by Enid Titan
“You want to have me, then?”
“No,” he says, “Not only that.”
“Then do it,” she says, “make love to me right here. I don’t care if Gavriel hears. Once you’ve done it, you won’t want me anymore and we can go back to being friends. Don’t think I haven’t noticed how you’ve changed since my accident. It shouldn’t matter. We’re good as friends. We can love each other from a distance. You can’t let go of this, but you need to. We’ll only destroy each other.”
“Maybe that’s how I want to go.”
They kiss. A slow kiss. And I don’t hear another word they say because I slip into a deep drunken sleep.
Chapter 34
Let’s Talk Strategy Boys
I wake up to Kazim and Nova sharing his cot. Her hair’s unleashed from her braids and sitting in a giant clump of curls on Kazim’s bare chest. I walk over to the console to check our status. We’re close to the rendezvous point. I glance over my shoulder at them. Kazim’s eyes flutter open and he looks down at her, kissing the top of Nova’s head. I look away. Bonbon scampers over my cot and nestles on my pillow. Kazim leans over and whispers something in Nova’s ear.
She flexes her wings and then her golden flutter as she yawns and nestles her head against Kazim’s chest. This is where last night’s conversation ended, Nova curled up against Kazim’s chest. She rises out of bed, fully clothed, and I wonder if I’ve misunderstood. Nova tiptoes to the washroom and Kazim sits in the other chair at helm. He leans over and whispers, “Last night, I made love to the most beautiful woman in the galaxy.”
I bite my tongue to stop myself from telling him he’s said those words to me hundreds of times in the past. In Kazim’s defense, this time he sounds earnest. He continues, “I’m going to stop with all the women. Nova… now that I’ve been with her… I don’t need anyone else.”
This is new.
“We’re two hours away from the rendezvous point. We should prepare our weapons.”
“Aye, Gavriel.”
Nova emerges from the washroom, her wet hair twisted into a bun. She’s changed into an all black ensemble.
“Ready to talk strategy boys?”
Kazim nods, his tongue practically hanging out of his mouth like an anxious pup. Nova sits in her chair and lays out her plan of attack. She’s a solid guerilla strategist and her plan will probably work if we can attach the pod onto Saroyan’s ship without detection.
“I created a signal scrambling encryption code with Connie. If Kazim can navigate us close enough without an electron wake, I can activate it and we can attach to the hull with no one noticing. There’s only one problem.”
“What’s that?”
Nova explains, “Anyone standing beneath the point on the hull we attach to might hear us from inside the ship. It’ll be loud. They might beef up their scans. I have utmost confidence in our abilities but we can’t take on everyone.”
“How will we find out Jaen’s location?”
“That part’s easy.”
Nova whips out something that looks like a long syringe from the drawer at helm and before Kazim notices what’s happening, she stabs him with it, sucking up blood into the vial.
“OW! NOVA!”
She pulls the syringe out with a wicked grin on her face.
“Sorry. Primitive DNA extraction. I thought it would be easier if it took you by surprise.”
“Are you crazy!?”
She sticks the syringe into a blue glowing case.
“We need human DNA for this to work. There are a few humans on Saroyan’s ship.”
“Saroyan’s human. How can we be sure this won’t lead us to him?”
“He’s male. And he only keeps human men on his ships — according to Connie. If there are any human females aside from Jaen… well it can’t hurt to rescue them too. My device can separate the humans’ chromosomally. Only double X chromosomes.”
“Great. Here goes nothing then.”
“We can pull this off. But we’ll need Kazim ready to take us out of here fast. I think you should leave Saroyan’s ship first.”
Kazim puffs his chest.
“Nova?!”
“I’m serious. By the time we need to escape, Saroyan will have figured out what we’ve done. I’m not saying that you can’t come, but you leave as soon as we have an identification for Jaen.”
“Fine. Whatever you say, boss.”
Nova pops out her hip and her wings buzz pleasantly.
“That’s more like it. Since we don’t know where Garth plans on picking us up, we’ll need to find a route Saroyan won’t look.”
“I know this area of space,” I tell her, “There’s an oceanic planet that emits a strong bipolaron field. It’ll scramble our signal, so once we’re within range, we won’t have navigation either. But we can sit there and wait for Saroyan to give up.”
“Do you think he’ll give up so quickly,” Kazim wonders aloud, “he went through so much trouble to get Jaen.”
“It’s strange,” Nova agrees, “he’d do so much for a human girl.”
“He wanted more labor. She was just the icing on the cake. He wanted to get under the Captain’s skin.”
“Why should the Captain care?” Nova points out.
I bite my tongue. I’m sure it isn’t my place to tell anyone. Kazim scoffs.
“Where are your instincts, Nova? They clearly slept together.”
“Kazim! They did not!”
“A long time ago. They have the look of long ago lovers in their eye.”
“What do you know about that?” Nova snaps.
“I know my instincts aren’t incorrect. What do you think, Gavriel? Do you think she’s still in love with Garth or has the good Doctor Xanth caught her eye?”
I mutter something incoherent about focusing on the mission and Nova elbows Kazim hard, agreeing with me. We’re 100,000 km away from the rendezvous point when Nova’s sensor beeps.
“We’re close.”
I point out the glass, “Look. That blip out there. It’s Saroyan’s ship.”
“Kazim, take us to the hull.”
“If he’d detected us by now, we’d be space dust. I take it Connie’s engineering works perfectly.”
I can feel my heart pounding as Kazim guides the pod beneath the enormous saucer. Saroyan’s ship casts a dark shadow over ours. All we’re left with for illumination are the faint glow of panels and controls.
Nova whispers, even if there’s no genuine need to. It just feels like something you do in the dark.
“I’ve found the human signals. She’s close to the engine room.”
“I can get us right under her if you guide me, Nova.”
“Three blips to port.”
“Aye. I can land us without a sound.”
“Are you really that good?”
“Watch me.”
Kazim lands the pod. The attachments suction us tightly against the hull and as promised, he lands without a sound.
“No alarms raised. I think we made it,” Nova whispers.
We load our weapons, prepared to fight and die for this rescue. I wonder if Jaen knows I’m coming. It’s times like this I envy telepaths.
“Ready to teleport over?” I ask my crew.
“Aye, Captain,” Kazim murmurs, “Let’s get your girl.”
Chapter 35
Kendall & 931
We appear on the lower deck, a few feet away from the engine room. Once we materialize, I hear the familiar wind up of a blaster. Instinct takes over and I immobilize Saroyan’s engine room guard.
“They’ll notice the blast. She’s this way.”
Nova runs ahead down the hall. An unarmed junior crewman sees us and reaches for the intercom. Nova points her pistol at the man.
“Not so fast. One move and I’ll blast a hole through the hull.”
“Saroyan will kill you, slag,” the man snarls. Kazim fires and the man slumps over. Nova turns to him, bewildered.
“What the hell did
you do that for?!”
“He called you a slag.”
“I can handle myself, Kazim.”
“It’s my duty to defend your honor.”
“Duck!” Nova yells.
Kazim ducks, and she fires on another junior crewman.
“Hurry! This way.”
We’ve fired too many shots to go unnoticed. Nova leads the way. A few doors down, we come across a large metal door.
“She’s through that door. I’m detecting three human females. They’re probably guarded.”
“Stand back,” I command them.
We pull back down the hall and I fire the grenades at the door. Only two. I don’t want to risk killing whoever’s inside. The ship’s alarms blare as a hole materializes in the door with a cloud of smoke. I enter and hear a pistol click. Shit. The cold barrel of a weapon presses against my head. Nova and Kazim follow me into the room as the guard pulls me back.
“One more step and I’ll shoot him.”
“Go ahead,” Nova taunts, “We’ll kill you, anyway.”
“What are you doing here?”
“Saroyan took something that belongs to us.”
I see her. Jaen. She’s chained in the back of the room and half conscious. I feel something soft rubbing at the base of my neck and then I hear a loud scream. Bonbon! How the hell did that little creature get over here? Bonbon bites the guard’s arm, and he drops the pistol. I kick it across the room. Bonbon bites again and he yowls.
“Get out of here, Kazim!”
Jaen’s awake. She yells.
“Kazim! He has information. Take him.”
Kazim kneels next to the man and locks him in the teleportation loop before disappearing back to the pod with our prisoner. I pick up Bonbon and stuff the mischievous little hedgehog back into my pocket before joining Nova in the back of the room. There are two other human girls, but Jaen’s the only one I have eyes for.
“Get the others, Nova. I’ve got her.”
“Aye, Gavriel.”
“We don’t have much time,” Jaen says hoarsely.
I unbind her legs first. Her bare feet touch the ground. She’s wearing a short leather skirt that barely covers her body and a leather bra where her bosoms spill out. If Saroyan hasn’t hurt her yet, he plans on it soon. Once she’s free, she rubs her wrists. They’re red.
“We need to get out of here,” Jaen insists, “leave the others. Seriously. That man you sent back with Kazim is dangerous.”
“What do you mean?” Nova asks as she frees the second girl. The first stumbles over and hugs Jaen. I guess she’s had no choice but to make friends.
“He knows about everything going on with the saboteur on Garth’s ship.”
Nova takes the second girl under her arms and grunts as she drags her towards me.
“Get them all over there,” Nova says, “Now.”
I hook the girls up to our teleportation system and hold Jaen around her waist before I get Kazim on the intercom.
“Kazim, are you ready for us?”
“Aye. Hurry. I can see seven men headed your way.”
Nova starts our teleportation. We’re back on the ship with three cots, four women and two men. I’m surprised Kazim doesn’t immediately make a sex joke.
“I tied the bastard up in the washroom, but we need to leave — now.”
“Do it now!” I bark at Kazim.
Saroyan’s ship rumbles. He’s getting ready to fire. If we had anyone else piloting this ship except Kazim, we’d be toast.
“Hang on tight!” Kazim yells as the ship rolls upside down. We all scream. Nova drops her weapons. Bonbon’s sitting on top of my head — I can feel his hedgehog claws digging into my hair as he holds on tight. Kazim straightens out the ship.
“They’re firing!” Nova yells as she takes her seat at helm.
“Got it!” Kazim dodges and zooms away.
“We’re nearly out of weapons range,” I tell them, “head straight for the planet co-ordinates. Once we’re there, we’re safe.”
“Except for that bastard tied up in the washroom.”
“You put him in the washroom!?” Nova squeals.
“Where else could I keep him? He’s tied up, don’t worry.”
“What if someone has to pee?!”
“Who the hell is going to pee while we’re escaping gunfire!”
One girl pipes up, “I have to pee!”
“Goddamn it. You’ll have to hold it!” Kazim yells. We do another roll as we dodge more weapons fire. Within two minutes, which seem to stretch on for eternity, we’re locked in the ocean planet’s orbit and Saroyan’s ship zooms right past us. The plan worked. I run across the pod, which is now considerably more cramped, and I hug Jaen. She presses her head against my chest and I hold her so tight that she coughs a bit.
“Gavriel,” she wheezes, “you’re crushing my lungs.”
“I brought Bonbon for you,” I whisper.
She pulls away from me and scoops Bonbon from the top of my head, holding him against her chest.
“Thank you. I can’t believe you came for me.”
I can’t stop staring at her. We made it. My stupid, crazy suicide mission worked. And none of us are dead. Nova approaches the two girls, sitting quietly on Kazim’s cot. He hasn’t looked at them once, even if they’re dressed by Jaen in the uncomfortably revealing clothing of sex slaves.
“What are your names?” Nova asks.
“I’m Kendall,” says the one with brown hair.
“And you?”
“931.”
“931? What kind of name is that?”
“She was born with it,” Kazim’s voice booms, “You don’t get a name when you’re born into sex slavery.”
The girl nods.
“You’re free now. Okay? You can choose a name. When you’re ready.”
“Are you taking us to work on your ship?” Kendall asks.
Nova shakes her head, “Women are free on our ship. You won’t have to do anything like that again.”
She might have been born into sex slavery, but for Saroyan to have the girl on his ship, he must have removed her chip. She really is free now. I touch Jaen’s cheek and she recoils.
“Did he hurt you?” I murmur. I don’t know if I want the real answer, but I have to ask.
“I’m fine. Seriously. You didn’t have to come for me. You put everyone’s life at risk.”
“Don’t be ridiculous, Jaen.”
She wrests herself away from me as Kazim puts his hands on his hips, finally noticing the two attractive females of his own species sitting on the bed. He has that flirtatious look in his eye, but he only allows himself to have a quick look before clearing his throat.
“Well, well. We only have three bunks. We’ll have to double up. Nova, you’re with me.”
She looks surprised.
“What?” Kazim gasps in mock surprise, clutching his chest, “Did you wish to share a bed with our dear Gavriel.”
Nova scowls.
“Quiet, Kazim. Kendall, 931, are you two okay sharing a bed?”
“Yes,” they respond together.
“What about you, Jaen?” Nova sighs, “Trust Gavriel to keep his hands off you?”
“Nova!” I choke out.
Does she have to expose me like that? I have no intentions of groping Jaen just because she’s forced to lie next to me.
“Trust me,” Jaen replies with an impish grin, “I’ll have a knife for his belly if he tries anything.”
Great. Exactly what I wanted… Jaen winks at me but my cheeks darken and I join Kazim again at helm.
“What are we going to do about the prisoner?”
“We’d better talk to him, hadn’t we?”
Jaen meanders over to helm. The pod’s too small for any measure of serious privacy.
“You two should talk to him. I didn’t overhear much, but he spoke to Saroyan about our ship. There’s an operative on our ship who promised to help Saroyan with the raid. It’s a lone agent. S
eriously.”
Kazim glances suspiciously over at me.
“Want to question him?”
“You start. You’re better at torture.”
“Pleasure’s more my specialty,” Kazim replies, winking flirtatiously at Jaen. She blushes and glances at her bare feet. I look down at them instinctively. Her toes are little icicles.
“You need socks,” I chide, “Go into my pack and get some for your feet. And the other girls.”
“I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but your feet are enormous.”
Kazim leans over and makes a lewd comment about the significance of enormous feet.
“I don’t care if they’re too big. Look at your toes.”
“You don’t always need to look out for me!”
“Yes, I do. You got yourself kidnapped and now you’re going to get gangrene.”
“What the hell is gangrene? You made that up!”
BANG! A blaster fired. Kazim, Jaen and I whirl our heads around like confused gulls. Nova’s standing in the washroom's doorway, holding a blaster that’s leaking steam.
“Nova! Are you serious!? We needed to question him!” I yell.
“He escaped from his binds! I didn’t have a choice. He was dangerous.”
“You had no right to kill him without my command!” I roar.
“Don’t yell at her,” Kazim interjects, “I swear Gavriel, I’ll have to teleport you into the planet’s ocean.”
I ignore Kazim’s threat. He’d never go through with it.
“We needed to question him,” I snarl, “Now what are we going to do with his body?”
Nova lowers her blaster. The wild-eyed expression on her face smooths over and worry replaces it. It’s like she’s only just realized what she’s done.
“Shit,” she mutters, “You’re right, Gavriel. I wasn’t thinking.”
Jaen sits on my cot, stroking Bonbon, looking more worried than I’ve ever seen her. She’s not looking forward to a return to the ship, and I can’t blame her. Our prisoner would have proved her innocence. Now we have nothing.
