Part 20
"And what of my right to challenge?" Dylan countered.
"What?" Tourk asked clearly confused.
"My-right-to-challenge." Dylan spoke each word slowly, as if explaining something to a child. "I challenge you as is the custom of your people. Or have you forgotten those customs? Will you deny me the right to fight for my life and the lives of my crew?
"No," Tourk sneered. "I will not deny your challenge. I welcome it. You shall soon learn respect for your betters."
Tourk ordered the guards holding Tyr to take him to the palace and lock him up. Before doing so, one of the guards hit Tyr over the head with the handle of his sword, knocking Tyr unconscious. Tourk then ordered several more guards to prepare the pit. Beka looked over at Dylan when Tourk said this, unsure what the pit was, but worried all the same. Dylan returned her look with a small smile that did little to allay her worries.
"The challenge shall take place at first light." Tourk told Dylan. "Until then you shall be my honored guest." Tourk motioned to several guards who came forward to stand behind Dylan.
"What about Beka?" Dylan asked.
"She shall return to her room under guard." Tourk said. Turning to Beka he added, "I admit to being a little disappointed that we have to put our bonding night off but I look forward to tomorrow evening."
"I am looking forward to tomorrow as well." Beka said. "Seeing you fall flat on your ass will be a real treat."
"The only thing you will see is your Captain lying dead at my feet." Tourk replied before grabbing her face and kissing her hard on the mouth. "Then I shall make you mine."
Dylan step forward, intent on hurting Tourk, but the guards quickly grabbed him, stopping him from helping Beka.
Tourk released Beka and turned toward Dylan.
"A word of caution Captain Hunt. If you try to leave your room tonight for any reason, your big friend will meet a quick and painful death, followed swiftly by your own."
Tourk ordered his guards to take both Dylan and Beka away. Then turning to Neffa and Reenia, he commanded them to make sure everything was ready for both the challenge and the bonding ceremony for the next day.
The constant hammering sound was beginning to take a toll on Harper. He simply could not concentrate on making the necessary repairs with that noise.
"Would you give it a rest already?" he yelled to the air.
"What was that Harper?" Rommie asked coming back into the command area.
"Our friendly neighborhood welcoming committee out there is becoming a major pain in the backside." Harper complained.
"I have been working on that and I think I have an idea. I can send a slight electrical charge into the Maru's hull. If won't kill the Palorians but it will knock them out for a few hours."
"Let's do it. The sooner we stop them, the sooner I can get this tin heap in the air and we can find Dylan and the others."
It took nearly an hour to make all the necessary preparations and to ensure that the charge was set to stun the Palorians without killing them. Harper stood by the trigger they had rigged waiting for Rommie's signal. In order for the trap to work, all the attackers needed to be in close proximity to the Maru. Rommie was acting as bait to make sure this happened.
Rommie waited until she could sense the majority of the Palorians in range of the charge. She then began opening the hatch to the Maru. Keeping careful count on the men outside the ship, she waited patiently for them to notice the hatch and move into position. Just as the first few reached the door, she sensed all of them were within range.
"Now Harper!" she called out, throwing herself backwards from the hatch.
The hull of the Maru glowed briefly. Harper slowly counted off twenty seconds, the time they had determined was necessary to effectively knock out the men outside. He turned off the trigger and ran forward toward the hatch to see if they had succeeded. Rommie stood at the hatch opening surveying the men outside.
"We seem to have gotten them all." She said. "We have about four hours to complete the repairs."
"Great, let's get started." Harper replied, eager to finish and leave the area before the men woke up and started their infernal pounding again.
"Trance?" Holo-Rommie called out.
"I am here Andromeda." The purple girl replied, standing up from behind the large tree in hydroponics.
"I just received a message from Dylan. He is a 'honored guest' of Tourk until first light when he will face him in a challenge. Tyr is being held prisoner and last time Dylan saw him was unconscious. Beka's situation is the same as Dylan's. She is being held against her will but is not seriously hurt. Dylan wants to know if you have any information about something called the pit."
Trance paled slightly. She had not expected them to have knowledge of the pit or she would never have suggested that Dylan challenge Tourk.
"And what of my right to challenge?" Dylan countered.
"What?" Tourk asked clearly confused.
"My-right-to-challenge." Dylan spoke each word slowly, as if explaining something to a child. "I challenge you as is the custom of your people. Or have you forgotten those customs? Will you deny me the right to fight for my life and the lives of my crew?
"No," Tourk sneered. "I will not deny your challenge. I welcome it. You shall soon learn respect for your betters."
Tourk ordered the guards holding Tyr to take him to the palace and lock him up. Before doing so, one of the guards hit Tyr over the head with the handle of his sword, knocking Tyr unconscious. Tourk then ordered several more guards to prepare the pit. Beka looked over at Dylan when Tourk said this, unsure what the pit was, but worried all the same. Dylan returned her look with a small smile that did little to allay her worries.
"The challenge shall take place at first light." Tourk told Dylan. "Until then you shall be my honored guest." Tourk motioned to several guards who came forward to stand behind Dylan.
"What about Beka?" Dylan asked.
"She shall return to her room under guard." Tourk said. Turning to Beka he added, "I admit to being a little disappointed that we have to put our bonding night off but I look forward to tomorrow evening."
"I am looking forward to tomorrow as well." Beka said. "Seeing you fall flat on your ass will be a real treat."
"The only thing you will see is your Captain lying dead at my feet." Tourk replied before grabbing her face and kissing her hard on the mouth. "Then I shall make you mine."
Dylan step forward, intent on hurting Tourk, but the guards quickly grabbed him, stopping him from helping Beka.
Tourk released Beka and turned toward Dylan.
"A word of caution Captain Hunt. If you try to leave your room tonight for any reason, your big friend will meet a quick and painful death, followed swiftly by your own."
Tourk ordered his guards to take both Dylan and Beka away. Then turning to Neffa and Reenia, he commanded them to make sure everything was ready for both the challenge and the bonding ceremony for the next day.
The constant hammering sound was beginning to take a toll on Harper. He simply could not concentrate on making the necessary repairs with that noise.
"Would you give it a rest already?" he yelled to the air.
"What was that Harper?" Rommie asked coming back into the command area.
"Our friendly neighborhood welcoming committee out there is becoming a major pain in the backside." Harper complained.
"I have been working on that and I think I have an idea. I can send a slight electrical charge into the Maru's hull. If won't kill the Palorians but it will knock them out for a few hours."
"Let's do it. The sooner we stop them, the sooner I can get this tin heap in the air and we can find Dylan and the others."
It took nearly an hour to make all the necessary preparations and to ensure that the charge was set to stun the Palorians without killing them. Harper stood by the trigger they had rigged waiting for Rommie's signal. In order for the trap to work, all the attackers needed to be in close proximity to the Maru. Rommie was acting as bait to make sure this happened.
Rommie waited until she could sense the majority of the Palorians in range of the charge. She then began opening the hatch to the Maru. Keeping careful count on the men outside the ship, she waited patiently for them to notice the hatch and move into position. Just as the first few reached the door, she sensed all of them were within range.
"Now Harper!" she called out, throwing herself backwards from the hatch.
The hull of the Maru glowed briefly. Harper slowly counted off twenty seconds, the time they had determined was necessary to effectively knock out the men outside. He turned off the trigger and ran forward toward the hatch to see if they had succeeded. Rommie stood at the hatch opening surveying the men outside.
"We seem to have gotten them all." She said. "We have about four hours to complete the repairs."
"Great, let's get started." Harper replied, eager to finish and leave the area before the men woke up and started their infernal pounding again.
"Trance?" Holo-Rommie called out.
"I am here Andromeda." The purple girl replied, standing up from behind the large tree in hydroponics.
"I just received a message from Dylan. He is a 'honored guest' of Tourk until first light when he will face him in a challenge. Tyr is being held prisoner and last time Dylan saw him was unconscious. Beka's situation is the same as Dylan's. She is being held against her will but is not seriously hurt. Dylan wants to know if you have any information about something called the pit."
Trance paled slightly. She had not expected them to have knowledge of the pit or she would never have suggested that Dylan challenge Tourk.