Page 36 of Revenge (Warriors of the Drexian Academy #6)
Chapter
Thirty-Six
Deklyn
T ivek and I hurried through the station’s corridors toward the hangar bay, our boots echoing against the polished floors as we navigated the crowds of arriving guests and media personnel that seemed to clog the hallways.
We hurried through the open double doors and into the massive space beyond, instantly leaving the pristine white walls and lilting background music behind in exchange for soaring ceilings, steel beams, and the sound of engines firing and metal clanging on metal.
Captain Kalex and Admiral Zoran were already standing at attention near an open space, their uniforms impeccable as they waited to receive the Earth delegation.
We approached quickly, snapping to attention and delivering the traditional Drexian salute to both Drexians.
“I didn’t know you were joining us,” Captain Kalex said, though he sounded pleased rather than surprised by our presence.
“Deklyn wanted to meet his future father-in-law,” Tivek replied smoothly, and I felt a nervous flutter in my chest.
Of course. Sasha’s father was one of the Earth military generals, so he would attend in two capacities. Even though our engagement was fake, part of me desperately wanted to make a good impression on the man who’d raised Sasha.
The massive energy field at the far end of the hangar shimmered as a sleek black transport entered the bay.
The vessel was clearly Drexian, since Earth ships still didn’t have our jump technology perfected.
Hovering for a moment, the ship adjusted its position with precision thrusters before settling onto the designated landing pad with barely a whisper from its engines.
Tivek and I exchanged glances as the transport powered down and its boarding ramp lowered. This was the moment we’d see the faces of the people who might have betrayed Sasha. Certainly, the human who’d made the call to abandon one of their own pilots to an alien prison would be with this group.
Military officials emerged from the transport in crisp uniforms, their bearing unmistakably stiff.
Most of them were bald or graying, their faces carrying the weathered look of career soldiers who’d seen more than their share of conflict.
I wondered if all Earth leaders were so advanced in years, or if military service simply aged humans faster than it did Drexians.
A few men in civilian clothing were mixed among the group, and I remembered that the Earth chancellor was not military.
Then a tall man with rigid posture strode down the ramp, and I knew instantly that this was Sasha’s father.
His hair was dark, though streaked with silver, and he had the same stubborn jaw that I had come to recognize in his daughter.
But where Sasha’s eyes held fire, his were ice blue and calculating, with a gaze that missed nothing and forgave less.
General Marcus Bowman. The nameplate on his uniform confirmed what I’d already known from the way the other officers deferred to him. This was the man who’d shaped Sasha into the warrior she’d become, for better and worse.
Captain Kalex and Admiral Zoran stepped forward with diplomatic smiles, extending the formal greetings appropriate for such distinguished guests. I noticed the Earth salutes they gave each officer, and Tivek and I followed suit.
One of the few humans not in uniform stepped forward with a practiced smile. “Chancellor Dan Morrison. It’s a pleasure to be here among allies.”
“The honor is ours,” Zoran said just as smoothly.
As little Earth politics as I absorbed, I remembered the name Morrison. Sasha was right. This fake wedding of ours was doing exactly what she’d hoped if even the top elected leader from the planet was here.
“General Bowman,” Admiral Zoran said, gesturing toward us once he’d exchanged salutes with the man, “may I introduce my adjunct, Tivek, and his brother, Lieutenant Deklyn of Inferno Force.”
The general’s gaze fixed on me with cold intensity, his gaze raking over me from head to toe in an assessment that felt like being dissected. The scowl that crossed his weathered features didn’t bode well.
“So you’re the hotshot who rescued my daughter?” It sounded more like an accusation than a compliment.
“I was the Inferno Force warrior sent to find her, yes,” I replied carefully, trying to keep my voice respectful despite the hostility radiating from the man.
General Bowman grunted and continued his visual examination, his expression growing more disapproving with each second. “I’ve heard your Inferno Force is less…” he hesitated for a beat as his gaze lingered on my scruffy cheeks, “militant with the rules.”
I bit back the urge to point out that Earth hadn’t bothered to send any soldiers at all to rescue his daughter and that he should be grateful I’d been less militant about following bad orders.
But pressing my lips together seemed like the wiser course of action, especially with so many witnesses present.
“I hope this momentous occasion will show to both our peoples the power of the Earth-Drex alliance,” Admiral Zoran said diplomatically, clearly trying to steer the conversation toward more positive territory.
General Bowman’s response was barely audible as he stalked away from the welcoming party, but I caught dark muttering under his breath.
The casual dismissal of everything we were supposedly celebrating sent a spike of anger through me.
No wonder Sasha was so fiercely independent and so reluctant to trust anyone with her heart.
If this was what passed for paternal love in the Bowman household, it was a miracle she wasn’t a mass murderer.
As I watched the general’s retreating figure, his rigid posture radiating disapproval and barely contained hostility, I felt my resolve harden. Even though this engagement was supposed to be fake, I found myself determined to prove Marcus Bowman wrong.
His daughter deserved better than his cold dismissal. She deserved someone who would fight for her and who would stand up to anyone else who tried to diminish her, including her own father. She deserved someone who would choose her over duty, over themselves, over everything else.
And despite all the reasons it was a terrible idea, I wanted to be that someone.