by Cathryn Cade
Again, she shook off her own imaginings. Scala and Tuala were loyal guards. It must be the two Pangaeans who were doing wrong. She needed to find out why they had sneaked into Tuala’s room.
The dim lights showed nothing in the storage closet but clean, folded linens. She had to know what was going on in Tuala’s room next door. The only way was through the ceiling. Ductwork ran the length and breadth of the ship, carrying air. Made of tilesium, light and strong, it would carry her weight also.
Stacking a bundle of linens on the floor, she leapt up onto it, then swung herself up to the top of the storage cupboard. She half lifted, half pushed aside a ceiling panel, wincing at the scrape of hard material against the supports. She waited, holding her breath for the sound of response, but heard none. She crawled up through the opening. As lightly as a stalking lizard, she crawled along the smooth metal floor of the air duct until she could see down through the grate into the lighted room below.
The two Pangaeans stood just inside the stateroom door, their green hair wrapped tightly about their throats in distress. Obviously they were not alone. When she pressed her cheek against the floor of the duct and looked across the small room, Tessa froze. Her breath caught in her throat.
Scala stood poised, her hands fisted at her sides, her lovely face taut with anger.
“You two again,” she hissed. “You were told to stay away—that we would handle this.”
“We have been instructed to observe,” one of the Pangaeans bleated. “To make sure that it happens as—as promised.”
Scala slashed the air impatiently with one hand, looking as if she wished it were one of them. “As if such a simple action could not be performed without supervision. Very well, let’s get on with it.”
Tessa felt sick. Scala was not confronting the Pangaeans, she was collaborating with them. And she had said “we”. Tuala must be in on the plot, too. Tessa reached carefully for her com-link, then flinched as another voice spoke from the shadows behind Scala.
“Scala, my ssweet, I think we are being observed by more than these two.”
Ssaar! Oh, goddess, not him. As Tessa watched in horror, he shouldered past Scala, looking up at the grating. His narrow, leathery tongue flicked the air. He had scented her!
Tessa grabbed her com-link and pushed the button to activate it. It no longer mattered if she made noise. Then she cried out, clawing for a handhold as the duct in which she lay bucked violently and fell away beneath her. She tumbled straight down into the room below.
Instinctively she tucked as she fell, rolling out of the open end of the duct onto the floor. As she leapt to her feet, she was balanced lightly, hands raised in defense, eyes darting around the room. Above her head, metal screamed in protest as the empty duct swung back up, thudding hollowly against the ceiling panels.
The Pangaeans were plastered against the door, eyes wide.
“You!” Scala cried. “What are you doing here?” She started to say more, but checked, her eyes darting to Ssaar. He smiled, a dangerous pleasure on his narrow face. His peculiar, light gold eyes were fastened on Tessa like a tasty desert bunny.
“Another guard?” demanded one Pangaean. “She was listening. Was she able to communicate with the others?”
“No,” said Ssaar. “Because I have her com-link. And it’s off. She didn’t have time to turn it on before she dropped it.” He held it up in one hand and then tossed it over his shoulder.
Tessa watched her last hope of rescue fall into the shadows of Tuala’s messy bed.
“Where is Tuala?” she demanded. “Is she in on this, too?”
“No,” snapped Scala. “She’s at the concert, where you should be, nosy little—”
“Shut up,” Ssaar hissed. “This little one won’t be any trouble. We’ll proceed as planned. Get the gas masks. We wouldn’t want to succumb along with the rest of these fools.”
“Over my dead body!” Tessa coiled for an attack as he strolled closer, his lean body deceptively relaxed.
Fear slithered through her. She could not hope to best him and Scala. She was not at all sure she could defend herself against him alone, not long enough to escape. Ssaar was one of the best fighters in the guard, and she knew in her gut that he would maim or kill without blinking.
“Dead or not, it’ss all the ssame to me.” Ssaar smiled again, and then struck. Tessa whirled instantly into the high kick, but saw as she came around that he had countered her easily, his powerful arm upraised to take the brunt of her kick sliding along his forearm. Then, at her most vulnerable, he struck back, sending her flying against the wall.
She cried out as her head and shoulders slammed into the wall, but recoiled instantly, ready to strike back at him even though her eyes were slitted against the pain. But he was swifter. His forearm struck her across the throat, his knees bracketing hers so she could not move. Scala started forward, then stopped in the middle of the room, her face pale.
“Plant the gas,” he said over his shoulder.
“Don’t do it,” Tessa croaked, fighting against his grip. “We can take him—you and I.”
Ssaar chuckled sibilantly. The Pangaeans smirked over his shoulder. “Oh, Scala has to do it,” Ssaar said. “She’s in too deep to back out now. She’ll do as I tell her.”
“What about me?” Tessa rasped. “What are you planning to do with me, you worm-snake?”
“Oh, you’ll come with me. For as long as you amuse me.”
“And when I don’t amuse you? What then?”
His grip tightened painfully. “I advisse you not to find out.”
Struggling for breath, Tessa stared at Scala over his shoulder, willing her to see that Ssaar would do the same to her—get rid of her when he considered her no longer useful. Tessa saw a terrible indecision in the other girl’s golden eyes.
“Open the vacuum port,” one of the Pangaeans said. The smaller one began to pry at a grate on the wall. “Yes, that one. The gas will be sucked directly into the main system.”
Ssaar laughed unpleasantly. “Yes, everyone on this cursed ship but us will go to sleep. Including Captain Craig. How humiliating—his precious ship stolen while he’s as helpless as a eunuch. When he wakes, he’ll have lost his ship, and his lover.”
“No!” They were trying to steal the Orion.
The thought of Craig humiliated, possibly disgraced, galvanized Tessa. Ssaar might have her legs pinned, but in his arrogance he had left her arms free. Going for the one spot he had left unprotected, she jabbed her stiffened fingers straight into the flesh under his ribs, throwing every iota of her strength into the blow. She felt something pop in her middle finger.
“Auggh!” He flinched violently, and she used the slight opening to twist as hard as she could, managing to throw him slightly to one side. Then with a fierce cry, she struck back with her elbow, right across his throat, hoping that it hurt as much as his arm across her own. He gagged.
“Bitch! You’ll pay for that,” he snarled, drawing back his fist. “I’ll show you ways of submitting you’ve never dreamed of, little bunny. You’ll beg me to die! We’ll see how your precious captain likes that.”
“No, Ssaar, it’s your turn to pay,” said Scala behind him. She threw one arm around his neck, locking his neck in a choke hold, using her weight to hold him back.
She grimaced at Tessa over his shoulder. “I might be a thief, but I’ll be damned before I stand by and watch this slime rape another female. Just one thing—I help you, you help me, right?”
“Right!” Tessa snatched her soft restraints from her belt.
“Scala—you fool!” Ssaar choked. “You need me. They’ll kill you for this.”
Scala tightened her choke hold. “No, that’s your style, Ssaar!”
She yanked harder, and he gave a great hissing cry of rage, twisting violently in their grip.
He struck Tessa across her face, snapping her head to the side. Scala screamed as he wrenched at her arm.
“Let him go,” Tessa mumbled. Th
ere was a buzzing in her ears, and her jaw didn’t want to work correctly. Scala fell away, Ssaar staggered back, eyeing Tessa malevolently.
“I’ll kill you both,” he hissed. “Sslowly.”
Tessa met Scala’s eyes, and both of them leapt at once, whirling in a mirror image of each other, legs outstretched. Their feet hit his torso from both sides at once, connecting with a sickening crunch as ribs cracked. The impact yanked Ssaar up onto his toes, mouth wide in a hissing cry of agony. He settled back onto his heels, eyes glazed. He staggered, then collapsed slowly until he hit the floor in a heap.
Tessa heard the loud grate of metal and turned just in time to see the taller Pangaean boost the smaller one up through the gap in the ceiling. He leapt up close behind, and the scrabbling sounds of their escape died away.
“I say we let ’em go.” Scala slurred her words slightly. Tessa saw that the other girl was hunched over, holding her arm protectively to her middle. Blood dripped between her fingers, bright red against her golden uniform. Her face was like bleached chalk.
“You’re hurt.”
Scala managed to raise an arching brow at her. “You don’t look so well yourself, Cadet. Don’t forget—to speak for me.”
“I remember. Thanks. He would’ve killed me.” The two women stared at each other for a moment, and then Scala looked away, her face contorting—in pain or in tears of regret, Tessa couldn’t tell. Scala leapt up, and dragged the open duct down again with her good arm, then staggered, hanging onto it for balance. Tessa didn’t think she would get far, even if she managed to haul herself up.
Tessa’s head hurt so badly she could hardly think, and the side of her face was on fire. She squinted down at Ssaar, sprawled on the floor.
“Need to…call for backup.”
The door of the stateroom flew open.
“It’s here,” said a deep voice.
Craig strode into the room, followed by Sirena and Slyde Stone. A huge bubble of relief welled up, bringing with it hot tears that filled Tessa’s eyes and quavered in her voice. She had never been so glad to see anyone in her life.
“What took you so long?” She wavered, then collapsed against his broad chest. His arm closed about her, supporting her, holding her safe.
“You had the situation under control, Cadet.”
Chapter Seventeen
Craig held Tessa in his left arm, wanting to bear her off to the infirmary, but knowing that he wasn’t done here yet. His other hand held his laser stunner. Ssaar was down, but he wasn’t dead…yet.
“Get that gas canister,” he ordered. “Is it safe?”
Slyde held up one huge hand. “I have it. They had not yet deployed the release mechanism.”
“Get Izard and Raile down here—I want that gas analyzed, and then destroyed.”
“Yes, Captain.”
Sirena had Scala in restraints, an instant bandage on her wounded arm. Slyde Stone towered over the Serpentian lying on the floor, heat simmering in the air around him. The fire in his eyes said he was ready and willing to kill the bastard.
Craig knew how he felt. For Slyde, Ssaar had compromised the honor of the guard, betrayed his compatriots. For himself, it was more—the snake had been prepared not only to sabotage his ship, but to rape and kill the woman he loved.
He watched as Ssaar sat up, holding his middle with one arm, and then slowly dragged himself to his feet. He lifted his head long enough to sneer at Craig.
“Well, you can have her back, Captain. Just remember I had her, too.”
“No,” Tessa whispered. He glanced down at her, rage boiling inside him as he saw the huge bruises on her face, livid against her chalky skin. Her eye had nearly swollen shut. Blood trickled from the corner of her mouth.
“You’re lying, Ssaar,” Craig said coldly. “Cadet Alligon has been under holo-vid surveillance. We have this entire incident on record. She is a heroine, and you are on your way to Deep Six, the prison planet. I hear it’s very cold there. The Serpentians who don’t freeze to death usually kill themselves.”
“You’ll never keep me prisoner long enough to get me in front of a tribunal, Captain,” Ssaar hissed. He reached for his utility belt.
Craig swung his laser up and fired in one smooth movement. A laser charge streaked across the short space, striking Ssaar in the chest. The Serpentian jerked, his face contorting horribly, and then fell with a thud, laser slipping to the floor. He lay still, staring sightlessly.
“I agree. So I see no reason to try,” Craig said grimly.
Slyde turned his fiery gaze on Craig, nodded in succinct approval, then crouched over Ssaar.
“He is dead, Captain.”
Craig nodded. “Good.” He holstered his weapon and swung Tessa gently up into his arms.
“I’m taking Tessa to the infirmary. Bring the prisoner as well. Then one of you had better find out where those two Pangaeans have holed up.”
On the floor above, Ggee and Hha fought to be the first through the narrow hatch out of the small crew elevator. Ggee won and dashed down the wide passageway toward their stateroom.
“Not that way, you fool!” Hha looked around wildly. “They’ll find us immediately.”
“You find a place, then!”
“Here! This one is empty. They won’t look there.”
Ggee followed him into an empty stateroom, the door ajar. They looked around wildly and then rushed into the tiny bathroom.
Hha gagged. “What is that stench?”
“I don’t know,” Ggee moaned. “It smells like rotting gremels. Acres of them!”
“I can’t stand it,” Hhaa whimpered.
“We have to. Do you want those Serpentians to kill us? Or the Orion crew to capture us?”
Hha whimpered again.
Hands clamped over their faces, the two huddled in the narrow space. They stared at each other miserably. They both knew what they had to do now.
Craig hovered outside the exam room where Dr. Tentaclar examined Tessa, who had fainted as he carried her up in the elevator. Tentaclar’s several eyes waved on their stalks, some watching the holo-scan, the others trained on Tessa while his careful hands palpated her skull. Beside him hovered two nurse technicians.
Tessa lay inert on the exam table, the livid bruises the only color against her bright hair. Fear clenched Craig’s gut in an icy fist. If anything happened to her, he didn’t think he could bear it. In a short time, this woman had become important to him. Vitally important, he realized.
Watching her confront Ssaar without intervening had been the most difficult thing he had ever done. Every instinct he possessed had demanded that he burst into that room, drag Ssaar off her, and pound him into a quivering pulp. Instead, he had waited outside the room with Sirena and Slyde, while Ssaar and Scala incriminated themselves. And he had trusted Tessa to do what she had been trained to do.
At least he had gotten to shoot the bastard.
“No skull damage,” Tentaclar said, his voice clear through the com-link. “She will be fine, Captain. She just needs rest, and treatment for the swelling and pain.”
“Why is she still unconscious?” Craig demanded.
Two of Tentaclar’s eyes swung around to view him through the window. “Sudden severe stress, which was removed just as suddenly. You humans often react in this way to such situations. You handle the danger, and then just…shut down.”
One of his eyes winked wisely. “I repeat, Captain—she will be fine. She will be awake in a few hours. You may speak to her then.”
Craig nodded, willing himself to accept the old physician’s diagnosis.
“Thank you, Doctor. Make sure I’m notified immediately when she wakes.”
“Captain,” said Izard behind him. “We’ve found the Pangaeans.”
Craig turned, surprised to see his friend’s eyes twinkling. As Craig raised his eyebrows, Izard went on. “They were hiding in a stateroom recently vacated by a Bartian.”
Craig stared at him, and then began to laugh. It felt
good.
Izard nodded reflectively. “They actually seemed grateful to be caught.”
A short time later, Craig was no longer smiling. He paced back and forth on the command deck, scowling. His commanders were gathered around the table, watching him gravely.
“You say there is nothing to be gained from interrogating the Pangaeans?” he asked Navos.
“I’m sorry, Captain. They have apparently ingested a drug which acted as a memory wipe. I have gained a few impressions of another Pangaean who seems to be their leader, but no more. They can tell us nothing of any plot or plan. All we know is what Scala has told us, and apparently she was never allowed to meet the principal. Her communication with him, or her, was via holo-com, with a scrambler on the other end.”
“They were traveling under assumed identities,” Slyde said. “But we’ll run their holo-vids and DNA scans through the galactic registry. Once we learn who they are, we’ll check known acquaintances, employment.”
“Eventually we’ll uncover their intentions here, and the source,” Sirena agreed grimly.
“But what did they intend to do?” Mra asked, clearly bewildered.
“According to Scala, the plan was to steal the Orion. Once they had drugged the passengers and crew, they would land on Bartis, and unload us all. We were to be marooned there until the next transport came through,” Navos told the others.
Panthar grimaced. “On that stink-hole?”
Ogg raised one grizzled eyebrow. “Steal a ship as big as the Orion? How did they think they were going to run it with only a handful?”
Craig shook his head disgustedly, leaning on the table. “We don’t know. For all we know, they have a crew of pirates lurking somewhere just off the shipping lanes.”
“We will search the port on Bartis once we land, you may be sure of that,” Sirena said.
“You can try, but I doubt we will find any trace of them.” Craig slammed one of his fists on the table. “Damn it to the seven hells! So close—and they slip through our hands.”
