As the Defiant Trilogy comes to a close, many of you have been both satisfied with it’s conclusion, and saddened that it had to end at all. Have no fear, my friends! Though this is the last of the Defiant Trilogy, it’s not the last of the Ektos universe!
That’s right! You read correctly!
There are MORE Ektos novels!
More fun! More sarcasm! New characters, returning characters, and a whole lot more of the Ektos that we have never seen before!
With this special announcement, I have a surprise excerpt for you from the upcoming Ektos novel and a secondary announcement that this novel will feature Jorsen of Victere, a character seen in Havoc (Defiant III), as the main character!
Plot details will come later, but for now, enjoy this excerpt!
Jorsen tilted his head as he considered today’s events before asking, “Do you think it’s justifiable to buy a slave to save it?”
“What?” Evar jerked his head around to stare at him like he was going mad.
“If I try to take her I’ll likely get a bullet in my hosa, but we have the funds for it.”
“Jorsen,”
“Go get the ship ready. I’ve pissed enough people off today, we might need to leave fast.”
“Jorsen, you can’t—Jorsen!” He paid Evar no mind, just walked on down the stairs.
The crowd on the main floor parted out of his way easily enough. He knew why. He knew what they saw when they looked at him. Terror on two legs, savage, uncivilized brute. He’d heard it all. He didn’t even need his own reputation, they’d run away just knowing which planet he was from.
Wise people didn’t bother Victerans.
This place was a lot like the black markets of Rosen, with vending tables lining the walkways and supplies you could hardly guess at. You could find anything down here, including slaves. All illegal in Ektos. This was everything he needed to report back with evidence of black markets, but first he was going to break their own laws.
As he drew closer, he spotted the roped off area with cages full of slaves. He scanned the people lingering in front of the cages until he spotted the guard Mauve. Next to him was Richter. Jorsen smirked and started forward. He couldn’t wait to piss Richter off again.
He didn’t see the woman he’d come here to buy out from under Richter which meant she was in the back, seconds from being branded. If he could stop it, he would. Once he had her, he didn’t care where she went, but getting her away from this gosteno was really all that counted. He couldn’t save everyone, yet, but he would save this one. If not for the OUP then for his own selfish need to ruin Richter’s day.
As he neared him with the guard, he realized he was already passing money over to the slave-holder and he dropped his hand in between them—hard—scattering the money across the floor.
“Hey!” Mauve wheeled on him, fury blazing in his eyes.
“Well, if it isn’t the Victeran again.” Richter lifted his hand to show the guard there was no threat and Mauve eased the grip he’d just taken on his gun.
Jorsen ignored Richter and said to Mauve, “I want to buy the woman.”
“We have lots of women,”
“No, the one he’s trying to buy. Give her to me.”
Richter laughed, “I thought you Victerans didn’t believe in slave trade?”
Mauve said, “I’ve already made a deal on her with Mr. Richter,”
“I’ll double his price.”
“Wait a second,” Richter’s smile faded from his face, “I already paid.”
“Your money is on the floor, sir.” Mauve stated, considering that doubled price.
Jorsen added, “You don’t have to tell anyone you doubled the price, just take the extra and keep it yourself.”
“No, she’s mine.” Richter took a step towards him.
Jorsen faced Richter, curled his fingers into a fist and slammed him with a right hook that sent him straight to the floor, next to his money. He faced Mauve again. “You going to sell to me or the man lying on the floor?” Mauve looked stricken like he wasn’t sure what to do. “Would you like to join him?”
Mauve swallowed, “She’s twenty gold credits.”
Which was equal to twenty thousand primary credits. Fesca. Jorsen had to hold his breath as he nodded in agreement. Mauve flipped out an electronic file and he paid and signed, keeping his face blank. Victere might hang him for this, but his mind was made up. He wasn’t even sure why it was so important, but he couldn’t let that prick walk off with another prize that would be dead in two weeks under his care.
And they called his people savages. At least Victerans didn’t believe in human trafficking. They believed in loyalty, hard work, and the ring.
“I’ll bring your papers out. It may take a few minutes before we can bring her out to you.”
“Why?” Jorsen didn’t leave the gruffness out of his voice.
“She’s being branded and cleaned.”
His stomach soured with fury, “I don’t want her branded.”
Mauve lifted a brow. “No brand, no sell.”
Jorsen was getting sick of this. Without warning, he grabbed Mauve by the throat and started walking while Mauve scrabbled to keep his feet on the ground and find balance, his hands latching onto Jorsen’s arm. He didn’t stop until he reached the slave cages and slammed Mauve’s back against the bars.
He was making strangled sounds of protest as he tried to breathe and the slaves in the cage behind him flinched and stepped back, watching with apprehension. “I believe I already paid. Go back there and get my woman or you’ll be the next one they’re branding to put on my ship. Got it?”
He yanked him forward and sent Mauve sprawling across the floor and the guard surged to his feet, holding his throat and gasping for breath. He scattered in seconds, running headlong towards the end of the cages where there was a door that led to the back. Jorsen snorted and brushed his hands off on his pants before glancing at the slaves in the cage behind him.
He’d free them all if he could.
Not too far away he saw Richter was finally pulling himself up off the floor, dazed and confused. He glanced around, saw Jorsen, and scowled before he slunk off without a word. Jorsen shook his head and faced the door again. He was standing, back straight, arms crossed, when the door at the end opened again and three men came out with Mauve. “Ah hell.” Jorsen muttered but he didn’t move.
The group stomped towards him, weapons on their hips, but when they got closer he could see a woman just behind them, chains clasped around her wrists and they’d muzzled the poor thing.
When they got closer, Mauve didn’t speak, one of the other three did, the one holding the chain attached to the woman’s wrists. “She’s been branded and cleaned.”
“I wanted—”
The man cut him off, something that wasn’t a wise thing for even his closest friends to do. “We already branded her before Mauve reached us.” He held the chain out towards Jorsen. “We don’t want any more trouble, Victeran, just leave with your woman.”
Her eyes went wide but Jorsen didn’t take the chain. “Take that bloody muzzle off her face.”
“You’ll want it on there, sir, she bit one of us.”
Jorsen almost choked as an unexpected wave of amusement hit him. He kept his face straight, barely, and a second man spoke. “It will not be removed while she is still here. We’re not taking risks.”
“Fine.” Jorsen took the chain roughly. It caused her to stumble closer to him as he glared at the men. They passed him his papers of ownership and watched him sign his name to them and then he turned and started walking.
The chain snatched taut but he didn’t glance back, he didn’t slow. She could either follow him or get dragged. His time was up here, if he remained much longer they were liable to start a fight…or he was liable to start one. Either way, he needed to leave.
We need to leave, he corrected himself. Victere is going to kill me for this.
If you enjoyed this excerpt, consider reading the original Ektos novels, The Defiant Trilogy. Click here for more information.
Author C.M.Herndon 