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Chapter
One
“Transporter
ready?” Hamza asked, stepping onto the pad. His royal guard spread out around
him.
“Yes,
prince. Coordinates confirmed for Darkkit palace transporter
room.”
“Energize.”
Moments
later, Hamza strode toward the Royal Physician’s suite with several of his guards
flanking him. The clicking of their boots on the polished floors echoed in his
ears, ratcheting his anger higher. Tension radiated from him, sending palace employees
scurrying out of his path. Damnation. Those around him had nothing to do with
the violent urges seething inside him, so he shoved his burgeoning rage deep
inside. Still, he fingered the phaser on his hip.
Stopping
by the door to the birthing suite, he took a breath and tried to marshal his
thoughts. Dayo and Szin were in labor, and the families were in attendance.
What should be a wondrous occasion was soon going to be spoiled. As much as he hated
that, he didn’t have time to spare. His guards stayed back as Hamza stepped
inside.
His
dabba, King Duran, turned to him, a smile gracing his face. “Hamza! We
were wondering—what’s wrong?”
Out
of the corner of his eye, Hamza saw Malk, Kia, and Laken enter. Had he been so
rattled he hadn’t noticed them as he stormed down the hall? He’d been trained
better, but the news he brought stole his focus. Hamza swallowed and shoved his
slipup from his mind.
“Hamza?
Where’s Neo?” Doc asked. “We thought the both of you would be here.”
Hamza
bowed his head toward his mate’s dabba. “He wanted to be, but something
came up, and unfortunately his presence was required elsewhere.” Hamza faced
his dabba. “Sire?”
King
Duran frowned. “Speak freely. What has happened?”
“There
have been multiple attacks on Tah’Nar. The cities of Castron,
Lowbrett, and Kiton were bombed by photon torpedoes ten unit minutes ago.
The war room is code red.”
“Shit,”
Dale whispered.
“Oh
God.” Chad grabbed Gibor’s arm.
King
Duran inhaled sharply. “Who, Hamza? Who dares attack Tah’Narian cities?”
“Five
unit minutes ago, three Ne Reynian battleships appeared via wormhole in orbit
around the planet. Hails were sent and ignored. Red alert was activated on all
space ships due to this. The Ne Reynian battleships immediately entered our
atmosphere. They were moving at a speed I have never seen, Sire. It was like
warp drive, but that’s physically impossible since wrap is used to jump from
star system to star system. It’s not utilized for this type of short distance
travel.”
“Wait,”
Keyno gasped. “Are you saying they entered our atmosphere and then in five
unit minutes managed to get from where they appeared… to where they
attacked?”
Hamza
glanced at Keyno. “I’m afraid so. The speed was faster than impulse, but it
wasn’t warp. It must be a new technology. I scrambled fighters from bases near
each city as a first wave of defense. The Sunder
and the Obsidian Cross starships were not spaced docked and are on an
interception course, but right now, only the fighters are engaging the
battleships. There has been massive damage to those three cities.”
Keyno
growled. “Major cities of ours. Three major cities on three different
continents on Tah’Nar.”
“Yes.”
Hamza nodded. “Starships are being dispatched from various orbiting space
stations as we speak but that takes time. Other ships are recalling crew members.
In the meantime, I’ve increased fighters around Darkkit and the Tah’Narian
Planetary Defense building.”
Ti
straightened. “King Duran? The Onfre stand ready to assist you. Shall I call
for reinforcements?”
“Please,”
King Duran said. “Thank you, Ti. Your peoples help will be much appreciated.”
Ti
pulled his comm from his pants pocket and moved to a corner of the room.
Hamza
watched the easy-going look on Cielo’s face dissolve into ruthlessness.
Mentally Hamza corrected himself. No, that wasn’t Cielo. That was Cielo’s other
personality: Colt, the gangbanger. The killer. The sociopath who would do
anything to protect his love ones. All of them had grown up hearing about Colt.
“They
did it. They attacked us. Oh my God, they actually went through with it. I
can’t believe this.” Dale pressed his hands over his mouth. Chad released Gibor
and hurried to Dale, wrapping his arm around Dale’s waist.
A
shrill cry of a new born young came from the birthing suite.
King
Duran clenched his fists. “My friends, I’m going to have Szin and Dayo moved
into the underground bunkers since they just gave birth. Hamza? Return to the war
room, please. I’ll be there as soon as I take care of this.”
“Yes,
Sire.” The war room was the nickname for the Tah’Narian Planetary Defense
building. It was actually a misnomer since it wasn’t a ‘room’ but
more of a sprawling complex.
Standing
in the outer chamber, Hamza watched his dabba lead everyone into the birthing
suite. Ti stood behind King Duran. Colt had his arm around Dale’s shoulders.
“What’s
going on?” Dayo questioned.
“Ti?”
Takeo asked.
Hamza
heard Dale try to speak, but his voice broke.
“Guys,
what the hell is going on?” Szin demanded.
King
Duran cleared his throat. “I’m sorry to have to tell you this, especially at
what should be a joyful occasion, but the Ne Reyn have not only attacked the Unity,
but now they have launched a strike directly at our planet. Captain Ti is here
to witness the birth of Szin and Takeo’s young, but he also came bearing news.
The Onfre stand with us. Gentlemen, we are at war.”
From
the floor, a mist swirled, and the arkhim who had bonded to Dayo appeared. Dayo
and Raiden quickly assured everyone there was no danger, but still, tension
rose at the sudden appearance of Dayo’s new guardian.
Hamza
had been briefed about the magical animal, but hearing about it wasn’t the same
as seeing it… or caught in its fierce gaze. Hamza gulped. It was large animal with
an arrow-shaped head, a long muzzle, and a lengthy neck. Thick, white iridescent
scales cover its powerful body. A row of small, clear horns that shone like
sparkling ice ran down its spine. A tail stretched out from behind it. Damn
thing was rather intimidating in appearance.
Composing
himself, Hamza turned from the outer room of the birthing suite and stepped
into the hallway. His guards stood silently. Face carefully blank, he nodded at
them. They fell in behind him, and together, they returned to the
transportation pad.
War.
They were at war once more.
All
hybrids were well aware of what happened the last time Tah’Nar got itself into
a battle with another species. Due to Tah’Nar attacking the Onfre for
resources, the Onfre released a virus that invaded the Tah’Narian reproductive
system and destroyed it, rendering all Tah’Narians sterile.
But
anyone pregnant had a much worse fate. The virus flooded the surculas,
attacked and killed the young, and then kept going, eating its way through the surculas
and attacking the rest of the body. The person was literally dissolved from the
inside out.
The catastrophic change to Tah’Narian way of life resulted
in a desperation for mates. Earthlings called it ‘the harvest’.
