As we wait for Warlord Unarmed, the third story in the Chamele Barbarian Warlords series, to release on September 17th, I’m sharing the first chapter.
You can read the first scene here: http://tasteofcyn.com/?p=6971.
Today, I’m sharing the third scene.
***
“I’ve prepared for a possible attack by Tolui.” The way Berke said that relayed he expected Murad to do the same. “My warriors are on high alert.”
Murad’s warriors had left their seats and were standing in front of the main viewscreen, chattering.
“Once we take delivery of our new ship and test it, we’ll return to base.” It was one of the safest places on his planet. “That structure is impregnable.”
“You said that about your ship.” Khan would ridicule him about that until the end of time.
Murad loved his brothers but they could be pains in his ass. “My ship would have been impregnable if its systems had been activated.”
“My lord—” Sartaq, the being who hadn’t activated those systems, interrupted them.
Murad waved him away. “My ship was top-of-the-line.”
“Tolui now has that top-of-the-line ship.” Berke was angry about that.
Murad was also. “He removed the tracking device I installed in it.” That irked him. “We—”
“My lord.” Sartaq stood directly in front of him. “You need to see this.”
He looked up. His warriors parted, revealing the main viewscreen.
Smoke billowed from a stretch of scorched terrain. An unidentifiable object had been pulverized. Debris littered the ground, the pieces of it alarmingly small. Several small fires burned.
He straightened in his seat. “What are our coordinates?”
His Second met his gaze squarely. “We’ve arrived at the old test site, my lord.” He confirmed Murad’s suspicions.
Was that object the new ship? Had Tolui targeted his warriors?
Murad folded his fingers into tight fists, anger swelling inside him. His claws pricked at his skin. “Ship, contact Warrior Gegeen.”
“We’ve attempted to contact Gegeen and Renzong…multiple times, my lord.” Sartaq informed him. “There’s no reply.”
“Then we try again…and again…and again until we do receive a reply.” Murad’s tone was brusque.
Gegeen and Renzong would never give up on him. He wouldn’t give up on them.
“Head of Ship and Weapons Design has a means to track his creations.” Murad told Sartaq. “Ask him to locate the ship. Tell him nothing more.”
That last guidance was unnecessary. All of his warriors knew not to talk about incidents until they were authorized to do so.
“Contacting the Head Of Ship and Weapons Design, my lord.” Sartaq tapped on his private viewscreen.
“Were you supposed to be in your missing ship?” Khan frowned.
“I’ve always been the first to fly the ships.” Every being on the planet knew that. And every being in the facility would have been privy to the fabrication schedule.
“Tolui believes he killed you.” Berke stated what Murad already suspected.
Khan tilted his head. “That could be useful.”
Murad didn’t want to talk about tactics or the enemy or usefulness. He was focused on his two missing warriors.
“We’ll discuss this later.” He told his brothers.
“Do not land.” Berke’s eyes blazed.
He was landing. His warriors could have somehow survived. “I’m ending the transmission.” He tapped on his private viewscreen.
The images of his brothers disappeared, leaving only a view of the destruction.
“System, are any ships within range?” He hoped there were. He wanted to blow Tolui, that dishonorable warrior, out of space.
“There are no ships within range, my lord.”
Son of a Gechii. Tolui had escaped them yet again.
And Murad might have lost two loyal warriors. The weight of those lifespans pressed down on his shoulders. “Perform a lifeform scan, system.”
“There are no lifeforms within range, my lord.”
“The fires could be interfering with the scan, my lord.” Sartaq didn’t believe his own words. Murad heard that in his Second’s voice.
“Did Head of Ship and Weapons Design locate the ship?” Could there be a chance the rubble had come from something else?
“No, my lord.” His Second wouldn’t meet his gaze.
“Set this ship down outside the debris field.” Murad didn’t address the likelihood of his warriors being alive. “The drones and bots will roll out first.” They didn’t know if Tolui had left explosives on the site. “Then we will walk the terrain.”
His warriors nodded. They were somber, the joking and laughter discarded. Two of their own might have fallen.
They’d all lost friends and family members in the seemingly endless wars. But Gegeen had been there since the beginning. He’d trained several of the males. And Renzong was as well-liked, could often be found by the older warrior’s side.
They were still together…wherever they were. Pain squeezed Murad’s heart. Zondoo. He hoped they hadn’t yet arrived.
***
Read the next scene (available September 9th) here: http://tasteofcyn.com/?p=6983
***
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Warlord Unarmed
Protected by the Barbarian Warrior
* * *
Murad, a technology-loving Chamele Warlord, has to track down and eliminate a rogue warrior before that male ends Murad’s reign. Permanently.
When a pieced-together wreck of a ship enters the sector without authorization, Murad assumes it is piloted by an ally of his enemy and decides to blow the battered vessel out of open space.
Then he hears the voice of its sole occupant and his orders and his priorities immediately shift. The captain of the ship is his gerel, the one female he’s genetically compatible with—the light to his darkness, his future, his everything.
He will protect her…even if it costs him his life.
Bounty hunter Gale doesn’t want or need protection. She has entered Chamele space on a rescue mission. A tall, muscular, half-naked barbarian with humor-lit eyes and gentle hands won’t distract her from that purpose, no matter what he tries.
A broken ship and an enemy focused on revenge do interfere with her plans. Gale’s goal changes from saving a friend to saving herself. The only being who can increase her chances of survival is the one Warlord she can’t resist.
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