Jo wanted nothing more than to keep going to Hera Station and get this entire screwed up contract and its fallout behind her, but under the advice of her pilot, she took a few minutes to visit engineering. All three members of her engineering department were scurrying about replacing what they could and patching the seemingly endless non-crucial, but still significant, complications when they arose. All the while, reinforcing the critical systems that kept the Kismet from becoming a large drifting coffin. They were indeed in desperate need of an overhaul of repairs.
A colossal yet sleek shuttle caught Jo’s attention as it launched from the nose of the terminal. It paused for only a second to adjust its thrusters before dipping into the outer atmosphere of Lycus. A bright, hot trail flashed for a moment before the ship was out of eye-range. Jo twisted her lip as she stared at the smoke trail left in the atmosphere; she would have to leave the Kismet in the repair hangar and take a shuttle like that one down to the surface.
The idea made her extremely uncomfortable.
It wasn’t that she couldn’t trust her crew to defend the ship, but she didn’t know if the terminal was under control of one of the two warring syndicates on Lycus. Jo worried that someone would find a reason, whether through the proper channels or by force, to board her vessel and discover Rana. Jo couldn’t lock her up for the entire excursion—no matter how much the idea appealed to her practical side.
Jo would have to take Rana with her. The woman needed necessities such as clothing and hygienics, but her most pressing need was a bionic nanowrench so she could perform minor adjustments to her ocular implants. On approach, Jo had Sky scan every channel over the CyNet for word of Rana’s disappearance without uncovering so much as a rumor. It was as safe as it would ever be to have her venture out. The only issue was standing next to the bridge door, talking with a fresh-faced Haedus.
What was she going to do with Raiden? Jo didn’t feel comfortable leaving him on the ship, even if he were locked in his room. With the way he’d been parading around like her vigilant guardian, Raiden would put up a fight if she tried to leave him behind.
Raiden hadn’t left her side since she retrieved him from his room; even when Jo offered to walk him back for a few hours rest before they arrived at Puer Station, he refused. His presences loomed always in her periphery, and Jo began to twitch at the constant feel of his eyes on her. Jo wondered, not for the first time, why he was so intense when it came to her. Was it because he was ordered to spy on her or something else entirely?
Jo didn’t know which answer she wanted it to be.
“CS Kismet, this is Puer Terminal control. You are green to dock with hangar bay E37,” a gruff male voice barked over the comm.
“Aye, Puer Terminal,” Jo replied, with just as much enthusiasm. She was ready for a bath instead of a steam shower and at least a rotation’s worth of sleep, but there were more pressing matters than her own physical needs.
Jo opened a ship-wide comm. “We are docking now at the repair station. Make sure you submit all department requests before I disembark the ship. For those staying behind, I have requested from terminal authorities to reserve the closest req-room for those who are not on duty. Be responsible while off-ship, since you are the Kismet’s only defense while both Sky and myself are on the surface. Otherwise, please try to find time to relax.” She paused as the muffled sounds of cheers echoed through the ventilation system. “Those who will go to the surface, meet me in the hangar.”
“Don’t worry about the Kismet, we will take care of her,” Haedus slapped Jo on the back as she stood. His large hand gripped her shoulder and pulled her in for a side hug. Jo smiled at his awkward attempt to show affection. He had been more attentive since her father’s passing, and in a small way it helped with the hollow ache of his absence. When she caught Raiden staring at her lips with a smile of his own, Jo pulled away from Haedus.
“I’m not worried about the Kismet,” Jo coolly lied. “I’m more concerned with the trouble we may find on-world.”
“Speaking of trouble, Captain,” Haedus straightened his posture and gripped his hands together behind his back.
Jo narrowed her eyes at her XO. “What about it?”
“I think it would be best if you had Sky take care of that difficult task and let Raiden accompany you while on the surface,” he answered. His wide eyes were pleading with her to understand.
“Raiden is to stay on board the Kismet,” Jo replied, her tone flat.
“Captain,” Haedus sighed. “I’ve read the CyNet feeds about the criminal activity on this moon and it’s almost the exact same pattern your father and I saw when the Drachen began their campaign on Typhon. The GCM have tried to snuff it out multiple times, but they keep coming back. Settlements in turmoil are dangerous places to be. It would ease this old man’s heart to know you had someone looking out for you.”
“You trust that Raiden will keep me safe?” Jo meant it as a bland, doubt filled statement, but her voice ascended into soft shrill, betraying her innermost thoughts.
“I do,” Haedus grunted as he sized Raiden up, who to his credit, didn’t flinch under the hard gaze. “We may not know his endgame, but I believe he wouldn’t want to see you hurt or dead, and for now, that is all that matters to me.”
Jo thought about his words. She believed that Raiden had some emotional connection with her, and if she was honest with herself she felt it in return, but trusting emotions alone could get her killed. She was just about to argue with Haedus when Raiden stepped forward.
“If I am with you, you will know my every move.”
Jo stared at Raiden. She felt as if he were playing her, but was seduced by his statement anyway. Having him with her would ease one worry that was eating at her subconscious.
“All right,” Jo reluctantly agreed. “Haedus, will you contact Sky and inform her of the change of plans?”
“Aye, Captain.”
Jo turned to Raiden, who had the wisdom to keep his face neutral, though Jo could see the mirth in his eyes. “Enjoy this small victory, Raiden. It will probably be your last,” Jo grumbled as she passed him.
“Aye, Captain,” he answered while falling in line behind her.
Twenty
Jo stepped out of the shuttle and blinked at the brightness of the aqua sky shining through the wall of windows across from the hangar. She swiped at her eyes as they filled with water. It had been at least a sun cycle since the last time she stood on a planet, and like the last time, Jo didn’t see the appeal.
She’d rather have her recycled air and artificial gravity on the Kismet.
Outside the hangar, streams of bodies flowed down the corridors in massive clumps of flesh, pressing and pushing each other as they fought to gain ground. Jo curled her lip. She didn’t enjoy being touched by strangers unless she invited it. She tilted forward on the tips of her boots and studied the layout of the terminal. Luckily, this shuttle landed in the hangar closest to the exit, and they wouldn’t have to fight the tide of humanity when leaving.
Raiden loomed like a sentinel behind her as she gathered the crew around her. “You have your lists. Get the lowest price. We may have the credits now to waste, but we don’t know when our next haul will be. Let’s be smart. Comm me if you have trouble or if you have any questions. Remember that the Kismet will be docked here once repairs are complete. If you will not be able return to the ship at second sunset in two rotations, comm me and hope your excuse will be worth my wrath. Forgetting where the ship is docked will not be a legitimate excuse.” Jo eyed an embarrassed Elek.
A chorus of chuckles bounced throughout the group. Jo narrowed her eyes and crossed her arms. “I’m serious. Let’s not forget the behemoth behind me is still on board and needs to return to his superiors.”
Jo smiled as their gazes shifted uncomfortably to the man behind her. She felt Raiden fidget under their scrutiny, and Jo snickered at his unease.
“Captain, I thought he was staying with Sky?” Ashe shifted his worried
gaze to Jo. His concern soothed Jo’s over-stretched mind. Even though she knew the crew loved her as she loved them, it was nice to have a reminder every so often of their affection.
“Sky has her own mission to tend to. Plus, Haedus seems to think that Lieutenant Raiden here would be a decent body guard.”
Awareness widened Ashe’s eyes before he shifted them down to the ground and nodded his understanding. Jo waved her hand in dismissal as a message from Sky chimed on her UAB. Her crew dispersed as she read the message. Sky and Rana would be landing with the next shuttle. It was time to get Raiden as far away from Rana as she could manage.
“Let’s move,” Jo barked before moving closer to the moving wall of bodies. Before she could step into an opening, Raiden wrapped his hand around her arm. Jo stared at his fingers for a second before following his arm up to meet his eyes with a glare.
“Let me go in first. You can walk behind me and reduce the risk of getting trampled,” he suggested before letting go of her arm.
“Do you know where we’re going?” Jo bit out. The calm she had gleaned from her conversation with Ashe melted away. Jo was running on little rest, and she couldn’t remember the last time she ate something more than a protein bar.
The first stop would be a diner, preferably one with greasy meat on the menu. Then they’d find accommodations so she could rest.
“No, but I can guess that whatever you need is outside of the terminal.” Raiden smirked. Jo resisted the urge to playfully roll her eyes at him. It was a good quip. One she probably would have made if the roles had been reversed, but she didn’t want him knowing he amused her. Oh, the things it would do to his ego. “And I assume you want me far away from Sky and whatever covert mission you have her on.”
Jo stilled at his remark. It sounded casual, but she could see the calculating glint in his eyes. Raiden was clever, and Jo never pretended otherwise.
Still, she questioned how much he gathered from watching her and the crew. Rana hadn’t left her quarters since Raiden boarded the Kismet, and Jo never spoke of her around him. Unless the crew talked. Jo shook her head, unconcerned with the way Raiden’s eyebrow lifted in an unspoken question. They were loyal to her and wouldn’t risk her or the Kismet. No matter how much they seemed to like the lieutenant.
“You’re smarter than you look,” Jo answered. She wasn’t above lying to get out of a sticky situation, but she didn’t see the point in being dishonest when he knew there was something going on. Besides, Jo didn’t think he would guess that they were harboring the chancellor’s daughter, whose body should have been incinerated and her ashes weaving throughout the cosmos by the order of Raiden’s boss. Did he know that was to be Rana’s fate?
“Hmm,” he grunted as he crossed his arms and shot Jo a face-splitting smile. “Are you saying I’m so good looking that one would automatically assume I lacked intelligence?”
Jo groaned as she turned away from him and scanned the crowd for an opening.
“Tell me. How ugly would I have to become to be taken seriously?”
“Stuff it, Raiden.”
Tension built between them as he stepped closer. It spread to the rest of her, and her breath stuttered as he slipped an arm around her waist. “Tell me when, and I’ll be happy to oblige.” His breath tickled her ear and a shiver danced up her spine.
Raiden was playing dirty, but Jo knew how to play that game, and he would regret getting her hot in a public terminal. With a smile, Jo turned her head so her lips were a breath from his. She felt his body tense as they shared a breath. She let a breathy groan escape as she sank back into him. His steel-like grip tightened on her waist. It was almost painful the way he held on to her, and for a moment Jo struggled to break through the haze of desire to remember her goal in this facade.
With a smile, Jo stepped forward, watching as Raiden covertly adjusted himself. When his eyes met hers, there wasn’t embarrassment or anger in their emerald depths, but a mischievous promise that he would return the favor with interest. Jo’s stomach flipped with anticipation.
“Well, big guy, hop in there and make an opening. I’m starving,” Jo gestured to the ever-flowing crowd.
“Aye, Captain.”
As Jo followed the mouth-watering smell of roasted meat and hoped it would lead them to an eatery that was open for business so early in the day, she allowed her thoughts to drift to Raiden. That was the second time he not only answered to her leadership, but he spoke as if he were one of her crew.
Was this some mind trick to weasel more information out of her? Jo couldn’t see the battle lines clearly anymore. She had to constantly remind herself that he worked for the enemy and chose to don their uniform each morning. Yet, the more Raiden hung around, befriending her crew and breaking down her walls, the less Jo felt she knew.
She had to get rid of him.
They had rounded a corner when a holographic sign announcing the Two-Sun Diner attracted Jo’s attention. A holoscreen shifting through the restaurant’s specials, promising the best spiced meat in the Ianthe system, hung next to the entry. The building had once been sleek and pristine, but with the dated chrome hardware on the windows and doors, Jo figured the shabby exterior was due to time rather than neglect.
Jo’s mouth filled with saliva as the wind shifted, doubling the potency of the smell she had been following. Her feet began to move before she consciously thought about it. Raiden followed her, and when the door swung open, he stepped inside and scanned the small dining area before moving aside to let her in.
“Taking this security gig seriously, I see,” Jo grumbled as she shouldered past him.
“Yes,” he stated.
Jo turned to stare at him, thinking that he was joking, but his entire countenance was somber. She considered him for a moment and was filled with relief that he was indeed taking his job seriously. Jo was more than capable of defending herself; her father guaranteed it with years of training. But she didn’t like going into dicey situations when she wasn’t completely sure of her partner.
Jo nodded at Raiden and gave him her back while she looked for an open seat. The diner was surprisingly full for what she figured to be mid-morning; the first sun was high overhead and the second wasn’t too far behind. Jo didn’t waste any time claiming an open booth with a decent view of the door in the far corner of the room.
Shortly after they sat in the cracked leather seats, a stocky waiter walked up with two cups of water. “Welcome to the Two-Suns. I’m Kohen. What can I get you two?”
“I want the special with an extra serving of meat,” Jo answered before taking a sip of the cold water. Jo wanted to moan at the fresh taste, but settled for a sigh. That was why people choose to live on the dirt—fresh water and real, non-soy based food.
“I’ll take the same.” Raiden shook his head as he took a sip of his own water. Neither spoke as they enjoyed their drinks, and when their cups were emptied, Jo asked for a refill. She appreciated the comfortable silence and was starting to relax when Kohen brought their food.
“I took the liberty of adding a side of our signature sauce. Trust me when I say you’d regret never tasting it,” Kohen announced as he slid an extra bowl filled with a deep red liquid. Jo nodded her thanks. All semblance of willpower melted away when the juicy meat slid in front of her, and before Kohen had removed his fingers from her plate, she had a mouthful of food.
Raiden kicked Jo under the table, and when she looked up to scowl at him, he tilted his head toward the man. The waiter fidgeted with the towel tied to his belt as he waited to be acknowledged.
Jo finished her bite and took a sip of water as she studied the waiter. Kohen didn’t look like he belonged in a place like the Two-Suns. He was young, probably in his mid-twenties, and had a face that could have been carved in stone. His brawny build was that of an athlete or one of the career military elites, but with his dark, sun-kissed skin and deep brown eyes, there was no mistaking him for an Elitian.
“Do you need something?” Jo aske
d, impatiently. Whatever he wanted could have waited until there wasn’t a plate of hot, fresh meat in front of her.
Kohen’s solid shoulders lifted in a sigh. “My father wants to know if you and your…companion?” He looked from Raiden to Jo, waiting for confirmation of his guess. Jo didn’t give him one. “Um…he wanted to know if you needed accommodations while you were visiting Lycus.”
“Is it so obvious that we’re not native?” Jo snickered before taking another bite of meat.
“Well, yes.” Kohen looked at Jo, then shifted his gaze to their empty water glasses, and then met Jo’s gaze again. He stared at her as if she were a completely new species, and Jo smiled big, showing her teeth and hoping that she didn’t have little bits of meat stuck in them.
“We’re here to restock our ship,” Raiden answered with a flat voice. His face was hard as he stared at the waiter, and Jo couldn’t figure out why, but she didn’t miss that he called the Kismet “ours”. She wanted to contemplate the meaning behind those words, but tucked the information away for later.
Kohen didn’t acknowledge Raiden’s change in mood and turned to completely face Jo. “My aunt owns lodging a short walk away from the markets, and my dad can call ahead and reserve you a room…or two.”
“One room is fine,” Raiden growled to Kohen and before softening his features as he turned to Jo. “It’s unsafe to be separated.”
“As long as there are two beds,” Jo stated as she shook her head. She hadn’t expected to stay in separate rooms for that exact reason, but she didn’t appreciate his assumption.
“She should be able to manage that. Can I get your names for the reservation?” Kohen lifted his wrist and poised his hand to type.
“Tell me,” Jo asked. “Are you or your family affiliated with any of the crime syndicates in this system?”
As We Rise: Rogue (As We Rise Saga Book 1) Page 12
