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Nadir whipped out his handheld. “This image of her was captured from a palace vid-feed.”
A few pinfeathers fluttered down from Ospra’s plumed head. “That’s Sandria Seeher.”
“So, she is with the LOP!” I glowered.
“Sandria Seeher is on the Ten Most Dangerous Persons List, wanted by the LOP and the Mnemonian government. She’s a member of the Galactic Justice Warriors. She’s Quadran, yes, but also half Mnemonian. She has powerful mind-controlling abilities.” Ospra’s expression turned grim. “She didn’t come to deprogram Prince Lomax but to brainwash him further.”
Chapter Nine
Lomax
I dragged the ovwet toward the waiting vessel. She’d become compliant, the fight seeming to have gone out of her, but I didn’t trust her. She’d tried to trap me in the catacombs and escape.
I could have let her go. Once outside the palace complex, I no longer needed a hostage, but some inner compulsion made me keep her. Maybe she could be useful later.
As I neared the spaceship, the hatch rolled open, and a gangway lowered. The ovwet balked then, trying to twist away, but I hauled her up the ramp and onto the ship.
My commander was in the passage waiting for me.
“You!” the ovwet gasped.
“What is she doing here?” my commander demanded.
“You know each other?” I glanced between the human and Sandria Seeher.
“I encountered her in the palace one day,” Seeher said. “You should not have brought her. She is a complication.” She pulled a blaster from her holster.
“No!” I pushed the ovwet behind me.
I don’t know who was more surprised—me or my commander. All four of her eyes blinked before they narrowed.
I had acted without thinking, and I had to come up with an explanation fast. “I brought her to trade for GJW prisoners in LOP custody.”
“There are other captured combatants who can serve that function.”
“But are there any humans? New Terrans are on the protected list. We should be able to do far better than a one-to-one trade,” I improvised.
She said nothing for a long moment. Then, “Humans are like Juxilian pond scum, disgusting but essential to the ecosystem. We might be able to trade her for five of our unjustly imprisoned warriors.” She holstered the blaster. “Fine. We’ll keep her. Be sure she is contained. We must launch immediately. They will be searching for you—and for me.
“It was fortuitous that I could time my visit with the landing of the LOP ship. It is not often the GJW can acquire a league vessel. Getting you back and a ship is a great boon.” Her antennas swiveled toward the human. My fur tingled with unease. Despite her acquiescing words, Seeher wasn’t totally on board with having a hostage.
“I’ll lock her in a cabin,” I said.
Seeher nodded and headed forward.
I hustled my captive toward the stern. She had no idea how close she’d come to dying. That she still might.
“Who is that woman?” the ovwet asked in a low voice.
I ignored her to peer into a cabin. A large communication console perched on a desk. I let the door close. That one won’t work. I doubted the female had the language ability or technical skills to access the system, but she would try at the first opportunity, and when she did, the bridge would be alerted. I could have Seeher deactivate the system, but I preferred she forget I brought the female aboard altogether. I let the door slide shut and moved on to the next stateroom.
Same setup, same problem.
There were only six staterooms, and by the third, I realized they would all be similarly connected. I pushed the human into the room and charged horns first into the console screen.
Sparks flew. Constructed of shatterproof material, the screen cracked but held together. I rammed it a couple more times until the popping and sizzling stopped. I turned to face my captive.
She stumbled away from me. Tears had left tracks on a dusty face drained of color to appear almost white. The speckles across her nose and cheeks stood out. A sharp pain twisted my stomach at her terrified expression. Fear is good. If she is afraid, she will not try anything stupid. Fear will keep her alive.
