Page 23 of Grulen

“I’m not sure I can walk.”

“Hold on to me,” said Tolvex as he picked her up.“Jevax, check the remainder of the path to ensure there aren’t any more traps.”

“If I find anything, I will notify you.”Grulen appreciated the task to ensure the females’ safety.He heard the others depart for the med bay.It doesn’t make sense to me that someone, especially a Svesti, would hurt the humans.

“Jevax!”

Grulen lifted his head and turned toward his team lead.

“Yes, sir.”

“Grab your go bag and meet Lieutenant Tolvex in Hangar Bay Alpha.You are on special assignment for the foreseeable future.”

“What is my assignment?”

“I don’t know.I assume the Lieutenant will brief you.You are expected there within the hour.”

“On my way.”

Grulen met Lieutenant Wurvez, who also had a bag, leaving the lift.They strode in silence to the hangar bay where Tolvex awaited them.An assignment with our head tactical officer.This might be fun.But there’s only two of us.

“Here’s a list of what I put onboard theTenacityin addition to what is normally stocked,” Tolvex said as he forwarded the info to their comms.“The commander has also ordered emergency trackers for each of you.”He held up two syringes.

Wurvez frowned.“We can inject them when we’re on our way.”

“No, not taking the chance you’ll disobey orders.”Tolvex shook his head.

Wurvez grunted.He opened his mouth wide and Tolvex injected the tracker underneath his tongue.Wurvez looked disgusted and moved his jaw in exaggerated circular motions.

“I hate these things.They make me feel like I’ve got a pebble in my mouth.”

Grulen’s laugh mixed with Tolvex’s and he opened his mouth without comment for his tracker.Wurvez is right; the sensation of something hard under the tongue is uncomfortable.

“These are the upgraded trackers.We received a lot of complaints about the heat from the old ones as well as the fact that it was too easy to inadvertently activate them with the shorter codes.The activation code for these is clicking your teeth in a three-two-two pattern or tapping it directly with a claw in the same pattern.You should feel a minute of cold under your tongue to let you know the activation was successful.Inactivated, they should pass any frequency scan for trackers,” Tolvex explained.

“With the Goddess’ favor, we won’t need them,” said Grulen.

Tolvex nodded and stepped back.“Let me know when you finish your preflight checks and I’ll open the bay doors.The engine signature you’re following is already loaded in theTenacity’scomputer.Stay safe and good hunting.”

Grulen and Wurvez boarded the shuttle, stowed their bags, and headed to the cockpit.The lieutenant motioned for Grulen to take the pilot’s seat.Grulen ran his preflight checks, then requested clearance to depart.Once theTenacityleft theInvictus, Grulen entered a course to the last known location of the Frezzian freighter and sat back.

“Lieutenant Tolvex said you would brief me on our mission.”

“There is at least one traitor onboard theInvictusworking with a noble from the home world to sabotage the king’s efforts of a treaty with the humans.Healer Rivezt needed to put Lady Talia into an induced coma when someone switched out one of the uploads for the females.You know about Lady Talia and Lady Emmy being poisoned and Lady Emmy’s experience with the tripwire.When they kidnapped Lady Talia on Theron, they injected her with a virus that kills human female and Svesti male fertility.”

“So that’s why she and the Commander sequestered themselves on theIntrepid.Not PTSD like we were told.”Grulen’s jaw hardened.

“Yes.While they were there, the traitor attempted to port Lady Talia to theInvictus, then the other human females to theIntrepid, as well as used mind control on Mantoor to have him attack Commander Durek.We believe the traitor wanted to infect the other human females.Fortunately, Rivezt developed a vaccine with the aid of Ladies Natasha and Lin and inoculated everyone onboard.”

“The one we were told was for a flu virus.”Grulen’s forehead furrowed.“But why would the traitors work to kill Svesti male fertility?”

“We believe the traitors are unaware of that aspect of the virus.It seems the noble made some sort of deal with the Zuvgran for the virus.”

“Have there been other incidents?”

“Yes.Lady Lin almost fell from a sabotaged ladder in aquiponics and was also gassed in her lab.We suspect the oven explosion was meant for Lady Ava.Fortunately, she wasn’t in the kitchen at the time.”

“How can any Svesti try to harm females?”Grulen growled and his tail whipped furiously behind him.“Or work with the Zuvgran?”

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