Venturers

by Bella Forrest

  “The Titans are bad news. If we go there, we have no way of knowing which way they’ll swing,” he warned.

  “I say we chance it,” I insisted. “As far as I can tell, we have two choices—the Fed or the Titans. Pick which one you think is less risky, and we’ll do it. We’re wasting time by standing around discussing it. Brisha will be expecting us back at some point soon, and it won’t be long before Orion checks in, so we need to have a place to go, and fast.”

  We went around in circles for a long while, discussing the merits of each idea without settling on one. All the while, we were venturing through the vastness of space, on no particular course. It seemed the ship was split in two halves, the coldbloods not wanting to do either option, while the humans were happy to do either one.

  I was just about to launch into another speech on the merits of the Titans when I noticed something blinking on the control screen. It was a white dot flickering a short distance behind the Vanquish.

  “Guys, what’s that?” I asked, pointing to it.

  “It looks like another ship,” Bashrik said, sitting down in the pilot’s seat, his hands flying across the screen to enlarge the image from a dot to an actual picture. Sure enough, there was a ship tailing us, getting closer and closer. Thanks to our heated debate, we’d missed it approaching.

  Lauren frowned. “Is it following us?”

  “It has to be,” Navan replied. “It’s very rare to see a ship so far from a planet, especially out here. This person has to be intentionally trailing us.”

  “There are four planets near the outpost, though, right?” Angie prompted, her tone fearful.

  “Close proximity is a matter of perspective. ‘Nearby’ planets can be hours away,” Navan explained. “Can we get away from it?”

  An image of Mauve popped into my mind, and a cold sweat glazed my skin. Surely, she hadn’t managed to steal a ship so quickly?

  Bashrik grimaced. “I’m trying, but its weapons have locked on to us!”

  The other ship opened fire. With Bashrik’s help, the Vanquish dodged the missiles hurtling our way, but it turned violently, sending the rest of us flying against the wall of the cockpit.

  “Get to the pods!” I yelled, regaining my balance and gesturing to my friends. Navan took up the position of copilot as Angie and Lauren sprinted out of the cockpit, heading for the firing pods. I took up a seat beside the main control panel, manning the cannons. This time, I knew exactly what to do, my aim focused, my blasts firing at the ship behind us.

  “It might be pirates, trying to commandeer our ship!” Bashrik shouted above the noise of the roaring cannons.

  Or it might be Mauve.

  With our comms still down, we had no way of communicating with the other ship, to hail them and tell them to stop. However, the incoming transmission was still working, and somebody was trying to send us a message. As the screens came down and the speakers crackled with white noise, an image appeared.

  Orion stared back at us, and he was furious.

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  You thought you could run from me?” Orion barked, his voice bellowing through the loudspeakers.

  I looked at Navan, my heart pounding. “Can you patch the spacesuit comms through to the main network?” I asked, knowing Orion would only get angrier if we didn’t respond.

  “I should be able to, since we only need short-range communications,” he replied, darting out into the main space to pick up the discarded spacesuits. He lay one flat on the control panel desk and began to work on the comms device embedded inside the suit.

  Orion was growing steadily more impatient. “You think you can hide from me, and I won’t know what you’re up to? I know that Pandora did not return to Vysanthe with this ship. You have strayed from the course we plotted. What have you done with her? I demand an answer!” His eyes narrowed with rage.

  “How are you getting along there, Inspector Gadget?” Angie asked.

  “I need a few more minutes,” Navan murmured, typing something into the comms device.

  Orion’s nostrils flared. “If you fail to respond to my transmission, I will be forced to blow your ship out of the sky!”

  “Almost there,” Navan said, fixing a wire into place.

  “We’ve got signal,” Bashrik confirmed.

  “Apologies for the delay, Orion. We’ve been having problems with our communication channels,” Navan stated, the sound of his voice causing the line of audio to spike and trough on the comms panel.

  Orion’s face was still on the screen, though I knew he couldn’t see us in return, with our visuals knocked out. If he could, he’d be way angrier.

  “Where is Pandora?” Orion demanded.

  “How do you know she isn’t on board?” Navan replied. “You can’t see us.”

  He scowled. “I implanted a tracker to ensure I knew of her whereabouts at all times.”

  “Stalker,” Angie coughed under her breath, a tiny spike appearing on the audio.

  “What did you say?” Orion boomed, his eyes flashing with rage.

  “We asked why you were stalking her like that—why keep tabs on her?” Navan covered quickly, flashing a warning look at Angie.

  Orion stared coldly into the screen. “In case you tried anything. She contacted me, suggesting that you might, which made us both glad we’d decided to implant a chip,” he said sourly. “When she didn’t leave Zai within the allotted timeframe, and didn’t make our rendezvous, I knew something had happened to her. If she is with you, you have done something to her tracker. By my calculations, it is still on Zai, but the Vanquish is here. Tell me, how that can be?” His tone dripped with sarcasm.

  “You’ve got us there, Orion,” Navan replied. “Do you think we left her on Zai?”

  “Just tell me what happened to her!” Orion yelled. His fist slammed down on the side of his chair, the corner of his mouth twitching, tugging at the scar that ran down the side of his face.

  I could see he hoped she was still alive and that we had simply abandoned her on the Draconian planet, to brave the elements or imprisonment. It brought back the horrifying memory of my hands drawing the knife across Pandora’s neck, the blood bubbling out before her body turned to ash beneath me. I still couldn’t believe I’d done something like that, but I’d come to terms with my role in her death. It was part of me now.

  However, I felt no sympathy whatsoever for Orion, not after what he did to Galo. He didn’t deserve to be put out of his misery. If he wanted to know what had happened to Pandora, he’d have to beg.

  “What if we left her in the hands of her enemies, and let them decide her fate?” I chimed in.

  An icy smirk passed across Orion’s thin lips. “Ah, Riley. It’s good to hear your voice again. Honestly, I never thought you’d make it this far.” He chuckled bitterly, though I could tell his mind was distracted. He didn’t care about taunting me, not while news of his lover remained elusive.

  “Well, I did. The question is, did your lover make it this far?” I snapped back.

  His face morphed into a mask of anger. “Tell me what happened to Pandora, or you will feel the full fury of my wrath!” he practically screamed through the speakers, the feedback ringing in our ears.

  “You think you deserve to know what happened to her, after everything you’ve done?” I screamed back, feeling the rage bubble inside me. Navan put his arm out to calm me, his hand closing around my wrist.

  “What happened, Riley?!” Orion bellowed, but I’d had enough.

  “You want to know what happened to her, Orion? We did to her what you have done to countless others! All we did was even the score,” I snapped.

  Orion’s expression flickered with doubt. “You wouldn’t. You’re all spineless cowards! I’m guessing you left her to rot in some Draconian prison. Well, no matter. I will burn down that entire planet if I have to, in order to free her,” he snarled. It was the final straw, triggering something ugly inside me.

  “There would be no point, Orion. Y
ou wouldn’t find her; you’d only find what was left of her,” I spat. “I held the knife that killed her. I drew the blade across her throat with my own hands. She doubted me, just like you, but she didn’t get the last laugh. I watched her take her last breath, and do you know what, Orion? She didn’t call for you. I doubt she even thought of you, in that last second.”

  I knew I’d gone too far, but the words had spewed out of my mouth like a waterfall, impossible to hold back. Orion’s face shifted through a wide range of emotions, moving so rapidly it would’ve been comical in any other situation. Right now, however, it was terrifying, and I knew I was responsible. He looked crushed, tears glittering in his eyes, before his face became scarlet with pure fury. I’d said too much. I’d allowed my feelings to get the better of me, and we were going to suffer for it.

  The screen went black.

  “They’re charging their engines!” Bashrik cried, swinging the ship around. Through the windshield, we could see the sleek outline of Orion’s vessel, the structure of it somewhere between the Asterope we’d flown on with Navan’s uncle, Lazar, and the Vanquish.

  Navan steered alongside Bashrik. “What do you mean?”

  “They’re overheating the core—they’re preparing to charge! As soon as they collide with us, our ship will explode!” Bashrik said, his voice tight with fear.

  “Can we outrun them?” Lauren asked, her eyes fixed on the sight of the ship ahead.

  “They’ve got the deep-space tech. They’re faster than we are; we’d never get far enough. There’s nowhere we could hide where they wouldn’t find us,” Bashrik said, his fingers sprinting across the control panel, charging all the cannons as he put the ship into military autopilot.

  “What, so we’re fighting back?” Angie gasped.

  I realized it wasn’t just me who was suffering from a case of emotional impulsivity. Orion was so maddened by what he’d heard that he was ready to sacrifice himself, and whoever else was on board, in order to kill us. He really must’ve loved Pandora, though I still found it impossible to feel even a scrap of sympathy. How many loved ones had he killed in the name of his rebellion? An eye for an eye made the whole world blind, but I was seeing clearly for the first time. Orion deserved everything that was coming to him.

  “Let’s see if we can get to that asteroid belt over there. We could hide behind a big one,” Bashrik said, turning the ship back around. It was a risk. If we could hide, they could hide, too.

  Forcing the engines up to maximum, the ship’s structure rattling, we hurtled toward the asteroid belt, holding on to the walls as the ground vibrated. Orion’s ship tore after us, gaining with every second.

  “We’re not gonna make it!” Angie cried, gripping Bashrik’s shoulders. Keeping one hand on the control panel, he raised his other to touch Angie’s.

  “I’ll get us there,” he promised, keeping his gaze focused on the sanctuary ahead.

  He pushed the engines harder, but they fought back. On the panel in front of him, I could see warning signs flashing up, advising him against pushing the engines any further. They were already close to breaking point, and without the deep-space tech the rebels had, we couldn’t go any faster. On the navigation monitor, I saw Orion’s ship almost right on us. It would nudge us at any moment, testing the waters, before smashing into us completely.

  “They’re going to hit us!” I yelled. The flashing white light that signaled their collision course was so close that I steeled myself for the brutal impact.

  And then, their flashing beacon swerved away. Another white light had entered the fray, coming from the right-hand side of the screen. We’d been so distracted by Orion’s ship tailing us that we hadn’t even seen the other ship approach. Bashrik turned the ship around so we could see what was happening through the windshield.

  There, firing at Orion’s ship, was a Fed vessel—the kind of Fed ship I’d seen before, on Earth. In fact, it was very similar to the one I’d flown myself, only this one had some pretty impressive guns on board and was definitely larger than the one I’d been in charge of. It had shot Orion out of our path and continued to fire on him.

  “The lycans!” I cried.

  “The lycans?” Navan asked, pulling a face.

  I grinned. “They’ve come from Earth to rescue us!”

  Never had I been happier at the prospect of seeing those wolfish creatures again. I just hoped they’d forgive me for what happened to Galo. It wasn’t me who had pulled the proverbial trigger, but I was the one who’d gotten him into that mess—I was the one who’d walked him into a trap, to save Navan, resulting in his capture. He had been kind to me when nobody else was, and I would always carry his ghost with me.

  The Fed ship pelted Orion with blasts of pure energy, focusing on his guns until his weapons were rendered useless. Smoke plumed from the cannons as sparks flew, the vacuum of space making them fizzle out almost instantly. It wouldn’t be long until the engines overheated, and the blast cannons hit something really important. Orion had the superior speed, but his ship didn’t have the superior guns.

  As if coming to his senses, Orion stopped firing back and lowered his guns. He sped off across the darkness of space, the smooth body of the ship glinting like a shooting star as it blinked out of view. I hated that he’d ruined those for me. What I hated even more was the fact that he was probably headed for Earth. With Pandora dead, and his quest for the missing elixir ingredient cut short, where else would he go? As far as he and all other coldbloods knew, Zai was still rife with the coldblood plague, so he couldn’t go there and get it himself. He needed to regroup, though I knew it wouldn’t be the last we heard from him.

  Panic flooded my veins at the thought of him returning to my home planet, especially after what he’d threatened to do there, to the people I loved. Even though that menace loomed over me like a guillotine, I had one fragile hope. After what I’d done, there was no way Orion would hurt my family without an audience. He would want me to watch, and in doing so, his pride would give me a window of opportunity. He would want me to be there, in the room, as he executed them. I still have time to save them, I told myself, over and over.

  Besides, the Fed were here now. If they were here to rescue us, it meant I could ask for a favor. Before they returned to Earth, I’d beg them to watch over my family and the families of my friends. That was, if they’d help us, after everything we were doing to stop the rebels. I mean, we were essentially doing their job for them.

  The speakers crackled, distracting me from my worries.

  “Permission to board?” The voice sounded strangely familiar. Through the distortion of the speakers, it was hard to pinpoint, but I knew I’d heard it before. From the expressions on the others’ faces, I knew I wasn’t alone in my sense of déjà vu.

  “Airlock to airlock?” Bashrik suggested.

  “Is there any other way?” the voice replied, before the line went dead.

  Bashrik frowned. “Who does this guy think he is?” he muttered, mimicking the other person’s voice as he repeated the words, “‘Is there any other way?’”

  Bashrik navigated the Vanquish around until it connected with the umbilical of the Fed ship. With a thud that knocked us sideways, the two ships connected, allowing the captain of the Fed ship to come through. With a murmur of excitement, we all hurried out of the cockpit and headed through the ship, until we reached the airlock doors. I wanted to see who they’d sent, hoping it would be one of the friendlier lycans.

  What I had not expected, however, was the man who stepped through the interior door.

  There, standing in the corridor with a broad grin on his face, was Ronad.

  Chapter Thirty

  Ronad!” Navan rushed up to his best friend and adopted brother, throwing his arms around him. Bashrik followed close behind. The three of them embraced, patting one another on the back, the anxious atmosphere dissipating in an instant.

  “What in Rask’s name are you doing here?” Bashrik asked.

  “C
learly, your manners have gone out the window,” Ronad teased, running a hand through his glossy brown hair. “You’re not going to offer your dear friend a drink before getting down to business?”

  Navan grinned. “Anything for you, sweet cheeks.”

  I arched an eyebrow. “Sweet cheeks? Should I be jealous?” I joked, a smile tugging at the corners of my lips. I was still worried about my family, but if anyone had heard anything about them, it would be Ronad.

  Ronad laughed. “Good to see you again, Riley,” he said, scooping me into a tight hug.

  “Anything I should be jealous about?” Navan teased, as Ronad released me.

  “Wow, the Texan sun has really been agreeing with you! Wouldn’t you say, ladies?” Angie whistled, taking in the sun-kissed glow of the newly warm-blooded Ronad.

  Bashrik frowned at the comment. I almost thought he was going to ask if there was anything he needed to be jealous about, but he held his tongue.

  “I’m not sure he looks much different than when we left him,” Lauren said shyly.

  “Thank you kindly—not that I’ve had the chance to spend much time in the sun!” Ronad lamented, before hugging Angie.

  Next, he pulled Lauren in for a tight squeeze, his youthful face beaming with happiness. After all, he was reunited with his family—something he’d probably never envisioned, considering he’d planned to stay Earthbound for the foreseeable future. Had it not been for us, bursting into their lives and ruining everything, he’d probably still be there, integrating into his new, human life. Still, he didn’t seem to hold a grudge. In fact, he was in pretty good spirits, considering he’d just chased Orion’s ship away and put himself in untold danger to rescue us.

  We walked him to the officer’s mess on the first floor, which we’d never used, as Pandora had kept it off limits, and gathered around one of the tables. Navan fetched vials for the three coldbloods, even though Ronad technically wasn’t one now, while Bashrik brought over three cups of water for us humans.