still
glowing. Were they going to heal the next person to be
injured?
"I want the Starfire. I don't care
about her life," Salos hissed, emphasizing his point with a
tightening of his grip on her throat. "Give me the
Starfire."
In the next instant, a dark shape sent
her backwards with Salos. His hands loosened and she was rolled
away. Several hands helped her up as she twisted to look back in
time to see Karik with his claws at the premier's
throat.
"Stop!" Ramini said as Krissa croaked
out "Karik." One of the guards pressed the end of his weapon to
Karik's skull. The neck of the Tah'Na was nothing compared to the
brute strength of the Lereni. He couldn't not care that he would
die with his revenge.
"Karik," she said more clearly,
"you're better than them."
The fury burning in his eyes turned to
her for just long enough to see the pain fueling that
fire.
"Killing him will not bring them
back."
After a solemn silence, Ramini spoke
in a voice that could have been a gray cloud: "The Inari will not
help monitor the Tah'Na retreat if you do this."
At that, Torik and the others turned
to her. "You would oversee the withdrawal?"
"We have been working in the Salnouan Kiitrak to convince the alliance to support
Leisil's release from Tah'Na occupation," she said without taking
her eyes off the two. "If he kills the premier, that support will
evaporate. The Lereni may have had some violent customs, but they
were honorable and valued trading partners. The Tah'Na knew this
and the value of their world's resources to us and others, but we
would rather not declare war."
"Listen to her, Karik. I know we had
our differences, but your world can be free…if you forego your
revenge. Your father and brother will be honored in the freedom of
your world." Krissa held her breath in the lingering tension thick
in the room.
Until Karik released Salos and the
guard withdrew his weapon. He stepped back from Salos and looked
down at her and the Inari.
"You know too much," he said with a
warning glare at Torik, the one who had told her about Karik's
reasons for being so driven to save his world. "But you're
right."
Salos rubbed his throat and cowered
away like a wounded animal.
"Go." He waved them away and the
guards retreated.
Salos's scowl shifted to the Inari.
"Take her! Leave."
Finally. But there was one more thing:
"And the Lereni?"
His eyes threatened her.
"And the Lereni?" Ramini
repeated.
"They will be free. Leisil is theirs."
He spat the words as if bitter in his mouth. "Our occupation was a
waste anyway. They are too savage to control."
"You will sign that for the Salnouan Kiitrak? "
His hands balled into fists, but he
made no move to harm them. "It shall be done."
Ramini lifted her head with a look of victory glinting in
her eyes. "As Leisil is not a member of the Salnouan Kiitrak but is involved,"
Ramini said to him, "you may be present as advisors only. If you
seek to petition the alliance for membership, I will stand by its
approval."
"We would appreciate that, Elousar ," Karik said. "But what of the
Onduun?"
The crook of a smile told Krissa all
she needed.
"For the safe-keeping of the
chancellor's daughter, I believe it's safe to say that Leisil will
have at least one ally to stand by them against retribution from
the Tah'Na."
Krissa looked up to see Karik's
reaction and caught a hint of a smile teasing at the corner's of
his lips. "This would be acceptable."
Chapter 12
At last, Krissa stood in more
appropriate attire, a simple jumpsuit that covered her completely,
courtesy of the Inari. The negotiations had been frustrating, but
in the end, Premier Salos had conceded to the terms in witness of
the Inari mediators.
Krissa returned with the Lereni to the
ship that had brought them, the ship in which she had learned about
herself, but now a second ship sat next to the small cargo vessel
on the landing platform.
After a quick farewell, Korr and Theen
disappeared up into their ship.
At the base of the ramp,
glowing. Were they going to heal the next person to be
injured?
"I want the Starfire. I don't care
about her life," Salos hissed, emphasizing his point with a
tightening of his grip on her throat. "Give me the
Starfire."
In the next instant, a dark shape sent
her backwards with Salos. His hands loosened and she was rolled
away. Several hands helped her up as she twisted to look back in
time to see Karik with his claws at the premier's
throat.
"Stop!" Ramini said as Krissa croaked
out "Karik." One of the guards pressed the end of his weapon to
Karik's skull. The neck of the Tah'Na was nothing compared to the
brute strength of the Lereni. He couldn't not care that he would
die with his revenge.
"Karik," she said more clearly,
"you're better than them."
The fury burning in his eyes turned to
her for just long enough to see the pain fueling that
fire.
"Killing him will not bring them
back."
After a solemn silence, Ramini spoke
in a voice that could have been a gray cloud: "The Inari will not
help monitor the Tah'Na retreat if you do this."
At that, Torik and the others turned
to her. "You would oversee the withdrawal?"
"We have been working in the Salnouan Kiitrak to convince the alliance to support
Leisil's release from Tah'Na occupation," she said without taking
her eyes off the two. "If he kills the premier, that support will
evaporate. The Lereni may have had some violent customs, but they
were honorable and valued trading partners. The Tah'Na knew this
and the value of their world's resources to us and others, but we
would rather not declare war."
"Listen to her, Karik. I know we had
our differences, but your world can be free…if you forego your
revenge. Your father and brother will be honored in the freedom of
your world." Krissa held her breath in the lingering tension thick
in the room.
Until Karik released Salos and the
guard withdrew his weapon. He stepped back from Salos and looked
down at her and the Inari.
"You know too much," he said with a
warning glare at Torik, the one who had told her about Karik's
reasons for being so driven to save his world. "But you're
right."
Salos rubbed his throat and cowered
away like a wounded animal.
"Go." He waved them away and the
guards retreated.
Salos's scowl shifted to the Inari.
"Take her! Leave."
Finally. But there was one more thing:
"And the Lereni?"
His eyes threatened her.
"And the Lereni?" Ramini
repeated.
"They will be free. Leisil is theirs."
He spat the words as if bitter in his mouth. "Our occupation was a
waste anyway. They are too savage to control."
"You will sign that for the Salnouan Kiitrak? "
His hands balled into fists, but he
made no move to harm them. "It shall be done."
Ramini lifted her head with a look of victory glinting in
her eyes. "As Leisil is not a member of the Salnouan Kiitrak but is involved,"
Ramini said to him, "you may be present as advisors only. If you
seek to petition the alliance for membership, I will stand by its
approval."
"We would appreciate that, Elousar ," Karik said. "But what of the
Onduun?"
The crook of a smile told Krissa all
she needed.
"For the safe-keeping of the
chancellor's daughter, I believe it's safe to say that Leisil will
have at least one ally to stand by them against retribution from
the Tah'Na."
Krissa looked up to see Karik's
reaction and caught a hint of a smile teasing at the corner's of
his lips. "This would be acceptable."
Chapter 12
At last, Krissa stood in more
appropriate attire, a simple jumpsuit that covered her completely,
courtesy of the Inari. The negotiations had been frustrating, but
in the end, Premier Salos had conceded to the terms in witness of
the Inari mediators.
Krissa returned with the Lereni to the
ship that had brought them, the ship in which she had learned about
herself, but now a second ship sat next to the small cargo vessel
on the landing platform.
After a quick farewell, Korr and Theen
disappeared up into their ship.
At the base of the ramp,
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