After a few days of repeated requests, Baeven finally granted Ellis and Tarim more freedom, no longer restricting them to their quarters.
They were also allowed access to the sparring rooms, as long as they did not get in Baeven’s way or even try to speak with him.
The Matayan Prince squared off with Naero repeatedly.
He hit the gel mats hard for the fourth time in as many minutes.
All of his Matayan military training aside, Naero was simply that fast, that strong, and that good, especially after picking up a few tricks from Baeven.
She wasn’t even breathing hard, and the salty smell of sweat in the air was all Matayan.
Naero landed four or five good blows to every one he snuck in. And she pulled her punches.
The prince of the Matayan master race gasped for breath from the tap-kick she landed to his solar plexus.
Ellis’s training and fighting styles emphasized strength and overwhelming power over speed and precision.
She noticed that Matayans perspired a great deal more than Spacers.
But he looked good all slick and sweaty.
“You Spacers are inhuman,” he managed at last. “No matter my attack or defense strategy, you find an opening, a weakness. I salute you.”
“Take on Baeven sometime if you want to see inhuman. He does to Gallan and me what I’ve just done to you.”
Ellis paled and shook his head. “No…no thank you.”
“And hey,” Naero said with a sly smile, “just remember. Even though I can take you out whenever I want, you can still be my friend.”
“Point taken. Many thanks.”
She offered him her hand, and helped him back up.
The sparring room rang with Ellis’s laughter once again. “It is most humbling. I see the false pride of my people to be a huge stumbling block now. If I ever get back to them, they will have a hard time believing me. Either that, or they will kill me outright.”
She looked deep into his eyes, trying to read his soul, but it didn’t work with him.
He couldn’t be all bad, could he? Just because he was a Matayan prince?
Then again, he just might.
At least the view was okay.
“People remain enemies only as long as they choose to be,” Naero told him. “Both our peoples have suffered at the hands of the Corps and their duplicity. Fighting each other only weakens both sides to the benefit of our mutual enemy. What do the Matayans really get out of doing the Corps’ dirty work for them?”
Ellis shook his head. “What you say is entirely true, but Triax has a strangle-hold on our worlds. What other choices do we have? No one trusts us. And I do not know if Matayans will ever be ready to ally themselves with Spacers against the Corps. They can be a very stubborn, stiff-necked people.”
Naero sighed. “As are mine.”
“But I agree. The Corps use the Matayans as they see fit and our navies only grow weaker. They impose their will more and more upon our worlds, and we have no choice. Soon we’ll join the ranks of their slaves.”
“Ellis, your people only have one choice. Break free of Triax before it’s too late. You hate Spacers? Try the mining revolt, maybe Joshua Tech. Anyone but Triax.”
Ellis blew out a breath and shook his head. “That time may already be past. I’ve been away from court as a political hostage. The Triaxian shipyards spit out a new fleet every few months. They’re moving to become a major power, even among the Corps. I’m not so sure that even the mighty Spacer Clans could help us now, even if both our peoples could find a way to bring themselves to accept that possibility.”
Then Ellis bowed to her. “But you do have my respect, Naero.”
Naero looped her arm through his briefly, causing him to jump. “Well, I guess that’s a start.”
She could smell his long, unbraided hair, and had a sudden urge to reach up and touch it.
Gallan shot her a dark look.
He didn’t approve of Naero flirting with the Matayan prince.
Admittedly, that was happening more and more, and Ellis began to respond, increasingly watching her with a very different gleam in his eye.
Naero couldn’t help it. She wanted to touch him.
She could handle it.
They sparred a bit more and then escorted Ellis back to his quarters. Gallan followed them silently from behind.
After they secured the Matayan’s panel, they went back to Naero’s quarters, Gallan fuming.
“What is wrong with you, Naero? I’ve never seen you act this stupid over anyone. This guy is a Matayan animal. One of their princes. Sure, he looks like a god. But remember who and what you are.”
“Knowing your tastes, Gallan, I’d almost think you were jealous. No, I think someone eager and caring like Tarim would be a better match for you.”
“I know the lander well enough to know he likes girls, and he’s fallen for you so hard it’s painful to watch. If I could put Tarim’s mind into Ellis’s body for you, I would.”
She tried to open her mouth. Her best friend held up both hands.
“And don’t change the subject like you always do.”
He knew her way too well.
“I wasn’t about to,” she lied.
“Haisha. Stay away from Ellis. Think with your brain, not your fantasies. He’s not for you, Naero. Let him into your heart and you’re in for nothing but trouble.”
Like she didn’t have shiploads full of that everywhere she turned.
“I’ll take that under advisement,” she said. “But I’m getting tired of being lectured on this subject.”
He left in a huff. She didn’t like arguing with Gallan, or parting in anger. That wasn’t like either of them.
We shall be in constant danger once we emerge out of jump space, Om noted.
They came out of jump an hour or so later, somewhat further away from Jodien-2 than they expected. The old ship’s navigational computer simply wasn’t very accurate. Naero watched Baeven launch a multitude of messenger drones. They scattered like Terran fireflies, most of them going back into jump.
“What are all those for?” Naero asked.
“A secure way to contact old friends for help, to keep enemies guessing. I maintain a constant trail of information and misinformation. I have many enemies.”
Most likely.
Naero only nodded. She trusted Baeven’s expertise, unable to do little else.
They stopped at Jodien-2 for ten uneventful days on a barren rock. A run-down depot on the edge of nowhere. No one left the ship except for Baeven, and then he disguised himself so well that no one would recognize him.
They did nothing to cause suspicion or raise an alarm.
The rift between her and Gallan grew; they were unable to resolve their issues.
Naero’s issues. The problems were all with her. She knew that.
The only good thing occurred when a more humble Ellis made several inroads to patching things up between himself and Tarim.
By the time they departed, the two of them had actually started getting along.
Baeven would only confide in Naero and Gallan.
As they expected, the Triaxian naval presence had greatly increased in their area.
But the registry for their ship was clean, and they lingered long enough to take on cargo, just like they should.
Naero breathed a sigh of relief when they left Jodien-2. Escape finally looked possible.
From there they made a short route jump to Naejer-5, only a matter of hours.
They emerged from jump. Baeven plotted a course to one of the large, barren moons circling the big gas giant.
The immense Jovian at this range filled their viewscreens, complete with twist rings and large, blue, whirling cyclonics. Naero scanned dozens of ships docked at a research facility on the far side of one moon.
Almost immediately she felt a twitch of warning. What was it this time?
“Friends,” Naero began.
Gallan let out a stifled cry next to her. S
he glanced up.
He wheeled and staggered toward Baeven.
Two more shots from the outcast’s needle gun took Gallan down.
He attacks. Activate my protocols!
Gallan gave Naero time to strike.
Blood and anger pounded behind her face.
She flipped off the ceiling and launched herself, twisting to avoid a spray of needles.
A killing strike from her hidden blast rod deflected off Baeven’s energy shield.
Spin kick. Off the wall, knock the gun away.
Her first knife he dodged.
The next he caught in his forearm, drawing another needle pistol so fast she couldn’t react.
The first shot hit her.
Her left foot grazed his cheek.
Baeven slammed her to the ground. His eyes cold and implacable.
“Your speed is remarkable for an adept so young.”
He shot her up with two more needles. She went numb.
“Too bad you neither have the strength nor skill to match that speed yet. So much to learn.”
“Baeven, why? Don’t do this. We trusted you.”
“I’m sorry it has to be this way, Naero, but I have to be sure. We must know certain things. Playing our enemies into revealing what they know is the only way I can find out.”
Her tongue felt like clay. Her mind began to float.
“Even if I explained it all to you, you might not go along with it. There’s too much at stake. I’d tell you to trust me, but–”
Her spittle caught him in the eye and dripped down over his nose.
That took all of her fading strength.
She struggled to resist the paralyzing agent in the needles, to no avail.
Baeven wiped off his face.
“Aunt Sleak was right about you...outcast. You’d betray anyone to get what you’re after.”
Baeven’s half-smile looked grim. He nodded.
Let me kill this one, Naero.
Quiet, Om. We’ll get our chance.
“Sleak knew me too well, Naero. Yet our younger sister Lythe never believed her. I’ll save you if I can, for her sake. But I can’t afford to give you a choice in this matter. Do not interfere.”
He shot a fourth needle into her.
The colors around Naero’s tears and her range of vision whorled into darkness.
28