by Juno Wells
"Food stock. We have Earther fruits and some Vanatos meat from our last restocking."
"I have plenty of food on my ship." Vaant wondered where the negotiation would go if the captain refused to really offer him anything good — maybe the Earther only bought time for his crew to set up defenses and then attack the Galaxos. But any Xaravian knew better than to accept the first offer.
The Earther frowned, glancing back at his crew. "We have some excess fuel. You could use it or sell it."
"Too easily traceable. And my ship has plenty of fuel." It wasn't entirely true — as raiders and occasionally pirates, the Galaxos usually needed more of everything on board. Including food, fuel, maps, people... everything.
"This is my final offer, Xaravian."
Vaant bristled as his temper rose, and some of his scales started to rise, clicking and rustling, as his skin swirled with red tones. Damn Earthers. Arrogant as all hell when they worked for the Fleet.
The human at least looked a little discomfited by Vaant's reaction. He dropped his voice and looked back at his crew once more, though none of them seemed the least bit interested in what was being discussed. Instead they stared at Vaant's crew and their uniforms. The captain cleared his throat. "I have female crewmembers. Not bad-looking. Some are talented. You can have one."
Women. The man offered to sell his crew into slavery with an alien race they thought cruel and at least somewhat barbaric? His scales bristled more and the red shifted to a darker maroon as his anger boiled faster and some of the spikes on the back of his neck rose. Vrix watched him closely, ears stiffening as he sensed Vaant's anger. But the humans weren't well-versed enough in Xarav culture to understand what the scales and colors meant, which was just the latest in a very long line of mistakes.
Vaant knew he couldn't leave any of the female crewmembers with the bastard, since there was no telling who might come along next and threaten the Argo. If the captain intended to pay his debts with his crew, Vaant couldn't stand by and risk the women ending up in some awful hellish colony or serving the truly cruel rulers of some planets. He couldn't stomach the idea of them being traded to another ship. He pushed away disgust and played to the captain's misperceptions of the Xaravians. "One? What would I do with one?"
"You keep her until you're finished, then give her to your crew. They're strong women. Tough. A little mouthy, some of them, but you can beat it out of them."
"Xaravians don't share." Vaant nearly bit his tongue off to keep from going on and eventually just pummeling the Earther into a pile of mush on the floor.
The captain scowled, the muscles in his jaw jumping as he ground his teeth. Vaant could practically hear the man's thoughts. "I only have six. Some of your guys will have to share. And I don't think you need all of them."
"All of them." The spikes on his neck started to rise more, making the bones and stones rattle as his hair rearranged itself. "All six."
The Earther didn't like it. That much was easy to see, even for someone not particularly well-schooled in human expressions. "If I give you them, we won't see you again. Agreed?"
"Agreed."
The captain glanced at his security officer and said, "Get Griggs up here. Be prepared for a fight," then turned to the interpreter. "Have Lennox come up here as well." He faced Vaant once more. "Lennox is a good interpreter. She'll be useful if you can get her to stop reading and daydreaming."
Vaant retreated to speak with his crew, and faced Vrix's disapproving look. "We'll talk about this later."
"We are not slave traders," Vrix said under his breath, his skin turning dark maroon with swirls of silver. Irritation and anger and disgust fought across his impassive face.
"No, we are not. We're liberating those women from the control of the kind of vikrix that would trade them to save his own skin." Vaant stopped short of saying what he really wanted to as the Argo’s second officer approached with a small tablet.
The Earther didn't look nearly as confident as his captain, and barely made eye contact as he offered the tablet. "The personnel files on our female officers."
"Thank you." Vaant scanned through the information and paused as a tough-looking woman showed up first — a security officer and acknowledged champion in several types of martial arts, including Xarav sand-wrestling. Vaant was impressed despite himself, and handed the tablet to Vrix. "Looks like you might need to handle that one, since she could kill anyone else who gets on her bad side."
The security officer grumbled and studied the file, though he started to look intrigued as he scrolled through the woman's qualifications. The Earther second officer tilted his head at where the Earther security officers waited near the door. "She and the interpreter, Lennox, are on their way to the bridge. Neither will go quietly. Our medical officer is standing by to sedate them if necessary."
"I'm sure we can handle a couple of Earther women," Vrix said, though Vaant didn't want to set them up to look stupid if these women were as well-armed and well-trained as they appeared in their files.
The man's eyebrows rose. "Right. Just wait until you meet Griggs."
As if on cue, the doors to the bridge slid open and two women stepped through. Vaant had half a second to recognize the tough female security officer, who scanned the room and remained near the door, before he saw the other woman, the interpreter, and his hearts nearly stopped beating. She took his breath away in a way he'd never experienced. Thick dark hair coiled in a bun at the back of her neck, and even the severe uniform of the Fleet didn't hide the generous curves of her hips and waist and chest. Vaant never understood the draw of Earther women until he saw her.
Her wide eyes also assessed the room, like any good officer would, and she blinked when her gaze landed on him. Her lush lips parted and Vaant could just imagine their soft caress against his own. He could feel his blood rising and the scales standing to attention as his skin swirled into blue and greens of lust. One of his crew snorted behind him, clearly interpreting the situation, but the Earther woman — Lennox? — got herself together and opened her mouth.
He braced himself for more awful Low Xarav, or at least one of the universal languages, but instead her throaty voice produced near-perfect High Xarav. She could have knocked him over with the barest touch as she introduced herself, and then asked about interpreting. Vaant couldn't think of anything to say to her, so he looked at the captain and ignored the man's smirk. "You're right. She's good."
The woman blinked, looking between them. The female security officer, Griggs, straightened from her nonchalant lean, and he could sense her sudden alertness. Griggs knew, or at least suspected, that her captain had something planned for them. Vaant gestured behind his back for Vrix to get ready for a fight.
The Argo captain only looked at Vaant. "Do we have a deal?"
"The others?"
"Will be brought to the loading bay."
Lennox started to look alarmed. "What are you talking about? What others?"
The captain didn't respond, and only nodded at his crew. Griggs lashed out and nearly made it out the doors in a sudden rush, shooting and stunning at least two of her crewmates, but Lennox stood frozen as the medical officer caught her arm. When she looked at Vaant, betrayal made her eyes darker and nearly broke both of his hearts. He'd show her later she had nothing to fear, that he did this for her. It was just a misunderstanding.
He reached for her, wanting to reassure her, but she hauled out a stunner and rammed it into his side. Pain exploded through him as he stared at her. So not just the security officer was dangerous.
It was a good sign — Xaravians loved dangerous women.
Chapter 3
Isla
Isla didn't believe what she heard Witz say, and whirled as she looked at the other crewmembers on the bridge. None of them would meet her eyes. When the medical officer approached and Griggs started cursing, Isla reached for her stunner. She wasn't about to go quietly toward whatever it was that awaited her in the docking bay. She was made of sterner stu
ff.
But then the giant Xaravian with the bones in his hair and the skin that had turned blue and green reached out and caught her arm in a strong grip. His touch nearly melted her bones as heat radiated from his skin and lit a fire in her chest, but Isla didn't care how handsome he was or how he made her feel. They meant to buy her, and Griggs, and maybe other crewmates. Isla jammed her weapon into his side and was rewarded with a growled yelp from the Xaravian and slight smiles from all of his crewmembers. The next biggest guy strode forward and Isla braced for a real fight, but instead the second alien focused on Griggs as the security officer knocked down every human officer who tried to get near her. Still fighting.
Isla ducked the big alien's effort to grab her and bolted for the door, trying to get her communicator to send a distress signal to the rest of the women on the ship, but before she got very far, the medical officer managed to grab her arm and the press of cool metal against her skin was the only warning.
The medical scanner whirred and all of Isla's control fled. She started to fall, and might have banged her head against the captain's chair. But before she hit the floor, strong blue arms wrapped around her. Isla stared as she caught sight of Griggs battling the Xaravian and holding her own, but Isla's fight ended as the big alien scooped her up. Everything grew slow and distorted as the sedative worked into her blood, and Isla wanted to scream and demand her freedom, to curse Witz and every man on the bridge who did nothing, but she could only gaze up at the enormous alien holding her so tightly.
His eyes looked quicksilver, like mercury, and something deep in them flashed like faraway stars. His voice grumbled as he murmured in High Xarav, "Trust me. Everything will be fine."
She didn't believe him for a second. Just as darkness closed around her and Isla resigned herself to unconsciousness, something flashed in her peripheral vision. Isla got to see green blood gushing from the other alien as Griggs lashed out with her favorite knife. At least one of them made a dent in the stoic Xaravians.
Chapter 4
Vaant
Vaant didn't know what the medical officer used to subdue the interpreter, but he fully intended to ask for several doses of it to at least slow down the security officer. Griggs managed to stab Vrix at least twice, which had not happened in any battle that Vaant could remember. He made a mental note to give his friend shit about being injured by a weak human woman, but they didn't have time for that. Vaant wanted to get back on the Galaxos with the women as soon as possible, in case the Argo captain changed his mind or it turned into an ambush.
He didn't let the soft warmth of the interpreter distract him as he carried her toward the landing bay where two pods would take them back to the Galaxos, though she smelled amazing and his skin kept swirling more green every time he thought about her. Vrix managed to get Griggs in a headlock long enough for the human security officers to bind her hands and feet, and the medical officer shot her with sedatives as well. So at least two of the six weren't much of a problem as the Xaravians prepared to depart.
When the other four arrived and found their compatriots unconscious and being carried by two aliens, though, all hell broke loose. Vaant had to hand it to the Earther women — they fought a hell of a lot harder and longer than their male crewmates ever had. Fortunately, none of them had the skills of the security officer, though Vrix didn't seem inclined to put her down to help the rest of the Galaxos crew subdue the four women. The fight ended in a matter of minutes due to that damn medical officer, even though the Xaravians wouldn't have minded tussling with the women a bit longer. A few minutes after that, several Earther junior officers arrived with hastily-packed bags. So at least the Galaxos crew didn't have to worry about finding clothing and supplies for their hostages.
Vaant reminded himself why it was necessary to take the women, when there was no telling what the Earther captain would have done with them a few lightyears through the galaxy. He valued them just after food and fuel, which didn't say much about the man. Vaant readjusted his grip on Lennox and resisted the urge to gaze at her face — adorable button nose that seemed almost too small to breathe properly, dark lashes that would protect her eyes from almost nothing on Xarav, and smooth skin with a hint of rosy flush. Maybe the humans changed color as well when they felt some strong emotion. He wondered what red meant.
Vrix grunted and abruptly dropped the security officer, and Griggs staggered to her feet, still half-sedated but somehow unrestrained. "You sons of bitches, you fucking bastards, I will kill —"
A human security officer, a hint of panic in his expression, tackled her as she reached for yet another knife, and Vrix made an irritated noise as his skin turned slightly orange. He gripped the male officer by the back of the neck, tossed him across the room, and hauled Griggs to her feet with a handful of her uniform. Griggs flailed and snarled, then abruptly passed out again and dangled limp from Vrix's grip. The big alien merely shrugged and tossed her over his shoulder, heading for one of the departure pods.
Vaant wanted to laugh at him, but got as far as starting to mock his pal in High Xarav before he looked down at Lennox and found her wide blue eyes open and staring at him. He started to reassure her again, to promise a better life awaited her on the Galaxos, but before he could do anything more than squeeze her tightly and take a few steps toward the pod, her arm lifted slowly, languidly, to caress his face. Or so he thought.
Instead, she lifted that damn tasing device and shoved it in his neck. Vaant scowled as the electricity raced through him again and sent his muscles into spasms. He felt bad when he dropped her unceremoniously to the floor, but not that bad. She scrambled to her feet and — instead of making a run for it — headed straight for the Argo captain and punched him in the face. Blood gushed from the man's nose and mouth, and Lennox hauled off to kick him in what Vaant knew was a sensitive place.
Vaant took his time shaking off the last remnants of pain from the shock, and went to retrieve her when the human captain swung back at her and clipped her chin. The interpreter grunted in pain, but kept attacking the man, and Witz hit out at her again. Vaant lost what little patience he still had and grabbed the girl, pulling her back so he could protect her, and felt something like rage constrict his chest. The girl squeaked and fought his hold, as if she feared for her life, but Vaant instead leveled a dark look at the human captain. "Be more careful about your business."
The rest of his crew loaded the four other women and the baggage into the second departure pod as Vaant took the interpreter into the pod where Vrix communicated with the Galaxos to ready the engines for a swift departure. Vaant didn't look back at the rest of the humans, or at the interpreter as she sagged against his grip, and focused on getting to the pod controls. "Let's get out of here."
"I'm a little busy," Vrix said through gritted teeth, and Vaant glanced back to see Griggs awake once more and green blood splattering the inside of the pod as she managed to injure Vrix yet again.
Vaant could finally laugh as the pod doors slid shut and prevented the humans from seeing or hearing them, and he adjusted the engines as the pod came loose from the Argo. "I'm disappointed in you, Vrix. I've never seen you bleed this much, and to think — all it takes to disarm you is a human woman."
"You can go mate with a sand worm," Vrix muttered, dodging a wild punch from the security officer.
"Keep fighting, Griggs," the interpreter said, her voice slurring until Vaant almost couldn't decipher the Earther words. She tried to stand, but kept sliding down the wall as her knees refused to hold her.
"I know you like dangerous women, Vrix, but this is a little silly. Subdue the woman before we get to the Galaxos, or the rest of the crew will take the opportunity to challenge you for rank."
Vaant guided the pod outside the range of the Argo's weapons and into the sphere of the Galaxos's protection, finally breathing easier, and clicked the communicator to warn the crew about preparing the docking facilities. He also ordered them to prepare secure quarters, though he didn't explain wh
y.
Vrix grumbled and dodged to the side to wrestle the woman into a secure hold. "I don't cheat like those damn humans. So keep your opinions to yourself."
Vaant started to respond, still chuckling, but then they were docking and the interpreter still struggled to stand and potentially hit him, though she didn't get close enough for him to confirm that. He let the automatic docking system take over, monitored by his chief engineer on the Galaxos, and instead turned his attention to the women. Vrix had finally managed to restrain Griggs, though she still struggled to wiggle out of his grip or knock him over.
Vaant folded his arms over his chest and used the Earther language so they would understand. Hopefully. He hadn't studied it particularly hard in school, though he knew the universal languages well enough to get by. "There is no use in continuing to fight. You are now passengers on my ship, the Galaxos, and will be in my custody until I decide otherwise. If you cooperate and behave yourselves, you will be treated fairly and well. If not…"
He let the threat hang in the air, hoping he didn't have to promise something he wouldn't actually do, and waited for the women to react. The pod jolted as it docked with the ship, and some of the fight went out of Griggs as she realized they'd actually been transferred to the alien ship.
But the interpreter finally managed to gain her feet, even though she wavered and wobbled each time she blinked, and pointed an accusatory finger right at him. She switched to Low Xarav and started by saying, "We are Fleet officers of the Intergalactic Alliance, and demand the guarantees of the Interstellar Agreement of Torus on treatment of prisoners of war. We fully reject your callous and illegal behavior to this point, and demand to be returned to a Fleet ship immediately."
Vaant's eyebrows rose as he looked at her, completely baffled. What did she think was going on? He'd saved them. "You are not —"
