Page 76 of Clan and Command

Piras dipped a bow of his own, and Kila was satisfied that no grimace or any sign of pain accompanied the motion. As the Dramok took the proffered seat, he barked in his old, familiar way. “Status of our mission, Captain?”

Kila remained standing. “From all indications, our ruse worked. There has been no sign of pursuit, even before we changed course the first time. I believe we are in the clear.”

“We’ve changed course again, I understand. A third deviation was needed?”

Kila nodded. Of course Piras knew things before the captain told him. No doubt the wily codebreaker had been monitoring Kila’s programs from Medical. Kila felt his usual mocking smile deepen, impressed as always with this shrewd man. Yet he thought he might still have a surprise or two for Piras. “I spoke to Dramok Sitrel.”

Piras pulled a face, confirming that Kila’s scrambled and hidden coms were still out of his reach. “I imagine that was an interesting conversation. Are we out of the Basma’s good graces?”

“Far from it. While there is disappointment that he no longer has an informant within High Command, you still know enough of how they operate to be of use to the revolt.”

“Even without Maf discovering I’ve gotten access to the fleet’s daily operations. And he won’t find that out.”

“What you’ve done is enough to make him happy, especially the part that allowed Maf to get his hands on such a crucial piece of the border with Bi’is. It’s counted as a brutal blow against the Empire.”

Piras frowned, and his gaze lowered from Kila’s for a moment. The Nobek let him struggle with his guilt without judgment. It was something he could sympathize with, but in the end, it was Piras’s battle to fight.

When the mission succeeds, he’ll be all right. Except for him getting beat to hell, it’s going as well as could be hoped. We are going to make that bastard Maf pay for the blood that’s been spilled.

Piras sat up straight and put on his grouchy admiral look. “Did Sitrel say anything else? Like where we are to go next? I hope it’s not some bullshit assignment. The sooner I can get to Maf, the better.”

Kila grinned. “Bullshit assignment? For you, the Basma’s newest shining star? Oh, hell no. Maf is putting you in charge of getting control over the Haven and Rokan colonies. He still wants them and believes you’re the man to win them for him.”

Piras’s scowl disappeared. He looked at Kila with undisguised shock. “In charge?”

“Congratulations. We’re on our way to join up with that part of Maf’s fleet. You get to command our fellow Kalquorians and direct the Earthers who have sided with the Basma. Including the Holy Leader, Browning Copeland.”

Piras stared at him openmouthed. It was a ludicrous expression for the man some considered the terror of the fleet, but Kila could appreciate the admiral’s astonishment. He himself had made Sitrel repeat the assignment when they’d spoken. Twice.

Piras’s composure didn’t return for a full two seconds. When it did, his eyes lit with excitement to match Kila’s. “Ancestors. If we can get to both Maf and Copeland, bring them down—”

Kila laughed. “It would be a hell of a turn, wouldn’t it? We can put to rest all the crimes they’ve committed against Earth and Kalquor in one fell swoop.” He sobered as he added the inevitable letdown. “That’s assuming Maf is with that group though. I’m pretty sure Sitrel is there, but that’s no guarantee his master is too.”

Piras waved off the concern. “You know, it may not matter much if Maf is in that location. As much as I’d love to be the one to blast his poisonous head off, he doesn’t have to be present to cripple his fleet.”

“What do you mean?”

Piras jumped up and started pacing the floor, the way he always did when he was thinking hard and fast. “We’ll have under our control the Earther ships that have swung the war in the Basma’s favor. We’ll be close to the man considered his right hand, Dramok Sitrel. We’ll be close to Copeland, the second head of this traitorous serpent deviling the Empire.” He stopped and grinned at Kila, an echo of the Nobek’s smug leer. “Best of all, we’ll be able to get access to their communications net. Their codes. Everything that’s the highest priority. If Maf himself isn’t there, he’ll want to stay in contact with those two bastards. That will open doors for me.”

Kila caught his excitement. “Your ability to break codes and get past security protocols…hell, Admiral. You might find a way into everything. The Basma’s fleet and troops wouldn’t be able to make a move without you getting hold of it beforehand.”

“It will take time,” Piras said, pacing again. “I’ll need to immerse myself in the situation. See where the weaknesses are. We’ll still have to play the traitors and fight for Maf for a period of time. But once I’m in…oh, how I’m going to fuck those assholes over.”

As he watched Piras light with a fire Kila hadn’t seen since the war with Earth, energy coursed through the captain. This was the Dramok he’d fallen so hard for. The man who enthralled him as no other. The man he’d die a thousand deaths to be led by in Kalquor’s civil war.

Chuckling at all the opportunity before them, he told Piras, “This is far better medicine than anything Medical did for you, isn’t it?”

Piras nodded. “If we can put a stop to Maf and Copeland, it will be worth each and every drop of blood I sacrificed on Laro. My conscience will not be as wounded as my body was.” He looked at Kila, a startled look chasing the intentness from his eyes. “I did thank you and Lokmi for getting me out of headquarters, didn’t I?”

“Maybe. With all the excitement we were having at the time, I can’t quite remember.” Kila shrugged. With his pulse thundering in his ears and eagerness filling his veins, his thoughts abruptly switched from the commanding Dramok he’d follow into hell to the other, equally rousing second persona that possessed the man in front of him. “I think perhaps a more substantial expression of your gratitude is in order…Piras.”

He spoke his name in a demanding rumble. Kila gave his lover a hot, searching gaze, blatantly sizing him up. Letting him know he liked what he saw.

In an instant, Piras’s aggressive demeanor softened into a yielding expression. Another surge of exhilaration tumbled through Kila as the Dramok’s head dropped, forcing Piras to look up at him subserviently.

He whispered, “Yes, Nobek.”

Just like that, power was handed over. Kila shivered with anticipation.

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