Black Hole Heartbeat

Forr - 42

Donovan's hands moved across the control panel with purpose as Forr entered.

"Kinda busy right now!"

"Open a com link with the hostile ship. It'll stop shooting."

"How do you know?"

"Just do it!" Forr shouted.

But Donovan already was. He was a man who thought actions first and questions later

was dumb, but no dumber than questions first and actions later.

"You're patched," he said.

Forr picked up the com mic just as Elizabeth entered the room. Her first move was for the

ladders up to the cannons.

"Serpe, stop!" Forr shouted.

"Finally found you. Sorry I was a liLle later than my crew on Rassek."

He could hear her smirking. Elizabeth let go of the ladder and turned to him.

"What do you want?" Forr said.

"You need to come home."

"I have no home. I was exiled."

"The exile has been revoked. Welcome back to the fold."

"The Krei removed an exile?" Donovan said, "How important are you Forr?"

Forr covered the mic with his huge palm, "That depends how Krei have died since I left."

"What's that mean?"

"Forr is a Krei king," Elizabeth said.

"No, I'm not," Forr said. He uncovered the mic, "I'm not going back."

"Don't be stupid, Forr. Three Krei fleets are primed on your vessel as we speak."

"Is that a bluff?" Donovan asked, looking at the blank scanners.

"Your captain speaks too loudly," Serpe said.

"Not the captain, ma'am. Just the pilot."

"I'm the captain," Elizabeth said.

Serpe let out a cough of dry laughter, "The red haired human cunt. Your company does

not befit your stature, Forr. Is your Jahlder whore there too?"

"Don't call her that."

His knuckles turned pale around the mic.

"If you came back to Excha, you could have your pick of Krei females. You could have any

Krei female."

"Not interested, Serpe."

"Forr's too important to our mission to let him leave," Elizabeth said.

"I'd heard the Human liked to involve herself in maLers in which she has no business."

"The answer's no," Forr said.

"Allow me to assist this mission, and when it is done you shall return with me to Excha.

Refuse, and I blow your ship up, along with you, and the Human, and the whore."

Ships started to appear on the periphery of the radar.

"She's not bluffing," Donovan said.

"Don't call her that."

Serpe had already disconnected.

Forr thought about Lavell lying in bed, unaware of how close she had come to hateful

annihilation.

"I guess I should go greet the new arrival," Elizabeth said.

"No. I'll go," Forr said.

"One thing Forr," Elizabeth said, grabbing his arm, "I don't care how many fleets she has.

On this mission, she reports to me."

~*~

A ferocious itch climbed his stump, growing stronger as he descended into the hangar.

Serpe's shuLle opened. The steps rolled out like a tongue from a dragon's mouth. Blue

legs slinked down the steps. That azure skin had haunted Forr on Excha. Krei's born with

indigo pigments were thought to be destined for greatness, but he was born grey. They

must be truly desperate to seek him out.

She tossed her helmet aside.

"It's been a while."

The blonde fur across her back was thick and clean.

"You shouldn't have come," he said.

She touched his arm.

"What happened?" her voice flashed soft, "Is this your whore's work?"

"It was blown off when I was trying to save a child from your death squad. Lavell gave

me my hand back."

"A Jahlder child?"

Serpe ripped the limb away from him and spat yellow phlegm. The electrodes shorted

and stung as they were yanked away from his temples.

"You even smell like her. True Krei wear their wounds with pride, they don't hide behind

ornaments!"

"I'm not true Krei. That's why they exiled me."

She stepped closer to him, puLing a soothing pressure on his throbbing forehead.

"That's history now."

"I love Lavell," Forr said, picking up his appendage.

Serpe snatched at his throat and hoisted him against the wall.

"Don't you dare speak her name to me!"

"Why come here? Why hunt me down?"

"Hunt you down? You had a broadcast! A puppet Krei, dancing for the Jahlder whore."

"Why not kill me?"

She leaned in closer. Her breath was acrid.

" They want to. I want to save you."

"I saved myself a long time ago," Forr said.

Serpe loosened her grip.

"Our child would be a great warrior."

" Our child?"

She held her arm in front of him.

"You see this blue? My family deserve the Harkrak title. Return with me and give me my

offspring. You owe me that."

"No."

Her hand was at his throat again.

"Refuse and I kill the whore."

The grip tightened. She could kill Lavell easily. She hated Jahlder. She would enjoy it.

Forr's good hand still held his metal fist. He swung it at Serpe like a club. Her skin split

open and she stepped away, leLing him go.

"After I do this, you leave us alone. Both of us."

Blood wept from her cut. She smiled.

"Once I get you back to Excha, you'll never leave."

Forr reaLached his bionic hand, twisting it back onto his stump. He flexed his fingers

while Serpe turned away in disgust.