Page 115 of The Edge of Dawn

Dragek nodded at Ashrael and moved forward, pulling himself across until he reached the opening.

He went inside. Tarak and Kail were already there, waiting patiently.

Ashrael soon joined them.

The Silent Ones quickly shed their atmospheric suits and tossed them through the open airlock, where they drifted lazily into the void of space. They didn’t want to leave any trace that might alert the ship’s crew to their presence.

The airlock closed.

The chamber repressurized.

They dropped to their feet soundlessly.

“We’ll go,” Tarak said through the comm. “Hang back until you hear us make noise.”

“Noise?” Dragek had no idea what the general meant.

Kail chuckled softly, surprising him. It hadn’t occurred to him that the stone-faced warrior might be capable of amusement, however dark.

A door on the other side of the airlock opened. Dragek caught a glimpse of an armor-gloved hand.

Tarak nodded at them, then disappeared, Kail close behind.

Noise? he asked Ashrael.

A diversion, as promised. Let’s prepare. Ashrael slipped the death-mask over his head, completely concealing his features. In an instant, he transformed from a real person into a faceless killer. Perhaps the garb made it easier to do what they did. They became faceless, invisible, the living embodiment of their infamous legacy.

Dragek followed suit, channeling the fury of his Mating-Fever into his ka’qui. He held it there, in the center of his chest, feeling the pressure build and build until he could barely tolerate it.

He thought of Jade.

What would she make of him right now?

She would understand, of course. That was what he admired about her. For a human, she’d adapted impressively quickly. She’d seen his past and understood.

How did she do that?

Sweet, selfless Jade.

He knew her. She would want him to do what was right.

Therefore, he was at peace with it all.

He just had to ensure that he returned to her. She would be furious if he didn’t.

The roar of plasma fire reached his ears.

Let’s go. Ashrael pulled himself into qim, disappearing into thin air. He was there, but he wasn’t, existing between two planes at once. His concealment was almost perfect. Dragek could only sense Ashrael because he knew he was there. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have known a thing.

He did the same, focusing his ka’qui, allowing it to ripple across the conductive saladin fibers of his suit. It was even easier than last time. Usually, he would be feeling the strain already, but now the qim stayed in place without much effort at all.

Impressive, Ashrael mused. I’ll do a circuit of the ship. You head straight for the bridge. Amun is likely to be there.

Agreed. Dragek had memorized a map of the Caelix III. He knew exactly where to go. Once he had Amun, he was to notify Tarak by comm.

It seemed easy enough. All he had to do was get close enough to put a blade to the bastard’s neck and give him the choice between life and death. Sure, this Kordolian had a modification—a cybernetic tail-like apparatus with a Callidum outer skin—but that’s where Dragek’s other dagger would come in handy.

They didn’t say anything about not immobilizing him.

---