Star's Storm: Lords of Kassis Book 2 by S. E. Smith Page A

had known. He had shown Jazin the disk. Jarmen had
been the monster they had been working on at the time. A fortnight
later, Jazin and a small group of his elite guards had entered the
facility determined to shut it down. The battle had been brief but
deadly. The researchers had ordered all experiments to be
terminated immediately if the facility was breached. Jarmen wasn’t
sure how many there had actually been but he knew he was one of the
few to have survived from the records he had been able to hack into
before the files were destroyed. He had been severely wounded by
the guards. It had been Jazin who had saved him and taken him to
the small isolated planet he now called his own. He had built a
home and research lab of his own and only communicated with the
young Kassisan prince who kept his existence a secret. He owed
Jazin his life and more.
    Jarmen had breathed a sigh of relief that
Tai Tek had been called away. It would appear the elusive group of
alien warriors he was trying to deal with wanted to meet with him
and see what he had to offer in person. Jarmen could only hope they
would take one look at the councilman and slit his throat but he
didn’t hold too much hope for that simple of a solution. Still,
this would give Jazin a day or two to recover before he was
subjected to more torture. Jarmen had weakened several links on the
chain to make it appear the links gave out from the weights
attached and not through the help of someone. He did not want to
give the bastard any more warning of the impending invasion than
necessary. He opened the door to the Jazin’s prison cell, stepped
in and shut it quietly behind him.
    “Either an apparition with glowing amber
eyes just walked into my cell or the Gods have sent me a savior,” a
hoarse whisper sounded in the darkness.
    Jarmen grinned and lifted the cloak from his
head. His dark amber eyes glowed with an eerie light in the
darkness. “Neither, my friend. Just a monster to keep you
company.”
    Jazin’s dry chuckle hurt so much he drew in
a breath until the pain faded. “Don’t make me laugh, Jar. It hurts
too damn much.”
    Jarmen moved silently closer to where Jazin
was sitting up against the back wall. He held out a small container
of water and a power vitamin. He turned and sank down on the cold
floor next to his friend. He didn’t say anything for several
minutes while Jazin drank the water and took the small capsule.
    “So, what’s the plan? How did you know where
I was?” Jazin asked in a slightly stronger voice. “And do you have
any more pain patches? I hurt so bad I can hardly think.”
    Jarmen looked at the torn flesh on his
friend’s shoulder and felt bad he couldn’t have sneaked a regen bed
or something in. Instead, he pulled several patches out of his
pocket and handed them to Jazin who placed one on his neck with a
sigh of relief. Jarmen watched as the tension slowly ebbed out of
Jazin’s face as the medicine took the edge off.
    “I was contacted by a friend of yours. She
told me that you lived and needed help,” Jar answered in a rusty
voice.
    Jazin’s head jerked up and he stared at his
quiet friend intently. “Who?” He demanded in a harsh whisper.
    “A female named Madas Tal Mod. She said she
had a dream,” Jar said, handing Jazin an energy bar. “Eat. You will
need your strength. She said she is bringing the fiercest warrior
in Kassis to save you.”
    “The fiercest warrior in Kassis?” Jazin said
with a frown of confusion. “Torak or my father?”
    “I do not know. She just said the fiercest
warrior in Kassis. She said the Gods sent the warrior to help you,”
Jarmen said resting his head back and looking around the ragged
rocky surface. “My prison was bad but at least it had a cleansing
room and bed,” he commented in reflection.
    The energy bar hovered halfway to Jazin’s
suddenly dry mouth. His throat closed as Jarmen’s words replayed in
his mind over and over. The warrior sent by the Gods. The fiercest
warrior