Chapter 31

LEONA

Shouts echo throughout the corridors of the brig, as well as blaster fire. I'm huddled in the bathroom for safety with my nine cellmates. None of us have a clue what's going on, but it seems reasonable to hide behind a closed door, even if the door lacks a lock.

Hopefully the lock on the cell will keep any villain from entering.

Zahhn. Zahhn, what's happening?

He doesn't answer. My worry increases, and my heart sinks. He's visited me frequently during the past few days. Most of the time, I'm able to sense his presence. I think our bond is growing stronger. But why can't I hear him or sense him now?

"It's probably another rebel group," someone says, and I don't bother looking up to see who's speaking. "Or maybe members of The Saviors that they failed to arrest. Not that I would know anything about that." The woman gives a discreet cough.

"It's certainly possible," adds someone else. "Maybe we're being rescued. Oh, I hope so. I don't want to belong to a Darrvason male."

"Quiet," the woman next to me barks. "I thought I just heard footsteps, but you idiots won't stop blabbering."

The screams that keep echoing down the corridor sound agonizing, making me wonder what kind of weapons are being used.

Are the Darrvasons aware of the attack? Will they help us?

"Listen," I whisper. "The hum that accompanies hyperdive is gone. We're no longer traveling in hyperspace."

The sounds of battle come closer, and I'm tempted to leave the bathroom so I can get a better look. But I don't want to put the other women in danger, so I stay put.

Lee-oon-ahh , comes a familiar masculine voice in my head, and I almost sob with relief.

Zahhn! What's happening? I hold my breath as I await his response.

Grozznolan mercenaries , he sends down the bond. They've knocked the Jansonna, as well as the entire Darrvason fleet, out of the shared hyperdrive bubble. Are you hiding in the bathroom? I do not see you in your cell.

Yes, we're all in the bathroom. I long to rush back into the cell and search for him, but I can barely move with the other women pressed up against me. If I open the door, we'll all go tumbling out. Are you in the cell or in the corridor?

I am in the corridor. Do not be afraid , he says. I am well armed, and I will destroy any Grozznolan mercenary who sets foot in this cell block. Your people are fighting back against them, as are the Darrvason engineers who are stationed on this ship. Only a few mercenaries remain alive.

Mercenaries… who hired them? I ask. Why are they attacking us?

According to the chatter on my wrist comm, an unnamed but wealthy group from the Jansonna hired them to destroy my people and dispose of Captain Warren and his command team. They were not only paid a handsome sum, but they were promised every ship in the Darrvason fleet aside from the Haxxal , which the wealthy rebel group wants to keep for its technology. While we possess superior firepower to the Grozznolans, they believed they would be victorious if they beamed to our vessels and faced us in combat. But they did not anticipate the shields our ships possess, and they were only able to beam to the Jansonna .

Thank you for coming, Zahhn. My throat burns with emotion. He's putting himself in danger to ensure my safety. Perhaps it means he truly cares for me, and perhaps it means my life as a Darrvason captive won't be so terrible.

The Grozznolan ships were just destroyed , he informs me. Only a few of the creatures remain alive on the Jansonna .

Savage snarls reverberate down the corridor, and while I can still sense Zahhn's presence, I no longer feel our mind-connection. Sick with worry, I press a hand to my stomach and close my eyes. For the first time in a long fucking time, I pray. I pray to whoever's listening, the human god or the Darrvasons' Star Gods, that no harm will come to Zahhn. Please keep him safe. Please please please.

Then I glimpse a vision so awful, I cannot restrain a gasp. My legs give out, and I sink to the floor. I feel hands on me and hear concerned inquiries as my fellow prisoners attempt to help. But they don't know what I just saw. They don't know how terrible the Grozznolans are. Zahhn referred to them as creatures, and now I know why.

Another image flashes in my mind, and I don't think Zahhn's doing it on purpose. He's in the thick of battle, fighting an enemy that's worse than anything I ever imagined. The creature possesses two heads, two mouths dripping with saliva, and razor-sharp teeth within each of those awful mouths. It's freakishly muscular, and long tentacles stretch from the lower half of its body.

Shudders rack me as I continue praying for Zahhn's safety. The fight is taking place just outside the cell, and I can only imagine what the Grozznolan mercenary would've done to us if it managed to breach our cell. Dead. We'd likely all be dead.

I glimpse flashes of something tiny and metallic that Zahhn keeps throwing at the creature, and I also see flashes of red. A blaster. Zahhn has a blaster.

Blood oozes from several wounds on the mercenary. Its movements become slower and its heads droop. The beast's mouths hang open and slimy drool continues running down its neck. Nausea rises in my gut as the graphic images keep flashing in my mind.

At last, Zahhn inflicts a fatal blow—he throws a tiny metallic weapon into one of the creature's open mouths, which causes it to gag and flop to the floor. Its tentacles rise and fall with a thump.

A few seconds pass, and there's no movement. It's dead. The mercenary is dead and Zahhn is alive. I send up prayers of thanks to whatever deity answered my call.

I jump out of the huddle of women and open the door, ignoring their cries for me to stop. Zahhn is standing outside the cell, panting breathlessly as he looms over the dead Grozznolan mercenary.

There's a commotion at the end of the corridor, then I hear running. But there are no more screams, and I sense the danger is over. Zahhn confirms my suspicions when his voice echoes in my head.

All is well, human female , he says with a glance at his wrist comm. The very last mercenary was just slain. His eyes bore into mine, and he takes a step closer. But the approaching footsteps grow louder, and then… Zahhn disappears into thin air.

A collective gasp sounds behind me, and I glance over my shoulder to find all nine of my cellmates staring wide-eyed at the dead Grozznolan mercenary.

Human security officers, along with two Darrvason engineers arrive on our cell block. They rush down the corridor to ensure the creature is dead. Then they each grab a tentacle and drag it away.

"What's going on?" someone asks, grasping my arm.

I turn to face my cellmates, trying to figure out how to best explain what I know and how I acquired the knowledge. Telling them I have a telepathic connection with the Darrvarson doctor who examined me, who also happens to possess the ability to astral project himself at will, sounds a bit fantastic. If I were in their shoes, I would probably think I was full of shit.

So, I simply shrug and say, "I'm not entirely sure, but I think the danger is over. Don't be scared."

But just as we all get settled on our beds and start to relax, the info screen in the cell turns on. It flashes blue and then… I see a view of the stage at my speakeasy. It's a recording. Jenny is on stage playing the keyboard and singing one of her most popular rebellious songs while the crowd chants along. Oh God. This is bad.

We all jump off our beds and approach the info screen. The song continues playing for way too long. Poor Jenny. She's been exposed. I doubt she's the person responsible for the broadcast. What will happen to her? Will the big Darrvason who follows her around protect her from Captain Warren's wrath? I really hope so.

Suddenly, there's a moment of static and the screen goes blank. Then Angelo… mostly sweet but sometimes hotheaded Angelo, one of my best friends in the whole universe, appears on the screen. But he doesn't look the way I remember. He seems… deranged. Sweat runs down his face as he glares at the camera. I catch a glimpse of his mother in the background and realize he must be in his quarters.

"Citizens of the Jansonna ," he says. "Rise up. Fight back. Follow the words of Captain Warren's niece. Rise up and fight back. Do whatever you can to break the alliance with the Darrvasons. Kill the Darrvasons if you can." He raises a fist. "Resistance!" He staggers backward, and his mother collapses on the floor.

Jenny's performance resumes.

I fall to my knees. Angelo. Jenny.

They're both as good as dead.