Star had been a nervous wreck while Madas had just watched the exchange with a small grin on her thin lips. “They will learn not to doubt you, little warrior,” Madas said humorously.
“Yeah well, I think I have enough doubt for all of us,” Star muttered as she looked down at her trembling hands.
Madas tilted her head to one side and looked carefully at her little friend. “Do you doubt you can get through the vent?”
Star frowned and shook her head. “Of course not,” she scowled.
“Then you doubt you can cross the wire,” Madas said.
“That will be a piece of cake,” Star scoffed, folding her arms across her chest and glaring at her friend.
“Then you doubt that Jazin can be rescued,” Madas suggested calmly.
Star’s frown turned to blazing rage and defiance. “No,” she growled, letting her arms fall to her side where her fists clenched. “I am going to bring him home no matter what!”
“Then what is there to doubt?” Madas asked gently.
Star opened her mouth and then closed it. Her eyes gleamed in amusement when she realized Madas had been tricking her out of her fear and insecurities; just like Walter used to do all the time. Her friend was one very, very smart lady.
Star chuckled softly. “Do you do this to Gril?” She asked with a small grin.
“All the time,” Madas responded lightly. “Come, let us begin our climb. If you need help, ask. I am a very, very good climber.”
Over two hours later, Star stared up in envy at the way Madas used her front claws as well as her tail to climb. She could appreciate her friend’s offer to help but she felt a sense of satisfaction at being able to hold her own. She looked down to see how Dakar was doing. She could see the glisten of sweat on his face and shoulders as he climbed just to the left of her. He glanced up and stared at her for a moment before he nodded to let her know he was doing alright.
“Are you doing well?” Dakar called up softly.
Star nodded silently to show she heard him and that she was fine before she turned her attention back to the next and final climb to the top. She reached over, feeling for a good grip. She felt along the narrow edge making sure she could hold onto it before pulling herself up. She was just getting ready to reach for the next hand hold when she heard Madas’ voice call out in warning. Star had just enough time to see Madas jump to a small ledge as several smaller rocks broke loose. What caught her attention was the larger boulder that wobbled precariously before shifting down ever so slightly. Star stared at it for a fraction of a second before she realized that she had to move – and move fast. She called out to Dakar in fear as the boulder shifted a little more.
“Go,” he yelled out. “I’m clear of it.”
Star looked trying to see where she could go even as more rocks fell, biting into her shoulders and choking her with dust. About four feet from her was a small outcrop. The problem was there was no foothold as the rock wall curved too far under it. If she was able to jump to it, she would be dependent on just the grip she had with her hands. Madas harsh hiss echoed loudly as the boulder shifted again and began moving slowly at first then faster. Star had no choice. It was either try for the outcropping or fall to her death. Taking a deep breath, she focused on the ledge imagining it was a bar being swung out for her to catch. As both Madas and Dakar’s cries of horror resonated around her, she pulled the imaged to her and jumped. She felt the strength in her legs as the adrenaline flowed giving her the extra she needed to reach out and grip the rocky surface. Her left hand slipped but her right hand held until she found herself hanging almost sixty meters in the air by one hand.
“Gods, no!” Dakar cried out harshly when he saw Star’s tiny body dangling precariously.
Madas own strangled cry mixed with his. “Hold on, little warrior,” she called down frantically, trying to find a safe way back down.
“I’m fine,” Star called out as she swung her left hand up and gripped the rocky ledge.
Using just her upper body strength, she pulled herself up until she was able to get her foot onto the ledge. Balancing on the tips of her toes, she swiveled around on the narrow ledge and looked up at Madas with a grin. Her heart was pounding like crazy but she felt more alive than she had since the time she had done her first solo trapeze act.
Dakar’s oaths echoed as he began climbing again until he was almost level with her. His dark face promised Star he was not as excited about her little stunt as she had been. She raised her eyebrow at him before turning back around and studying the rock face again. The boulder incident turned out to be a blessing. She saw it would actually be easier to climb up from where she was at now than from where she had been before. Star looked at the incident as a simple test, as Madas would say, by the Gods to see if she was strong enough for what lay ahead of her.
I’m not only strong enough, she thought fiercely, just try to stop me. Gods or no Gods, she was going after her mate.
A small part wondered if this was similar to what Gril had to do when he went to save Madas. Maybe that was why Madas was so confident in Star’s ability. She knew what it was like to have a mate who would go through anything to save the one meant for them.
Twenty minutes later, Star reached up and gripped the two hands reaching down for her; one was a dark green and the other a dark tan. She chuckled when they lifted her up so high she was over a foot higher than the top of the rocky ground. She looked at the two much larger forms with a twinkle in her eyes as both of them scanned her for injuries.
“I’m fine!” Star said. “I promise.”
The moment her feet touched the ground, she found herself wrapped in Dakar’s powerful arms. “Don’t you ever do anything like that again,” he said in a thick, husky tone before letting her go so Madas could wrap her arms around Star for a brief hug.
“I agree,” Madas hissed gruffly. “My heart stopped when I saw you jump and again when you were hanging there.”
Star hugged her friend back before she stepped back and surveyed the area. Her eyes widened in excitement when she saw the metal grill covering the narrow pipe used for directing rain water into the fortress. The bars covering the entrance were about two feet apart. Star almost ran to the covering. She was getting closer and closer to Jazin. She could feel it. She glanced up at the sky. It was already beginning to get darker. She would need to move fast. She would cross the wire in the dark, relying on her skills and touch to guide her. It would be difficult but she knew she could do it. Once on the other side, she would follow through with the rest of their plans and shut down the control room at the top of the building. Madas and Dakar would then attached slide bars to the wire and slide down to the main tower without fear of triggering the defense system. Dakar could take care of the rest of the systems before helping her and Madas locate Jazin.
Madas reached around and pulled the bag containing the items Star would need from her back. “Remember, help will come from the man with glowing eyes. He is a friend. Do not fear him.”
“I will,” Star said as she knelt looking at the bars. “Look for my signal to know it is clear.”
“We will,” hissed Madas quietly. “Little warrior, believe in your skills and be safe.”
Star nodded solemnly. “I'll be careful. I just want to get Jazin out of here and somewhere safe.”
“Do you remember the configuration of the controls that work the above ground defense system?” Dakar asked.
Star nodded as she slid her feet through the bars. “Yes, I remember. Give me at least two hours,” she said as she carefully lowered the rest of her body through the bars. It was a tight fit, even for her petite form. “Drop me the bag,” she called up softly once she was through.
Madas dropped the small bag that she had been carrying inside her larger one. It contained the explosives Star would need, plus several weapons and a device that would override the controls for the doors. She stood back so Dakar could drop the last items she would need, her crossbow and arrows and a
staff that extended out with a push of a button. Star would need that to help balance her as she crossed the wire.
“Two hours,” Star called up to the two faces looking down at her before turning. “Show time,” she muttered under her breath before she moved to the narrow piping that tunneled through the mountain.
*.*.*
“I'm going to chain my mate up when I get my claws on her,” Gril Tal Mod growled out in fury as he studied the latest Intel that had come in.
They had wasted two days’ worth of travel when they had followed one false trail. The one they now followed had been sent to them anonymously by an informant that told them information that only his mate could have told the male. Information she had shared with him and he had ignored. Guilt and fear ate at him for not listening to her. This was something he would change the next time he got his mate under him. He would listen to her dreams and take them seriously in the future. If he had a chance in the future.
There will be a next time, he swore under his breath.
“Do we have any idea who the informant is?” Ajaska asked as he stared at Torak and Gril. “Torak, were you able to authentic the video disk images that were sent?”
“They are authentic. I double checked them myself,” Torak replied looking at the three-dimensional image they had received that also included images of the prison fortress that was supposed to be holding his younger brother.
“There is no information on the informant but he knew things only my mate could have told him,” Gril said. “He knew things she would never have told anyone, even under torture,” he added reluctantly.
“He also knew things about Jazin that only a few select people know about,” Torak added.
Ajaska nodded as he studied the information they had and analyzed the best way to get his youngest son out alive. When Gril had come to him with the video disk and information that Jazin was alive and being held prisoner, Ajaska had been stunned. When River approached him and Torak that same morning with what Madas and Star had told her, he had been furious. Not with the delicate blue-eyed warrior but with himself for having accepted that his youngest son had been killed without verifying the information personally. He had let grief cloud his judgment. That was something he would never do again. Because of his lack of action, his son would have been lost without him ever knowing what had truly happened to him. He still might if they did not get to him soon enough.
His fists clenched under the table in fury at his former councilman. He should have killed Tai Tek when he first suspected he was behind the assassinations of some of the other members of the council. The fact that he didn't have concrete proof was the only thing that stopped him. In the old days, he wouldn't have cared but the new Alliance set up guidelines for each galaxy. Killing members of your council just because you had a feeling they were murdering others was on the list of what was not allowed. The Alliance wanted proof first.
“The informant said he would contact us if they needed further assistance. I just hope we get there in time,” Torak said. “The defense system at the fortress is a relatively new one set up by the Corazans. We can take it out but it would alert Tai Tek and his guards they are under attack. There are several escape tunnels that lead out. We can also cover those. We have three A-Class warship and six C-Class. Each has over a hundred fighters on board.”
“I have three Tearnat warships that will be arriving shortly. They each have fifty fighters on board and will cover the outer region for enemy star ships,” Gril added.
Ajaska nodded and leaned forward to study the layout of the prison. “What is this?” He asked pointing to a darker area under the surface of the planet. The darker shape ran for a long distance not far from the fortress and appeared to be very deep.
“It is a natural ravine,” Gril said. “It is over 200 meters deep. It weaves around three sides of the fortress. The backside is built into the mountain.”
“Our best bet is to come in fast. Fighters can take out the laser cannons here, here, and here,” Torak said pointing to the three largest cannons mounted up high. “We will drop attack transports here and here. They can come in and take heavy fire with little damage. Two fighters will come in from the east and south to take out the cannons along this wall. This will allow our ground troops to move in using additional armored transports.”
“I will order additional troops to deploy from here,” Gril said pointing to the mountain. “They can move down the side of the mountain easily.”
“What of the west side?” Ajaska asked.
“That is where we suspect Jazin is being held. We will have to take it level by level. We cannot take a chance of firing on it and possibly killing him or burying him alive,” Torak stated looking moodily at the image. “I only hope we can get to him before Tai Tek orders his execution. Truthfully, that is my biggest concern.”
“He will already be out,” a voice from the door said softly.
Torak turned and scowled at his mate. He had left her in their living quarters. He should have known better than to think she would stay there. He had planned to leave her on Kassis but one look at her face told him that was not likely to happen. His fingers moved to his temple that suddenly began to throb. It had a tendency to do that whenever his mate got that look in her eye.
“Why do you believe that, Lady River?” Gril asked looking into the dark blue eyes of the unusual female.
“Because I know what I would do if I was in their place and Star would do the same,” River replied calmly looking at the image floating above the table. “It isn't much different than on Trolis' warship,” she murmured walking into the room and closer to the three-dimensional blueprint.
“Tell us how you would rescue my son,” Ajaska asked quietly, looking intently at River's face as she studied the map.
“What is this?” River asked pointing to a dark spot on the side of the mountain.
“It looks like a duct system for water. It is too small for the warriors to fit through and even if they could, they could not get down the mountain unseen or without triggering the defense system,” Gril responded with a frown.
“A Tearnat or a Kassis warrior perhaps but not a petite circus performer,” River said with a small lift of her lips. “What about this? What is it and where does it go?”
Torak frowned as he studied the thin cable. His eyes shifted to the tower where it connected. It would be impossible for a warrior to use it. If they tried to, they would be fired upon because the laser defense system reached up to within a few centimeters under it. The only way to cross it would be to.....
A curse burst from Torak and Ajaska's lips at the same time. “It would be suicide to try to cross that! It would have to be done after dark or she would be seen and there is no guarantee of the strength or integrity of the cable. It has probably been there since that fortress was constructed a hundred years or more ago,” Torak said.
“And what would she do if she did make it?” Ajaska asked in disbelief. “She is only one small female. She would need to get into the control room and make her way down eight or more levels through a fortress full of seasoned warriors.”
River smiled. “She'll figure out a way. Don't forget, she won't be alone. She has Madas, Dakar, Armet and our unknown informant to help her,” River replied confidently. “We know how she'll get to the control tower. We just don't know how she is going to get Jazin out. We have to be ready for when she does. Because if there is one thing I know, it is this,” River paused to look at each of the men sitting around the table before she continued. “If it were Torak or Ajaska or any other member of my family, I would never stop, never give up until I had them back with me.” She looked at Gril and smiled. “Would you let anything stop you from getting to Madas?”
Gril thought of a time not that long ago. A time when he had been in a position similar to Jazin. Only then it was his mate who had been a prisoner and was sentenced to die. No, he would never give up, never let anything stop him. His large huge head swung around
to look at the image again. This time he thought of what his mate would do. He thought like the warrior that she was. A smile curled back his thin lips, showing off his long, sharp teeth.
“I know how they plan to get Lord Jazin out,” he growled out in a low, confident voice. “This is what we must do to help them.”
Chapter 11
Star pushed the bag ahead of her. She could finally see the light at the end of the tunnel. It was faint but it was a light. She had moved through the pipe a little faster than she expected as it was bigger than they originally thought it would be. She lifted her face to the steady breeze that was flowing through the aqueduct, trying to gauge the speed of it. The crossing was going to be difficult enough with the limited visibility. The last thing she needed was a big gust of wind trying to blow her off. She had done some outdoor aerial work but not much. She hadn’t told the others that though.
When she reached the end, she pulled herself into a sitting position and stared out at the huge fortress. Inside was the man she loved more than life itself. The slight breeze played with the strands of long, blond hair that had pulled loose from her braid and dried the sweat on her face, cooling her heated skin. Her eyes moved over the complex. High walls surrounded it on three sides where it blended into the mountain. It was beautiful in a medieval sort of way. The walls were almost black and were slick, as if each block of stone had been fitted perfectly together and hand polished. Three high turrets adorned the walls with interconnecting walkways between them. Star could see the movement of warriors in the towers and on the walls. Large and small mounted cannons lined the walls. Her eyes moved to the tall tower in the center. Just below the top, she could see an opening where a cannon was mounted. Her eyes roamed that building carefully, looking for potential threats. She counted two warriors in the tower. She slid on a pair of the goggles Armet had given her. Adjusting the focus, she observed the men for several long minutes. They never looked up thankfully. She let her gaze move up to where the wire connected to the tall central tower. It may have been placed as a ground wire so if the tower was struck by lightning it would travel through the wire into the mountain instead of damaging the tower. It was connected about five meters above the open center where the warriors stood. The roof curved but there were hand and foot holds near where the wire was secured so maintenance could be done on it.