Page 6 of Captured By The Alien (Starbound #2)

She looked at the other people in the throne room. She only recognised the general, Ela Solarun. She examined the others curiously.

To Vahn’s left, an older Vraxian glowered at her. His white hair was closely cropped, unusual among the males. He was maybe half a foot shorter than Vahn and his head ridges were more pronounced.

On Vahn’s right a younger male was leaning insouciantly against the throne. His hair was pulled into a casual top-knot and he wore a shirt that accentuated his muscles. Even his serpetri looked well-built. His expression, as he examined Kara, was one of interest rather than disdain.

She badly wanted to ask Vahn what the hell was going on but decided to keep her mouth shut. See what kind of game he was playing.

He looked good, she had to admit. He was dressed in silks and leather, his shirt open at the chest and a cloak about his shoulders. A slim gold band on his brow denoted his position. The throne looked uncomfortable but he sat on it as if he’d been doing it all his life.

“Guards, you can go.”

Vahn dismissed the escort and they marched in unison out of the room. In the silence that followed, Kara was aware of all eyes glued to her with varying degrees of hostility.

It didn’t help that she was still dressed in oversized prison clothes and was a good deal smaller than everyone else. She squared her shoulders, trying to compensate. Vahn narrowed his eyes as he took in her disheveled appearance.

“General, I thought I told you she was to be unharmed,” he said tightly.

“It’s not the guards’ fault,” Ela said smoothly. “The prison transfer pods are sometimes a little rough. I’ll have their navigation programs reset.”

Kara was careful not to react. The bitch didn’t sound sorry at all.

“So this is the vermin you were marooned with.” The older one studied her, contempt lacing his words. “It doesn’t look like much. I’m surprised it survived.”

“Kara is not an ‘it’, nor is she vermin,” Vahn said. “Be civil, Baelon.”

Baelon. Kara recognized the name. On one of those long, hot nights on Minerva-6, Vahn had explained the workings of the Empire to her.

Only families hailing from the ancient shintu clans had the right to rule Vraxos. For the last few decades it had been Vahn’s family, the Castellian dynasty. But over the millennia the throne had passed back and forth among all three. Baelon was from another shintu clan.

He examined her scornfully and she noticed his yellow irises were far paler than most of his kind. It made his black slitted pupils look even more reptilian.

“Are all Terrans so pitiful in appearance? So small and helpless. Their skin is too smooth and their heads are naked. It is unnatural.” He touched his own ridges, as if to reassure himself they were still there.

“I think she’s fascinating.” Kara glanced at the younger Vraxian in surprise. He smiled at her and she found herself wanting to smile back. “And she can’t be that helpless if she survived crashing on an empty planet. From what Vahn has told us, it held more dangers than the pit of Xesh.”

She’d bet her bottom dollar this was Rhyn. He was from the third of the shintu clans. Vahn had described him as charming and loyal, and it was clear from the way he’d spoken that he liked him.

“And do you know what I think?” Ela stalked towards Kara, pinning her with her gaze. “I think she can understand us.”

Kara fought to look blank but Ela leaned forward and spoke directly to her.

“I think you understand perfectly when I say you stink like a dankar and if I had my way you would be strung up in the main square as a warning to our enemies.”

“And if I had my way I’d kick your uptight butt all over this room and smack that expression right off your bony face.”

The words were out before she could stop them. Rhyn straightened in surprise and Baelon’s eyebrows shot up. On the throne, Vahn palmed his face. He’d forgotten Kara’s temper.

Ela nodded in satisfaction.

“I thought so. I saw your reaction when I told the Zhaal of his father’s passing.” She whirled round to look accusingly at Vahn. “You gave her the microbes.”

He didn’t bother denying it.

“It was the logical thing to do. We were trapped together. There was nothing to be gained by flailing around in misunderstanding.”

“You should have ended her life, not engaged in cozy little chats.” The general’s eyes flashed dangerously. “Don’t think I haven’t noticed your use of human terminology.”

“Our survival depended on communication,” Vahn said shortly. “I believe the human terminology for that is ‘no-brainer’.”

Ela opened her mouth to argue further but Baelon beat her to it.

“Your Majesty, let me understand this properly. You gave one of our most advanced engineering creations to the enemy?” His face was thunderous. “You shared our technology with a human? ”

“This is getting us nowhere,” Rhyn interjected. “Let’s just calm down. What’s done is done. So, Kara. Now that I know you can understand me, may I ask if you know who we are?”

“Sure.” She cocked her head. “You’re Rhyndar Davorrian, from one of the three ruling clans. That’s General Solarun, whose army we’re beating the crap out of. The little ray of sunshine over there is Baelon Vantrax, another royal contender. And the guy on the throne is a lying fuck.”

In a heartbeat Ela unsheathed her blaster and pointed it at Kara’s head.

“Watch your tongue, human scum.”

“Ela, stand down.” Vahn sounded amused. “Kara is nothing if not direct. And she is correct. I did not tell her I was Talvahnax Castellian. I let her think I was an ordinary soldier.”

“It was right you did not reveal yourself as the Zhaal’s heir,” said Baelon. “Especially not to the spawn of the war-monger President Cameron.”

“Shut your mouth, you piece of zift ,” Kara hissed. Without blinking Baelon whipped out a serpetrus and smashed her across the face.

Shocked, she fell backwards, unable to save herself because of her handcuffed wrists. She landed in a heap, the breath knocked out of her.

Vahn stood, eyes cold with rage.

“Do not dare to touch her again,” he growled. Baelon jerked in surprise.

“You are defending this creature?”

“Kara may be the key to peace. Isn’t that what we all want, Baelon? Ela, put your blaster away and help her up.”

With obvious reluctance the general did as she was asked, yanking Kara to her feet none-too-gently. Vahn’s eyes darkened at the sight of the bruise blooming on her cheek.

He wanted to beat Baelon to a pulp for it but he knew he couldn’t reveal his feelings. Not if he was to make his plan work.

“She must remain alive if we are to have any hope of forcing the humans to end the war,” he said.

Baelon’s eyes gleamed.

“Ah. Now I understand. You intend to ransom her to force the President into peace talks. That is not a bad idea.”

“It’s a terrible idea,” Kara said. “It won’t work. My mother would rather see me die than admit defeat.”

“Your mother is indeed a formidable female,” Ela said approvingly. “If I had a hatchling foolish enough to be caught, I would have the same reaction.”

Rhyn rolled his eyes.

“Well, that would never happen. You’d have to let a male get close enough to touch you first.”

“Speaks the one who has bedded half the Vraxian female population.”

“I can’t help it if they’re falling over themselves to get to me.”

“Is that because they are all drunk?”

“Stop it, both of you,” Vahn said irritably. We need to focus.”

“It is a sound plan,” said Baelon, ignoring the others. “We should torture the human. Transmit video to her people. I will oversee it myself. What mother could withstand the knowledge of the horrors being perpetrated on her own flesh and blood? We will demand a ceasefire in exchange for her life.”

Kara’s stomach roiled at the anticipatory expression on the Vraxian’s face. The bastard snake was clearly a sadist.

“No-one is torturing anyone.” Vahn’s tone was icy and Rhyn nodded in agreement.

“Indeed. That’s not how Vraxos operates. We don’t use torture, not even on our enemies. Otherwise we’re no better than the Terrans.”

Kara opened her mouth then closed it again. He wasn’t wrong. Human history was littered with examples of torture. Hell, there was even a famous museum dedicated to ancient devices that were once used to wring secrets from prisoners.

“We don’t do that anymore,” she muttered.

“So what is the plan then, your Majesty?” asked Baelon irritably. “If you’re not going to torture her to force Earth into a ceasefire, what are you going to do?”

Vahn leaned forward on the throne, yellow eyes fixed on Kara.

“I’m going to marry her.”