Chapter Three

Our bolt-hole consisted of four rooms: the command center, a storeroom, armory, and sleeping quarters. I eyed the additional biosuits hanging on the wall. Papa said the Askole were the finest armorers in the galaxy. For normal-size people. Since I was so small, he had been forced to buy me a child-size biosuit. The one thing I did like about the suit was it shrank down to a thick metal belt when not in use.

With one touch, my biosuit shrank away, revealing the red body suit I wore beneath it. A sigh of relief broke from me. Qeeturah’s average temperature was 129 degrees, pushing my suit’s cooling system to the brink. Some days it felt like I was being baked alive.

Wiping at the sweat running down my forehead, I hurried over to the control console and placed my hand on the sensor pad.

A mechanical voice said, “Bioform identity confirmed. Please enter passcode.”

I punched in my code.

“Welcome, Xenia.” Lights danced across the command console. “Systems activated. Warning. The city is being scanned for life forms.”

“Acknowledged.” Papa had installed the best shielding credits could buy. Nilus could scan all he wanted, but he would never find me. I on the other hand, could scan their ship and identify the occupants. I studied the life-form readings. Sure enough, Nilus was onboard the ship, along with ten armored warriors and crew. Better see what were they doing. Tapping an icon, I brought the surveillance cameras on line.

On the main view screen, my uncle was disrobing. Dolon’s flabby body was covered in oozing sores, and blisters sprouted all over his bright red face. Rage vibrated through every cell of my body. I wanted him dead. Mami would be upset that I enjoyed watching the bastard suffer and horrified that I planned on killing him. But he deserved to die.

I touched the control icon again and brought up the area around the graveyard. Nilus’s heavily armed warriors were checking the downed ships. Any survivors they found, they executed.

Drekk. I wasn’t surprised that Nilus had become a grave robber. Last year, the glory hound told the entire galaxy he had found a star chart that showed where Qeeturah was located and invited the news media to accompany him on his quest to find the Nabateans’ lost world.

If Nilus had done the proper tests, he would have discovered the map was a fake. A fake my father had made. Papa didn’t like the way Nilus treated Mami and decided to teach him some humility. And he did. Nilus’s Folly was the term the news media used. The Federation was not pleased and suspended his membership for a year. How had he gotten his hands on that ship? Had Gemi, his lover and fellow Federation member, arranged it?

My idiot uncle had handed Nilus the perfect opportunity for revenge and a way to reclaim his status as a prominent archeologist. He would claim Mami’s find as his own and take the treasure. The first logical move would be to get rid of any witnesses who could testify we had gotten here first. Dolon’s big mouth was going to get us all killed.

I scanned the warriors’ battle suits. Once again, Nilus hadn’t done his research. The armor wouldn’t protect his warriors from the lethal radiation or the var bugs. I snorted in disbelief when some of them removed their helmets. Dumb move. It only took twenty minutes to get sun poisoning.

As much as I hated to admit it, I needed help. Our ship had been destroyed, leaving us stranded on this planet. I was outmanned and outgunned. I had to find Papa, protect Mami, and evade Nilus’s warriors and Dolon. Plus, protect the Nabatean’s city. An impossible task. Just getting Mami out of Dolon’s ship was going to be difficult, and if they were shooting at us, she would be facedown in the sand.

Drekk. Detja could send help, but they wouldn’t arrive for two weeks. Once I had rescued my mother, I couldn’t leave her alone to search for Papa. She would do something incredibly stupid and get us all captured. The only option was Quinn Jones. He had to be close to this solar system by now, and I could really use his teleporting skills. But I didn’t have his comm link code. I typed in Detja’s and waited.

Detja appeared on the screen, took one look at my face, and said, “What happened?”

I told her everything.

She frowned. “You can’t link with your father?”

“No. I—” My voice broke, “I can’t sense him at all.”

“The Overlord always suspected Nilus was a tomb robber. Unfortunately, he was never able to get any proof. Link me into your scanners.”

I did as she requested. That explained why so many of the Federation’s sites were plundered. Nilus used his position to get his raiders in before legitimate relic hunters could arrive. Jeebito or Tabaw had to have been Nilus’s partner in crime. And my black-hearted uncle hired both of them.

Detja studied her screens. “Quinn, are you receiving the data?”

“I am.”

Detja pushed an icon on her command console. A small window popped up on my view screen, and Quinn appeared. “Your uncle has a lot to answer for,” he rumbled.

“He does,” I agreed, rubbing my aching jaw.

Quinn scowled. “He hit you?”

“No, he wrecked our flitter with me in it.”

Detja’s mouth tightened into a grim line. “Did Dolon survive the crash?”

“Unfortunately, but on the bright side, he doesn’t have long to live.” I switched to the security feed of the passageway. My uncle was completely naked and scratching feverishly.

A spasm of disgust crossed Detja’s face.

Quinn grimaced. “What caused the bites?”

“Var bugs.” I sent them an image of the spiny critter. “They like our blood, and their bite leaves itchy sores.” I switched the surveillance camera to the freighter. Nilus’s warriors were blasting away at the mass of bugs surrounding them.

“The planet needs a good exterminator,” Quinn remarked.

“We tried exterminating them. It didn’t work.”

Quinn’s gaze slid over me. “You’re not covered in bites. You found some way to beat them.”

“Mami mixed insect repellant from Earth with neem oil and cala lotion. The bugs won’t come anywhere near us now.”

“My long-range scanner shows a high level of subatomic particles bombarding the planet,” Quinn said.

I nodded. “It’s the reason the Nabateans fled their world. Nilus and my uncle failed to do proper planetary scans. My uncle has already received a near lethal dose. Nilus’s warriors will start feeling the effects shortly.”

Detja interjected, “What level of protection does your biosuit provide?”

“Level eight. Quinn’s battle armor should be sufficient.”

“Good,” Detja replied. “What are Nilus’s warriors wearing?”

“Level five.”

“The ones who removed their helmets are already suffering from sun poisoning,” Detja pointed out.

I smiled. Their skin was blistering nicely.

More and more var bugs exploded from the sand. Firing wildly, the warriors retreated toward the ruins. The bugs scurried after them, creating a deafening symphony of rattling clicks.

“Noisy little suckers.” Quinn turned his attention to me. “Your hiding place is secure?”

“It is.” I sent him the coordinates.

“Got ‘em. Stay put until I get there.”

“How far out are you?”

“My ETA is about ninety minutes.”

I shook my head. “I can’t wait that long. I have to retrieve my mother before Nilus gets his slimy hands on her.”

Every inch a warlord, Quinn commanded, “You will do as you’re told.”

He seriously thought he could order me about? I made a rude noise. “Not a chance.”

“Are you suicidal?”

“Suicidal? No. Determined? Yes. I promised my father I would protect my mother.”

“Have you forgotten you’re outnumbered and outgunned? You won’t do your mother any good if you’re dead.”

“Has it slipped your tiny little mind that I’m an illusionist?”

“And a fire starter,” Detja inserted. “Lysis trained Xenia. She is a very capable warrior.”

A no-nonsense glint in his eyes, Quinn’s asked, “Are you planning on carrying your mother across the sand on your back?”

The arrogant Coletti needed a good smack upside his head. On the other view screen, I noticed Detja rolling her eyes. “I have a hover bike and a device that summons the var bugs. Anyone gets too close, and they will soon be doing the funky chicken itch dance,” I replied testily.

A surprised look flashed across Quinn’s face. “You’ve been to Earth?”

“We actually lived on Earth for a while.”

“Where?”

“Utah, Mexico, and then Egypt. Mami was fascinated by the pyramids.” On the surveillance camera, I noticed Nilus’s warriors running down a passageway. I grinned as they ran smack dab into Dolon, knocking him on his butt.

My uncle took one look at the horde of var bugs chasing them and shrieked like a little girl. Jumping to his feet, he tore off down the corridor with the warriors right on his heels.

I watched in disbelief as they ran around in circles, trying to lose the hungry bugs. Which was an impossible task. Believe me, I knew. “While they’re busy trying to evade the hungry insects, I’ll slip out and go after my mother.”

“Nilus will still be able to track you,” Quinn warned.

“Will he?” I touched an icon on my console, and a holographic keyboard appeared. I typed in a series of commands and hit Enter. A second later, ultrasonic waves bombarded Nilus’s ship. Within minutes, millions of var bugs covered every inch of the hull. The noise was cacophonous.

Detja looked at her screens and laughed. “Very clever. The sound distorts the ship’s scanners.”

“My father is an expert in battle tactics, and he came up with this technique.”

“Effective,” Quinn admitted.

I touched my bracelet and my biosuit reformed. “Promise me you will help me find my father, Quinn Jones.”

“You have my word.”

“Thank you.” As warlords went, he wasn’t too bad.

“Don’t get dead on me. I still have to take you back to Tanith,” Quinn growled.

Then again… I gave him the one-finger salute and walked into the armory. I could hear Detja scolding Quinn as I geared up for battle. My weapons belt contained two laser pistols, grenades, knives, and an ultrasonic bug caller. I pulled a laser rifle off the rack and checked the charge.

“Keep our link open,” Detja instructed.

“Yes, my lady.” Ignoring Quinn’s scowl, I punched in a passcode on the command console. The wall slid back, revealing a tunnel and two hover bikes.

Quinn grumbled, “You remind me of my sister, Kaylee. Nothing scares her either. She’s always getting into trouble.”

Trouble? I eyed Quinn angrily. “I will fight to the death to protect those I love. Are you any different?”

“No, but how many battles have you fought in?” When I started to answer, Quinn interjected, “Without your father’s help?”

“None.”

“My point exactly,” Quinn said sarcastically. “You will charge in without a thought to the consequences.”

“I will do what is necessary to keep my mother safe.”

Quinn snorted. “And get your ass shot off. Wait for me.”

“No.”

“Stupidity is not a virtue.”

The first chance I got I was stunning his ass. “You need to get laid. It might improve your disposition.” I gave myself a mental head smack. Goddess, where in the nine hells had that come from?

A smile curved Quinn’s mouth. “You offering, darlin’?”

“Not in this lifetime.” My love life might suck, but taking on a dictatorial, bad- tempered Coletti warrior was sheer madness. A sigh escaped me. No matter how attractive I found him.

“You’ve never been kissed, have you?”

My jaw dropped. What? One look at the devilry in Quinn’s eyes, and I knew he enjoyed provoking me. “That is none of your business.” My duties didn’t allow time for romance, and keeping Mami safe was a full-time job.

Quinn smirked. “Pucker up, sweetheart. It’s an easy fix.”

I started the hover bike and zoomed off. I was definitely stunning him. Twice.