Chapter 10: Hunted

The evening was cold and Varna stood on the palace battlements watching the market close and the stall holders pack up. She shivered and pulled her cloak round her. She heard footsteps and looked round; Petara was making her way along the walkway towards her.

Varna turned back to watch the activity in the square below. Petara stopped next to her and they stood together in silence for a while. "I saw Minara walking around the market this morning," Petara broke the silence.

"Yes, I think she comes most market days, she walks into town from her mansion and you notice the people welcome her and she mingles freely."

"I heard she was the body guard to a neighboring kingdom's princess and accompanied her here when she married their prince."

"Yes, Petara, that is what I heard as well. I am certain she was not the ruler here, I think she hid the real rulers, the King and Queen, the prince and princess as was."

"I'm glad, that bitch Sisanna would have had us kill them. Do you think she knows Varna, Sisanna I mean?"

"No Petara, I don't think she is that bright."

I would like to be able to walk through the market, go to the shops, mingle with the people." Petara sighed. "But Sisanna has made sure we are all unwelcome. I feel sorry for Theasa, she should be out enjoying herself. Minara could have shown her around, shown all of us in fact. Instead we are trapped in the palace and with Sisanna's constant decrees and tax increases we are likely to get our throats cut if we venture out."

"Yes, things have not turned out like they should have - soon we will have to flee this planet as well. It would have been a great place to hide out for a year or so, then we could return with few people looking for us and Theasa could have erased our criminal records from the central worlds' security system and we would be free again. Instead we will have to leave and find somewhere else.

I'm sorry I got you all into this."

Petara squeezed Varna's shoulder. "I think you are going to have to face up to the destruction of your casket you know."

"I know." With a shake of her head Varna turned for the steps. "I will decide tomorrow."

Sleep eluded her. All she could think of was the casket, or cryochamber the old man had called it. She had put up with so much to keep it safe and now she was contemplating its destruction. Her stomach churned; she had no choice - Sisanna was tightening her grip, taking more and more liberties and it had to stop. Varna knew in her heart she had no option but to kill her. If she didn't she would always be looking over her shoulder.

Killing her would mean the destruction of the cryochamber and its occupant. She rose and started to pace the room when without warning the silent intruder alarm on Selexi Moon went off. She had it forwarded to her handy com so she would be aware of what was going on with her ship. "Ancestors!" Varna pulled on her clothes, grabbed her pistol, then raced for the door and down the endless corridors to the garden entrance.

She had reached the main access to the garden when muffled explosions rent the night. "Fuck!" She pulled her pistol from the clip on her thigh, ran across the garden and up the ramp. She could see immediately the access door had been forced by a well-placed charge. The intruders knew what they were doing. She held the pistol in front of her and stepped through the open hatch, swinging left then right her senses tingling, no one, her back pressed against the corridor wall she moved forward to the bridge prepared for someone to attack her from either direction. The bridge command console had been destroyed. As she turned around, scanning for damage, she noticed a message cube on the navigation console. Varna pocketed the cube then made her way aft. The core was utterly destroyed, all that was left were the bent frame mountings. By the core was the armory, and a charge had been set off there as well. The remaining heavy weapons were nothing more than twisted metal and broken plastic.

Ancestors, they were stranded and helpless. At least the presence was still in her mind - awareness of it heightened as she moved through the ship, prepared to fight. It suddenly occurred to her, with the core gone, the control circuit would not be receiving any commands from Sisanna's wrist control. She raced back to the hold and let out a shuddering sigh of relief, the charge she had planted was dead, the signal light out. Varna knelt, reached under the casket and checked the connections. The device was tamper-proof because the ship's systems would detect any change and set it off. With the systems dead the device had no trigger mechanism. To be certain she carefully removed the trigger wire from the explosive charge, broke off the cap and replaced the wire. Sisanna would not be aware she had disabled the explosive without careful inspection. Varna hoped the new crisis would be distracting enough so Sisanna would not have time to realize she was now vulnerable. Now you are finished, Sisanna. When this is over you are dead!

She stood and walked back to the bridge, removed the cube from her pocket and played the message. When it had finished she returned the cube to her pocket turned and walked out of her now disabled ship. Across the garden two guards patrolled. They had missed everything. Varna gritted her teeth - she was tempted to shoot them for their incompetence, but there was no point, and she was not ready to alert the others of the problem they faced, especially not Sisanna. She walked up to the guards, who stopped and saluted her, fear etched on their faces. "I want the guard doubled around my ship and two additional guards standing by the entrance ramp. No one is to enter without my express permission is that clear?

The two guards nodded. "Yes ma'am."

"Good, get it done."

She walked back to the palace and found one of the many flunkies that kept it running smoothly. "Send a carriage for Lady Minara in the morning, I want her here first thing."

The official bowed and Varna left him and made her way back to her bedroom. Not much of the night remained, but at least she could snatch a couple of hours sleep before dawn.

Varna stood as Minara entered the room. She had watched the carriage arrive and had sent servants to summon the crew. They now sat in a semi circle facing her, puzzled looks on their faces. The four of them turned as Minara entered. Varna ignored their questioning glances and Sisanna's frown. She noticed the woman was fingering her bracelet and she smiled to herself then turned back to Minara.

"Minara, so pleased to see you." Varna glanced at Minara's waist. "Had the brat I see."

Minara inclined her head slightly. "Yes."

"Good, I hope the bloody thing keeps you up at night, I assume you are nursing it yourself?"

"Yes of course."

A twinge of jealousy twisted in Varna's gut. "Quite the good little Grojan mother aren't we? Despite the filed teeth." She watched Minara carefully. From experience and long association, Varna knew she had difficulty hiding her emotions.

"Why have you brought me here, Varna?"

"We have a problem and I thought it only fair to keep you informed as you will be affected as well, after all we were sisters in arms once."

"Problem?"

Varna noticed the glee sparkle in Minara's eyes and almost laughed out loud at her transparency.

"Yes, last night our ship and heavy weapons were as good as destroyed."

Minara choked and the other four gasped. "Varna, that is disastrous! Do you know who?" Minara tried to look horrified, but to Varna's amusement failed. She doubted the other women noticed as they did not know Minara like she did, and they were sitting stunned and gaping, looking in Varna's direction anyway.