Page 25 of Warrior
“Aljani 7-3 to base."
Fuck, this wasn’t good.
"Base, go ahead, Aljani 7-3." The words were garbled, the acid in the atmosphere not conducive to any type of communication, even one as short range as this.
“We’ve located and captured the pilot of the skiff.” I heard a deep swallow and realized the guards must have removed their masks. "He appears to be Vaktaire."
Deep crackly silence reigned for a few minutes. I could imagine the shock and worry reverberating through the base.
“Secure the prisoner and return to base.”
“We’re going to be heroes.” Bored’s voice held excitement.
"Don't get ahead of yourselves," Cocky grunted as I heard him move about. “This is a four-man skiff. He might not be the only one here."
Cocky had some brains, after all.
He stepped closer, releasing the latch of my air mask and lifting it from my face. Seconds later, a splash of cold water hit my skin.
Time to wake up.
Blinking, I behaved sluggishly. Ugh, this was ridiculous. I should just kill them and be done.
Bored was as I imagined: a stout older man with a deep set wrinkles across his forehead. Cocky appeared a few years younger, his pale hair styled in a myriad of braids coiled atop his head. Dumbass was young—really young—he barely looked out of the youngling stage.
“Are you alone?” Cocky bent to peer into my face.
Trying to act like I still recovered from the effects of being shocked, I winced before speaking. "Yes. I am alone."
“Why are you on this moon?” It was Bored’s turn to act tough.
I gave another fake wince and shook my head slowly for effect. I'd formulated this excuse before landing on Giezo, just in case. "I was a prisoner in the mines after the Vaktaire-Romvesian skirmish. There was always talk of precious gems on Giezo."
The three exchanged glances, but I saw no indication they disbelieved my tale.
Ego.
To believe I knew of the mumje would be to consider themselves less than the superior species Aljani thought themselves.
“What did you find in the mines?”
I considered saying I had yet to find the access panel, but there was no telling how long since the Aljani found my skiff. The tunnel system was massive. It was believable I'd spent some time in the depths without encountering Daisy or the younglings.
"Nothing. I found the access panel, but all the rock I saw was too porous to hold gems."
The guards exchanged looks, again buying my story. Bored showed the biggest ego, a wry twist to his lips, and he bent over to glare at me. "No, it holds something much more precious.”
“You need to be quiet!” Dumbass wasn’t such a dumbass after all, although the way Cocky glared at him, he didn’t appear to be of that opinion.
"Like this bastard will ever see the light of day again," Cocky grunted, then added with a wicked gleam. "We should use him as a test subject for the stuff we pulled from the mines."
"Mining for drug compounds is illegal," I said to a chorus of smirks. "Duke Ako is a respected member of the Alliance. I can't believe he is involved in non-sanctioned mining."
“Duke Ako is weak,” Cocky’s smirk deepened. “Our allegiance is to the worthwhile leader of the Aljani—Nansar.”
Shock widened my eyes. Nansar was Duke Ako's eldest child—a product of Ako's dalliance with a human concubine. By all accounts, Nansar took after his mother in temperament. The Vaktaire considered him an ally in our resolve to protect the Earth. It was said that his hand more than once kept Duke Ako’s fetishes from spinning out of control.
“Now we have to kill him. “Dumbass appeared dejected by the idea. I might be starting to like this male.
