Page 49 of Lhora
“Heads up!” Deppil hollered, and pressed a button on his panel.
“—tian frigateBeccan. This is the Beinight battlecruiserHanchon.We’ve been requested by the Esstika to escort you to Montismet. Please acknowledge.”
“This is Vadris Lon of theBeccan.Appreciate the escort.Beccanout.” Lon made the motion to cut communications as he turned to Lhora. “What’s going to happen to us once we arrive?”
“Personally, I’d like something to eat and a few hours of sleep,” she admitted.
“So would we all. What about the Sarpen? Which reminds me…” Lon lifted his face. “Sick bay!”
“Sick bay.”
“Status report!”
“Four men wounded, none critically, thank the goddesses. But they’ll be out of commission until they heal.”
“You’re right. Thank the goddesses for that. How’s our prisoner?”
“The Sarpen? He’s slowly coming out of it.”
“Is he restrained?”
“Yes, Vadris.”
Lon raised an eyebrow in Lhora’s direction. “If he asks, tell him he was attacked by a Tra’Mellian warrior, but Lhora managed to put the thing down. Keep him in sick bay until we land at Montismet. At that time, he’ll be taken into custody by the Beinights.”
“Yes, Vadris.” The line blanked out.
Lon sighed and faced his crew. “We’ve reached a point where we’re neither Coltrosstian nor the enemy. But we aren’t considered allies, either.” He checked over his shoulder to catch Lhora’s answer. “Or are we?”
“It’s a decision each of you are going to have to make,” she informed them. “Are you my ally? Or are you my enemy? Are you siding with your Sarpi, and accepting the Tra’Mell as your confederates?”
“After what we just went through?” Jorm sneered.
“I double what Jorm said,” Fobi agreed. “They knew we were Coltrosstian, yet they attacked us anyway.”
“Yeah, but…” Pullid paused.
“But what?” Lon pressed.
“But they didn’t attack the other two ships…or did they?” the pilot wondered aloud. “Yanka?”
“So far they look intact,” the crewman replied.
“They must have attacked us because they were told we stole this ship,” Jorm suggested.
Lhora nodded. “Makes sense to me. But it’s still a Coltrosstian ship with a Coltrosstian crew and flying the Coltrosstian flag. They couldn’t have known I was aboard. Even if they did, why would they attack us? Why not overtake us?”
“They tried,” Lon reminded her. He shoved a hand through his hair. “Plug this. It makes sense, but then it doesn’t. Not unless they knew we were onto their scheme, and they thought we were about to expose them for what they truly are.”
“Vadris, we’re being given coordinates for landing,” Deppil announced.
“Relay them to Pullid.”
“Relaying.”
“Received.”
“Standard sails, Jorm. Standard landing. Nothing fancy,” the Vadris ordered.
