T. Harris - The Tactics of Revenge

Anawar broke off as an excited voice blared through the microphone in his ear. He raised his hand to the side of his head in an involuntary reaction to the sound. “My Lord!” said his Counselor through the link. “Facial recognition has just identified the Human with which you are speaking. It is Adam Cain , my Lord! Adam Cain!”

Anawar suddenly locked eyes with those of the alien. He took a step back. “You are the terrorist Adam Cain!” the Overlord said in a voice that echoed throughout the landing bay.

The creature raised his eyebrows and his lips began to stretch wider across his face. “That didn’t take long. I suppose my mug shot is plastered everywhere from here to Timbuktu.”

“Yes, you are well-known to all Juireans. Your murderous exploits have been related in all their bloody detail. I am also aware that you had been in transit to Juir when you escaped from your captivity, killing nearly all of the crew aboard a Class-3 battlecruiser.” Anawar heard a murmur run through the non-Juirean guards in the landing bay.

“I had help,” Adam Cain said, cocking his head sideways slightly. “Now that we’re all acquainted, I return to my original question: what now?”

Anawar’s chest was exploding with excitement — and trepidation. Here was the infamous Adam Cain, standing before him, and within his custody. There was only one thing he could do.

“You, Adam Cain, will be presented to Council Elder Hydon Ra Elys, the leader of the Juirean Expansion, and the most powerful being in the galaxy. I will personally deliver you to him on our glorious homeworld of Juir!”