Page 106 of Star Claimed Omega
Soleil studied Vern through the holo-vision, the crude image of his face filling the screen.
The jaded desperation clinging to him was palpable. His wild, crazed concept was suicide not just for his men but forThe Sombra’screw and residents.
‘Three hundred men, and a cache of weapons might not cut it,’ Soleil stated, hands clasped tight to prevent them from trembling. ‘Torpedoing the rear thrusters and storming the prison is not a strategy; it’s a fucking massacre. Also, Signet wiped out most of your bridge attack capos last month. Their internal defenses alone will halve your forces before you even reach the detention level. You need Varnok alive, not a pile of corpses to trade for him.’
Vern stopped, leaned in with a predatory grin.
His eyes were cold, and as he snarled. ‘Ah, the voice of goddamn caution. Always so keen on preserving life, aren’t you, little sunbeam? So what the hell do you propose? A cup of diplomacy tea withThe Sombra’sCaptain? My remaining soldiers are running on fumes, and ourfokkin’ cash reserves are lower than a methane tanker in dry dock. TheRed Skullsneed Varnok’s genius to make us great again, and three hundred lives is a cheap price for that future. My numbers are already dwindling, you know. I can’t afford this subtlety bullshit.’
‘You can afford a smarter approach,’ Soleil countered, pushing past the terror he always ignited in her. ‘You need a breach, not a siege. With the dreadnought’s security protocols that you now have, I’ll go in. Alone. I’ll breach the detention level and neutralize the immediate guards. A single person is less intrusive than a full-scale invasion, and your remaining men can extract him.’
Vern threw his head back and laughed again, the sound raw and cruel. ‘You? Go in? A worthwhilefokkin’ concept,’ he conceded, his eyes glinting with malicious amusement. ‘Why the sudden need to be the sacrificial lamb, Soleil? Do you think throwing your pretty self in my way to saveThe Sombra’swillsomehow absolve your sins? Or is it the need to keep your own lover safe? Is that why you’re so anxious for a soft touch, to make sure your dear Santi doesn’t get caught in the blast?’
She bit her lip and inhaled and didn’t speak.
Vern’s eyes glittered, and he leaned in close to the screen. ‘The idea is solid,Queen. You’re going in, sunbeam.’
‘I’ll do it,’ she whispered. ‘On one condition. Isshealive?Is Raissa alive?’
He shrugged. ‘Remains to be seen. Pull this off, and I’ll set both of you free. In the meantime, I’ll review the internal schematics and identify any redundancies. Wait for contact from one of my men and remember,’ he snarled, ‘if you fail me, I’ll strap you to a mine and blast your atoms into the darkest reaches of the Wildlight.’
He zapped her one more time because he was a bastard.
She dropped to the floor, her mouth bitten shut to stifle the scream.
Tears leaked from the corners of her eyes as the pain curled her spine.
With a slight flash, the holo powered down.
Only silence remained.
Her wrists still throbbed with shards of agony. Shame curdled in her belly like spoiled milk.
Behind her, the house still slept.
She used shaky, trembling hands to place Santi’s comm tab back into his bag, ensuring every strap and zip was as it had been.
Then she stumbled to the terrace and slid the door open.
Cold night air hit her damp skin, and she stepped outside into the lakeside breeze on the deck.
Above, faux stars shimmered overhead like indifferent witnesses.
She stared out over the water, arms wrapped around herself, shivering, her soul singed raw.
SANTIAGO
Santi shifted in sleep, caught up in a dream.
While his body reclined in bed, his spirit, his spectral wolf, roamed far.
It padded along the lake’s mirrored edge where starlight spilled across its surface like a benediction.
The wolf sniffed the air, gold-violet mist curling over its haunches.
Tranquility reigned for one suspended moment.
Without warning, it shifted, its entire frame bracing, on alert.
