by T. S. Ryder
"Tell me, or when we get to one of these checkpoints you're worried about, I'll tell them that you kidnapped me and they'll disintegrate your ship."
"Threats don't do well with me, Sara," Tom said, narrowing his eyes. "If I don't find those humans, somebody else will. Somebody who will sell them as slaves or worse. Do you really want that?"
Sara stiffened. She leaned back, trying to wipe the interest from her face. Tom watched her attempts with amusement. His Starmate was not the type that liked to be manipulated or admit her weaknesses, he saw. It just made him admire her more.
"Why would I care what happens to a bunch of humans?"
Tom couldn't help but chuckle, which earned him another glare. "You care because you are also human."
The blue stain on Sara's face paled to turquoise. Her chest rose and fell rapidly, her hands began to tremble, and her eyes darted to the knife laying on the countertop. Tom kept his distance, not wanting to frighten her even more by invading her personal space.
"I'm not a human."
"You are. Aphrosian women have narrower rib cages, and you're taller than any Aphrosian I've seen before."
"That doesn't mean anything. I'm not human. If you're planning on selling me or whatever else you might be thinking of, it's not going to work. Because I'm not human and it would be very easy to prove you a liar if you tried to pass me off as one."
Tom sighed, shaking his head. "Sara, you made a James Bond reference when I told you my name and I've heard you singing Somewhere over the Rainbow. We don't have The Wizard of Oz, that's an Earth thing."
Sara stared at him, realization creeping over her face. "How do you know about James Bond and The Wizard of Oz?"
"My mother's human."
Sara's eyes were so round she looked like they were about to pop out. Which, given that they were bionics, was entirely possible. "What?"
"I know hybrids usually aren't possible, but with your human DNA, you share the same genetic markers as all the species, we just have extra ones, which makes it so that human women can carry and give birth to other species."
Sara held up her hand. "Back up a minute, there. Your mother is human?"
"One of the first to be discovered."
"Wow." Sara blew out a breath and shook her head. "I didn't expect that. So… you're not going to try to sell me?"
"I told you, you're my Starmate." Tom leaned forward, brushing the back of his hand over her cheek. The contrast between the blue of her skin and the red of his made them look like fire and water, clashing together. "I would never allow anyone to harm you."
"You don't even know me."
She didn't understand the ways of the T'shav. That was fine. Tom withdrew. He'd give her time to adjust. He was sure she would come to feel the same way about him as he did for her. They were Starmates, after all. But he wasn't going to frighten her off by being too intense.
"So, who else knows you're human?"
Sara shook her head. "Nobody anymore. I've worked hard to build a new identity. But… it has been a little lonely, with nobody to share my life with."
Tom turned back to the food. "You can tell me."
Chapter Five: Sara
Sara hesitated. If it was true that his mother was a human, then she had reason to trust him. T'shav were known as mercenaries and barbarians, but there were also known to have strong family bonds. And it was true, she really did want to tell somebody about her past.
"Well?" Tom rose a brow as he served the cooked hissu along with a type of grain resembling a mix between corn and rice.
Sara sighed and began. "I was born on Earth in the year 1989. From what I've figured, if I hadn't been taken, I would have turned twenty-seven this year. I was in the military. Air force, so I was a pilot. I loved flying. There was such magic in looking down on the planet, seeing the land in patchwork beneath me. Spaceflight doesn't hold a candle to it. Probably because it's all black out there."
"Space flight can be boring."
Sara accepted a spoon from Bond and scooped up a bit of the grain. "When I was twenty-three, I was in a house fire. My friend's kids were trapped inside, so I went back in to get them out. Which I did. I managed to save them."
"That was very heroic of you. Mom told me that your human buildings didn't have the fire suppressants that we have ourselves."
Sara shook her head and shivered at the memories. She had tried her best to forget all of this, even though sometimes her bionic eyes would twinge and she would have a flashback to that horrible fire and feel the smoke clogging her lungs again.
"Was that when you were taken?"
"No. It was when I lost my eyes. Something happened, and I got hit in the face with a piece of debris. Both of my eyes were damaged beyond repair. No more flying for me. And then I was taken. I remember going to bed, falling asleep, and when I woke up I was in this strange new world, and I could see."
Bond nodded, his gaze steady on hers. He had the blackest eyes she had ever seen. They were really quite lovely.
"The people who woke me up explained about Earth, how I had somehow been in status for thousands and thousands of years, that Earth was a dead planet, and that if anybody found out I was human, I would end up dead, a lab rat, or a slave. They got me into the United Species Corps and disappeared. I've never seen them again, and I have no idea why they helped me in the first place."
"Many of the humans I've met have similar stories," Bond said. "I think my… corporation has something to do with it, but it's technically illegal, so they to keep a low profile. I'm sorry that you can't go home, Sara."
Sara smiled at him, relaxing despite her previous misgivings. Maybe it wasn't such a bad idea to trust him. She squeezed his hand. Telling Bond even that little bit about her past was a relief. Until now, there was literally nobody that she had been able to tell. Just saying it out loud felt like a huge burden had been lifted from her shoulders.
"So what about you?" she asked "Any tragic backstory?"
Bond shook his head. "My father has a fleet of ships, my mother is human, and they are deliriously in love. I've never met anybody happier together than the two of them, and I'm not saying that just because I'm their son."
His eyes lit up as he was talking about his parents, and a soft smile spread across his face. Sara was surprised when a pang hit her heart. He wanted the same relationship. Despite his muscles, devilish appearance and tendency to skewer people with a broadsword, he was a romantic. Whoever got this guy was a lucky girl.
He thought that she was the one. She busied herself eating, trying not to think about the implications of that. They hardly knew one another. Yes, she found herself being drawn to him on a sexual level, but 'I wanna have sex' and 'I love you' were two extremely different things. Bond was a little intense for her.
Does it really matter? she wondered. I don't owe him anything. And as soon as we've got these humans safe and sound, I'm out of here.
She would just have to keep telling herself that.
***
Things continued to be friendly between them over the next few days. Sara was surprised that Bond never made things awkward by insisting that they were Starmates. She had known men in the past who had decided that they were perfect for her and wouldn't let it go, but Bond was different. He seemed happy building their friendship first.
Sara could only hope that he wouldn't end up whining about being friend zoned if, in the end, she didn't develop romantic feelings for him.
Sexual attraction was not in question, but Sara was determined to keep a firm hold on her passions. The last thing they needed right now was to become bed buddies and for Bond to think that meant that she was going to stay with him forever and ever. Or worse, getting pregnant, although since Sara hadn't had her period since her abduction she wasn't sure if she was even capable of having babies anymore.
Still, the dreams that woke her in the middle of the night, sweating and panting with a deep ache that she could never satisfy herself, were driving her to her bre
aking point.
Several days later they landed on a planet controlled by the Planchet Corporation to repower. Sara went with Bond to the power station. Being in the ship all the time had worn her patience thin, and while she wasn't much of a shopper, she enjoyed browsing the local products while Bond haggled over the price to repower the ship.
Today, though, he was in a grumpier mood than usual. "You'll fill my ship for half that price," he demanded of the Aphrosian at the bar. "Do you hear me?"
"I hear you, Sir, but the power costs more than that to collect in this region. I really can't let it go for any less than—"
"Do you want to keep your head on your shoulders?" Bond snarled.
The Aphrosian paled. "Sir, I—"
Bond snarled and grasped the hilt of his broadsword. Sara hurried over, placing herself between the two aliens. The last thing they needed was this! What was going on with her companion?
"Pay the man what he's asking," she said, narrowing her eyes at Bond. "The sooner we repower, the sooner we get out of here."
Bond glared at her, but she wasn't about to back down. Eventually, he nodded. "Fine. Your price is acceptable. But I want the micro fractures in the power tanks and exhaust ports all fixed while we wait."
He stormed away while the Aphrosian protested. Sara gritted her teeth and paid the alien the last of her few helixes to cover the extra expense and went after Bond. He had been moody ever since they got low on power. Though her own nerves weren't in the best of shape, they had been getting along up until now. She wasn't going to let him bully people, though!
"What the hell was that all about?" she demanded halfway back to the ship. "We're getting further from United Species territory. Of course, things are going to be more expensive."
"And what happens when we run out of funds? Did you think you were helping that man make an honest living? No! Everyone out here is a pirate and savage who would tear us both to pieces and sell our parts in a heartbeat."
"Oh, you mean like you?" Sara's hands clenched. "Kidnapping a Corps officer?"
"I didn't kidnap you. I rescued you. I have never once told you that you couldn't leave," Bond hissed. "If you want to leave, then you can. I'm not forcing you to stay with me, I asked you to stay so that you could help me."
"Maybe I will leave then!" Sara ignored the hurt look that flashed over his face. "Whatever. I'm tired of being stuck in that ship. I'm going for a walk. Don't leave without me. Or do leave, see if I care."
She walked away, trying to ignore the twisting of her gut. That was the first fight she and Bond had had–well, since they had gotten to know each other, anyway, and it wasn't sitting well with her. She felt like she was losing her best friend. Tears pricked her eyes.
The docking ports were close to a forest full of vibrant pinks and oranges that made Sara's head hurt until she adjusted her vision to filter out the colors. That was a great thing about bionic eyes, they could do things organics couldn't. Her depth perception was a little off in black and white, but at least she didn't have to deal with the clashing colors anymore. The forest was thick, full of sounds. It was like an animal punk-rock band.
Sara kept to the edge of the forest, stewing in her anger at Bond. As the hours passed, though, she started to regret what she had said.
He's not a pirate or a savage. He's a good man doing a good thing. And I love him. She shook her head rapidly. Like. I like him. I don't love him.
That was ridiculous to even think. She didn't even know him! They had been forced together, yes, but it was hardly enough for love to develop!
But what if it was?
A humming noise brought her back from her thoughts. Her head came up, but she didn't see anything. She backed away from the forest, all the same, ready to run, and drew her weapon. But when something huge came out of the trees at her, she didn't have time to use it. A burning cold pain stabbed into her shoulder and she fell to her knees. The gun dropped from her hand.
Chapter Six: Tom
By the time the ship was powered, Tom's knuckles were cracked open and bleeding. He had spent the whole time beating on whatever was available in his training room, trying to relieve the irrational anger that was building in him all too quickly.
He knew he needed to warn Sara about this, but he had been hoping that they would have grown closer and that his musth wouldn't be a problem. There were only two weeks left before it hit, and there wouldn't be a planet between here and their destination for them to stay apart if she decided that she didn't want to have anything to do with him while his hormones went out of whack.
Maybe it would be best just to set her up here in a trustworthy inn or something, and continue on his own. He would be violent and unpredictable, but he could more or less control himself, and he didn't expect to come across anybody else, anyway. His musth would take longer to get through without sex, but he could handle it just fine.
But he needed to tell Sara. He didn't fool himself into thinking that she would want to stay with him. Even though she had told him it wouldn’t take much for her to agree to jump into bed with him, he didn't want just sex. They were Starmates, he wanted to have the same happiness that his parents did. Sure, sexual desire was a part of it, but only a small part as far as he was concerned.
Tom shook his head as he left his training room. Sara hadn't returned to the ship yet, which meant she was probably still angry with him, but they needed to resolve this. After applying flesh seal to his bleeding knuckles, he headed out to look for her.
She wasn't in any of the bars in town, so Tom returned to where he had seen her headed towards the forest. He found her footprints easily enough, keeping to the edge of the trees.
The tracks stopped abruptly. Her weapon laid on the ground.
Tom's heart began pounding. Adrenaline surged in him, and his teeth bared in a ferocious snarl. She was in danger. The appropriate fear was buried somewhere inside of him, but blinding rage took hold. His mate was somewhere out there without her weapon. The crushed leaves around the area clearly showed that she had been ambushed.
He spun towards town. He would find whoever did this, and they would taste his blade. He would disembowel them, string them up by their innards, he would—
Calm down, he told himself firmly, closing his eyes to draw in a deep breath. He hadn't taken the time to research the local fauna, and there was no guarantee that it was one of the aliens in the town that had taken her rather than an animal. He couldn't afford to make mistakes, not when Sara's life hung in the balance.
The prints were fairly fresh, and it only took a little more investigation to see the claw marks in the nearby trees. After taking a closer look at the marks, Tom swore loudly.
Tree scorpions.
The species was a plague on the galaxy, the eggs able to survive on the hulls of ships across deep-space journeys without freezing, and reentry without burning. On some planets the creatures were tiny, but on others, they had grown large enough to prey on humanoids.
Apparently, this was one of those planets. He could only hope that the local species didn't have a fatal venom, otherwise, he was already too late.
Snatching Sara's gun from the ground, Tom headed into the forest, holding the gun in one hand and a dagger in the other. The trail from the scorpion was easy to follow, large gashes in trees where it had merely barged its way through the foliage.
He came across the beast sooner than he expected. It was hunkered down in a small thicket, it's long, camouflaged body contorting. Huge chunks were ripped out of its back and half of its legs were missing. A thick, yellow goop dripped from the sting on its tail, and one set of its five compound eyes was damaged beyond repair. Clearly, the thing had gotten into a fight with something else in the forest.
Sara lay between its pincers.
Rage flowed freely and Tom rushed from the trees, screaming as he dropped both gun and dagger and drew his broadsword. The scorpion shrieked, backing away, but he was too quick. One quick slash and his sword sliced through
the left mandible. The scorpion screamed. The stinger jabbed at him. Tom severed its tail from its body.
He was filled with savage joy as the adrenaline pumped through him, the thrill of the kill washing away reason and sanity. He kept attacking the scorpion, cracking open its hard shell to pulverize what was inside, until it stopped twitching. With one final blow, he took off the creatures head. Smiling, he cleaned his sword and sheathed it.
Only to freeze when he turned towards Sara again.
Her arms and legs were flailing, her neck wrenching back and forth. Her back bowed, eyes rolling. A dark foam built at her lips.
Tom's heart seized. He dove towards her, gathering her up into his arms. She convulsed so wildly that he could hardly hold onto her, but he wrapped both arms tightly around her and ran back the way he had come, not caring if he drew attention to himself. He was panting by the time he got back to the town, and Sara's convulsions had stopped. His eyes danced over the signs, finding a doctor's building and rushing towards it.
"Hold on," he whispered, his voice breaking. "Hold on, please."
The doctor was a tall, green-skinned Odap. His wings fluttered behind him when Tom burst into the building, shouting for assistance. Luckily for the Odap, he didn't keep the T'shav waiting and immediately abandoned the patient he was with to help Sara.
"Tree scorpion sting?" the doctor said, nimble fingers pressing to Sara's swollen and bleeding shoulder.
"Yes."
The doctor nodded. "It appears the venom has worked its way through her already. She'll be fine. Our local bugs pack a narcotic punch that can be hard on humanoids, but in my hundred standard years on this planet, I haven't seen one death because of them. You were right to bring her here so quickly, though. I can provide her some medications to help ease the symptoms."
