Dark Matters - Michelle Diener Page 0,8

members of the military decided to try and launch an ambush. They weren't planning on shooting at the Urna, just me. This wasn't known to the political leaders who are present in the front three ships.”

“Apologies for any distress caused,” Vauk turned back to them, her face twisted in a false smile. “This is just standard practice when our Levron travel in convoy. No offense or harm was meant.”

“No harm other than to Bane,” Dray said.

Vauk blinked again.

“We know your military were planning to fire on him.” Dray made sure he could be heard by everyone.

There were plenty here who resented Bane, and were more sympathetic to the Tecran than they deserved. He wanted all the Tecran's tricks out in the open, so no one was fooled.

“How dare you say that?” Vauk drew herself up. “What proof do you have--”

One side of the Urna's transparent wall became opaque, and then a visual comms of three Tecran generals discussing their strategy to shoot Bane played out across it.

There was dead silence when it finished.

“I've relayed the same clip to the Tecran politicians onboard the Levron and back home on Tecra.” Bane's voice was dry, but Dray thought he heard the edge of glee in his tone. “As well as to UC headquarters.”

Everyone's gaze swung to Vauk.

“I . . . didn't know! I'm not in the generals' confidence.” She took a step back, turned on her heel and ran out of the viewing area.

“My guess is she's off to resign.” Zutobi had moved in next to Dray again. She was watching the Tecran woman disappear down the passageway.

“The Tecran won't accept it. They can't lose her now, because the UC would need to appoint a new liaison, and that would take a few weeks. They won't want to have no eyes or ears in the leadership team that long.”

Zutobi nodded at his words. “Then she's in for an unhappy time.”

“Look, they're leaving.” One of the Garmman delegates pointed toward their Tecran escort.

Sure enough, the two at the back had broken away from the other three, dropped down out of sight, and then Dray felt the faint buzz against his skin that told him they'd both light-jumped away.

He turned at the sound of voices, saw Dimitara was following a comms officer out of the viewing area toward the comms station.

Most likely, the Tecran wanted to smooth things over with her.

But they were already at a significant disadvantage with the UC leadership team now.

They had shown themselves to be a nation divided.

Bane drifted up and then over the remaining three Levron. He stayed directly above them for a long beat, and then lazily rolled back to his place next to the Urna.

As the crowd watched him, Dray thought he could sense awe, rather than fear, this time around.

Chapter 5

A shaft of light woke her.

Lucy opened her eyes on a shiver.

She had spent a restless night, waking often, cold to her bones from the hard, icy floor and the sharp wind blowing through the door. Sometime around dawn she must have fallen into a deeper, exhausted sleep, because the Tecran sun had risen high enough to hit her in the face.

She closed her eyes and let warm orange light bloom behind her eyelids as she tried to absorb every bit of its meager heat.

The wind seemed to change, to find a newer, sharper cut, and she shivered again and stood.

She moved cautiously, stiff and achy from being curled up all night, and saw for the first time what was in the room she'd taken shelter in.

It looked like climbing gear, but higher tech than anything she'd seen on Earth. There were grapple hooks attached to what looked like crossbows hanging from hooks on the wall, along with loops of rope and strange gloves with small hooks on the palms and fingers.

She opened the door a little wider, and stepped out, cautiously pressing up against the high wall of the building as she eyed the narrow walkway and the sheer drop beyond it.

Now it was light, she could see for the first time that there was a small platform right near the storage room she'd hidden in that protruded out over the clifftop.

This must be where the Tecran suited up before climbing down the cliffs.

She shuddered, and brushed at the dust on the cloak she wore. She didn't do well with heights, although she had to admit the view was amazing.

The fog had completely dissipated and she could see everything. The sparkle off the water, the