Read Online Star Cruise: Marooned by Veronica Scott - Free Book Online Page A

trideos make piles of credits, but I have expenses to match. I was never invited to join the Freemarket Pact.”
    “Very few were,” said Trever, staring at Finchon lounging down the beach.
    The conversation having run its course, the remaining humans sat or laid in their enclosure. Red assessed the Shemdylann and made plans. As the food was served to the alien troops, strangely shaped containers of glowing red liquid were also handed out. Based on the way the Shemdylann were reacting as they guzzled the stuff, he guessed it was a feelgood. He didn’t know whether to hope Crxtahl could maintain control of the increasingly rowdy warriors or not.
    At least one mock combat ended in death or injury as the afternoon wore on, and the crowd yelled for more as the corpse was dragged to the side of the beach.
    He played tic tac toe in the sand with Callina until she dozed off from exhaustion and the effects of the sun beating directly on them. Their captors gave them no water or food.
    Somewhere in midafternoon, Red noticed a clump of the inebriated aliens gathered beside the rotting remains of the eel he’d killed. Was it just two days ago? The Shemdylann behaved in a highly agitated manner, gesturing for more of their comrades to join them. When the commander strolled to the edge of the water, there was a long conversation, punctuated by much gesticulation, including soldiers pointing at the cage. Adrenaline spiking to meet the challenge he was sure was coming, he got to his feet, urging a drowsy, confused Callina to stand behind him.
    Startled, the others gazed in every direction, trying to figure out what had set Red into motion.
    Suddenly, four Shemdylann came striding through the sand directly to the cage, talking excitedly in their own language. Red caught fragments, something about a rare delicacy in the lake and the need for bait.
    The guard barred their way. “Stand down,” said the officer in the lead, speaking Shemdylann. “We’ve permission to take one human as bait, for sport. Now, open the cage.”
    “Him,” said a soldier, neck frill opening and closing as he rocked unsteadily on his clawed feet. “The warrior.” He was pointing at Red. “He’ll last the longest.”
    “Fool, weren’t you listening? Ar-Taan-Crxtahl said anyone but him. He’ll fetch a good price.”
    Red tensed, pulling Callina to stand in front of him. He rested his hands casually on her shoulders for a moment before curling his fingers around her neck as she watched him.
    “Mr. Thomsill?”
    “Our captors are going to play some unpleasant, ultimately fatal games, and I won’t let it be with either you or me,” he whispered, barely moving his lips. A flicker of what he hoped was comprehension shone in her blue eyes for a moment before she looked at the sand. “If the soldiers pick either of us, we won’t be alive to see what happens next.”
    “Okay,” she said, swallowing hard. “You—you’ll make it quick, won’t you?”
    “No pain, I promise.” He waited. If the enemy intended to take her—or him—both would be dead in the next minute. Mercy killing and suicide were preferable to what the Shemdylann had in mind for whoever was chosen to “amuse” the crowd.
    She closed her eyes.
    “The older one then,” said the eager warrior, pointing at Harelly, closest to the door. “He’ll bring the least as a slave, no muscles or meat.”
    “Agreed.”
    Before Red could say or do anything, the energy door had dimmed for a moment and the hapless actor was plucked from the enclosure by the Shemdylann’s tentacles. The energy pulsed to renewed life at the entrance and all the aliens headed for the beach, dragging the human with them, poking and prodding him with the tips of their pincers.
    “Don’t look,” Red told Callina as he searched their cage fruitlessly for something to attempt disrupting the energy loop with. This was their chance, with the guard gone and the crowd distracted.
    He glanced over his shoulder as two