by Bobbi Ross
"Don't get shot."
"Thanks a lot." I deadpanned.
The big, greenish gray guy I was hiding behind had stopped whining. He feebly reached out to the ground in front of him to pick up the laser-whip with his good hand. I noticed the burnt stump of his right arm was starting to squirm and bud. Huh, a regenerator. I'd have to remember that. Then I drove my plastisteel composite-toed boot hard into his face.
CRACK!
Jaxx squawked in my ear. "You want us laying down cover fire from our end Captain?"
I crouched down by the Terran young woman, extending my arm out to her. She recoiled like a wounded animal, brows drawn together, lips pressed so tight they paled.
"Negative, I'm gonna send this group your way. Make sure you get them on the ship. Offer them free ride, room and board, whatever ‘till we figure it out. And J..., make sure you take care of yourself big daddy. You know, I'm looking forward to being a godmother."
“Sure -sniffle- thing -sniffle- Captain,” he blubbered, and she could hear the flood gates opening wide.
I rolled my eyes and yelled through the com line, “Ensign!”
“I’m on it Captain. No worries,” he assured before the line went dead.
Actually, worries are all I had recently. They're kind of my thing, but I appreciated the sentiment.
I fiddled with the settings on my weapon. The next time I pressed the trigger a small four-inch beam of solid blue light erupted from the barrel. I grabbed the manacles around her wrist. "Hold still," I ordered. The plasma blade cut through the steel like a hot knife slicing through jellied Melomonkey brains. Damn, my stomach growled and I smiled sheepishly. From the gaunt look of her she was probably way hungrier than me.
I had to give her credit. As soon as she was free, the young woman didn't run. She grabbed the Floturan child behind her and held her manacled wrists in the air. Good girl.
The child’s eyes were rapidly blinking, while her lips and chin trembled as if she was going into shock. The young woman held the child’s shaking hands steady and we made quick work of the bindings. I slashed through the chain that connected to her throat. They could get the rest removed on the ship.
"There you go. Run back that way, you'll see two more who look just like me. Don't worry they're not really Daunietes either. They'll help get you off the station."
With the child enfolded in her arms, the young Terran shot me a suspicious look. "Why are you helping me?" she whispered, her voice raspy and trembling.
"I am a Protectorate Captain, that’s what I do. Now go!” The words blurted out of my mouth. Protocol wasn't going out the window, it was so far gone it couldn’t even see the window anymore. The window was a speck to protocol now. I was infinitely glad Jaxx wasn’t around to call me on it.
She raised a curious eyebrow and cocked her head, her arms crossed protectively around the sobbing Floturan child.
“It’s a holographic disguise, I’m Terran like you,” a reassuring smile crossed my face, a smile which I realized she couldn’t see. So I stuck a finger through my holographic eye. That got her attention.
Lips pursed, she nodded and blinked her understanding. She spun on her heels, pulling the child along with her and they both shuffled hastily in the direction I hoped Jaxx and Ensign Chandles were waiting. I watched them escape even as the next captive held her wrist up to me.
Two nearby ear splitting explosions rained debris on us, billowing smoke into the air and sending guards, prisoners and bystanders alike to the ground racked with coughing fits. I needed to shoot something, but skeck this gun was a pain in my ass. Finally recalibrated, I fired back at the several guards exiting elevators from my 2 o'clock, a vulnerability my scouting team had failed to mention. I ducked back behind tall, gray and scaly using his massive unconscious body as a shield.
A savage roar tore through the air and dwarfed the sound of all the explosions around me. It looked like the big golden boy had woken up, and wasn't nearly as helpless as he first appeared. His large, muscular arms tore through his own chains like they were paper. His luscious lips curled in a ferocious snarl, revealing large, white canines sending shivers down my spine. Green sparks illuminated his hazel, predatory eyes, igniting something primal inside me.
An energy beam sizzled the air about an inch from my nose, shocking me out of my reverie. By the way, I knew this energy beam. A very unique energy beam, with a unique energy signature. Novokin? This far out? Impossible.
A second energy blast that ricocheted off of the armor of the groaning reptile I was hiding behind said otherwise. I aimed at another energy conduit.
BOOM!
This one must've been a larger junction, as the blast vaporized the two Novokin guards that were firing on me and part of the floor where they had been standing. Bye-bye.
More fires erupted on the Promenade from damaged and discarded weapons. Taking advantage of the smoke and blinking away stinging tears, I lifted my head to peek out over my gray, still breathing wall. Something was moving through the smoke. A lot of somethings actually. I tried to contact my ship, but the blue electrical fire blazing from the exposed energy conduits overhead told me why I wasn't getting through.
After the smoke dissipated, my heart sank to the floor. I was face-to-face with a double row of Novokin Imperial guards, standing between me and my ship. Plasma rifles at the ready and sticks embedded firmly in their butts, I wasn't getting out of this today. Not alive anyway. Well, if I was going down I was damn sure going to take as many of them as I could before they noticed my crew mates and-.
Son of a skeck hound!
Golden boy howled in wild rage as he tore through the line of Alliance guards. I don't think any of the shots, punches or kicks even slowed his stampede. Good for him. Wait. Why was his stampede headed right for me? Oh Skeck, what did I do to piss him off? Maybe he doesn't like Daunietes, but then again who does?
I raised my weapon in two-handed grip and aimed for center mass of his big rippling chest. Yummy... But he must've gone insane because he continued his charge right at me. I stood up to make sure he could see the gun I was holding. He didn’t seem to be fazed at all. Not only didn’t he stop but he seemed to increase his speed.
Such a waste, I thought as I kept my gun firmly aimed at his golden chest. "Sorry beautiful, but I'm not getting caught just because you decided to wake up.” I fired.
I fired again.
I fired two more times. Nothing ruffled this alien's feathers...err furs. What the heck was he? Movement above me and to the left drew my attention from the hulking, golden mass of pure muscle and fury on a collision course with yours truly.
A Novokin guard had me in his rifle sights. My own gun rendered useless for the next few seconds, having gone into cooling mode. Cheap Atiuerian junk! I guess I had a good run, and one way to die is as good as the next. At least my crew would be safe. I brought my arm to my chest and pressed my com link. I had to say good bye to my crew, to my friends. I closed my eyes waiting for Jaxx’s calm or...hysterical voice. Couldn’t tell which I would get these days. Hopefully, before...
BANG! Whooooosh!
Chapter 7
A great force struck my chest and I was enveloped in darkness. But I knew I couldn't be dead. There was no way death hurt this much or was this warm. Taking a deeply painful breath, my nostrils were filled with a musky aroma of apples and summer mixed with man sweat. I took another long sniff, licking my lips as I drooled a bit. Maybe I was on my way to paradise after all.
A low growl let me know I wasn't alone. I cracked open an eyelid and saw the face of the golden alien, gritting his teeth and staring down at me. His long, gold kissed, brown hair tickled my cheek as explosions rained down all around us, energy beams biting into his exposed back.
Yet, his sculpted lips curved in an amused smile. "When you are finished sniffing me, we need to run."
Was the barbarian mocking me? He was the one laying on top of me and getting all handsy after almost killing me. Several plasma bur
sts exploded around us.
I craned my head sideways to assess our surroundings and then jutted my chin out to the right, away from the detachment of reassembling Novokin guards.
"That way,” I said, furrowing my brows and darting my eyes toward our exit since he had my arms pinned to the ground. “There's a service access tunnel we can slip into and then circle back around to my ship."
He nodded his understanding and started to rise but I grabbed the hair –fur?– on his chest. "Wait." With him still straddled over me I raised my pistol and fired several times at more energy junctions. We were rewarded with three large explosions creating a nice diversion for us to escape. I turned back to my new, barbarian friend. "Now." I said.
Before I could even get to my feet he scooped me up like a child and pressed me to his chest. He crouched low over my form and ran like a Stralaxian horse for the access tunnel I had I had suggested. All the while weapons fired around him. I felt him take several shots to the back, but he was going strong.
Still being carried like this... If I wasn't so happy to be getting out of this skeck-fest alive, I'd have been mortified by the indignity of it. I resigned myself to wait until we were safe, and then I’d kick his gorgeous ass.
Chapter 8
I lost track of time, comfortably huddled in the golden beast’s...err alien’s warm, expansive chest. For the first time in years I felt, oddly safe. Yet that feeling only lasted for a few minutes, maybe seconds, before it was replaced by wariness. I had just met this gorgeous alien. I didn't even know his species. For all I knew he could be a convicted felon or a cannibal from some backwards outer rim planet. Maybe the only reason he saved my ass was to serve me up for dinner to his family or so he could make a quick credit on the interworld web selling me off for parts. Nah, given his size I’d only be a side dish.
A sick thought wormed its way into my mind, maybe he was a female Dauniete, and he was in love. I didn’t know really what they looked like behind their environmental suits. I'm not sure anybody did. Yup, that’s it. It didn't matter how enticing he smelled, I was convinced whichever probability had the worst outcome, that was it.
We'd been running for a long time, but I hadn't heard any Alliance guards for the past few minutes. I peeped over his shoulder for a visual scan and I confirmed the corridor we were speeding down was quite clear.
"Put me down," I told him. Well, it may have sounded like an order. It’s every captain’s bane. Soon all your conversations with regular people sound like orders. He totally ignored me and kept running. My pulse rose and my cheeks burned from my now boiling blood.
“Put me the prak down, you dim-witted, golden Blethdian apebeast!” I yelled. A tinge of anger with a spice of panic colored my voice. Again nothing. It was like I wasn’t even there, all of a hundred and something pounds of me. I smacked my balled fist on his back. "Put me down now! Dammit we're clear!"
He tilted his head lightly in my direction, cocking a single questioning eyebrow, which animated his stunning face. Finally, I had his attention. He slowed down, spun around once to check for himself and then gently lowered my feet to the floor as if I were a newborn colt.
I glowered at him. Lava spewed from my eyes and all my muscles coiled, ready to fight.
He just flashed me a crooked smile, which only infuriated me further because it made him look that much sexier.
Then it dawned on me. My holographic projector was still on. Turning away from his stupid grin I signaled my ship. "Give me a report."
Dodson, one of my two remaining lieutenants answered. "Jaxx and the Ensign have made it back safely with eight of the additions, Captain."
I shook my head. Names people. Protocol, look it up.
"What happened?" I responded, allowing a smidgen of irritation to escape with my voice.
"One of them just disappeared. Ran off from what we can surmise. Three of them were gunned down before they made it off the promenade. We're waiting for you Captain, but we're reading Alliance guards being deployed all over the station. It's just a matter of time before they start searching the ships too."
Double Skeck! “Ok lieutenant. Listen to me. You need to leave this station now. I’ll catch up with you later.”
“But Captain -.”
“No arguments Lieutenant. Please, inform the Commander and disembark immediately. This is an order.”
“Sure Captain,” the lieutenant said reluctantly. “Is there anything else I can do for you Captain?”
"Yes. Give me an estimate of how long we've got before they call in reinforcements?" This will tell me fight, take flight or hunker down and hide.
Hzzzzzz...The signal was starting to break up. "Uncertain this far out Captain. Captain...hzzz I'm reading a scan. Ithzzzz... looks ...hzzzzzlike it's scanning for Daunietes. You better drop–."
Dammit, I don't know why I bothered with the disguise. I should've just painted a big red target on my ass when I left the ship today and save everybody the trouble. I’m pretty certain my big golden barbarian had listened in to my conversation.
Now, I'd have to drop the disguise. Even if they weren’t looking for a Terran, when they went back to their scans they’d be able to identify me. All of the Protectorate personnel's DNA was registered in the home world database which was now conveniently under Alliance control.
My skin prickled as a large shadow swallowed me. "Why did you free those slaves?" A husky, demanding voice spoke from behind me. I took a sec to ready myself and I whirled around only to find my face an inch away of his gold, musclebound, lightly fur-sprinkled chest. I froze breathless and overwhelmed by his enormous presence and...something else. I tried not to stare at the loincloth. Don't stare at the loincloth Caspia. Hmmm. Caspia? Yes?... Don't stare at the loincloth!
It was no use. My eyes shamelessly drifted downward, on their own accord, spotting the most magnificent bulge in the universe. A tingle raced through my body and I was overwhelmed with a need to pet it. To coax it out of its hideout.
His warm, sweet breath gently caressed the hair on the top of my head, igniting my cheeks aflame while shudders ravished my body with anticipation and excitement. I slowly wretched my sight from his rich endowment and I moved to gaze up at my gold companion, taking strenuous note of the sexy, sensuous lines of the taut muscles of his neck, his straight, strong nose, his mouth watering luscious lips. Lips that called to be kissed. Caspia. My face slid forward and my breasts connected with his hard abs...
A soft growl reverberated through his massive chest and made me jump back a foot. I breathed deeply and blinked a few times trying to break the spell this male held over me.
Wow! I couldn’t remember the last time my body went bonkers like that. It almost got me killed once today. My crew depended on me. It’s time to get it together. Seriously! What the prak was wrong with me?
"I don't have time for this.” I snapped. Partially to him and partially to myself. “They're going to be scanning for me, or more precisely for a Dauniete,” I said peering intently into those sexy, hazel pools of light. I expected some sort of reaction as I tried to decide if I could trust this guy.
Well, no reaction. Just the corner of his lips curling slightly to the left, his big eyes gave me nothing. I didn't have time to ponder over this one and considering he wiped the floor with their Novokin asses today, I decided I would take a chance on him.
“You know, I'm not really one. I mean Dauniete,” I clarified before continuing, “but if they find me instead, I'm still not exactly on good terms with the Alliance," I admitted right before I pressed the subdermal implant on my right shoulder and the image of the masked Dauniete flickered off.
No flinching, no eyebrow creasing, no grimacing, no sound, nothing. My new big friend didn't appear surprised in the least. He didn't even blink. He just looked at me, now with a strange sort of hunger. I hoped they thought to feed these guys before they tried to sell them.
His eyes slid back into focus, though they never left mine. "Will they scan for you just o
nce or will they scan continuously until they locate you?"
Ah, so there was a brain in there to go with all that sexy. "Since using the main scanners is a major drain on the power of the energy banks of a station as big as this, they’ll just scan once. The problem is that even if they don't find the Daunietes they’re searching for, they'll find me. The real me. Even if it's after we leave, my cover will be blown and the Alliance will be up my ass."
His big hazel eyes twinkled. "We don't want the Novokin Alliance anywhere near your ass. Where will be the most difficult place for them to get a reading?"
Did he just reference my ass? Can’t blame the man. It really is one of my better assets. I haven’t had a chance to get acquainted with his yet. But enough about asses. I didn't need this now. What I needed was some sort of distraction to escape. Or maybe, I could simply blow up the station’s central command post before the scan was complete. I was annoyed, monumentally annoyed. But he kept staring at me, so I finally retorted, "I don't know, near any one of the power junction relays," with a petulant toss of my head.
His face took on a strange mixture of relaxed and mischievous. I bet he played a helluva poker game. "Can you find us one of those?”
“Of course, I can.”
“Good, take me to it," his voice commanded.
Taking orders from others, and especially civilians roused my inner toddler. I fought hard not to buck and kick. Exasperated, I pointed to the ceiling directly above us. "There. Behind the panel with the orange stripes, next to the air reclamation vent."
As soon as I finished, we heard the sound of booted feet heading our way from multiple directions. I looked at the gun in my hand. It had overheated during the fight and was currently in a cool down cycle. I needed at least two minutes before I could fire. Prak me running.
