Chapter 04
"Mistress." Ophelia's image appeared inside of the chamber, looking at her. "If you would like...I can allow you to see what is happening...so you don't have to sit in here and wonder. My holo projectors are more than capable of relaying the events...or would you prefer not to watch?"
She looked at her, waiting for her response. Brynn stared at Ophelia, not sure if she wanted to know what was going on, but she finally nodded to her, whispering, even if it wasn't necessary. "Yes, show me."
***
Idris moved to the landing ramp and let it down, quickly wiping his face of the tears and composed himself. He watched as the ramp touched down. He slowly held up his hands in surrender and waited. He saw the entourage of people, their purple and black uniforms giving them a very dark feel.
"Captain Chariton." Her words were almost sweet, but the underlying malice soured her words. She almost purred when she spoke. "I am so glad that we could see each other again. It's been so long since we were together. And now, we can talk alone. I hope you're not thinking of escaping. I know our sensors have already indicated that when you were torn from the fabric of antispace, by our new generators, that it brought your propulsion systems offline." She pouted, patronizing. "How awful that must have been for you."
She sighed, moving forward. Her outfit had an exceptional feel to it, a form fitting shirt that held tightly to her very attractive form, but her face was like ice. The pale, colorless complexion was beautiful, in its own way, but the skin of her arms had a dark, purplish color that seemed mixed in with the pale skin. Her eyes had a silver, amethyst hue to them, her dark hair flowing elegantly down to her shoulder blades. She wore a silver-colored belt and form fitting leggings that showed every curve. Her boots came up to the middle of her shin, matching with her clothes very well. The woman stood almost as tall as Idris. "Now, Captain, do you have what I want?"
When he didn't answer her immediately, her happy expression was quickly overwhelmed with fury, and she stretched forth her hand and stretched her fingers out in a rapid gesture, throwing him off his feet with some unseen force and slamming him into the wall. Idris grunted and moved to stand again after he'd crumpled to his feet. She pushed her hand forward towards the top of his head and drove him to his knees, looking down at him. "What are you carrying aboard this ship, Captain? I sense that you are not alone."
He shook his head. "No, no, I promise you, it's only me, and...my cargo, of course."
Her eyes looked up and away from him, narrowing at the corridor. She turned around and motioned two men. "Hadir. Thelo. Check the cargo hold and see what our dear captain has brought with him for us."
The men nodded at her. They were tall, and very muscular. Their disruptor rifles were slung around to their back as they hurried through the corridor. She looked down at him, smiling again. "Do you know who I am, Captain? Or is the Initiative still maintaining that we do not exist?"
He shook his head. "UDI, I doubt, has had the pleasure of dealing with you...but some day...some day they'll find you. I wait eagerly for that day." He scowled at her, which only angered her further.
She struck his across the face with the back of her hand with enough force to break his lower lip against his teeth. Idris spat blood on the ground and looked back up at her. She smiled at him now, grinning, teeth bared.
"My name is Moranna Thannatos. I represent the Delethirian Empire and all of its glory. You would do well to join us...those who join, survive."
His scowl changed to shock, his eyes growing wide and his jaw dropping. "You...those...the attacks...the passenger ships...the..." He gaped at her, feeling an eerie tingle over his body. "That's...that's why...that's why SI is pursuing you...and why they refuse to identify you." He scowled at her again. "It also explains why you wanted Aria dead!"
She couldn't help herself, laughing at him. "Yes. You do have it all figured out, don't you, Captain." She leaned down, her hand on his cheek in mock affection. Her lips moved to his ear. "Now...tell me, dearest Idris...what is the access code for your cargo hold?"
Idris shut his eyes and shivered, unable to describe the feeling that came over him. He felt insatiably compelled to answer her, and answer her honestly. He told her the access code and she then called down the corridor to her men. He heard the loud noise as the door pulled open, rising up into the roof.
She used her power to lift him to his feet again. "Come on, Captain. Let's go see what you have."
A guard pushed Idris forward as they walked around to the antechamber of the cargo hold. He watched the men open the door and look inside. The pyre fiend was still mounted to the floor in a frozen cube. Thannatos' eyes widened with excitement. "A pyre fiend. My, my, Captain...when you bring presents."
She turned to one of the men. "Bring me a harness." She turned back and smiled in true delight.
"I told you, I've no one else on board, just this. Take it, if you'd like." His shoulders fell. He would have to scrub his next assignment, now, and instead of being paid for the delivery, he'd have to pay royally for the lost fiend. He felt despair overcoming him as he wondered what else could possibly go wrong. "The cargo hold is, in fact, empty, other than this pet, Mistress." The men bowed to her.
She nodded her head to them, but it was out of respect. When the men bowed to her, they seemed to worship her. "Very good, boys. Now, search the rest of the ship...see if our captain is hiding anything else."
Idris looked up and felt panic overcoming him. He knew that if he spoke up, she would suspect him. If he pleaded and told her and promised that the rest of the ship was empty...but he held his tongue. A few moments later, the servant returned with the harness that she'd asked for. The chain wasn't very thick, and he worried that it would not be enough to maintain the animal.
She moved forward, to the ice casing where the creature had been imprisoned, and reached out her hand. The ice started to recede, melting away into a pool of liquid on the floor. The creature took only moments to become alert, and as it did, it looked up at her. But, rather than lunge or attack, the creature...purred at her. She knelt at its side, on one knee, and gently allowed her hand to move other the surface of the creature's rocky form. He was a little unnerved when her hand didn't light on fire. "Yes, that's right. I'm not going to harm you, little one."
She turned around and motioned for the men to harness the creature. It allowed them to chain up its abdomen and connect the harness, handing the end of it to her. She smiled, almost lovingly, at the creature, and then handed off the leash to one of her servants. "Go with them, little one, and I promise...you shall be rewarded."
She raked her fingers over what Idris assumed was the creatures chin. The beast followed after the men who lead it away, and to Idris' disappointment, he watched as the trail of steps seemed to leave burn marks in his ship's floor. She turned her attention back to Idris. "Thank you, Captain. I am sure that the creature will be very happy, as my companion, of course." She grinned at him, and Idris felt his stomach churn. He had a feeling that her intentions were nothing short of true malevolence.
He nodded at her. "Of course, Mistress. Anything...I can do for...the empire." He said her little pet name as patronizingly as he could, his expression falling as he looked around. Then he heard something.
"Mistress! There is another hidden chamber inside the living quarters. We are unable to access it."
She turned on him and glared, her fiery eyes penetrating him with her hate. She took him by the throat and pushed him against the wall. "You haven't been very honest with me, Captain." She thinned her eyes at him. "I think you have another passenger on this ship. I think you're hiding your operative, like you did last time."
