Page 25 of Touch the Stars
Royalty.
The grand emperor.
His mission.
Heir…
Kaitlyn.
A small bubble of joy grew in his chest.The little human female with the big attitude had touched a part of him no one else had.His heart.She amused him, challenged him…
And she had shot him with his own cursed blanker.
A growl rumbled up from the depths of his being.How had she managed to take it from him?And why?
To rescue her sister, of course.
He moved his head to the right.The common room.She must have dragged him here from the command center.How much time had passed, and where was she now?Was she even on board anymore, or had she absconded via one of the escape pods?They were programmed to go to the nearest habitable planet, which was still Earth at the time she had shot him.
No, Kaitlyn was too pragmatic to launch herself into space with only the limited resources of a pod.The cruiser would be the more preferrable option.She must still be aboard, and he would find her.Just as soon as he regained control of his body.
Focus, Warrior.
He bunched his torso muscles, then rolled onto his right side.Success.Except, his left arm had not followed through.It hung like a dead weight against the small of his back.He rocked back and forth to create momentum, then flung his left shoulder forward.The force was enough to bring his arm over his side.
It was years since the last time he had taken a hit from a blanker.As much as he longed to curse her name, he would not.The only one to blame for his situation was himself.
A few minutes later, he was able to touch each finger to his thumbs, curl his toes inside his boots, and lift each leg a few centimeters off the floor.It was less than he should be able to do, yet at least feeling was returning to his limbs.His face too.He rubbed his mouth against his arm to wipe away the drool creeping down toward his chin.
A scream of terror and agony ripped through the quiet of the common room.
Kaitlyn.
So she was still aboard the ship, and close by.Most likely in the command center.Nowhere else made sense.But what would cause her so much pain?He struggled to pull his arms and legs under him, then pushed up onto all fours.
Another scream—the agonized sound of a soul being ripped from its body.It tore through his heart.He launched himself forward and staggered toward the common room’s doorway, then stepped through into the corridor.He moved forward, careening off the bulkheads until he reached the command center’s door.
“Neltai.”Even though he slurred the word, the wall wavered.
He stepped through into…what?His mind grappled to assess the horrific scene in front of him.Kaitlyn, curled on the floor next to the command chair, her hands over her ears.The grand emperor’s hologram transmission, bellowing thetyucillaat her.Why would the great one use a weapon of war on her?Was he trying to kill his own heir?
Another tortured scream came from Kaitlyn.If he did not intercede now, her brain would burst soon, with enough force to shatter her skull.
He gripped the back of the command chair.“My liege!”
The emperor jerked and snapped his mouth closed.“Warrior Baatar…you live?”
“I do.”Why would he think otherwise?
“You missed your scheduled transmission with me.”The censure in the imperial words was clear.
Had he been unconscious for so long?No wonder his legs still felt like water.Kaitlyn must have had the blanker’s setting at maximum.Best not to mention any of what had transpired to the great one.The penalty for her actions would be too high, and unfair for one acting on instinct without knowledge of the law.
He swiped his tongue over his lips.“You…attacked your heir.”
“I was under the erroneous impression that she had killed you, my warrior.”The emperor stood straighter and raised his chin, as if challenging any unspoken objections.“Murder made her unworthy to be the heir.”
That was, of course, true.Yet, to make such a judgment without evaluating the facts?“I do not understand your reasoning, Great One.”
