Challenging Saber

  Her eyes froze on the two pictures next to the bed. One was of her, Jesse, Jordan, and their dad. The other was a picture of her and Saber that Jordan had taken a few months ago on her birthday. They had been sitting outside watching Lyon and Leila. She was holding Leila while Lyon was climbing on Saber’s back. She had leaned in to nibble on Lyon’s fingers. Saber had turned his head to watch and she had surprised him with a kiss.

  Her fingers trembled as she grabbed the pictures off the side table. Stuffing them in her backpack, she quickly zipped it closed and slid the straps over her shoulders. She had just opened the door when the world around her exploded.

  Chapter 12

  Saber lifted the weights before slowly lowering them back down. He had gone in for a follow up with the healer today. He looked at his right leg and grinned. It would never be perfect, but over the last two months a lot had changed.

  He rubbed his leg through the new biotech brace and swallowed. The new medication had worked. The synthetic bone they had implanted in his leg had finally fused with the natural bone. The rejection inhibitors had kept his body from rejecting it. He would need to have regular injections, probably for the rest of his life, but it was a small price to pay. On top of that, he had been given an experimental brace the university was developing.

  “Taylor,” Saber whispered, fingering the material.

  He closed his eyes as a shaft of pain swept through him. She had been behind it all. She was the reason the Medical Research department had contacted him. Her degree was in Physical Therapy and Developmental Research. She had been working in the Biotech labs researching a new material using the same nanotechnology that had been implanted into Hunter.

  Swinging around, he stood up. The nagging pain from the unhealed bone was finally gone. He could still feel the stiffness in his leg, but he was slowly working it out. The damaged nerves were no longer an issue as long as he had the brace on. A monitor detected his movements and sent small electrical impulses into the brace, causing his leg to react in a natural, fluid movement.

  Stretching, he bent and picked up a towel to wipe the sweat from his face. He frowned when he saw the shadow of a transport fly over the house. He raised his hand to show Hunter that he saw him.

  He walked across the nearly completed garden. Taking the steps two at a time, a wave of pleasure swept through him. He would never take the simple movement of walking for granted again.

  Opening the door, he waited as Dagger and Hunter both slid out of the transport. His smile faded when he saw the tense look on their faces. It was the same look that they wore before some of their more dangerous missions.

  “What happened?” Saber asked, stiffening when he saw the anger burning in Hunter’s eyes.

  “Let’s go inside,” Hunter said with a nod.

  Saber stood aside as both men entered. He followed them into the living room and turned to face them. He tossed the towel onto the low table and folded his arms across his chest.

  “How is your leg?” Hunter asked in a taut voice.

  “Good, why?” Saber responded, looking between the two men. Dagger’s eyes narrowed on the brace Saber was wearing. “Prototype. It does something similar to the implant Hunter has.”

  “Can you fight?” Dagger asked with an intense stare.

  Saber raised an eyebrow and looked back at Hunter who nodded. His stomach tightened when he saw something savage burning in Hunter’s eyes. It was the same look that he had when Jesse, Jordan, and Taylor had been surrounded by the human males who planned to rape and kill them.

  “Is she alive?” He asked in a quiet voice.

  “Yes,” Hunter replied in a clipped tone. “What I’m about to tell you has not been authorized by the Lead Council.”

  “What we are going to do has not been authorized either… except by Razor,” Dagger added with a savage grin.

  “Two days ago, militants killed the ruling Western Council on Dises V. They broke off negotiations and attacked the city of Drues,” Hunter explained.

  “Drues,” Saber muttered, raising his hand and running it down over his face. “Isn't that where Taylor’s medical group is stationed?”

  “Yes,” Hunter said with a tired sigh. “It was an unexpected move. The city is one of the largest in the Eastern sector, but it is also one of the furthest from the Western border.”

  “You said she is alive,” Saber replied, dropping his hand to his side. “Surely, the forces there evacuated the medical staff, especially knowing it was made up of volunteers.”

  Hunter nodded. “Yes, they were evacuated, but Taylor didn’t make it. One of the students said he was waiting for her to grab her backpack when the barracks was hit. He was pulled out, but the rescue team didn’t realize that Taylor was still in there.”

  Saber swallowed and glanced down at his clenched fists. If he lost her… He looked up at Hunter. There was more. She had to make it. He had said that she wasn’t dead.

  “Where is she?” He asked in a harsh voice.

  Hunter glanced at Dagger. Dagger walked over to the vidcom and slid a chip into it. Saber stepped closer. He recognized Taylor immediately. She was sitting in a chair. There was dried blood on her face and she looked extremely young and pale. He couldn’t see her eyes because they were covered, but he could see her lips moving.

  “This was sent to Razor,” Hunter said in a grim tone. “The militant group that took over the Western government recognized Taylor and is using her to keep Razor from flattening the entire region. They said she will be tried as a traitor and kept at an undisclosed location until her execution.”

  Saber stepped closer, watching Taylor’s lips. His hand rose to touch her face. He could see the bruising along her cheek under the cloth wrapped around her eyes. His eyes moved down to her lips again and a fierce wave of fire seared him.

  I love you, Saber. I love you, Saber.

  He could see what she was saying. She was telling him goodbye in her own way. Turning, he stared at Hunter and Dagger.

  “When do we leave?” He asked.

  “Tonight,” Hunter said. “Razor will brief us when we get there. No one else but us and two others know about this mission.”

  *.*.*

  Later that evening, Saber stood on the remote landing field that was used for training. He had packed his gear carefully, going for what he thought would be the most essential in a retrieval mission. Taylor’s bloody and bruised face haunted him as he prepared. Her silent words sent a wave of deadly calm and purpose through him. He would get her back, and he would kill anyone who tried to stop him.

  He stood silently on the dark field as an advance attack transport appeared over the treetops. Whoever was handling it knew what they were doing. They were coming in fast and dark. A moment later, the ship landed on the tarmac and the rear platform lowered to reveal a soft, dim red light. Saber watched as three men stepped out onto the platform and waited for them.

  “Sword, Thunder, and Trig will be our support team,” Hunter said, nodding to the three men as they strode forward.

  “I’m surprised you’re still alive,” Saber said, nodding at Dagger’s older brother, Trig, as he walked by him. “I expected Dagger to kill your ass the next time he saw you.”

  Trig glanced at Dagger and grinned. “He still threatens to, but Jordan won’t let him. She likes me,” he boasted before his smile died. “This would tear both Jordan and Hunter’s mates up if they knew what was happening.”

  Saber nodded, stepping inside behind Thunder, Sword, Hunter, and Dagger. He watched as Hunter and Dagger secured their weapons under the seat.

  “Yes, but knowing those two, they would be going in after Taylor, if they did,” he said, wrapping his hand around the hold bar above the seats as Thunder lifted off the tarmac.

  Trig glanced at Saber’s leg. “I heard you were wounded pretty badly,” he said, doubt clouding his expression. “Are you fit for the mission?”

  Saber heard the reservatio
n in Trig’s voice. He reacted with a swift, decisive move. His hand released the hold bar and he grabbed Trig’s arm and twisted. Using his bad leg, he kicked Trig’s feet out from under him. Within seconds, he had Trig on his stomach with his arm bent at an awkward angle. He could feel the other men’s eyes on him as he held Trig down on the metal floor of the ship, the knife that he carried pressed to the man’s throat.

  Saber could feel the adrenaline rushing through his system. “What do you think?” He asked in a deadly voice.

  Trig winced when the knife pierced his skin. “I think you’ve put on some muscle since I last saw you. What the hell have you been doing?” He muttered.

  Tense laughter echoed through the ship as Saber stepped back. He reached down and helped Trig back to his feet. Sheathing the knife at his waist, he looked up when Trig touched his neck.

  “You know, a simple yes would have worked just as well,” Trig complained, pulling a cloth from his shirt and holding it against his neck.

  Saber glanced away and shrugged. “I could have,” he said, looking back at Trig with an intense stare. “But, you would have doubted it. This mission is too important to worry whether one of us on the team is fit for duty.”

  Trig grimaced. “True,” he muttered. “I meant it, though. You’ve put on some muscle.”

  “That’s what happens when you can’t use your legs,” Saber retorted.

  Saber moved to one of the seats and strapped in. Sword and Thunder would be the pilots for the mission. While all of them were experienced, but those two wouldn’t send up red flags the way Saber, Hunter, and Dagger would. He leaned his head back, closed his eyes, and pulled Taylor’s beautiful image into his mind.

  Chapter 13

  Six days later, Saber stood on Dises V. He turned as Razor approached. They had landed in a desolate area north of where the Trivator forces had set up their headquarters. Razor had been keeping them posted on what was happening.

  “Razor,” Saber said, nodding to him when he stopped in front of him.

  “She and four other Trivator warriors have been tried and found guilty,” Razor replied in response.

  Saber hid the fact that he felt like Razor had just punched him. He could feel the nerve in his jaw pulsing. His hand wrapped around the knife at his waist.

  “Where is she?” He asked in a deceptively quiet voice.

  Saber didn’t miss Razor’s glance at the other men standing around them. Each warrior was poised and ready. The only thing they needed was a location.

  “Let’s take this inside,” Razor replied, waving his hand to a temporary structure that had been set up. “A global field disrupter has been set up in orbit, but I don’t want to take a chance.”

  Saber nodded and strode toward the large tent. The field disrupter was used to prevent their enemies from using the satellite or drone systems to lock on their location and movements. It was an excellent system, but required constant monitoring so that it wasn’t hacked by their enemies and used against them.

  He waited as Razor nodded to the table set up in the center room. Walking over, he sat down and stared at the holographic map of the planet floating in the center of the table. It was a rugged, mountainous planet.

  “Earlier today, the Western sector sent a vidcom of a mock trial. They made sure that Taylor and the other four warriors were visible,” Razor started to explain, tapping the console in front of him to display the video.

  “The ruling sector of Dises V finds each of you guilty of treason,” a voice off-screen said. “Each warrior is sentenced to fight in the death rings.”

  Saber’s jaw tightened as the image flashed to each warrior’s face. They all stared back at the front of the room in silence, their heads held high. For a brief moment, the video turned, showing five men standing up at the front of the room. Every man wore a cover over their face so that only their eyes showed. What they didn’t know was that the eyes were the key to a man’s soul. He would take the time later to study each one carefully.

  He sat forward when the image turned to where Taylor was sitting off to the side. She was wearing a white shirt and a pair of dark tan pants. Her long hair was braided and the bruises on her face were healed. She looked incredibly young and fragile.

  His gut twisted at the sight of her. He knew the men holding her were using her delicate appearance as a way to push their buttons. They wanted Razor to see that they could ruthlessly crush her if they wanted. She was a symbol of the Eastern sector… and the Trivators, powerless to stop their cruelty.

  “State your name, traitor,” the man demanded, stepping down from where he had been standing behind the table.

  Taylor raised a delicate eyebrow and stared back at the man in defiance. A tug of amusement pulled at the corner of Saber’s lips even as he wanted to strangle Taylor for being so stubborn. She might look delicate and fragile, but he knew she had the heart of a warrior.

  “My name is not traitor, jackass. It is Taylor Sampson,” she stated calmly, looking at the man. “You know only cowards feel a need to hide their faces, don’t you?”

  “You will only answer the questions,” the man said in a harsh voice, taking a step closer to where she was sitting. “You are under the protection of the Trivator known as Hunter, the brother of the one called Razor who has attacked our planet, are you not?”

  “Actually, Hunter is my brother-in-law,” Taylor replied with a smile that didn’t reach her eyes. “Razor is going to kick your asses.”

  Saber’s hands curled into tight fists when the male stepped forward and slapped Taylor across the face. He heard Hunter and the others’ swiftly inhale their breath. That male was dead.

  “Kill them if they move again,” the man said, turning to look at where the four Trivator prisoners were straining to break free.

  “It’s okay, guys. Asswipe hits like a girl,” Taylor said with a trembling smile. “I’ve got this.”

  “That female needs to be protected from herself,” Sword muttered with a shake of his head. “Why would she say things that she knows will get her beaten?”

  “Watch,” Razor replied with a strangely calm demeanor.

  Taylor turned back and stared at the man with a serene smile. A sense of unease built inside Saber. When Taylor looked like that, it usually meant trouble.

  “I’m not the traitor to your people, you are,” Taylor said in a quiet voice. “You enslave them and work them until they die for your own greed. You and those that follow you are the scum of this planet. You are nothing more than parasites. If the people knew just how few of you there were, they’d squish you like the bugs you are.”

  “I told you to answer only the questions you were asked!” The male said, raising his hand to strike her again.

  Taylor took advantage of his closeness and kicked out, catching the man in the groin with a powerful kick. At the same time, she reached out and snatched off the cloth covering his face. The man twisted around, showing his full face clearly to the video. Two other men hurried forward and held Taylor by her arms.

  “Answer that, you jerk-off!” She snapped before glancing up at the camera. “Now that you know what he looks like, kill the bastard for me, please.”

  The male on the ground hissed in pain as he struggled to sit up. He slowly rose, glaring at Taylor, who sat still, her head held high, waiting for his response. It didn’t take long. He swung out, striking her in the jaw. Her head snapped back and she slumped in the chair, unconscious.

  “Remove her,” the man ordered. “I look forward to killing her slowly, after I break her. Take them to the High Fortress. She is sentenced to death. I’ll return her body to Razor one piece at a time. In the meantime, she can enjoy watching each of the Trivator warriors fight to their death.”

  Saber sat back in his seat, stunned. Taylor, his Taylor, was still rebellious in the face of her captors. It reminded him of the way she had fought against him when she and her sisters had first been found. His hand rose to touch
his ear, remembering her bite as if it was yesterday.

  “I am surprised they sent that video,” Hunter said in a quiet voice.

  “They didn’t… at first,” Razor replied. “The first one we received was edited and did not contain this footage. This one arrived several hours later on a rarely used frequency. It would appear that either someone was sympathetic to Taylor or…”

  “There is an ally among the new Western Council,” Saber murmured, staring at the twisted face of the male that had hit Taylor.

  He wasn’t a Disesian. The milky white complexion and bald head were proof of that. Saber glanced at Dagger to see his reaction. Dagger’s face had paled, but the fury burning deep inside him radiated outward. The Waxian, a mercenary species known for their greed and savagery, were trying to take over another planet.

  “Where is the High Fortress?” Saber asked in a voice devoid of emotion.

  Razor sighed and turned to look at the men. He shook his head and touched the console in front of him. A large mountain appeared in the center of the screen.

  “This is the fortress we believe the Waxian was talking about,” Razor said, pointing to the huge structure on the side of the mountain. “It is an ancient fortress built into the side of the mountain. We’ve been monitoring the increased traffic to it over the last several months.”

  “Why didn’t you take it out?” Thunder asked, sitting back in his seat.

  Razor’s lips thinned in anger. “The council felt it would jeopardize the treaty that was under negotiation,” he replied.

  “Why the Waxians? How did they get a foothold into the Western Council?” Sword asked, leaning forward.

  “The Western Council probably thought they would get additional support and weapons,” Dagger said in a calm voice. He looked at each man at the table, pausing on Saber. “They would have taken over almost immediately, probably by taking the families of the council hostage and killing one or more of them as a warning. He meant what he said. He’ll send pieces of Taylor to Razor just to show that he can. They are probably after the ore that is being mined. The unrest between the two regions, and the Alliance intervening, gave them an opportunity to steal it.”