by Calista Skye
A pang of regret washed over her. He was right, in a way. Attempting the Dennegar belt without the proper sensors, and without adequate preparation, wasn’t brave. It was reckless. Something about this didn’t sit right with her, and she couldn’t shake the feeling that Adaar was keeping something from her.
“You don’t want to be here. And I don’t want you here. I know your type, Lana Riley. You’re more trouble than you’re worth.”
“My type!” She reigned in the desire to stamp her feet like a child. She didn’t need to prove his point. Not that his opinion mattered.
“You mean, the honest, responsible, hardworking type? The type that does what’s necessary to protect her family, instead of hijacking ships and stealing the things that don’t belong to them?”
“You think your cargo belongs to the Consortium? Or to the Imperials? Do you think for a second they’ve earned half the luxuries they enjoy, or the credits they pay you? I think you’re just as greedy, looking out only for yourself.”
“Said the pirate.”
“Touché,” he said, unfazed. “But the question remains.”
“You don’t know me. You don’t know why I took this job. You don’t have a clue why I do what I do.”
“Enlighten me then, princess.”
Lana couldn’t believe she let herself take the bait. Or why she felt the need to defend or explain herself to him, except that there was something about him that didn’t fit.
She didn’t want to tell him any more than was necessary. But since he appeared to be an astute judge of deception, Lana went with the honest approach. “My brother has the Rend. Without treatment, he won’t last much longer. I’m flying Consortium shipments to earn credits for his treatment.”
It landed. His brow tensed as he looked up at her and his mouth drew into a tight line. Lana watched the muscles of his arms flex as his fists clench into a tight ball, veins protruding through his muscular forearms, before he slowly relaxed.
“I’m sorry, Lana Riley. The Empire didn’t create the Rend, but they aggravate the suffering it causes.”
“So you’ll let me go, then?”
The emotion wiped from his face like the Tarksis winds blowing over the sand. “I’m afraid that’s not possible. At least not yet. We have pressing business out here in Gamma. And in any case, we can’t allow you to deliver your cargo.”
“I don’t care. Keep it. We’ll handle the Consortium. They can be reasonable.”
“If you think that, you’re even more naïve than I thought. Shame. A woman as beautiful as you could be a useful part of this crew.”
Lana felt her skin flush with indignation. “There’s no way in hell I’m joining your crew.”
“I didn’t offer. I don’t think you’d be able to handle yourself. You’re far too hot-tempered. Too driven by your emotions. You’d blow your cover and put the rest of us at risk. I value my crew far too much to stake their lives on your self-control.”
“I can control myself,” she said.
Adaar stepped closer, wrapping his arms around her body. Her heart pounded as she felt his muscles tense and flex around her. A wave of electricity pulsated through her. She surrendered to the feeling. Let her body tremble. She breathed deeply, inhaling the masculine scent of his body as her lips fell open and her eyes closed.
He ran his hands along the bare skin of her arms, and she felt the warmth of his touch spreading inside her. She hated that she felt this way. Hated everything he was and everything he stood for.
Against her better judgment, she felt safe in his arms.
Lana realized too late that she’d fallen right into his snare. She shoved him back with all the force she could muster.
“Don’t feel bad, love,” he said. “It would never work out.”
“How dare you?” she shot back. “You’re damn right it would never work out. I’d never do anything to help you. People like you are what’s wrong with the galaxy. You’re the reason my home is such a damned mess in the first place.”
“You’re right, Lana.”
“You’re not supposed to agree with me! You’re infuriating.”
“Yes.”
“You’re an irresponsible, selfish, cocky asshole.”
“Flattery. Nice touch.”
“And I would never follow you, take orders from you, or help you.”
“This again? I never asked you to. Though as much as you’re trying to hide it, I can tell your curiosity is piqued.” He sat back on the table and raised his arms in the air. “And I can’t say I blame you. So I’ll tell you what we’re going to do.”
Lana scrunched her eyebrows as she crossed her arms with far more force than necessary.
“You’re tired, Lana Riley. And scared. But you needn’t be. I have no desire to harm you. And though you may not believe it, you’re safe here. I intend to keep you that way. Truth be told, though, you’re more of a headache than I need, and I’d love nothing more than to rid of you as soon as possible.”
“Good. Great. Let me go, then.”
“But,” he slammed his hand on the table, cutting her off. “Since I can’t have you messing up my plans, either, I can’t get you back to Tarksis just yet. And that means you have a choice.”
“And what’s that?”
“You and your friend…”
“Kira.”
“You and Kira can stay here as my guests. Stay out of the way and keep your heads down. Follow my orders and stay out of the way, and we’ll keep you safe and get you home.”
“Or?”
“Or you can stay here as my prisoners. You can scream and protest and act like a child, and maybe we’ll drop you the first time we make port. You can find your own passage home. Or maybe I should just throw you out the airlock now and save myself the trouble?”
Lana dug her foot into the ground and glared at him.
“You have nothing to fear from me, Lana Riley, as long as you don’t interfere. We’ll figure out what to do with you later. Until then, I expect you to comply with my orders. Think you can handle that?”
She didn’t like it. But it was better than the alternative. Time to play pirate. “No problem. Captain.”
Chapter 5
“Captain’s not so bad,” said Ja’al. The dark-skinned Kamaran led Lana back through the narrow hallway away from the grand cabin. “I mean, I wouldn’t want to get on his bad side, but none of the Raiders are bad people. Once you get to know us, you’ll fit in just fine.”
“I’m not getting to know anyone,” said Lana. “We won’t be here long.”
“I thought the same thing when I came aboard. But I found a great home here. And a purpose.” He stopped when they reached the guest cabin, hesitating before he palmed the scanner.
“It’s none of my business, miss, but if I can offer you some advice…”
Lana feigned a smile.
“Don’t believe the stories you hear about us. The Raiders aren’t what you think.”
The scanner glowed bright blue, then flashed green as the lock released and the door hissed open.
Kira sat at a wooden table across from a young, short-haired man with light gold skin. She laid down a card from her hand, completing the quad in front of her. “Boom!” she said. “Traps.”
The Kamaran groaned and threw his cards. “Shit. You’ve got some skills, kid. Either that or you cheated.”
“Aww, what’s the matter, Tyrus? Mad you lost to the new girl?”
“I wouldn’t have lost if you…”
“Don’t be a sore loser. I beat you fair and square.”
“Somehow, I doubt it.” Tyrus shoved the wooden chair out from under him as he stood. “But a deal’s a deal.” He reached into the small orgum-leather satchel he carried and set two wrapped chocolates on the table. “And I’m a man of my word. I hope you appreciate these. They’re hard to come by out here.”
“We’ll savor them. I promise.”
“I’ll bet.” He scowled. “But I’m not worried. I�
�ll beat you next time.”
“You’re on, shorty.”
Tyrus chuckled and shook his head. “I’m sure you two have a lot to catch up on. And I have a shift on the bridge.”
He stopped at the door and turned to look back at them. “Welcome to the Vendetta.”
The pneumatics hissed as the metal door slid open and Tyrus vanished down the corridor.
“What the hell was that about?” said Lana, pulling herself into the freshly abandoned chair, still warm from the Kamaran.
“He didn’t stand a chance,” Kira smirked. “I’ve been playing Traps since I was a little girl.”
“That’s not what I meant.”
“Relax, Riley. They’re not so bad.”
“They’re Kamarans. And they’re pirates.”
“And they’re people. Just trying to get by, like the rest of us. Besides…” Kira slid one of the small silver-wrapped packages across the table. “I got us some chocolate.”
Lana’s stomach roared. She hadn’t realized how hungry she was. She tore into the wrapper and took a nibble from the corner of the large, round confection. Followed by a mouthful that would have made a haropluff blush.
“Hungry much?” said Kira.
“This is delicious.”
“You can thank me. It’s okay.”
Lana licked her finger. “Thanks, Kira. I was starving.”
“I noticed.” Kira unwrapped her prize and took a bite.
“Looks like you’ve made yourself at home,” said Lana, looking around at the guest quarters. The room wasn’t opulent by any stretch, but it was a fair bit bigger than the holding cell. A pair of mattresses lay along each wall, each with a small locker at the bottom for personal effects.
“Might as well,” she said. “This place isn’t so bad. And look, we even have our own private bathroom.”
“Ah, the life of luxury,” Lana scoffed.
“Well it beats the hell out of that holding cell.”
Lana couldn’t argue. “How long have you been in here?”
“Long enough to massacre Tyrus at Traps,” she said. “They came and got me as soon as you went to see the captain. Speaking of which, how is the captain?”
Lana flushed at the mention of him. Her skin still tingled with the memory of his warm, strong hands on her body. She fought to curb the reaction, but her body betrayed her.
“That good, huh?” said Kira. She had an irritating habit of reading people a little bit too well. It came in useful for cards, but Lana hated it when her friend used her power for evil. Like she was doing now.
“No, it’s not…just no.” There was no way she was going to let herself get romantically involved. Especially with an arrogant, know-it-all like Adaar. She wished her body would get the message.
“If you say so,” said Kira, collecting the Traps cards into a neat little pile on the table. “What did he want to see you about, then?”
The entire conversation blurred in her mind. She couldn’t be sure of his motives or his intentions. He asked her to make a choice. But it looked like Kira had already made it.
“I don’t know. He offered me the choice to cooperate or to spend the rest of our trip in the brig. But you were already in here, so…”
“Well, yeah. I wasn’t spending the rest of my time in there. We’re in this whether we like it or not. Might as well make the best of it.”
Lana scrunched her brow. “Just be careful, Kira. I don’t think these are the kind of people you want to get too involved with.”
“Why not? Can’t be much worse than the Imperials.”
She had a point. Lana had no love for the Empire. Still, at least they weren’t flying around under the radar assaulting cargo ships. And she couldn’t shake the feeling that Adaar was deceiving her.
“There’s always an angle. I don’t trust this. As soon as we make port, I’m getting out of here. You can wait around for them to take you back to Tarksis if you want, but I can’t do this.”
Kira put on her serious face. “Lana, you’re tougher than anyone I know. If anyone can handle this, you can.”
“You’ve heard the stories. The Raiders are murderers.”
“They’ve had plenty of chances to kill us. But here we are, eating chocolate in the guest suite.”
“And suddenly my suspicions are gone,” said Lana. “We should give them medals.”
“You know what I think, Lana? I think you’re in love with the captain, and you’re so damn determined to fight it that you’re not thinking straight.”
She shot Kira an irritated side-eye.
“All I’m saying is that maybe we can use this. Maybe they can help us.”
“Kira, no. I don’t even…”
“Wait,” she said, resting her hand on Lana’s arm. “Hear me out, okay?”
Lana took a deep breath. There was no harm in letting her friend talk. It gave her time to think. “I’m listening.”
“While you were busy not falling in love with the captain, I got to think about our situation. Are we sure we’re in the right? Transporting gods-only-know-what all over the galaxy for the Consortium and the Empire? They’ve made our lives hell since the day they took over.”
Lana looked away. “We don’t have much choice. We have to make a living somehow, and Tarksis isn’t exactly bursting with opportunity. We need to live. And Tanner…there’s no other way to get the credits for his treatment.”
“Exactly, Lana. Think about it.”
She needed to sleep. However obvious this train of thought was to Kira, Lana didn’t see what she was getting at. “I don’t follow.”
“Think about where we are.”
Lana looked at her blankly.
“We’re on board the Vendetta. With the Gamma Raiders.”
“And?” She didn’t like where this was headed.
“And they spend their lives seizing Imperial ships. All that missing cargo ends up somewhere. Look around you. This frigate is decked out. They’re loaded. And whatever they did to our ship earlier…I’ve never seen tech like that before.”
Kira paused. “I think we should join them.”
“Are you insane?”
“It doesn’t have to be forever. We can stick around long enough for you to earn enough credits for Tanner’s treatment. And for me to retire on the beaches of Anara. And then we’ll tell them goodbye.”
“I’m not going to help a bunch of damned bloodthirsty space pirates.” Her skin tingled with the memory of Adaar’s hands on her body. “Especially not him. Besides, something tells me that even if they let us help them, they won’t be so keen on letting us walk away.”
Kira read her perfectly. “Riley, you do like him. I knew it.”
Lana’s insides knotted.
“It’s about damn time.”
“I don’t…”
“And as for the rest of them, let’s just say it’s all taken care of.”
Oh, gods. Lana knew that look. “You didn’t. Please tell me you didn’t already volunteer us.”
“We have tonight to get rested up. Tomorrow morning, we’ll be Raiders.”
***
The piercing scream of a siren tore through the quiet of the ship, and the intercomm crackled to life. “All hands on deck. Code 2. All hands on deck.”
Lana bolted upright. She rubbed her eyes, trying to make sense of what was happening.
“Do you think that means us?”
“Only one way to find out,” said Kira as she shuffled off her bunk and pulled her jumpsuit over her body. “Come on, Riley.”
Lana sighed heavily. She hated this idea. Hated this plan. Hated this ship. She wished she had woken up back on Tarksis, safe in her bed, and all this was just some horrid nightmare.
She slid into her jumpsuit and laced her boots. Better to at least find out what was going on. If they were about to be raided by the Imperial military, they should prepare. And if it was something else, she’d play it as it came.
Their footfalls echoed off the me
tal of the halls as they ran towards the bridge. Already familiar with the layout of the small frigate, she charged up the staircase leading to the forward deck and flew through the control room door. Her pilot’s instincts kicked in as she assessed the situation.
At the nav board sat the XO, the dark skinned Kamaran called Ja’al. Tyrus sat at the communications board, pouring over a stream of incoming text on the holoscreen in front of him. Two other crew members, a Malotravian and a Yordaskian that she hadn’t seen before, sat monitoring the weapons systems.
But still no sign of Captain Adaar.
The alarm blared as the rest of the crew filed in and took their stations. No one paid any attention to Lana or Kira. The crew operated with the ruthless efficiency of an elite military squadron.
The side door leading to the great cabin slid open as Adaar stepped into the room. Without uttering a word, the entire crew stopped to salute.
There was trust among them. Respect. That much was obvious, even to a suspicious outsider.
“What’s the status?” he asked.
“Captain,” said Ja’al. “We received a blip from a medical vessel in the Delta sector.” He glanced at Kira. “Preliminary scans show they’re fully stocked.”
Adaar called up the image on the holoscreen in front of him, zooming in on the scan with a pinch of his broad fingers. “Looks like quite a haul. What’s their position?”
“They’re making their way into Gamma now. It appears they’re headed for Anara. We can head them off in sixteen hours if we engage the hyperdrive. It’ll pull power from the secondary weapons systems.”
“Escorts?”
“Doesn’t appear to be heavily guarded, sir. Two long range fighters. Imperial JRV class, by the scans. Nothing we can’t handle.”
“Trax,” said Adaar to the older Kamaran man sitting at the helm. “Set a course. Looks like we’ll be taking a little detour.”
“Roger that, Captain.”
Trax punched the coordinates into his panel and engaged the thrusters. The room filled with the deafening roar of the engines as the Vendetta sped off to engage its prey.
Kira grabbed Lana by the shoulder. “Must be fate. Let’s go show them what we can do.”
