Trapped  

The runner couldn't touch down in The Retribution fast enough for He'dtaalh. The atmosphere inside the small vessel with the Priest and his clergymen was enough to suffocate a lesser being.

 

The second he felt the thud of the bottom on the deck, his seatbelt was off, and he was standing, practically bouncing on the balls of his feet as he waited for the hatch to open.

 

"I understand that you don't want me to save the female in question," said the Priest, coming to his feet much more slowly than He'dtaalh. However, every one of his movements was well thought out and concise. "But I would still like to meet her to give her a blessing if nothing else."

 

"I am afraid that I won't be able to accommodate that," murmured Ba'dqeel, not flinching under the Priest's stare. "Her family doesn't want any strange males around her."