Chapter Twenty-Seven
Thanh
W e dropped out of the fade jump far enough away from the planet not to be detected by the Justinians or Octavians. Hopefully. I still wasn’t used to the stomach lurching sensation the fade jumps left me with, and wondered if it would be different once I learned this technique with Lorac. We were all assembled by the door on Narrou that led down the umbilical corridor attaching us to Lorac. Being this close, I could hear my ship in my head quite clearly.
“Our first adventure together!”
I couldn’t help a smile at the ships excitement. They really did have the innocence of a child, which I supposed made sense. Bowie said Lorac’s age was similar to that of a human adolescent. I would be able to help them grow and mature, my influence shaping who this Dragon became. I’d never seen myself having kids so this responsibility was a bit of a shock. Apparently there were a lot of things I hadn’t considered when I’d accepted the bond with the ship.
“You okay?” Jax asked, his hand rubbing up and down my arms.
“Yeah,” I gulped some air, my stomach finally starting to calm down.
He’d been by my side since we got word that our time table had been moved up. Not in a claustrophobic kind of way, but definitely far more attentive than ever before. Oddly enough, I didn’t mind. Usually I ran the other way when a partner got clingy, but I found myself seeking Jax out in a room the few times we’d had to do separate jobs to get ready. I’m the one that hooked my fingers around his, or stepped close. The fact that he also needed to touch me and made excuses to remain with me was a bonus.
“We are cleared for umbilical use,” Teneras said. “May fortune smile on you. Good hunting.”
As the pilot, I walked down the corridor first and boarded Lorac who bobbed a little under my feet. I’d gotten used to the flowing movement of Narrou, but Lorac’s was a little more enthusiastic.
Easy there, you don’t want to make all of us sick.
“Sorry! I’m just so excited!”
“Humanoids are more delicate than you, they require a steady presence. Calm yourself and focus.” Tohm-Tohm instructed.
The ship settled under my feet and I swore I heard the same whale song type of sounds in my head, but this time they were tempered, soft and melodic.
It was going to take some practice and time to balance out both Lorac’s and Tohm-Tohm’s voice in my head, but I could worry about that later. As long as we all worked together as a team for this, we’d be fine.
The command deck was a short walk down a newly formed corridor that was wide and airy, with beautiful blue and gold lights overhead.
Did you add rooms?
“Yes! Narrou told me that humanoids like rooms, so I created a kitchen, a meeting room, and three sleeping quarters, in addition to this hall and the command deck. Do you like them?”
So far, yes.
“I anticipate many hours of enjoyment for you and your mate in my rooms.”
I stopped in my tracks, stunned and uncomfortable. I wasn’t sure if they were talking about sex but if so, I’d have to inform them not to watch if possible. But what really had my brain stalling, was how easy it was to go along with Lorac’s assumption that Jax was a permanent part of my life.
I pushed that aside, thankful that I had something else to focus on.
Everyone made it onto the ship and the door closed behind them. I stood on the command deck at the pilot’s platform, while my body buzzed with excitement and nerves. Flying off the market and to Narrou was one thing; this would be flying through a hostile atmosphere and avoiding contact with the Celestial Dragons at all costs. Not to mention avoiding any drones that Sherrod hadn’t taken out yet.
“How long do you need to disable the orbital station?” I asked him.
He was seated at a station to my left, which must’ve also been new because I didn’t remember it. He had a large tablet in front of him, with an attachment running from the cyber implants on the side of his head to the tablet, and his eyes were moving very fast.
“Working on it,” he said, voice distant.
“Umbilical detaching,” said Teneras’ voice over coms. “The Justinian and Octavian fleets are just outside of the orbital station’s detection and there is a space between them that you can use to get past. Just make sure your cloaking is active. Our fleet has arrived and we will follow you once we have rendezvoused with them. If you are detected, we will provide assistance.”
“Copy that,” Jax said at the tactical station to my right. “Power is at full and we have full shields.”
I took a deep breath and closed my eyes.
Okay Lorac, Tohm-Tohm? Let’s do this.
Similar tendrils that I’d seen attached to Teneras when she piloted Narrou extended from the floor, curling up until they reached my temple. I didn’t know what to expect when they touched me, feather light and warm. I didn’t remember them entering my body last time, so I tensed a little at the first contact.
Will it hurt?
“Absolutely not! I would never hurt you! You are as much a part of me as the Seahdohn, you are my partner, my pilot, my family. It will feel like a touch to your skin, but natural.”
Never would I have thought that I’d trust anyone in my head besides Tohm-Tohm. Our relationship was special after all we’d gone through. But Lorac seemed to fit in ways I could not explain.
Alright…I’m ready.
The moment the tendril entered my temple, I was filled with warmth and a fuller sense of Lorac’s presence. I felt their body, their excitement. I was as much a part of them as my hands or feet were a part of me. The stars around me danced, the non- atmosphere of the expanse of space stretched around my body, ready to be explored.
I was standing on the deck, my hands at the control console, but I wasn’t seeing in the same way others did. I knew it the way I knew the map of scars on my thigh and hips, like I knew that my nose was slightly crooked, and that I had a bump on the back of one ear. This ship was an extension of me, and flying it would be just as natural as running or walking, if I trusted Lorac.
We’re a team, the three of us. So let’s work together, alright?
“Can’t wait.”
“Yay!”
“Thanh?” Jax asked.
I smiled.
“We’re ready.” My voice was different, dulled and distant. “Engaging camouflage.”
The ship shimmered in and out a little bit before blending with the appearance of its surroundings. I didn’t anticipate the concentration it would take to hold this and my stomach clenched with nerves. Hopefully I could drop it once we reached atmo so I could focus on flying.
“Moving out now,” I said.
The ship lunged forward and Brahn and Oontash grabbed hold of the wall for balance. The ship’s cloaking shimmered before steadying itself.
Shit…shit!
Fear had my connection to Lorac sputtering for a few seconds before it stabilized. I had hoped to take some time to practice, but there hadn’t been any.
I can do this…I’m a pilot, it’s flying, just a little more visceral. I’ve got this.
“You do. This is a sensitive set up. Think of that Talosian shuttle, you remember how sensitive the attitude adjustment was? This is the same thing. A little touch goes a long way.”
I imagined myself taking the wheel of the shuttle Tohm-Tohm referenced, felt it in my hands, the ease with which I could make adjustments with it and I delicately moved us forward.
This time it was much smoother, the cloaking held and soon we were darting through space toward Daedalus.
I could feel the collective relief from the rest of the team as my flying became fluid and I found a rhythm with Lorac. It wasn’t until we were approaching the cluster of pirate ships that I realized Lorac had created a wheel exactly like the one I’d imagined using.
“Approaching the fleet,” Jax said. “You’ve got a narrow corridor between them to reach the planet. No sign that they’ve spotted us. Sherrod, how are we doing on the orbital station?”
“Their weapons systems are offline, and the orbital drones are down, though the system still thinks they’re flying around. So far, so good.”
I concentrated on flying us past the two fleets, which were bigger than we’d anticipated. If I went too fast, I’d create enough heat for detection, too slow and we risked me losing focus on the cloaking shield. An alarm went off at Jax’s station and he shut it off.
“Torpedo fired, but not at us. Looks like the Octavians are stirring up the Justinians.”
“We’re almost cleared,” I said.
Another alarm.
“More torpedoes and now fighters have entered the fray. Thanh, I don’t think it matters anymore if we have a heat signature, no one’s going to notice.”
“Copy that.”
I put on speed, zipping up and over and between fighters that were flying directly at us. Two of them broke off and pursued us but were intercepted by a smaller gunship.
“We are at the orbital station perimeter,” Jax said. “So far, no activity.”
I let out the throttle and gave Lorac leave to ‘run’, or at least their version of it. We shot forward and a laugh spilled from my mouth. I was relaxing into this, getting a feel for the glide and twirl of Lorac as a vessel and a sentient being. I rolled and dove as we broke the atmosphere and were buffeted by debris and strong winds.
Steady…don’t be afraid.
“Shields holding,” Jax said. “There are Dragons ahead.”
He didn’t need to tell me. Lorac felt them, like calling to like. But I told Lorac to avoid them as much as possible. There was no reason to disturb or alert them to our presence.
The ice was unpredictable; some of it small, some of it huge, with chunks flying through the violent winds. I wanted to get below it as soon as possible. Which meant speed and maneuverability.
“Hang on.”
If Lorac had been jogging before, they went into a full on sprint now. We curved and undulated above one chunk only to find another flung at us, which we spun away from and to the side. I’d always been good at this kind of flying, making split second decisions and getting everything I could out of a vessel. Those skills were tenfold now that I was actually a part of the ship. I wasn’t just flying it, I could feel the movement as if I were doing it, yet also anticipate ahead of time what was coming. Almost as if…
Tohm-Tohm, the Xenocor! Are you —?
“Not on purpose, but I recognize the same thing. Maybe…maybe the damage done to my tendrils was why you couldn’t absorb it like you should’ve been able to.”
But that’s what’s happening, right?
“Yes. Thanh…this is how it was supposed to be with you and me. We’re…we’re whole again.”
Tears fell unashamed down my face as I let the joy wash over me, fill me up and spill over. I laughed, loud and uninhibited, whooping with joy as I glided around boulders of ice and other Dragons. They barely acknowledged us as I zipped under and to the side of them. Their breeding grounds were just below the ice barrier, the winds a bit tamer here but still a brutal storm. They seemed to flourish in it however, as did Lorac. Their flying was steadier with the wind resistance and I made a mental note to ask about that later.
“We’re closing in on the bank,” Jax said.
I could see the digital mapping in my mind’s eye and that was because Lorac could see it. We made a zig zag flying pattern before leaving the breeding area. Now the wind was calmer, but the dark water below churned, gray and endless. The bank was built on hundreds of sturdy pilings, holding most of it high above the water and bracing it for storms. I saw the landing pad and instructed Lorac to descend. They did, slowing and floating down to the spot, resting on their belly just before producing a ramp to the port side where we could disembark.
As the tendrils released me, I expected to feel drained again, but instead I was energized, refreshed.
The Xenocor?
“Yeah. This is going to be so fucking amazing!”
I chuckled and nodded. It definitely was.
When I turned to find Jax staring up at me I couldn’t contain everything any longer. I launched myself at him, leaping into his arms. He caught me like he’d been doing it forever and I slammed my lips to his.
“What was that for?” he breathed.
“I’ll tell you after.”
I saw the unasked question in his eyes, and wanted to tell him that yes, I was thinking there definitely would be an after for us. But Brahn cleared his throat, Oontash giggled and Sherrod swore under his breath.
“Are we robbing this place or are you two gonna stay on the ship and fuck?” Sherrod demanded.
I slid down Jax’s body and flipped Sherrod off before checking the weapon in my hip holster and the respirator in the interior front pocket of my vest.
“Syncing coms…now,” Brahn said.
The bracelets around our wrists vibrated and a green light went on.
“Are the surface drones disabled?” Jax asked as we hurried toward the door to the ramp.
“Yes, they should be floating debris by now.”
Lorac, you got the coordinates of where to meet us?
“Yep! I’ll be there, you can count on me!”
I was soaked to the bone seconds after disembarking, between the mist and the sea water spray driven by the winds. Brahn pointed ahead to the northern lift and we followed at a brisk pace. Once we boarded the lift, I let out a sigh of relief, though it was definitely not a space made for more than three. I snuggled up against Jax, his hands tight on my hips. When I looked up at him, his forehead was creased with worry and I tried to give him a reassuring smile, but my gut was tensed with concern as well. This was where everything could fall apart and we’d be separated.
Don’t think about that. It’ll all be fine…we’ll be fine.
Soon the doors opened to a partially lit hall, doors on either side a few feet away. There was the faint sound of the storm overhead, and the chirp of coms systems. Other than that, it was quiet. I wasn’t used to places run entirely by droids and computer systems, so seeing the place abandoned made me shiver with unease.
Sherrod exited the lift, and glanced back at Jax, who planted a hot, quick kiss to my lips.
“Be careful, princess,” he whispered.
“You too, snookums.”
He grinned and followed Sherrod out. I watched him until the lift doors closed, that sinking feeling expanding into my limbs.
We were all quiet as we descended to the sixth level, even Oontash wasn’t cracking any jokes. It was the most serious I’d ever seen the shape shifter.
When the doors opened this time, the corridor was brightly lit but somehow far more menacing that the one up on the fourth floor. Perhaps it was the eerie silence. There wasn’t even the sound of computers here, or the storm. The floor was a slate gray and shone as if it had been recently cleaned and buffed. The walls were a lighter gray and also obscenely clean. Statue-still droids stood stiff and erect against the wall every few feet down the hallway. They were at least eight feet tall, silver and broad with enormous guns and blank oval faces. No air stirred, but there was the telltale hint of staleness that came from repeatedly recycled oxygen.
We stepped out, but didn’t venture any further than right in front of the elevator. Brahn nodded at Oontash, who set down a small circular device on the floor and pressed the button on top. It scanned the area in front of us and suddenly a grid of lasers appeared throughout the hall, too close together to avoid no matter what shape we contorted ourselves into.
“We’ve got a laser grid,” I whispered into the coms.
“Roger that,” Sherrod said.
A moment later, they were gone.
“I’m going to disable the first biometric lock,” Oontash said.
Watching this slender, teal skinned female morph into a seven-foot-tall Damodrid was even stranger than the Valtoshan she’d become at the Black Hole Market. She shrugged her shoulders as if she were shaking off her old persona and strode over to a wall panel by the elevator. It scanned her huge hand and then her eye, finally asking for a spit sample, which she provided. I held my breath, waiting for something to go wrong when the lights flashed green. A second later, a clear blast door rose up between us and the hall beyond.
“You gonna change back?” I asked.
“Nah, this is a pretty powerful body.” Even her voice had lowered and become raspy. “I’ll stick with it until the next change.”
“Oontash cleared the first bio lock,” I said into the comm.
“Roger,” Sherrod responded. “You can proceed. Droids have been told to stand down until the first junction.”
My heart was pounding so loud that I wondered if it would trigger the droids. We couldn’t touch them, or raise our weapons much less fire them without antagonizing the sentinels. So while my blaster was drawn and at the ready, it was down at my side. My eyes went from side to side trying to make sure the droids hadn’t moved. Sweat dripped down my back and into my pants and my mouth was horribly dry.
“It’s okay, they’re asleep…just breathe.”
I repeated what Tohm-Tohm had said, over and over, as we slowly walked past about twenty of the creepy droids to where the corridor split into a T.
“We’re there,” I whispered.
A few seconds later Sherrod cleared us to go to the left. It went on like this for what seemed like hours. Our footsteps careful as we made our way down each corridor. Sometimes, there was a laser grid, sometimes not. We had to wait for Sherrod to announce that it was clear and that the droids were safe to pass by. Finally, we were nearly there, just one more turn to the right and we’d be at the vault.
“We’re at the last turn,” I said into the coms.
We waited.
Silence.
Dread snaked its way through my body, coiling coldly in my gut.
“Sherrod? Jax?”
A mechanical whir followed by the clang of metal meeting metal shattered the silence and I watched in horror as the droids in the corridor stepped away from the wall and faced us.