Page 41 of Fire Forged

The display vid went black.

“This is not promising.”Aldur held the blaster to his chest.

That was an understatement.What could Nerx do?To deny them access could start a war with an unknown species and their untested capabilities.But to allow them entry might endanger Britta and Lily.

He rubbed a hand across his face.“Send the hatch co-ordinates, Edon.”

“Wise.A narrow entry point and far from the engine room.”Aldur nudged his head at the common.“I will wait in medical.”

A speck shot out of a lit slit, aiming for the scimitar’s port side.

“If we run, where to?”Nerx gripped the back of Edon’s comfy.

“An asteroid belt is not too far.We might lose them there.A battleship cannot navigate through it.”

“Unless they launch fighter craft.”Pain pulsed up Nerx’s neck to throb behind his eye.“No nearby planet?”

“The gas giant Aberdus is close enough.Though flying into its volatile atmosphere may not be wise.”

“All right.First chance we get, bolt for the asteroid belt.Perhaps we will be out of range of their comm dampener and can call for aid.”He stepped into the passage.“Seal yourself inside the comm room.And activate all sec vids.If the ship survives and we do not, then whoever finds it will know why.”

Striding to the common felt like a sentencing, with a waiting Adviser Kanzo sharpening his sword to slice off a foot of Nerx’s hair.His boots thumped when his approach should have been silent.Not knowing what to expect cinched his chest tight.He couldn’t plan, couldn’t anticipate, which meant dealing with this blindsided.They didn’t train for this, and should he survive, he’d suggest a change to the curriculum on Gikaet.

Facing the external hatch in the common, he spread his legs, clasped his hands behind his back, and waited.His hearing prickled, picking up every sound: the steady hum of the engines, the movement of air along the ducting, and Aldur’s faint inhalations.The clunk from the outside of the scimitar boomed in his ears.He didn’t flinch.

The hatch slid open to the bright white interior of a shuttle of some sort.Soft benches lined each side; the smooth surface of the floor and the padded bulkhead said luxury.Still, four blue-suited individuals filed into the common to circle him.Their features were hidden behind tinted helmets, elongated in the back to connect to a pack at the base of what he would imagine was their spines.Two legs and two arms made their physiology seem similar to Etterians.They were almost as tall, yet far too slender.

He said nothing, hoping to appear unbothered by their intrusion.

“This is what they fear,” a cloaked male strode into the common and spun to grimace at the interior.“Way too primitive for my tastes.”

“Welcome,” Nerx gritted out, then frowned at the fruity fragrance tickling his nose.

“Supreme Commander, is it not?”Purple armor accentuated a body hardened by war or the preparation of it.Yet his face was too…soft, as if he had yet to reach malehood.That they sent their youngins into battle said much about their mindset.“Primary Shioll, though my name should be of no consequence to one such as you.”

“How may I assist, Primary Shioll?”Nerx asked, forcing his shoulders to relax.

“I have been tasked to ‘introduce’ your people to mine.”The smile he offered Nerx curled with enough venom to confirm his instincts had been correct.

He glanced at the warriors, their odd-shaped blasters no doubt lethal.Dipping his head in a bow, he said, “I am Etterian and, on behalf of the Global Council, welcome you to our universe.”

“Youruniverse?”Again, derision drenched Shioll’s almost-lyrical voice.

“Well, we do share it with many species and cultures.You will find we are quite diverse and at peace, for the most part.”

Shioll’s laugh sounded like sucking noises instead of huffs.“Peace we despise for it does not force change, Supreme Commander.”

“True, but to constantly battle cannot build the might of an empire.”Nerx relaxed his arms by his sides, close enough to reach for his blaster.“War needs warriors, does it not?”

Shioll jerked back.“You stillbirthyour young?”

Nerx clenched his fists, the only outward sign of his irritation.This male had yet to attend to his imperial task, and the sooner he did so, the quicker he could leave the scimitar.“And you are?”

“Viqrian.”Shioll clasped his left forearm, below the elbow, then released it in some sort of salute.“On behalf of Regent Kaara, the ruler of theBronvol, we demand you submit to our superiority and give us your planet.”

As he struggled to focus, anger burned Nerx’s nostrils.He choked down the retort curling his tongue.“I am a supreme commander,” he managed.“You will need to address your demands with my king.”

“I see, then escort us to your king.”

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