A Warrior’s Heart

Chapter 1-2

Four years later:

Aboard the Marastin Warship Disappearance

Evetta Marquette, Engineer Technician First Class, scowled at the large male who was crowding her in the deserted corridor. She seldom ventured far from her assigned post in engineering when she was working; today had been an exception. In fact, during the past year she and her sister had been aboard the Disappearance, neither of them went beyond their assigned duty stations or the three upper decks that housed their sleeping quarters, dining and training rooms.

She wouldn’t be here now if it weren’t for a faulty sensor that she was ordered to replace. The technician who normally handled such things had been hurt during a fight the night before and was currently in medical receiving treatment. That, unfortunately, left her to repair it since she was the one on duty. Evetta realized the moment she removed the outer protective casing that the sensor had been tampered with. Her suspicion was confirmed when she turned and found a huge male standing behind her.

A sickening feeling washed through her at the malicious grin on his face. Instinctively, she knew there was only one way this situation was going to end – with one of them dead. Raising her chin, she stared back at the male with a hard, cold glare.

“Leave,” she ordered, staring down at the lower class maintenance worker with a steely gaze.

“I’ve been watching you,” the large male grinned. “I want you.”

“That is too bad. I have work to do. I also out rank you. I order you to move away,” Evetta hissed in a cold voice. “I will not tell you again.”

“Not until I get what I want. Do you think your rank will stop me? I could kill you and take your position,” he taunted, rubbing the front of his pants. “I hope you like it rough, female. I am looking for some satisfaction,” the man continued as he stepped closer. “You and the other one that you room with have heated my blood. I have been waiting you for some time. You are not like the other females on board the ship. I like that. When I am done with you, I’ll see if the other one can also help cool my blood, at least for a little while.”

“I will kill you first,” Evetta snarled, stepping back a step until her back was almost touching the wall. “You will not touch either of us.”

The man just chuckled as he swung his fist toward her jaw. Evetta was prepared. She and her sister trained every available moment for just such a situation. They often tried to sneak up on each other and take the other unaware. It was necessary to be prepared for deceit and violence if they were to survive their mandatory required service in the Marastin Dow military.

Evetta jerked back at the same time as she kicked her booted foot into the male’s groin. She didn’t wait to see his reaction. Pulling out the small metal weight she carried in her pocket, she swung it at the back of his head over and over again when he bent forward.

She didn’t stop even when he fell to his knees and then collapsed on the floor. He would kill her if she didn’t kill him first. With one last blow, she jerked backwards away from the blood pooling on the floor around the dead man. Nausea threatened to choke her, but she swallowed it down. With shaking hands, she cleaned the small metal pipe and as much as she could of the blood on her skin and clothing before she slid the pipe back into her pocket.

She glanced up and around. She did not need to worry about anyone seeing her unless they walked up on her. The Marastin Dow were a bloodthirsty species who killed each other with ease and could care less.

She knew there were those trying to change the Marastin Dow’s way of life. Unfortunately, those still ruling their world believed in the old ways; survival of the fittest. She could only hope there would be changes before too long. She had heard rumors of the rebellion against their leaders. Hopefully this rebellion will stop those who believe in and encourage the bloodbath.

Still, they were just rumors. She and Hanine hated living in fear. They hated the constant threat of violence. They witnessed the brutal murder of their parents, years ago, when their father was chosen to participate in the games as they were called.

Her mother fought to protect her father only to be slain for resisting. Their parents believed in a better way of life. They were merchants who dealt in herbs from different worlds and met many other species in their travels.

They lived in a small village that was already starting to see that violence was not a normal way of life. It wasn’t until a new governor for that region killed the existing one that things began to change for the worse. Their parents were vocal about living in peace and that was the beginning of the end for them.

Once she and Hanine reached the age of enrollment at sixteen years, they were forced into a twenty year enlistment with the military by a new law their governor enacted. This was their sixth year of service and their second assignment. She wasn’t sure how much longer they would last before they were either raped or murdered. They barely survived their last assignment and this one was proving to be even more challenging. Hanine had already been attacked twice. This attack was the fourth in less than two years for her.

Drawing in a deep breath, Evetta turned to head back toward the lift. She stopped when she heard the echo of voices coming toward her. Glancing around, she turned in the opposite direction. She had never been to the lower decks. It looked like she was about to have that chance now.