Free Sister Katherine by Tracy St. John Page B

it by my every last ancestor.”
    Anger found the means to spark, driving back some of Katherine’s misery.  She glared at the man who looked at her with tenderness she didn’t want to see.  In the growing light of the convent’s false morning, the kindness that he might be pretending for her benefit infuriated her.
    She snapped, “Why should I trust the word of a Kalquorian?  An invader?  What guarantee can you offer me?”
    He gave her a level look.  “Katherine, you are a prisoner of the Empire now.  I have no need to negotiate with you or to tell you lies to make you conform to my wishes.  I have no reason to lie about this.”
    He had a point.  She scrubbed her tears away and met his eyes.  “Then tell me the truth.  All of it.”
    Simdow considered her for a moment.  He drew a deep breath before answering.  “The truth of it is, an invasion of Earth will be underway soon.  Perhaps within days.  The man known as General Patrick Hamilton was who we were after when we came here.  He has the means to get us past Earth’s security grid.”
    “That’s why you came here?  To capture him?”
    Simdow nodded.  “If he hadn’t landed on Europa, we never would have noticed you here.  His capture was our primary objective.”
    Katherine swallowed.  The sisters and aspirants were nothing more than collateral damage of the war.  “What are you going to do with General Hamilton?”
    “We will force him to give us the codes we need to invade Earth.  Once we have control over your planet, the younglings here will be sent home to their parents.  We have no interest in stealing children from your people.”
    On one hand, Katherine was relieved to know the children would not be taken to Kalquor.  But hearing the aliens were readying to take over Earth demolished most of that sentiment.
    “You’re invading Earth itself?”
    Simdow nodded.  “Things have taken a turn for the worse for the Empire.  We must end this war before your people destroy us.”
    Katherine stared at him.  When he said nothing more, she looked at Vadef and Miv.  The Imdiko’s pretty face was gentle but troubled.  He gazed into her face as if pleading for understanding.  She had none to give, so she looked up at the Nobek.
    Miv’s fierce face gazed back.  What he was thinking, Katherine could not tell.  She noted the knives he wore on his belt.  Another knife was strapped to his thigh.  The man was armed like a pirate of old, she thought. 
    The thought of trying to take one of the Nobek’s weapons was tempting.  However, Katherine knew she could never in a million years try to harm another being.  What could one helpless woman do against such a man anyway?
    Simdow stood, and so did Vadef.  The two men bent to help her to her feet.  Katherine let them without complaint.  She knew she had no choice.
    Simdow said, “It’s time to go, Matara.  Now that you know the little ones are safe, you will join us on our ship.”
    Katherine’s mouth went dry as her heart slammed into overdrive.  “Your ship?”
    Simdow nodded.  “Your new home.  You are ours now by right of conquest.”  He glanced at the other two men.  “Are we in agreement?”
    The Nobek snapped a nod.  After a moment, the Imdiko’s head also moved up and down.
    Simdow took a breath.  “All right.  As leader of Clan Simdow, I claim you as our Matara.”
    He headed down the walkway, tugging Katherine along with him.  The other two followed.  Simdow’s touch was gentle, and Katherine wondered how soon that would change.  Her insides went cold at the thought of what the three men would make her do with them.  She had the barest notion of what sex entailed, only that it meant the man invading the woman in a painful and humiliating manner.  While once Katherine had accepted such an idea as necessary for herself when she’d been engaged to a man years ago, she had never truly relished it.
    Yet she’d had ideas of being held by a huge, strong