Page 52 of Vindicated

“Wait.” I crossed to a weapons rack mounted near the entrance and pulled two battle axes free, tossing one to mymajakand one to my brother. "Good hunting."

We separated, each of us slipping between the rows of huddled vessels, my senses sharp and my fingers tingling in anticipation of catching the traitor. I checked the first raiding ship I passed, but it was empty. I huffed out an impatient breath,needing to find the individual responsible for leading the enemy to our doorstep and for casting suspicion on Athena. Without their traitorous acts, Zarn never would have suspected her or taken her to hisoblek, and I never would have felt compelled to fight my own brother. I gripped my axe blade, vowing to myself that they would pay for all of it.

A scuffle sounded somewhere to my left, muffled but unmistakable. I hurried toward the noise, attempting to parse it from the regular sounds of the hangar bay, wondering for a moment if Zarn or Dawz had already found our quarry. The sound drew me toward a raiding vessel two rows over, and I crept toward it in silence, axe raised, following the growing noise of grunts and cursing.

When I hurried up the ramp, I expected to find mymajakor battle chief with the culprit, but instead I found the lanky man called Vern. He had the other man we’d rescued from the Zagrath prison in a headlock, while Dell thrashed and clawed at his captor's forearm.

"Glad you're here, Raas," Vern gasped, tightening his hold as Dell bucked against him. "I caught him activating the ship's comms system."

I angled my head out of the ship's opening and bellowed, "Vaes!"

Zarn and Dawz arrived within moments, both breathing hard from their own searches, and I gestured toward the two men still grappling on the deck.

"Seems one of our guests caught our saboteur for us," I said.

A low, satisfied growl rolled through my brother's chest, and he crossed to Dell in a single long stride, wrenching the man free of Vern's grip and pressing the flat of his blade against his throat. Dell went perfectly still, all the fight draining from him at once.

Zarn had prodded Dell to the bottom of the ship’s ramp and Dawz, Vern and I were behind them when a clatter of runningfeet and raised voices stopped us short. The rest of the theatre troupe rushed up with Athena in the lead, followed close behind by Hal wringing his hands and the two lanky men I still had trouble telling apart. The other two females brought up the rear, with Lettie puffing as she ran, her blue hair bobbling.

Athena braced one hand against the ship's hull as she caught her breath, her gaze falling on Dell with an axe blade at his neck. “You got him. We were just coming to tell you we figured it out.”

"Ringo remembered something," Hal added, gesturing at one of the lanky men.

The man nodded, glaring at the captive. “Dell asked Vern to explain what it was like working in the shipyards and asked him all about how ship communications worked.”

Lettie wagged a finger at her brother. "And you didn't think that was strange?"

Vern's cheeks flushed. "Not until he suggested we check out the Vandar hangar bay for fun and started messing with the actual ships. That's when I figured something wasn't right."

“In fairness to Vern,” I said. “He did stop Dell. He had him in a headlock when I found them.”

Lettie’s chest puffed out. “That a boy, Vern.”

I turned to the man, whose clothes were disheveled. “You helped get Kolt and Skye off the planet and went to Zagrath prison for it, and now you helped stop a traitor.”

Vern nodded, his cheeks mottling pink. “Guess I did.”

"It seems the Vandar owe you quite a debt, then." I let the words settle a moment before adding, "Perhaps we should make you an honorary raider."

His eyes went wide enough that I thought he might sway on his feet. "I've always wanted a kilt of my own."

Zarn, still holding Dell fast with the blade steady at his throat, let out an impatient huff and resumed dragging hisprisoner toward the hangar bay exit, muttering something under his breath about interrogations waiting for no one.

I would have to deal with the issue of Zarn later, but for now, I wanted to return to the command deck and check the status of the enemy ship. After I ensured that Athena and her friends were returned safely to their quarters. Before I could do any of that, an alarm blared overhead.

Chapter 44

Athena

The alarm split the air and every raider in the hangar bay went rigid at the sound.

Dawz's expression darkened as he looked toward Lorken. "The Zagrath must have been closer than we thought, Raas.”

Lorken's whole demeanor shifted in an instant and the softness from the last few moments morphed into something hard as he adjusted his grip on the axe in his hands. “Return to my quarters,” he told me. “That will be the safest place. I will meet you in my there after we have dispatched the enemy.”

"Can we go with her?" Lettie asked quickly. "To your quarters, I mean. Better than being crammed in our little rooms during all this."

Lorken's gaze flicked over the group of us and he grunted. "You may. You’ve shown your loyalty by uncovering the saboteur and traitor.”