# # # # # # #
Yuri groaned as her mind slowly came back to a conscious state. The first thing she noticed was that she was breathing.
'They didn't kill me?'
Remembering her broken arm, she clenched her left hand into a fist, and winced, but the sharp pain she expected never came. Apparently, they had set it and used the new quikfuse technology for rapid merge of bone and marrow cells. Amazingly, it almost felt as good as new.
'Now let's see where I am and how I can get out of here.'
Keeping her breathing even, she cracked open an eye, not wanting anyone to know she had revived just yet. Her room was empty. She glanced about, searching for any kind of surveillance device. Since she was at a disadvantage, she decided to not risk moving for now and to wait for a better opportunity to take action.
'Mughi must be held somewhere. I've got to get to him, he won't be able to take being caged up.'
She prayed she was correct, and that they wouldn't have killed him as long as she was alive, in order to use him as leverage against her.
Presently, a group of medical staff came into the room and reviewed her charts and monitoring equipment. They eventually all left except for one nurse. As soon as the door closed, she walked back to Yuri's bed, careful to place herself between Yuri's head and the surveillance camera. She adjusted the drip rate on Yuri's i/v and then took a small pin and pricked the end of Yuri's little finger with it. That elicited a sharp intake of breath, and Yuri's eyes fluttered open in spite of her attempt at subterfuge.
"I am sorry, but this was the only way I could check to see if you have revived without causing undue suspicion. I am Ciriani, Pataira's younger sister. I will help you to escape." She said softly and evenly, all the while performing her nurse's duties.
"Blink twice if you understand." Yuri did so.
"Wait until nightfall, I will return for you." She whispered, while prepping the replacement bag for Yuri's glucose solution.
The medical staff came around again a few more times that day, but Yuri kept up her ruse. After they left, she exhaled sharply. It was tough keeping this up. She was going out of her mind with boredom.
A few hours after nightfall, the nurse's shifts changed and, as promised, Ciriani returned.
"You can get up now. Don't worry about the security monitor, I've taken care of that."
Yuri sat up and swung her legs over the edge of the bed. A bit too fast from her prone position, she became a bit dizzy.
"Oh."
"Here. Let me help you." Ciriani offered a hand and helped her down.
"Thank you." Yuri waited while Ciriani removed the i/v and the monitoring equipment, all the while taking in the girl's features. She was about nineteen, 5'7" with a medium build, and short black hair. She had tanned skin, light brown eyes and full lips. She was very pretty. She looked like Pataira's sister would look. Yuri's heart gripped at the memory of Pataira's sacrifice.
"I'm so sorry about your sister and Yui-ten. We tried..."
"Please, Yuri." Ciriani interrupted. "We all understand the risks involved in our fight for freedom. I loved my sister, and although it sounds strange, I love her even more in death. She chose liberty, as do I, as do all of us.
"Have you any other family?"
"I have one younger sister, Kotori, who is seven. Our parents both died in the last failed coup attempt, so we are doing as well as can be expected under the circumstances." She said evenly.
"I am most thankful to you for the risks you are taking on all of our behalf and so I pledge my life to you also. Now, enough about me, we need to get you out of here."
Yuri was touched by the level of dedication to their cause. It renewed her determination to succeed at taking down the monster who posed as their leader.
Ciriani opened the bag she was carrying. Yuri was shocked to find her 3WA uniform.
"How did you..."
"A colleague procured it for me, knowing I was to meet you tonight. It has even been cleaned for you."
Ciriani smiled as she handed the bag to Yuri. Yuri immediately began to remove her robe to put on her uniform. Ciriani let out a small gasp and tried very hard to hold her blush. She never hid from her colleagues the fact that she had a preference for women and being in such close proximity to the object of Monsuud's infatuation was turning out to be a bit difficult for her. She licked her lips slightly. All the reports she had heard were true. Yuri, up close, was intoxicatingly beautiful.
Now completely nude, and also completely oblivious to being ogled, Yuri reached up and back to unbind her hair from its plait. Her breasts rose up on her chest when she did that. Ciriani bit her bottom lip. Even with the cast on her arm, there was no part of Yuri's body that was not perfect. This was going to be a difficult assignment, but Ciriani resolved to keep her mind on her job. She cleared her throat as much to clear her own mind as to catch Yuri's attention.
"Ahem. Unfortunately, your weapon has been secured by the military and was not recoverable." She did her best to resume her professional demeanor. Yuri turned to her after shaking out her hair.
"It's alright. I'll make do with whatever we can get our hands on."
Ciriani tore herself away and went to the door to check on the guard status as Yuri pulled on her boots. She gasped.
The opti-disc was still where she had hidden it.
'This can't be right. They should have found it when they examined my clothing. Unless they DID find it and left it here for some reason of their own...'
Why hadn't Ciriani said anything about it when she gave Yuri her clothing back? Yuri's intuition started to kick in as Ciriani gave her the signal for them to leave the room. She had to consider any possibility, even one that included Ciriani working for Monsuud.
# # # # # # #
"EEEEEEYAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!"
With that battle cry, Kei opened the throttle on the Exo-Terra mini-bike and simultaneously opened fire on the Savarian patrol sent in reconnaissance to investigate the Apache's landing. There were about seventy in the patrol against Yuri, Gustav, Ja-len, and Ja-len's wingmen, Sirhaan and DaKota. Ja-len was deeply moved that his wingmen accompanied him, perhaps to their demise, but they both joked that they had to look out for him, and couldn't live with themselves if they left that job to anyone else. They had also figured out that he was pining away over Yuri, so they were also there to make sure he didn't do anything stupid.
Seventy against five.
The seventy were outnumbered.
With incredible cycling skill, learned during the time she was bodyguard to a crime boss, Kei weaved through the barrage of flak from mounted mobile gunnery as well as sniper fire, leaving the enemy shooting at where she was but a second ago. One hand on the throttle, the other taking out troop transport and tank alike, Kei's blood was pumping. She was actually getting a high from combat as her kill count rose.
Ja-len was her right flank on this offensive, and he took out the individual pockets of resistance Kei might have missed, his weapon moving like lightning as well. The others followed the two of them in standard ground-assault formation. Ja-len used a hand-held chain-linked Gattling, fed from a backpack, ripping off 20mm explosive tipped rounds. The combat was getting to his head as well. Everything was moving in slow-motion, that was how psyched he was. He even had time to smile at Kei in admiration of her skill as she sped on ahead of him. He made a mental note to never get on her bad side.
She was lethal.
At one point in the battle, her bike was hit and taken out from under her. In one smooth movement, Kei holstered her blaster, gripped the handlebars, and flipped herself forward while pushing the disabled vehicle in the opposite direction. There was a moment of dead silence as all, colleague and foe alike, watched the Olympic caliber athlete perform a perfect two and a half somersault into a tuck before sticking the landing. A collective "Ohhhh" was heard before she hit the ground running, her blaster now back in her hand, dishing out its deadly contents.
In less than fifteen minutes after they landed, it was over. Gustav was now interrogating the patrol commander, who had surrendered under the onslaught. He was being instructed to report the successful capture of the Apache crew, to create a false sense of security for Monsuud's forces. This would give Gustav's team time to get to their intended target before the disinformation could be verified.
# # # # # # #
"Where are we going?" Yuri whispered, trying to keep up with Ciriani. They were moving through different sections of the palace, keeping a low profile, stepping off into one of the rooms as the occasional guard passed.
"You wouldn't leave without your little friend, would you?" Ciriani kept her voice low.
"Mughi!" Yuri squealed. Her heart almost skipped.
"He's alright?"
"Yes. He was being kept in a kennel, but the dogs went crazy, so they had to move him. We'll be there momentarily." They made for the end of the corridor they were in, then stepped into what looked to be a dining hall. Ciriani closed the door behind them before searching for the lights.
"He's in a room just at the end of this one." Ciriani said before proceeding.
"Certainly, you did not think you could escape from me?" A booming voice leapt out from the darkness.
At the sound of that voice, Yuri's blood ran cold. The lights switched on, and after wincing, her eyes adjusted. She gasped out loud.
Monsuud was sitting in a chair at the end of a long table in the middle of the room, and in his arms was a small girl, who appeared to be about seven. The child's mouth was bound with tape, apparently to keep her from alerting them. Not far from them was Nialunh, who had insisted on being there, if only to offer whatever protection she could for the child.
"Kotori!" Ciriani screamed out.
"Yes. As you see, we have ways of finding things out. Important things." He moved a powerful hand to the girl's throat and squeezed. Kotori's eyes bulged as she was being asphyxiated right before them.
"Monsuud!"
Anguish was tearing Nialunh apart. She had only wanted for her husband to take what he wanted from Yuri and for this to all be over with. She never wanted it to go this far.
"Silence, wench!" Were you still able to excite me, perhaps all this would not have been necessary, eh?"
Nialunh dropped her head in shame, unable to find the words to respond. Yuri's anger rose even higher. How dare he insult...
"Come to me, Yuri. You know what I want?" Her skin crawled at the sound of his voice. She became bold.
"You may have your way with me, but I'll be dead. You know what they call those kinds of sick people?"
Monsuud did NOT want Yuri dead. He wanted her alive, and broken to his will.
"Highness, please release my sister. She has done nothing to deserve this. I will do anything if you release her, anything. Just..."
In one motion, Monsuud pulled a blaster from his belt, aimed at Ciriani and pulled the trigger. Everything slowed down. The flash of light from his blaster, Ciriani's head jerking backward, her body falling to the ground. Kotori jerked herself away from Monsuud and ran over to her sister's prone form. It took all of a few seconds, but Yuri thought she aged a hundred years.
# # # # # # #
The Apache was airborne again, in low spectrum stealth mode, speeding to the capital city, and the palace. The prisoners of war were cooperating nicely. Kei was seated next to Ja-Len, and couldn't stop glancing over at him. Ja-Len was starting to get unnerved, so he spoke.
"What is it?"
"How long?"
"How long what?"
"How long have you been in love with Yuri?"
Ja-Len would have face-faulted, but they were airborne, moving at mach 10.
"Wh...what makes you think..."
"Come off it, I read the briefing on the confiscation of the Lovely Angel escape pod by the Savarians, so I know you almost got court-martialled because you wouldn't leave her. And seeing you in combat, well, you fight with a passion that comes from either wanting to get away from something, or get to something. I just put two and two together."
Ja-Len looked down at his hands. He couldn't stop the blush that spread across his cheeks.
"So I'm busted. Guilty as charged. Is it so wrong to want to see her safe? Don't you love her as well?" Kei was a bit taken aback by that last question.
"I'm her partner. It's my job to..."
"But you love her."
Kei sighed.
"I hated her guts, once..."
"But you love her."
"Yes."
"Are the two of you..."
"No, we don't have that kind of relationship. Yuri's into guys, and I'm still holding out hope that there's somebody out there who can put up with me and now my kid."
Kei gave him a look and knitted her brows.
"Listen to me spilling my guts to somebody I just met. I must be gettin' senile in my old age."
"Hey! We're combat buddies now, closer than brother and sister, even. That's got to count for something, right?" Ja-len gave Kei his winningest smile.
"You know, you just might be o.k." Kei smiled back at him.
"But if you ever hurt Yuri..."
She took off her glove and smacked him in the face with it in mock anger. The joke was lost on Ja-len as he sank back down into his seat, a sad look on his face.
"I don't think you ever have to worry about that happening, Kei. Yuri wouldn't give me a second look. I'm just not her type. I know it's not healthy, but I'm afraid this is a one-sided love affair."
"Did she reject you?"
"No, but..."
"Well, then, one chance is as good as a million. Tell you what. We get my partner's ass out of the sling and I'll put in a good word for you, eh?"
"But Kei, I couldn't ask you to..."
"Never mind. You're one of the good guys. I've got a gut feeling about you. Yuri's been dating real jerks lately and I want her to be happy. Just remember..." She waved her glove at him and they both broke out in laughter.
"Thanks, Kei."
# # # # # # #
Nialunh closed her eyes at the sound of the blaster. She willed back the tears that threatened to fall at another life taken by her husband. Ciriani was dead. Kotori's shrieks echoed throughout the chamber as she fell upon the body of her sister. Monsuud glared at Yuri, and a small smile crept upon his lips. This game with her excited him. His next move came to him. He knew Yuri wasn't afraid to die, but what of witnessing the death of an innocent?
He aimed the blaster at the wailing child, even as Kotori held her sister's head in her lap, brushing the strands of hair from her face, her body shaking from the sobs that shook it. She hadn't even gotten over the death of her parents, and then Pataira was taken from her. Now, Ciriani. Her tears fell on her sister's now peaceful face as she rocked back and forth. Kotori was now alone in this world, and her young mind was losing it's grip on what little reality she could still manage.
Yuri's head was spinning. The success of her mission was her top priority, hundreds of millions of lives depended on it, but this was something she never expected to witness. Although she knew he was responsible for the deaths of many thousands of innocents, she was not prepared for this up- close exhibit of barbarism. The extinction of an entire family now was in Monsuud's hands. He would kill Kotori now and it would be as if her family never existed.
"Well Yuri, my dear, it seems her life is now in your hands. What are the words I want to hear?"
Yuri swallowed. She reached for her saber out of instinct before remembering she didn't have it.
"..."
"ARRRRRRRGHH!!"
Monsuud's sneer of contempt turned into a grunt of rage at Yuri's hesitation. He quickly moved to the crouching child and pulled her to her feet by her hair, placing the blaster muzzle behind her ear. Kotori stopped wailing, but the look of panic on her face was unmistakable.
Yuri's breath caught in her throat at his unexpected move. She had to do something.
Monsuud smiled as he moved the weapon to the child's shoulder.
"I now wonder if she should suffer a bit before execution. The loss of an arm, perhaps?"
Kotori looked pleadingly at Yuri.
Nothing in Yuri's training had prepared her for the abject cruelty she was witness to. She was nauseated, but bit back the bile as she knew that one false move would mean the child's death.
"I... I'll do... whatever you want."
She mouthed the words. Her pride raged, but she slapped it back down. Her mission would be put on hold temporarily. She would not let this child die.
"Did you say something? I did not quite hear you."
Yuri dropped to one knee in submission.
"I'll do as you ask." She cast her eyes down.
"I'm sorry, were you addressing me? Do you know to whom you speak, bitch?"
He twisted the child's hair, threatening to pull it out by its roots. Yuri had learned from her previous time at the palace of his odd proclivities. She had to soften his edge before he killed the girl anyway.
"What is it you require of your...of me, M... Master?" It took every ounce of resolve to speak those words.
"That is MUCH better."
He dropped Kotori from his grip, and she fell to the floor in a heap. He walked over to the still kneeling Yuri as he barked at Nialunh.
"Take this garbage out of my sight before I change my mind! And clean this up." He waved at Ciriani's body. Nialunh snatched up Kotori and moved quickly, silently to summon the guards from the nearest station.
Monsuud reached down to cup Yuri's chin in his hand and raise her face to his. He stared directly into her eyes. She did not blink.
"I will send attendants for you. You will clean up and prepare yourself for me. And then we shall practice from the ancient texts of the Kama Sutra together.
"I am your humble servant, master. Your wish is my desire."
She spoke the words, but the fire was still in her eyes. She would not be broken so easily. Monsuud smiled, almost benevolently. He moved his hand from Yuri's chin to her left breast and gave it a squeeze, as she was his property now. Yuri flinched and swallowed the curse she was about to spit at him, remaining where she was. Under any other circumstance, he would be dead where he stood, sliced in half by a flick of her wrist.
"I had a spirited filly like you once. She was tamed. As you will be."
He rose and left her on her knees, breathing heavily from the adrenaline rush of all that had just happened.
# # # # # # #
Cybical Chaos: Thanks for your interest in my fics!
Yuri groaned as her mind slowly came back to a conscious state. The first thing she noticed was that she was breathing.
'They didn't kill me?'
Remembering her broken arm, she clenched her left hand into a fist, and winced, but the sharp pain she expected never came. Apparently, they had set it and used the new quikfuse technology for rapid merge of bone and marrow cells. Amazingly, it almost felt as good as new.
'Now let's see where I am and how I can get out of here.'
Keeping her breathing even, she cracked open an eye, not wanting anyone to know she had revived just yet. Her room was empty. She glanced about, searching for any kind of surveillance device. Since she was at a disadvantage, she decided to not risk moving for now and to wait for a better opportunity to take action.
'Mughi must be held somewhere. I've got to get to him, he won't be able to take being caged up.'
She prayed she was correct, and that they wouldn't have killed him as long as she was alive, in order to use him as leverage against her.
Presently, a group of medical staff came into the room and reviewed her charts and monitoring equipment. They eventually all left except for one nurse. As soon as the door closed, she walked back to Yuri's bed, careful to place herself between Yuri's head and the surveillance camera. She adjusted the drip rate on Yuri's i/v and then took a small pin and pricked the end of Yuri's little finger with it. That elicited a sharp intake of breath, and Yuri's eyes fluttered open in spite of her attempt at subterfuge.
"I am sorry, but this was the only way I could check to see if you have revived without causing undue suspicion. I am Ciriani, Pataira's younger sister. I will help you to escape." She said softly and evenly, all the while performing her nurse's duties.
"Blink twice if you understand." Yuri did so.
"Wait until nightfall, I will return for you." She whispered, while prepping the replacement bag for Yuri's glucose solution.
The medical staff came around again a few more times that day, but Yuri kept up her ruse. After they left, she exhaled sharply. It was tough keeping this up. She was going out of her mind with boredom.
A few hours after nightfall, the nurse's shifts changed and, as promised, Ciriani returned.
"You can get up now. Don't worry about the security monitor, I've taken care of that."
Yuri sat up and swung her legs over the edge of the bed. A bit too fast from her prone position, she became a bit dizzy.
"Oh."
"Here. Let me help you." Ciriani offered a hand and helped her down.
"Thank you." Yuri waited while Ciriani removed the i/v and the monitoring equipment, all the while taking in the girl's features. She was about nineteen, 5'7" with a medium build, and short black hair. She had tanned skin, light brown eyes and full lips. She was very pretty. She looked like Pataira's sister would look. Yuri's heart gripped at the memory of Pataira's sacrifice.
"I'm so sorry about your sister and Yui-ten. We tried..."
"Please, Yuri." Ciriani interrupted. "We all understand the risks involved in our fight for freedom. I loved my sister, and although it sounds strange, I love her even more in death. She chose liberty, as do I, as do all of us.
"Have you any other family?"
"I have one younger sister, Kotori, who is seven. Our parents both died in the last failed coup attempt, so we are doing as well as can be expected under the circumstances." She said evenly.
"I am most thankful to you for the risks you are taking on all of our behalf and so I pledge my life to you also. Now, enough about me, we need to get you out of here."
Yuri was touched by the level of dedication to their cause. It renewed her determination to succeed at taking down the monster who posed as their leader.
Ciriani opened the bag she was carrying. Yuri was shocked to find her 3WA uniform.
"How did you..."
"A colleague procured it for me, knowing I was to meet you tonight. It has even been cleaned for you."
Ciriani smiled as she handed the bag to Yuri. Yuri immediately began to remove her robe to put on her uniform. Ciriani let out a small gasp and tried very hard to hold her blush. She never hid from her colleagues the fact that she had a preference for women and being in such close proximity to the object of Monsuud's infatuation was turning out to be a bit difficult for her. She licked her lips slightly. All the reports she had heard were true. Yuri, up close, was intoxicatingly beautiful.
Now completely nude, and also completely oblivious to being ogled, Yuri reached up and back to unbind her hair from its plait. Her breasts rose up on her chest when she did that. Ciriani bit her bottom lip. Even with the cast on her arm, there was no part of Yuri's body that was not perfect. This was going to be a difficult assignment, but Ciriani resolved to keep her mind on her job. She cleared her throat as much to clear her own mind as to catch Yuri's attention.
"Ahem. Unfortunately, your weapon has been secured by the military and was not recoverable." She did her best to resume her professional demeanor. Yuri turned to her after shaking out her hair.
"It's alright. I'll make do with whatever we can get our hands on."
Ciriani tore herself away and went to the door to check on the guard status as Yuri pulled on her boots. She gasped.
The opti-disc was still where she had hidden it.
'This can't be right. They should have found it when they examined my clothing. Unless they DID find it and left it here for some reason of their own...'
Why hadn't Ciriani said anything about it when she gave Yuri her clothing back? Yuri's intuition started to kick in as Ciriani gave her the signal for them to leave the room. She had to consider any possibility, even one that included Ciriani working for Monsuud.
# # # # # # #
"EEEEEEYAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!"
With that battle cry, Kei opened the throttle on the Exo-Terra mini-bike and simultaneously opened fire on the Savarian patrol sent in reconnaissance to investigate the Apache's landing. There were about seventy in the patrol against Yuri, Gustav, Ja-len, and Ja-len's wingmen, Sirhaan and DaKota. Ja-len was deeply moved that his wingmen accompanied him, perhaps to their demise, but they both joked that they had to look out for him, and couldn't live with themselves if they left that job to anyone else. They had also figured out that he was pining away over Yuri, so they were also there to make sure he didn't do anything stupid.
Seventy against five.
The seventy were outnumbered.
With incredible cycling skill, learned during the time she was bodyguard to a crime boss, Kei weaved through the barrage of flak from mounted mobile gunnery as well as sniper fire, leaving the enemy shooting at where she was but a second ago. One hand on the throttle, the other taking out troop transport and tank alike, Kei's blood was pumping. She was actually getting a high from combat as her kill count rose.
Ja-len was her right flank on this offensive, and he took out the individual pockets of resistance Kei might have missed, his weapon moving like lightning as well. The others followed the two of them in standard ground-assault formation. Ja-len used a hand-held chain-linked Gattling, fed from a backpack, ripping off 20mm explosive tipped rounds. The combat was getting to his head as well. Everything was moving in slow-motion, that was how psyched he was. He even had time to smile at Kei in admiration of her skill as she sped on ahead of him. He made a mental note to never get on her bad side.
She was lethal.
At one point in the battle, her bike was hit and taken out from under her. In one smooth movement, Kei holstered her blaster, gripped the handlebars, and flipped herself forward while pushing the disabled vehicle in the opposite direction. There was a moment of dead silence as all, colleague and foe alike, watched the Olympic caliber athlete perform a perfect two and a half somersault into a tuck before sticking the landing. A collective "Ohhhh" was heard before she hit the ground running, her blaster now back in her hand, dishing out its deadly contents.
In less than fifteen minutes after they landed, it was over. Gustav was now interrogating the patrol commander, who had surrendered under the onslaught. He was being instructed to report the successful capture of the Apache crew, to create a false sense of security for Monsuud's forces. This would give Gustav's team time to get to their intended target before the disinformation could be verified.
# # # # # # #
"Where are we going?" Yuri whispered, trying to keep up with Ciriani. They were moving through different sections of the palace, keeping a low profile, stepping off into one of the rooms as the occasional guard passed.
"You wouldn't leave without your little friend, would you?" Ciriani kept her voice low.
"Mughi!" Yuri squealed. Her heart almost skipped.
"He's alright?"
"Yes. He was being kept in a kennel, but the dogs went crazy, so they had to move him. We'll be there momentarily." They made for the end of the corridor they were in, then stepped into what looked to be a dining hall. Ciriani closed the door behind them before searching for the lights.
"He's in a room just at the end of this one." Ciriani said before proceeding.
"Certainly, you did not think you could escape from me?" A booming voice leapt out from the darkness.
At the sound of that voice, Yuri's blood ran cold. The lights switched on, and after wincing, her eyes adjusted. She gasped out loud.
Monsuud was sitting in a chair at the end of a long table in the middle of the room, and in his arms was a small girl, who appeared to be about seven. The child's mouth was bound with tape, apparently to keep her from alerting them. Not far from them was Nialunh, who had insisted on being there, if only to offer whatever protection she could for the child.
"Kotori!" Ciriani screamed out.
"Yes. As you see, we have ways of finding things out. Important things." He moved a powerful hand to the girl's throat and squeezed. Kotori's eyes bulged as she was being asphyxiated right before them.
"Monsuud!"
Anguish was tearing Nialunh apart. She had only wanted for her husband to take what he wanted from Yuri and for this to all be over with. She never wanted it to go this far.
"Silence, wench!" Were you still able to excite me, perhaps all this would not have been necessary, eh?"
Nialunh dropped her head in shame, unable to find the words to respond. Yuri's anger rose even higher. How dare he insult...
"Come to me, Yuri. You know what I want?" Her skin crawled at the sound of his voice. She became bold.
"You may have your way with me, but I'll be dead. You know what they call those kinds of sick people?"
Monsuud did NOT want Yuri dead. He wanted her alive, and broken to his will.
"Highness, please release my sister. She has done nothing to deserve this. I will do anything if you release her, anything. Just..."
In one motion, Monsuud pulled a blaster from his belt, aimed at Ciriani and pulled the trigger. Everything slowed down. The flash of light from his blaster, Ciriani's head jerking backward, her body falling to the ground. Kotori jerked herself away from Monsuud and ran over to her sister's prone form. It took all of a few seconds, but Yuri thought she aged a hundred years.
# # # # # # #
The Apache was airborne again, in low spectrum stealth mode, speeding to the capital city, and the palace. The prisoners of war were cooperating nicely. Kei was seated next to Ja-Len, and couldn't stop glancing over at him. Ja-Len was starting to get unnerved, so he spoke.
"What is it?"
"How long?"
"How long what?"
"How long have you been in love with Yuri?"
Ja-Len would have face-faulted, but they were airborne, moving at mach 10.
"Wh...what makes you think..."
"Come off it, I read the briefing on the confiscation of the Lovely Angel escape pod by the Savarians, so I know you almost got court-martialled because you wouldn't leave her. And seeing you in combat, well, you fight with a passion that comes from either wanting to get away from something, or get to something. I just put two and two together."
Ja-Len looked down at his hands. He couldn't stop the blush that spread across his cheeks.
"So I'm busted. Guilty as charged. Is it so wrong to want to see her safe? Don't you love her as well?" Kei was a bit taken aback by that last question.
"I'm her partner. It's my job to..."
"But you love her."
Kei sighed.
"I hated her guts, once..."
"But you love her."
"Yes."
"Are the two of you..."
"No, we don't have that kind of relationship. Yuri's into guys, and I'm still holding out hope that there's somebody out there who can put up with me and now my kid."
Kei gave him a look and knitted her brows.
"Listen to me spilling my guts to somebody I just met. I must be gettin' senile in my old age."
"Hey! We're combat buddies now, closer than brother and sister, even. That's got to count for something, right?" Ja-len gave Kei his winningest smile.
"You know, you just might be o.k." Kei smiled back at him.
"But if you ever hurt Yuri..."
She took off her glove and smacked him in the face with it in mock anger. The joke was lost on Ja-len as he sank back down into his seat, a sad look on his face.
"I don't think you ever have to worry about that happening, Kei. Yuri wouldn't give me a second look. I'm just not her type. I know it's not healthy, but I'm afraid this is a one-sided love affair."
"Did she reject you?"
"No, but..."
"Well, then, one chance is as good as a million. Tell you what. We get my partner's ass out of the sling and I'll put in a good word for you, eh?"
"But Kei, I couldn't ask you to..."
"Never mind. You're one of the good guys. I've got a gut feeling about you. Yuri's been dating real jerks lately and I want her to be happy. Just remember..." She waved her glove at him and they both broke out in laughter.
"Thanks, Kei."
# # # # # # #
Nialunh closed her eyes at the sound of the blaster. She willed back the tears that threatened to fall at another life taken by her husband. Ciriani was dead. Kotori's shrieks echoed throughout the chamber as she fell upon the body of her sister. Monsuud glared at Yuri, and a small smile crept upon his lips. This game with her excited him. His next move came to him. He knew Yuri wasn't afraid to die, but what of witnessing the death of an innocent?
He aimed the blaster at the wailing child, even as Kotori held her sister's head in her lap, brushing the strands of hair from her face, her body shaking from the sobs that shook it. She hadn't even gotten over the death of her parents, and then Pataira was taken from her. Now, Ciriani. Her tears fell on her sister's now peaceful face as she rocked back and forth. Kotori was now alone in this world, and her young mind was losing it's grip on what little reality she could still manage.
Yuri's head was spinning. The success of her mission was her top priority, hundreds of millions of lives depended on it, but this was something she never expected to witness. Although she knew he was responsible for the deaths of many thousands of innocents, she was not prepared for this up- close exhibit of barbarism. The extinction of an entire family now was in Monsuud's hands. He would kill Kotori now and it would be as if her family never existed.
"Well Yuri, my dear, it seems her life is now in your hands. What are the words I want to hear?"
Yuri swallowed. She reached for her saber out of instinct before remembering she didn't have it.
"..."
"ARRRRRRRGHH!!"
Monsuud's sneer of contempt turned into a grunt of rage at Yuri's hesitation. He quickly moved to the crouching child and pulled her to her feet by her hair, placing the blaster muzzle behind her ear. Kotori stopped wailing, but the look of panic on her face was unmistakable.
Yuri's breath caught in her throat at his unexpected move. She had to do something.
Monsuud smiled as he moved the weapon to the child's shoulder.
"I now wonder if she should suffer a bit before execution. The loss of an arm, perhaps?"
Kotori looked pleadingly at Yuri.
Nothing in Yuri's training had prepared her for the abject cruelty she was witness to. She was nauseated, but bit back the bile as she knew that one false move would mean the child's death.
"I... I'll do... whatever you want."
She mouthed the words. Her pride raged, but she slapped it back down. Her mission would be put on hold temporarily. She would not let this child die.
"Did you say something? I did not quite hear you."
Yuri dropped to one knee in submission.
"I'll do as you ask." She cast her eyes down.
"I'm sorry, were you addressing me? Do you know to whom you speak, bitch?"
He twisted the child's hair, threatening to pull it out by its roots. Yuri had learned from her previous time at the palace of his odd proclivities. She had to soften his edge before he killed the girl anyway.
"What is it you require of your...of me, M... Master?" It took every ounce of resolve to speak those words.
"That is MUCH better."
He dropped Kotori from his grip, and she fell to the floor in a heap. He walked over to the still kneeling Yuri as he barked at Nialunh.
"Take this garbage out of my sight before I change my mind! And clean this up." He waved at Ciriani's body. Nialunh snatched up Kotori and moved quickly, silently to summon the guards from the nearest station.
Monsuud reached down to cup Yuri's chin in his hand and raise her face to his. He stared directly into her eyes. She did not blink.
"I will send attendants for you. You will clean up and prepare yourself for me. And then we shall practice from the ancient texts of the Kama Sutra together.
"I am your humble servant, master. Your wish is my desire."
She spoke the words, but the fire was still in her eyes. She would not be broken so easily. Monsuud smiled, almost benevolently. He moved his hand from Yuri's chin to her left breast and gave it a squeeze, as she was his property now. Yuri flinched and swallowed the curse she was about to spit at him, remaining where she was. Under any other circumstance, he would be dead where he stood, sliced in half by a flick of her wrist.
"I had a spirited filly like you once. She was tamed. As you will be."
He rose and left her on her knees, breathing heavily from the adrenaline rush of all that had just happened.
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Cybical Chaos: Thanks for your interest in my fics!