Page 22 of Empire of Stars 4

They’d quarantined everyone in his office and her school. But then one of the scientists that had been there to lead the woman out to her family, back to her life, collapsed. She thrashed on the ground, blood pouring from eyes, nose, mouth and ears. That single larva had split before they’d thought.

And then another scientist went down.

And then two people who had been on the mate’s shared ride into the city.

And then five more in their buildings.

And then ten more at their various work locations.

And then…

Jace didn’t know this. Even if Gehenna or the Osiris had ever told this story to him, Jace always believed that there was hope. That propelled the Pilot forward, to explore, to inspire, to resist. And this wasn’t Jace’s people. This was a Thaf’ell on a world that Jace was desperately trying to win over. Who could expect Jace to end the life of a hostage with all of that going on?

We give you the Thaf’ell--

You have nothing to bargain with, Jace said, shocking Khoth.

Shocking everyone really.

We have the Thaf’ell--

You are surrounded. You are cut off from the Hives. You are not leaving this hallway, Jace cut them off again.

Hostage! Still alive! Uninfected! The Omull shook the Thaf’ell hostage.

The hostage let out a choked gasp that he quickly bit down on, looking shamefaced to have shown the fear inside of him. After Staulis it had been thought that everyone should be given a false tooth that, if bit down upon, would bring instant death. So if their homeworld became another Staulis, they could end it easily and painlessly, not to become one of the trampling masses that tried to escape and cause that chain of infection to leave the planet’s surface and go to another. But it hadn’t caught on beyond those that had witnessed things afterwards. Khoth had considered getting one and now he thought he should as he took in the Thaf’ell hostage’s stricken face.

Database for hostage! The Omull again shook the Thaf’ell hostage as if he was an extra large exhibit. Database for hostage! Uninfected!

Khoth wondered if Jace believed them. He knew that even if it was true that they wouldn’t test it. There would be no more Staulises. No more false hope.

How about you release the hostage and we don’t cut you into little pieces? Jace offered.

Khoth shut his eyes. Jace had been trying to stall for time. He opened them. This had to end.

Khoth checked his draagves. His back was against the wall. His mother stood beside him, her eyes distant as she clearly thought of something away from here and now. But he was focused on the moment. On what must be. On what must happen.

He would never put the burden of this on Jace. He would deal with it. He was already an exile. If the Thaf’ell wanted to blame anyone, it would be him that took it. Not Jace. Jace would be the one who fought for the hostage’s life. He would give the death that had to be given.

Just as he was about to turn the corner, bring the draagves up, aim and then fire, his mother was already moving. Already doing what he had thought to do, yet more than that. She fired her draagves, but also sent her rahir flying, end over end, through the air.

Her shot had taken the Omull’s head off that was holding the hostage. The rahir stuck out of the Cetix’s back that was next to the hostage. Khoth felt confusion fill him. Why hadn’t his mother shot the hostage? Why had she allowed him to live?

But then he understood.

“Take it,” his mother shouted to the hostage. “TAKE IT!”

The hostage smiled. He ripped the rahir out of the Cetix’s body, acidic blood flying, speckling him, even his face, that started to smoke. But the hostage didn’t even let his smile dim. Then he was swinging that blade towards the final Omull. It cuts clean through the Omull’s neck.

There’s a moment of silence as the hostage stands there, in the middle of three collapsed Khul bodies, with their blood pooling around his feet. Burning him. His own skin smoking. But the former hostage was smiling.

“Thank you,” the former hostage said.

And he plunged the rahir into his own heart. Still smiling. And then falling forward. Dead.