Page 24 of Brute's Mate

“I’m more afraid for Ellie than I am for us,” she admits. “I hope she’s just as safe in her quarters as we are in ours. The shuttles that left theJansonnacan hold a good number of people. Hundreds, even. And they boarded theHaxxal. They flew straight into the docking bay of the lead ship in the Darrvason’s mighty fleet. How? How did they get past the shields?”

“I don’t know,” I say, having already wondered the same myself. “Somehow, they managed to disable the shields. It appears they also figured out how to knock us out of the hyperdrive bubble. Do you think the people who boarded theHaxxalare rebels? Or do you think they’re under Captain Warren’s command? Security officers, perhaps?”

“Has to be rebels,” Mom says after a moment. “Captain Warren wouldn’t be so foolish. Don’t get me wrong, I despise him with every fiber of my being, and I blame him for what happened to your father—he should’ve researched the outpost where your father caught that deadly alien virus before we docked for trade—but I don’t think he’s dumb enough to defy the Darrvasons. He’s always wanted to be known as the savior of humankind, the last captain theJansonnaknew before we reached a habitable planet.”

I open my mouth to reply, but a static noise suddenly comes from the info screen. It flashes blue and a second later, Officer Brute appears on screen. To my utter shock, a trembling Captain Warren is standing next to him. Brute grabs the captain by the scruff of his neck, and both males peer into the camera.

“Attention citizens of theJansonna,” Captain Warren says in a shaky voice. “Several minutes ago, a group of rebels launched an unprovoked attack on the Darrvason Empire. The attack has been thwarted and all the rebels who boarded theHaxxalare now dead. All two hundred of them. To demonstrate my horror over this most egregious attack, I have surrendered control of theJansonnato Security Officer Brute. Please do not be alarmed. This is a temporary measure to ensure the peaceful continuation of the Darrvason-human alliance.”

Brute draws in a deep breath and stands taller. “Effective immediately, there is a shelter-in-place order. If you are in the corridors, return to your quarters, a recreation room, or a mess hall—whichever location is nearest to you. Please rest assured that no human females aboard theHaxxalwere harmed in any way during the attack. More information will be forthcoming as we investigate the rebel threat to the Darrvason Empire.”

The screen goes blank, and I say a quick prayer of thanks for Ellie’s safety. I’m grateful Brute thought to include that bit of information, and I can’t help but wonder if he did it on my account. Surely he must’ve known how worried I would be for Ellie. I make a note to thank him at the next opportunity.

Mom and I exchange a look. “Two hundred humans died on theHaxxaltoday. Rebels. I wonder who they were. I wonder if we know any of them.”

I think of my friends and acquaintances from Leona’s Speakeasy and my heart breaks.Please no. Please don’t let it be anyone I know.

Chapter12

BRUTE

The brigof the human worldship is packed with the surviving members of The Saviors. While two hundred members of the rebel group were slaughtered aboard theHaxxal, seventy members had stayed behind on theJansonnato help coordinate the attack. I’d gladly helped the worldship’s security officers round them up.

Thankfully, the surveillance devices I’d planted around the vessel had proven useful, catching video footage of five men who’d helped the two hundred males board the shuttles. After capturing those five men, convincing them to reveal the names of other accomplices hadn’t been difficult. A little torture, a little pain, and one of The Savior’s cowardly males finally revealed the existence of a membership list.

I push the small male I’d just finished questioning back into the holding area—the very male who’d taken over theJansonna’ssystems long enough to fire on theHaxxal—then step back and lock the door. I type a quick message to Admiral Tornn on my wrist comm, letting him know the remaining members of The Saviors are now incarcerated.

My gaze sweeps over the prisoners. Among the group of seventy, there are ten females, and half of them are of child-bearing age. The sight of them behind bars disturbs me, though I’m not sure why.

Perhaps it’s because I know Jenny could easily be among them if she got caught singing one of her rebellious songs in the illegal bar, and the idea of her being imprisoned fills me with rage.

A growl builds in my chest. I cannot abide the prospect of any harm coming to her.

I resolve that I will continue to monitor her whereabouts on the worldship, and I will try to escort her through the corridors as much as possible. Even though the security officer who usually escorts Jenny and Margo to and from Deck Fourteen is not affiliated with any rebel groups—I’ve completed a thorough background check on the male—I would still feel better if I’m nearby while Jenny’s outside the safety of her quarters. If anything went wrong, I could protect her better than any human male.

At least the shelter-in-place order will remain in effect for the next two days. My future mate won’t be allowed to leave her quarters. I know she’s there now, safe with her mother. Chief Xorrsa is still standing watch outside their quarters, and he won’t leave until I relieve him.

I depart the brig and head for Captain Warren’s command room, where I find the repugnant male in a tense meeting with his command team. Silence falls as I let myself into the room.

“Have the remaining members of The Saviors been found?” Captain Warren asks. He’s sweating profusely, and I think it might be because he hasn’t had a drop of alcohol in a while.

I nod. “Sixty males and ten females. They are all in the brig.”

“Their trials will begin next week,” the captain says with a sneer, “and I have no doubt they will all be sentenced to death.”

“The ten females will be exempt from a death sentence,” I reply in an authoritative tone as I again think of Jenny. “Five of them are young women of child-bearing age, and those five can be included in the group of one hundred you’ll owe my people after our engineers finish repairs on the worldship. As for the other five, the older women…” My voice trails off as I try to think of a good use for the females. “You will hand those women over to my people as well, though they will be extras you give us free of charge.”

“Extras? Free of charge?” Commander Hampton, the first mate, scoffs and shakes his head. “We aren’t giving you any women for free! Besides, what use would you have for older women who can no longer bear children?” His eyes glitter with malice.

“What my people do with the older females is none of your concern,” I reply coldly. I walk closer to the first mate and tower over the male until he pales and retreats two steps. A low growl rumbles from my throat. “The ten females will remain in the brig until the next batch of human women is handed over to my people. They will not face trial and they will be treated well—their rations will not be reduced, and they will receive medical care as needed. If I learn any of them have been mistreated, Commander Hampton, I will hold you personally responsible. Do you understand?”

He pales further. “Yes, I understand.” He swallows hard and gives a slight nod.

“Good.” I sink down on a chair near the viewscreen and make a sweeping gesture with my hand. “You may continue your meeting.”

Captain Warren speaks first, making a snide comment about how we’ll probably force the older females to cook and clean for us, or perhaps we’re so perverse that we’ll use them for pleasure after we grow tired of the younger females we’ve claimed as mates. He speaks in English, of course, still oblivious to the fact that I’m fluent in the human tongue.

“Perhaps these ten rebel women will slit their alien husbands’ throats as they sleep,” Commander Hampton says, and several of the men chuckle. “That would serve those fuckers right.”

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