Black Panther: Rise of the Princess (COMPLETE)

Chapter 40: T'Challa

Okoye did not find any means of communication with HYDRA on board, except for a small tracker in D'Arku's neck.

"I am afraid it is an implant, your Majesty," she reported. "We do not have the tools to remove and destroy it on the ship. D'Arku claims to have no knowledge of the tracker."

"It would be foolish to expect anything less of HYDRA," I conceded. "They have committed crimes much worse than this before."

The general did not seem to be comforted by that fact. "We have almost reached the spot you indicated earlier. The pilot will be landing the ship soon."

I nodded, activating my suit again. "Then prepare to defend the ship. HYDRA is not far behind, and I doubt they will wait for us to begin their attack."

"Why here, T'Challa?" She asked. "This place provides no tactical advantage."

"No," I affirmed, "but it is within our borders, to the point where the battle should not cross into another country. Believe me, Okoye, I would keep the bloodshed off of our land if it were not our fight, but this is as far away from our people as we can be without endangering other nation-states."

She sneered as we walked back to the cargo hold, where her men were keeping D'Arku. "It does not seem as though HYDRA values the same ideals."

There were a great many comebacks I could have responded with, but none of them improved the situation. Instead, I gathered all of our people outside the door to his makeshift cell. I addressed all of them, hoping that D'Arku could not hear what I was about to say.

"We cannot allow HYDRA to enter the city," I reminded them, "despite our ill-equipped ship. It was not made to fight wars, but it must serve for now. Do what you must to keep our adversaries' attention on us as long as possible. Reinforcements from Wakanda, and from SHEILD, will trap the HYDRA ships, if we can keep them distracted enough. Is that clear?"

The majority of the soldiers' heads nodded, but one of them asked, "What is to be done about D'Arku? Is he not HYDRA?"

Okoye opted to answer for me. "He is going to stay in the ship, if he knows what is good for him, but even a traitor may mend, and we are going to give him that chance, if he survives. D'Arku will receive justice for his actions pending that we all survive the next hour."

"You have cuffed him, correct?" I asked her under my breath, and she nodded, admonishing me with her eyes that I would ever suggest otherwise.

The pilot entered from the doors of the cockpit. "The HYDRA ships have been moving faster than ours has. The vibranium has slowed our journey, and their ships have adapted to compensate for their mediocre designs with our resources. The first ships will arrive in ten minutes, no more."

"Then arm yourselves," I ordered the soldiers. "Show no mercy to HYDRA, for you shall receive none from them. Wakanda forever!"

"Wakanda forever!" They cried, and moved to prepare for war.

Okoye remained at my side, and when the majority of the men had left, she asked, "Has any message come from Peter and Shuri?"

I shook my head. "None that may be helpful to us. Only that one of the barrier generators was damaged, and that the energy shield is now faulty."

"Of course," she growled. "If nothing has been said, then it would seem that they are working on a solution. That seems to be the pattern of the past twenty-four hours."

"I hope that is the case," I agreed. "Either way, we must do what we can to protect Wakanda with what they have given us. The reinforcements will have to be enough."

Okoye nodded. "For Wakanda."

"For Wakanda."