She’s not dead, my head screamed. She’s not. I repeated the thoughts over and over and told myself that I would have felt it if her heart stopped beating no matter how far away from me she was. I would have felt it.
“You’re right,” I rasped. “You’re right. I need to find out where he has taken her. I need to contact—”
“Baja, breathe.” Kol placed his hands on my shoulders. “Think. Where is the only other planet in our star system that humans can survive on?”
“The human planet. Terra,” I breathed. “That’s the only place he would take her.”
“Exactly,” Kol said. “We’re going to get her back.”
“Now.” I rasped. “I need to leave now. I need my gear, my weapons—”
“Baja, calm.” Killi got in my space. “We need you focused and away from the edge. Think of your female. Focus on her. She needs you clear-minded. If you rush off after her unprepared, you will do her no good.”
She needed me. My mate needed me. I forced away the darkness of the edge that wanted to claimed me as its own.
“I’m calm,” I said, inhaling and exhaling a deep breath. “I need to formulate a plan.”
“Levi’s friend, the human Nuni,” Father suddenly said. “She was found unconscious and badly injured by patrolling members of the Guard, I’ve just been informed. It is likely your mate’s abductor attacked her. She is with a healer, but early reports are not looking very good.”
Anger flooded me. Levi loved Nuni, it would devastate her if she died.
“I’m going to kill him.”
My father, Killi, Kol, and me moved from the flight control chamber to the war chamber of the palace that was situated down the hallway. Luckily, it was a chamber that was not often needed, but it was always ready and waiting for when a mission fell out of the sky and onto our laps, just like this one. I forced myself to think of what I was going to do as a regular mission. Having the training to be rational really helped me to keep control at that moment. I had too much to lose to act on emotion.
The chamber lit up when we entered.
“The Novik, named after your uncle, is our fastest lightweight fighter craft,” Father announced, pulling up the holo of the layout of the Novik from the central node in the centre of the room. “It is the only craft within our fleet with the upgraded shield technology to hide from radar and sonar. Even the Ebony’s shield force does not have the new and improved tech yet. It needs only a ten-male crew including a shipmaster to operate it.”
“When was it last flown?”
“Two moon cycles ago to the far side of Ealra,” Father answered. “It is fully operational and was recently serviced during a maintenance check-up. It is not good for long haul missions, but for a short haul such as this? It is ready for immediate departure.”
“We must be aware that landing on Terra without permission is a declaration of war on the humans,” Killi said. “This craft is perfect if we want to slip in and out undetected, Ezah. I think this is the perfect craft to use for such a mission.”
“I agree.” I nodded. “Killi, get me nine Elites to operate the craft and conduct the mission with. I’m preparing myself and departing for Terra in twenty minutes.”
I left the chamber as my father, Kol, and Killi discussed the best route to take to Terra and how best to track the human male’s craft. They knew what they were doing, so I left them to it. I ran all the way up to my wing and entered my weapons chamber. I stripped naked, flung my jewellery and hair clips to the side, and dressed in my battle habit. The two-piece suit was black as night and armour plated with borak scales. It was a flexible but harder diamond. I stepped into my combat boots that closed around my feet and tightened at the shin.
I moved to my weapons station and grabbed the handle of my longsword. The blade, which was as long as my leg, shot out from the handle, and glistened as the light touched it. I loosened my grip, and the blade was sucked back into its secure place. I placed it over my shoulder. The magnetic padding of my habit down the centre of my back sucked the blade’s handle to my armour, holding it in position.
I grabbed my favourite daggers and strapped them to my thighs and two more into the slots on the sides of my boots. I removed my hair from its formal braid and re-braided it into twists, securing the ends in place with a holder. The symbolic style had been worn into war on the old world by Maji warriors, and I would wear it today.