Somewhere around what we think of as five am the alarms in Kanan’s ship began going off and roused from his unrestful sleep. Tossing off the blankets he was hit by the cold in his chambers and realized he could see his own breath. Naganti Kanan liked the chill but this was a little too much. He grabbed for a long robe and threw it on before getting Calla out of her corner. “Light!” He demanded from the computer. Looking down her eyes were closed and her lips were blue. Through the intercom Naveen was calling for him to come to bridge immediately. “Get up!” He heaved a rough foot into her side. Calla’s eyes opened but her frozen body remained where it was. Grabbing her by the chains, still naked and shivering, Kanan hauled her onto the bridge with him.

“We’re losing power.” Naveen told him as he and those around him frantically worked the controls. “Life support is going down.”

“The engines are failing!” J’quinn, Kanan’s Captain of the Guard shouted out from his post.

“Get it fixed!” Naganti Kanan ordered as though they weren’t already trying to do just that.

“Nothing’s working!” Naveen answered. “We have to find a place to land or we’re going to be dead in space.”

“Cha’Dech?” His eyes turned a cold stare to her. “What have you done?”

Calla dropped to her knees. “I have nothing to do with this, My Lord.” She told him. “I swear! I know nothing of ships and engines.”

The outpost where they picked up supplies a few weeks back was one of the last inhabitable planets before reaching the Dega-Bah system and Yohimbe which was still two weeks away. “Do you know of some place we can land?”

“No,” she mumbled with her head bent low, “but if you take these off me,” she held her wrists as high as the chains would allow, “I might find one.”

“Life support is dropping!” Naveen shouted.

“The stabilizers are giving out.” J’quinn informed Kanan. The ship began to rock and sway unsteadily.

Left with little options grudgingly, Kanan released Calla from the chains. “Do something!” He shouted at her. “Can’t you find anything on the scanners?!”

Naveen went to work at his controls searching space for a suitable place to land the space ship.

The chains gone Calla looked around inside of herself and tried to decide if it was better than they should just die a slow death in space, suffocating from a lack of oxygen or if she should try and find a safe place to land. Surprisingly enough, Calla found she wasn’t ready to give up just yet. Zeus shared he knowledge of the stars with her but Grandfather was gone now. Searching deep inside she hoped his information still remained. In her mind she saw the same stars as were shown on the view screen in front of them. Nearby there was a very small and relatively unknown planetary system it had three planets and five moons. All of the planets were dead and so were four moons but one could sustain life. It was a long shot but…. “Naganti Kanan,” she whispered. “Fifteen degrees hard to port, twenty minutes, twenty-eight degrees starboard ten minutes and we will find a moon.”

Over half an hour. “Can we make it that long?”

“We’re going to have to.” Naveen replied and followed her marks with the long range scanners. Sure enough there was a very small moon with an oxygen atmosphere.

“Go!” Kanan shouted and the ship took a hard turn to the port side. Everyone on the ship stumbled under the force of it. “You better be right.”

“Or what?” She asked with a smile. “You’ll kill me?”

Kanan’s upper lip curled and he growled at her but he didn’t have the time to take care of her right now that would have to wait for later.

All around them the ship was failing and everyone held their breath and held out to the nearest secured object hoping to make it out of this alive. After fifteen minutes the moon displayed on the view screen, a faint and distant blip in the night. Ten minutes later it grew bigger and the stabilizers were down to 40%, the ship tossed and rocked as though it were in a hurricane. Kanan barked orders trying to keep his ship steering straight and on course and the men hustled around with the same intention.

“Life support is still failing, down to 30%!” Naveen shouted out.

“Come on,” Kanan muttered under his breath. Behind him the engine panel exploded, sparks flew wildly around the bridge and a fire sprung up. “Put it out!” Kanan shouted to J’quinn. But J’quinn was not very lucky today. The panel exploded directly in his face, taking his head off his shoulders. His dead torso lay slumped over the exploding panel feeding the electrical fire with blood.

Two down. Calla thought as she held onto the Captain’s Chair gazing down at the man who had once delighted in helping Kanan torture her. Good riddance.

“We’re going in! Grab on to something!” Naveen shouted as the small ship broke the moon’s atmosphere. “The stabilizers and engines are gone, this going to be rough!”

On the screen the small moon loomed larger and larger by the second. Calla felt a rough hand on her upper arm and suddenly she was falling to the floor. Kanan wedged the two of them between the Captain’s Chair and the engine control station behind it. His huge arms wrapped tightly around to hold her in place. The ship made a horrible whirring noise as it bumped and crashed in the waves of space.

Impact was hard. The ship took a nose dive into the moon’s surface and then skidded along like a flat stone on the water’s surface. Pieces of the ship broke up and fell off as the occupants were tossed about like dry leaves on a windy autumn night.

The moon they crash landed upon was as the Cha’Dech described it; small, roughly ¼ the size of Earth, but with an oxygen atmosphere and probably animal and plant life. It was night now and too dark too see they would have to wait until morning to assess their surroundings. The ship, however, was a different story. There were holes in it large enough to fit a wild boar through, it wasn’t good for anything now but whatever supplies they could scavenge from it and as temporary shelter.

Calla, Kanan and Naveen exited the ship together just to have a small peek at their immediate surroundings. Calla stood there in the dark with Kanan holding onto her chains hoping the crash killed Rowan but she didn’t get that lucky. A few minutes after they walked out the main hatch Rowan followed them. She was battered and bruised and it even looked as though she might have broken her arm but she was alive and starting to run her mouth.

“Well, look what we have here.” Rowan cooed and reached out a slender finger to flick the chains around Calla’s wrists. “The little cuckolded house frau all chained up and ready for fun.”

“Back off, Rowan.” Kanan ordered. “I think we have bigger problems at the moment.”

“I’m not your little bitch; you don’t order me around big boy.” Rowan told him. “Now that you’ve gotten me stuck on this rock how do you plan to get me off?”

“Shut her up.” Kanan told Naveen. A big right hand crashed down on Rowan’s pretty face. “You could take a few lessons from her,” Kanan tossed his head in Calla’s direction, “learn to keep your place.”

Kanan turned his back and Calla stuck her tongue out at Rowan. This less than adult gesture was accompanied by not one but two, One-Fingered Salutes.

“Get back inside.” Kanan told them. At least the ship came to rest on its belly and they would still have some place to keep them sheltered for a while. “Let’s get a look at the communications and see if we can send a distress call.”

The lock on Kanan’s door still worked and he sequestered Calla inside while he and Naveen went to see if they could repair the communications system and find whatever they could salvage from the ship. Rowan was left outside alone where she couldn’t do much damage. The only thing she could do was…..

Tap. Tap. Tap.

Torment the imprisoned woman through her Master’s Chamber Door.

Tap. Tap. Tap.

Rowan’s long finger nail wrapped against the metal door. “I know you’re in there,” she cooed in a sing-song voice, “I know you can hear me you little trollop.”

Tap. Tap. Tap.

“Don’t think this means you’re not going to Hecate, I’ll get you to her if it’s the last thing I ever do.” Rowan hissed. “David was a better lay than that sappy husband of yours any day of the week. What do you think, my dear? After all you had both of them as well. And Eros, how do you think he rated as a lover?”

Eros? Hecate? What did Rowan know of these things?

Tap. Tap. Tap. “Do you like the photographs? I brought them just for you.” Rowan taunted through the safety of the closed door. “It’s only fair I suppose,’” she sighed, “you seduced my husband so I seduced yours. It wasn’t hard, Daniel is easily lead astray.” She cooed. “What about Eros? Was he so easy to bed?”

Kanan came around the corner to see Rowan outside his door. “Get away from there!” He demanded. “Go back to your own quarters.”

Calla heard her Master’s voice and knew the door was about to open. She just couldn’t help herself.

Beep. Blip. Bloop. Beep. Kanan was punching in the combination on the panel. The door slid open and a red-headed hurricane flew at Psyche. “You fucking bitch!” Calla screamed as she tackled the unsuspecting woman knocking her to the floor of the ship and pouncing on top of her. The chains at her wrists wouldn’t let her fits fly the want she wanted too and they wouldn’t let her use her powers to turn the wicked bitch into dust but that didn’t stop her from doing as much damage as she could before Kanan wrestled her off her.

**

With only his fatigues to cover him Daniel came running into the control room of Thor’s ship. “Slow down!” He shouted. “You’ve got to slow down. She’s here somewhere.”

“Lord Ares said to…..”

“I don’t give a damn what Ares said!” Spit flew from his mouth. “I can hear her. She’s around here somewhere. Stop… this… god…. Damn…. ship.”

**

“You turned my brother against me!” Calla shouted and landed a small fist on Psyche’s jaw. “Bed my husband!” Another blow.

“It’s not like he wasn’t willing!” Psyche screamed back and landed a strike across Calla’s face. “He couldn’t wait to have someone other than a slut like you!”

“Lying wench! How did you cross the River?” Calla reached out to embrace Psyche’s throat with her hands.

“I have high friends in low places.” The woman below her spat and blocked Calla’s bound hands from her tender neck.

“Get off!” Kanan demanded as he pulled at the small woman but Calla would not let go. Her thighs were firmly clamped down on the woman’s hips and each time he pulled Rowan came with her. “Maen, Cha’Dech! Byan ginan Naganti!”

“Co!” Calla screamed back as she reached for the woman below her once more, her fingers turned into talons they ripped at the flesh of Psyche’s face. Psyche’s cheeks tore open in four perfectly spaced lines. “Rak She Heta Mok!” She yelled at Kanan.

“What did you say?” He shouted back and finally pulled her off the battered woman.

“You made me Cha’Dech,” she said defiantly and looked up at her Master’s face. “I have rights.” She asserted. “I claim my right to Vengeance!” Her little fits beat against his huge chest. “Do you know who she is???? Do you know what she’s done to me??? Rak She Heta Mok!” Calla tugged at the chains holding her back. “Release me.”

Now he was in a fine pickle. Callestah was right, as Cha’Dech she did have certain privileges and rights one of which being claiming the right to right a wrong done to her.

“You were born a whore! All I did was to recognize it first.” Psyche returned with contempt. “You turned my husband’s heart against me….”

“Eros had thousands of lovers before and after you!” Calla spat and tried to get out of Kanan’s hold. “My brother loved me! You set his mind and heart against me! You did it to all of them!” Seething she looked up at Kanan. “I’ve never asked you for anything but my freedom. Let me go, I deserve this!”

“Who the hell are you?” Kanan asked as his hold on her tightened. “Answer me!”

“Don’t know who you’re in bed with, Naganti Kanan?” Calla said through tight lips. “This is my sister in-law, Psyche. The one who cursed me and turned my entire family against me.” Calla let out a high laugh. “Perhaps you should thank her after all it is because of her that Ares sent met to you!”

Wiping the blood away from her chin, Psyche rose to her feet. “Hecate is going to drain you of all that are you.” She threatened in a low whisper. “Then she will join with me and we will lay waste to every single Olympian left on Earth, including those bastard children of yours!” Psyche tried to lean in closer but Kanan held out one arm to keep her at bay. “Daniel always knew my identity he couldn’t wait to make love with me.” She taunted. “He wanted to leave you and come away with me because you’re so damn filthy! You’ve had more pricks than a pin cushion! Daniel never wanted you he only pitied you.”

“No!” Calla strained against Kanan’s hold. “Release me! I’m going to kill her!”

“Get back to your quarters, now!” Kanan shouted and shoved Calla through the open door of his chamber. It slid firmly into place behind him.

“You may hold me prisoner the rest of my life,” she said firmly to Kanan, “you may turn me over to Hecate and have her end my life. I will never give up my claim to vengeance against her.” Calla took one daring step forward. “You owe me.” She told him.

“Getting a little brazen, aren’t we?” Kanan asked her.

“Rape me, beat me, kill me, I don’t give a fucking damn! I want my piece of that bitch!” She screamed. “No matter what you do or say I’m going to get it.” Calla stormed over to the pictures on the wall and ripped them down. “I want my piece of him as well.” She muttered and tore them to shreds. “Take these damn chains off of me!”

The little Cha’Dech was lost in a sea of rage and nothing he did would soothe it or sway it. He could hit her, beat her, tie her down and the only purpose it would serve would be to fuel her anger. Her Father’s daughter to be sure. When she got like this—which was not often thank all the gods! -- All anyone could do was hope to get out of the way in time. Even if he didn’t let her, sooner or later and one way or another she would get her revenge on Psyche. “Lay down in your corner!” Naganti Kanan demanded. “Seethe all you want but you will have no vengeance tonight.”

Calla stood defiantly with her arms crossed and her lips pursed staring at him.

“Don’t bite off more than you can chew, little girl.” Kanan warned. “Pick up your mess and then lay down in your corner!”

**

Thor’s ship slowed at Daniel’s request and the little benign alien turned his unblinking attention to the lights flashing on his control screen.

“Why are we stopping?” Ares demanded as he flew from around the corner still bare-chested from sleeping.

“Doctor Jackson said….”

“I don’t give a shit what that little worm said,” Ares interjected, “keep going!”

Thor and Daniel ignored him. “Anything?”

“Yes, Doctor Jackson.” Thor said in a surprised voice. “Long range scanners are picking up debris, it appears as though a ship has recently had massive trouble in the vicinity.”

“What?” Ares asked and came closer.

“From the looks of it I’d say it was a Gesh’Tah ship.” Thor informed them. “There isn’t enough debris to account for the entire ship so it must be somewhere.”

Come on, come on, just fucking come on! Daniel thought. “Is there a planet, something anything, nearby that will support life?”

“Checking now.” Thor worked his controls while a long and insufferable moment passed by. “There is a small moon, it’s possible they made it there and landed.”

“S’go!” Daniel shouted. “Now.”

“You don’t give the orders around here, Jackson.” Ares threatened.

“I do now.” Daniel told him. “Get going. She’s there. I know she is.” And man oh man-a-schevitz! Was she pissed the hell off! There were three emotions that Calla never had any problem communicating to him; love, fear and those few and far between moments when she was so incredibly enraged all she could do was scream. Right now she was having one of those latter moments. Daniel couldn’t help but laugh a little as he wondered how Kanan was handling that little do. “I’m comin’ Kitty, just hold on.” Daniel prayed out loud. “Daddy’s comin’.”

“Yes, he is.” Ares said from behind him.

End of Chapter Five
Daughter of the Gods: Escape
Continue to
Chapter Six