this."
"So what went wrong?"
Tieran was silent for a moment. Now that he was putting things together in his head, the answer seemed obvious from the start.
"The Jorcossi must have had help," he said. “Someone guided them here. It’s possible that they’ve been waiting on all the worlds where we’re searching for the lifestone. Perhaps they simply got… lucky.”
The thought was entirely distasteful and Tieran knew there was no such thing as luck when it came to tactics. Someone in the ranks of the Palians must have been feeding information out on what was going on during the search for the lifestone. The thought of having a traitor like that in the midst of his own race…
Tieran exhaled sharply. He couldn't say anything more as Pelar ran into the room. She seemed momentarily caught off guard by seeing both of her superiors in one place, but then the words came pouring out of her mouth.
"Commander, the stone is gone," she said.
By his side, Audrey sat up so quickly she groaned. As for himself, Tieran pushed down every emotion that announcement brought forth in him. Rage, disappointment, disbelief. None of them had a place inside him right then. All that mattered was moving forward.
"How?" he demanded. "When?"
Pelar was a good assistant. She knew he didn't like dancing around any topic.
"The host never left the mines," she said quickly. "You left the fallen, since they weren't as urgent as the living, but it only played dead. Aznim, he... he was very badly wounded, but the Jorcossi apparently kept him alive until you were gone. Then it grew, split and... you can imagine the rest, commander.
“He broke out. The station was in lockdown, everyone in their rooms, so no one even saw the Jorcossi come out of the mines until a ship took off. It was outside, but the Jorcossi took one of the roamers from the equipment bays and made it on. We checked the vids. The Evela couldn't catch it in time. It happened only minutes ago, but we have no idea where it went."
The day that had started so well had now officially become disastrous.
"I do," Tieran said.
Both the women stared at him.
"To the Fearless," he said, watching their faces drop, knowing that they would react just this way.
Anyone would.
It was the only logical choice. The Fearless would not let its presence be known around the region if it wasn’t expecting something. And now they knew what it was.
Pelar gasped audibly.
Audrey looked ready to bombard him with questions, but there was a much bigger problem and she focused on that. Just the mention of the monster of the depths of the galaxy chilled her to the bone. Tieran saw her shudder.
The curious urge to grab her and hold her until that feeling went away was almost impossible to ignore.
"A Fearless," she repeated. "If the stone does what you think it does... if he holds it..."
"I don't think he's going to hold it," Tieran said and his voice was so morbid the women winced. "I think he's going to swallow it and become a nightmare this galaxy has never seen. And once he's got the taste–"
"He'll be coming for more," Audrey finished.
5
Audrey
A udrey was no tactician , but the situation seemed to be pretty clear-cut.
As much as she could understand from Commander Tieran's reaction, they were thoroughly fucked.
And not just them. The whole galaxy was going to be in danger very soon.
On top of that, her mind seemed to be fixed on trying to mess her up even more. Thoughts like not fair and why now were as useless as curling into a ball and crying in some corner.
Audrey refused to let herself be taken down by those. She hadn’t given up the last time things seemed hopeless and she wasn’t about to do it now either.
Her body was being unhelpful.
The fact that the paladin was the most gorgeous man she'd ever seen was definitely not aiding anyone. She kept sneaking glances at him. She had never drooled over hunks before, most assuredly not right in front of them, but Tieran was something else. He
"So what went wrong?"
Tieran was silent for a moment. Now that he was putting things together in his head, the answer seemed obvious from the start.
"The Jorcossi must have had help," he said. “Someone guided them here. It’s possible that they’ve been waiting on all the worlds where we’re searching for the lifestone. Perhaps they simply got… lucky.”
The thought was entirely distasteful and Tieran knew there was no such thing as luck when it came to tactics. Someone in the ranks of the Palians must have been feeding information out on what was going on during the search for the lifestone. The thought of having a traitor like that in the midst of his own race…
Tieran exhaled sharply. He couldn't say anything more as Pelar ran into the room. She seemed momentarily caught off guard by seeing both of her superiors in one place, but then the words came pouring out of her mouth.
"Commander, the stone is gone," she said.
By his side, Audrey sat up so quickly she groaned. As for himself, Tieran pushed down every emotion that announcement brought forth in him. Rage, disappointment, disbelief. None of them had a place inside him right then. All that mattered was moving forward.
"How?" he demanded. "When?"
Pelar was a good assistant. She knew he didn't like dancing around any topic.
"The host never left the mines," she said quickly. "You left the fallen, since they weren't as urgent as the living, but it only played dead. Aznim, he... he was very badly wounded, but the Jorcossi apparently kept him alive until you were gone. Then it grew, split and... you can imagine the rest, commander.
“He broke out. The station was in lockdown, everyone in their rooms, so no one even saw the Jorcossi come out of the mines until a ship took off. It was outside, but the Jorcossi took one of the roamers from the equipment bays and made it on. We checked the vids. The Evela couldn't catch it in time. It happened only minutes ago, but we have no idea where it went."
The day that had started so well had now officially become disastrous.
"I do," Tieran said.
Both the women stared at him.
"To the Fearless," he said, watching their faces drop, knowing that they would react just this way.
Anyone would.
It was the only logical choice. The Fearless would not let its presence be known around the region if it wasn’t expecting something. And now they knew what it was.
Pelar gasped audibly.
Audrey looked ready to bombard him with questions, but there was a much bigger problem and she focused on that. Just the mention of the monster of the depths of the galaxy chilled her to the bone. Tieran saw her shudder.
The curious urge to grab her and hold her until that feeling went away was almost impossible to ignore.
"A Fearless," she repeated. "If the stone does what you think it does... if he holds it..."
"I don't think he's going to hold it," Tieran said and his voice was so morbid the women winced. "I think he's going to swallow it and become a nightmare this galaxy has never seen. And once he's got the taste–"
"He'll be coming for more," Audrey finished.
5
Audrey
A udrey was no tactician , but the situation seemed to be pretty clear-cut.
As much as she could understand from Commander Tieran's reaction, they were thoroughly fucked.
And not just them. The whole galaxy was going to be in danger very soon.
On top of that, her mind seemed to be fixed on trying to mess her up even more. Thoughts like not fair and why now were as useless as curling into a ball and crying in some corner.
Audrey refused to let herself be taken down by those. She hadn’t given up the last time things seemed hopeless and she wasn’t about to do it now either.
Her body was being unhelpful.
The fact that the paladin was the most gorgeous man she'd ever seen was definitely not aiding anyone. She kept sneaking glances at him. She had never drooled over hunks before, most assuredly not right in front of them, but Tieran was something else. He
Similar Books
