RippedandRoar

by Viola Grace

  Cila let them chat as she breathed slowly and steadily. The raiders were almost through the locked gateway.

  "Uh, Ripper, according to this, you shouldn't get too close to her before she engages her talent. I would step back a few feet."

  Cila smiled grimly as she waited to see the raiders. Vera was a quick study, the protocol did warn against interference with Cila while she was using her talent.

  The tearing of the metal and the hiss of escaping air sent her focus away from the man behind her and toward the men who were breaking into the station.

  She stood with her arms and legs relaxed and slightly spread.

  Four men walked into the station without any sort of protective gear. She felt a little sorry for them, but if they weren't trying to steal a relay, they wouldn't be in danger.

  Ripper stood behind her and addressed the men, but Cila kept her gaze forward and focussed.

  "Leave the station now. You will live if you exit the station right now." The urgency in Ripper's voice made the men pause.

  The first male inclined his head. "Thank you for the warning, but we are not leaving without the relay."

  They pulled short electric blades and surged forward. Cila took a deep breath and spoke. "Get. Out."

  Her voice shook the station, shocking the walls into a ripple of metal and expelling the link to from the hatch to the ship.

  The raiders opened their eyes wide as they were sucked out into the vacuum. Cila simply watched them float away as she was pulled to the end of her tethers by the same expression of atmosphere.

  With a slow and deliberate motion, she slammed her visor down, providing her with oxygen. She held to her tethers as her feet were swept out from under her by the force of the escaping air.

  The station systems came into full-defensive force at the breach. Exterior locks slid metal panels over the ruptured hull and slowly closed it.

  She dropped to the ground as the wind ceased to blow. Cila's hands were gripping the tether so tightly that it took her quite some time to unclench her fingers to release the bands that had saved her from the blackness.

  She tugged at the clips, releasing her right one easily enough but the left had bent with the force of the pressure on it. She mentally cursed and removed her gloves to tug at it more effectively.

  Just as she was about to start ripping at her suit, Ripper used his forearm claw to sever the tether.

  She blinked up at him from the floor and his eyes were lit with a golden heat. If she had thought that his muscles were well defined before, he was now totally ripped. His breath behind his faceplate was steaming the front of his mask, so that only those heated, golden eyes were clear. His muscles bulged and he appeared to be inches taller than he had been before.

  Her fingers were cramped, but she signed, Ripper, I presume?

  He sighed and reached down to lift her to her feet. "That was stupid." He paused. "But it was effective."

  She lifted her visor and grinned. You should see Cila protocols one through four.

  He froze in place before he cackled and then roared with laughter. "I don't think I have the strength."

  Chapter Three

  They went to check on Vera and found the new caretaker of the station guarding her charge. Her post was in front of Stancha's tank, the pulse blaster in her arms. She dropped her alert pose when they approached. "You have no idea how relieved I am that you are all right, Cila. When I read the details of the protocol, I was almost sick."

  Ripper was slowly coming back to his normal dimensions and it was fascinating for Cila to watch his muscles twitch as they resumed their former size.

  "You are not the only one, Vera. I will say one thing for her. Cila has a lovely voice. A little loud but lovely."

  Cila's lips twisted in a smile. Thank you. It doesn't get used much.

  Ripper grinned. "Then, let's get this station repaired and we will see what we can do to get your voice out where everyone can enjoy it without getting blasted out an airlock."

  She stuck out her tongue and jerked her head to Vera.

  Vera went to the data plate and her eyes widened in surprise. "Nanos?"

  Cila pressed Vera's hand to the plate and pressed a few keys.

  The main computer spoke quietly. "Nano repair underway."

  Avari tech. It is a wonderful thing.

  Ripper inclined his head. "So, we are good to go?"

  Yes. The station is on high alert. The shields were forced up.

  He turned to Vera, "Will you be all right?"

  "Of course. Be on your way. The repulsion field will give you quite the kick, so be prepared for it." She was busy watching the data streams consisting of the information being sent by the tiny repair bots. Vera waved them off and Cila tugged at Ripper's arm.

  Bemused, he returned with her to his shuttle. "I can't believe that she treated it so calmly."

  It is what we do as caretakers. Once it is safe, we get on with the job.

  "I am beginning to see that. Are you ready to try this again?"

  She nodded and entered the shuttle after he opened the hatch. It was time to try leaving her home, again.

  It was a much more successful uncoupling this time around. The ship detached from the station and was propelled away in a sudden shove.

  As it floated free, Cila saw the wreckage of the raider ship. Her voice had torn it apart. Her lips tightened grimly as the bodies of the dead surrounded the ship in a grisly dance of death and warning to those who would try to take a relay.

  "They would not have left without a fight and more than they might have been injured." Arkhov was back, Ripper was left back in that moment of fight or flight.

  She turned in her chair and met his concerned features with a serious expression. I did my duty to the station. It was not the first time, nor will it be the last that my talent kills. If you are to be my partner, you had best know this about me. Nothing will get between me and my duty.

  He blinked. "You know about that?"

  I know that the partners are chosen very carefully. If you could not handle my attitude, you would not be here.

  His slow smile warmed her from the inside. She turned back to the view screen and checked the coordinates as he shifted to take over the controls. A few slow motions and they were accelerating through space, aiming for a more populated region and eventually, Morganti.

  The moment he engaged the jump drive, she held her breath. She hated the feeling of being two places at once.

  When they emerged from the jump, she rubbed at her forehead. Going through jumps wasn't so bad if she was the one flying, but to be a passenger with no control added a level of stress that was surprising.

  "Prepare for the second jump, Cila."

  Caught by surprise, she gasped as they entered the second jump. The entire ship shuddered as the impact of her inhalation ran through the structure. They made it out of the jump, but Arkhov turned to stare at her. "What was that?"

  Lights were bright and flaring all over the consoles. Cila winced and tried to put out as many of the conflicting signals as she could. She flicked her fingers at him. I made a sound of surprise. I am sorry.

  Together, they got the ship back under control. All seals were still intact, but it wasn't going to jump again without an overhaul.

  It took them four hours of silent work, but by the time every status light was green again, Morganti loomed.

  "Morganti base, this is Ripper and Cila Wen requesting a landing assist and clearance."

  "Landing assist?"

  "Yes, we had some technical issues on the way and I want to make sure that we land in one large piece, not a bunch of little ones." He grinned over at Cila and she blushed.

  "Star Breaker is on her way. Hold tight until she can guide you in."

  Why are we waiting?

  "I am not sure that we have not loosened connections that we can't reach. I don't want to hazard stress to the ship until we have a babysitter."

  I understand. I am really sor
ry.

  "It isn't a problem. I have done worse while I was getting control of my talent. We have a safe means to return to the surface, let's use it."

  She nodded and waited with him until a streak of fire came from the surface and approached them at a high speed.

  Surprise was the least of her emotions as she took in the image of a woman wreathed in flame wearing a gauzy gown over a skin tight suit. The woman gave them a sharp salute and cast the flames into cables around their ship.

  Star Breaker gave a tug and the ship started to move. The Guardsman pulled them into a matching rotation with the planet below and the fire surrounding all of them, guarding them from the majority of effects from entry to Morganti.

  The moment that gravity touched the ship, seals started to blow and heat shields buckled.

  "Take a mask."

  Their atmosphere was bleeding out. Ripper grabbed a set of emergency masks and tossed her one.

  She pulled it over her face and inhaled as quietly as she could. The air was a little oxygen rich for her, but she kept her senses under control. She focussed on calm during the entire drop to the surface and by the time they reached Morganti, she was able to keep from crying out or giggling. The instant that the hatch was opened, she ripped off her mask and sucked air into her lungs through an open mouth. The art of breathing silently was one that she had mastered early.

  "Cila, are you all right?"

  She flicked her fingers at him. Fine. Just didn't want to laugh due to a high moment.

  "High?"

  Too much oxygen. I can't impair my senses.

  Hands lifted her from her seat, releasing the harness and bringing her to her feet. Spots were spinning in her vision and strange faces were smiling at her.

  A Wyoran male smiled at her as he helped her from the ship. "Cila Wen? Welcome to Morganti."

  She collapsed and let them carry her out of the shuttle. Welcome to Morganti, my ass.

  Chapter Four

  Her checkup in medical was uncomfortable. She couldn't answer any of the physician's questions and Ripper was nowhere to be seen.

  The sound of the doctor smacking himself in the forehead got her attention and she looked up.

  "I forget that you can't speak. It is such a rare commodity in women around here, I wasn't expecting it." He got her a data pad and after some tinkering, he handed it over with a smile.

  "I set it to translate to vocal so I can do your initial workup and ask you questions at the same time."

  She tapped. Thank you. It is weird having a voice for a while. Even an electrical voice is nice.

  He inclined his head. "I am Effin or doc. Your choice."

  Cila Wen. Lately caretaker of a relay station.

  "Pleased to meet you, Cila. Do you know when your talent manifested?" He bustled about taking measurements and running scans.

  I was born with it. I refused to speak while I was a child until I was able to express myself through writing.

  "Were there any records in your family of events that circled around you?"

  Not that they spoke of. The first time I used my talent in public, my family took me to the government and handed me over to a restriction facility.

  The doctor paused while checking her reflexes. "They had you locked up?"

  They certainly couldn't deal with whatever it was that I was. Am. Whatever.

  He patted her on the shoulder and continued with his scans. "I am glad that you made it out with your mind intact."

  It wasn't horrible, just an institution. I was allowed to learn all I could and when I was an adult, I was sent to the relay stations. With the relays, I was introduced to the data streams and a method of communication through high-speed visual transfer.

  "Have you been speaking to my wife?"

  Your wife?

  "Relay. Alessandra Wyt. I had Fixer install an override in her halo so I can have private time with her. Otherwise she spends all her time immersed in the data streams."

  I have never heard of a Relay outside a station before.

  "Morganti is her station. Gant keeps the skies clear for transmissions and all of the data of the Alliance is at her disposal."

  Cila was impressed. Amazing. I envy that. I have often thought that being a relay would have been a good career path for me, but I don't have the mind for it.

  "Speaking of your mind, I would like to do an upper torso scan, so I will hang onto your keyboard and you can simply relax."

  She didn't want to give up the data pad, but she surrendered it. The lights of the scanner moved slowly over her and a chirp announced when it was complete.

  Instead of making her reach, Effin produced the data pad immediately and helped her sit up.

  "That will do for a start. Are you interested in having something to eat?"

  She shook her head and answered on the tablet. No. Feeling a little queasy. I think I need to lie down.

  "Fair enough. There is nothing wrong with your digestion, so it is probably residual effects from the landing or possibly the high oxygen content you were exposed to. If you are still ill in the morning, I want you to get your butt back in medical."

  She smiled. Of course. Where can I bunk down?

  "I will take you to the guest quarters. Ripper has already been checked through and should be roaming the halls. Do you want me to hunt him down?"

  No. I just need a nap.

  His smile was genuine and he helped off the exam table. "I learned a lot about your physiology today. Xsar really are fascinating."

  That is one word for it. She couldn't help it, her lips twisted into a grin.

  Effin gave her a quick tour of the facility and then showed her to the guest quarters.

  Cila rolled her eyes a little when she saw the bags. Hers were easily recognizable and she had to assume that the others belonged to Arkhov. She knew it was common for the Sector Guard to pair off, but she wasn't sure how soon that was expected to happen and wasn't sure how it would work with her particular disability.

  Having sex had never been an option for Cila, one moan and her partner would be pulverized against the nearest surface. It wasn't really the kind of thing that she wanted for her first time.

  Arkhov was nowhere to be seen so after she bid Effin a good evening, Cila took a quick shower and crawled into the huge bed.

  She lay on her back and stared up at the canopy. Her fatigue was bone deep, but her mind was spinning. She was actually on Morganti base and in the process of becoming a member of the Sector Guard.

  All her life she had been waiting for something…someone to acknowledge her. Now that it had happened, she had no idea what came next.

  Waking in a man's arms was a strange feeling, but she shifted carefully and worked away from Arkhov's solid warmth. The light in the room was dim, but moonlight let her find her jumpsuit and boots.

  She snuck out of the guest quarters and headed toward the smells of food that faintly trailed down the halls. It was sparsely occupied, but the selections were enticing.

  It took her three tries to get the staff to follow her hand signals, but once they realized that she wasn't going to speak, they paid close attention to what she was pointing at. A nice snack stifled the growl in her stomach.

  She observed the variety of species in the staff. She counted nineteen different races by the time she completed her meal and cleared her table. Folk smiled and nodded to her, but she was stuck waving in response without the ability to speak a greeting.

  As she snuck back into bed with Arkhov, she looked forward to what the morning would bring. If anyone could keep her talent it check, it was Morganti Base.

  She only had to wait until morning.

  A warm hand was shaking her by the shoulder and she opened bleary eyes to see Arkhov leaning toward her, his deep brown eyes flecked with bronze. "Morning, Cila."

  She smiled and waved, Hi. Realizing that he was staring at her in the morning light, she pulled the sheets high and noted that he was back in a uniform.

 
; He pressed a cup of tea into her hand and flicked crumbs away from the corner of her mouth with his thumb. "If you want to raid the commissary, you only have to wake me. I will be happy to keep you company."

  She sipped at the tea and set it down to sign. It was fine. Everyone was a little confused but very friendly.

  "We will head down for breakfast as soon as you are ready."

  Privacy?

  "I will remain in the other room. I have brought your bags in."

  Cila waited until he closed the connecting door and then she leapt out of bed to attend to the call of nature. After a brief peek to make sure that he was still in the other room, she grabbed what she considered to be the prettiest of her station suits. It was a looser version of the bodysuit, but gave her pockets and she loved pockets.

  Light socks and boots completed her ensemble and she was ready to face a crowded commissary…and Arkhov.

  She tucked her data pad under her arm and walked into the front room to join her bed partner for breakfast.

  Arkhov smiled and asked casually, "Do you always braid your hair so tightly?"

  She bit her lip and typed, Of course. No sense in letting it loose.

  "It looks good, but I was wondering if you ever let it have a day off." His lips were twitching.

  Not so far, but if I am able to have any kind of a social life, I might let it have a day off for good behaviour. She winked at him as they entered the commissary.

  "I look forward to it."

  It took some juggling to collect her food this time, but she managed to get her selections on her tray without dropping the data pad.

  "This way. The family is here and you need to meet Mala and Isabi." Arkhov steered her to a table where two little girls were sitting with what were obviously their parents.

  "Mala, Isabi, this is Cila Wen, the newest recruit for Station 13. Cila, this is Mala and Isabi, as well as their daughters, Mabi and Isala."