"Who is your commander?" one of the Kolnari barked.
"Captain Hobsbrowm, Sir!" Joat snapped out.
"Report! What is the meaning of this?"
"Sir!" Joat said. Facing the Kolnari, she sketched a salute. "Yoered Family fighters have infiltrated the perimeter. Communications are down. There are indications that the Family people are affected by the jamming also."
There was the briefest pause, as though the Kolnari within the huge battle armor was taken by surprise.
"Very well," she said. "Report to your squad leader. Get another ship and join us outside."
"Yes sir!" Joat and her companions saluted and trotted off. After a moment they cut right behind the body of a fighter and out of sight of the Kolnari and her friends.
They paused a moment to look around and Joat saw a cluster of black-suited figures emerging from an elevator.
"There," she said and pointed. The others followed her and they slid in just as the doors were closing.
Bros leaned against the wall, gasping for breath. His face was pale and slick with sweat. Joat thought he looked ready to pass out. He opened his eyes and met hers. Then he straightened up a bit.
"I'm all right," he panted.
"Where are we going?" Joseph demanded of her.
"B corridor."
"Kolnari territory?' he asked in disbelief. "Surely you are joking?"
"Jeez! You really think my sense of humor is getting the better of me today, don't you?"
Bros grinned. "The Brig," he said. "Last place they'll look for us."
"We couldn't all fit into Kraig's locker," she muttered. The elevator doors opened onto B corridor and a scene of organized chaos. "And we couldn't very well slip into that repair tunnel without being seen, now could we? I figure the Brig's our best shot." She glanced at Joseph. "Suggestions are welcome."
"Speak with authority and behave as though we belong," he said.
"Don't I always?" she asked and lead the way.
They rounded a corner and blundered into a squad of Kolnari.
"YOU!" bellowed their leader. "What are you scumvermin doing here?"
"Sir!" Joat saluted. "We are to report to Captain Hobsbrowm. Sir!" All she could see in his black faceplate was her own reflection, looking determined. Thank the powers-that-be for Captain Hobsbrowm, her mind babbled. I wonder if Hobsbrowm's a he or a she? How long can I keep referring to him/her without using a personal pronoun?
"Hobsbrowm is not here," the Kolnari sneered. "You will fall in with us."
"With all due respect, Sir. I am under orders," Joat said.
"What is wrong with that man?" the Kolnari demanded unexpectedly, pointing at Bros.
"He's still getting used to the heavier gravity," Joat said. "He's a light-worlder."
"Phah! Weakling." He said it almost indifferently, as though thinking of something else.
He's wondering if he dares to interfere in the kind of "orders" that would allow me to defy him, Joat thought. Make up your mind, creep!
"Hobsbrowm does not need three of you. I will take this one." He pointed at Joseph. "Fall in!" he bellowed.
His face a blank, Joseph did so.
"What is your name, Sir?" Joat asked. "So that I can tell the Captain where this man is."
The Kolnari went very still. The way they did when they thought they might have made a mistake, but weren't certain yet what it might be.
"Skarik na Marid, petite-noble, commander of a section, is my name," he growled. "And I tremble at the thought of displeasing your captain. What is your name, scumvermin?"
"Rendino du Pare," Joat said crisply and rattled off Kraig's ID number. It's not like he can check it out, she thought nervously. It just has to sound right.
"On your way, scumvermin, before I change my mind."
Then the Kolnar barked an order and his squad marched off, Joseph bringing up the rear. Joat watched them out of sight. Joseph never looked back.
Silken jammed her fist into her mouth as though she would ram her scream back down her throat. She bit down until she broke the skin, and blood, hot and salty spurted onto her tongue. She flailed out with one hand, as though to clutch Belazir's green robe; only to have it whisk through thin air.
Nomik Ciety screamed. A hoarse bubbling scream like she'd never heard before. He was balanced on the crown of his head and his heels, his back arched in a great bow, arms held stiffly at his sides with his fingers clawing the air. Nomik's eyes were wild with disbelief and foam dribbled from his mouth.
Belazir watched with satisfaction, his heavy arms folded across his chest and his expression one of sensual enjoyment. Pleased that the drug was working as it should this time.
The med-tech stood by the hatch looking almost as aghast as Silken. The two Kolnari guards watched with academic interest.
"Please, Master and God," Silken begged, blood running down her chin, "make it stop, please! Whatever you want, we will do, I swear. Only make it stop!" She collapsed in incoherent sobs across the holo of Belazir's feet.
He looked down at her in mild interest.
"You are not as strong as I thought you would be," he remarked. "But I am generous to women, I will instruct you in the causes of my displeasure." He frowned slightly; it was difficult to make himself heard over Ciety's screaming.
"First," he said, raising his voice slightly. "You sent to me the daughter of our worst enemy to perform an important task for us. I cannot help but feel insulted by your lack of sensitivity." He sighed in exasperation as Nomik's screams reached new heights. "Kick him onto his face," he instructed the guards. "Perhaps it will stifle some of his noise."
He turned back to the wide-eyed Silken, who had her hands pressed against her mouth, as though that would somehow help to silence Nomik's cries.
"Where was I? Ah, yes. Second, as part of this woman's crew, what do I find? I find Bros Sperin! One of Central Worlds' most notable covert operatives." He spread his hands, raising his brows.
"What am I to make of this? One thing was bad enough-sending me the girl when I could not torture her to death without wrecking my greater scheme-but the other…? It is intolerable. So… you are fools or you are enemies. Either way you must be punished. Surely you understand this? Incompetence and insults must always be addressed."
Nomik's body collapsed and he lay panting, whining slightly.
"Ah. It is over." He turned to Silken and said reassuringly, "There are supposed to be no permanent effects."
"You bastard," Nomik gasped, "you bastard."
Belazir compressed his lips.
"Of course," he drawled, "sometimes, with some individuals, a lesson must be repeated a number of times before its meaning is comprehended." He raised his hand to signal the med-tech.
Suddenly another Kolnari appeared beside Belazir.
"Great Lord!" he said excitedly.
Belazir backhanded him, knocking the man to his knees. His yellow eyes blazed.
"How dare you enter here? What is the meaning of this intrusion?"
"I abase myself before you Great Lord," a one word expression in Kolnari. The soldier bowed his head and placed both fists on the floor where he knelt. "Communications are down," he said urgently. "The fleet is under attack by Yoered Family fighters."
"What?"
"They've come because of us, you fool," Nomik lay on his side, glaring at Belazir. "You can't kidnap someone from Rohan and not answer to the Family for it. They're going to kick your butt, asshole."
Everyone went still, Belazir drew a deep angry breath, his nostrils grew pale and pinched.
"Give her the antidote," he snarled at the medtech, "give him the disease. Then report to your stations." Then he disappeared from the cell.