Scattered Suns - Kevin J. Anderson [16]
Weapons fire continued inside the docking bay, but the Hyrillka Designate’s rebels quickly overwhelmed the crew, taking them all prisoner. Two pleasure mates raced to the door controls before Zan’nh’s reinforcements could arrive. The women sealed every entrance to the bay, code-locked the controls, then smashed them to block all access.
Finally the Hyrillka Designate turned to where he knew Adar Zan’nh would be observing him through imagers. He sat back in his reproduction of the Mage-Imperator’s royal seat. “Adar, your crewmembers are only stunned. However, I will kill every one of these hostages unless you surrender this warliner to me.”
Chapter 6—PRIME DESIGNATE THOR’H
After his cargo craft docked aboard Qul Fan’nh’s warliner, Thor’h schooled his expression and manner to convey urgent distress, then climbed out, accompanied by seven personal guards.
The Solar Navy troops met him with appropriate courtesy and respect, but Thor’h snapped at the first escort: “Take me to your command nucleus. I would speak with your qul immediately! He must be warned.”
The crewmen did not question his orders. Though supposedly disgraced, Thor’h was still the son of their Mage-Imperator. “Follow us, Prime Designate. Qul Fan’nh will be honored to receive you.”
Thor’h and his seven guards adopted a brisk pace to keep the escorts moving and sustain a sense of urgency.
Until he had broken free of the tangled bonds of his father’s thism , Thor’h had not understood that Ildirans were like marionettes controlled by invisible soul-threads. The Mage-Imperator’s people simply did not know how to be sufficiently suspicious of other Ildirans. Fools! For one of their people to turn against the Empire was as unbelievable to them as a man’s left hand suddenly taking up a knife and trying to cut off his right.
Thor’h knew that just such an unexpected shock was necessary to save the Ildiran Empire from its internal weakness. Because he believed in Rusa’h’s vision and knew that his uncle was destined to be the true Imperator, Thor’h would do what was necessary for his race—even if it meant he must turn against his brothers and Mage-Imperator Jora’h himself. If all Ildirans allowed themselves to see the purity and truth of the Lightsource, then this struggle need not be a messy one.
Nevertheless, Thor’h suspected it would be bloody.
His timing was well coordinated with Rusa’h’s. When Thor’h arrived with his seven converted guards at Qul Fan’nh’s command nucleus, he noted that his uncle’s royal shuttle had already been accepted into the flagship warliner. Surprises would begin momentarily.
Standing straight-backed in his Solar Navy uniform, the maniple commander turned to greet Thor’h as he entered the bridge area. Tall and thin, the qul touched his fist to his heart in salute. “You honor me with your presence aboard my warliner.”
“I thank you for your assistance in this emergency, Qul.” Thor’h strode directly toward Fan’nh, and his seven Hyrillkan guards followed him into the command nucleus. Before the escort crewmen could enter the bridge behind them, one of Thor’h’s guards spun and sealed the doors.
Everything happened within seconds. Qul Fan’nh blinked in surprise. The locked-out escort crewmen began to pound on the door, calling out questions.
Thor’h stepped up to the maniple’s commander. A slim crystal blade dropped out of his sleeve and into his grip. Without hesitation, he swept his arm upward and drove the glassy dagger under Qul Fan’nh’s chin, deep into his throat.
Eerily silent, Thor’h’s loyal guards spread out, drawing their own weapons. Qul Fan’nh’s confused bridge crew staggered up from their stations, some of them crying out in shock.
The subverted Hyrillkan guards had practiced techniques of swift assassination. Their blades flashed. Trapped crewmembers screamed. One woman