The Space Empress He Craved

Chapter 136

POV: Lyra

Clement and Tate both stood protectively in front of me, and Phelton appeared beside them, ready to defend his Empress. Jake ignored all three of them, glowering at me as he said, "I told you I would've given you everything, Lyra. Even if it meant terminating my own sister."

He killed Iris. For me. This void-sick psychopath actually thinks that means something.

Jake just stood there like he was waiting for something. My grip on the plasma blade tightened as I wondered what game he was playing. But when I detected more plasma signatures, I left my position to defend the Kaelari near those coordinates. Clement charged toward his brother without hesitation, which was when Jake yelled out, "You're not going to like what our client has in mind for you, Lyra! I would've refused their request if you had chosen me!"

Client? Someone hired them? Who would—

Clement and Tate's combat enhancements activated from pure rage at Jake's audacity. As they were about to engage, two rogue Lyrokans reached Jake just in time to knock both Commanders away like they were nothing. Phelton started taking them both on at once while linking his fellow warriors for backup.

I helped the Kaelari, internally relieved that the Lyrokan warriors had formed a defensive barrier, shielding my species from plasma fire. The rogues were clearly losing as their numbers dwindled with every terminated unit.

But Jake's words kept echoing in my mind. About not liking what his client had planned for me. What could be worse than plasma weapons for a Kaelari?

Wrong question, Lyra.

As the Lyrokan warriors battled the rogues with plasma blades, I caught the distinct chemical signature of... Xeridian toxin. Not as strong as the plasma weapons, and if my senses were right, only one rogue carried it. I linked Orion immediately. 'Orion! Tell the warriors to be careful! I'm detecting Xeridian!'

'Void take them! Don't do anything reckless, Lyra!' Orion linked back before warning the warriors. What he really meant was 'Don't you dare shield anyone from Xeridian, Lyra!'—not that I'd listen, especially now that I knew I could heal from the Lyrokan-killing poison.

As I instructed Forest Gloom's defenders to retreat from the Lyrokans shielding them from plasma, I ran toward the Lyrokan warriors' position—that's where the Xeridian signature led. Orion was charging toward Jake, but the former Commander sprinted to the far end of the battlefield before crossing through the energy barrier like it was nothing, disappearing into the station's maintenance tunnels.

Orion was about to follow, but his enhanced vision caught me running toward the Lyrokan warriors. He had a bad feeling about what I was planning with Xeridian present. His combat systems didn't hesitate—abandoning Jake to reach me instead.

Seemingly from nowhere, ten rogue Lyrokans without Xeridian charged at our warriors. Some were caught off-guard, others weren't. From how the rogues looked at me, I was clearly the target, so our warriors fought ferociously to keep them away.

I was still stubbornly trying to pinpoint the Xeridian source. After scanning for seconds, I sensed it coming at high velocity. A projectile was fired in my direction, piercing my arm as I groaned in pain, making Orion's pathways go completely black with rage. I fell back as Clement and Tate ran toward me. They were finishing the last rogue Kaelari when they heard my groan.

The Lyrokan warriors were as furious as their Emperor when their Empress got hurt on their watch. I pulled out the projectile. Orion's enhanced form knelt beside me as he linked worriedly, 'Star-heart, stay with me.'

I narrowed my eyes at my match. "After the last Xeridian exposure, this one's less painful. I'm fine. Just can't stand yet."

The poison's building tolerance in my system. That can't be good.

Orion and his Lyrokan side were visibly relieved. When Tate and Clement joined us, he linked, 'Just let them guard you, love. You've done enough fighting today, okay?'

Without letting me respond, Orion rejoined his warriors. They were having an easier time eliminating rogues with their Emperor's help. Just as the last rogue's spine snapped, another projectile fired from a ventilation shaft, plunging into my foot as I groaned again before complaining, "Seriously?"

Twice in one day? These rogues have no creativity.

Tate and Clement were equally shocked, guilty, and angry at themselves for not detecting the projectile. As I removed it and let my foot heal while gritting my teeth against the pain, the Lyrokan warriors charged toward the ventilation shaft to catch the shooter.

Orion moved to me and deactivated his combat mode, placing me on his lap, pressing me against his bare chest to heal me through our bond. While healing, Orion glared at the Commanders. "You two were supposed to keep her safe!"

"Orion, stop! Nobody detected that projectile! It's not their fault!" I defended them in a strained voice.

Seeing I'd recover slower if we argued, Orion and his Lyrokan consciousness chose silence. The most important thing was my wellbeing. I tried ignoring the fact that Orion's deactivated combat mode left him completely exposed beneath me, and turned attention to the projectile I'd just removed.

There's something else here. Something beyond my blood.

Curious, I lifted the projectile tip to my nose and inhaled. The foreign scent was unfamiliar.

After watching me take three whiffs, Orion lost patience. "What is it, Lyra?"

I held the projectile before him. "Apart from my blood, do you smell something else?"

He took two whiffs. "No."

"You're not getting that faint morning condensation and sodium compound scent? Along with something else?"

Orion blinked. "Love, I don't detect any scent from morning condensation or sodium."

I groaned. "Great. Probably another toxin."

As if one wasn't enough.

Orion's grip tightened, his black eyes boring into mine. "Do you feel any pain?"

"No. And that's the weird thing."

He sighed in relief, kissing my temple. "Don't say that, my love. No pain is good."

The Lyrokan warriors returned, and eight knelt on one knee with heads bowed when they reached us. The remaining two stayed standing, holding the captured rogue. One kicked the rogue's knees, forcing him down.

The rogue looked at me with a victorious smirk when one warrior linked Orion, 'How would Your Eminences prefer his termination, my Emperor?'

Orion looked at me. "Well, star-heart. What do you want to do with him?"

I studied the psychopathic rogue. He looked certain he'd won despite being captured with no escape. My gaze moved subconsciously from the projectile to the rogue, who laughed menacingly. "They were right about you being smart. Our client sends a message: does the Empire want an infertile Empress?"

No. No, no, no.