Page 50 of Game on Askole

Chapter Nine

The first thing I noticed when I entered Tanith’s solar system was the death satellites. Talk about overkill. There were literally thousands of them. Black, malevolent balls bristling with weapons. Kinda freaky NO TRESPASSING signs, but an effective deterrence. Anyone with a lick of common sense would avoid this system.

My question was: how had Lilkee and her wannabes gotten by the satellites without being blown to smithereens? Was there was a traitor in the Overlord’s ranks?

Speaking of the devil, the image of the Overlord popped on my view screen, and in an extremely menacing tone, he babbled something.

Gotta say, he had intimidation down to an art form. I pushed the Communications icon. “Hello?”

The Overlord’s response was to pull his sword, point it at the camera, and spout more nasty gibberish.

Like I had a freakin’ clue what any of it meant. I pressed the Communications icon again. “I’m from Earth and I don’t speak Coletti. Please don’t blow me up. I’m Sarah Jones, Kaylee’s cousin. You know Kaylee, the woman mated to your son, Talree? I just escaped from the Lilkee’s Legionnaires, and I’m supposed to land on Tanith.”

The Overlord vanished and was replaced by a grim-faced Coletti warrior in full battle gear. His harsh voice filled my head. “You are approaching Coletti territory. This is restricted space. Without the proper code, you will be destroyed.”

“Okay. Okay. Give me a second.”I hastily entered the password Tihar had given me and prayed they hadn’t changed it.

“You are cleared to proceed.”The screen went black.

“Wait. Where do I land this baby?”Silence was my only answer. I knew they were in battle status, but really. I hit the Communications icon. “Hello?”

A voice jabbered something.

“What part ofI don’t speak your languagedon’t you get?”

“Planetary air command will contact you. Stay off this frequency,”the warrior practically bellowed.

“Sorry, but I don’t know your protocols.”

“I suggest you learn them quickly.”He broke our psychic link.

What a dickhead. I threaded my way through the satellites. I’d make a run for Earth, but I didn’t know the coordinates, and I wasn’t sure how spaceworthy the Marauder was.

KeeKee’s legs twitched.“Are we there yet?”

“Almost.”

“Me hungry.”

“Me too. Let’s hope there are some chips and salsa left.”

“Want bug.”

“I’ll have Aunt Tess summon some sand flies for you.”

“’Kay.”

I watched Tanith grow larger and larger in the view screen. The bright orange glow was a legacy from General Tigres’s lethal Gall bombs. I zoomed in on the charred metal superstructures of a once-bustling city. Billions of people had died in a single night. For a moment, the wails of the dying filled my head and the need for vengeance churned in my gut. I knew I would protect Tanith and her people with my life.

What had made Lilkee and her sick-ass brother, Malik, decide to wipe out half of the Tanith’s population again? Bigotry, greed, the quest for power? Or all of the above?

A flicker of movement caught my attention. I focused the screens on what had been a heavily forested countryside. Something was running among the flash-burned trees. A shudder shook me. It was a pack of naugers chasing a smaller critter. Their bulbous bodies and long snakelike necks were hideous.

Tihar popped into my head with,“My father has been advised of your arrival. He needs to do another blood test.”

“Did you blow up the destroyer?”

“We did.”

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