fighters away from the younger trainees. And if I don’t have a fighter in
the games, I don’t get an invite to participate. I need him in, but I don’t
want to lose him,” he spoke grimly not looking at her, and Lara could feel the
cold intent of purpose riding him.
“And if he dies in the
games before you rescue him?”
He did not answer. There
was a loud thump and Lara had to grab the bulkhead to stay on her feet. They
were caught by the energy beam and pulled in for landing. “You have a better
chance of surviving in the games than he does,” she said sharply, her eyes hot
and sandy from not crying. “You should have talked to him. Told him your plan,
and let him decide if he wanted to risk his life for your crusade.”
“It’s his crusade, too,”
he spat grimly back.
“Is it?” she asked
quietly, as they auto docked. “Then why knock him out? I mean, if you knew he
would agree.”
He said nothing to that,
just gave her a look of ice and turned away. “When they come in here, don’t
speak. You will kill us all if you try to save him now.”
“So I should just be
quiet and save my own life over Barnos’?” Her words left no doubt of her disgust
with the idea and the man.
Tolan Lark growled and
turned to her in a whirl of air, so fast she closed her eyes in reflex and when
she opened them, he was right there. His eyes burning into hers. “I swear to
you that I will get him out of there.” He vowed grimly, and from this close,
she could see the lavender bleeding into his eyes. Feel his hot breath on her
face, and the cold implacable will of him.
She swallowed hard and
tasted her own fear. She did not look away though. Lara stood her ground
before all the ferocious churning emotions of the beast before her. “What is
your word worth, Tolan Lark?” she whispered unhappily, as her first tear fell.
He growled kissing close,
his eyes following the trail of that tear. He looked back into her eyes and
flinched visibly at the accusation there. “By the blood of my people lost to
these games,” he said hard and growly, and she could feel the resolve behind
the words, “I will get him out!”
Lara raised her chin
while the tears fell in earnest. “And if he dies before your word is met?” she
asked just as quietly.
He had no answer and she
could see that in the frustration beating behind his eyes. Then they were
hailed, and he pulled back and turned from her to lower the shields and allow
the boarding.
The armed guards flooded
the bridge moments later, and he was still watching her warily as they
surrounded them.
Lara held her tongue
while Tolan Lark negotiated in ship standard. He dropped a few names and that
seemed to calm the guards enough that they were suddenly looking around the
bridge with different eyes. She was skimmed by many of the men, and then
dismissed quickly. Apparently, she looked about as much of a threat as she
felt.
The one in charge of this
security detail was a big bruiser of a man. His long braided black hair and
blue skin gave her a clue as to his planet of origin. Brutan. She was
surprised. They had never even been approached by the Alliance because their
society was considered too primitive for space travel. She was almost positive
that’s what he was. How did he get here? If the death games were scouting
unformed worlds for their fighters, her father needed to hear of it. The rest
of the men looked like straight mercenaries, Gorson traders. The only thing
she knew of them was that they were a nomadic tribe whose home had been
destroyed or abandoned long ago. They had very few scruples and were little
better than pirates themselves, in the worst definition of the word.
The Brutan stood over
Tolan Lark’s not insubstantial height easily, and because he did, Lara got the
feeling he did not see the man as a threat, even armed to the teeth as he was.
But even unconscious on the floor, Barnos was
the games, I don’t get an invite to participate. I need him in, but I don’t
want to lose him,” he spoke grimly not looking at her, and Lara could feel the
cold intent of purpose riding him.
“And if he dies in the
games before you rescue him?”
He did not answer. There
was a loud thump and Lara had to grab the bulkhead to stay on her feet. They
were caught by the energy beam and pulled in for landing. “You have a better
chance of surviving in the games than he does,” she said sharply, her eyes hot
and sandy from not crying. “You should have talked to him. Told him your plan,
and let him decide if he wanted to risk his life for your crusade.”
“It’s his crusade, too,”
he spat grimly back.
“Is it?” she asked
quietly, as they auto docked. “Then why knock him out? I mean, if you knew he
would agree.”
He said nothing to that,
just gave her a look of ice and turned away. “When they come in here, don’t
speak. You will kill us all if you try to save him now.”
“So I should just be
quiet and save my own life over Barnos’?” Her words left no doubt of her disgust
with the idea and the man.
Tolan Lark growled and
turned to her in a whirl of air, so fast she closed her eyes in reflex and when
she opened them, he was right there. His eyes burning into hers. “I swear to
you that I will get him out of there.” He vowed grimly, and from this close,
she could see the lavender bleeding into his eyes. Feel his hot breath on her
face, and the cold implacable will of him.
She swallowed hard and
tasted her own fear. She did not look away though. Lara stood her ground
before all the ferocious churning emotions of the beast before her. “What is
your word worth, Tolan Lark?” she whispered unhappily, as her first tear fell.
He growled kissing close,
his eyes following the trail of that tear. He looked back into her eyes and
flinched visibly at the accusation there. “By the blood of my people lost to
these games,” he said hard and growly, and she could feel the resolve behind
the words, “I will get him out!”
Lara raised her chin
while the tears fell in earnest. “And if he dies before your word is met?” she
asked just as quietly.
He had no answer and she
could see that in the frustration beating behind his eyes. Then they were
hailed, and he pulled back and turned from her to lower the shields and allow
the boarding.
The armed guards flooded
the bridge moments later, and he was still watching her warily as they
surrounded them.
Lara held her tongue
while Tolan Lark negotiated in ship standard. He dropped a few names and that
seemed to calm the guards enough that they were suddenly looking around the
bridge with different eyes. She was skimmed by many of the men, and then
dismissed quickly. Apparently, she looked about as much of a threat as she
felt.
The one in charge of this
security detail was a big bruiser of a man. His long braided black hair and
blue skin gave her a clue as to his planet of origin. Brutan. She was
surprised. They had never even been approached by the Alliance because their
society was considered too primitive for space travel. She was almost positive
that’s what he was. How did he get here? If the death games were scouting
unformed worlds for their fighters, her father needed to hear of it. The rest
of the men looked like straight mercenaries, Gorson traders. The only thing
she knew of them was that they were a nomadic tribe whose home had been
destroyed or abandoned long ago. They had very few scruples and were little
better than pirates themselves, in the worst definition of the word.
The Brutan stood over
Tolan Lark’s not insubstantial height easily, and because he did, Lara got the
feeling he did not see the man as a threat, even armed to the teeth as he was.
But even unconscious on the floor, Barnos was
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