Epilogue
The Crestek traitors shuffled up the metal ramp of the bounty hunter ship, their wrists bound with energy cuffs that glowed a soft blue in the early morning light. Vellen kept his head high, his expression fixed in a mask of defiant dignity despite his fall from power. Behind him, Taal stumbled slightly on the uneven surface, earning a not-so-gentle prod from Tori's blade at his back.
"Keep moving," she said, clearly enjoying her role as prison escort. "Your new home awaits, and I hear the Den of Thieves on Kurril is lovely this time of year." Her sarcastic tone made it clear that "lovely" was the last word anyone would use to describe the notorious outlaw haven.
The prisoners said nothing as they were marched into the dark, cool interior of the ship. The temperature difference between the desert heat and the climate-controlled vessel created beads of condensation on the metal walls, giving the loading bay a damp, unwelcoming atmosphere. The hum of engines warming up vibrated through the deck plates beneath their feet, a subtle reminder that their fate was sealed—they would never again set foot on the planet they had tried to control.
T'Kar waited inside, his expression stern. The former chancellor's son who had chosen the sands over stone now stood as living proof that transformation was possible—a fact that seemed to particularly unsettle Vellen, whose gaze kept sliding away from the bare-chested warrior as if unable to reconcile what he saw.
"Secure them in the holding bay," T'Kar instructed. "Bexli will monitor them. If they so much as breathe too aggressively, she has permission to shift into a sand scorpion.”
Tori's eyes lit up at this prospect. "Ten credits says one of them wets himself the first time she goes full Lycithian in front of them."
"I don't take bets I know I'll lose," T'Kar replied with a hint of a smile, before gesturing for her to proceed with the prisoners.
As the traitors were led deeper into the ship, K'alvek watched them go with grim satisfaction. Justice had been served—not through execution or imprisonment within the Crestek city, where they might still have found sympathizers, but through exile to a place where they would experience what it was like to be powerless.
With the prisoners secured, K'alvek made his way through the ship's corridors toward the bridge. The vessel felt alive around him, a familiar symphony of mechanical sounds and electronic beeps that had become as much his home as the sands of the Dothvek village had once been. The transition from desert warrior to spacefaring bounty hunter had been unexpected, but he had never regretted following his heart—and his mate—to the stars.
The bridge doors slid open with a soft hiss, revealing the command center of the ship. At the helm sat Caro, her hands dancing in perfect coordination across multiple control panels, her dark hair pulled up in a high ponytail. To her right, Danica occupied the captain's chair, her blonde curls spilling over her shoulders, her expression focused as she reviewed data on a holographic display.
"Prisoners secured," K'alvek announced, crossing to stand beside Danica. "No problems?"
She looked up at him, her serious expression melting into a warm smile that was reserved solely for him. "None that I've heard about. Though Tori seems disappointed she didn't get to use her new blade."
"There will be other opportunities," he said, resting a hand on her shoulder. "That slaver still has a high price on his head."
Danica reached up to cover his hand with her own, a simple gesture that still sent a pulse of warmth through him even after all their time together. "True. And speaking of other opportunities—" She was interrupted by Caro's sudden exclamation.
"Captain, we're receiving a transmission," the pilot said, one hand adjusting controls while another tapped rapidly on a sensor pad. "It's coming in on a heavily encrypted channel."
"Source?" Danica straightened in her chair, instantly alert.
Caro's tilted her head. "It's from a Vandar warbird."
K'alvek moved closer to the viewscreen, surprise rippling through him. "The Vandar? We haven't heard from them in a while.”
"Which Raas is it?" he asked, referring to the commanders who led each warbird. "Vassim? Kaalek?"
Caro turned to face them. "No. It's one we don't know. A designation I've never seen before."
Danica and K'alvek exchanged glances. A new Vandar Raas? An unknown designation? They’d made alliances with several warlords, but the Vandar were anything but predictable.
K'alvek’s fingers tingled in anticipation, as his mate instructed Caro to put the transmission on screen, “This should be interesting."
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Thank you for reading GUARD!