Chapter 19
LYK
“Mayra needs to talk to you, like now.”
Lyk was on the bridge, going over their coordinates with his navigational crew.
They were talking about the possibilities of split wormholes, about the advantages of such fast-track travel throughout the quadrants.
Lyk could only devote half of his attention because the rest was distracted by thoughts of Ally.
“Give me a minute.”
Lyk excused himself, then headed for the pocket door at the end of the bridge. It led to a small office—really only big enough for a desk and a few chairs—that served as his Captain’s Perch. He rarely used it, preferring to be out among his men, but it afforded privacy when it was necessary.
Lyk hit a few buttons on his console, noting that he no longer had to bother to secure a channel. The limited number of times he’d called home to talk to Kara were few enough to count on one hand, and he’d always taken meticulous precautions. It seemed like those days were over.
“Brother,” she said, smiling warmly.
Lyk returned her smile. His sister was a Vartik, through and through, and although she had the same physical beauty as her brothers, she suffered from the trademark lack of curves that all Vartik women shared.
He was in a small subset of males who preferred a little more roundness on his women, like the perfect proportions on Ally.
“Nojan is here with Mayra.” Kara adjusted the camera and Lyk’s second oldest brother came into view.
Nojan the Nerd, he and his brothers were fond of calling him.
He’d put science before everything else, even women.
But it seemed like he’d finally pulled his head out of his computer long enough to catch the eye of a stunner.
Mayra had the type of curves Lyk preferred in spades. But in his mind, she still couldn’t hold a candle to his chosen mate.
“Hey, nerd,” Lyk said, hoping the insult would be received in the spirit it was given.
Nojan frowned, but Mayra laughed, elbowing her husband until he cracked a smile. “It’s nice to meet you, Lyk,” Mayra said. “I didn’t even know Nojan had another brother.”
“There are quite a few of us. We’re like the mythical hydra and its heads. Cut down a Vartik brother and two spring up in his place.”
Mayra giggled while her husband looked over his little brother. “Piracy seems to agree with you.”
Lyk shrugged. “It’s a living.” Rather than get bogged down in the eventual argument, Lyk turned his attention to Nojan’s wife. “Kara said you needed to speak with me?”
The oracle nodded. “It’s a rather urgent matter, I’m afraid. The female you picked up, Ally? She’s going to try to steal a lifeboat, and you need to let her.”
“I’m sorry?” Lyk assumed he’d misheard her.
“I think they’re called lifeboats,” Mayra said, scratching her head. “At least that’s what Abby calls them. They’re… like little shuttles… or emergency pods… I don’t know. The ones you have are able to be piloted. She’s going to try and grab one and take it to Dazimin.”
“And I’m supposed to let her do that?”
Mayra nodded. “Yes. If you don’t, you’re never going to end up with her.”
“End up?” Lyk had rarely been so confused.
Nojan chuckled. “My wife is fond of matchmaking. She thinks that you’re in love with this female.”
“He is,” Mayra and Kara said in unison.
Lyk closed his eyes and shook his head. Of course, his empath sister would know how he felt about Ally. And apparently, the oracle knew as well. At this rate, the only person who wouldn’t know would be Ally herself.
“So if I let her take off by herself to Dazimin, I’m going to somehow ‘end up’ with her?”
“I never said to let her take off alone. You have to find a way to go with her.”
His brow furrowed. “I have to figure out how to let Ally steal one of my shuttles and pretend not to know, but at the same time, I have to get onboard said stolen shuttle?”
“That’s right.” Mayra shrugged. “You’re a Vartik. It should be child’s play to you.”
Nojan laughed, putting his arm around his wife and pulling her close. “She might have a bias toward our kind.”
Kara laughed. “I hope not based on your example, brother,” she said, teasing Nojan.
Lyk wasn’t in the mood to laugh. “How in the seven known galaxies do you expect me to pull off what you just suggested? And if I do get on the lifeboat, then what?”
“Don’t worry. It will all work out.”
His jaw dropped. “Could you give me a hint about how it might work out?”
“Sorry, I can’t tell you that part or it could change the outcome. Just remember, she loves a Territh delicacy called whippy cream.”
“I’m sorry, whippy cream?”
Kara’s face filled the screen, her smile bright. “Looks like you’ve got your work cut out for you, brother. Good luck!”
The console went dead, and Lyk put his head down on his desk, wondering what the fuck just happened. He’d been back in contact with his family for less than an hour, and he’d already been advised to take part in a scheme too crazy to be real.
There was a knock at his office door. “Captain?”
Lyk sat up. Hitting a button on his desk made the door slide open. One of his security detail entered, approaching Lyk’s desk. “Captain, we’ve had a report of someone tampering with the shuttles in Bay 2. It’s the Territhian female.”
Lyk sighed, his head lolling back of its own accord. He wanted to groan at the absurdity of the moment. “Do nothing,” he said through gritted teeth.
“Captain?” his crewman asked, confused.
“Just leave her alone. She’s going to try to steal one of the shuttles, but don’t worry. I’ll bring her back.”
He looked out the viewport at the ribbons of color all around her. “She wouldn’t be stupid enough to try and launch in this wormhole, so we have some time. I want you to let all the other men know to give her a wide berth and let her take the shuttle. On my orders.”
The security crewman nodded and turned on his heel, leaving the office. Lyk stood, figuring he better let the bridge crew know what was about to happen. When he stepped back onto the bridge, he motioned to Celdrake to bring up the other ships on the viewscreen.
“Brothers,” Lyk said when he was finally addressing his four siblings, “I have news. I just finished speaking with Mayra, and the Great Oracle of Territh has informed me that the human female, Ally, will be attempting to steal a shuttle from me. I’m supposed to let her and somehow sneak myself on board.
If I do this, ‘it will all work out,’” he said the last part with air quotes.
“So when you see a shuttle launch from my ship, let it go. I’ll get it turned around and piloted toward Vartik as soon as I can.”
“She’s at it again,” Zelup said with a chuckle. “She did the same thing to me.”
“And me,” Calabez added. “She even told Penn to crash his ship into the surface of Dazimin to get his female back.”
“What happened?” Lyk asked.
“He got her back. When Mayra tells you do to something, you don’t hesitate.”
“Thanks for the advice.” Lyk saluted his brothers. “I’ll see you on Vartik.” He cut the feed, then explained what was happening to his bridge crew.
“You’ve got to be kidding me,” Celdrake said, rolling his eyes.
“What happened to heading to the Outer Rim to sell off what we took from Rigellus? We’re headed to some world that isn’t even supposed to exist, and you’re just going to take off on a shuttle with the female?
What kind of a pirate ship is this anymore? ”
Lyk didn’t have time for the cyborg’s drama. “I know things are changing quickly, and I’m going to need you to be patient.” He stepped up to the console and hit the comm channel so what he was about to say would be heard by everyone on board.
“Men, I’ve always valued your service. You’ve shown bravery in the face of danger, and you’ve been handsomely rewarded.
At the moment, we’ve become embroiled in something that none of us has ever faced before.
It will take time to figure out where we go from here, but I can guarantee you that, no matter what, I’m going to look out for you. ”
“We will be arriving at Vartik soon, and while there, I ask you to respectfully defer to my brothers, the leaders of this planet. They are just men, like me, like you, and they will treat you with respect. Until I can figure out where to go from here, I appreciate your patience.”
He clicked the channel off, then turned back to Celdrake. “You’ve always been my right-hand cyborg, and you’ve never let me down. I won’t let you down, either. Just trust me.”
Celdrake gave a begrudging nod. “I’ll make sure the men mind your brothers. Just don’t be gone too long.”
“I won’t.”
Lyk left the bridge, heading straight for Bay 2. His plan was simple. Find a way to sneak on the same shuttle Ally was trying to steal without her catching on.
And then “it will all work out,” as Mayra said, and Ally will realize that she belongs to me.
Even as he thought those words to reassure himself, Lyk couldn’t help but think of how ridiculous it all sounded. Why the need for this detour? How was spending a few minutes alone with Ally on the stolen shuttle going to do anything other than piss her off at being thwarted?
And why was she stealing the shuttle in the first place? Did she really think he would let her go haring off to Dazimin alone? Why did she insist on refusing his help?
His temper mounting, Lyk decided exactly how he was going to spend those few minutes on the shuttle with Ally.
I’m going to give her another spanking.