The Sunfire (24 page)

Jon did not know how long the two of them continued to stare
at each other, with the intensity of a laser beam, each instinctively
recognising that the other was a mortal enemy. Two sides of the same coin,
light and dark, hot and cold, good and evil.

*****

Having followed Jon into the room, Miranda cast her gaze
around in awe at the opulent surroundings. While she had thought this part of
the complex well maintained, the apartment was nothing but extravagant.
Surprised by the silence emanating from the room and unable to see anything
from behind Jon, Miranda took a step to the side and her jaw dropped open in
shock. As there, standing facing Jon was almost a mirror image of him, but
distorted in some unimaginable, twisted way. With a similar height and build,
from a distance the two could be mistaken for brothers. However, closer up,
Miranda could spot the subtle differences. With Jon having grey eyes and
dressed in the white uniform of the Imperial Navy, the man facing him could be
his deeper, darker shadow with his dark eyes and black uniform. Miranda
continued to hold her breath, as the two faced off against each other, neither
saying a word, content just to continue to stare at each other with an
intensity Miranda found unnerving.

The silence in the room was finally broken by Sejanus who,
with a knowing smile, offered a hand in greeting. “Admiral Harkov, this is a
very unexpected, but a welcome surprise.”

Jon glanced at the hand but made no move to take it, instead
deciding to play along with the obvious charade. For Jon could not help but
know if he could recognise Sejanus for what he was, it was almost certain he
would be recognised in return. “Cut the pleasantries, Sejanus you know why I am
here. I brought what you demanded and want what you promised in return.”

“I believe that I insisted on the
head
of the
Praetorian Commander?” Sejanus replied, with a bemused expression.

“Well you are out of luck,” Jon snapped irritably. “He
foolishly thought he could take out my flagship with a single shuttle. He is
currently smeared across the hull of my ship. What is left of the Commander
would just about fill a coffee cup. It’s a miracle that his sword survived the
impact.” Jon waved towards the weapon resting on the desk. “Now that I have
fulfilled my part of the bargain, I want what is rightfully mine.”

“What is rightfully mine,” Sejanus repeated the phrase with
a curious catch to his voice. “Then you and I are alike in this regard, as we
both want the same thing. I am not a greedy person, all I want returned to me
is what is rightfully mine. Something that was promised to me, but was later
stolen away and promised to another. That is all that I want…” Sejanus’ voice
trailed off. However, he finally noticed the two officers standing behind Jon.
“However, my manners. Please introduce me to your fellow officers before we get
down to the business at hand,” he said, his eyes lingering on Miranda.

Jon hissed in frustration, but realising that while Sejanus
had the Emperor he held all the cards and, for the time being, he had to play
by Sejanus’ rules. However, Jon had never been one to play by the rules, at
least not for long.

“Master Sergeant Patrick Reynolds, my personal head of security,”
he motioned to Gunny on his right. “Captain Miranda Sun, my pilot and personal
aide.” He motioned towards Miranda on his left as he introduced her.

Sejanus only gave Gunny a cursory glance before dismissing
him, moving instead towards Miranda with a hungry gaze. It was a credit to
Miranda that she did not so much as flinch, even when Sejanus stepped way into
her personal space, reaching up with his forefinger to run his fingernail down
the side of her cheek. “Such a beauty,” he breathed, continuing to run his
finger along the side of her mouth, down her chin. “I hope as the Admiral’s
aide that you help him, in many different ways,” he said, continuing to run his
finger down the front of her chest, along the surface of her flight suit,
lingering on her breasts clearly accentuated by the form-fitting suit.

Miranda did not budge, did not even breathe as she stared
into his eyes, which were dark with desire. Leaving her feeling alone, naked
and vulnerable. It was only then she truly understood the difference between
the two men. For when Jon stared at her with a similar gaze, he promised
warmth, shared pleasure and endless passion. However, this man, with his dark
empty eyes, promised nothing, only what he wanted to take, giving nothing in
return. His gaze left Miranda feeling cold all over.

Finally as his finger wandered even lower, Jon’s hand
shot-out in a vice-like grip, catching Sejanus’ wrist and prised his hand away
from Miranda. “Why don’t we focus on the business at hand shall we? Instead of
getting side tracked by distractions,” Jon uttered, giving Sejanus a
penetrating stare.

Sejanus just shrugged nonchalantly, as if Jon’s interruption
was a minor inconvenience and he would simply resume where he left off whenever
he felt it convenient. “Then we need to discuss the other requirement that I
stipulated, for I do not see the Princess.”

Whatever Sejanus was going to say next was interrupted by
the chime of the door. Far from being angered by the interruption he seemed
excited, as if he had been anticipating it. “Excuse the interruption,” he said
insincerely. “However, as I was not anticipating your sudden arrival I have
other business to deal with. It will only take a few moments to finish. Stay, I
insist.” The last few words were delivered as a command, tolerating no dissent.
“Come,” he called out in the direction of the door. All the while focusing on
Jon with a searing gaze of his own, demonstrating his command over the entire
situation.

As the door slid open Jon had a sudden sinking feeling in
his stomach. He observed the auburn-haired woman being manhandled into the room
by two of the burly guards who had been stationed by the door earlier. In a
rough, homespun white cotton dress, Jon guessed she was barely in her
mid-twenties, her pale blue eyes wide with terror as she stared at Sejanus.
None of this inspired any confidence in Jon that this encounter was going to
end well. Sejanus meanwhile gazed upon the young woman with unrestrained
delight. The guards forced the young woman to her knees in front of him and
then, at a sharp nod, quickly withdrew to the far side of the room, but
remained inside.

For a brief moment nothing could be heard in the room except
the woman’s terrified gasps, for a moment Jon thought he could actually hear
her trembling. The silence was interrupted by Sejanus taking a step forward,
then another, until he was standing over the woman. Explaining to the occupants
of the room, Sejanus announced in a loud voice. “This woman has been caught
stealing from me. I have made it perfectly clear, nobody steals from me, ever.”
With those words he reached down and pulled the woman sharply to her feet by
one arm. Spinning her around, he slipped one powerful forearm under her throat
to restrain her. Her back was pressed firmly into his chest, as she was forced
to face Jon, Miranda and Gunny.

Jon tensed as he caught Sejanus glancing at the sword
resting on the table. Knowing what was about to come next and powerless to stop
it, he nonetheless braced himself, for if Sejanus made any move towards that
weapon he would kill him where he stood. His sword had already shed the blood
of one innocent person, many years before. At the time Jon had promised himself
it would be the one and last.

However, as if changing his mind, Sejanus instead withdrew
his own sword from his side, reaching back until the point of the weapon
pressed into the base of the young woman’s back. It was obvious she could feel
the point of the deadly weapon, as her eyes went wide in paralysing fear, her
gaze begging Jon for help.

Jon’s arm snapped up, just in time to stop Miranda. He could
feel her take a step forward to intervene in what was obviously about to take
place. Similarly Gunny took a step closer to her, reaching a steadying hand on
her shoulder. To similarly restrain her, or just to offer her his unvoiced
support, Jon did not know. Meanwhile Jon did not look away from the young
woman’s terrified eyes as he knew that this entire travesty was being put on
for his torment.

That this woman was to die because of him. Sejanus’ way of
demonstrating who had the ultimate authority in this place, at this time. The
power to determine who lived and who died.

Jon would have tried to stop what happened next, if he
thought it would have made any difference, but it wouldn’t have. For Sejanus was
staring at Jon to ensure he observed every second of this. Glancing into
Sejanus’s eyes Jon saw something he had missed earlier
—
rapture.
For while Sejanus was doing this to make his point, he was also taking pleasure
in doing so. Jon could not miss the unmistakable gleam of pleasure in his eyes,
the upturned smile of delight as he suddenly thrust the sword forward, angling
the blade up past her ribs, through her still-beating heart and out through her
chest.

With his gaze still locked onto the woman he could see her
expression change to one of stunned disbelief before the light slowly faded
from her eyes, until finally they continued to stare at him, vacant and
lifeless. A stain of red blood spread rapidly across the front of her plain
white cotton dress.

He could hear Miranda retching in the background
uncontrollably.

It wasn’t until that moment Jon made a decision. Up until
then, his only objective had been to breach the complex, find Marcus and get
him out, alive. However, staring into Sejanus’s upturned face and glazed eyes,
seeing him elated and relishing the moment, Jon promised himself he would not
leave until he saw this man dead.

“Sergeant, please take Captain Sun elsewhere and help her
get cleaned up. Stay with her and I’ll join you later, after Sejanus and I have
finished our business.” Jon did not look away from Sejanus, but could hear
Miranda and Gunny depart. Meanwhile, the two guards dragged the now lifeless
body from the office. Jon noted absently the thick, blood-red carpet seemed to
absorb the bloodstain with ease. Wondering how many other poor innocent souls
had lost their life-blood on this very carpet. Perhaps the very reason that
Sejanus had chosen that colour?

“Sorry for the interruption, now where were we?” Sejanus
inquired with a smile, shifting topics as if all he had just done was sign
another report and not take a woman’s life.

“You were about to hand Marcus Aurelius over to me in return
for me fulfilling my part of the bargain and bringing you the Praetorian
Commander,” Jon insisted smoothly.

“Not so soon Admiral,” Sejanus wagged a finger at him
warningly. “The deal was that you brought me both the Commander and the
Princess.”

For the first time Jon let his irritation clearly show. “She
is holed up in the Senate on Eden Prime. It’s not as if I can send my troops to
retrieve her. Eden is the most heavily defended system in all the
Confederation. If you want her, go and get her yourself. I am hardly welcome on
Eden Prime.” Jon confessed, although the real reason that he was not welcome was
far different.

“Who said anything about the Princess being on Eden Prime,”
Sejanus responded with a feral smile. “I think your intelligence is out of
date. The Princess left Eden Prime several days ago.”

For the first time since stepping into the room, Jon was at
a complete loss for words and hence couldn’t keep the shock from his voice when
he replied, “Sofia isn’t on Eden Prime?”

“Not anymore and before you ask I already have a team en
route to retrieve her, so I will take your point into consideration.”

Meanwhile Jon’s expression remained frozen, but his thoughts
were running overtime. Where the hell was she and what had ever possessed her
to leave Eden Prime? For Jon had spent a great deal of time and an obscene
amount of money to ensure that while she remained there she was protected.
After all, where better to keep her safe than the most protected building, on
the most protected planet, orbiting the most protected system in the entire
Confederation? In addition to this, Jon had used all his connections and
considerable wealth to ensure she was protected both day and night.

All for Sofia to simply walk away, through his rings upon
rings of security, and leave. Jon felt like banging his head in frustration.
All his time and effort completely wasted. Jon decided if he every managed to
get off this planet alive, he was going to hunt her down, drag her back to
Terra
Nova
and tie her
firmly
to his bed. The thought
brought a brief smile to Jon’s lips.

“Something you find amusing?” Sejanus asked curiously.

“I was wondering what you wanted the Princess for?” Jon
casually sidestepped the question. “You already have Marcus, what could you
possibly want with his daughter too?”

“That's none of your concern,” Sejanus snapped, for the
first time letting his own mask of indifference slip for an instant.

Jon thought quickly, wondering what this sadist would want
with Sofia. Somehow Jon doubted he was attracted to her beauty or personality.
No, he needed her for something else and the obvious answer suddenly popped
into his head and, for the first time during the meeting, Jon smiled in
satisfaction. “You cannot break him can you?”

Sejanus’ darkening expression was all the answer that Jon
needed.

“You have had him for five years, but in that time you still
haven’t been able to break him. That's why you need the Princess, his daughter,
as leverage.”

“That’s not the only reason,” Sejanus insisted leaning
forward with an angry stare. “She was promised to me, but was stolen away from
me. She’s mine and I always, always, take what is mine.”

Jon took a step back in surprise, unable to believe what he
was hearing. Yet looking into the other man’s eyes he saw the truth of his
words, or at least some twisted version of it. Suddenly Jon saw the truth, the
horrible, disgusting truth. That Sejanus and he had more in common than he
could ever have imagined.