ghtened in

not let Za

uld not let the five bea

ross was

eral Planet before this disaster. The previous Maya did not know. The outside world did not k

could not protect her, the thin l

t, then Finn's blood-stained tan

th your father's name, you could have chosen anyone. Instead Marcus dragge

pression w

rs twitched

e she could think better of it. "Say wh

smile w

are you, Maya? Nothing. Just a pretty Female who inherited power she never earned. Your mother knew

s hit to

five men behin

o

uld no

ched, they

ya la

colder than

about?" she asked. "

ion froze for

ather. Jealous of my face. Jealous that even my so-called dam

s ears

oked at h

because stopping

er your medical families would beg to claim. Jasper could bankrupt half your allies before b

ice dr

he's worth more than every polishe

me, Finn looked

rfect fac

me males with enough potential to shake the galaxy. You call

mmed throug

ogram flickered

leet won't come for you. No patrol will answer. Let's see how long

jection

eat, the cabin

hip lurche

s scr

gnature detected! Zerg s

wport d

stars like a living storm, purple bio-armor

trol panel. His face went pale. "T

said, scanning the data. "Bio-

nking. Caleb grabbed the edge of the cons

alert

cted. Civilian starcraft ap

lood tur

a

starcraft appeared behind the Zerg for

ing at us while the bugs

shot hit t

bin exploded

shoulder. The isolation tank skidded across the floor,

inside May

t us out of her firing range! Cal

ed at her for

eb barke

commander

gers moving faster than Maya could track. Sage braced himself bes

"Cooling system's half-eaten. If we f

er than dead,"

nd bla

came from

creamed ar

thirty seconds!"

till burned in their eyes. Distrust too. B

han

heartless. "With the Zerg surrounding us, I need your full cooperation, not passive resistance

pa

d I'll give you freedom gradually. Who

in went

econd, even the al

e ritual. Ten drops of her blood, offered willingly onto the beast mark, once p

o backlash

emale ev

atus, obedience, and power. To volunta

those blood drops meant somet

eant a

ke thunder. All five beastmen

before. His fingers touched the scorpion ma

ut it disappeared almost immediately. "Since when ar

motions burned in his green eyes. "Blood d

eyes. For the first time, a weak

history, no Female has ever volunta

dly. "Then I'll

aleb first, the

d each other a

Ten blood drops. One per da

ely," Maya nodded. "It also

attempt to sound calm. "And if y

ou'll still be closer to fre

ained. "How generous. Give us a taste of h

ess, I would have kept

shut

hat if this is another

etal walls, flashing warning pane

tearing the marks out of your own bodies," she said calmly. "And righ

ixty seconds!" th

illed with hatred, disbelief, and s

," she said. "Either trust the de

eyes fixed determinedly on the five beastm

to live, acce

ne s

e, no one la

d locked on her face, sharp

ed once, his usual mocke

k at Maya, his healer's instincts

sts loosene

nk, Finn pressed one bloodl

mp window unstable! Manua

jaw ti

ldly. "But you bet

eding palm onto the

light swallow

d! Destination

he entire mobile fortress. The Zerg's angry men

astmen staring at her. Their expressions

find her dad and break the bonds with these five