Chapter 11: Trapped

Dawn brightened the sky through the partly closed drapes. Varna rose and padded silently across the room, Theasa remained asleep on the day bed against the far wall. Varna smiled to herself; the kid was a genius as far as computers were concerned, but she still had the naïvety and trust of the young. She had not been hardened by training, the raw fear of battle and years of war like the rest of them had.

She looked out on the royal garden the Slexi Moon stood in the center of the large lawns two guards positioned either side of the access ramp and four more patrolling the path in front of it. Everything looked peaceful, the human had not attempted to cause more damage in the night at least.

A knock on the chamber door caused her to jump, she turned, reached for her wrap and placed her pistol in the pocket, then walked to the door and cracked it open. "Yes?"

One of the new guards employed by Sisanna stood at the door, a shifty looking man with a scar down the side of his face. "My lady one of the maids has just taken breakfast to m'lady Sisanna, and returned screaming that she is dead. We shut the door and have left things for you."

"Fuck!" Varna sucked in her breath and opened the door wider. "Call out the full guard, I want the castle and grounds searched now!"

"Yes, m'lady." He saluted, turned and hurried off down the corridor. She turned to the guard standing to attention by her door. "You wait here for a moment while I get dressed, then you will accompany us to Sisanna's room.

"Yes, m'lady."

She closed the door, turned and lent back against it. "Ancestors, Sisanna got her wish!" Gilt washed over her, she had actually felt a wave of relief at the news. She ran a hand through her sleep tangled hair, took another deep breath and walked over to the day bed. She shook Theasa's shoulder. "Wake up!"

Theasa groaned. "Whaaat?" her eyes blinked open and then she appeared to realize where she was. "Shit!" She sat up and grabbed her pistol from the low table by the day bed.

Varna laughed. "Easy, Theasa, it's morning and it's just me."

Theasa let out a shuddering sigh, laid the pistol back down and rubbed her sleep-filled eyes.

"I have to say though you sleep so soundly the human could have come in here, stripped the room, had his wicked way with me, taken my ears, and you would have slept through the lot!"

With a yawn Theasa mumbled, "Sorry." Then looked around. "What's wrong then?"

"It would appear the human did visit last night and took out Sisanna, so pull on some clothes quickly and come with me to her room." While Theasa rose and reached for her clothes Varna walked across the room grabbed hers from the chair and pulled them on. She glanced across to Theasa "Ready?"

The girl nodded. "Yep."

"Let's go then." Varna opened the door and turned to the guard. "Accompany us."

"Yes, m'lady." He fell in behind them as they made their way to the royal suite.

They pushed open Sisanna's bedroom door and Theasa gasped. "Ancestors!" Sisanna lay on her bed, pillow covered in blood, her ears cut off and a laser burn in her chest. Her pistol was still gripped in her hand and Varna noticed a burn in the opposite wall.

"It looks like she got a shot off first," she said as she walked over to the bed. "But how did the human get in without being seen?"

"Perhaps the door guard was asleep?" Theasa suggested.

"Humm ... perhaps." Varna turned to the guard who had accompanied them. "I want you to find all the guards on duty last night and have them assemble in the conference room in half an hour."

"Yes m'lady." He turned and walked out of the room.

"Right, let's get this mess cleared up, we should get a body-bag from the ship's stores. We should also stick together from now on and only go about in twos at least."

"But how long will this go on for, Varna? What can we do?" Theasa shuddered and turned from the gruesome remains on the bed. "I don't mind admitting I'm scared. A normal human would have been no match for Sisanna, so your assumption that this human is a hybrid must be correct."

Just at that moment Petara and Catana ran into the room followed by two guards.