Even Myranda realized this injured man’s appearance would get him killed. That was why the med-tech was considering options to disguise him.
Lyra fully believed the rumors she’d heard. The same ones she’d never mentioned to Soldar.
Craetorian neutrals don’t exist.
For years,
Earth citizens had heard about Craetorians being the first to charge the enemy. In fact, it was widely known that Soldar’s people demanded key positions in every attack. There’d been verified instances of their warriors throwing themselves on compound grenades to save fighters not even in their ranks. The more she thought about all the stories that even her own officers corroborated, the more suspicious she became.
Soldar had argued so convincingly. Surely, there must be neutrals among his people. But Myranda’s confirmation of the entire allied opinion was enough to cause great disquiet.
For starters, how could the Condorians know with such certainty Soldar was among those neutral ranks? She and Sol had walked onto the Venus with such ease. The guards let them pass with almost no concern. Even Aigean’s plotting should not have gained them such informal access. They should have been hauled before D’uhr in an instant. And when they’d finally met the enemy admiral, D’uhr only vaguely questioned their backgrounds.
Lyra shook her head and raised one brow in anger. She’d been so grateful for her safety that she hadn’t fully questioned the details. Now, however, things were beginning to sink in. Somebody was lying about something. Where were these so-called neutral Craetorians that no one but the enemy had ever heard of?
“I think it’s best to laser the mark off whether he likes it or not,” Myranda confirmed with a nod of her head.
“He still looks exactly like what he is. Aigean won’t be able to explain another Craetorian aboard,” Lyra softly muttered.
“
Another one
?”
“I’m speaking of the man who’s undercover with me …
the Colonel
!” Lyra said.
Myranda blinked. “I-I don’t understand.”
Lyra faced the other woman squarely. “The man who’s undercover with me is a Craetorian. He didn’t hide his race at all.”
“Lyra, that can’t be.”
“Don’t tell me … no one told you about it, right?”
“I was just told there were two agents aboard. I assumed they were Earth special ops, posing as neutrals from worlds the Condorians haven’t enslaved.” Myranda shrugged. “Nobody told me differently.”
“So you and I both agree that a neutral Craetorian is about as likely as ocean-front property in Olde Arizona?”
“Honey … there’s no such thing as
a neutral Craetorian.
”
“According to the man who picked me up in the desert and recruited me for this mission, there are. In fact, that’s his cover.”
“Or so he says!” Myranda shot back as she gripped Lyra’s shoulders. “Lyra … you need to be very, very careful. Whoever this man is, he may have some connection to the Condorians you don’t know about. I’m not saying he’s with them. But something’s not kosher.”
“I’m beginning to get that picture,” Lyra heatedly remarked. “Though the man I came in here with knows about the injured, I don’t think he needs to find out one of them is Craetorian. How could he or anyone else explain
two
on this ship?”
They both gazed down at the Craetorian on the bed. A beeping noise sounded in another part of the huge space, making them both jump.
“God … that’ll be the test sample I’m processing,” Myranda breathlessly explained. “If the stuff in your vial is still good, I’ll give the first dose to this Craetorian. The sooner he’s better, the sooner I can get that mark off his face and try to hide his big bronze ass. Assuming that’s possible.”
Lyra watched the other woman leave, but stayed by the bed in this dim area of what was probably old servants’ quarters. Minutes went by and she considered not only the unconscious Craetorian but Soldar and the odd game he and D’uhr were playing.
A low moan prompted her to sit on the side of the downed Craetorian’s bed and lean closer. In that split second, before she could utter a single word, his right arm shot from underneath the covers and clenched around her throat. Both her hands came up in an automatic gesture of defense. She ineffectively pulled at his massive wrist.
Her attacker wrestled himself into a sitting position despite the bandaging covering a laser-sealed, raw wound to his abdomen. Jagged parts of that seal were visible at the edges of the white gauze around his mid-section.
As badly injured as he was, the man’s strong grip kept her from crying out. His silvery gaze wandered over her features, then to the armband on her left bicep. He shook her and snarled.
For some odd reason, she thought of Soldar. This stranger’s long blond hair sifted loose and now lay around his shoulders. Just as her so-called partner’s often did.
“I wasn’t sure if I dreamed Earth English,” he angrily asserted as he used that dialect. “Do you understand me?”
She barely managed a nod as she tried to pull his hands free.
“Where did you get that armband, woman? There’re only two ways its owner would give it up. The first is if you’re a Craetorian’s mate. The second is if the original owner died in battle and had it cut from his corpse.” He leaned closer to her. “If that latter of those options is the case, I promise I’ll kill the Condorian responsible. And I’ll see fit punishment comes to
you
for accepting looted property, taken from a dead hero. Now … which is it?” He finally let her throat go, but grabbed the front of her garment so she couldn’t run.
Lyra took a moment to catch her breath and rub her injured neck. “What’s it to you?” she countered as she watched him stare back with harsh, suspicious anger in his gaze.
“That armband belongs to the royal house of Ky’Nar. It would not be gifted to a common whore. And while I recognize I’d be dead were you not sympathetic, I know this is a pleasure vessel that must be behind enemy lines.” He glanced around him while his eyes took on a wild, glazed expression. “The look of such places is not beyond my experience, but no injured soldier would be brought to such an abode if there was no emergency.” He grabbed her again by her forearms. “Start talking, or nothing you’ve done to save my life will save yours. Not if you took that band from a Condorian as payment for favors.”
She tossed her head and glanced down at the band. “Do you really think a Condorian would give this away? It would be considered a trophy, wouldn’t it?”
“Tell me, woman!”
At that moment, something Soldar said filtered into Lyra’s heavily tested brain. She gazed at his face for a long time and understood why everything about him was so familiar. “Christ almighty! You’re his
brother
… the one who’s supposed to be missing. And what the hell do you mean by ‘the Royal House of Ky’Nar’?”
Silence permeated the space.
Finally, the man spoke quickly, but never stopped to even breathe. “It seems I must trust you. In case I am mistaken, I know nothing you can use to your advantage. Torture would do no good.”
“You’re being hidden from the Condorians who control this vessel. You’d be wise to keep your voice down.”
He considered her for a long moment. She assumed he believed her as he finally responded more calmly.
“My name is Cordis Nar. I was separated from my Craetorian brethren months ago during a fight on Rimbor Alta. I took up fighting with an Earth unit since orders to maintain communication silence stranded me with them,” he explained. “We’ve been fighting on a star-class vessel, deep in enemy territory. Our last orders were to engage the enemy on the surface of an old refueling station.”
“Yeah. That’d be Reisen Four which is where this ship has landed.” Lyra ran her hands through her hair and tried to comprehend this coincidence. “God, he thinks you’re dead!”
Cordis gazed at her armband, then back at her face. “I fear I’ve made a grave mistake. Is the person you speak of my brother? Is
he
the one who thinks I’m dead?”
She slowly nodded.
“Then he
is
alive,” Cordis responded as he smiled. “And you are no whore.”
“I’ve probably been called worse,” she somberly joked. “Soldar put this band on me. He’s on this vessel pretending to be a male prostitute. I’m his partner.”
“And you did say the Condorians control this ship?” he asked.
She nodded. “You need to stay hidden. A lot of lives depend upon you not being found. Do you understand?”
“I will cooperate.”
“Good. My name is Lyra Markham, Master Sergeant from Earth … ”
The stress amassed over the last few days was taking its toll. She shut her mouth and tried to gather her thoughts. This mission was one surprise after another. She heartily wished for a battle where she knew who the enemy really was. This subterfuge would kill her long before the enemy did.
“You’re his mate!” Cordis suddenly blurted.
“Our arrangement is for the duration of this mission. He thinks he’s protecting me — ”
“If he put that band on your arm, it was not just for protection.” He wearily plopped back down against the pillows.
Beads of perspiration scattered across his forehead. She swiped at them with her hand then arranged his covers.
What words could she say to give hope? Common sense told her there was none. But he was injured and it seemed cruel to offer anything else. “The med-tech has something to make you feel better. Remember, you need to stay quiet.”
“If it’s t-true that Soldar is as near as the enemy, then do not b-bring him here,” he haltingly insisted. “Do not tell him I’m present.”
“I think he’d want to — ”
“He will try to save me!” Cordis glared at her as his hands clenched into fists. “In the absence of any Earth officer, regulations give me the right to command you, Sergeant. I outrank you. And on this issue I remain adamant.”
She sighed and rolled her eyes. “All right … okay! Whatever it takes to shut you up.”
The similarity of the brothers’ thinking wasn’t lost on her. She was on the Venus because Soldar quoted the same regulation Cordis just had.
“I-I’m sorry if I hurt you,” he apologized.
“No worries. Just rest easy. You’ll be better soon.”
Luckily, Myranda arrived only a few moments later, carrying a small injection gun. Lyra gladly vacated her spot so the other woman could do her job.
“Glad to see you’re awake,” Myranda softly said as she gazed at Cordis. “I’m going to administer a general antibiotic. It’ll work on just about anything you might have picked up outside the ship.” She put the injector gun to the side of her patient’s neck. “I’m also shooting you up with something to make you sleep.”
Cordis winced when the trigger was pulled, but he had time to reiterate his command. “Do not tell him about m-me. He must continue h-his mission … ”
Lyra watched the man drift off to sleep and saw Myranda glance at her questioningly.
“What’s going on?” the med-tech asked.
“Strange and maybe not so coincidental shit! If you have a couple of minutes I’ll explain,” Lyra said as she ran a hand over her forehead.
• • •
Half an hour later, Lyra finally walked out of Myranda’s makeshift infirmary with the profound sense of having too much weighing on her soul. It wasn’t enough that she and her partner were about to die. Everyone would when the Condorians eventually discovered the hidden allies. But the occurrences of the night were so twisted and irregular as to confound anyone.
She was deep in thought, trying to make sense of the night’s discoveries, but jumped and automatically assumed a fighting stance when a body rounded the corner. She was equally quick to relax when Aigean stood in her path. “Where were you tonight?” Lyra demanded. “Sol and I were expecting to find you in D’uhr’s quarters.”
“There was some business requiring my personal attention,” Aigean quickly explained. “I just left the admiral’s quarters, and came searching because Gentis told me she’d seen you in this area. She tells me you got your hands on some medicine.”
“I did.” Lyra stepped closer to the Elderian woman. “Why didn’t you tell me your med-tech is from Earth or that the Condorians are carrying some disease?”
“Don’t presume to question me,” Aigean furiously responded. “What difference does any of that make? We needed Myranda’s skills. She needs to make herself as inconspicuous as possible. As to the ailment afflicting the enemy, there’s enough fight left in them to kill everyone on every allied world. Their maladies don’t concern me.”
“And what about that Craetorian warrior brought aboard with the other injured?” Lyra further quizzed. “Did you know he’s Soldar’s brother and that Soldar thinks he’s dead?”
Aigean simply stared back with a passive look on her face.
Lyra’s fingers curled into fists. “You
did
know!”
“I have two reasons for seeking you out,” Aigean said, ignoring Lyra’s suspicions. “The first was to see if you had safely delivered the medicine to Myranda. The second was to impart news of an urgent nature.”
“What news?”
“Listen carefully. I haven’t time to be interrogated.” Aigean glanced around before beginning. “My servants inform me there was some kind of confrontation in D’uhr’s quarters. I arrived too late to see it, but I’ve been told the situation was serious.”
“What about Sol — ”
“I’m informed his anger was such that he actually struck a support beam and bent it.” Aigean clasped her hand and sighed. “He’s back in his quarters. Servants say he’s still angry enough to kill someone.”
“What about D’uhr?”
“Leave him to me and my people. Get back to your quarters and be careful. A Craetorian’s rage can be very … ” She stopped and briefly closed her eyes before continuing with her warning. “Just get back to your quarters and don’t anger him further!”
Lyra looked into Aigean’s eyes and knew things were falling apart. There was nothing left to say so she strode past the Elderian and silently prayed
somebody
would end this crazy mission soon.
As with Lyra’s trip to the hidden infirmary, there were no guards in the passageways. The lax security told her D’uhr’s minions had either been called elsewhere, or their level of sobriety was so precarious that duties were no longer a priority.