick's hair. A huge insult to a Coletti warrior. I reached out mentally. "Jedrick? Where are you?" Silence was my only answer. "C'mon answer me."

Esme rubbed against my cheek. "Me no feel Jedrick."

"He's not dead. If he were, I would have felt him die."

A door opened and bright sunlight suddenly flooded the area. Keyan had a male wearing only tattered, black pants slung over his shoulder. He ran into the arena and yelled something.

The crowd hooted and hollered.

I vaporized what was left of the wall and sprinted after him.