“Keep behind me,” Gark ordered, and she didn’t disobey.
Jarden and Klath headed to the bridge, while she and Gark searched the ship for the humans. For Dylan.
The corridors were dark and dingy, like they hadn’t been cleaned in decades. Something dripped down the curved wall, Aletta stepping to one side to avoid the acrid-smelling neon liquid where it pooled on the floor.
The transport wasn’t a large ship. Vox had explained it was for intra-system transport and short-range supply runs, not for use in deep space, so it was barely more than basic crew quarters and a cargo hold. The whole transport usually had a crew of three, and the cargo hold could be reconfigured to transport livestock.
The closer they got to the cargo hold, the worse the conditions were, as if nobody had cared what happened down here. She wrinkled her nose at the smell of garbage and decades-old gunge.
They rounded a corner, Gark stopping in front of a door that looked like any other. He pointed to the faded sign next to it. Aletta couldn’t read the script, so Gark did for her.
“Cargo hold one,” he said.
Then pushed a button next to the door. Aletta winced, covering her ears with her hands as a loud squeal like a microphone near an amplifier filled the air.
“Fuck!”
She was so relieved when the noise stopped that she didn’t pay attention to the audio playing until she saw Gark’s expression of fury.
“Tell me what’s wrong.”
He shook his head and slapped his palm against the wall, chest heaving. It was then that she heard the audio coming from the speakers on either side of the door.
A male voice laughed. “Gark. A’Kar told us all about you. Ever the honorable warrior, no matter the cost.”
Aletta frowned. What was this?
The voice continued. “But we know the truth, don’t we?”
Gark slammed his hand against the wall again, sweat glistening on his brow despite the chill in the air.
“Nice of you to come save the few I’ve left. Plenty more where they came from. Guess you’ll never know exactly how many there are, will you?” The voice dropped. “You think you’ve won? Think again. No amount of self-sacrifice will ever make you the equal of a true Taurean warrior.”
Aletta moved to Gark, whose head was drooping between his shoulders.
“Gark. Talk to me.”
He shook his head.
“No half-breed will ever be the equal of me. Enjoy your death.”
Aletta’s eyes were as wide as saucers as another voice, this one the robotic female voice of the ship’s AI, sounded.
“Twelve minutes to impact.”
What?
CHAPTER 19
ALETTA
“Gark!” She grabbed his arm, shaking him. He looked at her, eyes glazed, then blinked and seemed to come back to himself. Whatever was going on with him, he needed to get his shit together. Now.
“Tell me what’s going on.”
He stared at her for a beat, then opened his mouth as if to answer, but his wrist comm beeped.
“Captain?” It was Vox.
