THEY SEARCHED THE TOWER THOROUGHLY.
The Sisters were thorough, meticulous and utterly ruthless. All resistance they eliminated and it took them only a half-arn to clear the tower and check for their prey.
The Se'em'aari Triad came back together in main operations. Against one wall, those who had not offered resistance were still alive, quiet, and watched.
"No trace of the Prey, First Sister Nihijji." The tallest of the three said in her soft voice, her silver mask rendering her features invisible.
"The trail only begins here, Sister Aikijji." The third sister was prowling the operations, checking computer records and video feeds.
"It ends there," She pointed to a bank of monitors, "I have found him."
"So it shall, Sister Iskijji." They joined her at the monitors. Thereon, Crichton relaxed in his cell. "This they call a fine prize, Sisters." A pair of nods. "We shall test it."
Iskijji gestured toward the living tower residents.
"Who among you has the keys to this prison?"
Stralh stood for his master.
"You are in the presence of the mighty Strad'ail'leevis! Ashkelon Warlord of these worlds and Master of this system! You should need fear retribution for this intrusion!"
Sister Nihijji turned to him, the finely-wrought silver mask reflecting his own manufactured face, stared silent and motionless until Stralh indicated the sullen Strad'ail'leevis. She pointed at him that he rise and he did, reluctantly. Stralh slunk back almost immediately dismissed and forgotten.
"Ashkelon," the soft voice sounded all the more menacing for its softness, "You will master nothing from oblivion." The deadly quills in which she was covered flared slightly for emphasis. "You will open the way for our Prey and ourselves."
Strad'ail'leevis spread his hands and smiled his most ingratiating smile.
"Surely we can reach an agreement! As you are accomplished beings, you must understand there are forms to follow, rules to any negotiation."
"There is no negotiation. You will obey or you will die. These are your choices."
"Without me, you won't survive passing the first door into those cellblocks." He straightened haughtily. "Only I can open any of it. No V'rahn can, nor Enforcer, nor anyone else on this moon. I must be alive to do it. Sensors will register my death and lock this prison so tight not even an insect could leave or enter without being immediately killed. The prison itself will kill your Prey and you will get nothing."
Nihijji promptly fired several quills into his left leg with uncanny precision, they sticking precisely in a nerve bundle where hip flowed into leg. He screeched and almost collapsed.
"I do not have to kill you," she told him calmly.
Another volley struck him just under his collarbone, paralyzing his left arm. The pain was exquisite. Another volley hit his hip and he found himself kneeling before her, pain flecking his vision with white spots. He was gasping when she stepped around him.
"Your spine has many nerve clusters," Nihijji reminded him.
Strad'ail'leevis reached out a shaky hand.
"I… will… unlock…" he gasped, "I cannot… reach…"
"Your voice will do it," Nihijji told him. She was no fool to get too close.
"Unlock," Strad'ail'leevis finally said, a glare of intense hatred sent her way, "code 991, rarity 9."
"Affirmative," the tower replied, "full prison unlock engaged."
Strad'ail'leevis began to laugh.
"He has opened the prison entire," Sister Aikijji informed her, "the prisoners will soon riot."
"You should have negotiated!" Strad'ail'leevis laughed harder. Nihijji's quills suddenly flared higher, and she killed him without another word.
"Laugh into oblivion," Aikijji sniffed, "a triumph of nothing, Warlord now of the void."
The rest of the living cowered away from them. Strategic quills were targeted, fired and all fell unconscious.
"The prisoners?" Iskijji asked.
"They are of no concern." Nihijji told her Sisters. "Only the Prey matters."
So saying, she led them from the room. There were no Enforcers. They were all waiting, in the prison.
Outside, the Triad paused as they heard the prison explode, then calmly split up.
