Chapter 28

Chapter 28

Lilly gritted her teeth against the burning pain in her left arm and shoulder. Her head was spinning, and she was fighting against black spots that obscured her vision, but she refused to let her weakness aid her kidnappers. Lilly hadn’t survived everything she had since leaving Earth to die at the hands of a jealous, power-mad female.

Feigning to be weaker than she was, Lilly leaned against the wall of the large elevator and watched as Cara hit a button for one of the lowest floors on the ship. The large elevator door slid shut with a muffled bang, and the elevator began moving down at a rapid pace. The elevator they were in was cavernous, large enough to hold at least thirty people or a small land vehicle. The walls were also heavily padded, which made Lilly think that she was in some form of freight elevator.

Lilly had learned that the normal elevators all had security cameras in them, which supported the thought that she was in a freight elevator. The fact that she was being taken some place in a freight elevator suggested that Indie, Cara, and Lucia’s actions were not supported by the majority of the crew. Which was good for her, it meant she might have a chance.

The elevator came to a sudden stop that nearly knocked Lilly from off her feet. The elevator definitely wasn’t meant to be used by people if it stopped so aggressively. There was a low ding, and the large door slid open to reveal a dimly lit utility corridor.

Indie motioned her pistol at Lilly and then the open door. “Move, and remember, don’t do anything to draw attention to yourself.”

Lilly took a step forward and felt her knees buckle; she would have fallen if Lucia hadn’t leapt forward to slip her hand under Lilly’s right elbow. Lucia jerked Lilly up while giving her a pitying look. “I am sorry about all of this,” Lucia said softly while she helped Lilly off the elevator.

Lilly looked around quickly to see if there was anywhere she could run to, or a means to call for help, but all she saw was a long, dimly lit corridor. Based on how dark and large the corridor was, as well as the faint smell of machine oil, Lilly guessed they were in a utility corridor at the bottom of the ship.

They started down the corridor, the booted feet of Indie, Cara, and Lucia sounding loud in the empty corridor. After about five minutes of walking, a light appeared ahead, and a loud hum filled the corridor as a bright yellow vehicle driven by an orange-clad male headed towards them. The vehicle slowed and then stopped as Indie and the others stepped against the wall of the corridor in order to let the large vehicle pass. Lilly looked down the corridor to see that the vehicle was towing a long metal flatbed covered in machine parts. The older male driving it gave the women a puzzled look before climbing down a short ladder and then dropping about two feet to the floor before them.

“This corridor is only for utility vehicles and utility workers. What are you doing here?” The male gave them a puzzled look. “Wait, are you not the Princess, and you’re hurt. Let me call for help, my lady.”

The shot sounded loud in the corridor and Lilly stifled a scream as a red stained spread across the male’s chest, he gave Indie a surprised look before crumbling to the dirty floor.

“What did you do? He wasn’t any threat to you?” Lilly gasped in horror and tried to pull free from Lucia to go to the male’s aid.

“He was going to give us away, now move.” Indie snapped, her face twisted in rage.

Lilly looked back in horror as Lucia dragged her down the corridor. After about thirty feet, there was a junction in the corridor and the females pulled Lilly down the one on the left side. About ten feet, down the corridor there was a door in the left wall, and Indie palmed the lock, causing the door to open with a soft whoosh. As she was dragged through the, door Lilly saw the word emergency med center painted above the door.

The surprisingly large room was bright and clean, a stark comparison to the dingy corridor they had just come from. Seated in a white padded chair, looking at a vid screen was a young male in a white medical uniform. He rose as they entered.

“You’re here at last. I was worried something went wrong.” The male stepped forward, and Lilly saw his name tag read Ensign Blaz.

“Wait, she is bleeding, you weren’t supposed to injure her.” Blaz protested, turning to grab a silver hypo from a nearby table. “Put her on the bio bed.”

“She was being difficult; just fix her before you destroy her mind,” Indie said, taking Lilly from Lucia to push Lilly towards a bio bed against the left wall.

“You are a monster; you killed that cleaner for no reason.” Lilly protested as Blaz ran a medical hand scanner over Lilly’s shoulder.

“What you killed someone? What is she talking about?” Blaz asked, pausing in his examination of Lilly’s injury.

“A maintenance worker happened across us as we were coming here, and he recognized her. As soon as you have her stable, you will need to get rid of his body.” Indie said with a shrug.

Blaz gave her a look of horror. “No one was to be hurt, you said, if I helped you, that no one would be harmed, and that after the princess was removed, you would be mine.”

“Some things could not be helped. To see our plans come to fruition, there will be some casualties.” Indie gave Blaz a smile. “Lucia, go check the corrido, if it is empty move, the power sledge.”

“But Indie, the worker, what you did wasn’t right. We could have just spoken to him, or taken him prisoner until the takeover is finished.” Lucia shook her head.

“You will do as you’re ordered, now go.” Indie snapped.

Lilly gritted her teeth as Blaz sprayed the wound to her shoulder with synthetic skin, sealing the wound. She watched Lucia as the female shook her head, obviously unhappy with the order. It would appear that Indie had lied to her followers.

“She is lying to you, about everything,” Lilly said as Lucia turned towards the door.

“Shut up, you know nothing, you are not even worthy of walking these corridors. You are an inferior species, and the thought that you carry Ronan’s child sickens me.” Indie gave her a scathing look. “Once you are gone, Ronan shall be mine.”

Despite everything, Lilly looked at Indie and laughed. “Let me guess, you told them that once I’m gone, Ronan would make you his wife or concubine, and that then you would change things. Perhaps give you all power of some kind? Well, she lied; Ronan will never take you to his bed, he will never make you his wife or concubine. He cares for me and deeply.”

“Shut up.” Indie snarled. “You know nothing, you are not worthy of him even touching you.”

“Wait, you said you would be my lover. That we simply had to get rid of her.” Blaz protested, turning on Indie.

“Not now, Blaz, go Lucia do as you are ordered.” Indie motioned at the door with her gun.

Lucia looked like she was about to protest, but Cara motioned for her to go. “Do as you are ordered, move the sled, and then come back. Be sure no one sees you.”

Lucia looked from Cara to Indie and back again. After a moment, she nodded and hurried away. The moment the door closed behind her, Indie turned to Blaz.

“Fix her arm and then give her the head wound and be quick, the longer she is gone, the greater the chance we will be discovered,” Indie ordered.

Lilly slipped off the table to turn and look at Blaz. “I thought you were a med tech, a healer. I was given to understand that you took an oath to do no harm. Isn’t giving me brain damage harm? What have I ever done to you, or them to cause this? Nothing, I was taken from my home against my will and made a slave, then I was sold again to the owner of the Pleasure planet. I have suffered more than you can possibly imagine and now, when I have a chance at a happy life, you will sentence me to death? Why, you say I’m inferior and not worth living, but I disagree. Look at my medical scans; you will see I’m just as intelligent as you are.”

Blaz looked from Indie to Lilly and back. “You said she was stupid, so stupid that she could barely speak coherently. You also promised you would be mine and mine alone.”

Indie gave him a scathing look and then began to laugh as she pointed her pistol at Blaz.

“Do you really think I would take you as my lover again when I could have Ronan? That I would settle for you when I could have the prince for my lover? When I could have power and wealth. Now do as you are told, fix her arm, and then remove her brain.”

Blaz shook his head, “But you promised me that you would be mine. You said she had to go because she was inferior, that her only function was to give the Prince children.”

“Blaz do as you are told. Indie is going to be the queen one day, and then you will be rewarded. That creature’s only use is to give the Prince heirs, if you don’t do as you agreed, I will simply kill her, and the Prince will lose his heirs as well.” Cara stated.

Blaz gave her an uneasy look but nodded. “Very well, it will take some time to fix her arm first; if I am not thorough, it will be easy to tell that she was shot, and there will be questions.”

“Fine, do what you have to do, but be quick. Indie, come, we need to check the video links to see if anyone is looking for her yet, and then contact the others. It’s time to move.” Cara ordered before heading towards the door.

“And before you think you can escape, we will be next door. Try anything, and I will take great pleasure in killing you.” Indie gave Lilly a withering look before following Cara out the door, leaving Lilly alone with Blaz.

“Please sit on the bed; it will be easier to finish healing your wound.” Blaz motioned for Lilly to sit on the bed again.

“You don’t have to do this; you can contact Ronan, he will come for me.” Lilly protested, shaking her head.

“If I don’t, Indie might kill me, too. Indie said she cared for me and that if I helped her, she would be my lover.” Blaz shook his head. “For a male like me, I have no hope of ever having a female, of ever having a wife.”

“You are wrong, Ronan is planning to send ships to my world to find women, females that want to leave and come to Gilese. If you help me, I will see that Ronan is lenient with you.” Lilly stepped back, looking for a weapon. Thanks to Blaz, her shoulder was no longer bleeding, and she was no longer in pain. She might not be able to leave the med center, but she was pretty sure she could lock the door and jam the lock from the inside. There had to be a way to communicate with the decks above. The room she was in was some form of emergency med center, probably meant to help stabilize anyone injured on the lower decks before sending them to the main med center.

Blaz frowned for a moment, then shook his head, “No, no, you are lying, I will do what Indie asked, and she will change her mind and be mine.”

Lilly didn’t bother to reply. She grabbed a metal surgical tray off the table nearby and launched herself at Blaz, swinging the tray like a club. The tray rang loudly against the side of his head; he gave Lilly a surprised look before she hit him again. Blaz staggered backwards, and Lilly’s fingers curled around the hypo in his hand. She ripped it from his grip and in one move, pressed it against his neck and hit inject.

Blaz gasped for a moment, and then just collapsed to the deck in a limp mass. Lilly looked at the hypo for a moment. It contained a powerful tranquilizer, and she’d just injected it all into his neck. That couldn’t be good for him, she briefly considered checking to be sure he wasn’t dead, then thought better of it. Blaz had planned to scramble her brain to make her a vegetable; he deserved no sympathy.

She needed to lock and seal the door and then find a way to contact Ronan. Indie and the others had made a mistake when they took her. They, like every being she’d encountered since she’d been taken, assumed that she was stupid or lacking in intelligence because she was small and female. Assumed that she lacked will because she was small well, they were all wrong.

Lilly looked about the room she was in, noting six floor-to-ceiling cabinets on the left of the room and a bank of controls and two monitors on the back wall to the left of the bio bed. Lilly hurried to the first cabinet and yanked open the door, scanning the neat shelves for something she could use as a weapon or to help her jam the lock on the door. After a few minutes of searching, she found two laser scalpels, several forceps and a sprayer for synthetic skin.

Lilly slipped two scalpels and a pair of forceps into her pants pocket, grateful for the bagging garment she was wearing. She hurried to the lock and, without hesitation, flipped the laser scalpel onto full and began to cut around the edge of the plate covering the door control. Lilly tried to remain calm as she cut through the last few inches of the plate. She dropped the scalpel into her pocket and then used the forceps to pry off the plate, letting it drop to the floor.

Lilly was pleasantly surprised to see that the door control was a simple switch and several wires. Lilly retrieved the scalpel and used it to cut through the wires, effectively disabling the door control. That would buy her a little time at least. Now she needed to find a way to contact Ronan and then escape the room she was in. Lilly slowly looked about the room, looking for something that could be useful, her eyes finally settling on a grate in the far right corner, partially hidden by the bio bed. It was an air vent cover; if the vent was as large as the cover, she could easily slip inside the vent. Now she just had to find a communication panel.

* * * *

It took Eacha only a few minutes of questioning crew members to learn that Cahir had been loaded into a freight elevator and that the elevator had gone down to the fifth level. The fifth level was mainly used for storage; if they took Cahir, there it couldn’t be good.

Eacha followed Ronan onto the elevator and then smashed the button for the fifth floor with his fist. The large metal doors slid shut, and Eacha turned to Ronan.

“Do we have a plan? Or are we just going to charge in there? Either way, I am good.” Eacha gave Ronan a questioning look.

“I’m the prince, and this is my ship. I plan to find whoever dared to take Cahir, express my extreme displeasure, and then question them about where Lilly is. If my displeasure is expressed by punching people in the face or slamming their heads into walls, then so be it.” Ronan replied evenly, his jaw clenched in rage.

“I like how you think,” Eacha said as the elevator came to an abrupt stop.

Ronan stepped off the elevator and looked both ways, seeing a wide, dimly lit corridor moving off to his left and his right. Eacha stepped off the elevator to stand beside him as the door closed silently behind them.

“Which way?” Eacha asked, looking both ways, then over at Ronan.

“I’m thinking, if I remember correctly, this corridor is only meant to be used to move heavy machinery and fire suppression vehicles from one end of the ship to another in an emergency. It is supposed to be off limits to the crew, as the heat exchange pipes from the engines in an emergency will vent excess steam down here. It is only to be checked by maintenance workers once every thirty days, as there is the possibility of them being injured accidentally in an emergency.” Ronan replied looking up and down the corridor.

Eacha frowned, “Good to know, but how does that help us?”

“I’m hoping that, as the corridor isn’t used that often that there might be boot marks on the floor that we can track.” Ronan took a step forward then knelt to look closely at the light grey metal floor as beside him Eacha did the same.

After a few minutes Ronan, let out a low whistle, then pointed at what appeared to be drag marks on the floor. Eacha followed Ronan’s point, then nodded when he saw several long black streaks on the floor.

“Drag marks all right from boots by the color.” Eacha rose to look down the corridor in the direction of the drag marks.

Ronan rose to look down the corridor, weighing his options. He could wait till he heard from Brandr, or he could just brazen it out. Waiting made sense but, then he risked both Lilly’s and Cahir’s lives;, the gods only knew what was happening to them both.

“Come, but walk as softly as you can. I want to take these traitors by surprise.” Ronan said.

“Agreed, if they have harmed Cahir, they shall regret the day they were born,” Eacha said softly as he followed Ronan down the corridor. They went about thirty feet before there was a door on the right, and the track marks stopped before the door.

Ronan exchanged looks with Eacha, then stepped up to the closed door. He tightened his grip on the knife, then hit the door activation plate with his left hand. The door slid open, Ronan paused a moment to appraise what was before him, then stepped through into the room beyond.

Cahir was on his knees, his hands tied behind his back, while one male stood behind him, with an electric prod, and another stood before him striking him with a long switch. Along the right-hand wall of the storage room were five males, who were lounging on a stack of crates.

Ronan let out a bellow as he charged the males torturing Cahir, the male gave Ronan a surprised look as the knife slashed across his left arm and shoulder. Ronan pivoted around Cahir to slash at the man with the prod, while Eacha, with a roar, attacked the males sitting on the crates.

Cahir had a moment to register surprise at Ronan’s appearance, before surging upwards to slam his shoulder into his torturer’s stomach. The ensign who’d been beating him staggered backwards before crashing to the floor. Ronan slammed his fist into the officer holding the prod sending him flying backwards, while across the room Eacha was going through the other males, tossing them aside as if they weighed nothing.

Ronan pulled his arm back to stab the male he’d hit when he held up his hands.

“Mercy, your majesty, mercy I beg you.” The male pleaded.

Ronan paused, then stepped back. “Get up, you will answer my questions or I shall use that prod on you. Who ordered you to detain and torture my friend?”

The males Eacha had attacked were all moving away from him and holding up their hands in surrender, while they looked from him to Ronan.

“Answer me, damn it, who ordered you to take my man?” Ronan snarled.

“Mercy, your majesty, mercy. Captain Cara and Lieutenant Indie ordered us to take him.” The male knelt before Ronan as the other males did the same.

Eacha stepped up to Cahir and gave him a nod before stepping behind him to slice through the ropes holding his hands together. Ronan looked over at Cahir to be sure he was well, and Cahir shrugged.

“And why would you think it was permissible to beat my friend, answer me quickly. Then tell me where my wife is?” Ronan growled.

One of the males that Eacha had struck stood to give Ronan a nervous look.

“Your majesty, I am Ensign Liter. Lieutenant Indie told us that the princess was betraying you with your men, and that she was unfit to be your mate.” The ensign gave Ronan a nervous look before exchanging glances with the other males.

“All lies, who says that my wife is unfit?” Ronan advanced on Liter, who backed away till his back hit the wall.

“All are saying it, you rarely take her about the ship. Everyone knows you only wed her to make your child your heir, that after it is born, you shall get rid of her.” Liter said.

“What, tis lies all lies. Now, where is she?” Ronan was barely keeping his anger in check. “What have you done with her?”

“And where is Lars? I heard them talking about him.” Cahir said, using his shirt sleeve to wipe blood away from the corner of his mouth.

Lier swallowed nervously. “The lizard man is in the storage room next door, but he may not be alive.”

“What, what did you do to him?” Cahir snarled, stepping forward to grab Liter by the collar and shake him.

“He is an inferior species and an ally of the Princess, Captain Cara said that he was not fit to set foot on our world, that we were to secure information from him about the Princess and then remove him,” Liter replied nervously.

“Filthy lies, all of it.” Cahir shook Liter hard, then shoved him away. “Where is the Princess? Answer me or what you did to me will feel like pleasant tickles.”

“We don’t know your majesty. We were to detain the lizard man and Officer Cahir, question them, and then wait for further orders.” Liter protested.

Ronan was about to contact Colonel Brandr when his comm unit chirped and he slapped it on. “Your Majesty, this is Brandr. I spoke to your uncle; the bridge and the communications center are under our control. I also just received a message from Lieutenant Rugger; he followed the traitors who took the Princess to the third level. He was following them when Lieutenant Indie shot a cleaner, before continuing on her way with the Princess and her accomplices. Rugger chose to save the worker and lost sight of the princess. but he knows the direction they were going. I have men I trust coming to you now your majesty.”

“Thank you, and send a med team these animals brutalized Lars.” Ronan paused for a moment. He was worried about Lars; but he needed to find Lilly as soon as possible. If Indie didn’t have qualms about killing a fellow shipmate, he shuddered to think what she would do to Lilly. “Send every man that you trust to level three. I’m on my way there now.”

Ronan looked over at Cahir, who was retrieving his shirt and jacket from the floor. Eacha meanwhile had hurried from the chamber into the one next door, apparently to look for Lars.

“Go find Lilly. I will stay with these traitors till Brandr’s men arrive.” Cahir stated.

“Thank you, as soon as you can join me, I will need you.” Ronan stepped into the corridor as Eacha his arm around a badly beaten Lars stepped into the corridor.

“Lars, thank the gods,” Ronan said, torn between going to help Lars and running to save Lilly.

“I am fine, your majesty. Go find Lilly, Eacha told me what has happened.” Lars said, leaning heavily on Eacha.

Ronan turned with a nod of thanks; he was only a few feet down the passageway when he saw eight officers heading his way at a run. The officers slid to a stop before Ronan and quickly saluted him.

“Your majesty, I am Captain Christo from Colonel Brandr’s personal guard. He told us what happened. How can we be of service?” The officer asked.

“I need you to relieve Officer Cahir, who is holding several traitors captive, also Officer Eacha needs help with my friend Lars,” Ronan stated.

Christo turned to point at four of the officers behind him. They nodded and hurried past Ronan. “They will do you as you ask. I, Nicoloa, and Leonard shall join you. Ten of my most trusted officers are already on the way to level three to search for the princess.”

“Thank you, come with me,” Ronan ordered.

Ronan felt a moment’s relief that help was on the way to Lilly, but only a moment’s; it was his fault that she was in this predicament. He had vowed to take care of her; and he’d been ignoring her shockingly. He had let his joy at being reunited with his people cloud his judgement and he’d ignored what had been obvious that Lilly had been unhappy. Ronan began moving down the passageway at a rapid walk when he heard running feet behind him. Ronan turned to see Cahir hurrying his way.

“Cahir, you should be in the med center.” Ronan protested, though he was glad his friend was coming.

“Med, center for what, I suffered far worse in the arena, besides Lilly and Lars are my friends too. Do you have a plan or are you simply going to search the entire level for her?” Cahir asked as they approached the elevator.

“I have not thought beyond finding her and making Lieutenant Indie pay.” Ronan replied as he pounded in frustration on the elevator button. A moment later there was a bing and the door opened.

Ronan was the first aboard, quickly followed by the others; he again smashed the button for the floor he wanted, taking his anger and frustration out on the elevator panel. The elevator began to descend and Ronan’s comm unit crackled.

“Your majesty, the princess contacted us. She has momentarily eluded her captors and is trapped in an emergency medical unit in section A 11.” Colonel Brandr’s voice filled the elevator.

“Is she well?” Ronan demanded as the elevator came to a smooth stop.

“The Princess said she was unharmed, but that she was worried about a worker who was shot, though she did say to hurry as her captors were attempting to gain entry,” Brandr replied as the doors opened.

“Can you let her know we are on the way?” Ronan said as he stepped off the elevator and looked about trying to get his bearings. It had been many years since he had come to this level of the ship.

“It is to the left, your majesty,” Captain Christo offered.

“Thank you,” Ronan said before turning and setting off at a run.