Stranded with the Alien (Starbound #1)

Forty Six

Kara’s eyes widened.

“Fuck! What shall I do? Shall I go into the hills?”

“It is too late.”

In despair he glanced behind him. Her eyes followed and they watched the ship descend. It was half a kilometer away, landing in a spot relatively clear of trees. Too close for comfort.

A Vraxian warship. One of the largest in the fleet, with capacity for a full battalion of a thousand troops.

He should have known, Vahn thought hopelessly. He should have realized his father wouldn’t rest until his son had been found.

He turned back to Kara.

“They know you’re here. The onboard scanners will already have picked up your life signs, Even if you hide, they’ll search for you. Because you’re human, you understand? They won’t leave you alive.”

“What shall we do?”

His jaw worked. He had to save her. But he could only think of one way to do it. His stomach revolted at the thought but he couldn’t see any other option.

“Do you trust me?”

“You know I do.”

His sensitive ears strained to pick up the sound of their approach. Vraxian protocol dictated landing parties contained at least twenty soldiers. Too many to fight. Too many to hide from. He seized Kara’s shoulders.

“I love you, my kalehsha . Everything you see and hear me do from now on won’t ever change that. Hold on to that.”

“I love you too.”

“Then get on your knees.”

Surprised, she looked at him. With a savage push he hurled her to the ground.

“Vahn!”

“Don’t call me that,” he said in a low voice as the first of the soldiers came within earshot. “Stay down. Don’t speak. Don’t look anyone in the eye. And above all, do not let them know you understand them.”

He turned as a small platoon of Vraxian aliens halted a short distance away. No doubt there were hundreds more on the warship. He folded his arms imperiously.

As one, in coordinated synchronicity, they bowed.

Kara’s mind reeled. What the fuck?

One soldier approached. A female, dressed in the insignia of a high-ranking officer. Her form was more slender than the males and her head ridges more elegant. She had steel grey hair plaited into a single bead-strewn braid which hung ramrod straight down her back.

Kara stole a look at her face though Vahn had told her to keep her eyes down. The soldier was haughty and proud. And vaguely familiar.

She frowned. Where the hell had she seen this female before?

Vahn stepped forward and clasped the soldier by the elbow.

“General Solarun. It’s been some time.”

With a start, Kara realized who she was. Her picture had been circulated among SDF troops ahead of every operation. And it had pride of place on the dart-board in the officers’ mess.

General Elaryx Solarun. Commander of the Vraxian Army and second only to the Zhaal in terms of high-value targets for Terran troops.

She bowed her head lower, hoping to God the Vraxians didn’t circulate pictures of their own targets. It was unlikely they knew the President’s daughter was a combat pilot – hell, most of her own unit weren’t aware of that – but she’d flown several successful missions. It was possible she was on their radar. Or pinned to whatever passed as a dart-board in their own officers’ mess.

Her thoughts came to a screeching halt when the general swept into a deep bow.

“It is a relief to have found you at last, your Royal Highness.”

Your WHAT?

Kara concentrated on staring at the ground, not quite believing what she’d just heard. The general continued.

“We intercepted the Terran distress call and detected the Vraxian power source. We surmised it might be you, Imiri.”

“No need for formalities, Ela. I am glad you’re here.” There seemed to be real warmth in his voice. “Wherever ‘here’ is. Does this cursed planet have a name?”

“It is Minerva-6, sire. A dwarf planet in a remote system. Uninhabited and primitive.” The general cast a disdainful look at their surroundings. “You are fortunate you found the river. It is the only water source on the entire rock.”

“Fortunate indeed. You have been searching all this time?”

“I never lost hope.” The general’s reptilian eyes fell on Kara. “The beacon belongs to this vermin?”

“The human crash-landed at the same time as I.” Vahn stepped in front of her and she kept her gaze on his feet. “I captured her, of course.”

“May I ask why, Imiri? Surely it would have been better to gut it on sight.”

“Do you not recognize her, general?”

Solarun came to stand next to Vahn. Kara tensed as the Vraxian’s eyes bored into the top of her head. But she trusted Vahn. So much so it took her a moment to process his next words.

“She is the daughter of our mortal enemy, President Cameron.”

Shocked, Kara bolted to her feet, mouth open. Before she could utter a word, the general back-handed her across the face, so hard she stumbled and fell.

She lay on her back with blood trickling from her nose, staring up at Vahn. His expression was inscrutable.

In the next moment Solarun’s clawed foot was pressing on her throat.

“Impudent vermin. How dare you taint the Imiri by laying your filthy eyes on him. I will burn them out for your insolence.”

The general drew her laser-blade and pointed the tip at Kara’s face. Terrified, Kara bucked under the weight crushing her windpipe. She tried to form words but she couldn’t even breathe. She looked to Vahn for help. He simply watched.

From behind them came the sound of manic barking. Solarun’s head jerked up as Rocky came charging through the trees, fangs bared and hackles raised, determined to protect his mistress.

Desperately, Kara waved her hands trying to stop the hound but its eyes were fixed on Solarun. Without missing a beat, the Vraxian general drew her blaster with her free hand and let off a shot.

Rocky fell to the ground, unmoving.

No! Kara couldn’t see if he was alive or dead. Tears spilled down her cheeks. Tears of frustration at her own helplessness, and tears of grief for her faithful companion. Solarun’s mouth twisted in contempt.

She brought the tip of her blade to within an inch of Kara’s right eyeball.

“With your permission?”

Vahn tilted his head to one side as if considering it.

“Tempting. But perhaps not. She will be worth more as leverage if she is in one piece.”

“Of course.”

Solarun holstered her blade and removed her foot. Kara turned to one side, coughing and spluttering into the dirt. She glanced towards Rocky’s body, then away again.

Anger was steadily building in her chest. Anger, not just because Vahn had let it happen – though that was bad enough – but because he’d deliberately deceived her.

Imiri. Highness. Sire. These were all words the general had used to address him. And even without the microbes in her head, Kara knew what they meant.

Vahn had lied to her this whole time. He’d hidden his true identity. He wasn’t just a soldier in the Vraxian army. He was the Imiri, the heir to the whole damned Empire.

Prince Talvahnax Castellian. The son of the Emperor.