Among The Stars: Phantom and Mercenary

Chapter 19 - The Traitor

"You two are relieved of your duties to attend the ceremonial feast." Shur'ie ordered.

"We are instructed not to leave her cell until we received a direct order from the Emperor himself." One of the guards replied.

"He sent me instead. And I am relaying my brother's direct order." Shur'ie said.

Both guards exchange a glance, nodded. "We will need to verify this with the Emperor." The other guard brought the gauntlet to his chest, started tapping on the screen.

"No. You will not."

In a blink of an eye, Shur'ie drew out his plasma pistol, fired at them. Both guards dropped dead. He then proceeded to unlock Jane's cell, and the others' too.

Gahtan shielded Jane from Shur'ie, asked warily. "What game is this? Why are you helping us?"

"Yes. Why are you helping us?" Jane was equally confused.

"You know the answer. Why do you two look so surprised?" Shur'ie frowned as he went to help the chained yautja. He released him, injected a stimulant shot to wake him up.

"Oh really?" Jane raised her eyebrows at him. "Let's see, probably because your brother rules Blood Talons and is planning on to rape me, and you're his chief advisor who's helping him?"

"I tried to save all of you. Including him!" Shur'ie shouted. He pointed to the unconscious yautja who was now wide awake.

Jar'kora slowly stood up, finding a bunch of oomans and two yautja males staring at him, two dead guards on the floor. He looked confused, shook his head to clear his mind.

"You mean how your people tortured him everyday." Jane corrected.

"At least he is still alive. Is he not?" Shur'ie replied.

"Who is he anyway?" Gahtan asked.

"One of the Arbitrators we captured when they raided our asteroid facility."

"He is that Arbitrator?!" Gahtan exclaimed. "Everyone thought he was dead."

"Sa'kar was going to execute him. But I persuaded my brother that he is more useful alive than dead as valuable information may be coerced from him. He is alive because of me. So is Bau'jah. Or they would be long dead."

Jane and Gahtan paused to think for a second, letting the information to sink in.

"Do not for a second think that I will show you mercy, bad blood." Jar'kora, the arbitrator, finally spoke. "You serve Blood Talons. There is only one path out of this. I eliminate you."

"Save your strength, Jar'kora. You are in no condition to fight anyone." Shur'ie said as he took out the Medicomp to treat his injuries. "This will heal your body."

The medication worked almost immediately in his system, Jar'kora could feel his strength returning as it travelled in his bloodstream. He flexed his muscles, stretched his body, feeling fantastic. "I will make sure your death is swift."

"I have no desire nor time to fight you. I must get all of you out before Sa'kar notices my absence. We need to move." He urged them to follow him.

"Why should I believe you?" Jar'kora snorted with contempt. "I smell trickery."

Shur'ie suddenly turned around, anger raging within him. "Who do you think gave you that asteroid location? I did! For years you people tried to locate us, came up empty-handed each time. When you finally got a reliable intel and you people pauked it up, failed to destroy the organic sample. Now it is living inside of that ooman's brain." Shur'ie glowered at Michael who looked scared as he touched his forehead scars, then continued. "You knew how dangerous it is. All you had to do was destroy it. But the arbitrators were too eager to go after Sa'kar rather than focusing on the real threat. Congratulations. They failed both tasks and you almost lost your life. Now I have to risk myself again because you did not finish your pauking job."