Page 19 of Taken to Kor
“It is a good thing you killed him, then.”
She snorts, sniffles, doesn’t answer.
Gerannu approaches me holding an oxygenator and a multi-range fusion blaster. The same kind that disabled the Voraxians’ holoshields. It can tear through anything. Most easily, these creatures frightening Deena.
I turn to Gerannu. “As soon as we recover Deena, I will need you to tap into whatever technology this satellite uses and bridge our yeeyar through to it.”
“Create a bridge? For what purpose?” He smooths his three free hands over his scarred plates. Capable of withstanding the bite of claws and most blades, we will have no trouble with these creatures, whatever they are. With four arms, silver plates covering almost every visible inch of our bodies and sharp grey spears shooting out of our spines, we are war made flesh.
“We need light on the satellite. Whatever creatures currently inhabit it are injured by it.” I pitch my voice loud to those on the bridge and open communication with the entire ship so that my voice can be heard by every pirate.
“All pirates on the bridge and in the lower galley will board the satellite with me. I want Gerannu and his team to patch our yeeyar through to whatever tokens they have on their ship so that we’re able to light it up on my command butonlyon my command. First, we’ll need to find and secure Deena. We’ll do this in the darkness. I don’t want any excuse for the creatures to feel threatened by her or for her to get caught in the crossfire. We’ll fight on their terms until we find her, then we’ll scorch them out, rescue the humans in the tanks they’re being kept in, and bring them on board.”
“Humans in tanks?” One of the males asks.
I nod. “It would seem that there are humans on board. For now, they’re being eaten by whatever creatures exist on this satellite. We will not let whatever of them remain fall to such a fate.”
“Especially not Deena,” Herannathon says.
I meet his gaze, wondering what it is that he’s thinking behind the skein covering his eyes. He seems to read or see something that I’d rather hide. “Especially not Deena,” I confirm, tone low with menace.
He tips his head forward and looks away, distracted by the male talking excitedly at his side. Everyone is excited. The pirates here, the pirates back on Kor, males and females alike. The promise of humans has always excited us, but now, the promise of battle keeps those emotions high and rising. Cheers and bickering prevail. Gerannu grins at me and nods in a way that irks me because it looks dangerously like a bow.
“Can’t wait for that command. Anything harming Deena and her humans will answer to us.”
“And you’re sure you’ll be able to tap into their controls?”
“As sure as I can shoot the eye out of a Voraxian battle cruiser.” Which he can, because I’ve seen him do it.
“They are likely using ancient technology that hasn’t been accessed for some time. Hundreds of rotations, potentially.”
He considers, cocks his head. “If I can get into the network that powers their lights — even if it’s a physical one — then I can bridge our yeeyar through. She’s more than strong enough to power their satellite, at least for a short time.”
“A physical one?” I say, latching onto the part of his explanation that I did not understand.
“Ontte. If this satellite is as old as we believe it to be, then it may rely on physical wires and cables to bring energy to and across their systems. The energy likely emanates from a single centrally located power source. My only concern is that we may have to enter with you to reach such a power source if the yeeyar isn’t able to travel their cables to reach it herself.”
I make a face. “Are you joking with me? This sounds entirely made up.”
“Wish I was. The Eshmiri still lay physical lines for everything except for their cloaking devices. That’s almost the only thing they’ve upgraded over the past fifty rotations.”
“Shroving Eshmiri.” I shake my head and strap my arm cannon to the sling that dangles from my hiannru spines. “If you need more pirates to get you in, then take them.”
“Rhorkanterannu!” Erobu shouts across the deck. The wall in front of him is covered in controls, but he’s pointing with both of his right arms towards the view pane. “We’re here.”
I turn and see the enormous satellite looming up like a solitary star in the center of its own private universe and remember what Deena said, that funny word she used.Rot. Ontte. A universe that has rotted from within. And Deena’s hidden herself away in its heart.
“Rhork…Rhork where are you?” As she crosses my thoughts, her voice cracks into my token.
“I’m here.”
She exhales a shaky breath. “Don’t leave me.”
“I never have,” I say. My answer stalls me. It must stall her, too, because she makes a soft sound.
Why did I say that? I could have told her that I won’t or wouldn’t. Why did I tell her that horribleembarrassingtruth?
“I…” But her softness switches to sharpness at the turn of a hat. “Did he just…” Scrabbling, scrambling.
