On a Rogue Planet (7 page)

Dathan shifted. “That’s crazy! So anyone can come and steal it and be considered ruler of the planet?”

“Yes.” Xander felt a rush of anger. He’d argued for years that the ruling council should change the old law, in case of a situation just like this. They’d argued it was tradition. “In the early history of our planet, strength was worshiped. Today it is still important.” He stared at the implants on his wrist, a symbol of what his planet cherished. “The Prime is now elected, along with the members of the ruling council. Most think of the Antikythera and
valengeniture
as nothing more than quaint custom. No one believed anyone would take advantage of the ancient, outdated law like this.”

“So this Dax can do whatever the hell he wants?” Niklas asked.

“Yes. Without the Antikythera, Axton and the ruling council have no right to rule.” For the first time since he’d been a child, Xander felt a wash of helplessness. “No allies will help me get Centax back.” He tried to catch Malin’s gaze again, but she studiously looked at her cousins. “I have to save Centax. That’s why I came here with Malin.” He turned to look at the others before settling on Dathan. “I need your help to find and steal back the Antikythera.”

And if they wouldn’t help him, then he’d do it on his own. Or die trying.

Xander was drawn back to Malin. It was like a magnetic pull he couldn’t seem to control. His gaze drifted lower down her slim neck. He wondered how soft her skin was there, how sensitive.

He blinked slowly. He was a CenSec, created to protect and carry out his duty to Centax. He had no business touching anyone, unless it was to kill them.

Emotions battered against him again. Xander closed his eyes and tried to strengthen his filters.

Xander’s enhanced senses picked up movement. When he looked up again, it was Dathan Phoenix studying him with a hard blue gaze. “We don’t do charity work. Sounds like you’re without any funds.”

Eos gasped. “Dathan, his planet needs help. Its women need help.”

Xander had no trouble keeping his face blank. He wasn’t really warming to Malin’s infamous cousin. “I have access to hidden Security assets off-planet that Rexon can’t trace.”

Dathan turned to Malin. “I figure this is your call.”

Mal’s eyes widened. She shoved her hands in the pockets of her coveralls. “Why? He needs a treasure hunter, he doesn’t need me.”

Xander did not like her careless tone. Something had changed in the last few minutes and he wasn’t sure what.

“You’ve been involved since you helped him escape,” Dathan said.

Malin was still, considering. She hunched her shoulders and lifted her face. “Centax needs our help. We can’t leave women and children to suffer.”

Xander released the breath he hadn’t realized he was holding. They’d help him. “Thank you.”

Dathan rubbed his hands together. “Well, let’s plan a treasure hunt.”

***

Mal leaned against the holo-table and pretended
not
to watch Xander standing so straight and still beside her.

I certainly don’t feel anything for Malin.

It had been a blow to her gut. Her insides still hurt.

She was
so
stupid. She’d been so busy fooling herself that all of Xander’s slight tells were indications he felt something. Felt something
for her
.

Stars, was she really so desperate she was trying to wring something from a cyborg? A cyborg she barely knew? Hurt and anger were a nasty mix in her tight throat. She stared blindly at the glow of the holo-table, seeing nothing, barely registering the voices around her.

She didn’t need this. She didn’t need another man—especially one who wasn’t even completely flesh and blood—stomping over her. Her hands gripped the edge of the holo-table.

“Where’s the Antikythera?” Dathan asked.

“I don’t know,” Xander answered.

Dathan crossed his arms over his chest. “Gonna make it kind of hard for us to find it.”

That muscle ticked again in Xander’s jaw. When Mal realized she was staring at him, she looked back at the holo-table.

“I know it was taken off-planet. The last contact I had with Xenia—she’s the second in command on my CenSec team—she confirmed the mercenaries had taken it on Rexon’s orders.”

“We need to ID these mercs,” Mal said.

Xander frowned. “Yes. But so far I’ve been unsuccessful. I’ve searched all my databases and haven’t found anything that matches.”

“Maybe I should have a try,” said a feminine voice.

Xander stilled, his gaze raking the room. “Who is that?”

“BEll,” Lala said as she sauntered into the room. “She’s like your sister.”

Xander’s frown deepened. “What?”

“She’s our bio-comp,” Mal said. “A Biocomputerized Entity Mach II.”

“You have a computer with biological components? They don’t exist.”

“Dathan won her…it’s a long story. BEll, meet Xander Saros. Xander, BEll.”

“A pleasure,” drawled BEll. “General Xander Saros of Centax. Age, thirty-three standard years. Most promising candidate in the Centax Security program. You far outstripped your fellow trainees and had the exceptional ability to accept every enhancement and implant given to you. Bit of a dubious ability, if you ask me. Three years ago, they made you head of CenSec Field Operations. One year ago, they made you head of Centax Security and promoted you to the rank of general. You’re known to be a cool customer, an emotionless, lethal killer, and brilliant strategist. Did I leave anything out?”

Xander was quiet for a moment. “I don’t think so.”

Dathan was right. Xander wasn’t just a CenSec, he
was
Centax Security. “BEll, we need to identify the mercs who stole the Antikythera.”

“I can check my databases.” As they spoke, the blue surface of the table flickered and changed. An image of the ancient, encrusted Antikythera appeared. “Can you provide any visuals?”

“I can upload images.” Xander pressed a hand to the table.

“Uploading now,” BEll said.

Malin turned her attention to the image of the mechanism. It wasn’t beautiful but it sure as hell was compelling. So ancient, a testament to human ingenuity. A precursor to so many things to come. Her gaze slid to Xander.

He leaned forward over the table. “The mercenaries are big. Many close to seven feet tall. Athletic. Skin covered in a distinctive, cat-like pattern, various hair colors. They are well-versed in hand-to-hand combat. They are equipped with weapons that can disrupt Centaxian enhancements.”

Images flickered onto the screen.

“Fricking giants,” Dathan muttered.

Mal felt her stomach do an uncomfortable turn, memories of her recent tangle threatening. Like the giant she’d fought, they were all huge, with bulging arms. Most had shaved heads. But what stood out the most was the striped pattern on their skin. “It looks like the pelt of a large cat.”

Xander nodded. “They have fangs as well.”

Another image appeared, and in this one, the man’s large canines were distinguishable.

“Shapeshifters?” Eos asked.

“Not that I saw.”

“Nothing in my primary databases. Running secondary searches,” BEll said.

“Like I said, I checked all the Centaxian records. Nothing came up for these people.”

“I’ve got something.” BEll’s voice was smug. “Just a small reference.”

Mal was eager to hear and knew the computer liked to grandstand. “Spit it out, BEll.”

“They appear to be an engineered species called the Rahl.”

“Engineered?” Mal winced. Her thoughts were on her new cousin-in-law, Ria. She’d been the victim of a regeneration program and was now also part of an engineered species.

“They were created in military labs as a kind of super-soldier. Whole bunch of DNA mixed together. Of course, they were bred as fighters. Their aggression levels are off the charts.”

“Let me guess,” Nik said. “They got away from their masters.”

“Yep. Slaughtered them. Took over the planet.”

“What planet and where is it?” Xander demanded.

“Even cyborgs should have some manners,” BEll huffed.

“Where. Is. It?” His tone was lethal.

“Please, BEll,” Mal added.

“Fine. It’s a planet called Rhage in the Remington system.”

Dathan was frowning. “Rhage? Rhage? That rings a bell.” He straightened so suddenly Mal started. “Shit…the pit-fighting world.”

“Come again?” Eos asked.

Dathan ran a hand over his face. “Now I know. It’s a pit-fighting world. It isn’t mentioned in polite circles. The quadrant’s best underground fighters go there and fight in giant pits. To the death.”

Mal grimaced. “That’s horrible.”

“They can make a lot of money and apparently business is brisk.”

“I don’t care what they do,” Xander said. “I just want to find where they’re holding the Antikythera.”

“They don’t welcome visitors. Only fighters.”

“So, I’ll go in as a fighter.”

“Look CenSec, you came to us for help. We need to plan—”

“I just suggested the plan. I go in as a fighter.”

“We can’t go in half-cocked—”

Mal slammed her palms on the holo-table. “Stop it!”

Both men went quiet.

“What else do you know about Rhage?” she asked.

“They bet heavily on the fights. Each fighter is expected to put up a lot of money and…”

“And?” she prompted.

“A woman.”

“What?” This from Eos. “They bet women?”

“Scum,” Nik said darkly.

“I’ve found another record,” BEll chimed in. “There are no female Rahl.”

Xander was scowling. “I don’t recall seeing any female mercenaries.”

“They mate with females of other species but only have male offspring,” BEll added. “That’s why women are valuable prizes to them.”

Eos cleared her throat. “I could go with Xander—”

“No.” Dathan’s voice was low and deadly quiet. “You’ve already been auctioned once. I won’t have you up for a bet.”

Mal saw Eos shiver and knew she still had nightmares from the time she’d been kidnapped by slavers in the Devil’s Nebula. Luckily, Dathan had rescued her.

“I’m sure Ria would be happy to go in,” Niklas suggested. “We’d have to wait for her and Zayn to get back.”

“We can’t wreck their honeymoon.” Mal knew those two deserved their happy ending. They’d both been through too much for them to call them back ahead of schedule. Her thoughts flickered briefly to Traxan and the smoke rising above Haxx. Whatever crazy fascination Mal felt for Xander, it didn’t stop her wanting, needing, to help Centax.

She sucked in a deep breath. “I’ll do it.”

“No.”

“No way!”

Dathan’s heated refusal rolled off Malin. But Xander’s quietly whispered word sent shivers down her spine. She turned slowly to look at him. His eyes were glowing green.

“You want the Antikythera back, right?” she said.

“Yes. But you will not set foot on Rhage.”

“It’s the best option.” She tilted her head. “Besides, what do you care, anyway?”

“Mal, I know you’ve helped with a few hunts before, but this is a bit beyond a simple hunt,” Niklas said.

He wasn’t protesting outright, just using logic and facts to try and get to her. Classic, Nik.

“I want to help Centax. I’ve visited there many times and I like it. I consider Traxan from the salvage yard a friend. Besides, if I can do anything to help Centax’s women, I will.”

With the sound of gum popping, Lala strolled forward. “Well, girl, I think you’ll need to borrow some stuff from my wardrobe because according to those images, coveralls or cargo pants are
not
going to cut it.”

Mal spun and saw the new images BEll had displayed. Her throat went dry.

They looked like images captured by people’s personal Syncs. Candid. Not all in focus. A huge crowd gathered around a sunken pit. In the center of the pit were two fighters stripped to the waist with muscles bulging, one with blood smeared over his ridged abdomen.

But it was the women who caught her attention.

They were wearing…very little.

Filmy fabrics and microscopic skirts. A few were naked except for beaten-gold metal jewelry wrapped around their necks, biceps and wrists. Skin. Skin and more skin. And from the looks of them, most of the women were happy to show their wares and cheer on the brawling fighters.

Mal closed her eyes for a second. What had she just agreed to do?

She could pull out, just head down to the hangar and get back to work stripping apart her engines.

When she opened her eyes, Xander was in front of her. She hadn’t heard him move.

“I won’t let you do this.”

Anger shot through her like a supernova. “You don’t get to make that decision. This is a Phoenix treasure hunt now.” She saw that muscle in his jaw working again.

He drew in a deep breath, his chest rising and falling.

“You’ll have to go in solo. They don’t let spectators or entourage on-planet without prior arrangement.” Dathan didn’t sound happy about it. “We’ll monitor you from the ship.”

“Cool. I’m up for a trip,” Lala said.

“You’re not coming. You’ll be here. Doing your schoolwork with BEll watching over you.”

Lala wrinkled her nose. “Come on, Dathan. I could help.”

He stared her down.

With a put-upon sigh, she subsided. “Fine. Fine. I’ll stay here.”

“And I’m going to have Sel drop by and check on you.”

Lala opened her mouth to complain but closed it again. “Sel’s not bad.”

Mal rolled her eyes. Sel was a shop owner from Souk. He also dealt in gray market weapons. He and the teenaged bomb maker got on like a starship on fire. They’d probably swap explosive formulas or something.

Niklas stood. “I’ll get the
Infinitas
fueled.”

Lala grinned. “Man, Zayn is going to be pissed you’re taking his ship out without him.”

A former Strike Wing fighter pilot, Zayn was protective of his ship. Still, he was on his honeymoon and Mal suspected even the
Infinitas
came a distant second to his new wife.

Dathan followed his brother. “I’ll make sure all the other supplies we need are on ship.” He glanced at Xander. “Eos can help you find whatever clothing you need. We have a few boxes of…” he waved his hand.