Stella, My Star

22

I am waiting at the heavy door when they open it. I do not wish for you to see me mistreated, dragged out. So, I walk. I am not even sure if you open your blackened eyes in time. I do not look back. I have already been staring at you long enough while you slept. The moment I am outside the cell, they cuff me, and grab my ponytail again, as I am pulled toward the bridge for my interrogation.

One of my bare feet slides as they stop me in front of Schilling, and when I look down, I realise I am standing in a spattering of blood and saliva. I examine the room hastily, no sign of Gelding, but Gabriel, now fully functioning again, stands in the middle of two henchman at one side of the room. For some reason, the recording system and Marilyn have failed, and they are using him to transmit communications to base. Already, I believe something to be working in my favour. Until...

"Miss Stella Wood. Second lieutenant of the Destructor. Notoriously lethal assassin." Schilling stands as a chill rushes down my spine, and the rebels immediately react by stepping forward and bearing weapons, as if I am about to unleash all hell. But I stand still, and cuffed, as he circles me. "Oh, but she's no threat to me or the cause. Rubbish!" He punches me forcefully in the stomach, and I double over, letting out a grunt.

"Word on the backstreets of Concordia is, you killed Zahar." He pulls me upright, by my damn ponytail again. His face, full of bitterness, is close to mine now. "Knifed him when his back was turned."

"His back was not turned. He was looking at me like I was another cheap whore. Eyeing me up and down like a piece of meat. He got what he deserved! Well and truly."

He laughs. "You think anyone will treat you any better here because you're a woman?"

"You would insult me too."

He slaps me hard across the face, and I fall to my knee. The salty taste of warm blood fills my mouth where a tooth has cut my upper lip, and it seeps from my mouth down my chin.

"You are not invincible, Stella Wood. You will be broken like the rest of them. I will eventually take great pleasure in slitting your throat and watching you bleed out on the cold floor."

He sickens me. Schilling is scum. He is a psychopath, with no sympathy for anyone; man, woman or child. I desire to send him to hell like no other scum I have faced before.

"Of course, instead, to save your colleagues, we could broker a deal." He squats to look me in the eye. "How about we send you back to command central on Concordia as a selected negotiator, and you take out a couple of commanders for me? Wreak a bit of havoc in a building you have direct access to? That way, you could die doing what you love, and I free the rest of the two crews when you successfully follow through."

He strolls back to his seat. "Infiltration, deception, betrayal....mmmm...I love it! The makings of a great rebel tale. You'd go down in history, Stella."

"Screw you. I will not be a part of your plans. Nor do I believe you would save anyone on board these ships. You are not known for your compassion."

"Well then, I have no other need for you then, do I Lieutenant Wood? My time is valuable. And you're wasting it." He holds out his hand toward a soldier, who draws a large Thoreg knife from his belt and supplies it. "I can only imagine the reaction when they all find out a female crew member of the Destructor was the first to be slaughtered."

He plays with the dual tip of the blade as he moves slowly toward me, hoping I will change my mind at the last moment. Ignoring my aching stomach and my stinging jaw, I manage to pull myself to my feet. He signals to a thug behind me, who throws an arm around my neck, gripping me tightly to him.

"Oh, I must say there is something nice and vulnerable and weak about you right now, Stella. Tell me, Porter, did you enjoy frisking the lieutenant?"