Stealing Jia (Coletti Warlords #12) - Gail Koger Page 0,45
were sitting at a long platinum table. Built into the right arm of each chair was a high-tech control panel.
Trayon escorted us up to the head of the table where Sariel, Zarek, my father and a Chinese man with cold, cop eyes were seated. “This is Jia, my mate. She is responsible for the destruction of Threll and seven Rodan battle cruisers.”
“Not entirely true. Without our help Jia would have never obliterated Threll,” Loki stated from the end of the table.
I examined Loki’s and Ivan’s battered faces. “He’s right. It was a team effort. Just like I needed Chiara’s assistance to destroy the Rodan ships. If we work as a team, we can annihilate the Rodan.”
The Chinese man surveyed me from head-to-toe. “There is no doubt she is human, not a replicant?”
I frowned. He thought I was a clone. Had Giovanni actually created one?
“Jia is my daughter in every way Zan,” Dad stated firmly.
My eyebrows rose. The Chinese guy was the famous Commander Zan. According to the news vids, he had single-handedly rescued three hundred women from the slave traders. Zan had started out as a lowly enforcer and rose through the ranks until he was the head honcho. He reminded me a lot of the hard-nosed cop I had played cat and mouse with when I worked for Matteo. I held out my arm. “Would you like to take a DNA sample?”
Zarek interjected, “That will not be necessary. The replicant’s DNA always matches the donors. You have my word Commander Zan that Jia is not a clone.”
Cazzo. How could he tell? I quickly accessed Trayon’s knowledge. Replicants were all psychic duds with no telepathic abilities. Whew! That let me off the hook. My gaze fixed on a humanoid with long silver hair and pointy elf ears. Trayon’s memories were a little vague but I knew he was a high ranking Farin. His amused grin was annoying. “You are?”
“Captain Jubal. I have been tasked with recovering our stolen technology.”
I winced. “The cloaking device was wrecked when I blew up Lilkee’s transporter room.”
“But the personal camouflage shroud is undamaged.” Trayon pulled out a chair and on our private link ordered, “Sit. Do not speak unless asked a direct question.”
I gave him the stink eye and sat.
“Want me to port us out of here?” Chiara asked.
“No. We are the first females in over three hundred years to be allowed to attend a war council. Let’s see what all the fuss is about.”
Trayon took the chair next to me. “We were able to salvage most of the cloaking device, Jubal. I will have the remnants transported to your ship.”
Yeah, as soon as Sariel scanned every little piece.
Jubal turned his attention to me. “How did you blow a hole in Lilkee’s ship?”
“Thermite grenade.”
“You were taught how to use weapons?”
Was there a sarcastic note in Jubal’s voice? I pulled one off my belt and held it up. “Let’s just say I’m self-taught.”
“There were no males to protect you?”
“They were eaten by the Tai-Kok. Besides thermite grenades are easy to use. You simply pull the pin and toss it.”
Every warrior at the table tensed when I threw it at Jubal.
Jubal caught the grenade easily. “How did you get away before the grenade blew?”
“Chiara ported us.”
“Where did you find the Shani? They seldom leave their planet.” Jubal hurled the grenade back at me.
Trayon snatched it out of mid-air.
I held my hand out for the grenade and frowned when he attached it to his weapon’s belt. “I rescued Chiara and several other children from the flesh peddlers on Threll.”
Dad squeezed my knee and said on our private link, “Tossing grenades about the war room is bad manners, young lady.”
“Yes, sir.”
A warrior wearing a bright blue helmet snarled, “Those children included a Rodan spawn.”
“Cason is no longer Rodan,” Trayon shot back testily. His tentacles rose like angry snakes. “He is my son, and you would do well not to forget that Lipas.”
The black plume on Lipas’s shiny helmet swung wildly. “Bah! You let your feeling for the soft skin interfere with your duties as a warrior.”
“He has no aura,” Chiara warned.
“What?” Ignoring the barely polite exchange between Trayon and Lipas, I quickly scanned the nasty man. Every living being had an aura. Why didn’t he? How had the guys missed that? A cold prickling ran up my spine when I sensed a familiar mind directing Lipas’s actions. Mallox! Since the Rodan had limited telepathic powers, he must have been experimenting on himself. I clouded their minds. “What is your