Sigil Ch. 07

The Sudenovan she'd murdered for his armor gifted her uncleansed gear so foul with stink it turned Quinn's stomach. But it was worth the revulsion to stand near Drinta's balcony unseen, where no inch of pale flesh or plum hair was on display; she was only a mercenary gambling at Torr and losing.

Hours had passed and no sound of the byway came to life. Drinta still lounged on her platform with the Herald in attendance. There was no move on the Tessan's end to speak with the hidden Kilactarin slave below. The Empire was waiting her out. The Herald would stay in negotiation with Drinta long enough that Sovereign's mating would wear off. He would give the Tessan no time to explore what she had told her. The bitch-queen would not open the byway.

Options were severely limited. Without the slave collar she could not utilize many of the most useful access corridors. Not without drawing attention from overseers or setting off security programs. There were many species she could mimic, but she could not grow a Tessan tail, she could not be an overseer. That left maintenance shafts, air ducts, and public corridors at her disposal.

Hiding in plain sight was an advantage, but it also exasperated her weakness. She could feel them, the empire, in Swelter with her. But as they could not see her, she could not see them. The constant itch of their presence was aggravating, the paranoia making her nervous.

Creeping frustration made Quinn's hand shake, ruining her throw of the Torr blaug and earning the sneers of other patrons at the gambling table. She lost all the money she'd stolen and stepped away.

She had to get to Que. But how the fuck was she going to get out without the goddamn byway online?

Why had Drinta not acted? What had that Herald said to her?

A pushy patron bumped her shoulder and Quinn threw a punch like a true Sudenovan. A brawl began, drawing all surrounding her into its vortex. It felt so good to rip through flesh, to break bone and work off her anger; but when a pile grew at her feet, when eyes turned to her, she realized her mistake.

She'd fought too well. She'd killed too many.

Already, scattered movement was coming her way. Imperials disguised as she was, slithering nearer to catch her.

Sovereign must have suspected she'd lurk in the club, and in a foolish temper she'd given her position away.

Shouldering a blaster, Quinn shot randomly into the crowd, creating a panic that would offer cover so she might flee. Her solid armor may have reeked but it also did well absorbing return fire. Out of dozens, only three shots made it through to pierce her torso, blow open her shoulder, and skim her forearm as she fled the riled mob.

If a hand grabbed her, she broke it. If rough arms circled her middle smashing her to the ground, she became a tornado of violence. The brawl escalated; it sucked her in, it spit her out, and it claimed her blood until she'd crawled free to pant against a dark wall.

In that moment all she wanted was the feel of Sovereign's throat in her hands, to watch the light drain out of his eyes. She could go to him - rip him apart before he knew she was in his shadow - and it would feel so good.

Bleeding where her fingers pressed her middle, Quinn stumbled off. She found a vent and fell all the way down to the base floor where she lay in misery - in such pain her mind stuttered. It was in that moment it dawned on her, the secret she needed to survive free. Extreme physical damage muted her thoughts of rampage.

A bit of blood came from her mouth as she laughed.

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Dealing with humans was usually so banal, but there was something about Arden that Drinta simply enjoyed. He was a charmer - a man who knew how to please - but she was not pleased with the smiling male now.

There was a subtle difference between rash decisions and immediate action. A creature of her years knew when to act and when to listen to lies with a smile. The byway would remain shut down for maintenance, Sovereign's presence or no. Control was important when dealing with power mongers; the Empire needed to understand their place in her little corner of the universe.

They didn't have one.

"You like her?"

Drinta blinked, her smirk neither growing nor diminishing. "She was a fascinating conversationalist. The title 'bitch-queen' was spoken with such reverence; I think your human female admires me."

"Sigil is a psychopath, lacks empathy, is incapable of forming emotional attachments with her own species - let alone an alien one. It would be in your best interest to help us find her before she sets her contingency plan into motion."

"Contingency plan?"

"Consider how long the convict has hidden in your domain; she knows the ins and outs of Pax," Arden said, looking so comfortable, so sedate. "You did not open the byway as she demanded. Her mental state leads to extreme reactions; she will try to force you. Were I in her position I would systematically disable life support and cause the drivel collected in this mire to panic. She will have them do her dirty work for her."

No one forced Drinta, no one survived attempted manipulation, and liars she toyed with until she grew bored of the game. "Tell me, little soft-bellied Imperial, what did she do to warrant harvesting by a Lord Commander?"

As if admitting a minor wrongdoing, Arden grew serious and fractionally bowed his head. "That is classified."

Drinta flared her claws, inspecting each painted tip. "She titled herself Imperial Consort."

Smoothing a hand over golden hair, Arden laughed. "Sovereign may be a bit of a lecher - the man keeps hundreds of concubines all climbing over one another to earn his favor - but no, Sigil has never been one of them. She is a fugitive who has slaughtered many high-ranking Imperials. She must be collected and returned to the Empire, where she will be made an example of."

Leaning nearer, tail flicking in warning, Drinta hissed, "Is Sovereign on my station?

The confusion on Arden's face, the way his brows drew nearer, was so well practiced, even Drinta was unsure if it was insincere. The man shook his head, golden eyes sparkling as if the idea had grown droll. "Why would Sovereign come to Pax?"

A definitive downward angle came to the reptile's brow, her voice grew terse, "So he is here."

Arden smiled, wicked as he licked his bottom lip. "You believe the tattling of a desperate woman? One who has not honored you as we have? I'm insulted Drinta. You shake my faith in the glories of true arbitration."

He did know how to make her laugh. "Now you will tell me what it is your Empire really wants. If I dislike the answer I will feed you to my least favorite pet."

Adjusting the line of his tunic, the Herald sighed, "There is a feral human colony the Tessan Authority ignores, thus offering our enemies shelter. The byways in our power do not have access to that sector."

"Crossing the Authority so thoroughly would cause a war."

Arden shook a finger. "Never underestimate the art of tyranny and negotiation. The Authority will not risk outright war with our empire, not over one planet of violent refugees."

The glint in her black eyes was anything but playful; Drinta changed the subject back to the greater issue. "What if I were to take her side, Herald? What if I were to cease maintenance and open the byway?"

Games were over. "What do you want, pretty Drinta? What can the empire offer you to keep that portal closed until she is in custody?"

"I enjoy seeing you shaken. Which is good, as I have grown tired of your conversation." Arching her back, Drinta lay on her hip, talon tapping her lips. "To be honest- and I rarely am - I believe the female."

Gone was the beautiful male, in his place was a creature that exuded menace. "Then you are already playing into her schemes. A pity."

"But I will help you catch her... on one condition." Gleeful, her glittering tail swished as she cooed, "I want to give Sovereign and his reluctant consort a gift, something only the bitch-queen of Pax could offer in continuing friendship between us."

Gunfire, more than the usual scattered burst broke out a level below them, the shouts of a brawl loud enough to hear even through the force field separating Drinta's balcony from the madness.

"That would be Sigil - the terrorist you would invite to sit before you." Arden just snickered, stroking his chin. "I will admit, I know her well and am eager to see just what she will do."

Drinta did not spare the club a glance; she couldn't when it was far more important to watch the devious Herald's every move. "How do you know her well?"

The man smiled. How beautiful and how deadly he could look at once, even Drinta was a little envious of such a balance between the two. Proud, Arden hummed, "She is my sister, naughty thing that she is."

"And you gave her to Sovereign."

"When she was still a little girl, yes. But she ran away... and Sovereign is denied by no one. He wants her simply to prove a point. When she is returned, forced conversion will show our people that all can be united, that defectors will not be tolerated."

How cold the humans could be - it made Drinta all warm and fuzzy. "Does Sovereign love her?"

"He hates her almost as much as she hates him."

"Interesting..."

"The sooner this issue is handled, the sooner you will receive just reward." Tapping his finger to his knee, Arden hesitated. "Out of curiosity, what are you going to demand in payment?"

"Nothing. All I really want is to watch you dance on my stage like every other whore in this pit." She waved him off, bored. "May our alliance continue, friendships persevere, and whatever other shit you nobles like to hear."

There was one way to put fear in the horrid creature preening before him. "I suggest you place greater guard around you. Sigil will go straight for the throat."

*************************

Quinn woke hungry, her body having exhausted its stores repairing itself. Unsure how long she'd slept, she could only wonder if Sovereign had acted in her absence. It was difficult to tell, holed up as she was in a broken drainage line. But the station did not shake; there was no persistent vibration of the byway.

Groaning, pressing up from the ground, she held her hand to her belly and found she still bled sluggishly. Worse, her left shoulder had not fully reformed.

She needed nourishment for her body to mend.

The armor was gone, pieces of it torn off her in the battle, the remainder cast aside once she'd found the strength to flee the scene. Naked, she scuttled with the vermin, hissing when they took little bites where torn skin parted.

They'd probably been chewing on her the whole time she'd slept.

Smashing furry bodies with her fist, snapping at the sharp toothed animals like a rabid dog, Sigil tore into their flesh and fed on foulness. There would be no survival if her arm didn't function. Crunching bones in her teeth, trying not to vomit, another scampering bastard was consumed.

Breath came easier, the susurrating noise of fleeing vermin faded, and drawing a cry, her shoulder reengaged, cartilage forming.

Blinking gummily in the dark, filthy and alone, Quinn had to acknowledge that she'd survived worse. Much worse.

Condor...

And she hadn't been the only one. Had her mother eyes, Quinn was certain she would have looked upon her child form with relief for what Quinn had suffered to save her. But her mother had no eyes, just as her mother had no limbs - appendages had been removed, considered unnecessary for a living womb. Retrieving that torso had torn out her heart; unplugging the mutilated Kilactarin from the machines that sustained her assured the only creature who had ever loved her would die.

But Quinn didn't let that ruined creature die on Condor. She took her mother away. She'd saved her, stole the nearest shuttle, placed mother in cryo where she did not have to suffer another day. Instead her bearer died beside a river, neck painlessly broken by her child on a planet Quinn never knew the name of.

Death beside a river might be nice. Feeling the breeze, the sun... Que there beside her.

Sigil began to cry, scrubbing the tears and grime from her cheeks until sorrow turned to fury. Sovereign was responsible for all her miseries. She'd been made and tortured because of him. She'd been hounded, forced to live like a renegade simply because she'd been merciful and stupid in her youth.

There should never have been mercy; that had been her first mistake. On Pax she could kill him, slip right into his shadow and strike from the dark before he knew what monster stood in his wake. Then Karhl, with his soft tone and placid expression - she could find ways to make him scream, to twist up that calm façade into torment.

They all had to die.

Excitement began, she cracked her neck in the pleasure of the hunt... then paused, jamming her fingers in the closing hole beside her bellybutton. Twisting them about her intestines, Quinn screamed. She couldn't heal yet - she had to stay wounded to stay sane.

She could not engage the enemy.

****************************

"Her blood trail led into the subsections, through the water supply. We lost her on division 5."

"It's not that you lost her, Karhl. It is that you failed by not searching every inch of her quarters for her escape hatch. You failed by not assuming her desperate scampering exit from Swelter would be so treacherous." Sovereign stood still; he spoke quietly, continuing the castigation he piled on the giant Lord Commander. "She has no care for her wellbeing. Pain is nothing to a being that spent her youngest years tortured daily."

"Brother." The chimes in his hair sang as Karhl lowered his head in supplication. "Sigil knows the station. Giving chase might be what she wants. After your threat against the Axirlan I fully believe she would kill you if given the chance, impulse or no. Her feelings on the matter will not change."

Sovereign looked over the rumpled bed. "She is afraid of me."

"Very," Karhl agreed. "But she is more afraid of what you might do to her companion."

Arms folded behind his back, Sovereign measured the large warrior. "Her fear for you is less acute."

"Arden, had you seen how she smirked at his approach in Swelter, she fears not at all." Glacial eyes followed the movement of his leader. "Invite her to sit with him. Let him woo her. You are too tempting to her indoctrination and I lack the skill to inspire her love."

Pausing, Sovereign disagreed, "Arden lacks the strength to subdue her. His chance of survival should she attack is miniscule. Should she kill him she would regret it later. Such an action would cause her pain."

"Whatever she is doing to fight the impulse puts her at risk. Her wounds from the fight, even the fall, would have caused great damage. She may be weak." Karhl looked at his brother, his leader, his superior. "She may not run from the Herald as she would from us."

A brief ripple of emotion passed over the emperor's stone-cold eyes. "In order to have avoided the impulse for such a time, she must be utilizing pain; I can practically hear the muffled screams. Sigil thinks to wait for the byway to open, where she will stumble to it, bleeding and drained."

"Then we open the byway and draw her out."

"No!" The answer came sharp, inflection emphasizing orders. "Sigil has the ability and training to get what she wants, and will push to the point of suicide. She won't go back to Swelter or think to sway Drinta again, but she will try to force Pax's mistress to act." Sovereign motioned to the door, warning, "In her desperation, she will place herself at great risk. There is no room for failure again. When Sigil is found only Arden may approach. And you will tighten the net around her."

*****

A/N: I just had to send out a thank you to everyone leaving comments and stars. Its very kind of you to take the time and it really perks up my day. You are the best!