46. NOVA
EPILOGUE
Our journey to Darlam was delayed the next day, when Nock called an all-out alarm in his usual dramatic way and demanded we all meet at the breakroom immediately.
"What in the Black Abyss is going on?" Noodar yawned, while Raasla grunted, as Zoe pulled him in.
"I received an astonishing message!" Nock shouted, waving his comm like a flag.
"Please tell me you didn't call us all in here because it turns out the Emperor is your newest, biggest fan," Zaarek groaned.
I snickered.
"Please, the Emperor is already my biggest fan, no offense, Princess." He inclined his head at Luph.
"The Emperor probably doesn't even know you exist," Zaarek antagonized. I elbowed him to reign him in.
"You will be eternally grateful to me once I tell you the message," Nock boasted unruffled. He opened the message, and the holovid of a Space Guardian appeared in the center of the room so we could all see and hear it.
Greetings Nock,
I gathered we might have similar interests.
The man pulled up his sleeve to expose his mating marks before he pulled up his shirt to show us the rest of them.
"Unbelievable," Noodar exclaimed.
"Who is that?" Zoe asked.
"Did he give a name?" Vraax wanted to know.
Nock grinned from ear to ear. "That, ladies and gentlemen, is the notorious Space Guardian, Tharaax Zelker, currently wanted as a traitor to the Ohrur Oligarchy," Nock announced.
"We need to reply," Zaarek urged.
"It could be a trick," Noodar warned.
"A trick where he had himself tattooed?" Vraax shook his head. "I don't think so." Surprising all of us with his words. The man was an enigma. I could understand his reservations and understand why he didn't want to take the money I had hacked from the Ohrurs, but now he sounded fully aboard again with our mission.
"Let's vote," Luph suggested.
The only one not in favor was Noodar.
"We won't make any decisions we can't make unanimously," Zaarek said, looking at him.
"Fine." Noodar raised his hand.
The moment his words were out, Nock began recording himself.
"Greetings, Tharaax. We left UX938 and are on our way to Zaarek's home planet. If what you said is true, you will know where to find us."
"The Kred is growing on me." Raasla patted Nock approvingly on the shoulder.
"Oh, he replied already," Nock cried.
"Do not try to enter the vicinity of the home planet. Our mutual employers have put up a trap."
"Gimme that." Zaarek pulled the comm from Nock's hand. He waved us toward the hall so Tharaax wouldn't see us before he activated a live stream. This time, Tharaax stood right in front of Zaarek.
"Tharaax," Zaarek greeted him while I stared at the other Space Guardian's markings from the hallway. He must have left his shirt off on purpose so we could see his markings as well.
"Zaarek," Tharaax returned the greeting, staring at him just as curiously while Zaarek took his shirt off as well.
"This is Raasla, Noodar, and Vraax," Zaarek waved the three Space Guardians in to join him.
"I didn't know you linked up with the others," Tharaax sounded surprised.
"One is still missing. Possedion hired Raasla, you, me, and a fourth whose name we haven't figured out yet.”
"No problem, I'll get that name," Tharaax promised.
"You still have access to the Ohrur database?" Zaarek asked, astounded.
"I hacked back into it, yes," he admitted and was unable to suppress a deep grin at his next words. "But I have something better. Possedion is my guest at the moment."
The other three Space Guardians exchanged stunned glances before Noodar said, "Well done!"
"I got some information out of him too. Like that they have a forcefield around Darlam. I'm still working on him to tell me a way around this."
"Sounds like we have lots to talk about," Zaarek interjected. "But let's not get too carried away just yet, this comm might be intercepted."
"No worries, I got this under control," I called from the hallway where he couldn't see me. I had already cleared the channels to make them untraceable. Zaarek threw me a fuming glare, and I threw him a kiss.
"I’d still rather play it safe," Noodar agreed with Zaarek.
"Let's set up a meeting point," Tharaax suggested.
He sent permission to our onboard computer to access his, and together, the computers found a halfway point for us to meet. According to our timeline it would take us four days to reach the space station and him three.
"Are you sure? That's a public place," Tharaax asked skeptically when he saw the name of the space station the computers suggested.
"I don't know about you, but we need to restock on some things," Zaarek explained.
"Alright, I'll see you soon," he ended the comm.
We stared at each other before all hell broke out, and we all started talking simultaneously.
"He's got Possedion." Zaarek's voice sounded the loudest, and his words managed to shut the others up for a moment.
"That's one hell of a stunt." Noodar nodded approvingly.
"I can't wait to hear how he did this." Even Raasla seemed impressed.
Vraax didn't say anything. He didn't look happy about this new development. Too bad. If he still had doubts after all this, it might be better if we cut ties with him. Call me prejudiced, but I didn't trust him as much as I did the others because he didn't have any mating marks.
Zaarek came and put his arm around my shoulder, holding me tightly. "We're going backward," he said.
"Flying backward," I corrected, even though I knew what he meant. We had been on our way to Darlam, and now we were returning to where we had just come from.
"Oh well, it'll be worth it," I said with conviction.
"You think so?" Zaarek asked.
I nodded. "We all know by now that there is something much bigger than us out there pulling the strings. We just have to trust it."
"As long as you're by my side," he said, kissing me.
"As long as we're together," I corrected him again, melting into his kiss.
THE END of Book 1