The fact that she needed the android to stay on his ship was noteworthy. As was the simple truth that Naima was still alive.
Brions weren't known for their modesty, not by far, but their pride wasn't flawed. The title of the most powerful warriors in the galaxy was well earned, perhaps even too well. Nevertheless, it didn't make any of them immortal. Great generals had fallen and died, freak accidents had claimed the lives of men who'd deserved better, lesser men had won glories through sheer luck.
No, Braen knew as well as anyone that no one in the galaxy was immune to the cold touch of death. Not even the Fearless, if he had any say in the matter.
It was horrible to consider, but the general saw no use in lying to himself. Crouched against the wall, Naima was, for all intents and purposes, completely at the mercy of the enemy. Braen didn't believe Sinetha's boast about the android's proficiency for one moment, however the construct was clearly very fast to have bypassed Kerven. It only needed one well-aimed strike and yet it hadn't delivered it.
He stepped closer, showing he had no fear. The android watched him come, wearing Sinetha's malicious grin. There was a long knife in its hand. Not a real weapon, utterly noteworthy, a simple piece of tableware – but it wasn't intended for the Brions. With a strong hand behind the blow, the android didn't need much more than an opportunity to kill Naima and their baby.
The thoughts flashing through his mind made the room around them darken, red flames dancing on the walls.
Sinetha's humorless smile widened, seeing that. Alona's mouth twitched. For a second it seemed to Braen that the Chali was going to lose control over the android. The confused shiver that followed confirmed that suspicion.
He exchanged a look with Naima. His gesha didn't wisely say anything. It was better to keep the android's attention fixed on him.
The realization that the android probably knew of the baby far before he or Naima did settled as a cold clump in his abdomen. Alona had been allowed to stay near Naima after the attack by the Fearless. He could only assume that its scanners had picked up the child then and Sinetha had blocked the android from revealing this information.
And now it was in the hands of the enemy.
"This is disappointing," the general said, his voice as cold as the vast emptiness of space that he planned to introduce to the trader very soon. "I thought you Chali were supposed to be smart."
The taunt worked. The android's face twisted, trying to mimic the trader's expression of disgust and reluctant agreement.
"Naturally, this wasn't my plan," Sinetha replied tersely. "Your little whore ruined everything."
The warriors around him drew spears as one, growling at the insult to their commander. The android laughed with Sinetha's voice, but Braen hadn't moved a muscle.
"Did she?" he asked, the dark hated in his deep voice making the trader wince despite her real body being light years away from him. "Naima is your only hope for life."
Sinetha glared, looking behind to see if her hostage was still in place.
"Don't bother with threats, General," she said, turning back to Braen when she was satisfied. "I know Brions. You wouldn't do anything that might result in harm to the pretty girl."
"That is true, but you should also know that if you do hurt her, there is no place in this universe where you can run from me."
The android's eyes seemed to burn as Sinetha leveled her gaze on him.#p#分页标题#e#
"I am a Chali," she said bitterly and it might have been the first truth the general ever heard her speak. "We are not loved, not even liked. We are hunted, by men like you who can't leave others to their business. You think you can scare me? Danger has walked in my footsteps since I was born."
"We have something in common then, after all," Braen replied, taking another step further. "Once more, I expected better from you. The dangers you speak of are riled up competitors, petty thieves like you, scoundrels and scum of the galaxy. You don't fear them. You don't have to. Locked away in your ship, letting your toys do the fighting.
“Look me in the eye now and say you're not afraid of me."
The room went completely black when he said the last word. Only the ominous fiery glow remained, casting the general in its aura and turning him into a shadow with deep red eyes, rays of light glinting off the spear in his hands.
Everyone moved at once.
His warriors dashed for Naima, as they were supposed to. Braen knew he was taking a risk, but leaving his gesha at the hands of the trader was unthinkable. Sinetha hadn't killed Naima yet and there had been real, genuine fear in her in the last second before everything went dark. The Chali knew that there was no way she could let her only leverage die like that.
Even in the pitch black, the general could see the android trying to shield Naima rather than hurt her, but the android was quickly driven back by the Brions. Armed with nothing but a knife, Sinetha had no choice but to let her prey go.
With a furious, broken cry, she jumped for the closest warrior. Through the mass of bodies throwing themselves between Sinetha and Naima, the general could see that he'd underestimated Alona.
The trader controlling it was able to move freely in the special harness that channeled its thoughts and actions and expressions to the world. Suspended in a suit fitted with straps somewhere far on her ship, Sinetha was able to perform strikes her own body never could have.
The warrior fell with a scream, pushed right into the android's arms by the bodies struggling to get Naima out of the way. Braen watched as the android's body took a heavy beating, but a being that knew no pain hardly cared about that.
Blocking the blows with one arm, electronics and inner compartments exposed, Sinetha fought back. The white pearly arm became a weapon in itself when it used its own long fingers as the spear tip of a blade, the long nails made of the same material as the rest of the body.
The dying scream of the warrior filled the quarters as Braen finally saw that Naima had been taken to safety. His gesha was looking around with wild eyes, utterly blind in the darkness surrounding her – nothing more than an advantage for Brions.
In the meanwhile, Sinetha had pulled her hand back through the thick Brion armor, the warrior's heart in a bloody hand. She quickly managed to retrieve the fallen man's spear as well, making it harder for the others to approach. Backed into a corner, the android fought like a trapped animal.
"Move away!" Braen roared.
Naima's head snapped in his direction at last. In the chaos of the room, the shadows of the general's valor squares were drowning out every other light. She couldn't see him, but she could hear.
"Braen!" Naima called.
Her cry was sweeter to hear than the general could ever have guessed. Usually seeing his gesha in distress killed him, but there was something different about Naima's voice all of a sudden. She wasn't just looking to him as a protector, but with longing.
With an angry roar, Braen turned to the android, aching to get it over with so he could have Naima alone again, safe as she could be.
"I know you can hear me," his gesha called after him as he approached the waiting Sinetha, who shrunk back from him, deeper into the corner. "Don't destroy Alona! It tried to save me! Just subdue it! I have an idea."
That gave Braen pause, but not for long. The look in the android's eyes reflected the absolute rage Sinetha was feeling, wherever she truly was. It was a sight the general had seen often – an enemy who had overplayed their hand, who had come close to what they desired and then failed.
And then the trader managed to surprise him.
"I don't want to kill you," Sinetha said, hissing. "You must live. I warn you now. Step back and give me the girl, or you'll regret it. Death will come to you swiftly."
"Have you lost your mind?" Braen asked as the rooms emptied around him, warriors pouring out of his way to make room for the general.
Naima stayed where she was, a whole squad of men blocking the path to her.#p#分页标题#e#
A hint of regret flashed in Sinetha's eyes and just then Braen saw the true emotion behind the Chali's actions. There was greed, yes, but also fear. It was like something terrible was lurking in her, out of reach yet close enough to feel its awful presence.
"What have you done?" the general snarled, raising his spear to guard.
"I thought I could do it," Sinetha whispered, her voice weak and sad and afraid. "We have our sources. And the Chali are many. As soon as I heard of the destination, I rushed there. The Fearless, General. Can you imagine what it would cost, just a little piece of it?"
Hunger crept into her voice as she spoke. Braen was disgusted, but he didn't move forward.
The android looked as terrified as the trader must have appeared.
"I was wrong," she admitted with terrible finality. "It was so strong already. I brought it aboard my ship. With our devices, our traps, I thought we could contain it. Kill it and let you deal with the next one. I would have done you a favor, General. If I'd succeeded, we might have bought you some of the time you wasted on your gesha!"
She trailed off for a second before continuing.
Braen gritted his teeth. He’d known that the Chali were up to something despicable, but to be so foolish? He could not have imagined anyone being so arrogant and idiotic.