The Duke of New York_A Contemporary Bad Boy Royal Romance

by Lisa Lace

  Bethany stopped only when someone grabbed her middle and pulled her roughly away.

  “Don’t you touch her!”

  The hands let go of her and she felt herself enfolded in Klowix’s arms. “What have you done?” He turned her hands gently so that he could see them.

  “Bought us time.”

  Klowix yelled to one of the guards. “We need the medical kit here!” And when Klowix yelled, people ran; this was certainly no exception. Klowix lowered her to the floor and held her wrists, keeping her palms from touching anything else in the grimy engine room.

  Bethany recognized the device that had been used to heal her before and eagerly held her hands out. There was a flash of heat, and the pain dissipated. When Klowix released her wrists, she saw that the skin was smooth and unharmed.

  “Commander, what is the meaning of this!” Tolo looked like he couldn’t decide whether to be furious or impressed.

  “Come. Let’s get Bethany lying down, and I will explain.”

  Even though these soldiers were their captors, a lifetime of habits was hard to break, and they followed Klowix’s orders. Getting them to disobey a direct order from the king, though, that would be a little more difficult.

  Bethany lay down on the bunk, even though she was still too full of adrenaline to be tired. Klowix pulled up a chair and gestured for the other soldiers to sit down. She expected a whole moving speech that would in the end convince them to let her and Klowix go. There was no speech. He gave them only four simple words.

  “Bethany is my secrena.”

  The silence was so complete that Bethany thought she could have heard a pin drop.

  “But… but does the king know this?” Tolo stammered.

  “I suspect he does. Even if he doesn’t, I doubt telling him would change anything.”

  “It would have to. You can’t separate a citizen from his secrena; it’s one of our highest laws. Even the king wouldn’t dare.”

  Klowix snapped at him now and seemed to become bigger as the men around him diminished. “Tolo, use your head. Is the king acting rationally right now? Look at his actions and evaluate them. Come to a conclusion, like I have taught you.”

  Tolo looked uncomfortable. “Commander, I have done as you taught me and arrived at the same conclusions you have, but disobeying the king…”

  “You are afraid of throwing our planet into civil war. You should be; civil war is never an acceptable consequence. Look at the facts, though. The king has thrown us into civil war himself. What you do here won’t change that. There are already portions of the army working against him, for the people. You must know this.”

  Tolo didn’t say anything, and didn’t meet Klowix’s gaze. Klowix didn’t press his case. He simply observed Tolo like he was observing a pupil trying to learn a difficult lesson.

  “What would you have us do?”

  Klowix looked at him. “If you need to ask me, then you are no Commander. You are a good leader, Tolo. In my absence, you will be called upon to lead either the troops of the king, or the free people. You will choose which. You cannot ask me what to do. Tell me what you are going to do.”

  Their gazes met with an intensity that Bethany thought might draw sparks. Finally, Tolo straightened.

  “Stop our course to Telion. Get some men to escort Commander Klowix and his secrena back to their ship. Radio silence and shields at full. We want to intercept any others who come this way.”

  Klowix smiled and clapped Tolo on the back. “I always believed in you, soldier.”

  Tolo’s eyes shone with pride as men around him followed his orders. They seemed just as relieved as Bethany was. She realized that Klowix hadn’t wanted the warp engine disabled to give him more time to convince the men. He’d wanted it so that they were still a good distance from Telion when they were released.

  If Bethany had been seconds later with the regulator, they would be in Telion’s perimeter by now, surrounded by more men than Klowix could hope to turn to his side.

  “I don’t know where you’re going, Commander, but I hope you find peace there. There won’t be peace here for a long time. We’ll watch for any more ships and stop them when we can. You can take our field deviator; we don’t really need it. We can make our own way back to Telion.”

  “Thank you, Tolo. I wish you the best of luck.”

  Bethany could hardly believe that they were being let go. She never should have doubted Klowix. He ushered her ahead of him, apparently eager to get out of the area as soon as possible. She shared the sentiment.

  One of the men rushed up with yet another metal piece of equipment. Bethany couldn’t tell the difference between any of them, but Klowix held it to his chest like it was as precious as diamonds.

  “What’s that?”

  “A field deviator. When the king shuts down travel around Telion, he needs his own ships to be able to enter hyperspace, or suffer the same disadvantage as everyone else. This allows the ship it is connected to deviate from the field and enter warp. We’ll set a course from here to a distant planet, and go from there to our destination.”

  Though Klowix didn’t say so, Bethany got the impression that if they went directly from here to where they were going, it would be possible to track them. These men were clearly loyal to him, but he wasn’t taking any chances. Tolo clearly approved of the decision. “I hope to see you again, Commander.”

  “Oh, you will. You may not see me, but you will see what I bring. I have a price on my head; coming back here would only derail the efforts towards freedom. That’s not to say I will give up, though. It may take some time, but when I can, I will send help. I still have a lot of useful connections. The king may think he can enforce tyranny, but all he will do is bring back the times of war.”

  “If it’s war he wants, I intend to see that he does not live to see the end of it.”

  Tolo saluted to Klowix and nodded to Bethany. “You have a smart secrena; I can see why you love her. You’ve taught her well.”

  Klowix squeezed Bethany’s shoulder. “Good luck, Commander. It’s on you now.”

  All the men saluted before turning sharply and going back through the small metal tube. As soon as everyone was clear, Klowix pulled Bethany into the airlock and detached their ship.

  “Come, it will take some time to install the field deviator. I’ll need your help if we’re to do it as quickly as we can. Once we enter hyperspace, no one can stop us, but if someone else finds us before we can get it working…”

  Bethany finished for him. “We’re in trouble.” She would not like to see the soldiers who sided with Klowix die defending him from their comrades, not when they didn’t have to.

  She quickly followed him, dialing Culip’s number as she went.

  Chapter Nineteen

  “Klowix, look – there’s another planet on the sensor. Maybe this is the one.”

  Klowix was noncommittal. “Maybe.”

  Bethany thought they must have found over twenty planets since they’d left known space and ventured into the unknown. None of them had been even remotely suitable for human life.

  Some were mere gas and had no solid ground. Others had no atmosphere. Others were too close to the sun, or too far from it. Others were filled with toxic gases. It was beginning to feel like they’d never find a planet, as though they’d spend the rest of their lives on the ship, always searching.

  Klowix set the search parameters as usual. He and Bethany both knew the routine by heart at this point. The initial checks began running; the others would have to wait until they were closer, but there wouldn’t be any need to go any closer if the initial checks failed.

  Klowix sounded surprised suddenly. “Initial checks passed. The planet is solid, has an atmosphere, and the correct distance from the sun.”

  Bethany’s hope flared to life. Maybe this would be the one. Of all the planets they’d found, only five had passed the initial checks.

  “How long until we can run the advanced evaluations?”
/>   “If we go back to hyperspace and come out closer to the planet, probably an hour.”

  “Great, let’s do it!”

  Klowix waited until she was strapped in before prepping the warp drive, but that was more habit than necessity. His promise had been true: they’d been travelling for months, and Bethany was now a pilot. She wasn’t as good as him, but she could command the ship as well as any soldier; he’d said so himself.

  The hour dragged by. Bethany tried not to get her hopes up. It would probably just end the same way it ended every time, with the discovery that they couldn’t possibly survive on the planet and setting off again. Still, it was hard not to become excited.

  When they came out of hyperspace, Bethany could see the planet in the distance. It looked like it had a bluish tint to it. Blue could mean water, but of course, it could mean any number of other things as well.

  She deftly pressed in the correct combinations, and the checks began running.

  Her eyebrows went up with every line of results that came back. “There is sufficient oxygen, no gasses poisonous to us in the air, water – plant life! There’s plant life, Klowix!”

  He stared at the screen to see for himself. “If there’s life there…”

  “That means that the planet can support life!”

  This was the best result they’d gotten so far.

  “We’ll need to go down and check. There could be any number of factors on the planet’s surface that make it unsuitable.”

  His caution wasn’t enough to bridle Bethany’s optimism. She’d grown up in wide-open spaces. She hated living on a spaceship. Even a dangerous planet would be better than this.

  Klowix smiled at her. “Maybe you’re right. Maybe this is the one.”

  He helped Bethany maneuver herself into the bulky suit that would protect against the elements down on the planet. The small pod took them down, shuddering through the atmosphere. Bethany stared eagerly out the window as Klowix expertly guided them down. He aimed for a flat piece of land, and they came to rest smoothly.

  Bethany unstrapped herself and made for the door, but Klowix held her back. “Wait. It is customary to name an unexplored planet before setting foot on it.”

  “What are we going to name it, then?”

  “I was thinking of giving you the honor.”

  Bethany thought for a moment, and it came to her. “Secrena. It’ll be called Secrena.”

  She could just see Klowix’s smile through the clear part of his face mask. “Secrena it is, then.”

  The door made a faint hissing sound as it opened. Bethany peered eagerly around Klowix’s shoulder. It was bright – brighter than Telion or earth. She squinted slightly until her eyes adjusted. Klowix stepped out carefully, turning this way and that, watching for any threat.

  He looked at the meter on his wrist. “Micro gas levels coming in now. Fifty percent oxygen, some nitrogen, some argon – this looks good. It’s a much higher oxygen concentration than we’re used to, so we’ll have to go slow with it. Set your meter to increase the oxygen levels by two percent every hour.”

  Bethany did as he said, showing him what she’d done just to check that it was correct.

  “Good. We should be able to take off these masks tomorrow, if we haven’t found anything to chase us away by then. For now, let’s see what else this planet has to offer.”

  Klowix pressed some controls on the pod, turning it into a land rover. The two of them climbed in, and Klowix set off. They went slowly, letting the various antennae record their measurements. The soil was rich and there were many towering trees and lush vegetation.

  Klowix took them to the edge of what looked like a forest and they travelled alongside it for a while. The rover wouldn’t go in there; there were too many trees. They’d have to go on foot. They found a stream and tested the water. Klowix had the rover’s arm pick various fruits and nuts from trees to test them for edibility.

  Bethany jumped the first time they saw an animal. It was small and dark brown, with bright eyes and sharp little teeth. At a command from Klowix, the arm of the rover snapped out and pierced it through the neck, killing it instantly.

  “Klowix! It was just a cute little fuzzy animal.”

  Klowix remained calm. “If we’re to survive here, we’ll need to eat meat as well as fruit and nuts. We need to test the animals here to see if they’re suitable. We’ll also need to screen them for any diseases that could pass on to us.”

  Bethany nodded, but averted her eyes from the sad, floppy sight.

  “You’ll need to get used to this. We’re all alone out here. If we’re going to eat, we’ll need to hunt, skin, and gut animals ourselves.”

  Bethany thought she would be sick inside her mask. She’d never exactly thought that far ahead. She glanced up at the trees around them. “Maybe I’ll start a career in picking fruit.”

  Klowix shrugged. “If you prefer. We can work out specifics later. I did tell you this was going to be hard.”

  “You did.” Bethany took a deep breath. “I understand. Is the animal edible?”

  Klowix looked at the screen that was running a diagnostic. “No, this would make us sick if we ate it.”

  Bethany’s heart sank. What if this planet wasn’t suitable after all? She didn’t think she could bear going back to the ship for months on end, not now that she’d gotten another taste of being outside, being free.

  The ride went on and on. They found many more animals, plants, and water sources, and Klowix tested them all. To Bethany’s relief, they did find some animals they could eat. By the time the sun started setting, though they’d certainly found possible dangers they’d need to look out for, all indications were that if they were careful and smart, this planet may just work.

  Bethany watched as Klowix deployed the drones to search the planet for other intelligent life and anything else that may be relevant to them. She helped him set up the various climate monitoring equipment pieces.

  “Can we stay here tonight?” Bethany sounded hopeful.

  “We should go back to the ship.”

  “I thought the rover could convert to a secure shelter.”

  “Yes, but not as secure as the ship. There may be large predators that come out at night. We can return tomorrow.”

  She reluctantly acquiesced, giving the planet one last hopeful glance before she stepped into the pod that the rover had shifted back into.

  Klowix adjusted the oxygen on the ship before they took off their masks. Tomorrow, they’d be able to go without them.

  Bethany barely slept that night, and the next day, she had to force herself to eat before setting off. Klowix had them put on different suits – these ones weren’t mean to protect against possible violent or chemical forces, but were simply sturdy, providing protection and support.

  “If all is well, we’ll go into the forest today.”

  Bethany crossed her fingers, glad to be using less bulky suits. They spent a good hour on the ground analyzing the results from last night. The footage from the drones did indeed show large predators that came out at night, but after analyzing it, Klowix said that they wouldn’t be a problem, as long as he and Bethany built a secure shelter and were back before dark.

  There was a steady breeze blowing – Bethany could feel it against her skin, now that she wasn’t fully sheathed in a suit. It was warmer than she was used to here, but the breeze helped bring the temperature down.

  In the forest, vines were hanging down from the tall trees, and the ground was soft and spongy. Bethany saw a variety of flying bugs around. Klowix used a fine net gun to capture them, testing and recording each and every one.

  So far, only one was venomous; a bright blue butterfly that Bethany had wanted to let land on her hand. Klowix said that touching it shouldn’t hurt her, as the venom came through its saliva, but he didn’t want her risking it.

  It was exhausting, making their way through the thick forest, but Bethany’s hope kept her on her feet. There still wasn’t any i
ndication they couldn’t stay here. Even Klowix was beginning to look hopeful.

  As the days went by, more and more data came back from their equipment. It seemed that they were on the warmer side of the planet. Farther west, the winters would be harsh. Klowix said that they may want to move a little further up, since in the height of summer, the calculations showed that the area they were currently in would become swampy, with a possibility of diseases.

  He calculated that they could still stay in the milder climate while avoiding possible disease by adjusting their position just a bit. They monitored for seismic activity, wind and ocean patterns, changes in weather – everything seemed fine. Not perfect, but fine. As long as the results kept coming in as they were, Bethany and Klowix would have to be careful around certain things, but they could do it.

  Klowix began launching satellites into space around the planet Secrena, finding out more about the surrounding solar system. Bethany was constantly amazed by the advanced technology they had with them, and how it managed to get all of the data they needed. Klowix explained that Evions had been settling planets for some time, and had perfected the art long ago.

  It took weeks, but finally, Klowix declared Secrena fit to habitation. Bethany leapt into the air and threw her arms around him, kissing him fiercely. Klowix laughed and kissed her back, his face shining like she was sure hers was.

  They brought the ship down to the surface and began the hard work of building a home. They moved a little further west, and found a spot sheltered by a small mountain. Klowix said they’d need a sheltered spot, since the wind would get pretty brutal later in the season, but he didn’t want to go into the forest, as there were too many dangers there.

  Their new home was built under a small cove in the rock. There was fertile ground between them and the forest – they’d have to build fences to keep scavengers away from their crops. They quickly explored the nearby forest, identifying the trees and bushes with edible and medicinal fruits, roots, and leaves.