Celestial Beauty

by Angela Castle

  Evernight Publishing ®

  www.evernightpublishing.com

  Copyright© 2015 Angela Castle

  ISBN: 978-1-77233-529-3

  Cover Artist: Sour Cherry Designs

  Editor: Karyn White

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

  WARNING: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. No part of this book may be used or reproduced electronically or in print without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in reviews.

  This is a work of fiction. All names, characters, and places are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  CELESTIAL BEAUTY

  Quads of Galafrax, 4

  Angela Castle

  Copyright © 2015

  Chapter One

  “Damn, fucking Ice Demons, not again!” Loc gripped the railing, vaulting over the edge, dropping four feet and landing with a thump on the engine room floor.

  Despite the wail of the engine warning siren, the pounding of his brother’s heavy footfalls added to the vibrations of their old shaking ship.

  Snatching the grappling spanner he kept near the main engine core, he winced as the engine chugged and sputtered. The tremors grew worse by the second, threatening to break the ship apart.

  “Loc!” The bellow of Zeb, his older brother, did nothing to calm the pounding of Loc’s heart as he dropped down onto the floor, using his boots to slide himself between the panels of the main power core. He attached the spanner to the manual inlet valve and pulled, using all his strength. His muscles burned as he slowly closed the valve, just enough to make the shuddering stop.

  “What is it this time?” Zeb demanded. That was the problem. Time and time again something went wrong, and it was starting to cost more in repairs than the damn ship was worth.

  A frustrated growl vibrated from Loc’s chest at the same time the warning sirens stopped, leaving a ringing in his ears.

  A kick at his boot alerted him to Zeb still standing over him, waiting for Loc’s answer, he huffed a temporary relieved breath.

  “Apart from needing a whole new damn ship?” Loc’s voice was half muffled by the still humming engines.

  “What in the Ice Plains is going on down there?” Kue’s voice sounded hollow through the ships speaker system. “Every panel on the bridge has lit up like a Barrinan fire storm.”

  “Tell him to give the main panel a thump with his fist.” Loc wormed himself out from between the old worn metal. He glanced up at Zeb, his face downturned in one of his typical scowls. Raz shrugged and offered his hand, helping Loc to his feet. “But not too hard, the vibrations of the Reisin coupling are worn and has no doubt shaken every damn circuit out of calibration. I’m going to have to reline everything.”

  “I heard you.” A thump followed by Kue’s curse filled the speakers. Clearly he’d hit the panel harder than Loc’s instructions.

  “It’s not the only thing the ship shook up.” Raz pointed to the wet mess down his shirt. “This ship, which is older than our planet, made me spill my drink.”

  Loc rolled his eyes, turning back to Zeb, focusing on what he needed to do. “We need to set down somewhere and shut the whole ship down to repair this. And we need a new Reisin coupling or we’ll just be impulse drifting.”

  Zeb rubbed his creased brow. “We’re right on the edge of the Hellious Galaxy, the nearest space port is several Galafraxian days from our location. And we’ve only filled a third of our hold.”

  “And if we don’t get that coupling, it’ll take three Galafraxian years to get home, not the usual few weeks at high speed,” Loc pointed out.

  If possible, Zeb’s scowl grew worse. Salvaging was a highly competitive business, and they’d ventured all the way out here on more rumour than fact. There were quite a few old wrecked ships others deemed too dangerous to salvage.

  Since retirement, it seemed they ran more towards danger than they had during their soldier days.

  The Nova brothers laughed in the face of danger. Highly trained and deadly, they’d served in the Demos military for a long time as specialists, doing the harder, more dangerous and often secret jobs of the High Lords of Galafrax and the Galafraxian government.

  They were tired of taking orders, not only from the military, but from family trying to push them back into another home unit. In defiance, they had purchased an old cargo ship and retired to go into the ship salvaging business.

  “You have any of the sensors working, Kue? We need to know if there is there any place nearby we can set down to do repairs.” Zeb lifted his head as he talked to the com system, bringing Loc out of his reprieve.

  “Yup, already searching for the nearest … hmm … got something. It’s one parsec from our current location and is un-classified on our systems, as it’s officially just out of the Hellious Galaxy. From the readings it has a breathable atmosphere, gravity only slightly denser. Water, vegetation, and some scattered life signs, but they’re spread, so no doubt wildlife. Oh, one moment, I’m picking up a small ping.”

  “Party planet then,” said Raz. He’d found one of Loc’s rags and was attempting to clean the mess from his top. “Does that mean we also get a holiday?”

  Loc chuckled. “Hardly, brother, there’s at least a week’s worth of repairs here. All hands on deck for this.”

  Zeb sighed, ignoring Raz. “It’ll have to do. Set course, Kue.”

  Loc hid his smile as Kue snorted into the com.

  “Right, navigation is offline, I’m going to have to fly her in manually.”

  “Just get us there,” Zeb growled.

  A second snort was heard over the com. The ship creaked as thrusters fired and it started to turn. “I could land this heap of junk on top of the Qui-Palace if I wanted to.”

  No one really doubted Kue’s piloting skills. There was no one better, and he’d flown nearly every type of ship, from even non-Galafraxian ones. He had gotten them out of some deadly, life threatening situations.

  Loc set the spanner back on its wall mount. “We better go secure the cargo and everything. Without the Reisin working at full capacity, it’s going to be a rough landing, even with Kue at the helm.”

  ****

  A short time later, they’d just finished compressing down what scraps they’d salvaged and done a walk through the old freighter. Zeb stretched his back noticing the slight creaking along his spine, making his brow dip in a frown. Damn, he needed to get back into some serious training. Two years away from the Demos military working as a ship salvager had softened him.

  “You’re getting old, brother. You need a nap?” Raz needled him as Zeb took his place in the command chair and glared at Raz.

  From the corner of his vision Zeb saw Kue shake his head, but his fingers remained on the controls, working them with grace and ease.

  Annoyance rubbed Zeb, and he stamped down the urge to pound his smug face.

  “And you need to go for a spacewalk without a suit. I can still best you in a fight any day.”

  In their fifteen year career, not only did they fight their enemies but they had been battling each other. Their skill levels matched, both equal in precision and deadly accuracy. Ever since they first entered the Demos military academy, they’d been trying to gain the upper hand on the other. No one really won their small battles, but no one lost either, each only coming out winded, sore, and more determined.

  “I think the Ice Plains of Galafrax just melted. The mighty commander made an attempt at humour.”

  “Don’t push it, Raz,” Zeb growled.

  “Hardly an attempt,” Kue spoke up.

  Raz grinned, lifting his identical eyebrow challengingly at Zeb, bu
t he wasn’t biting this time. The bridge door slid open, admitting Loc. Their youngest brother’s face was smudged with sweat and engine filth, and he wiped his face and hands before stopping in front of Zeb’s command chair. He shoved the rag back into his pocket with a shake of his head. “How far are we from landing? I can’t close the valve down any further or we’ll completely lose engine power.”

  “Ten minutes, entering atmosphere of this planet in sixty seconds. From what I’ve been able to decipher with the scanners still not functioning at full capacity, I’ve determined the best landing spot, based on water, flat land, and current vegetation.” Kue’s eyes remained on the screen in front of him. “I’ve also been getting faint readings of an Isocore, which could mean…”

  “A ship wreckage,” Zeb and Raz said in unison. Isocore was the refined mineral that powered more than eighty-nine percent of the ships across the Hellious Galaxy, easily detectable.

  “This is good news. Can you land near those readings? It would be good to head back home with a full hold, this time.”

  Loc nodded. “And make the repair time worthwhile.”

  “Crashed ship factored in, it’s not too far from my original planned landing site.”

  The big green-white swirling planet grew closer on the screen. “Strap down, brothers. We’re about to hit the atmosphere.”

  Each brother took their seats on the bridge, pulling the straps tight, just as the heat of the atmosphere entry began to shake their ship. Zeb pulled on his own straps and waited, confident in his brother’s skill to land them safely.

  ****

  Smoke filled Celeste’s lungs, making them burn and her cough violently. Heat, such terrible heat all around her. She screamed, but no sound came but the terrible roaring, her throat painfully raw. Lifeless bloodied bodies were strewn around her feet.

  No, no, no! What have I done? I’ve murdered them all!

  Celeste screamed, bolting upright, her body shaking as sheen of sweat covered her skin. She blinked several times, trying to draw in much needed air. Her limbs were sluggish, and her chest heaved as awareness filtered back into her mind, to where she was.

  Another nightmare, ever since crawling from the wreckage, of her captors ship, discovering only she had survived.

  The crash.

  My fault.

  A renewed wave of guilt swamped her, making her stomach churn.

  Why me?

  Her mind wandered again back over the moment she’d blinked awake, nestled against the engine. She vaguely remembered being thrown against the humming, luminous, part of the ship, before blacking out. The area around the engine must have been the strongest part to cradle her and stand against the impact of the crash. She’d soon discovered the results of her anger and despair as she crawled out over the broken bodies of her captors and fellow captives, finding herself stranded on this bleak, green alien planet.

  She sucked in a lungful of muggy alien air, bringing her back to the present. It was time to start another day, of fighting just to survive. She was so tired, tired of fighting, tired of being strong. How much longer could she go on like this before surrendering to the inevitable? Opening her eyes she glanced around her little cave, the one refuge she’d found out of the itchy swamp. Neat piles of things she’d dragged from the wreckage day by day lined the walls.

  Slowly, her heart calmed. She swallowed and reached for the water container taking a drink to soothe her parched throat.

  Boom! Celeste jerked, spilling the water down her front at the thunderous sound. The fright flooded her body making her heart pound and her limbs shake once again as if reliving the nightmare. She pushed off her makeshift bedding and scrambled forward on her hands and knees to the entrance of her cave.

  What is it? What is going on? She rubbed the sleep from her eyes, peering out over the greenish-orangey swamp land from her perch, higher up, in a slight mountain range. It was early dusk, the early alien sunlight still casting shadows over the lower lands.

  She peered up, as the unmistakable roar grew of an engine pierced the peaceful chatters of the early morning residence, of native creatures. Whoa. It was hard to miss the ship, bigger than a twenty story building, even if it was sideways, more rounded and glowing orange yellow as it clashed with the planet’s atmosphere.

  Slithers of fear ran through Celeste’s body. This new fear outweighed the one of living out the rest of her life on this alien planet. Since finding the cave, each day she had placed marks on the walls, showing the passage of time thus far. She had survived three weeks of marshy swamps, rocky mountain ranges, and odd plants. The mud from the swamp made her itch. Insects buzzed around her without fear. Other things on this planet included mammal type creatures, some the size of a small dog, others, as tall as a giraffe, but blue with long dangly tentacles, moving like a slow tripod, using little suckers to take off leaves from the tops of the alien tress. Then there were the deadly dinosaur-like creatures, who had tried to have her for an exotic snack when she’d gone on a long wonder around the area.

  This ship was different from her captors’ wrecked ship, bigger, and could pose more of a threat to her than anything on this alien swamp planet.

  She sat back against the red rock chewing on her bottom lip as she contemplated what the newcomers could possibly want. She glanced back into her cave home, at the supplies she’d gleaned from her ex-captors’ ship. Her chest ached as guilt swamped her, and she swung her gaze down the slope towards the broken ship, and the graves she’d dug.

  Why had she survived when everyone else perished? The constant guilt never lifted. It was fitting punishment she was alone. Even still, the human instinct to fight for survival was strong.

  She glanced back at her food supplies, guessing they would last her another day, two, tops. She would be forced to hunt, or find what was edible before she starved to death. She’d need to draw on her knowledge of everything she’d learned in the past few weeks of being on this planet. Her life hung in the balance, but her luck wouldn’t last forever.

  She watched the ship set down with a loud fawamp on one of the higher hills, billowing up a dust cloud around its landing spot, just above the swamp area. She noted she was now almost right in between the newcomers and the wreckage of the crashed ship. Its engines whined and spluttered before it slowly died, leaving only the dust clouds billowing from the force of its abrupt landing.

  Humm, ship troubles, maybe? The possibility flashed through her mind that they weren’t here to find or capture her. She turned and crawled back into her cave, gathering the clothes and alien weapons that through trial and error she had taught herself to use. She decided it was best she stay hidden and simply observe until she knew exactly what kind of creatures she was dealing with.

  ****

  Zeb grit his teeth as every bone in his body shook as the ship finally set down, harder than he’d anticipated.

  “Welcome to our new home for the next few weeks.” Loc smiled. With a cheerful grin, he unbuckled himself and shoved to his feet, moving over to sit next to Kue, who was still pressing at the controls. “I’ll leave auxiliary power running for basic functions, food, and bathing. Oh, and while we’re here we might as well do a clean out of the external thrusters.” Loc glanced at his older brother with a smirk.

  Raz groaned. “Fuck the Ice Plains, do I have to?”

  “Kue and I will be working to recalibrate every sensor on the ship, so yes, we’ll help as soon as that job is done.”

  “It’s a Jorval ship!” Kue’s head snapped up, glancing at each of his brothers.

  “Really? They’re not known for crashing, and they always retrieve their own ships.” Zeb pushed out of his command chair, moving to stand over Kue’s shoulder, staring down at data read-out.

  “They also have technology our government and many other planets have been trying to get a hold of for years,” Raz noted. “But what were they doing so far out here?”

  Kue shrugged. “Your guess is as good as mine, unless…”

&
nbsp; Zeb didn’t miss the concern flickering in his brother’s eyes. He felt it as well. It was hard to miss all the news reports from their home planet. More than a dozen human women now lived on Galafarax, and all had been rescued from Jorval slave traders.

  “With the new agreement signed, Jorvals are no longer permitted to abduct human females and sell them, and they are protected under our laws,” Raz said, moving from his own seat.

  “You really think a treaty will stop them from doing it and taking the trade underground? Jorvals value profit over laws.” Loc shook his head. “Greedy self-serving fuckers.”

  “Not every species can be as perfect as I am.” Raz shrugged with a smug smile. All three of his brothers rolled their eyes.

  “From the scans, I am sure this wreckage is more than a few days old, so I seriously doubt there would be survivors.” Enraged at the poor treatment all those precious and delicate human females had suffered, before being rescued by their race, Zeb stood up straighter. If the Jorval had been on an abduction mission, any human women, due to their fragile structures, no doubt perished when the ship crashed.

  “Let’s get this over with. We’ve got a lot of work to do.” Zeb nodded, hardening his resolve, just as he had several years ago. The thought of any kind of female dredged up old painful memories. Zeb shoved them back down. Never would he let a female do to them what she had done. He never wanted another sheraz. Her betrayal had left a deep scar in their hearts and minds. “We’ll go and scout the Jorval ship before starting on the external thrusters. If all goes to plan, this set down could turn out to be very profitable indeed.” Zeb tapped at the screen bringing up an image of the wrecked Jorval ship.

  “Enough to get us a new damn ship I hope. While you’re out there see if the Jorval ship has a Reisin coupling, as otherwise we’ll be here a lot longer while I try to make one.” Loc waved dismissively before disappearing through the door, no doubt his head already lost in the work he had to do.