Deep Space Endeavor 3 Death Match (6 page)

“But surely they’ll be able to tell the difference, right?”

“Some will, but a lot won’t. It doesn’t mean you shouldn’t do it, it’s just something to think about.”

“You said a couple; what else?”

“Have you thought about how your family will react? If you come home from this mission married, to a non-human, do you know how they’ll react? I know we’ve all told Bessa that our friends and family will love her when they meet her, and I believe that to be the case. Anyone that takes five minutes to get to know Bessa will find it impossible not to like her, but it becomes a different story when you are now telling them she’s part of the family.”

“I hadn’t thought about that,” Collin admitted.

“Again, Collin, it’s not a reason not to go through with it, it’s just something to think about. They might have a hard time with it at first, but once they see how truly happy you are and how much you love each other, they’ll get over it. It will still be awkward for a little while, though.”

“That’s true, but I still have no desire to see her experience any of that discomfort, especially from my family. I’ll have to give that some more thought.”

“Collin, it all comes down to which means more to you. A lifetime with the woman you love, even if it starts out a little awkward, or the approval of your parents. It seems to me, this is the type of thing you do without asking and then wait for them to get over it. Because if you ask them and they say no, it will be much harder for them to get over it if you do it anyway.”

“That’s a good point, too. I’m glad I brought this to you. Could you do me another favor?”

“Of course, I won’t mention it to anyone.”

“Thanks, man.” He gave him a quick embrace and went on his way to weigh his options. He knew Josiah was right. He wanted to be with Bessa more than anything. He would ask her, and marry her in this galaxy if she says yes.

Chapter two

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……… Back on Telos, Captain Ariel Marcos was beyond frightened; she was so terrified she could barely move.
How is this possible?
She had just closed her eyes after returning from a long journey to secretly see her cousin on Polisia. The lights were out and there was someone else in the room with her.
This room was supposed to be secure. I have two trusted bodyguards outside, how could someone have gotten in my room?
All of these thoughts were racing through her mind as her body tensed for the unknown. Her thoughts took her right to the worst possible place and she lay there frozen in terror. She thought about crying out, but could barely muster a sound. When the mystery voice spoke again, it was no less eerie the second time.

“Do not bother screaming, the walls of these rooms are virtually sound proof, and the two men you had stationed outside your room have been…relieved of duty. I must admit, I was surprised to find an empty room being guarded by two men, so I decided to wait for you to return. I was even more surprised when you entered the room, not through the doorway as one would expect, but through a wall. I am as well traveled as anyone in the galaxy, and I never knew this resort featured rooms with secret passageways. That information will prove most useful next time I stay here.”

Ariel stealthily reached the lights while the mystery man was still speaking and turned them on to see an Asian man reclining in the chair across the room from her bed.

“Who are you and what do you want?” Ariel asked as she stood in a defensive position.

“I am someone that has been sent with a message for Sea Side Enterprises. Would you like to hear it?”

“There are easier ways to reach me than tracking me down while I’m on vacation. Now, who are you?” She didn’t expect an answer. She had pushed the panic button in her bracelet and was stalling, hoping her rescue would arrive in time. She may not know who this man was, but she knew who he worked for and she knew what his message was. She just had no idea that she was on the Enclave’s hit list yet.

The assassin had no doubt guessed her intention as the lights went out and darkness once again filled the room. She stood perfectly still, listening for even the slightest hint of movement. She may have been terrified, but she was no easy target. She had been training with Earth’s best Special Forces units since she was thirteen years old. She would not go down easy. She was happy she was able to slip her shoes on and she didn’t think her assassin had noticed either. She was about to turn on her portable lighting unit when she heard it. The ever so slight metallic ring of a dagger being drawn from its sheath. It had come from her left, so she took a gamble and kicked out hard to her right. She connected and she heard a grunt. She was able to turn on the portable, but a kick to the hand sent it flying onto the bed. Just enough light was emanating from the portable to throw the room into shadows. Her attacker took a step back, and Ariel thought she saw him smile.

“This is going to be fun. It has been so long since I have been presented with any kind of a challenge. I do so enjoy a good challenge. I will also really enjoy killing the beloved cousin of the great Jesse Marcos. No one who has ever seen me has lived to tell the tale. I can see you wish to know who I am. It is simple; just ask yourself what year is it?”

Her breath caught and her heart leapt into her throat as she whispered,” “The Dragon!” The fear was threatening to take control of her, but she wouldn’t let it. She had to survive, if for no other reason than to warn her cousin that it had begun. She noticed his lips curl almost into a smile that let her know her guess was accurate as much as his next words did.

“Very good,” he teased. “But now you die.” He came at her straight on as his dagger missed the mark. He swung again and she was able to get her arm up in front of her throat as he sliced into her arm. She cried out in pain as she connected with a right hand to his jaw. The blow staggered him for a moment and Ariel took advantage by kicking him hard in the groin. Instantly, she was at the door fumbling with the lock. She was through the door just in time to hear the dagger hit the door as it closed behind her. She glanced back and the tip of the dagger was sticking out of the door.
That was some throw,
she thought as she continued to run down the empty corridor. As she ran for her life, she noticed the bodies of her two bodyguards and realized that help might not be coming. She sadly mused that it didn’t look like they died quickly and painlessly either. She looked down and realized she was trailing blood from the cut on her arm. She covered her wound with her ripped sleeve and continued to run as she heard her door open. Then, she heard soft but deliberate footsteps coming down the hall after her. She had to make it to the security station. She had to last until her other men arrived. The Dragon had killed the two guards outside her room, but he probably didn’t know about the two that were with the shuttle. She also had eight other guards posing as guests stationed around the resort. Some, if not all of them should already be on their way.

She made it to the lobby and it was a bloodbath. Blood splatter could be seen all over the walls and several pieces of furniture. Bodies littered the floor as she rounded the corner and gasped in fear. She was horrified to see that there were at least seven dead, including the two security guards. One dead behind the counter, a luggage boy was dead and three guests were dead as well. She began to wonder just how many people the Dragon had killed in his quest to murder her. She knew she couldn’t outrun him for long, and she needed to get the wound in her arm tended quickly because she was losing blood, so she stopped and looked for something she could use to fight with. She saw it almost instantly, stanchions, signifying the cafe was closed. Each stanchion had a six-foot long cobalt colored chain attached to it. She quickly ran over and unhooked a length of the chain. She then took off her pajama top, deciding for the added range of motion. She ripped the sleeve off her top and tied it around her wounded arm stemming most of the blood flow. She didn’t feel at all self-conscious about the skimpy tank top she was wearing. The reality was she wore less to the pool. She did, however, continue looking for things she could use to defend herself with against the galaxy’s most feared assassin.

The Dragon sauntered around the corner into the lobby, no doubt admiring his handiwork. He immediately spotted Ariel and he smiled as he began circling her in a wide arc.

“Your death is imminent. Do you have any last words?” He taunted as he slowly drew closer to his quarry.

“You will never get my cousins, Dragon. I’ll make sure of it.” As she spoke, she gripped both ends of the chain hidden in her pajama top behind her back, and waited for the Dragon to attack.

“I can’t wait to cut that pretty face.” He drew his dagger again and attacked. She was ready as she swung her top with the chain inside. She hit the Dragon’s hand, forcing the dagger to go flying, and injuring his hand. He had clearly not been expecting the move. He took a step back as she swung again, this time letting one of the ends go. The chain shot out to its full six-foot length, but the Dragon was ready, catching the chain on his injured arm with a grunt; he grabbed it and pulled hard. He yanked her off balance and then hit her with a knee to the solar plexus taking the air from her body. She hit the ground in a heap and he stomped down on her hand as she tried to rise, breaking several bones in her hand. She cried out in pain, and he smiled as he slowly walked over to retrieve his dagger to finish the job. He leaned over and picked up his weapon of choice. When he looked over to where he had left his injured foe, he noticed she was gone. He smiled again. He knew she couldn’t have gotten far and this chase was actually amusing.

“Come now, Captain Marcos,” he confidently began. “It is not becoming for such a distinguished member of the EDF to be running and hiding like a scared child.” He continued to mock. “I will find you and you will die. No one is coming to help you because I am jamming the signal your bracelet is broadcasting. It is just you and me, and soon, it will be just me.”

She couldn’t believe it.
Jamming? How am I going to get my men to my side?
She had a gash in her arm, a broken hand and at least two ribs that were bruised, if not broken. She was not going to win this fight against the galaxy’s most feared assassin. It wouldn’t take him long to figure out that she was hiding in the cafe. A million things were flashing through her mind as she knew she was about to die, but she had to push them all aside to focus on living just a little bit longer. She noticed the strong smell of coffee beans; Brazilian. It was an odd thing to notice at a time like this and she briefly wondered if the fear of imminent death heightened one’s senses. She glanced to her left and noticed a coffee grinder, mystery solved.
I would hate it if my last thoughts were of coffee beans
, she thought as she remained frozen. She dared not move as if immobility equaled invisibility.

The Dragon entered the cafe and spotted the blood drops on the floor. Each droplet fell in such a way that he could easily see the direction she had gone. Captain Marcos was close by. He spotted her in the corner and charged with his dagger drawn in his uninjured left hand. He saw the fear in her eyes and he knew he had her. He raised the dagger and struck for her heart. She moved at the last moment, and he instead plunged it deep into her shoulder as she broke a thick glass vase on his face. They both cried out in pain and fell to the ground. She still had the dagger sticking out of her shoulder as she began trying to crawl away on the cold marble floor. She remembered just yesterday sitting at a table only a few meters away, working on a fantastic breakfast of Eggs Benedict while her bodyguards laughed at how much she was enjoying it. She wasn’t sure how she managed, but she was on her feet and running towards the shuttle docking bay. It was almost as if muscle memory had taken over. If there was any luck left for her in the galaxy, the two men she left with the shuttle would still be awake and come to her aid. There was no way she could hide where she was going from the Dragon as she was now bleeding from two wounds and had only one good hand to try and stop the bleeding. As she was running, she was tackled from behind. Her face bounced off the cool imported marble as she hit the floor hard. The Dragon had caught up with her, but he was dazed, sluggish. She kicked him off of her and stood once again, but before she could run, a kick to the ribs put her back on the ground.

______

Somewhere in the Milky Way Galaxy, far from Coalition Space, the Jarlevian High Council had just been informed that their fleet had destroyed another human world. This was a much needed victory and a boon to the morale of the Jarlevian people. It had been a mistake to go after Earth, it was so far away that it was almost inconsequential but their expansion was what had the Council worried. Humanity had already spread like a plague following them from the Kalephi Galaxy many millennia ago to inhabit hundreds of worlds here in the Milky Way. The last thing they needed was a militaristic, technologically advanced, cluster of human planets showing up unannounced in their sector of the galaxy. They had suffered a great loss at the hands of Earth’s coalition. It would take years to get their fleet back up to full strength, but all indications were that Earth had no idea where Jarlevia was nor did they appear to have any desire to come looking. They were probably secure for a long time judging by the rate of Earth’s expansion. It could be hundreds of years before Earth ever became a problem.