Punished, Tana Stone [top reads .txt] 📗

stark change from the heat outside, and I welcomed both the respite from the heat and the sunlight. I wished I’d had time to bathe before my first audience with the ministers, but the incident with Sienna and that fool Donal had distracted me and delayed my return to my dwelling.

No matter, I thought, as I strode up to where the males sat. They knew I was a Vandar warrior, and they knew I was tasked with military training. A little grime was to be expected.

The human I recognized from my first night on the planet stood as I approached. “Greetings, Corvak. Thank you for meeting with us.” His gaze flitted to the dirt smeared across my bare chest. “We know you are busy with the task we gave you.”

The Kimitherian who had accompanied the human Terel on that first meeting peered up at me from underneath his hood. “Are you making progress?”

I did not take a seat on the long benches with them, preferring to stand with my hands clasped behind my back as I gave my report. As I scanned the group, I wondered which minister was the father to Donal, then I forced that thought from my mind. It was better I do not know, otherwise I might have the urge to give him the same treatment I’d given his arrogant son.

I rocked back on my heels, keeping my gaze over their heads. “There has been progress. The trainees have mastered the basics of hand-to-hand combat and are learning to use weapons, although I have not found many weapons to use.”

The pupil in Kerl’s large yellow eyes contracted. “Since we have been a peaceful planet for so long, weapons have been unnecessary.”

The concept of a culture without a means to defend itself was unthinkable to me, but I nodded as if I understood this madness. “But surely, if you believe your planet to be at risk, you should make an effort to procure some weapons. I do not wish to send my newly trained army out with rocks and spears made from sharpened sticks.”

Terel cleared his throat as he worked his hands together, scanning the other males at the table. “The Vandar makes a good point. It is time we equipped ourselves with blasters.”

A rumble passed through the small group and the Kimitherians’ hoods shook back and forth.

I tempered my urge to raise my voice. “I am not suggesting we arm your villagers, but if you truly believe that your planet will be at risk from an imperial assault or invasion in the future, it would be wise to have a stockpile of weapons for the fighters to use. Otherwise, you will be sending them to certain death, because I assure you the Zagrath will be well-armed.”

One of the other humans pinned me with a sharp look. “You do not carry a blaster.”

I instinctively shifted one hand to rest on the hard iron hilt of my battle axe. “Vandar warriors are trained to use our axes as effectively as any blaster, but we are also excellent blaster marksmen. We just rarely carry the weapons on our bodies.”

“Because you prefer the old ways,” another Kimitherian said. “Like us.”

I inclined my head at him. “In a way, yes. But our horde ships are outfitted with the latest technology—innovation even the empire does not have. We prefer to appear as our ancient ancestors, but we never reject progress. Not if it will aid in our mission or improve our chances in battle.”

More grumblings.

Finally Kerl spoke again. “Even if we manage to procure weapons, they will not arrive in time.”

I studied the group as they shifted on the benches. “In time for what?”

Terel let out a loud breath, shaking his head from side to side slowly. “It is probably nothing, but the empire has alerted us that a ship is inbound.”

My entire body tensed. “A Zagrath ship?”

“Only one,” one of the other human ministers said, his voice cracking. “It isn’t unheard of for the empire to send a ship.”

“There is no way they could know I am here, is there?” I asked, looking from male to male and searching for signs of deception.

“We have no open communication with the empire,” Terel said. “They could not have learned it from us.”

“Is he the reason the empire is coming?” one of the Kimitherians hissed to another, but loud enough for me to hear.

If the residents of Kimithion III did not inform the empire of my presence, I could be sure my Vandar brothers did not. Even if word had spread through the hordes, the information would not have leaked to the empire. The Vandar had no leaks. At least, we never had before.

“There is little chance that the enemy knows I am here. The Vandar would have taken great pains to keep that from them.” I shot a fierce look at the Kimitherian who’d suggested otherwise, and the blue-green scales on his face turned a sickly shade of yellow. “I would bet that they are performing a scouting mission.”

“What does that mean?” Kerl asked, tilting his elongated face at me.

I clenched my grip on my axe. “It means your suspicions were well-founded. The Zagrath are meticulous. Before they invade a planet, they gather information. It will appear that they are peaceful, but they will be mapping everything about your community to make their eventual incursion easier.”

One of the scaled Kimitherians darted his gaze around the table. “Impossible. They haven’t shown any interest in our planet for hundreds of solar rotations.”

The alien made a good point. I drummed my fingers on the handle of my weapon. “Why are the Zagrath coming now? You mentioned that you believed they might try to invade, but what made you think that after living unnoticed for so long?”

Terel glanced quickly at one of the ministers then away again. When he met my eyes again, his cheeks were flushed. “There was an unfortunate slip. A Zagrath ship was forced to make an emergency stop on our planet not long