"Surrender the prisoners to us," the lead soldier said.
"No," came one of the prison guards.
The lead soldier raised his weapon. "This is not up for debate."
"This is ridiculous. The Emperor will not tolerate this," the front-most prison guard said.
"Yet here you are," the female soldier said.
The guard lunged at her. She jerked to the side, and with a strong hit, she sent him out of the way. The guard came back at her. One of the other soldiers stepped in the way.
"Enough!" The soldier glared at her.
"Yes, sir!"
The male solder turned to the guard. "Are you finished?"
The guard opened his mouth.
"The Emperor is dead," another voice overtook the conversation. This one, though, Kolvin knew.
It was Zapier. The head scientist, or torture creator, on the ship. The one who devised all the ideas for removing and testing the Rhimodian tech.
Just seeing Zapier made Kolvin's skin crawl. This was some kind of test or way to get the Rhimodians to do something. He knew it had to be. Zapier didn't show up just to visit. The scientist--and Kolvin used that in the loosest of terms--always had a purpose.
Behind him, he could hear Solkan growling.
Marcin, who was in front of Kolvin, whispered to a different guard. "What's going on, buddy?"
"You're all being taken off the ship. Returned to the Rhimodians," the guard said, his voice low.
"We are under a time restriction. Let us move, then." Zapier waved his hand. "Take possession and return them to the required coordinates. This is the last ship."
The guards did not look happy about it, but they stepped to the side and let the military officers take possession of them.
The soldiers took each prisoner's arm. The first one took Marcin; the second male took Kolvin.
That left the female to take Solkan. She barely came to his shoulder.
Kolvin glanced back at Solkan.
"Be nice," he mouthed.
Solkan frowned but remained still.
"Have fun with him, girlie," the guard said. "He's a fiery one." When the female went to grab his arm, one of the guards threw the restraints at her.
It smacked her in the face, the electrical fields making her shake and convulse, and she stumbled back.
Kolvin's fury boiled up under his skin, and he turned to--
Solkan, however, moved faster.
Solkan spun and punched the guard. Sent the man to the ground. He twisted, so he blocked the female and growled at the guards moving in to attack him, their stun weapons out.
"We told you! He's better off--" one of the guards yelled.
Zapier took two steps back.
