Chapter 7

Duke Birsha was in his dimly lit study, pacing the room, his face intensely concentrated. This look masked his fury at having Alliyanna escape his clutches. The other lone figure in the study was Quan. He returned empty-handed and was expecting an eruption of Birsha’s anger soon. But Quan was surprised and, if he was honest, relieved by Birsha’s calm demeanor. “I need that insufferable female captured and brought here; how did she escape from you and your men? I read your after-action reports, but please explain how you could not have found her sooner. She should not be so difficult to find or subdue. What do you require to accomplish your mission.” Birsha asked.

Quan sat there, unsure of which question he should answer first. This calm exterior was a fragile façade. He knew that if he said the wrong thing, it could trigger an angry outburst. Well, your Grace, I need three things: firstly, I need better-trained professionals, mercenaries with far more experience in this type of mission. Secondly, I need an official standing and an official warrant or capture and retrieval order. Something with the Senate seal would allow me to act on your behalf. Lastly, I need some better intelligence. It seems that this female is adept and had some very resourceful people aiding her. The Star Shadow’s captain is a former flag officer of the Imperial Fleet. He was also a highly skilled and decorated Fighter pilot of the Guardian Squadron. His compatriot was in the same squadron as an intelligence and special forces officer. It’s challenging to counter their plans between the two of them.”

“They seem haphazard and amateurish to me.” the duke countered.

“No. They are not amateurs; they simply react to what we’ve thrown at them. Believe me, Talak held out for nearly three days before he broke. He’s been out of active service for 5 years. I didn’t expect him to hold out that long. And Kalen, his friend, has excellent instincts. He has contacts from both his military and smuggling days. But if we give them too much time. They will organize and add others to their cause. That would, unfortunately, mean dire consequences if we fail. She could take her case to the Senate. After all, her father entered into an illegal contract with you to marry her without her consent. You’re a very powerful man and have wealth. You’ll be fine; I, however, would be imprisoned or worse.

The duke continued to pace, his head down and his hands ball into fists at his sides. He took measured steps heavily, walking in front of the viewport on the back wall of the study. Occasionally, he looked out to the view of the wooded estate. He was consumed by his plans of overthrowing his great nephew, the emperor, and his desire for an attractive, intelligent heir. She was beautiful young and from one of the houses of high honor and a storied history. She had a meaningful title, even if it was just a baroness. He was not in love with her or any woman. That was an impossibility; love was a meaningless emotion and had killed more men than anything else. Idiots who allowed themselves to be ruled by emotion deserved the problems it brought. No, he had physical needs, and she would attend to those needs as a wife should. That would be something he would enjoy, breaking her and making her perform those duties.

Finally, he stopped pacing. And turned to face Quan. “Fine, you’ll get what you need to accomplish the mission objectives. I’ll get the warrant, and you’ll have access to military channels to get the necessary information. I’ll get a detachment of special forces to be assigned to you as a temporary duty assignment. Now get out of here and get ready to complete the mission.” Quan exited the study and made his way away from the estate. Quan breathed a sigh of relief as he left the duke’s estate, the tension in his shoulders easing slightly. He knew he was walking a dangerous line, but with Birsha’s promised resources, he might pull this off without losing his head—figuratively or literally.

As he made his way to his ship, Quan’s mind raced with plans. He’d need to select his team, balancing skill with discretion carefully. The last thing he needed was loose lips, jeopardizing the mission before it began.

Meanwhile, light-years away, Alliyanna sat in the cramped quarters of the Star Shadow, her fingers idly tracing the edge of a data pad. She looked up as Captain Talak entered, his face grim.

“We’ve picked up some chatter,” he said, his voice low. “Looks like Birsha’s mobilizing. It seems he’s not content to let you slip away so easily.”

Alliyanna’s jaw tightened. “I expected as much. What are we dealing with?”

Talak ran a hand through his dark hair. “Special forces, from what we can gather. And there’s talk of an official warrant. If that’s true, it’ll make things much more complicated.”

“Damn,” Alliyanna muttered. She stood, pacing the small room. “We need to stay ahead of them. Any word from your contacts?”

“Kalen’s reaching out now,” Talak replied. “But we’re running out of safe harbors. Each jump we make leaves a trail, no matter how careful we are.”

Alliyanna nodded, her mind racing. “We need leverage—something to make Birsha back off.

Gristov’s mood was dark; he had never expected Alliyanna to run away and hoped she would do her duty. She was born into the high station and served the people of Oranthe and the empire. The fact that she escaped like a thief in the night proved how much she was willing to defy him. Her independent nature always made him unable to understand her. He was from an era when women were submissive to the men in their lives. He blamed it on the Matriarchal influence of her family’s House. Strong, independent women initially led the House of Kar’Jan. Who made it clear that even if a male held the title of baron, he would treat women with respect and as equals.

He did until Illinova, his wife, died. He assumed the title at her death and decided he could change the setup. He planned on having his son be his heir. Those plans died with his son. Alliyanna would inherit the title and the land and estates at twenty-one. But if she were married to someone, maybe he could keep it for himself. That seed planted so long ago returned to him to show him his folly.

The duke sent communications, each one increasingly more threatening and describing what would happen to him and his family if Alliyanna was not turned over. He knew that Birsha was capable and willing to carry out the threats. He loved his family and his position of power and was looking to increase it. But that girl had ruined everything.

He paused at the window, gazing out over the sprawling city. Lights twinkled in the darkness, oblivious to the crisis unfolding in the palace. How long before word spread? Before the whispers began.

A soft knock at the door interrupted his brooding. “Enter,” he growled. Jora entered the study and bowed in deference to Gristov. And then just stood silently. “What?” the baron asked curtly. “Sir, our men spotted her, but she escaped; they are in pursuit, but tracking a ship in hyperspace is tough. The good news is that we have a good idea of their next destination based on the type of purchases and trading we observed. My men will be stationed there before their arrival and will attempt to bring Alliyanna back under our control. Once we’ve succeeded, they will make all due haste to the capitol to deliver her to Duke Birsha, concluding with them being married and restoring calm and peace to your House.

Gristov’s eyes narrowed as he processed Jora’s report. “And what makes you so certain they’ll go to this destination? Alliyanna is not a fool, and those helping her are far from amateurs.”

Jora shifted uncomfortably under the baron’s scrutiny. “We’ve been monitoring their fuel consumption and supply purchases. Given their current trajectory and resources, only a handful of systems are within range. This one,” he paused, pulling up a holographic map, “is the most likely.”

The baron studied the flickering blue projection, his mind racing. If they could intercept Alliyanna before Birsha’s forces ... perhaps there was still a way to salvage this mess. Gristov nodded slowly, a mix of relief and apprehension washing over him. “Good. Make sure your men understand the delicacy of the situation. We can’t afford any ... incidents.”

Jora bowed again. “Of course, my lord. They’ve been instructed to use the utmost discretion.”

As Jora left, Gristov turned to the window, his reflection ghostly in the glass. He had set these wheels in motion, and now they threatened to crush everything he held dear. But there was no turning back now.

Jora knew he had to find Alliyanna first. It was a matter of life and death; if the duke got his hands on her, his life would be forfeit. Jora rounded up his men and set off to the location he’d determined was their best chance of catching her. They arrived on site nearly two full days ahead of the Star Shadow. They were alert for its arrival, but it never showed up. After three days on the station, Jora broke the radio silence and contacted Gristov.

“Sir, the Star Shadow did not arrive at our target area. It could have chosen another destination or encountered another type of trouble. We have not heard anything from my contacts regarding the vessel or crew in the area or anywhere else. I believe that to be a dim ray of hope in a sea of bad news.”

“Well, what am I paying you for? Find them. Our home and lives depend on that brat being found alive and in good health. Don’t waste time with updates that do not include any new information. Reporting a negative is not a progress report. Stop making excuses and do your job. I’m Out.”

Jora stared at the receiver, shrugged his shoulders, and shook his head. The baron was coming unglued. His plans had gone up in smoke, and he was afraid. He didn’t take the verbal abuse personally but instead saw it as a state of decay in the House Kar’Jan. The baron was losing his grip on his power, probably from Birsha’s influence, and actively trying to destabilize the planetary economic system.

Aboard the Star Shadow, Alliyanna pored over star charts with Talak and Kalen, searching for a safe haven. The ship hummed around them, a constant reminder of their precarious situation.