Oculus IX

“Prymorus,” Deppar said grimly. “You arrived early.”

Prymorus’ mouth tightened at the expression of consternation that crossed the younger male’s face before Deppar hid it. He didn’t need to ask if Deppar had been successful in finding the Trivator—his expression told him that he hadn’t been. Pushing past Deppar, Prymorus entered his half-brother’s office.

“I suspected you would need assistance,” Prymorus stated, walking over to the wall of windows. “What have you discovered?”

Behind him, he could hear Deppar walk over to the bar. The sounds of Deppar removing the stopper from a liquor bottle and pouring the liquid into two glasses echoed through the otherwise silent room. In the reflection from the window, he observed Deppar’s nervous movements.

“He was helped,” Deppar said, walking over and holding out the glass of liquor.

Prymorus took the glass. His mouth tightened in irritation. He wanted information he did not already know.

“What have you done so far?” he asked.

Prymorus watched as Deppar gazed out the window and down at the levels below them. If it wasn’t for the fact that Deppar was useful at times, he would have already eliminated him long ago. Deppar’s only value to him had been the way he oversaw the Spaceport. Now he wasn’t even beneficial for that.

“There is a woman who I believe helped him,” Deppar admitted.

Prymorus turned and stared at Deppar with a look of disbelief. “A woman? You are telling me that a single female infiltrated your stronghold, overpowered your guard, broke through a locked door, and carried out a Trivator warrior—all on her own? Who is this incredible female warrior?”

A flash of anger crossed Deppar’s face at the sarcastic tone, and he walked over to his desk. Moving to stand behind Deppar, Prymorus watched him enter a series of commands into his computer. A moment later, the image of a woman’s face appeared.

“I don’t know her species yet. She was dressed as a Driserian, but as you can see, she isn’t one. She wasn’t alone. She, and whoever was with her, killed three of my guards in an alley near the Trader’s Market eight levels below,” he explained.

“Human,” Prymorus replied with a curl of his lip. “The woman is a human. How did she get here?”

Prymorus watched the play of emotions cross Deppar’s face as he studied the woman’s features for a moment.

“There is no record of her or anyone else like her arriving on the Spaceport. I’ve searched all the arrival documents for the past year. No one has ever seen her before. I’ve ordered reward notices posted for her capture on all levels. Interviews conducted with all the vendors in the Trader’s Market came up with the same response. No one recognized her,” Deppar replied in frustration. “It is like she suddenly appeared, then vanished. Even before this incident, I’ve had every departing spacecraft thoroughly searched, so there is no way she could have coming and going without notice. I do know she was wounded in the attack. My guards are tracking the faint residue of her blood. The process has been hampered by the activity in the area.”

Prymorus could almost feel his half-brother’s frustration. It matched his own. He rubbed the tender flesh of his gun wound. Gripping his drink, he returned to the window to look down at the activity on the Spaceport.

“The Drethulans on the warship will assist in the search for her and the Trivator,” Prymorus informed Deppar.

“The Drethulans…. Can they be trusted? We supply them with weapons which they could easily use against us,” Deppar replied with distaste. “My men will find both the woman and the Trivator. I don’t want the Drethulans on my Spaceport.”

Prymorus’s chuckle was soft and mocking. Deppar thought he was in charge, when truly he had lost his command position on the Spaceport the moment Prymorus had stepped onto it. With the Drethulans behind him, not even the Prime Ruler was a match for Prymorus and his power.

“This is no longer your Spaceport, Deppar. I will oversee the search for the human and the Trivator henceforth,” Prymorus stated.

“The Prime Ruler will…,” Deppar snarled, rising from his office chair.

Prymorus waved his hand in dismissal. “Our uncle is old and weak, Deppar. Be careful how you challenge me, half-brother. The star systems are about to change.” He turned to study Deppar’s outraged expression. “The Alliance will fall.”

Deppar gave him a skeptical look. “Just as it happened on that primitive planet? There was only a small regiment of Trivator warriors there. What about Dises V? You are the one who will fall, half-brother. You and your overweening ambitions will drag all of us down with you. If the Alliance doesn’t retaliate against us, then the Drethulans will. If I had my choice, I would choose the Alliance,” Deppar snarled.

Rage swept through Prymorus. Throwing his glass against the wall, he pulled the pistol at his waist and aimed it at his incompetent relation. Deppar’s sneer changed to wariness.

“Do not test me, Deppar,” Prymorus warned in a soft but dangerous voice. “The Trivator you allowed to escape could provide us with valuable and much needed information in the coming conflict.”

Deppar shook his head. “He would die before he would talk. Not even the drugs I gave him would loosen his tongue,” he argued.

Prymorus’s eyes narrowed. “I won’t need drugs to make him talk. I only need the human who helped him escape,” he replied, lowering his weapon and looking thoughtful.

“Why would that matter?” Deppar asked, confused.