I’m not too sure.”
“Are we damaged?”
“No. Just a warning shot. Deflector shields are up now.”
Brandana turned to the queen who had not lost one ounce of her haughty air all through her ordeal. Such actions had only served to strengthen the hatred she had always felt towards Brandana and what stung the most was being told what to do by a former servant. That hurt more than being away from her family.
“Who’s the Irellan on that ship? Any ideas, queen?” Brandana asked spitefully.
“My lips are sealed.” Uno feigned knowledge she did not have purely in order to anger her kidnapper.
Brandana slapped her sharply across her cheek. “Who is it, I said?”
Uno gathered herself together coolly. “Treasonous slave. When I am freed, you are coming back to Irella and I will have your head on a platter.”
“Tell me one thing, Uno, have you even heard a word I’ve said to you?”
“What makes you think I should listen to you, a mere servant girl?”
“Because I have something very important to say. Yes, you are a royal but there are so few of you and so many of us. None of us are happy! You work us all hours for your every whim, without even a word of thanks, and pay us a pittance. Our rooms are sparse, our food is little better than scraps. How can you even think that is a fair life? A decent life?”
Before Uno could answer, Hans spoke again. “Better get up here, Brandy. They’re trying to board us.”
“We’ll speak again,” Brandana warned Uno and left to be with her brother, locking Uno safely away.
As she arrived in the cockpit, Hans said, “I told you we shouldn’t have done this.”
“What? You wanted us to commit mass murder.”
“Not murder,” Hans defended himself. “Just harmless destruction of buildings. It’s no use. The shield’s won’t stop them. They are on board.”
Silence descended. Hans and Brandana pulled out their pistols.
“Set to stun, Hans.”
Together they crept from the cockpit into the belly of the ship’s corridors. An eerie darkness had fallen as the ship went into auto alert, the safety being breached. Slowly and stealthily, they stole with their backs to the walls, curving along the shape of each passage, listening for any sound that might give their enemy or themselves away.
All together, three weapons clicked. Brandana took a huge intake of breath. A cold, sharp, stabbing breath.
“Raniko?” she whispered in amazement.
Raniko frowned in disbelief. “Brandana?”
Automatically the women put their weapons down and stared at one another, endeavouring to compute their emotions; surprise, lust, hypersensitivity, happiness, doubt.
“What’s going on?” Hans demanded to know, his pistol still trained on Raniko’s forehead.
“It’s alright, Hans. She’s a friend. Put your weapon down.”
“Don’t friends use doorbells?”
“Ships don’t have doorbells,” Brandana scolded. “Hans, give us a minute or two. It’ll be alright. Check on Uno, will you?”
“I’m not leaving until you tell me what’s going on. If you let her get control of the ship…”
“I won’t. Just go. Please.”
Hans was utterly confused. “Whatever. Just yell if you need me.”
“So,” Brandana sighed once they were alone.
“So,” Raniko repeated.
“I said we’d see one another again. I didn’t foresee it being like this, though.”
“What in the galaxy’s name are you doing, Brandana? You’re my bounty. I’ve got to take you in.”
“Take me in? You can’t be serious?”
“I’m not saying it will be easy. I know you well. Very well. I like you. This is the last thing I want. Hell, girl, what am I meant to do? There’s a lot at stake here.”
Embracing, a flood of emotions flashed magically between them, leaving them feeling drained. Raniko held Brandana’s hand.
“You have the queen on board, don’t you? How can you be involved in a kidnapping? Is it really true?”
“It’s a long story. We never meant her any
“Are we damaged?”
“No. Just a warning shot. Deflector shields are up now.”
Brandana turned to the queen who had not lost one ounce of her haughty air all through her ordeal. Such actions had only served to strengthen the hatred she had always felt towards Brandana and what stung the most was being told what to do by a former servant. That hurt more than being away from her family.
“Who’s the Irellan on that ship? Any ideas, queen?” Brandana asked spitefully.
“My lips are sealed.” Uno feigned knowledge she did not have purely in order to anger her kidnapper.
Brandana slapped her sharply across her cheek. “Who is it, I said?”
Uno gathered herself together coolly. “Treasonous slave. When I am freed, you are coming back to Irella and I will have your head on a platter.”
“Tell me one thing, Uno, have you even heard a word I’ve said to you?”
“What makes you think I should listen to you, a mere servant girl?”
“Because I have something very important to say. Yes, you are a royal but there are so few of you and so many of us. None of us are happy! You work us all hours for your every whim, without even a word of thanks, and pay us a pittance. Our rooms are sparse, our food is little better than scraps. How can you even think that is a fair life? A decent life?”
Before Uno could answer, Hans spoke again. “Better get up here, Brandy. They’re trying to board us.”
“We’ll speak again,” Brandana warned Uno and left to be with her brother, locking Uno safely away.
As she arrived in the cockpit, Hans said, “I told you we shouldn’t have done this.”
“What? You wanted us to commit mass murder.”
“Not murder,” Hans defended himself. “Just harmless destruction of buildings. It’s no use. The shield’s won’t stop them. They are on board.”
Silence descended. Hans and Brandana pulled out their pistols.
“Set to stun, Hans.”
Together they crept from the cockpit into the belly of the ship’s corridors. An eerie darkness had fallen as the ship went into auto alert, the safety being breached. Slowly and stealthily, they stole with their backs to the walls, curving along the shape of each passage, listening for any sound that might give their enemy or themselves away.
All together, three weapons clicked. Brandana took a huge intake of breath. A cold, sharp, stabbing breath.
“Raniko?” she whispered in amazement.
Raniko frowned in disbelief. “Brandana?”
Automatically the women put their weapons down and stared at one another, endeavouring to compute their emotions; surprise, lust, hypersensitivity, happiness, doubt.
“What’s going on?” Hans demanded to know, his pistol still trained on Raniko’s forehead.
“It’s alright, Hans. She’s a friend. Put your weapon down.”
“Don’t friends use doorbells?”
“Ships don’t have doorbells,” Brandana scolded. “Hans, give us a minute or two. It’ll be alright. Check on Uno, will you?”
“I’m not leaving until you tell me what’s going on. If you let her get control of the ship…”
“I won’t. Just go. Please.”
Hans was utterly confused. “Whatever. Just yell if you need me.”
“So,” Brandana sighed once they were alone.
“So,” Raniko repeated.
“I said we’d see one another again. I didn’t foresee it being like this, though.”
“What in the galaxy’s name are you doing, Brandana? You’re my bounty. I’ve got to take you in.”
“Take me in? You can’t be serious?”
“I’m not saying it will be easy. I know you well. Very well. I like you. This is the last thing I want. Hell, girl, what am I meant to do? There’s a lot at stake here.”
Embracing, a flood of emotions flashed magically between them, leaving them feeling drained. Raniko held Brandana’s hand.
“You have the queen on board, don’t you? How can you be involved in a kidnapping? Is it really true?”
“It’s a long story. We never meant her any
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