have been warned and have twenty-four hours to resolve these matters.’
“Any clues on the handwriting?” Hudson asked.
“Not so far. There is a ship orbiting above the palace and we believe the queen is onboard. Brody, we need a hunter to get her back immediately. Can you supply?”
“Of course.” Hudson began to check availability on screen. “I have a hunter nearby right now. I’ll get in touch.”
“The queen’s safety is utmost, Brody. If she’s damaged, I’m holding Star Fighters completely responsible. I’ll be waiting for your call.”
With that, Carter was gone. Hudson shook his head and wondered how in the galaxy he managed to get himself into scrapes like this. With the head of a queen no less as his responsibility, and possibly the start of a great war if it all goes pear shaped, his stress levels soared. Hudson took a throat hogging tablet with a slug of Scotch and waited for his stomach to settle before he got in touch with the nearest hunter; Raniko on The Opulence.
* * * *
“Good to hear from you so soon,” Raniko teased for she had only recently contacted Hudson to tell him she was bringing back Devon safe and sound.
“We have a problem, my dear.”
“You mean you do,” she teased. “I don’t have problems, only the solutions.”
“I love my team,” Hudson growled. “Remember our favourite queen?”
“The bitch from Irella?”
“The very same. Well, this should please you, it seems she has been kidnapped.”
“Shame.” Raniko did not sound convinced. “What’s that got to do with me? Do you want me to take him back now or not?”
“No, no, don’t do that. I want you to divert. Lucky old you, Raniko, you are the closest hunter to the kidnapper’s ship. You told me the bounty was no problem so leave him safely locked up. I want you to board the ship and release the queen.”
“You are joking?”
“Afraid not. I’ve just had Carter on the phone. This is an emergency operation, Raniko. We need that queen back asap.”
Of course, Raniko had little choice but to agree. Failing to respond to a police emergency would result in all sorts of carnage. As she had said, Devon was no problem. He would stay put, she was sure.
Yet as she began to chart her course for Irella, Raniko could not help but feel a terrible sadness, so terrible that acid began to burn her larynx. Back in her ship, Devon lay fast asleep on the sofa, stretched out like a proud lion, looking sorrowful even in his somnolence. When she had first found him on the beach, there had been a dignity in his face that was lost now. Lost to despondency and she had caused it.
Raniko rubbed her chest but the burn of guilt would not abate. Several times she had found herself watching Devon as he slept, drawn to him, to his peaceful demeanour and his inner glow which was cooling now almost perceptibly before her eyes. She knelt before him and listened to his deep, calm breathing.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Boarding The Pirates
Out of the blue, Hans’ ship was rocked by an almighty explosion. Unfortunately, he was standing over the toilet at the time and missed his aim. Hans zipped up quickly and ran to the cockpit. Brandana was urgently contacting him on the intercom from one of the dorm rooms where she had been questioning Queen Uno, trying to make her see the errors of her Irellan ways.
“Hans! Are you there?”
“I’m here. What on Jupiter’s going on?”
“I don’t know. There was no communication before they fired. What can you see on screen?”
“One ship, fairly large, cruiser class.” Hans continued to scan their nemesis. “There’s two on board; one Earthling, one Irellan.”
“Irellan?” Brandana repeated incredulously. “Who could that be?”
“No idea.” Hans furiously checked his ship’s diagnostics. “Certainly not the king, the coward. Perhaps a palace guard. Although why there’s an Earthling involved,
“Any clues on the handwriting?” Hudson asked.
“Not so far. There is a ship orbiting above the palace and we believe the queen is onboard. Brody, we need a hunter to get her back immediately. Can you supply?”
“Of course.” Hudson began to check availability on screen. “I have a hunter nearby right now. I’ll get in touch.”
“The queen’s safety is utmost, Brody. If she’s damaged, I’m holding Star Fighters completely responsible. I’ll be waiting for your call.”
With that, Carter was gone. Hudson shook his head and wondered how in the galaxy he managed to get himself into scrapes like this. With the head of a queen no less as his responsibility, and possibly the start of a great war if it all goes pear shaped, his stress levels soared. Hudson took a throat hogging tablet with a slug of Scotch and waited for his stomach to settle before he got in touch with the nearest hunter; Raniko on The Opulence.
* * * *
“Good to hear from you so soon,” Raniko teased for she had only recently contacted Hudson to tell him she was bringing back Devon safe and sound.
“We have a problem, my dear.”
“You mean you do,” she teased. “I don’t have problems, only the solutions.”
“I love my team,” Hudson growled. “Remember our favourite queen?”
“The bitch from Irella?”
“The very same. Well, this should please you, it seems she has been kidnapped.”
“Shame.” Raniko did not sound convinced. “What’s that got to do with me? Do you want me to take him back now or not?”
“No, no, don’t do that. I want you to divert. Lucky old you, Raniko, you are the closest hunter to the kidnapper’s ship. You told me the bounty was no problem so leave him safely locked up. I want you to board the ship and release the queen.”
“You are joking?”
“Afraid not. I’ve just had Carter on the phone. This is an emergency operation, Raniko. We need that queen back asap.”
Of course, Raniko had little choice but to agree. Failing to respond to a police emergency would result in all sorts of carnage. As she had said, Devon was no problem. He would stay put, she was sure.
Yet as she began to chart her course for Irella, Raniko could not help but feel a terrible sadness, so terrible that acid began to burn her larynx. Back in her ship, Devon lay fast asleep on the sofa, stretched out like a proud lion, looking sorrowful even in his somnolence. When she had first found him on the beach, there had been a dignity in his face that was lost now. Lost to despondency and she had caused it.
Raniko rubbed her chest but the burn of guilt would not abate. Several times she had found herself watching Devon as he slept, drawn to him, to his peaceful demeanour and his inner glow which was cooling now almost perceptibly before her eyes. She knelt before him and listened to his deep, calm breathing.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Boarding The Pirates
Out of the blue, Hans’ ship was rocked by an almighty explosion. Unfortunately, he was standing over the toilet at the time and missed his aim. Hans zipped up quickly and ran to the cockpit. Brandana was urgently contacting him on the intercom from one of the dorm rooms where she had been questioning Queen Uno, trying to make her see the errors of her Irellan ways.
“Hans! Are you there?”
“I’m here. What on Jupiter’s going on?”
“I don’t know. There was no communication before they fired. What can you see on screen?”
“One ship, fairly large, cruiser class.” Hans continued to scan their nemesis. “There’s two on board; one Earthling, one Irellan.”
“Irellan?” Brandana repeated incredulously. “Who could that be?”
“No idea.” Hans furiously checked his ship’s diagnostics. “Certainly not the king, the coward. Perhaps a palace guard. Although why there’s an Earthling involved,
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