Chapter Eleven – Gylden
The T'shav that he had faced in the arena had never been this big.
Gylden couldn't help but stare in awe. He has always considered himself well-sized, with thick muscles and a tall build. These three, however, were easily three feet wider and two feet taller each. They were sheer masses of muscle, and though none of them reached for the broadswords strapped to their backs, he couldn't help but shiver in both fear and wonder.
"This doesn't have to get violent," the middle T'shav said. He had a scar cut diagonally across his face. "The reward to bring you back alive is higher than the one to bring you back dead. Put that weapon down and we'll be civilized about it."
"Except as soon as the network gets their hands on us we're dead," Bianca spat from behind him.
A second T'shav, one with a dark tattoo the shape of a sun on his chest, chuckled. "She has a point there."
Scarface gave Tattoo an annoyed look. "Will you let me handle this?"
"If you'll allow Bianca to go free, I'll go with you without a fuss," Gylden blurted.
The third bounty hunter, a man with shaggy hair, shook his head. "Bounty for you both dead is more than the bounty for you alone but alive. So either you both come with us alive, or we take this outside and we kill you. We'll let the girl live as long as she doesn't put up a fuss."
"Outside it is," Gylden snarled. He wasn't going to let them get their filthy hands on his mate!
Scar-face shrugged. "Come along, then. You can't fly anywhere with a giant hole in your ship, anyway."
The three turned their backs and strode back down the gangplank. Bianca gripped Gylden's arm. He kissed her fiercely.
"While I have them distracted, run. Find a new ship and get out of here."
"But—"
"Please." Gylden stroked her hair from her face. "For the baby."
Bianca's eyes filled with tears. The T'shav gave her one last kiss, then marched down to face the bounty hunters. They have spread in a loose triangle formation some distance from the ship. Gylden stopped just off the gangplank to observe them. All three had their swords drawn and were loosening their muscles. It was clear, looking at them, that they had experience doing this. In the arena, Gylden had to fight other T'shav, of course, but none had been this tall or this strong. His only advantage would be speed. And even that wasn't much of an advantage against the three of them. If they got him surrounded, it was over.
"Let's see how real gladiator fighting really is," Tattoo crowed, swinging his sword in a circle. "Let me have a go at the famed Gylden first."
The other two laughed and nodded. Gylden didn't allow himself to feel relief. Yes, it would be easier to fight off one than all three at a time, but that didn't mean that it was going to be easy. Or that they would, in fact, face off against him only one at a time. At least this was still private. There were no drones filming his every action.
Tattoo charged. Gylden waited for the last moment to pivot out of the other T'shav's way, swinging his sword low across Tattoo's belly. The bounty hunter brought his own sword down, clashing against Gylden's. The shock reverberated up his arms, jolting his shoulders. Gylden grunted as he was forced back a step to regain his footing.
His enemy's sword swung at his head. Gylden bent backward, ducking under the blow, and kicked into Tattoo's stomach. The other T'shav stumbled backward, gasping for breath. Gylden pressed his advantage, driving in for a killing stab. Tattoo knocked the blow aside, twisting in closer to Gylden as he did so.
Gylden was used to this tactic. He dropped his sword and wrapped his arms around Tattoo's head. His enemy released a small gasp, knowing what was about to happen. As Gylden twisted sharply, he felt a pain blossom in his abdomen. He dropped the other T'shav to find a wicked-looking dagger sunk deep into his abdomen.
The gladiator yanked out the weapon and ripped off his sleeve, packing the fabric into his wound to slow the bleeding. The other two T'shav glanced at their fallen comrade and nodded, looking impressed.
"You do have skills," Scarface said. "Well, that and he was a real hothead. But you got yourself injured. Sloppy. Still, good job. If it wasn't for the bounty on your head, I'd offer you a place with my crew."
Gylden rose his sword again, blinking sweat from his eyes. The two bounty hunters left circled him, splitting to flank him. He backed away towards the ship. And his heart sank as he realized that Bianca hadn't done as he had said. They wouldn't have been so distracted by his fight as to miss her running away.
Which meant she was still inside.
"Bianca!" he shouted as the two bounty hunters moved closer, both with feral grins on their faces. "Run! Get out of there!"
"What's the matter?" Scarface mocked, stopping at a distance that was just too far to Gylden to act on. "Your little slave-of-a-slave not doing as you told her to? It's a shame that you put the life of your child before hers. If you had kept your head and not killed Taskus Draw, the two of you could be living a life of comfort and happiness together with the universe adoring you. Wouldn't that have been better than dying today?"
"Stuff it!" Bianca's clear voice rang from the top of the gangplank.
A small silver orb flew through the air. It hit the ground at Scarface's feet, and bars of blue energy shot up all around him. He cried out, surprised. A second orb hit the ground at Shaggy's feet, and a second energy cage blossomed around him. The expressions of both bounty hunters twisted in fury, and both struck at the cages – only to be blown backward into the opposite sides. Both shouted in pain.
Gylden twisted to see Bianca running down the gangplank. She had an armful of the cage anchors. They tumbled from her arms as she ran to him. The T'shav wanted to wrap his arms around her and tell her how smart she was, but there wasn't time.
"These aren't anchored," Scarface shouted after them as the two fugitives joined hands and ran. "We'll be free before you know it!"
"This way," Bianca said, tugging Gylden's hand.
She headed for a nearby ship. The gangplank was open, unlike the ships around them, and he could only hope that this was the bounty hunter's ship and that nobody else would be aboard. There were a few people around the docks, some hiding behind crates, others with personal recording devices pointed at them. He was being filmed in the end after all. Gylden wished he could go destroy each and every one of them.
Just as they reached the gangplank of the ship, Gylden stumbled. Blood was soaked through his robe, and the fabric he'd packed into his wound was working its way free. His head spun quite suddenly, and he nearly collapsed. He heard shouts behind him as the bounty hunters freed themselves. But Bianca was there, with him, supporting him as they ran into the ship. She ordered the gangplank to rise as she ran towards the cockpit.
Gylden let himself drop, breathing deeply through the pain. The wound, while bad, was not fatal as long as the ship had a regenerator. He felt the ship's engines start up. Gravity tugged at his navel as they took to the air. When that tug was gone, he knew that they were safe in the reaches of space once more.
Bianca joined him soon after. Her hands were tender as she looked after his wound, and he watched her silently. Without her, he never would have had the strength to fight back against the horrors of his life. He owed her far more than he would ever know.
"We'll be at the Sanctuary soon," she said, her voice trembling. "This ship is fully fueled. We won't have to stop until we're there. And then these bounty hunters will stop. Zon will protect us, and you'll never have to kill again. We can be a proper family."
Gylden suppressed a shiver. He had been avoiding thinking about that since they left the network station. He had been a gladiator his whole life… He was good at it, as he had just proved. If he wasn't going to be a killer, what was he?
His hand drifted to Bianca's stomach, and he was bolstered once again. He was going to be a good mate to his mate, and a father to his child. He managed a small smile. There was no reason to be afraid… He was going to figure out who he was, and it would be glorious.