THE PRIZE: BOOK TWO - RETRIBUTION (18 page)

“You have it right now. I take it that you cohabit with him anyway?”

“Against your prohibition, Alesha.”

The Queen waved it away. “Your passage through the infernal building changed you somehow. Before, you would never have broken protocol.”

“True. It did change us. We saw so much death… well, what we thought was death at the time, we had to declare for each other, and protocol be damned.”

The Queen sighed. “Maybe I should go to that infernal building and see if I’m fit to be Queen.” She said, looking pensive. “Richard… Sir Penn was right in his assessment of governments. They are so transitory in the long run.”

“From what was said, the ancient builders of that pyramid were right. There has to be a better way to select leader’s based on something other than force, or popular acclaim.

“And finding a man to stand beside you that you can trust?” Regina added. The Queen scowled at her. “Maybe this Sir Penn?”

“Don’t be vulgar, it doesn’t become you, Reggie.” Regina laughed. “Besides which, he’s too young.”

“And how many years has it been since you’ve had a man in your bed?”

“Regina! That’s none of your business… Well, it is seeing as you are my personal bodyguard, and besides you know very well who has, or hasn’t been in my bed.”

“True, no-one.”

“After Than died, I didn’t want anyone else.” She answered sadly.

“Even a Queen needs a pillow mate from time to time, and despite his young looks he is a handsome male even by our standards. Add to which, we know humans and Silurians are compatible.” She left the rest of the question unasked and switched the subject.” Speaking of which, Penn is going to ask you about the human prisoners.”

“I expected as much, and have already issued an order for their release.”

“He’ll want to see them, and take them back to Earth… what a strange name for a planet. Earth means dirt if I remember.”

“We’ve seen planets with stranger names.”

“True, we have. Do you want us to see to the well-being of the humans?”

“Yes, you’d better. And ensure that my instructions on how they should be treated are carried out. The situation is delicate enough with Richard Penn and I don’t want to give him any excuse to think less of us.”

“You are thinking the humans might be of assistance in the near future?”

“What a suspicious mind you have Regina. I never noticed that about you when we were children.”

“That’s because you always found a way to manipulate the situation to your advantage.” The Queen smiled slightly and nodded. “A word of caution, my Queen. Manipulating Sir Penn could be dangerous.”

“I have no intention of trying to, it’s just that I feel that he can be of help to the Silurian race as a whole, as we will be to his, and as you said, he is a handsome male.” Regina bowed her head slightly and kept her thoughts to herself. Handling Richard Penn was something akin to stroking a dire cat. Docile and friendly when you were stroking it right after it had eaten, a snarling, spitting fury when hungry, ready to rip your arm off and eat it. The image of this mad human jumping into the middle of a group of Thrakee and slaughtering them all still haunted her dreams. She hadn’t needed Richard’s little demonstration to know just how deadly he was, and yet, he’d sworn on the life of the one he loved the most, that he wouldn’t harm her Queen or any other Silurian. On that she had to take his word. On her world, you never swore on the life of one you loved unless you were willing to stake both your lives on the oath.

Chapter Ten

Out of Purgatory

Captain Luke Bennet looked around in wonder, as did the twenty two men and women behind him. Four hours ago they’d been trying to sleep huddled together for warmth in the miserable shelter their captives called a hut. Their dayshift in the mine was over and they’d been given food and water, if you could call it food, but it did keep them alive. They huddled together as much for companionship as much as warmth, for unless they did, they’d lose another to despair and suicide. Luke had already lost too many of his people to lose any more. Like most military units, they tended to work together in a crisis, but those that didn’t found themselves out in the cold, literally in the cold mountain air outside the mine, or suffered a fatal accident in the mine shafts. Now they stood just inside the door of what he could only describe as a palace, at least compared to where they’d been a short time ago. Unbeknownst to him, after the evening meal, Richard had brought up the touchy subject of the human prisoners and their treatment.

“When my cousin first broached the subject of the treatment of human prisoners, after she and Rem returned, I thought it was due to her experience inside that building.” The Queen paused for a moment, as if considering her words. “I can see now that she was right, and I have taken steps to redress that decision.” Queens do not apologize, and Richard took her words as the only apology she would permit herself to give.

“Thank you, your Majesty. If possible, I would like to go and see them and explain the situation?”

“Granted. You will be taking them with you when you go I presume?” Penn kept his smile to himself, suspecting Regina had already broached that very subject with her.

“If you would permit me.”

“Granted, knowing they won’t be fighting my troops anymore.” She smiled. “But they are so few against the might of the Empire, even as mad as they are in combat.”

“They will join the others I have gathered together.”

“Others?”

“Yes, Emperor Cytec and Director Markoff were kind enough to collect all human troops serving the Empire into one place, after which I transported them to a safe place.”

“That misbegotten freak did what?” She asked, looking startled.

“Well, that’s what the imperial order said, with his and Director Markoff’s signature on it I might add.”

“Something tells me that there is more going on than you have told me.” Penn chuckled.

“I didn’t say they knew anything about the order, just that it was sent out, and of course obeyed, along with an order for all imperial troops to evacuate Earth.”

“By the prophet!” The Queen looked at him again. “You are a lot more dangerous than you appear, Sir Penn. I won’t even ask how you managed to arrange that.”

“Better not. I hate scaring my friends.”

* * * * * *

“I hope you like your new accommodations.” Richard said, walking into the common room.” Several people shot to their feet, looking menacing. Richard held his hand up, palm outward in a sign of peace.

“Who the hell are you?” A beefy looking man asked.

“I’m Richard Penn, and you are?”

“Captain Luke Bennet if you want to know, and what the hell do you want?”

“I’m here to take you home.”

“Home! Har, back to those fucking imperial assholes. Not likely.”

“No, I mean home, to Earth to join the Terran Marines if you want.”

“Bullshit, there’s no such thing as the Terran Marines!”

“There is now.”

“Wait, I know this guy. He’s that freaky eyed human working for Markoff.” Another put in, fingering the knife in her hand.

“Used to work for, that is.”

“Yeah, go tell it to the Marines, asshole.”

Just then, Tal Regina walked in followed by the Captain of the guard, and stood beside Penn. She took off her helm and tucked it under her arm.

“Oh fuck, just what we need, a fucking blue cape.”

“Are all you humans so disrespectful, Sir Richard?” She asked.

“Stand to attention when you address a senior officer, trooper!” Penn barked. The woman drew herself up to attention, despite herself, glaring at him.

“There seems to be a degree of mistrust here, understandable under the circumstances. Captain, please go and get twenty two blast rifles and side arms and bring them here.”

“Rifles… side arms… but… but… Commander Tarl.”

“Do you want to explain to our Queen why you are unwilling to follow orders, Captain?” The man gulped and rushed out of the room. While they waited in uneasy silence, Penn walked over and sampled the food laid out on the table.

“I hope you like the food.”

“Not bad, considering the crap we’ve had to eat for the past year.” Just then they all heard the sound of running feet and the Captain and five soldiers came running in with armfuls of weapons. Penn immediately handed them out seeing the men and women immediately check them out as any soldier would.

“So, you gave us powerless weapons, so what.” Captain Bennet sneered.

“Captain?” Regina asked. At a motion of his hand, another solder rushed in with a bag and emptied it on the table, spilling out rifle and pistol power packs. Ever suspicious, Captain Bennet picked one up and slipped it into place in the butt. His expression changed to one of surprise as his rifle hummed softly as it powered up.

“If you’d step outside, you might want to prove it works, but please don’t shoot any of the Silurians, or anything important - like me.”

“Why not you?” He answered with a shark-like grin.

“Mainly because I’m your ticket out of here and home.”

“Good point.” He said as he walked past Penn out the door. A few moments later they all heard the sound of a blast rifle being discharged. The Captain and his troopers looked even more nervous when he walked back in.

“Load up boys and girls, these are for real.” That started a small stampede to get power packs and load their weapons.

“Feel better now?”

“I would say so… Sir, but how come?”

“The Queen and I had a little chat, and I promised her that no human would hurt any of her people, even if provoked.”

“I see, and you made this promise for all of us?”

“I did, and you will ensure that nothing like that happens, for any reason. Do I make myself clear?”

“Crystal, sir.” Luke Bennet replied after looking into Penn’s eyes. “Are we clear, people!”

“Affirmative - SIR!”

“Good. As of today, the Silurians are now our allies in the fight against the Empire.”

“Well, shut the fucking front door! No way.” The female trooper murmured.

“Yes, way. We have a mutual enemy to fight, and from what I’ve seen so far, the Silurians are a nice people.”

“Then how come they treated us like shit!” A hard faced older woman asked. Penn shook his head.

“Unfortunately, unlike us civilized people,” that brought a laugh, “there is no Geneva Convention out here, or rules of war as we understand them. So, when they captured you, they didn’t know what to do with you. It was either put you to work or take you out and shoot you.”

“Put like that, I suppose it makes sense. My apologies for my earlier disrespect, Commander Tarl.”

“Apology accepted, Captain, and my apology for your treatment to date.” The Captain gave her a slight shrug.

“We’ve been in worse situations, Commander.” He held his hand out, and having learned from Penn the significance of that, she shook hands with him.

“So what’s this about Terran Marines?”

“You’ll see, and meet a hard ass General by the name of Marks. Be warned, his bite is worse than his bark.”

“Oh, one of those. Guess we’ll get on like a house on fire.” He grinned.

Gradually the mood in the room changed, and became more relaxed, at least with the humans. The Silurians troops on the other hand looked even more nervous now having to guard armed humans, if guard was the right word. Everyone knew they were all mad and would kill at a moment’s notice. It was surprising how polite they became once they had a weapon in their hands. Regina and Penn joined them at the table, and Richard filled them in on what was happening on Earth over several bottles of local wine and the Silurian equivalent of brandy.

“So when do we get to go home, Sir?” Captain Bennet asked at last.

“In about a week I think. I have to look at a couple of ships first and make arrangements for the accommodation of several hundred civilian workers to help build the ships the Silurians are going to provide us, warships that is.” Bennett’s eyebrows shot up.

“Warships! Holy shit. You mean we’ll actually have a space navy?”

“That and a few other types of ships we’ll need. Troop ships.” He didn’t need to paint a picture of what they would be needed for.

“Jesus! You have one big set of balls, Penn to get all of that.”

“Oh yeah. We get to go and kick those mother fucking imperial’s asses!” People did high fives around the table hearing that. As Penn and Commander Tarl walked back to the shuttle that brought them here, Regina Tarl looked pensive in the light from the floodlit landing pad.

“Something bothering you, my Lady?” Penn asked, and for a moment, she mulled over her words.

“I have to say, I’m going to revise my opinion of you humans. You are all mad.” She smiled as she said it.

“Oh. Why would you say that?”

“Those… men and women back there. They fought for the Empire they hated, lost companions in a battle with us, got captured and held for over a solar cycle in less than ideal conditions, yet the moment they are told they would be going home, to Earth they wanted to join your forces and go back and fight the Empire again. That’s crazy.”

“And your point?”

“But… but shouldn’t they want to go home to their families… their home planet and rest… to… to get away from all this madness?”

Penn sighed and shrugged. “They are soldiers, and that’s what soldiers do. Besides that, few of them have anything to go home to. Their wives, girlfriends, mothers, or children are probably all dead.”

“But… we have soldiers, good ones, but not like you humans. We hate war, even though we know we must fight to preserve our way of life, there is a limit to what we expect out warriors to do.”

“I guess that’s the difference between us. The only limit we know is death, and we’ll fight with whatever we have until we are dead. The Empire came to our planet, bombed us back to the Stone Age, killed billions of men, women, and children, raped our planet and system of our resources, and gave nothing in return, all in the name of greed. The Empire has a blood price to pay, and by god, we are going to make them pay it.” Penn almost growled the last words. “If that makes us mad to the rest of the universe, so be it, and so much the better. Just get the hell out of our way, or else.”