1 Setting Traps
The sound of steel-against-steel rang in the cavern as two Borithon swords crashed together. The last rays of sundown sliced over the rock wall, shining on Michio Kimes. He moved agilely away, watching his footing on the uneven ground as his blond sparring partner, Prince Erling Fenian, slashed his sword at him. Michio was now in the shadows and Erling stood in the shaft of light with a confident smile on his well-formed features.
Michio watched for Erling’s next move, tension building in his arms and shoulders. He’d never fought with a Borithon sword before and was having trouble getting used to the weapon’s unusual qualities. It vibrated in his hand and seemed to have a life of its own. It repelled or attracted the other Borithon sword in an unpredictable manner.
Erling leapt onto a boulder and Michio came after him, slashing the sword in a wide arc. Erling barely managed to deflect the blade. Michio relentlessly struck again and Erling swept up his sword, meeting Michio’s blade in midair. The two swords locked, causing a flash of light to shoot out. Pulling back, Michio lunged, feinted, then thrust again, while struggling to keep his balance on the uneven terrain.
No longer smiling, Erling countered in a circular parry, turning aside Michio’s blade in an equally aggressive move and retaliating with forceful blows. The spirited battle continued with neither man getting the upper hand. They were too well-matched in size, strength and ability.
Michio began to tire from the energetic encounter, but he didn’t dare let down his guard.
Wiping sweat from his brow, he watched Erling.
Erling’s blue eyes flickered and Michio knew he was going to release the second blade on his sword. In one fluid motion, Michio leapt aside and pressed a button on his own sword.
The two blades split apart, opening at a forty-five-degree angle joined at the hilt; it was as if the weapon was a pair of shears. Michio swung the lethal sword at his adversary, meeting Erling’s double blades with his own. His arm shook from the force of the impact.
Erling drew back his sword. Michio paused, watching for Erling’s next move. Fighting with two blades was difficult and he couldn’t afford to make a mistake. Two blades came slashing at him again. This time he hit one of Erling’s blades head on—the other blade sliced into his jacket.
Michio moved above his discomfort with the unfamiliar weapon and fought with renewed vigor, instinctively sensing Erling’s next maneuver. Michio’s sword flashed out in a fluid, smooth rhythm and his body moved gracefully in total harmonious control.
Erling’s thrusts were less certain, his arm unsteady. Michio forced him to back up as he struck repeatedly.
“Stop at once!” a woman’s voice exclaimed, breaking Michio’s concentration.
He glanced toward the door of the virtual reality workout room, relaxing his grip on the sword. Erling leapt forward and slid his blades between Michio’s, one over and one under, then gave a quick twist. The sword flew out of Michio’s hand.
“Effective maneuver,” Michio said, realizing he shouldn’t have taken his attention off the match for even a moment. He knew how good Erling was from their days of fighting together in the revolt that won Jaipar’s freedom.
“What do you two think you’re doing?” demanded Queen Koriann, the youthful ruler of Jaipar. Captain Zachary, head of the royal guards, followed her into the room and hit the control button on the wall. Images of canyons disappeared from screens around the room and the setting sun and clouds disappeared from the ceiling. Boulders sank back into the floor.
“Sparring, love,” Erling replied, grinning impishly at his wife of several months. “We need to keep up our skills.”
“Sparring! Without epee masks or energy shields for protection?”
“It’s better to practice without them,” Michio said, turning off his weapon. “It makes for greater concentration when there’s real danger.”
“You’re worse than Erling!” Koriann’s eyes flashed.
Michio straightened, annoyed at being taken to task by a woman almost ten years his junior. “Sparring isn’t for fun. Knowing how to use a Borithon sword may save our lives someday.”
“They’re too dangerous to spar with! Erling nearly died from a poisoned blade just six months ago. I understand target practice with blasters or hand-to-hand combat training. But fencing with ritualistic swords used only in Haklute, a country we occupy, is an unnecessary skill!”
“A warrior has to master an assortment of skills,” Zac said. “You know that. It was drilled into you since childhood.”
The queen glared at him. “Erling’s a ruler now. He doesn’t have to keep up the skills of a warrior.”
“Don’t blame Zac,” Erling said. “It wasn’t his idea. He’s just returned from visiting your former sweetheart, King Zanton.” A teasing grin spread across his face.
“That treacherous snake was never my sweetheart!” She returned her attention to Zac. “How was your visit? How’s Zanton taking being a token ruler of an occupied country?”
“Not well. He’s furious about the new ordinances. He’s accustomed to power and could pose a serious threat to us. I’ve already advised Prince Erling to imprison him.”
Erling’s expression turned grave. “When I was trapped on his spaceship, I gave my word that he could still rule Haklute. If I hadn’t, he wouldn’t have let me and my pilots live. A man’s reputation is built on his word and I won’t go back on mine. Besides he’s been stripped of power and the Haklute government is now controlled by our military.”
“He’ll cause trouble,” Zac said. “The Haklute people believe their monarchs are chosen by God. It won’t take much to trigger an uprising. King Zanton hates you and will stop at nothing to kill you. He’s a threat as long as he lives.”
Koriann’s eyes widened with concern.
“He’s impotent,” Erling said. “But you’re right; he should be watched closely. At any rate, it was thoughtful of him to give us these Borithon swords.”
“Zanton gave you those?!” Koriann exclaimed.
“Sure did,” Erling said, breaking into a smile again.
“He probably hopes you’ll kill each other with them and you almost obliged him. I assume you had the sense to be sure there wasn’t poison on the blades.”
“One of my most trusted men cleaned the blades,” Zac said.
Koriann frowned. “Your sleeve’s singed, Michio. Some residue must still be on the blades. Did the sword cut into your skin?”
Zac rushed over to Michio, his face pale. “Don’t touch the poison. I swear the blades were clean. I supervised it myself.”
Michio looked down at his jacket, his stomach turning when he saw the singed sleeve. He hadn’t felt any pain, but a warrior learns to ignore pain during battle. Concerned, he pulled off the jacket. How could he have been so careless? Even a slight wound from a poisoned blade could be fatal. Koriann was right to reprimand him. He was a married man, soon to be a father. He had more than himself to think about.
Michio pulled back his shirtsleeve and was relieved to see the sword hadn’t cut into his arm. He was careful not to touch the poison as he handed Zac his jacket.
“I’ll have the residue on the jacket and swords analyzed. This will be investigated.”
Michio felt on edge. Had someone put poison on the sword blades after they were cleaned in an attempt to assassinate Prince Erling?
“Bring me the results as soon as you have them,” Erling said. He shook Michio’s hand. “Thanks for the match. It was a good workout. That was a great move when you anticipated my releasing the second blade and released yours. How did you know that’s what I planned to do?”
“By watching your eyes.”
“Think of your wife, Michio,” Koriann said, still sounding annoyed. “Toemeka needs you to be supportive of her—not take unnecessary risks.”
“Toemeka would understand,” Erling said. “You should see the way she and I worked out when we were Coalition partners. We never bothered with energy shields. She’s an excellent fencer. Challenge her to a match sometime, Mich. She’ll give you a good workout.”
Michio slid his sword into its sheath, glad that his wife no longer served as a Coalition field operative. No one wanted their spouse to have a job where they had to carry a suicide pill when sent out on a mission. Being reminded of her past brought the interplanetary war to mind. It had only been nine months since Jaipar overthrew its tyrant, General Bhandar—a minion of Samrat Condor—and regained its freedom. More recently, Samrat Condor had completely taken over planet Alandra where the Coalition Headquarters was located. The remaining Coalition operatives were spread across the galaxy, stationed at secret bases.
Michio’s thoughts shifted back to the present moment and Erling’s comment, realizing Erling saw Toemeka much differently than he did. “Toemeka’s about to become a mother. She doesn’t need to keep up her skills.”
“Actually, that’s why I hunted you down,” Koriann said. “Toemeka’s in labor. She couldn’t reach you on your communicator, so she called me.”
A rush of nervous energy flooded through Michio. “I turned off my communicator before sparring. I didn’t want the distraction.”
He tapped the face of his watch communicator and said, “Call home.” On the third ring Toemeka answered and her lovely face appeared on the screen.
“Koriann just told me you’re in labor,” he said. His voice revealed his concern and he took a deep breath. He didn’t want Toemeka to pick up on his emotions; he needed to be calm for her.
“It’s nothing to worry about. I’m still in the early stage.”
He winced, realizing she’d picked up on his uneasiness. “I’ll come right home.”
“There’s no rush. I feel great—excited.”
“Should I bring Dr. Tenzing?”
“No, it’s too soon. I love you.”
“I love you, too.” Her image disappeared from the screen.
“How’s she doing?” Erling asked.
“Do you want us there?” Koriann added before Michio could answer. “We’re the closest she has to family.”
“She’s fine and doesn’t want everyone sitting around for hours, waiting for the baby to arrive.” Michio raked a hand through his hair. “I’m about to become a father.”
The eBook of Star Rider and Bonds of Love is available for preorder on Amazon.
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