I narrowed my gaze at Ragnar. "Why would Vazar's people attack yours?"
"She doesn't agree with me."
"Agree how?"
"I told you. I'm taking command of this fleet." His gaze was so intense I thought it might burn off my skin. "For you, Dehya."
I wanted to move back, away from him, but he had me pinned against the wall. "And that explains why you dragged me away from my husband."
His mouth twisted, almost a snarl. "It astonishes me that a woman with your intelligence can be so blind about men. He was never good enough for you, even before the Traders ruined him. He's been their prisoner, damn it. You have no idea what they did to him, besides torture. They could have redesigned his brain. Someday you'll give the trigger— a word, gesture, thought— who knows. I'm trying to stop your barbarian from murdering you."
"Eldrin isn't going to hurt me."
"He hurts you just by being married to you." He leaned closer, his palms flat against the wall on either side of my shoulders. Bending his head, he brushed his lips across mine. "You need a man with strength."
I turned my head aside. "You will not touch me."
Ragnar lifted his head. His desire cloaked us darkly; seeing me backed up against the wall with no escape aroused him. He trailed his finger along my jaw, keeping the tip just above my skin so he didn't touch me. "Think of the ISC forces I can bring to your command. The knowledge of ISC politics. The secured data. All yours. I can give you what you want." His voice deepened as he leaned closer. "In all ways."
"I'm not going to betray my husband."
He kissed me again. "Fifty years," he murmured. "Gods, you must be sick of him."
I pushed him away. "Stop it, Ragnar. This isn't worthy of you."
"I feel your heartbeat." He touched his fingertip to my cheek. "You can play the ice queen all you want, but your body betrays you."
Telling him that my pulse had sped up because I feared him didn't seem a good idea. He knew I didn't have the strength to stop him. But I doubted he would force me; he had too much to lose. Had I been other than the Ruby Pharaoh, he might not have worried, but he probably wouldn't have been interested either. If he wanted only rough sex, he could find it elsewhere. The idea of controlling
power
excited him. I needed his support, but not at the price of my husband or self-respect. This entire business was about family: Roca, Eldrinson, those unnamed children, the rest of the Ruby Dynasty. I had no intention of betraying them to free them from betrayal.
"You need my help," Ragnar said. Menace simmered beneath his smooth exterior.
"I welcome your loyalty." I crossed my arms, making a bulwark between our bodies. "But not in my bed."
A dangerous edge honed his thoughts. "Perhaps not tonight."
"Not ever, Ragnar."
He glanced back at his warriors, who were trying to look alert without appearing to eavesdrop. "What's the situation?"
"We've secured most of the ship," the man said. "Casestar's people still hold the bridge."
Ragnar's gaze darkened. "We can't finish this if we can't reach the bridge."
I swallowed, understanding the implication of his words. If this operation failed, Jon Casestar would have no choice but to execute Ragnar for mutiny. By supporting the Ruby Dynasty, Ragnar might have signed his own death warrant.
"You've put a lot on the line for this." I said.
He turned back to me. "It's a calculated risk."
I saw another aspect of the "kidnapping" now. Although it didn't lessen the threat Ragnar exuded, it reminded me that he had other sides as well. "You grabbed me this way because you don't want it to look as if I'm involved with the mutiny. In case you get caught."
"You aren't involved." He leaned closer, cupping my chin with his hand. "Unless you change your mind."
I pushed him away, my hands against his shoulders. "I won't." Quietly I added, "But I won't forget your loyalty or what you've risked. Be assured of it."
"Good," he murmured.
"What happened with Vazar?"
"Her people attacked us outside your quarters."
"Then she has thrown in with Jon?"
His voice grated. "She refused to listen to reason."
I couldn't hold back my sense of betrayal. I thought of her leaning her head against mine while we wept for the loved ones we had lost.
Vaz, don't do this.
But she had made her choice. At least it meant Eldrin was safe; even in my most cynical moments, I couldn't believe she would let harm come to her late husband's brother.
Ragnar drummed his fingers on the wall. "We need control of the bridge. Until we have it, I can't claim to be in charge of this fleet."
My mood lifted. "I can get you to the bridge."
"How?"
I swirled my hand in the air as if stirring a liquid. "I know these ships. Find me a good console, one where I don't have to fight layers of security, and I'll get you bridge access."
He grinned. "You've got it, Pharaoh."
* * *
The lights in the main office of the Security Division stayed dim; nothing the mutineers tried would bring them back up. The bridge crew had cut power to every system we needed. It didn't matter. Ragnar had stockpiled portable generators, another indication he had spent more effort planning this than he could have done in the short time it had taken him to find Eldrin and me after Jon put us in custody.
With the generators, we rigged enough power to run Security Major, the main console. Other machines loomed around us, cloaked in shadow. Stray light from the rod-lamps carried by Ragnar's people trickled here and there, or caught the edge of some hulking machine.
I settled in the control chair and it enfolded me, bringing panels to my fingertips and plugging prongs into my body. I submerged into the virtual reality it created. Darkness spread around me, filled with flickers, not that different from the actual physical room where I sat, except these defined computer networks. I followed a bright thread as it wove through a velvety black mist. Gradually the line thickened, until I was speeding along a silver tunnel, plunging ever deeper into the mind of the ship.
I knew my impressions resulted from the way my mind interpreted the data flooding it. But I still felt vertigo, as if I were plummeting down a long chute. The light intensified until it hurt my eyes, except I wasn't looking at anything. I tried to slow the onslaught of data, and my brain translated that as if I were braking against the chute.
INTRUDER IDENTIFY.
The words rumbled like thunder.
Dyhianna Selei.
I encoded my identifications into the name.
VERIFIED. ATTENDING.
I released the virtual breath I had been holding, making blue condensation swirl around me. Although I had worked for decades with ISC networks, it was always possible someone would discover my twiddling and remove some of the backdoors I had hidden in their systems, like this one.
I need to access to the bridge systems.
ACCESS DENIED.
Override.
OVERRIDE REFUSED.
Why?
YOU DO NOT HAVE AUTHORIZATION.
I have authorization for anything.
It wasn't true, but it was worth a try.
NEGATIVE.
What do I have authorization to do?
COMMUNICATE.
Interesting. Did Jon
want
me to contact them?
Open comm channel.
I deliberately didn't specify which one. I wanted to see what it would do.
The light faded into darkness. I became aware of more flickers. At first I thought they were the ship's networks again. Then I realized this was actual light. Focusing outward, I saw Ragnar and his soldiers clustered around the console.
I spoke to Ragnar. "Have you talked with Jon Casestar since the uprising started?"
He started at my voice. "I thought you were going into the system."
"I've already been in and out."
"Excellent." He leaned forward, one hand on the back of the console, his posture evoking the poise of a wild animal ready to strike. "Casestar has refused contact. But it's been less than an hour since we showed up at your suite."
I paused, thinking. Jon could have done a lot with the bridge systems in one hour. "Ship attend."
"ATTENDING."
Its voice rumbled in speech as well as in my mind.
Now we would see what
communicate
had meant. "Put me through to Admiral Casestar."
"WORKING."
Then we waited. Ragnar was standing in front of the console now, leaning against the back of another, facing me with his arms crossed. Everyone else stood ramrod straight. I felt like a dust mote dwarfed by asteroids.
The comm on my console crackled. "Casestar here."
"My greetings, Admiral," I said.
Ragnar stepped forward and put his hands against the back of my console, listening.
"Are you all right?" Jon asked. "Prince Eldrin said Ragnar Bloodmark dragged you out of your suite."
"Is Eldrin with you?" I asked.
Eldrin's deeper voice came over the comm. "I'm here. Where the hell did that bastard take you?"
Ragnar raised his eyebrows as if to say,
Civilized, isn't he?
I ignored him.
"I'm all right," I told Eldrin.
Ragnar leaned over the console and spoke into the comm. "She's fine for now, Your Highness. What happens to her depends on what you and Casestar do."
I switched off
transmit,
leaving only the comm's
receive
function active. That way, Eldrin and Jon couldn't hear us. To Ragnar I said, "What, now I'm a hostage after all?"
He braced his hands on the back of the console. "You aren't my hostage, Dehya. But as long as they think you are, this remains a mutiny. Give your agreement and it becomes a coup."
I snorted. "No one will believe otherwise. Why would you mutiny except to help me challenge the Assembly?"
"They can speculate all they want." He gave a dry laugh. "If I say you're a hostage, what are they going to do? Accuse me of lying? They aren't stupid."
"What's going on?" Eldrin's voice came out of the comm with a snap. "Bloodmark, if you've harmed her—"
Ragnar flicked on the transmit panel. "If you would be so kind as to put Admiral Casestar back on, we can commence with negotiations."
Jon answered. "What negotiations?"
"Release this ship to me, and I will release the Pharaoh to you."
Jon said, simply, "No."
I gave Ragnar a dour look. He was right, Jon Casestar wasn't stupid. Jon knew I was no hostage. He wasn't going to negotiate terms that would leave me in charge of his fleet.
I closed my eyes and submerged again into the virtual darkness. Silver comm threads curled around me in the velvety-black mist. I followed the line of Jon's words to their source, slinking through the networks, analyzing as I went, leaving behind fragments of my own code intruding on theirs. His security people had guarded this bridge channel with remarkable locks. Truly brilliant.
Ragnar's drawl echoed in the misty darkness around me. "I won't release her until you release the ship. But I might have other plans."
I could almost feel Eldrin losing his temper. Opening my eyes, I scowled at Ragnar and mouthed,
Don't overdo it.
Trust me,
he mouthed back.
Like hell,
I answered. I was half in and half out of the simulation, and the virtual effects continued, curling threads of light around his dark form, outlining him in silver.
Jon's voice came over the comm. "Pharaoh Dyhianna, you have my protection. But not my ship."
"Don't be so sure," I said.
A pause. Then Jon spoke with a hint of humor. "With you, I am never sure of anything."
"A wise man," I murmured. Then I cut the connection.
Ragnar thumped the console with his palm. "Damn it, Dehya. How am I going to shield you if you insist on making it sound like you're doing this of your own choice?"
"Because I am." I smirked. "And I'm protecting your admiralic razoo."
He gave a startled laugh. "My razoo thanks you." His face took on a sensual look. "We would make one hell of a team. You picked the wrong man."
He knew perfectly well I hadn't "picked" anyone. But that changed nothing. "We do make a good team, Ragnar. As allies. Not lovers."
