became serious, and Narath’s eyes flashed to Urenya at once. He could guess what was coming, the briefings had been warning about that for days now. He was a warrior, all things aside, and now that he was better, he’d be expected to do his duty.
“The Atherin have moved against us in great numbers,” Diego said, becoming the commander again in posture, standing up straight. “If we can crush this attack, I believe they’ll think before even considering crossing blades with us again. They’ve already been cautious for a while, so I think this is their last desperate attempt. Which makes them all the more dangerous for it. Those with nothing left to lose tend to fight like madmen. Be prepared, we descend to the surface as soon as they’ve prepared the shuttles.”
Narath nodded, saluting hand over heart.
“Yes, Commander,” he said.
“Do I need to come too?” Urenya asked. “To help with the wounded. Maybe it’s better if I’m there from the beginning.”
The commander’s eyes were cold and hard when he looked at her.
“Not this time, Urenya. I don’t think this battle will bring many wounded.”
When their general had left, Narath turned to find Urenya standing there stunned, rooted to place. Her lips were pressed into a hard line.
He walked over to her, and she threw herself into his arms, burying her face in his shirt. Narath held her closer, hugging her tightly, tighter than he probably should have, but Urenya responded with the same desperate grip. She was shaking when he let her go at last to go and prepare for the battle.
The kiss was as desperate as the embrace had been, her lips soft and warm. It took strength for him to pull himself away from her.
“Don’t worry,” he said. “I wouldn’t leave you now.”
Urenya nodded, but her eyes were sadder than he had ever seen them, even on that day years ago. It broke his heart to leave her like that, but he had his duties and Urenya had hers.
He smiled to her at the door once more and couldn’t shake the feeling he’d done something terrible when Urenya’s beautiful eyes went wide with horror.
The trip down to the surface was tenser than any Narath had ever experienced. Even warriors who had fought their way across battlefields for many years more than he looked serious. The only one who didn’t was the commander, but Narath had never known Diego Grothan to be afraid of an enemy.
“Landing in two minutes,” the voice of the pilot announced over the sounds of incoming fire from the Atherin fighters.
“I think you have the least to worry about,” the commander said so quietly only Narath heard him, sitting by his side in a compartment packed with Brion warriors, all hand-picked to fight at his side that day.
He didn’t know what to say.
“I don’t worry,” he boomed proudly. “I’m a Brion warrior.”
The commander sent him a knowing glare.
“Don’t lie to me. I’ve always said there is no honor and no true courage in denying the enemy was powerful. Only a fool wouldn’t be concerned for the outcome of today.”
Narath knew even less how to respond to that. After a second, he said,
“I apologize, Commander. Of course the Atherins are formidable. I just don’t think I can afford to think like that, because of…”
“Urenya,” the commander finished for him. “It’s only natural. A warrior with something to lose always fights with that in his mind. But she is the reason I think you’re the safest of us today.”
The shuttle landed with a nauseating thud and they got up.
“How?” Narath asked, pulling his heavy spear free.
Diego grinned.
“I don’t think fate would pull the same tragedy on her twice.”
The shuttle doors opened. They ran out and found that the ground was trying to kill them.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Urenya
Again .
That was the only word that seemed to have remained into Urenya’s vocabulary as she sat on the med bay’s table, doing absolutely nothing.
Some time ago, she’d
“The Atherin have moved against us in great numbers,” Diego said, becoming the commander again in posture, standing up straight. “If we can crush this attack, I believe they’ll think before even considering crossing blades with us again. They’ve already been cautious for a while, so I think this is their last desperate attempt. Which makes them all the more dangerous for it. Those with nothing left to lose tend to fight like madmen. Be prepared, we descend to the surface as soon as they’ve prepared the shuttles.”
Narath nodded, saluting hand over heart.
“Yes, Commander,” he said.
“Do I need to come too?” Urenya asked. “To help with the wounded. Maybe it’s better if I’m there from the beginning.”
The commander’s eyes were cold and hard when he looked at her.
“Not this time, Urenya. I don’t think this battle will bring many wounded.”
When their general had left, Narath turned to find Urenya standing there stunned, rooted to place. Her lips were pressed into a hard line.
He walked over to her, and she threw herself into his arms, burying her face in his shirt. Narath held her closer, hugging her tightly, tighter than he probably should have, but Urenya responded with the same desperate grip. She was shaking when he let her go at last to go and prepare for the battle.
The kiss was as desperate as the embrace had been, her lips soft and warm. It took strength for him to pull himself away from her.
“Don’t worry,” he said. “I wouldn’t leave you now.”
Urenya nodded, but her eyes were sadder than he had ever seen them, even on that day years ago. It broke his heart to leave her like that, but he had his duties and Urenya had hers.
He smiled to her at the door once more and couldn’t shake the feeling he’d done something terrible when Urenya’s beautiful eyes went wide with horror.
The trip down to the surface was tenser than any Narath had ever experienced. Even warriors who had fought their way across battlefields for many years more than he looked serious. The only one who didn’t was the commander, but Narath had never known Diego Grothan to be afraid of an enemy.
“Landing in two minutes,” the voice of the pilot announced over the sounds of incoming fire from the Atherin fighters.
“I think you have the least to worry about,” the commander said so quietly only Narath heard him, sitting by his side in a compartment packed with Brion warriors, all hand-picked to fight at his side that day.
He didn’t know what to say.
“I don’t worry,” he boomed proudly. “I’m a Brion warrior.”
The commander sent him a knowing glare.
“Don’t lie to me. I’ve always said there is no honor and no true courage in denying the enemy was powerful. Only a fool wouldn’t be concerned for the outcome of today.”
Narath knew even less how to respond to that. After a second, he said,
“I apologize, Commander. Of course the Atherins are formidable. I just don’t think I can afford to think like that, because of…”
“Urenya,” the commander finished for him. “It’s only natural. A warrior with something to lose always fights with that in his mind. But she is the reason I think you’re the safest of us today.”
The shuttle landed with a nauseating thud and they got up.
“How?” Narath asked, pulling his heavy spear free.
Diego grinned.
“I don’t think fate would pull the same tragedy on her twice.”
The shuttle doors opened. They ran out and found that the ground was trying to kill them.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Urenya
Again .
That was the only word that seemed to have remained into Urenya’s vocabulary as she sat on the med bay’s table, doing absolutely nothing.
Some time ago, she’d
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