by Maya Carnage
"Linkin talked to her. I don't know how much or how often, but he did communicate with her."
"She'd sometimes go months without accessing a comm device. They're not easy to get to when the guards are on alert, especially after large fights or one of the prisoners trying to escape. That often happened on The Gregory. And it's not the same as having someone next to you, playing a card game or board game. Everyone in that correctional facility is human. They most likely believed the worst about Kris."
"Like you did?"
Dawn gives an uncomfortable chuckle. Her head drops, looking at her feet, in shame. "I'm not proud of the early moments, Axe. I know better now, and I'm going to make it up to all of you."
"How are you going to do that?" Axe asked.
She tugs his hand, walking toward the door. "I'll explain everything when we're all sitting down together, but first I want some alone time with you." She smiles back at him.
Chapter Thirteen
Axe
She shoves him back onto his bed. The bed creaks at the impact of his heavyweight. She stands before him and strips out of her prison uniform. She doesn't waste her time, and she's bared to his heated gaze before he can catch his breath.
Taking a seat next to him, she tugs at the catch of his bed, undoing it. Once it's pulled free of his pants, she works his button out and unzips him. His cock springs free. The tip is already glistening with semen, and it arches up reaching his belly button.
"Lift your hips," she demands.
She tugs his pants free, but when they get stuck on his boots, she drops to her knees. The sight of her there and her head level with his hard cock makes Axe's abs tremble with unspent desire.
It's been a long two week.
Axe has had to take himself in hand several times, jerking off to memories of her tight cunt. Now that the real thing is in front of him he doesn't think he's going to last.
She sets' his boots to the side and climbs up onto his lap. He takes his shirt off, pressing his bare chest to her stiffened nipples. She leans down, kissing him. He swallows the soft moan escaping her lips. He tunnels his hand through her blonde locks. Taking a fist of the stuff, he yanks her head back.
His lips leave her mouth, trailing down her throat until he reaches her nipple. Taking it into his mouth, he bites the stiff peak, making her groan at the sting. He sucks on it until she pushes his head away.
He wants to ignore her, staying there suckling at her breast until all his worries disappear, but he knows she needs to come by the way her hips rock against his stomach.
He flips her onto her back, levering himself above her. He nudges her legs apart. When his dick glides through her moist curls, they both groan. "You're ready for me, aren't you, baby?" He whispered in her ear.
She only manages to nod. She brings her legs up and wraps them around his waist. He rocks against her to wet his dick. He thighs grip him harder.
He balances on one forearm while he reaches down between their bodies to presses his head to her pussy. When the tip of him is inside of her, he places both of his arms by her head before thrusting into her warmth.
The rough thrust elicits a hoarse groan from her throat. Axe thrusts steadily into her tight clasp. Her nails rake down his back to grips his ass in her hands.
"Don't stop," she said.
He circles his hips before pulling out slowly only to push back into her with a hard shove. "Your pussy missed me. I can tell by how sweet it grips me." Axe presses kiss across Dawn's face. "Did you miss me?"
She nods.
He thrusts into her roughly, making her back arch off the bed. "Tell me."
He hammers into her. She cries his name as her cunt pulses around his length. He groans when her pussy contracts around his dick, making it hard for him to thrust.
"I missed you! I thought about you every night. I wanted to touch myself, but I was afraid Kris would hear, so I didn't." She holds him close to her, wrapping her arms around his back, clasping him to her heart.
He grinds against her clit, thrusting shallowly. He shudders. His cock jerks inside her shooting his release. Rolling onto his side, he tugs her into him, her leg propped on his hip and his cock still deep inside her.
"How important is it that you talk to all of us?" He tucks her loose hair back.
"It can wait. Can we lay here for a little while?"
He nods.
They stay like that until her breathing evens out. Axe wants to gaze out at her face, not quite believing she's back, but the last two weeks of catches up to him. His eyes close, and his body slows down to let the nanobots repair everything in him.
What feels like hours later, Dawn gently shakes his shoulder. His eyes snap open. "What time is it?"
She looks over at the comm squinting her eyes to see what is blinking on its screen. "Four-thirty-four earth time."
They have been out for only two hours. He sits up, scrubbing at his eyes. His body feels sluggish like it does when the nanobots are interrupted. He'll try to get some sleep tonight. Dawn will be in his arms, so he won't wake up anxious about her. "Are you ready to meet with the others?"
She nods. Getting up from the bed she goes to put her uniform back on, but Axe stops her. "I've something else that you can wear."
She looks relieved. He takes her hand and walks over to his set of drawers. He slides one out and hands a set of female trousers and shirt to her. They get dressed.
Axe has to remind himself to take smaller strides as they walk down the corridor toward the meeting room. Her legs are short than his, and he doesn't want to fatigue her.
It couldn't have been easy living in prison for two weeks. Dawn spends a lot of time doing physical activity, and to have gone without it for the last two weeks, must have put an impact on her usual levels of stamina.
"Is there anything you want to tell me before we get to the others?" He sent out an alert to all of the crew to meet them in the meeting room at four-forty-five.
"Actually, there is." She comes to a stop and faces him. "I've had plenty of time to think about it, and I want to be with you, Axe. But, I want you to know that I'm not going to stop being a rebel. That means that at times I'm going to be in dangers, and you can't tell me I can't or fight me about it. I wouldn't do that to you because I trust that you can make those kinds of decisions on your own. I trust you, Axe."
"Does that mean you'll live with me on Teraz?"
She grins at his answer. "Yes, I would like that a lot."
The meeting room is full when they walk in. Though, he notices that the rebels set off by themselves, separated from the cyborgs.
It will take some time before they are all used to each other, but he can't help but feel empathy for his fellow cyborgs. They risked so much saving these rebels, at least they could treat them as equals and not monsters.
They take their seats at the table. Dawn's father glares at him from where he sits over in the corner. Axe ignores him and focuses on the face at the table. Kris sits across from on the other end next to Pax and Gregor.
He clears his throat before beginning, "For those of you who don't know, I'm Axe sergeant of the 54th regent of The Pursuer, and my crew and I are joining the rebels' cause." He fills them in on his plan, about taking them all to Teraz to hide out and plot their next move. He explains to them that by nightfall the ship they are on now will be floating, abandoned, through space.
"How are we going to get to Teraz?" one of the rebels asked.
"A pirate that is familiar with some of the cyborgs on Teraz is transporting us there."
"Can we trust him?"
"He won't turn us into the Malviks if that's what you're worried about," Kris answered in an irritated tone. She taps her fingers on the table and looks at Dawn. "There are more important things to discuss. Teraz is simple, that's not what we need to be worried about."
"Kris thinks that our leader isn't to be trusted, and I'm beginning to think the same." Dawn glances at her father. "What do you really know about him? T
here was supposed to be another ship out there waiting for us, but they didn't show."
Her father gazes at his hands in his lap. He back expands from the deep breath of air he takes in, and then he glances up. "That day we were caught, there weren't supposed to be any other militia groups there, he assured me of it, but they were there. I've talked to a lot of men, some who are rebels, others who aren't, and from them, I've learned that Stan might not be as loyal as he appears."
The rebels don't look at James, but by the expressions, on their faces, they heard what he's said before, and they're ashamed to believe it, but they do.
"What are we going to do then? If we can't trust him, how are we going to get the rebels' help?" Dawn asked.
Her father gets to his feet and walks over to stand over her. He looks down into her face, watching her expression to his coming words. "We're going to have to take him out, but we'll need your sister for that to happen."
Dawn rocks back in her chair. "That's the ultimate betrayal. What if we're wrong?"
"We're not, but Kayla is going to prove he doesn't have the best interest for the rebellion. That's what she's doing right now." He squeezes her shoulder before sitting back down.
"Why didn't she mention anything to me? It would've been fucking great if I knew that before being sent to The Gregory!" She slams her fists down on the table, glaring at her father. "I went into a prison trusting that our leader would have gotten me out, but you and Kayla knew that that was unlikely? What the hell!?"
"My men and I had to escape, Dawn. You were the only way."
She looks at her father like she doesn't know who he is, shaking her head, she storms out of the room. Axe itches to say something to James, but by the look on his face, the old man is already punishing himself enough as is.
His brows are pulled down, and mouth pinched closed. He wrings his hands at his daughter's upset feelings.
Axe gets up and goes after her.
He finds her in her old cell. Sitting crossed legged on the corner of her bed, her back pressed against the wall, she looks up when Axe walks into the room.
"I can't believe they'd put me in danger. I could have been stuck there, no way to get out, all because they wanted to keep their plan secret."
He sits down in front of her and grabs her hand from her lap. His thumb caresses her palm. "If it helps he feels terrible about it, and I'm certain Kayla does too."
"They could have told me." Her eyes water, she licks her lips, not meeting Axes stare. She brushes at the wetness with the back of her other hand. "It's not surprising. They were always close. I was the odd duck out."
"I think Rodrick is working with your sister." She looks at him taken aback by his statement.
Axe explains to her his suspicions. He tells her about Rodrick's sudden disappearance and how he voiced his concern about the rebels' leader.
"I wish I could tell you something, but all of this is a surprise to me. All I know is what I've told you," said Dawn. "Is it cool if I stay here for a bit? I don't want to be around anyone right now."
"As long as I can stay with you I don't mind."
She lays down on her side, making room for him.
Chapter Fourteen
Dawn
Axe gets up a little while later to check on the pirate’s status. Dawn thought about going with him, but she still isn't ready to face her father.
She's always known that he was closer to Kayla than her, but for it to be announced in such a way really stings. It was odd that Kayla jumped base right before the mission began. Kayla's always up for a fight, and when she handed The Gregory over to her, Dawn didn't think much about it, she assumed that she had something better to do.
She's mad at her father and sister, but that doesn't mean she's not concerned about Kayla. She still hasn't gotten in contact with any of them, and Dawn is worried. Though, Axe's idea of her sister working with Rodrick might hold some merit.
Rodrick is the one who told Axe not to trust Stan, so maybe he's working with Kayla. If he's helping the Malviks take down the rebels, they're all fucked. Stan knows every move they have planned. Of course, he's as good as dead if he reveals all of them at once, and Stan isn't a stupid man, he'll draw it out until he has an escape plan made.
It explains a lot.
The eighth ward rebels aren't the only ones who's suffered greatly at the hands of the Malviks these last few years. It's always when Stan says they're safe and that everything is going to be fine. He's been handing his people over to the enemy.
Kris knocks against the open door. Dawn gestures for her to come in. "The pirate's here."
"Well, let's get this over with." Dawn walks out of the cell and follows Kris to the loading bay. Everyone has gathered there already.
When she sees her father heading toward her, she ducks behind a large cyborg's back and strides over to stand next to Axe.
That's when she notices the alien.
He's tall, around seven feet, and slender. Massive black horns sit atop his head, arching back to curve along his skull. They're black and look rough from where she stands. His skin is smooth and red. His lips curve up into a smile when he sees her looking at him. Sharp black teeth appear.
Dawn takes a step back.
Axe looks behind him to see what has caught the pirate's attention. When he sees that it's her, he reaches for her hand, pulling her next to him. "Dawn, this is Zekk. He's going to take us to Teraz."
The beast sticks his hand out toward her. She hesitates before shaking his hand. If Axe's willing to trust him than he must be a good person, "It's nice to meet you, Zekk."
"Likewise."
"If you all are ready, can we leave? I don't like being this close to a ship belonging to the Malviks."
Axe nods. He leaves Dawn to go over and help the cyborgs and rebels take their stuff onto the other ship.
Dawn shift uncomfortably on her feet.
"I've never met one of your kind before," said Zekk.
"What? A human? You've never met one. I find that hard to believe since we get sold to sex rings on other planets often. You're a pirate. You'd have to have come across one of us by now." She arches a brow.
Zekk laughs a big guffaw. "I didn't mean a human. A rebel. I've heard many things about your cause, but never ventured close enough to earth to meet one of you, until now."
Her face blushes red at her assumptions. Now the pirate's going to think she's a bitch. It's the truth, but she would have preferred to start off on a better foot.
"Don't worry. I wouldn't have trusted you if you were nice. There's something about a hint of rudeness that makes a person seem honest and reliable. At least to a pirate." He walks away, going back to his ship.
Pax engages the ships rescue beacon to alert the Malviks that the ship needs help in seventy-two hours. That will give them enough time to get out of the Malviks zone. They can't pick up their ship once they pass that point.
Dawn strolls onto Zekk's ship with Axe. He lingers, looking back over his shoulder. "You're not regretting anything are you?"
He looks at her. "Only one thing." He kisses her. "That I didn't meet you earlier."
They leave the crew and rebels behind and make their way to the room Zekk gave to them.
Chapter Fifteen
Axe
The three-week journey to Taraz goes by exceptionally fast. The crew and the rebels manage to get along for the most part. They are still avoiding spending as much time together as possible. If they want to defeat the Malviks and take down the rebels' leader, they're going to have to learn how to get over their prejudices of each other. It won't be good if they're constantly distrusting each other.
Kris is a conundrum. She doesn't socialize with the cyborgs or the rebels. She and Dawn spend time together. She's the only person that she really talks to.
Dawn has talked to Axe at night when they are laying down in bed after making love. "She's doing better here than when she was on the prison ship." Axe doesn't know how she was there,
but the first few days around her, he could tell she distance herself from everyone else.
The pirate's ship is two days away from Teraz. At the moment, Axe sits with the other cyborgs and James. They are discussing their plans once they land.
"We'll have to wait until we hear back from Kayla. She's working on figuring out what Stan's involvement is with the Malviks. She's going to hand us our starting point. If we make a move before she tells us what she's learned, then we could be getting our asses in some deep shit," said James. He leans back in his chair it squeaks on its hinges. His face has aged considerably since five years ago. Dawn says that he didn't have as many groves running over his face and not as much silver streaking through his hair.
"We also need to wait until Rodrick contacts us again. I'm not sure where he stands on this, but I know the Malviks has cast him out of their circle. If he's going to go up against them, he'll make sure he has the ammunition to do so," said Axe.
"Plus, we all think he and Kayla might be working together. So, when we hear from one there's a chance we will hear from the other," said Enzo.
"The rebels won't move unless we reach Kayla." James frowns. "I don't know her entire plan. This cyborg could be a part of it, but even if he isn't, I'm waiting until I know my daughter's safe before attacking the Malviks."
"You didn't seem to mind putting Dawn in harm's way."
The cyborgs and rebels look at each other uncomfortably. Axe sits across from James and the two glares at each other.
He still hasn't forgiven the old man for what he did to Dawn. She's still upset and hasn't talked to her father since she found out. They'll speak about the mission, but that's as much as they'll share with each other.
