“And what If I don’t agree? What if I go to Xan’Mara and ask the pilgrims for an orchard? Take a handful of seeds? Will you engage in a space battle with a Cyborg?”
A huffing breath filled his ears. “One flower. One, Dommik, and an inspection of your ship. We can’t allow unknown life into our system.”
“No.”
“No? That’s not good enough, Dommik. You have limited options, Dommik. Dommik. You can allow my eyes through your passageways or you can blow up into dust, you Cyborgs are said to possess reason. Life or death?”
“You mean life or a Cyborg parasite?”
Dommik could feel the shrug the Space Lord twitched through the intercom. He blew on his healing hand, letting his uncertain breath out of his system.What does it matter? Kat is mine. Mine. Mine.He repeated the words in his head.
“Fine, you can inspect my ship, but only you. We will put our faces in each other’s eyes and measure, and you will find truth in mine. Let’s waste some time, as you seem to be dead-set on the idea.” He allowed his ship to connect with the aliens. Every bump and grind of the tunnel that shot out and connected their ships scrapped at the back of his eyes.
Several lifeforms waited for him on the other side and Dommik went to meet them at the docking bay, well away from the hull and Kat. He stripped himself of all his weapons, several knives, a gun, and darts slick with his own poison.
It didn’t make him any less scary, any less threatening but if he knew one thing about the aliens he was designed to kill, he knew ritual was important to them and one didn’t bring weapons to a peaceful meeting. He waited while the docking completed, staring at the metal wall that separated him from his old enemy.
Dommik made a fist then quickly shook out his violence. He locked it down, tight, and the door swished open to three beings even paler than he was but with pearlescent veins of different colors.
The Space Lord stood in front, a bipedal, humanoid that had his white hair cut close to his head, a plain helmet of forest green hung at his hip. A scythe made of diamond was strapped to his back, even in the low light of the tunnel, it was too brilliant to look at. A trickster weapon. Only the Lord Markoss carried; his lackeys with long, braided hair were unarmed.
They carried, breaking the ritual. Dommik was a weapon in his own right.
Each Trentian wore gloves. Dommik made sure of it, eyeing their hands, uncaring that they knew he looked. Lord Markoss lifted his wrists to show him the buckles that secured his gauntlets in place.
He nodded, “Let’s get this over with.” The aliens followed him into his ship.
“If only we could trust each other, Cyborg, we would create the greatest army.” Rainbows shot out and danced with each footstep, created by the diamond blade.
“If only we could trust each other.”
Markoss laughed softly.
Dommik led them to the central interior where the EPED had stamped their name and symbol into the walls and floors. A lonely place that he never visited. “Now you have your proof and it’s even written on the walls for you. No battle. One flower. And we can leave here honoring our people’s peace agreement.”
The alien lord walking around the exterior circuit of the room, watching his steps and reading his ship’s history. It twinkled in his green eyes. Like Kat’s but silent and eerie. They wanted to kill each other. The tension was obvious and deadly.
“Dommik. Dommik. Dommik, where are the beings on board this ship? You must have a crew you are hiding away…”
He clenched his hand again. “Come,” he canted his head. “I’ll show you, for two flowers and safe passage.” When the alien chuckled again and trailed behind him, the terms were agreed.
They rode down the elevator in silence, facing each other, muscles ticking, sizing the other up. “Why do you want the O'lia’s?”
“I don’t. The people I work for do. Why do you wear your hair short?”
“Ah, so you noticed,” Markoss mocked. “Not every Trentian plays by the rules. Which could only mean one thing…”
“You broke the law.”
“I hate wearing my hair long, it’s bothersome. I cut it off.” The doors opened.
Dommik could smell Kat, her scent lingering in the air, the ventilation systems had not yet filtered her out. The aliens showed no sign that they knew she was there. Dommik kept his mind on his enemies as he led them to the facility, they stopped short when his glass enclosures came into view.
The android's continued their work as if nothing unusual was happening. They swept her presence away, benignly working on the tech. Immobilized under his control. Bin-Three stood sentinel down the hallway, around the darkened corner. One of his Bins started up the ventilation.
“The androids are my crew, they do my bidding, you won’t find another being except for the creatures, count them if you must.” He walked to the roach room and opened the door. “It might take you awhile.”
Markoss peered in and out, several seconds at most. “Three hundred and eighty-three. There are two creatures in that glass tower and four more in that one.” The alien indicated the Drogluks. A bird-like creature that can fly in multiple atmospheres with ease, wanted for study in durability. “There is a handful of walled off plants over there, I see no bugs outside the enclosures. It doesn’t quite add up.” Markoss turned to look at him. “Are you a liar, Cyborg?”
