Enemy One (Epic Book 5) (34 page)

I am speaking to you on my own accord. Disclosing our communication would ensure it does not continue.

For what reason are we speaking?

There was a pause in the relay of thoughts.
Curiosity.

Her dark blond brows arched.
Curiosity?

You are an extraterrestrial. I have never spoken with one.

It was the first time in Svetlana’s life that she’d been the extraterrestrial in the room. It wasn’t a feeling she liked.
You said I was being used as an example. What does this mean?

Kraash-nagun shifted.
Uladek demands total surrender. You are a warning to the rest of the crew that defiance brings punishment.
His vacant eye sockets narrowed.
You are wondering why they did not kill you.

She was.

A corpse is easily forgotten. A living example preaches without speaking a word.

So she was a teaching tool, secured to the side of the captain’s chair like a slave for all of the crew to see. Apparently, defiance had its uses. The saliva had ceased its dripping; now her head was just sticky. That uncleanliness, combined with the amputation of her nose and the shame of her near-nakedness, were the worst feelings she’d ever experienced.
I doubt many here lack faith in their god
, she thought with spite.
I am sure they all saw what happened to Tauthin.

Tauthinilaas’s mistake was not his lack of faith—it was his outspokenness and the faulty assumption that time in human bondage would erase zealous loyalties. Not all who are aboard this vessel value Uladek as Nagogg does.

Svetlana’s blue eyes widened. Deep in her heart, the cinders of hope flickered.
There are others who do not worship Uladek?
Immediately, her mind began scheming.
If I can reach them—if I can find out who they are and convince them to—

Though the thoughts hadn’t been meant as communication with Kraash-nagun, he registered them just the same.
Do not deceive yourself with false ambition. No one on this vessel will join your cause.

…why not?

Because they see you now.

She knew what that statement was supposed to mean, and she took offense to it.
What of you, Kraash-nagun? Are you so easily discouraged?

I do not require discouragement to accept futility. I am blind. I am of no use in a revolt.

His answer left wiggle room for argument. She took it.
But you desire a revolt.

There was a pause.
I did not say that.

Nor did you deny it.
All she needed was one willing participant—one reason to hope. Kraash-nagun, blind or not, could be it.
You do not worship Uladek, do you, Kraash-nagun?
It was a shot in the dark, but a calculated one. The fact that Kraash-nagun was communicating with her in secret was enough to, at the very least, indicate a willingness to go behind Nagogg’s authority. That he was engaged in civil discussion about the possibility of revolt meant he might even be willing to undermine that authority with the right motivation. It was time to test his loyalties.

At long last, Kraash-nagun answered her.
I survive.

He was just like Tauthin. No loyalties to Uladek, only to staying alive by humoring the system. Svetlana could turn him.
You can be free, from the Khuladi, from Nagogg! From Uladek. All you need to do is release Tauthin.

Tauthin has no weapons. He would not survive the canrassi. And I am blind.

But I am here also.

You are inconsequential.

Blinking, she shot him a look—she couldn’t help it. After surveying the bridge to ensure no one had caught sight of it, her gaze resettled on Kraash-nagun.
Do not let physical appearances deceive you.

Kraash-nagun answered her as soon as the thought was finished.
I cannot see your physical appearance, nor do I need to. You were taken by Tauthinilaas because you had been rendered unconscious during an attack. You were powerless to fend off Nagogg, Gabralthaar, and Ka`vesh, all of whom have been tortured and starved for months. You screamed for Tauthinilaas to save you while pleading with your captors for mercy. You were incapable of both fighting and rationalizing yourself out of your current situation, which has left you mutilated, stripped, marked by a beast now considered your superior, constrained to the floor, and begging for aid from a warrior who has lost his sight.
Kraash-nagun tilted his head intently.
You are of no assistance to yourself. How could you possibly be of assistance to me?

It was a dagger in her heart. Every bit of what Kraash-nagun said was true.

Unlike the rest of Nagogg’s crew,
I do not take pleasure in your torment. But I do not pity you. You are the result of inadequacy. It is the opposite of what I strive to be.

Tears of anger brimmed in Svetlana’s eyes. With teeth clenched together so tightly that they threatened to shatter, she replied only with silence.

Svetlana felt the connection remain open for some time, as if Kraash-nagun was waiting for her to resume the conversation. But she made no attempt. Their connection was like a quiet mic on an open radio channel—there was only the silence of mental static. Eventually, the connection was closed. Svetlana was once again alone.

Inconsequential. Inadequate. Both words had been used to describe her. Truth was present in each.

How long have I been so weak?

Despite every part of her that pled for her teardrops to hold their place, it was a battle she was destined to lose. They rolled down her cheeks in quiet torrents, streaking through the stickiness the canrassi had left behind and trailing past the flattened cavity where her nose had once been. All around her, Nagogg’s crew went about their business as if she didn’t exist. There she was, a human being in their midst, anchored down by the side of their captain’s chair, yet deemed not a threat. She was barely worthy enough to be ignored. She pulled helplessly at her shackles; they wouldn’t budge. Ceasing the effort, she simply sat in her place on the floor. Lowering her head, the droplets fell from her eyes, falling through saliva-stained strands of her hair and falling on the metal below.

No more attempts to communicate with Svetlana were made by Kraash-nagun or anyone else on the Noboat, nor did Svetlana make any further attempts to escape or plea for mercy. She only sat in quiet resignation. Though her tears stopped falling, her head remained downcast.

This was her Wall of Mourning. The plight of the Bakma around her had been cast back upon her. She embodied every cruelty they’d faced, bearing the sins of
Novosibirsk
on her shoulders. It was a penance that, in her mind, she had earned. She was pitiful.

Now, there was only the wait for Khuldaris. The wait for whatever was in store, be it more torment or even death. What little fight had existed in her was gone. A part of her wondered if she’d ever had fight at all. Hope fell victim to the impending inevitable.

It never stood a chance.

Sunday, March 18
^th
, 0012 NE

0959 hours

Norilsk, Russia

BY THE TIME Esther walked into the medical bay, the Falcon Platoon survivors had already been released. The sole exception was Catalina, who was still on her cot next to Auric, prepped for her impending surgery. Wheelchairs, folded up in the corner of the room, were already waiting for both of them. Esther took that as a good sign. If wheelchairs were waiting, the two would undoubtedly be free soon.

Then, there was Natalie. The Caracal captain had expressed no surprise upon seeing the release of the others in the midst of her own continued incarceration. She was, after all, an “enemy combatant” in the eyes of the Nightmen. Her release was the last thing anyone thought would happen.

The only other people present were
Northern Forge
’s doctor, Gavriil, who was sitting in a swivel chair at the far end of the room, tapping away on a computer keyboard, and the pixie-haired Marina. At the sound of Esther’s entry, the doctor’s activities stopped, and he turned around. Smiling cordially, he nodded her way. “Hello.”

“Hello,” Esther said with equal cordiality.

“Esther Brooking, I presume?”

With a blank expression, she answered, “Are you sure?”

Gavriil chuckled. “If you are not Esther, then you have a very unfortunate resemblance. She is quite wanted.”

“Thank you for the compliment,” Esther said. “I need to speak to the alien.” All the while Esther talked, Natalie stood with her arms crossed against the glass watching them. Esther’s eyes narrowed when she noticed, and she snapped feistily, “Mind your own business, tart.” Natalie pursed her lips angrily, but said nothing. Esther’s focus returned to Gavriil. “Chop, chop! The Ithini. I need to see her.”

Smile fading, Gavriil sighed and stood from his chair. “Though I appreciate your enthusiasm, you cannot simply walk in here and demand to see something, let alone one of the specimens.”

“Why not? She’s
mine
. She practically followed me home.”

“You’re so pretentious, it’s almost unbelievable,” said Natalie through the quarantine glass.

Esther whipped her head to Natalie and glared. “It took all the restraint I could muster not to shoot you in the face, and I’m starting to regret it.”

Approaching the two women, Gavriil raised his hands to quell the spat. “Calm down.” His focus shifted to Esther. “Why do you need to speak to the Ithini?”

The scout glared. “She has a name, you know. The way you call her ‘the Ithini’ is kind of offensive.”

Laughing mockingly, Natalie said, “You literally just called her that very thing, yourself.”

Esther pointed at Natalie through the glass. “In the sodding
face
!”

“Ju`bajai,” said Gavriil, escorting Esther from the glass. “Her name is Ju`bajai, correct?”

“You’re pronouncing it wrong.”

The doctor went on. “What do you need to speak with Ju`bajai about?”

Tearing herself away from him, she said, “I want to do something new with my hair, and she has good advice. What’s it to you what I speak to her about?”

“Considering I have the power to ban you from visiting this room, quite a bit.”

Esther stopped her march toward the Ithini and glanced back. Her eyes narrowed. “Try it.” Turning back to the quarantine chamber that Ju`bajai was housed in, Esther locked eyes with her. Ju`bajai’s bulbous black ovals focused with concentration.

The connection was established.

Smirking, Esther looked back at Gavriil. “I’m sorry, I suppose I don’t need to speak with Ju`bajai after all. Ta-ta.” Waving at the doctor, she strode toward the medical bay’s exit.

“What’s your problem with the world?” asked Natalie from behind her own glass.

The scout stopped and eyed her. “What’s it to you, Venus?”

“Do you just enjoy being a devil?”

“A devil?” asked Esther, cocking her hips. “A
devil
? Sister friend, if you think you’ve seen me act like a devil, you haven’t seen a bloody thing.” The connection inside Esther’s mind pulsed. Ju`bajai was prompting the scout to communicate. “Now if the two of you will excuse me, I’ll be on my way.” Without another word, she walked out of the medical bay.

As soon as Esther was back in the hall, her covert conversation with Ju`bajai began.
Hey, sprite. Are they treating you well?

The alien responded with an emotionless,
I am accustomed to having purpose. At present, I have none.

We’re all accustomed to things being a little bit different than they are now. I need to talk to you.

I am aware of your purpose
, Ju`bajai conveyed without prompting.

Her brow furrowing, Esther turned to the medical bay door.
What do you mean?

You purpose to inquire about the mission of Centu`vach-Shon and his master. The information you seek, I have ascertained. I will relay all things to you upon my release.

“Sorry, it can’t wait until then,” Esther answered, inadvertently slipping out of thought mode. “We need this now, sprite.” Esther waited for the Ithini to reply, but no reply came. Hands on her hips, she faced the medical bay door and said warningly, “Ju`bajai…”

The Ithini’s words surfaced again.
I am willing to provide you with the information you seek in exchange for my freedom from this cell.
Until that time comes, the information will remain mine.

“Are you really trying to blackmail me right now?”

You are assigning negative connotations to an act that should be expected in a friendship. You should be happy to barter for my release.
Esther opened her mouth to reply, but the Ithini’s thoughts cut her off.
Your present location in the hallway is not ideal for this conversation to continue. Please enter the first room on your right. It is unoccupied.

The scout faced the room. “How do you know it’s unoccupied? Can you see through the sodding wall?” Ju`bajai never answered. Approaching the door in resignation, Esther gave it a gentle knock. After several seconds without response, she turned the doorknob and eased in. Indeed, the room was vacant and stark, indicative that no one had lived in this particular room for some time. Locking the door behind her, Esther flicked on the light and walked to the center of the room. “I’m waiting,” she said.

Once again, the Ithini’s thoughts came to her.
I possess the knowledge that you seek. Once I am permitted to roam this facility freely, as I was permitted in
Cairo
Confinement, all things will be made known to you. It is the only condition I require.

“Yeah, no,” said Esther flatly. “That’s not how ‘friendship’ works.”

It is how our friendship works.

The Briton pivoted angrily, glaring at the ceiling as if her conversation was with some celestial being. “We need this information, Ju`bajai! This is important.”

Its importance is known to me.

“Then why won’t you share it?”

The Ithini’s response came without hesitation.
Because the solution you seek is not mutually beneficial. I have knowledge that you desire. You are in a position to barter for my release. You are being very selfish, Esther.