She waved her hand at him as if trying to explain the situation simply by the fact that he looked the way he did. A Brion warrior couldn’t change the shape of his body, at least not in the negative sense…
Her words cut more deeply than Braen could have been prepared for. He couldn't be mad with Naima if he tried and rationally he understood her reasoning. None of that changed the fact it felt like the little Terran was driving blades through him with every word she uttered.
Just lust.
The thought even tasted bitter.
An ugly question occurred to him. Perhaps Naima was right and they had just ruined a single chance at making the bond real for… lust.
It took a great amount of will to assure himself it couldn't be.
Fates would not be this unfair. They are testing us, nothing more.
"I will send someone to you," he said, turning away, the look of pain in Naima's eyes impossible to bear. "I think it's best if you talk to Audrey Price as soon as possible, so you two can give me a heading. The sooner we find the Fearless, the better. It gathers more strength with each second and I don't plan to waste any time."
Naima didn't answer, simply nodded.
He left Naima in her new quarters soon after, vowing that he would never make a mistake with her again. Above everything, she was his heart, the one who he lived for.
Braen walked through the corridors, keenly aware of the ship around him.
The Benevolent was his vessel, had been for a while now. Braen knew every corner and inch of the gigantic vessel and it knew him. The warriors aboard had accepted his lead easily enough, for Brions.
There had been a few challenges following the death of General Valden, but Braen dealt with them as quickly and easily as his brother generals before him. He had swiftly come to understand that the thing that fed challenges was expecting them.
After killing a few upstarts who thought they could trick or overpower him in a manner of seconds, Braen hadn't had to fight for the rule of the army again. It didn’t mean he expected them any less, however.
The stories of the warriors who had seen feeds of what he did to the Fearless played a large part in that. Warrior pride was one thing – healthy and encouraged in moderation – but seeing Braen standing before the corpse of the Fearless was an image Braen doubted any of them would ever forget. The most brutal trophy he ever got quickly made his warriors consider their own abilities with a more sober approach.
So it wasn't exactly only that the fact he was better than the warriors under his command, though he was. That wasn't a good reason for Brions to not issue a challenge. Fear of death was unknown to them, but the fear of dying in an inglorious battle was a strong deterrent to the foolhardy.
So it was completely out of place when Kerven dared to stop his general while he was walking.
"Commander," the warrior said, unable to hide the tremor in his voice.
Braen's eyes went to the warrior's valor squares. They showed nervousness, but not doubt. As it should be. He waited with bated breath. The warrior showed great promise and his boldness was a way for the general to test him. Greatness needed to be nurtured, after all. Even Brions realized this, however reluctantly.
"What is it, warrior?" Braen asked.
"You have an urgent communication, General," the warrior said.
Braen gave the man another look, narrowing his eyes slightly. Like all Brion warriors, Kerven was tall and powerfully built, but he was also young. It explained a few things. Like why he thought it wise to barge in on Braen’s musings this way.
"Do I?" Braen asked, the low tone of his voice making the warrior in front of him wince. "Tell me, then. Who dares to summon me? And why did you choose to make the mistake of delivering that message?"
Kerven's valor squares flashed fear, but only for a second. A reflex more than a reaction. That was good.
Braen waited with all the patience in the world until the warrior searched for words. Both knew that his life was at stake, depending on whether the answer was right or wrong. There were few who were allowed to approach the general like that, and he was several ranks below them all.
"I didn't come to summon you, General," Kerven began.
In the pure Brionese they spoke, general became my undisputed commander. It was a phrase to show no insult was intended, but that very rarely worked on Brion generals.
The fifteen enormous warships were, after all, almost entirely manned by warriors, each and every one of them a dangerous fighter. The Galactic union had never understood how they functioned without mutinies and skirmishes, but then the union never heard the whole truth about how the generals kept order.#p#分页标题#e#
Braen had broken bones and spilled blood for less. It was in Kerven’s favor that he still felt somewhat… elated, for lack of a better word, from finding Naima.
Discovering his gesha could make a general surprisingly merciful.
"The bridge received a most irregular message," Kerven went on, looking Braen boldly in the eyes, no sign of that momentary fear anymore. "They said they'd wait to relay the message when they were informed that you weren't there. Since there is no precedent of this ever happening before, we did not cut the comm link. I came to deliver the information, sir. To warn you."
"Warn me."
The words echoed in the air, making it absolutely clear that Kerven better have a very good follow-up to that if he wanted to keep his tendons intact.
Of all the answers he could have given, Kerven chose the best. He nodded solemnly, although his voice was almost cheerful.
"Yes, General. To ask you to consider whether you wanted them dead now or later."
Braen allowed himself a small grin. Brions weren't known for their sense of humor, but as a man who others didn't usually dare to make eye contact with, the general enjoyed the occasional laugh. Kerven posed no threat to him, but the young warrior wasn't spineless. A perfect combination for the task Braen had in mind for him.
"Come," Braen said, heading towards the bridge. "Your insolence is forgiven. Now, tell me who do you think could infuriate me to the point where I'd lose my temper?"
Kerven slowed his pace until he fell behind a little.
"The Chali have contacted you, Commander," he said.
Chali.
Braen rounded on the young warrior so suddenly all color drained from Kerven's face. His valor squares sent the same signal as before, befitting a Brion warrior. Wary, but sure.
Seeing that, Braen reined in the fury surging through his veins. Kerven was a messenger, nothing more. He wasn't going to spill Brion blood over one of the species Brions liked the least in the galaxy.
Kerven's warning also started to make a whole lot more sense.
As the most powerful warriors in the galaxy and in the Galactic union , Brions didn't lack for enemies. They had wiped out civilizations in their dark days and held numerous wars with the majority of those who still existed.
Braen considered the current generation of generals benevolent compared to some of those who'd come before them, as Diego Grothan had joked once. In his days, it was considered polite to give their enemies at least a warning before turning their rivers to blood and rain to ashes.
Earlier, that had not been the case.
Of all the enemies, the Chali were the only ones who didn't actually pose a threat. The issues Brions had with them were far deeper.
"What do the traders want?" Braen demanded harshly.
Kerven had the good sense to look a little uncomfortable answering that.
"The woman didn't tell me much," he said. "Only that it concerned the Fearless."
Braen's laugh was bitter and humorless as he stared Kerven down with flashing eyes. The darkness around them was turning red in the light of the general's valor squares, mirroring his anger.
"I see," he growled. "You have done well, Kerven. Consider your warning delivered."
"General..." Kerven continued. "That is not all. The Chali offered their help. The reason I came to tell you this is to make sure you consider your answer. Sir."
Silence set in the bloody light around them, but it slowly receded as Braen forced himself to calm. Unlike some of his brother generals, he never bothered to hide his emotions. They were reflections of his nature. Just as fierce, just as true.
Brave.
"I was wrong about you," Braen said quietly.
Kerven's fingers twitched. The general knew how badly the young warrior ached to draw the spear in his defense in that second, but Kerven's nerves held.
"The Fearless is somewhere out there," the warrior said, forcing conviction into his words. "There is much we don't know about it, but the Chali might. They have technology far beyond us. For years, they've tapped into things the Palians are too noble to deal with.
“And besides... they won't stay away from this, you know that, General. If they help, we can keep an eye on them."
Listening, Braen considered. Every inch of him, down to a genetic level, objected. No Brion needed help with the enemy and certainly not from the traders.
He did, however, see Kerven's point. The Chali were notorious for scavenging, pillaging and simply stealing everything valuable. To let them anywhere near the Fearless was just as unthinkable. The traders never bothered with anything that wasn't beneficial.#p#分页标题#e#
Braen couldn't imagine a single thing about the Fearless that would have been harmless for the Chali to obtain.