DarkRevenge (23 page)

“Type E with modifications,” Dink answered.

Alex met Tory’s glance. “No resonators,” she said. “The Dara
fighters have them, but the Type E was only fitted with disintegrators. They
won’t work against our shields.”

He nodded. “They’re slow and not as well armed as we are,
but let’s not get cocky.” He sat in his chair and pressed a button.

The elevator doors opened and Tesia strode onto the bridge.
“I hear we’re going to have company,” Tesia said.

“We are. Two Teran One warships. I need power to the shields
and the charges on the resonators and the disintegrators double checked. Be
ready for a fight.” Tory stared at the stars on the screen. A firefight now was
not what he’d had in mind. Teran One had to know what would happen if they
attacked him. Or did they?

He’d been careful to keep the transfer of the containment
box under wraps. Did the Teran One ships hope to eliminate the whole mess? What
exactly was their agenda?

“They’re sending a message,” Dink interrupted the flow of
his thoughts.

“Put it up.” Tory watched the pixels rearrange until the
picture of King Darius Stender filled the screen.

“Surrender, Commander Ingle,” the man demanded.

“I have no intention of surrendering, Your Majesty,” he said
and couldn’t help sarcasm from creeping into his tone on the last two words.
“If you’re representing Teran One, then I demand you release the prisoner being
held by Pontoon Gregor.” The channel was public, picked up by surrounding
satellites. He hadn’t released the vid, in deference to Alex, but he would if
Darius didn’t back off.

“She is an enemy of the crown.” Darius’ dark eyes gave
nothing away.

Tory shook his head. “What do you want?”

“Give me the box and I’ll allow you to go free.”

“I’m afraid the bidding on the box is still ongoing,” Tory
told him. The other bidders would hear that and rejoice. Of course, they didn’t
know the box was empty. The bidding was stated as for “the box transported by
Commander Zeerah from Teran One”. Technically, what sat in his cargo hold was
the box. The contents, however, were now on Ardasia.

Suddenly, Darius lost his composure. “You cannot sell what
is in that box, Commander. In the interests of our planet—”

“Your planet, not mine. You exiled me.” The bitterness was
still there, tangy on his tongue. Alex’s hand clasped his shoulder and
squeezed. It eased the rising anger a bit.

“You know what will happen if another planet gets their
hands on it.” Darius’ tone was strident, desperate.

“Funny you didn’t think of that when you sent Alexandra on a
suicide mission with it.” That still pissed him off. This fucker casually threw
away Alex’s life like it was garbage.

“It would have been destroyed, harmless,” Darius shouted.

“Bullshit,” Tory spat and sat forward aggressively. “If
that’s what you think then you’ve been lied to. She was headed into a trap. And
those Stet explosives were duds. Instead of blowing up her ship, it was going
to spread that box’s contents far and wide. Those stets had infrared target
recognition chips. And you know what that means.”

The expression on Darius’ face held no surprise. He’d known.
“No,” Alex said under her breath and Tory reached up to cover her hand with
his. Her fingers were ice-cold.

“That wasn’t me,” Darius insisted.

“Perhaps, but I don’t give a shit about your local
disputes.”

“Let me come aboard and we can discuss it.”

Alex tensed beside him. The shuttle bay, her vision, the
fighting. He knew she worried about what might happen here. Tory shot a quick
glance at Jezar.

Sweat poured off Darius’ face. Whatever happened here could
change many things. “All right. One shuttle. I’ll meet you alone.”

“No,” Alex burst out. “He wants to kill you, Tory.”

Darius gritted his teeth. “Alex—”

“You don’t talk to her,” he snapped and Darius glared at
him, but shut up. Tory clasped Alex’s hand. “Darius knows that if I die, this
ship’s crew will do whatever they have to do to avenge me.”

The message was for Darius. By the way his throat moved, the
man got his drift.

“How do I know you won’t hold me for ransom or kill me?”
Darius asked.

“You have my word as a former Teran One Commander,” he told
him. “Unless you do something stupid, you’ll have safe passage.”

“Agreed. I want Alex there.”

“No.” Tory leaned forward. “You never get to see your cousin
again. We clear?”

The man’s eyes narrowed, but he nodded. “Ten minutes.”

Tory nodded and killed the transmission. Alex gripped his
arms, towering over him in the chair. “Are you insane? You know what I saw. You
know what he’ll do. Why are you doing this?”

So many things flew through his mind. The fact that Darius
might have been a victim just as Alex had been. The possibility that Darius carried
the same plague-resistant gene. All these thoughts combined and Tory was well
aware that the deposed king might be in big trouble.

“Because I think things might get ugly and we’ll need
Darius.” Tory leaned down and pressed his lips to hers. He loved her so much.
The thought he might not see her again was too painful.

He tore his lips away from hers and stared at her face for
another moment. He drank in her golden-brown eyes, the smattering of freckles,
the way her hair tried to escape the braid she ruthlessly shoved it into, the
strong line of her jaw—all the little things he’d fallen in love with. Of
course, there was the strong grip of her hands, the way her heart shone from
her gaze, the way she responded to his kiss. His fingers traced the area on her
shoulder where he knew he’d marked her shoulder with his teeth. He whispered,
“I’m not going anywhere, my
Saria.
We have too much to explore, too much
to share.”

She slowly released her grip on his arms and glanced at
Jezar. “Tory, please,” she whispered.

He loved it when she begged. “I will, but later.”

Her lips twitched and her eyes twinkled. She flung her arms
around his neck and kissed him. “You’d better come back, Commander.”

“I promise, dear heart.”

He headed for the elevator and Jezar fell in step. What the
hell was he doing? “I told Darius I’d be alone.”

“I won’t go in the shuttle bay unless I have to.” Jezar
stared straight ahead. Had the man seen something? Tory shrugged. Not a damn
thing he could do about it anyway except order Jezar not to come. And then
Jezar would disobey and—if Tory lived—that would be a big mess.
Ah fuck it.

Still not going to happen, Teran.
Jezar’s humor had
perfect timing and Tory snorted.

They reached the shuttle bay doors and Tory ordered all his
men out of the docking area. He pressed the com button. “Dink? Let me know when
he docks. I won’t go in until we scan his shuttle.”

“Got it. And Commander?”

“Yes, Dink?”

“Don’t get yourself killed.” Dink signed off.

“What does he think I’m going to do?” It was exasperating.
Didn’t anyone think he could negotiate?

Jezar answered, “He believes, as does the rest of the crew,
that you’ll sacrifice anything for your mate. They can see what neither you nor
Alex will see in each other. That you would give your life for her.”

“I would,” he stated. It had always been that way. For Alex,
he’d risk anything and everything.

“They’re also concerned she may risk everything for you.”

Tory sighed. “I’m just going to talk with the man. On my
ship. With my crew ready to eliminate him.”

“I know.”

Everything in him wanted to ask what to do, what was going
to happen. But Tory knew the dangers of future visions. Like the one Alex had
been shown.

Dink’s voice came over the com. “Darius’ shuttle has docked.
Scanning now.”

Tory tapped his fingers. He had to expect trouble. Darius
considered Tory and his crew a band of criminals, a reputation that Tory
encouraged. They weren’t, as Alex was finding out, but it served them well to
let others think they were a bunch of immoral cutthroats.

“Four men, all armed. Darius has disembarked with a stunner.
His men are still in the shuttle.”

“Okay, Dink. Rig the bay. Like we did on Tarias.”

“Will do.”

Jezar grinned. “A brilliant move.”

“It’s an old trick. Darius has been stuck on Teran One so
long he’s forgotten how to improvise.”

“I hope it works.”

“I do, too.”

The shuttle bay doors opened and Tory strode through them.
He focused on the man standing in front of the Teran One shuttle. Darius
Stender had always been a political softie, too kind to survive a coup like the
one Pontoon Gregor had just pulled off. The king would trust his men and get
killed.

“Commander.” The man inclined his head. His dark hair seemed
more mussed than it had on his vid appearance and there were dark circles under
his onyx eyes. His features seemed tightened, strained.

“Your majesty,” Tory said, and this time he managed to sound
less sarcastic.

“We can talk privately in here,” he said and waved toward
the conference room. Darius’ lips tightened. No, he wouldn’t like the idea of
going into a room alone with the Commander. But then, so much was at stake.

His sharp nod was followed by a hand signal to his men on
the shuttle. Tory bowed and allowed the man to go first. The man walked like a
king, straight and brave, into a room he might not ever leave. Something to
admire.

In the conference room, Darius sat down, his hands clasped
together on the table. “I did not send that box with Alex to be intercepted. I
told her to deliver it to General Costas only. Teran Five has a better
laboratory than we do. The stets were
not
part of any plan of mine. I
sent her in secrecy, believing I was the only one who knew she carried the box.
General Costas was supposed to analyze the contents.”

“You were looking for a cure.”

He glared at Tory. “I was hoping to find out it was a dud.”
He shot to his feet and started pacing. “I discovered the shipment completely
by accident. One of my informants told me about a warehouse. I obtained the
vials, stunned by what it appeared to be.” He stopped and ran an agitated hand
through his hair. “I didn’t believe it.”

Tory stared at the man. Then, it struck him. Darius was
young. How old had he been when he’d taken the throne? Fourteen? That made him
twenty-four or twenty-five. Shit. He was a kid, a rookie. No wonder Gregor had
been able to manipulate him. Hell, Alex had been twenty-five when Tory had been
accused and convicted of treason, an experienced soldier, and she’d still been
pretty easy to manipulate. And Tory had been twenty-six, trained in black ops,
but still naïve enough to be drugged and set up.

All that aside, Darius was young and needed to wake up.
“Believe it,” Tory said harshly. “The vials were part of an ongoing plan to
dominate not just Teran One, but all the Teran planets. And it would have
involved the death of millions.”

Darius pounded his fist on the table. “I know that now.” A
bitter twist of his lips made him seem old, worn. “Do you think I don’t know
that those men in that shuttle might knife me?” He sat down suddenly. “If I
don’t get that container, Gregor will. If you sell it to another Teran planet,
Teran One is doomed.” He laughed, a grating sound. “I don’t know why I’m
appealing to you. It’s clear you don’t give a shit about my planet. But Alex
does. And I can’t imagine her mated to anyone who wouldn’t care about Teran
One.”

“She was forced to mate me,” he mused.

Darius snorted. “If she truly didn’t want to be your
Saria
,
she would not have been standing on that bridge. She loves you.”

A warm feeling spread through Tory’s chest. She did love
him. “What exactly do you propose?” Tory asked.

One side of Darius’ mouth lifted. “I didn’t expect to get
this far.”

“So, you don’t have a plan.” He sighed. He didn’t expect
them to get through this much information either. Time to let the deposed king
in on what was really going on.

He never had a chance to say a fucking thing. All hell broke
loose in the shuttle bay. Two of Darius’ guards were firing on the other two
still in the shuttle. One of the men took a hit from a laser pistol and bled
freely all over the place. “Shit!” Tory pressed a button. “Dink, flood the
bay.”

Chapter Eighteen

A hiss drowned out the shouting and gas flooded the bay.
Tory airlocked the conference room and turned to Darius. “The move has been
made. Your war ships are probably under Gregor’s control. You were going to do
something different, but changed your mind. Why? Be quick.”

Darius stared at the man bleeding out in the bay through the
huge picture window. “I was going to kill you. And if Alex showed any sign of
being on your side, I was going to kill her.” His gaze met Tory’s. “But then, I
saw her on the bridge. Alex would never betray Teran One. Ever. Yet she stood
with you.”

“Maybe I’m really good in bed.”

“Maybe, but you’re not that good,” Darius said with a faint
smile. “Alex has an inner core of rightness that can’t be denied. Even if you
were the bad boy everyone thinks you are, you wouldn’t be able to either.”

Tory grunted. “You’re right. Okay, that explains why you
didn’t shoot me immediately. But your men are being gassed and you’re not
surprised.”

“I’ve gotten daily reports on you for five years, Commander
Ingle. I’m well aware of what happened on Tarias.”

Tory stared at him. “And you came here anyway.”

Darius nodded. “You gassed those Teran Four soldiers when
they opened fire, not before. I figured you’d only release the gas if we made
an aggressive move. I knew the risk.”

“I underestimated you.”

“Most do. It’s the age thing. That and because I won’t be a
dictator.” Darius shook his head. “My father ruled with a heavy hand. My
brothers were more circumspect, but none of them believed compassion had a
place on the throne. Judging by the results, they were right.”