Caeryssa's quest for relaxation spirals into chaos, entwining her destiny with the infuriating playboy prince whose smile conceals a dark vendetta that will shatter any possibility of their soulmate connection.
***
On Oenone, where lush forests meet...
"Any issue?" Zaen murmured as he approached his bodyguard.
"Someone recalled the royal guardsmen unit, then tried to pull the atmo from the hangar. If you hadn't had me put men on the other side of the airlock, we'd be sucking vacuum," Dhevun growled.
"They also tried to plant an explosive on the Nemesis but Mira raised the shields and locked them out," Zaen told him as they walked towards the airlock. His damned father wasn't wasting any time, the fucker. The hatch of the Basilisk thunked closed behind them. Zaen's personal security team fell in around them and they re-entered the station.
None of the royal guardsmen, including Commander Rennick, were guarding the ship or airlock. Only Zaen's men remained, and tension climbed Zaen's spine. After activating the console, Zaen's fingers flew over the controls. He released the docking clamps, reinitialized the vacuum, and unsealed the hangar, opening it to space.
It was only once the Basilisk had flown out of the hangar and they were returning to the Nemesis that a sweating Commander Rennick intercepted Zaen with a squad of six guardsmen quick-marching behind him. Zaen braced—were they coming to attack?—but then frowned at the perspiration soaking their red and gold uniforms and lack of weapons in any of their hands. Instead, the pulse rifles were slung at their sides.
"Sarru, I apologize," Rennick said, breathlessly. "I was called away to deal with a problem on the other side of the platform that was resolved by the time I got there. Is there anything I can assist you with? You've released the ship?"
"It's not the one we're looking for," Zaen snarled with a dismissive wave. He pinned the man with a glare. "I want any Viper class cargo haulers impounded for my inspection. I'm hunting an assassin, Commander, and I had better be notified immediately of any starships meeting those specifications. Is that understood?"
"Very well. Dismissed," Zaen ordered and left the man to catch his breath. Dhevun led the way back to the Nemesis, avoiding the busiest halls. After the second detour from the route they'd used earlier, Zaen asked, "Are you taking us on a roundabout route back to the ship?"
"Yes. They've already tried twice in the two hours we've been aboard the platform. I'm not giving them a chance to ambush us. It's bad enough they know our destination is the ship," Dhevun grumbled.
A brilliant laser pulse streamed through the next intersection, hitting the scout Dhevun had sent ahead in the head, killing him as it bored through the man's eye and into his skull. An unlucky shot as anything else wouldn't have taken down the heavy-worlder.
"Contact," Dhevun snarled and shoved Zaen and Caeryssa behind him.
Zaen wrapped an arm around Caeryssa as his silver-blue dragonscale encased his body. No way was he losing her. He drew his hand laser from his left boot, putting his body between the shots and Caeryssa.
"Keep that peashooter for a last resort," Dhevun said, after glancing at the weapon. He had a PR-26 Widowmaker in his large hands and the massive pulse rifle would take down not just their opponents, but doors as well. A dangerous weapon on an orbital platform.
Streaks of weapons fire lit the hall and scorched holes in walls, ceilings, and floors. Smoke and the stench of burned paint filled the space. The security team advanced, killing the men dressed in royal guardsmen uniforms with laser blasts and hand-to-hand blade combat—a losing proposition against the massive heavy-worlders protecting the prince. Were they actual assassins? Or had his father ordered guardsmen to kill him? None were from Commander Rennick's Military Intelligence squad.
After what seemed like an hour, but was certainly only minutes, they gained access to the royal hangar airlock where the Nemesis was docked.
"Head in. We're going to hold the door until you are inside the ship so no one can space us in between," Dhevun said, jerking his head at the open airlock.
Zaen ran, keeping Caeryssa protected until his feet hit the cargo ramp. Mira had opened the ship as they approached. "Dhevun, move your ass," he shouted as he continued up the ramp.
No alarms had sounded at the weapons fire. Nor had any additional planetary guardsmen responded to the battle. If Zaen needed confirmation that his father was involved, he had it. Only the highest authority could stand down the automatic sensors or tell the military not to respond to a battle on their own orbital platform. Someone had to have seen it on their security screens.
"I could have run. You didn't have to carry me," Caeryssa said when Zaen finally released her in the hall on the way to the bridge.
"Probably, but this way I was sure. You do have short, little legs, pixie," he teased.
She snorted but kept up with his rapid pace.
"Mira, is the security team aboard?" Zaen asked when he sat in the command chair, blowing out a breath. Caeryssa took the same seat as before, leaning forward.
"Yes, Captain. Dhevun is being taken down to medbay, and I closed the cargo hatch."
Caeryssa gasped and spun, eyes wide. Damn it. How badly was Dhevun injured? Karzen's warnings echoed in his mind, and they didn't dare delay. They had to get out now.
"Disengage docking clamps, raise shields, and open hangar doors," Zaen instructed.
The ship lifted as the clamps released and slowly, space appeared between the hanger doors as they slid back, then stopped partway open.
"Captain, someone is attempting to close the hangar doors. I'm reconfiguring," Mira said in an unruffled tone as if this wasn't a problem.
"If you can't get them open, blow them open," Zaen ordered, fists tightening on the chair's arms. No way was he allowing his father to trap them here.
The doors started moving again, the gap widening.
"As soon as there is enough room, get us out of here. Dragon's Eye Nebula, Mira."
Caeyrssa squeaked as the ship shot forward, tilting sideways to slip through the still-opening hangar doors.
