Chapter 17
Chapter Seventeen
SLAVIC
Standing over the chair, I fight my own feelings as she curls up under my old garments. My mind and body are demanding that I provide for her, and these feelings seem to be overriding everything else. However , I understand the need to feel like you are in control of something.
Stepping back, I walk over to the edge of the bed and sit down, rubbing the rough skin on my head back and forth as I try to get my emotions under control. The fact that I have nothing she needs is practically ripping my insides apart. Frack , even now she is not covered properly. Glancing over at the mix-matched pile of shirts lying all over her, I have to stop myself from growling out loud.
Those things are not even worthy of touching her delicate skin. Frack , it’s hard to remember the last time they were even sanitized, as I have not worn any of them in orbital rotations. She needs comfort and proper coverings, but how do I obtain them without alerting others of her presence? I knew I should have updated the broken garment fabricator, but there was always something else that needed to be fixed first.
Flipping the bed warmer on, I sit and wait. When her breaths even out and lengthen, I can no longer fight the need to comfort her. Getting up, I quietly make my way to the lounger. Sliding my arms under her small frame, I make sure not to move her around too much. She may be tiny, but her temper has proven to be quite large so far. Slowly , I settle her into the warm coverings on the bed. My relief instantly turning to need once I see her lying there, and I force my arms to release her. Because what I really want to do is explore that luscious little body of hers. There are so many interesting marks and speckles I want to observe closer.
When I realized I was parading her around naked for all to see, I could have ripped this ship and all its occupants apart, brothers or not. I do not know how I managed to contain the fury running through me, as I felt like I was going to explode. Maybe that is why the storage area now looks like a storm hit in there. Trying to find those garments had me throwing things everywhere.
Thankfully , she settles again quickly, and this gives me time to stand back and look down at her. I have never seen such a beautiful creature. The fact that I got to hold her in my arms is a dream I never allowed myself to have before. She has no idea the power she holds over me. A red flash on my comm unit has me glancing out the viewer. This must be Bikar notifying me that we are getting ready to dock.
Reluctantly , I leave her side, as I know we need to get in and out of Navale as quickly as possible, for all our sakes. Walking down the hall toward the helm, I am shocked to see Ruarc .
“ I didn’t expect to see you, Ruarc .”
“ Nor I you, Slavic . Kallen has no proper coverings and I need to rectify that issue.”
“ Was there nothing appropriate in the crate that Falon brought up?”
“ Nothing those bugs touched will ever be given to my mate. That is the last thing she needs to be reminded of right now.”
“ I thought you were denying your mate, Ruarc ?”
“ I will not consummate the union. She will be free to pick another once we return her home.”
“ Just planning on dropping her off and leaving I see. Well , once we do I’ll have Bikar watch the Velgriddix ships better, just to make sure she isn’t picked up once again.”
“ Don’t push me Slavic .”
“ I am not the one fighting the blessing given. I plan on fully embracing the gift bestowed upon me, no matter if I deserve her or not. Are you going to the market yourself?”
“ I am.”
“ See what you can obtain for the others on board while you are acquiring things for Kallen ? The fuel we need will absorb most of our credits, but there should still be enough to buy a few comforts for the females.”
I feel the ship jerk slightly and power down just as the door slides open to the helm. Bikar’s fingers are flying over the control panel. “ Status ?”
“ Slavic , so far, nothing out of the norm. The Zenith is secure, and the atmospheric membrane is activated. We were lucky with our timing as there are only a few ships docked right now. I have notified them of our fuel needs, so now we are just waiting on their confirmation. One of us may have to go down to open the hatch. For some reason, it is not releasing.”
“ What of the cargo?”
“ Falon and Murgul have already opened the lower bay doors. They should have most of it unloaded within half a rotation. There are a few items I am still in negotiations with for their sale, but this haul will put us back in the green on credits. Unfortunately , most of them will not hit until we are gone, as the sales are not final until the cargo is retrieved.”
“ The females?”
“ Secured .”
“ I will see to the fuel hatch myself Ruarc , you proceed with caution. If you hear any rumors of the females, return to the ship immediately. Bikar , you are our eyes, so keep track of where everyone is at all times. Oh , and notify Einar that he needs to guard the ramp in case someone breaks through the outer hull locks.”
“ Slavic , he hasn’t responded to a single comm I’ve sent him. I am concerned that no one has seen to the health of the other females. They are eating, but they all have multiple wounds that need to be tended to.”
“ Let him know I will put his ass in a holding cell if he does not do his part. There will be no mercy given to anyone who will not protect ALL the females. He is not the only one being forced away from their Starshine .”
Bikar turns as I walk out of the helm toward the main ramp. My spines tremble the further away I get from my mate, but I push myself onward. We need supplies and if we don’t refuel, and the panels fail, we would be sitting dead in space. If it was simply us males, that would be considered an adventure. However , that is no longer an option with the precious cargo we now have on board.
At the bottom of the ramp, I look around before heading toward the fuel hatch. Hitting my comm unit, “ Falon , the replicators need replenished with a larger selection of sustenance for the others. Can you see to that issue after you retrieve the packages?”
“ Shouldn’t be an issue, Slavic . Murgul is offloading the last of the cargo now, so while he awaits payment, I will head to the lower levels.”
“ Watch your back and leave your comm on at all times.”
“ Yes , sire! I am a grown male; you do not need to tell me how to do my job.”
Shaking my head, I head toward the fuel crew who are trying to get the hatch open. Seems like it won’t be long until I will have to reacquaint them with the sparing chamber. They need to be reminded why the oldest, Me , is the one in charge. The moment I duck under the hull, one of the Navale’s crew approaches. “ Captain , the lock has been damaged on the plate protecting the fuel cells. We can remove it, but we would have to fabricate another to replace it.”
“ Does the system need the hatch?”
“ It seals the inner enclosure from exposure, and we would not advise you to depart without the proper repairs.”
“ Do what needs to be done, but we will be leaving the moment the credits clear for the cargo we brought in.”
“ We should be able to secure it temporarily until you can plan on a more extended stay here on the Navale , Captain .”
I remain with them until the hatch is open and I see the fuel being pumped inside the main holding tanks. While they are busy with that, I take a leisurely stroll around the Zenith , running my hands along the bottom and making mental notes of the things that need to be fixed on her. She has protected us from day one, and I refuse to let the ship slip into disrepair.
The sound of a youngling giggling not far off has me ducking under the primary hull. A Valerian mam is playfully chasing her youngling on the connecting deck, and for a moment my mind drifts back, reliving a similar scene with my own mam. Shaking my head, I make myself wander further out into the main passage. Looking down at my comm unit, I take a moment to see where everyone is at.
Bikar is on the ship. Einar is standing at the top of the closed ramp. Murgul is at the credit depository. Ruarc is headed my way from the major market, but Falon’s comm is blinking off and on.
I am just turning toward the lower levels lift when a strong hand grabs my arm. Immediately I turn, ready to attack only to see it’s Ruarc . “ We must get the frack out of here now. The Velgriddix have issued a bounty for any information concerning a certain flesh cargo and the pirates that stole them. Apparently , the main swarm ships are under the assumption that there was a breeding princess on board. They even sent out a detailed description of the ship, and guess who it resembles?”
“ Shet , get back on board, but we will need to stall as long as possible. They just started refueling and Falon’s comm signal is flashing. I am going to head down to the lower levels to see if I can find him, but you leave us if it becomes necessary.”
Ruarc doesn’t question me, simply turns to do as I have ordered. Hitting my comm unit, I lock onto Falon’s location, then head that way. My eyes constantly on the lookout for any of the known bounty hunters that roam this area, I have just stepped into the lift and it was almost closed, when another sticks their arm out, halting the doors.
I have to bite the inside of my jaw to keep from snarling when I see it is a Korgon . Those four-armed bastards are a menace and impossible to beat in a fair fight, but who says this is going to be fair?
He nods his head, acknowledging me, as he walks in. I hit the button to level seven, then step back. If he needs another floor, he can tell the lift himself. The door slides open and as I start to step out, I hear him chuckle. “ Smells like a human in here, how is that possible, Rukuhks ?”
I act like I don’t hear him, but my hearts hit my chest. I never imagined other species would be able to smell the females on us. If that is the case, we are projecting it all over the station that they are with us. I am walking so fast that I am practically running. My spines tremble in anger and fear as I fight my instincts to rush back to my mate. Others move out of my way quickly as I stalk through the halls with a snarl on my face, looking for my brother.
If the Korgons invade the Zenith before Ruarc returns and while I am down here, there is no way Einar and Bikar can fight them off alone. My female and the others would be lost to us forever as the Korgon ships are strong enough to puncture the Veil , and ours is not.
Thankfully , I find Falon quickly, strolling calmly toward me with several crates hovering behind him on a sled. His eyes not missing a thing as I approach, he says, “ Calm yourself, brother, your anxiousness is bringing unwanted attention our way.”
“ They can smell the females on us, and the Velgriddix have issued a bounty. We need to leave now!”
“ I am well aware, as my informant met me the moment I stepped off the lift. We are known to attack first and ask questions later, so for now, just keep that snarl on your face and walk with me.”
“ Did you get what we needed?”
“ I did and then some. The females should be happy if we make it back to the ship that is. Don’t look now, but we are being trailed by a Jynrel .”
“ How did this get out so rapidly?”
“ No clue, big brother. Comm Bikar and tell him to get the Zenith ready to launch as quickly as possible.”
“ Bikar , I need you to get the Zenith ready to depart the moment we are on board.”
“ Got a slight problem with that Slavic . I just happened to look down at our fuel status, only to realize instead of it increasing they were siphoning it out. I managed to shut off the main fuel valve, but now we have less than we did when we got here. We need that fuel Slavic , but I don’t want to open the ramp to go out and confront them. Especially now that there have been several Korgons spotted at the entrance gate. I think they’re waiting on us to lower the ramps.”
“ Looks like we are going to have to improvise then, Bikar . Look on the scanners and tell me what other ships similar in size are docked.”
“ On the North side is a Jynrel ship that is being loaded now, so the ramps are open. Oh wait. Well , would you look at that? Seems like the gods are looking out for us this rising. An Emperor Pyrkyne cruiser just docked two bays down from us. However , the fuel tanks are a match, as are the remote connections. Its cargo hold is cloaked, so I cannot see what they are hauling. The Navale’s log is showing this is a drop and pick up, so they will not be here long.”
“ Firepower ?”
“ Nothing the Zenith can’t handle. Their crew is small, but you know how overly confident those pigs are.”
“ Can you disconnect the fuel hose without exiting the ship?”
“ Already did, then set the hull to shock any who touch her.”
“ Excellent , we are at the lift headed your way. Keep me updated.”
Falon maneuvers the hover sled into the lift and when it engages, I take a deep breath, then double check my weapons as it accelerates. When I look over, Falon is doing the same. “ If we encounter any resistance, you get to the ship. The females need those translators. Worst case, leave me and I will catch the next ride out of here.”
“ No can-do big brother, where you go, I go. So , pull those big boy pants up, and let us get to the ship.”
I don’t have time to argue with him as the lift doors slide open. Stepping out first, I motion for Falon to follow. My eyes survey the area as I look for anything hostile or out of place. We make it to the loading dock before I see the first Jynrel round the corner. He doesn’t look at me, but those little frackers hunt in packs, so I know there are more close by. Thankfully , the Zenith is hovering above the floor, ready to lift off as we get closer.
Bikar must have seen us approaching because a small slide opens in the bottom of the ship allowing Falon to maneuver the hover sled inside. I stand guard while he pushes the small crates in. The moment he is done, I press the button on the small ramp and it closes. Now for the tricky part. How will Falon and I get back on board without opening the main ramp?
“ Bikar , open the cargo bay door wide enough for Falon and I to slide in and then take off. We will make our way up to the main areas once the ship is out of the Navale’s orbit.”
“ Frack , brother, that’s going to be a rough few ticks. It gets mighty cold in the cargo bay.”
“ You have any other ideas? Falon and I can hold our own easily against the Jynrel , but not if they are joined by the three Korgons that just walked onto the dock. We can’t risk lowering the main ramp.”
I motion for Falon to head toward the lower bay door that is only a few feet above the floor of the dock. Ducking under the Zenith’s main hull, I hesitate when I see the fuel door swinging back and forth under the ship. Frack that is going to be a problem, but we don’t have the time to fix it now. Falon slides into the narrow gap Bikar opened and just as I am following behind, I hear the first roar of an attack coming our way.
They must have caught on that we were not going to lower the main ramp and started scouting the rest of the ship. I barely get my legs inside before seeing a blue hand reaching for me. A second one grabs the door, trying to shove it open more.
I hit the controls for the hull to seal shut, only to hear a whine where the ship’s closure mechanism is fighting the Korgon shoving with all his strength to get inside. Falon puts his weight against the door as we start to lift off. Bikar’s voice echoes throughout the room.
“ Slavic , get that door closed or both of you can say your goodbyes.”
“ Shock the hull, the fracker won’t let go.” The Korgon must have heard my words, just as I feel the energy sweep across the floor. He starts to let go and the door finally slams shut, but not without a little souvenir. The tips of his blue fingers lay severed near the seal.
Falon slides down the wall, breathing heavily. “ That was too close.”
The floor beneath our feet begins to vibrate, and the temperature starts dropping rapidly. “ I agree little brother, let us grab a few of these crates and head up. I would prefer to escape this cold as quickly as possible.”
Hitting my comm unit, I order, “ Bikar , get everyone to the helm and keep track of that Pyrkyne cruiser.”
“ Already ahead of you.”