Chapter 66
Safety at last.
I looked at the station floating in the distance and wanted to sag to the floor from sheer relief.
It had taken so long to get here, longer than I’d ever thought it would, and I couldn’t help but remember all those we’d lost on the way.
Their faces still occupied my thoughts daily, and the weight of their deaths plucked at my overwrought soul.
The memories wouldn’t fade anytime soon.
However, my comrades and friends dying didn’t hold the same amount of grief as losing my parents.
Even though weeks had passed, I cried about them every night in the arms of my mate. Wyn would hold me close as he ran his fingers through my hair, whispering comforting words. I wouldn’t have survived this without him. I would’ve been lost to my grief without his steady warmth.
It wasn’t only me who wouldn’t have made it this far without Wyn.
Noxlyn was in a state of constant panic with Camden barely holding on; Wyn and Seth were the young seeker’s sole comforts.
Wyn was trying his best to preserve the medbay systems over others, to protect Camden as well as our other injured crew.
This was without mentioning everything he was doing to help with the damage the siscurras had done.
Wyn might have caused the issues with NAID, but his assistance with everything was indispensable.
Now, the journey, or this leg of it, was done. We would be safe here. Our injured, including Camden, had a much better chance at surviving with a fully functioning medbay and more medical staff.
Talvax stood, breaking me from my thoughts, and ordered, “Do not dock at the station. We can’t risk infecting it.” She looked at me. “Commander, take a shuttle closer and transport aboard the station to explain the situation.”
“Yes, Captain.”
“Take Lieutenant Wyn with you,” she added. “He will know how we can transfer the wounded. I believe Doctor Qinlin will recommend against instant transportation for any of our injured.”
That I very much agreed with. Transporting wasn’t as safe as using a shuttle, and in our current state, the Admiral Ven lacked the energy necessary to transport anyone.
Also, I didn’t know if it would risk the AI kill code being transferred to the station.
That wasn’t something we could risk regardless of the people who needed medical care.
“Good idea,” I replied.
When I reached the door, a light voice called out, “Commander departing.”
I paused in my step, my soul clenching. Still, after these weeks, I expected to hear Gorgownun’s stern voice, but instead, it was Jin. They had been promoted to Gorgownun’s old position. They were more than qualified, and yet I still didn’t expect them to be standing where someone else once stood.
“Return,” I ordered before heading into the corridor and to a hatch that led to the tunnels.
Wyn would probably be in my office, as it was his preferred place to work now.
If he wasn’t there, then he would be in the medbay with Noxlyn again.
However, I would much rather start with my office, as it was closer.
The least amount of time I had to spend in the tunnels, the better.
I stepped into my office and smiled. Wyn was sitting on my couch with a screen on his lap and Cincin curled up by his thigh.
He didn’t look up at my arrival, and I wasn’t shocked.
Lately he would become entirely immersed in his work, the world fading away.
I had to remind him to eat, drink, and take breaks, not that he listened to me.
Wyn might acknowledge he wasn’t to blame, but he continued to shoulder it regardless of what I said.
It wasn’t as if I didn’t understand. I felt guilty about not sensing the siscurras sooner, and I shouldn’t. However, emotions weren’t logical.
“Peace,” I said, running my fingers over his braid before tugging on it.
He glanced up and smiled. “Star.”
I cupped his cheek and dragged my thumb over his delicate scales. It didn’t matter we’d been mated for a bit; I still had a hard time believing Wyn was mine. I bent to brush a gentle kiss to his lips. He moaned, opening for me, but I didn’t deepen the kiss.
Wyn pulled back with a frown. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing.” I nuzzled his forehead. “We’ve arrived at the station.”
“That’s good.”
“I’m taking a shuttle closer, and you’re coming with me.”
He twirled a strand of my hair around his finger. “Is this because you need your mate to be close to you or is this about requiring my expertise?”
I still struggled to have Wyn out of my sight, but I was getting better. “Talvax ordered me to take you, and I’m in agreement. We need your understanding of the kill code.”
“It’s evolving. I’m not sure I understand it.”
“Do not be modest, Mate. You know it better than anyone.”
“Then I will try my best,” Wyn replied. “Besides, I would rather go with you.”
“As would I.” I kissed him again. “Let’s go.”
We stepped into the shuttle, and I took the pilot stool.
Wyn sat on the stool next to me and helped me with the start up sequence.
I assumed the station had attempted to ping us, but our communications were down.
They should be aware of who we were and the issues we were experiencing, so us not responding shouldn’t immediately cause panic.
There was also the matter of the rough shape our ship was in. We were no threat to anyone.
“I already disconnected all of the shuttles from the Admiral Ven, so there is no risk of contamination,” Wyn commented.
I figured he had already. Wyn had already had the idea to separate the shuttles from the ship’s NAID weeks ago to prevent them from having the same issues. They were now free of most processing power, but we could fly them and use the short range communications.
It took a great deal of time to get the bay doors to open, but once they did, we slid out into the void of space.
The station hovered in the distance. It was a cylinder with a large docking ring and upper and lower pylons.
Unlike when I was in Command, I now spotted a couple of shuttles not far from our location.
They were either coming to meet us or preparing for danger.
While the station could defend itself, it lacked maneuverability.
“Shall we go greet them?” I asked Wyn.
His tail curled around mine, and my soul warmed. Wyn said, “We might as well. Besides, I’m hoping they have showers.”
I laughed. We’d had to conserve water, so there had been only vibration showers for the last few weeks. “That would be lovely.”
Wyn leaned closer to me. “I could fuck you in it.”
I swallowed. Voice thick, I replied, “I would like that.”
“Then let’s go.”
When we were in range, I pinged the lead shuttle. “This is Commander Monqilcolnen of the Admiral Ven. We are in need of assistance.”
The screen on the front of my shuttle changed from distant stars to a drakcol with bright yellow scales. “Commander, we have been briefed about what is happening with the Admiral Ven, though there is a great deal more damage than was reported.”
“Siscurras,” I answered shortly. Wyn tensed beside me, his tail squeezing mine. Neither of us wanted to speak about the incident more than we had to.
“What? A siscurras? That’s rare.”
I ignored them. “The Admiral Ven cannot dock because of possible contamination. However, we have wounded.”
“Is your shuttle safe?”
“Yes.”
“Then dock, and I will lead you to the station’s commander.”
We followed the shuttles in, docking on the ring. I reached for Wyn the moment I stood. Even the mention of what had happened was enough for me to want him close. My mate didn’t deny me. He coiled his tail around mine and settled against my side. I nuzzled the top of his head.
“It will be fine, Star.”
“Of course it will, because you’re right beside me.”
Wyn pressed a kiss to my cheek. “I always will be.”
Explaining exactly what I’d done and what the risks were was as fun as it had been the first time—none at all.
No one, especially with Monqilcolnen looming beside me, said anything against me, but I saw the judgement in their eyes.
I had no more apologies to make, though.
I kept my explanation simple while laying out the necessary precautions.
The station's commander, a middle-aged drakcol with light yellow scales and deep orange hair, remained silent through my whole explanation, though he did take notes and seemed to take what I said seriously.
“I believe,” Commander Coydin said, “we should start with your wounded. They will have to be brought with stretchers, as we can’t risk any technology overlap. After that, we will begin to evacuate the civilians, then the crew.”
“I agree,” Monqilcolnen said, the tip of his tail sliding over mine in a distracting manner. “I believe the risk is too great for transporting anyone over. Shuttles, while it will take longer, would be safer.”
“I concur.” He looked between us before saying, “As long as Captain Talvax agrees, I think you and Lieutenant Wyn should remain on the station to oversee settling your people here.”
I wanted to smirk, but I didn’t. The commander had noticed we were mates and had extended the invite to me as well. Monqilcolnen would never leave me behind, even though I would be perfectly safe. At least this way, it spared a fight.
“She will,” Monqilcolnen simply said. “However, I—” I elbowed him. “We need to return first and inform Captain Talvax, as well as organize the injured.”
Camden would be on the first shuttle; I would make sure of it. He was the most severely injured. We’d almost lost him several times during this journey to the station.