The warrior's wings drooped to the deck and his sword arm was covered with blood. Coming to attention as best he could, he clicked his heels.

Tyranny smiled at him. "Your report," she said.

"Thirteen slaver vessels have been sunk," he said, as he tried to reclaim his breath. "The remaining are without their masts and cannot maneuver." His face covered with soot and sweat, the warrior smiled. "The acolytes did very well," he added. "But desperate fighting still rages aboard many of the enemy vessels."

Tyranny looked out to sea where the enemy vessels bobbed aimlessly like so many children's toys afloat in a bathtub. She turned back to K'jarr.

"Order the warriors to break off and return to their ships," she ordered. "There is no sense in losing more of them. I have a feeling we'll need them in Tammerland. Go now."

K'jarr gave her a short bow. "I live to serve," he replied. He quickly returned to the air.

"It is a great victory," a female voice said. "You have my congratulations."

Tyranny turned to see Adrian standing there. The young acolyte's fingertips were scorched, and she looked past the point of exhaustion. Her face and dark red robe were speckled with soot.

Smiling, Tyranny embraced her. "And no small thanks to you and your sisters," she answered. "We could never have done it without you." She gave Adrian a conspiratorial wink. "I might just ask the Jin'Sai to assign some of you to my fleet on a permanent basis."

They suddenly heard a scream and turned to look. Scars and several of the Minion warriors were beheading the slavers who had survived the struggle aboard the Reprise. Lined up in rows on their hands and knees, they awaited their fates in terror. As they were killed, Scars and the Minions threw their heads and bodies overboard.

Adrian turned back to Tyranny. "Does it have to be this way? It seems so brutal."

Tyranny whipped her head around. "Brutal?" she repeated venomously. "You think this is brutal? Are you mad? Do you have any idea what would have become of us had we been captured? For all we know the Citadel is still crawling with these monsters. You are still new to the horrors of war, sister. Out here it is kill or be killed. Besides, it is my sworn duty to dispose of them. Wherever and whenever we encounter them, they are to die. It is a standing order from the Jin'Sai."

"Very well," Adrian answered. "If that is how it must be."

Tyranny gave Adrian another harsh look. "Steel your sensibilities further, sister," she warned. "I want to question one of them first, and no matter what you see me do, you are not to interfere. They are a very tough lot, and the harshest of incentives need to be applied. Do you understand?"

Adrian nodded. Tyranny sheathed her sword, and the two women walked over to Scars. He had his sword held high over his head and he was about to bring it down again.

"Hold!" Tyranny shouted.

Scars turned to her, startled. "Captain?" he asked.

"I want to question this one," Tyranny said. She looked over at one of her bloodied crewmen. "Go below and bring me a bottle of wine."

The crewman went below. He soon returned with an amber-colored bottle.

Tyranny took the bottle from him and allowed herself one long, luxurious draft. She casually lit a cigarillo and blew the smoke out her nose.

Then she poured the rest of the wine onto the deck. She walked over to the gunwale and smashed the empty bottle on it. Reaching down, she picked up two sharp pieces of glass. She walked back over to the demonslaver who kneeled before Scars. She looked at her first mate.

"Open his mouth," she ordered.

Scars took the slaver by the throat and lifted him to his feet. The slaver tried to wriggle free but to no avail. At Tyranny's signal, two warriors walked over and used a sharp dagger to force the slaver's jaws apart.

Tyranny turned to the next slaver in line. He gave her a defiant stare.

"On your feet," she said.

With a snarl, the slaver did as he was told.

Tyranny didn't particularly approve of what she was about to do. As much as she hated the demonslavers, this would be difficult, even for her. But she was embroiled in an all-out war-one that consumed her on both a personal and a national level-and she meant to help win it, no matter the cost.

Thinking of Tristan, and of her parents' hideous deaths at the hands of these abominations, she steeled her heart and came closer. She looked the slaver in the eyes. He glared back at her hatefully. No one on deck spoke; no one moved. Her eyes still locked on the slaver's, Tyranny pointed to the one whose jaws were being held apart.

"Watch and learn," she said.

Reaching up, she placed the two razor-sharp shards of glass into the other slaver's waiting mouth. With a nod from their captain, the two warriors forced the monster's mouth closed.

"Put him back on his knees," she ordered.

Blood ran from between the slaver's lips and down his chin as Scars shoved him back down to the deck. Tyranny took another step closer.

Without warning she lifted one foot, and kicked the kneeling slaver in the chin.

The blow knocked him over onto his back. He writhed and choked for a time, then died as his own blood slowly filled his lungs.

As the final death rattle escaped him, Tyranny walked over and picked up two more shards of glass. She walked back to the other slaver and held the shards before his face.

"Answer my questions truthfully and you won't suffer the same fate," she said. "Now then, how many more slaver ships guard the Citadel?"

His hateful arrogance withered; the slaver bowed his head. "None," he answered. "Sure of his victory, our messiah sent them all."

"And the number of slavers?" she asked.

"They all came with the fleet."

"Then the traitorous consuls constitute the only remaining defense of the Citadel?" she asked.

"No," the thing said. "There are now others there, too. They are human, like you, but they are not consuls. They arrived just before our lord departed for Eutracia. They asked for his sanctuary and he granted it. He seemed glad to have them there."

Concerned by this unexpected news, Tyranny took another step closer. Her eyes narrowed. "Who are they?" she demanded.

The slaver shook his head. "None of us know," he answered. "They remain largely out of sight."

"Can you tell me anything else about them?" she asked.

The slaver shook his head again. "That is as much as any of us knows."

Rubbing her chin, Tyranny backed away. She took a final draft on her cigarillo, dropped it to the deck, and crushed it beneath her bloody boot. She looked over at K'jarr.

"Have our troops returned from the enemy vessels?" she asked.

"Yes," the warrior answered.

"Good," Tyranny said. "Have all of the surviving slavers taken back to their ships. That is where they shall meet their fates."

She turned back to K'jarr. "As this is being done, order all of our remaining vessels to form a line in the sea, with the Reprise at the center."

K'jarr clicked his heels. "As you wish," he said.

The demonslaver that Tyranny had questioned glared at her harshly. Struggling to break free of Scars' grip, he spat at her.

"What about me, you bitch!" he screamed. "You said that if I talked, you would spare me!"

Tyranny barely glanced at him "No, I didn't," she said.

She nodded at her first mate, then looked at Adrian. "Walk with me," she said.

As the two women strode to the gunwale, Scars wrapped his hands around the protesting slaver's throat, and the screaming died away. The privateer looked out to sea.

"The slaver's information is disturbing," Tyranny said. "What do you make of it?"

Adrian shook her head. "I have no idea," she answered. "But the Jin'Sai and Jin'Saiou must be informed immediately."