towards Ev'Ax, who was suddenly lying limp in his seat, and then the pilot suddenly had a small, but very deadly gun in his hand.
It was pointed straight at the prince's face.
Surprised, Ar'Ric looked into the pilot's eyes to try to discern his meaning. But the pilot only stared right back, his jaw clenched.
For a second no one spoke while the tension in the cabin rose.
“You can still get out of this, Ber'Ain,” Ar'Ric said, very calmly. “A momentary lapse of reason can happen to anyone. Put the gun away and we can talk. But soon, the moment will have passed. Then it will be too late.”
“Your Highness, this is too big for me,” Ber'Ain said, his voice trembling with tension. “I must let others decide what to do, people with experience. All I know is that bringing this alien to our home world and planning to make her a princess is disastrous for the Empire.” His hand holding the gun was very steady.
There was something about the words he used... “I see. You work for Duke Hyp, do you? He was always trying to supplant me. What did my cousin promise you?”
“I only work for the Imperial Navy, sir. But the duke has been kind to me and my family. I think he will support me in this desperate act. It's not with a light heart I point a gun at my Crown Prince, fully prepared to shoot him dead.”
“Mixed loyalties are not honorable, Ber'Ain. You must have been Hyp's spy in my surroundings for quite a while. It explains some things.”
Ber'Ain didn't answer, just came closer to Emily and kept his gun aimed at Ar'Ric.
“If she comes to any harm, you will lose all honor,” the prince warned.
“I think not,” Ber'Ain responded, getting close to the alien woman and grasping her shoulder. “It was you who insisted that she be brought here. Everything that happens now is on your shoulders. You can't blame a patriot for being concerned about this grave threat to the Empire and trying to make it right.”
Emily yelped when the pilot grabbed her.
“I warn you, Ber'Ain. If you go through with this, I will hunt down both you and Duke Hyp, cousin or not.”
“I expect no less from you, Your Highness. And I'm prepared to face my destiny. I will do my best to make sure that this alien female is not harmed, but sent home to her own world. Meanwhile, sir, please give yourself a sleeping potion like I gave to Ev'Ax.”
“And if I don't?”
“Then I will burn an arm off this alien, who should never have been on this sacred world in the first place.”
The Prince trembled with outrage, but he suspected that the traitor wasn't bluffing. “Again I warn you, Ber'Ain. She had better not come to any harm, or you're a dead man. Drop your gun now, and I will make sure that you will receive fair treatment.”
“The future of the Empire, with a fully Atrexu royal family, far supersedes any concern I might have for my own safety, sir. Now I must insist that you administer the sleeping potion to yourself.”
The cabin of the ship lit up in a bright flash as the pilot shot the ray gun at the control panel, making the shuttle useless. He then turned the gun towards Emily, pushing the barrel into her side, making her gasp. “I'm not leaving until you do as I say. I need you to be unconscious for a few minutes while I escape with this alien, that's all.”
The prince looked at Emily. Her beautiful face was full of fear and concern, and it angered him that the treacherous pilot had made that wonderful woman feel those emotions. “Emily, you can see that this man is a traitor. He now intends to abduct you. But he has made a mistake: He has no support anywhere. Don't worry. I have huge resources and I will find you very soon. Use your warrior capabilities to defend yourself. Feel free to kill or injure this man or any of his associates at any opportunity. It will save them being killed by me. I will see you soon, my love.”
Then he took the injector with hypnotic drug and placed it against his own neck. It would put him