Pirate's Fortune

by Gun Brooke

  *

  Reena wiped the dust from her eyes, squinting through the long strands of her hair that had dislodged from its severe bun. Next to her, Dahlia kept low behind the overturned hover car.

  “You’re bleeding,” Dahlia said, pointing to Reena’s forehead.

  “Oh.” Reena looked at her fingertips where bloodstains confirmed Dahlia’s words. “It’s not bad.”

  “Where the hell did they come from?” Dahlia peered over the edge of the car. The air around them was damp and held the special burned smell of plasma-pulse weapons fire. She quickly moved back down onto her knees when more firing erupted. “Damn. You’d think that a double security detail would be enough.”

  To their left, a marine flew backward through the air. He ended up on his back, his body twitching violently before it became very still.

  “For stars and skies!” Dahlia threw herself forward, but Reena managed to grab her and pin her to the ground.

  “He’s in the line of fire,” she yelled. “Stay down, or he’ll have sacrificed his life for nothing.”

  Dahlia tried to free herself for a few moments, pushing at Reena. She eventually relaxed, her eyes never leaving the wounded young man. “Can’t we try to pull him over here?”

  “Wait.” Reena impatiently pushed her hair back and watched the other marines lay down cover fire as two of them ran with one other injured soldier hanging listless between them. “All right. Hurry.” She and Dahlia crawled over to the marine. Afraid to even raise her head, Reena fumbled blindly for the man’s harness and grabbed it. She dared a glance and saw that Dahlia had a steady grip on his belt. “Pull.”

  Dust collected in Reena’s eyes and nose as she crawled and yanked at the harness. The unconscious—or dead—man was so heavy, her shoulders felt like she was ripping them from their socket. Grunting, she dug the heels of her shoes in, and together she and Dahlia dragged the soldier behind the vehicle.

  “Is…he breathing?” Dahlia crouched on all fours, barely audible above the noise.

  “Let’s see.” Blinking at the sting in her eyes, Reena carefully opened the visor of his helmet. He was clearly of Imidestrian origin, his green-yellow eyes half-open and his lips white. “Oh, this isn’t good.” Reena would have to risk removing his helmet to administer CPR. She told herself that if his neck was injured, they had already aggravated the injury by yanking him to safety. Unclasping the lock, she carefully slid it off and, listening, she realized he wasn’t moving any air.

  “I’ll do compressions.” Her words curt, Dahlia knelt next to the soldier.

  “All right.” Reena wiped some blood off the man’s face and yanked the med kit off his belt. Not about to wait until she got the portable ventilator out, she manually breathed a few times into his lungs. Dahlia compressed his rib cage five times, then attached the ventilator to his mouth and nose. Pressing it down, she knew it would supply the exact amount of oxygen needed to prevent further damage to his brain.

  “Judge Beqq!” Another soldier, the major in charge of their security detail, crawled up to them, his eyes narrow. “We have called for backup.” He regarded their efforts. “As long as you stay behind the armored hover car, you’re protected. I’ll see if I can send someone back here to help with Sergeant Lisht.”

  “Just keep the enemy at bay until backup gets here,” Reena said and pressed the mask firmer around Lisht’s face. “He’s not breathing.”

  “Pulse?” the major asked.

  “Wait.” Dahlia pressed her fingers at Lisht’s neck. “None so far.”

  “No more heroics. We’re here for your mission.” The major pushed himself back and crawled around the vehicle. Reena looked up just in time to see his body go rigid and almost hover, only to fall sideways against the scorched metal. “Gods!” Reena ducked as more dirt sprayed their way. “We’re in big trouble.”

  “I’ll say.” Dahlia was out of breath, but kept working on Lisht. “Keep going with the mask.”

  “Aye, ma’am.” Reena disregarded the tightness in her chest and pushed the ventilator back onto Lisht’s face. Suddenly the young man coughed and moaned into the mask. Removing it, Reena saw him blink against the dust in the air.

  “Easy.” Dahlia ceased the compressions. “You’re injured. Lie still.”

  Because of pain or Dahlia’s authoritative voice, Lisht remained on his back. Reena switched to oxygen only and let the mask rest on his face.

  “The team?” Lisht asked after greedily drawing a few breaths.

  “Under heavy fire. Your major is down.”

  “Then I’m it.” Pushing onto his side, Lisht tried to sit up.

  “I think not.” Reena eased him back down as he lost all color. “Your team is holding our position, and backup is coming—” Alarmed by a roaring sound, Reena glanced up. It was hard to make anything out, but the sky seemed filled with large projectiles.

  “Are those hover bikes?” Dahlia rubbed her eyes. “And are they ours?”

  “Guess we’ll find out really quick.” Several of the shadows touched down farther away. The firing increased, and Reena saw blue-tinted plasma charges directed toward the enemy.

  “Ours.” She sighed in relief. “Hear that, Lisht? Backup’s here.”

  “I…hear…” His voice was weak, and Reena looked down only to discover a substance darkening the ground around him. “Damn it, he’s hemorrhaging.” Desperate to find the source of his wound, she slid her hands underneath his jacket. “Where’s it coming from?”

  “I don’t know.” Dahlia pushed her hands underneath him. “I can’t…oh…damn.” She sank down on her knees, her hands hanging bloody at her side. “It’s his entire back. It’s one big wound and he’s bleeding out.”

  “No. Oh, Gods.” Reena blinked as futile tears burned behind her eyes.

  “Reena!” The sound of fast feet hammered against the ground and Ayahliss threw herself down next to them. “There’s so much blood.”

  “Not mine. His.” Numb, Reena motioned toward Lisht. “We tried to save him.” Reena found herself engulfed by Ayahliss’s strong arms, and for a moment she allowed herself to gain strength from the embrace. “I’m all right. Really.” She looked up and saw Kellen kneeling next to a somber Dahlia. “Glad you’re here.”

  “We need to get you to safety. We have a new hovercraft waiting for you. The Onotharians are already pulling back.” Kellen peered around the wreckage.

  Reena squeezed Ayahliss’s hand quickly and stood on wobbly legs. Her clothes were torn, and only now did she feel the pain from the cuts and bruises that covered her legs and arms.

  “You’re bleeding.” Ayahliss trembled as she carefully separated the torn fabric of Reena’s coverall. Her body armor had protected her from the worst of the attack, but it didn’t extend to her legs.

  “It’s not so bad.” Annoyingly dizzy, Reena tried to focus as the sky darkened even more. The last thing she heard was Ayahliss’s frantic voice.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Madisyn moved and snapped open her eyes when a warm weight hindered her movement. Their quarters were still dark; the automatic light had yet to go to twenty percent illumination. Cautiously, Madisyn turned her head and felt a soft puff of air as someone exhaled right next to her cheek. What the…? Weiss?

  Afraid to move, Madisyn tried to get her bearings. She was in her bed, and Weiss was in her bed. She let her eidetic memory scan what had transpired last night. She had told Weiss everything. Her secret was no longer that, a secret. One other living being knew that she was humanoid in all the ways that really mattered. Someone knew, and not just anyone. Weiss knew.

  Weiss shifted next to her and wrapped a strong arm around Madisyn’s waist. Unable to completely mute a soft gasp, Madisyn raised a hand to clasp her mouth. Instantly, Weiss took hold of her wrist and held her firmly.

  “Who—?” Weiss pushed herself up on her elbow and Madisyn could see her eyes glimmer in the faint light from the surrounding stars.

  “Weiss. It’s me. Madisyn.”<
br />
  “Madisyn. Oh. Of course.” Weiss held her for a moment longer before she suddenly seemed to realize it. “Oh, sorry. Did I hurt you?”

  “No, but what are you doing here?”

  “What do you mean?” Weiss rubbed her face.

  “In my bed.”

  Madisyn could feel how rigid Weiss became at the question.

  “You were dreaming. Last night, as we were falling asleep, you kept moaning and whimpering.” Weiss, sounding calmer and more assured, propped her head up against one hand and placed the other one just above Madisyn’s midsection.

  Could Weiss feel the fluttering sensation inside her? Despite her ability to control her body’s reactions, Madisyn was unable to stop her heart from pounding and her skin from creating goose bumps as her hair follicles rose in unison. “I never whimper,” she said. I hope.

  “Well, you did last night, and I figured since I more or less forced your secret out of you, I should be the one who provided some, well, I guess, comfort.”

  Madisyn couldn’t help but smile. Weiss was hardly the touchy-feely type, at least not while in character as rough and mean pirate. Obviously she had a softer side that could manifest itself when least expected. Slowly relaxing, Madisyn exhaled and turned on her side to face Weiss. “Thank you.”

  “What for?”

  “For caring enough to not let me ride out the nightmares by myself. I do get them sometimes, and since my parents were killed, I’ve always had to face them alone. If I had nightmares last night, I don’t even remember them. Perhaps you prevented the worst of the images. You have no idea what a relief that is.”

  “Ah. That’s all right. You kept me awake anyway.” Weiss gave a wry smile. “Then again, you kept me awake just as much when I moved over here.”

  “I did? How is that?” Madisyn tried to gauge Weiss’s expression, barely visible. “Lights, ten percent.”

  A dim light lit up their quarters. Madisyn blinked as she saw a faint pink hue on Weiss’s cheekbones.

  “You really have to ask?” Her voice sardonic, Weiss raised one eyebrow.

  “Sure. If I stopped having a nightmare, why would I keep you awake, unless I had cold feet or something?” Madisyn wiggled her toes. They felt warm as usual, nothing wrong with her inner thermostat.

  “Stars and skies, woman, are you really that dense?” Weiss shook her head. “I haven’t shared anyone’s bed in a long time, and here you are—soft, beautiful, warm, and squirming against me.”

  “I do not squirm!” The ridiculous objection left Madisyn’s lips before she could stop it. “I mean, even if I did, why would you have any problems with that? I know very well that someone like you would never find me even remotely attractive.”

  “What do you mean, someone like me?” Her eyes frosty slits of green, Weiss still kept her arm across Madisyn.

  “You’ve been all over the known universe and then some, according to our boss. You’re experienced and, even if I’m not, I can tell that you’re used to the finer things in life. I’m sure that translates to…to companions.”

  “True. I used to enjoy the company of temporary lovers, preferably young women who knew and abided by the rules.” Weiss spoke darkly, and her grip around Madisyn’s waist tightened. “And, trust me, none of them had soft curly blond hair, pale unpainted skin, and baby blue eyes.”

  “No? What were they like?” Madison asked hurriedly. Perhaps it wasn’t polite to ask, but she needed to deflect the attention from herself.

  “What were they like?” Weiss guffawed. “Often curvaceous, experienced, elegant, sometimes bordering on sleazy. Knew what they wanted. Knew what I wanted.”

  “What did you want?”

  “Sex. Release tension. Some distraction. Some fun.” Shrugging, Weiss slid her hand slowly up Madisyn’s abdomen. “And you, who lost so much so young. Where do you find release? Or some fun?”

  “I don’t. I’m a robot, remember?” Madisyn knew she sounded bitter, but if she gave in to the multitude of emotions Weiss’s hand created, she didn’t know where she would end.

  “You’re not. You’re a humanoid girl from Guild Nation, a brilliant scientist, a family girl who suffered trauma that would’ve left pretty much everyone else out of her mind.”

  “I was out of my mind for a while.” Madisyn sobbed, only once and very quietly, but Weiss bent down immediately and brushed her lips against her forehead.

  “You’re brave, dedicated, and passionate. You risk everything for your cause. So you see, these women in my past, a long time ago by now, were nothing like you. They can’t compare even for a second. You shame them all in every way.”

  “Except in the way you wanted them.” Madisyn cursed her tongue for speaking before she engaged her logic.

  “What do you mean?”

  “You’re trying to be nice. I appreciate it, but I don’t need your pity. I’ve found my way of life, my purpose, and it’s enough.”

  “So, let me see if I understand you correctly,” Weiss said slowly, not removing her maddening hand from the side of Madisyn’s chest. “You are content to be an undercover agent, fighting piracy, and you aren’t missing the touch between friends or lovers, because you never experienced it. You also feel inferior toward women who are well versed in the art of making love. That about it?”

  “I don’t feel inferior to anybody!” Madisyn knew it was a lie, but she would never admit it, especially not to Weiss.

  “Don’t you?” Weiss moved her hand and lightly cupped Madisyn’s right breast. “I’m fairly sure I’m the first who has touched you this way. I might be wrong, but the way you feel under my hand, I don’t think I am.”

  “Even so, there’s more to life than sex. There are far more important things. Like…like…” Tears of fury rose behind her eyelids as the words became trapped inside her.

  “Don’t cry.” Weiss slid her hand up to frame Madisyn’s face. “You don’t have to worry.”

  “Why would I worry? You said it yourself. I’m not your type.”

  “That’s not what I said, exactly.” Weiss rubbed her thumb across Madisyn’s eyebrows. “What I said was, you’re not like any of those women in my past. You’re so much more. You outshine them, and your courage and compassion make you someone I’ve never come across before. You’re a real person. A whole person.” She dipped her head and brushed her lips against Madisyn’s.

  Forgetting to breathe, Madisyn could hardly believe that somebody, Weiss of all people, was kissing her. She was torn between wanting to pull away and craving to throw her arms around Weiss. Madisyn was certain her body wasn’t built to handle such conflicting emotion.

  “Kiss me back.” It wasn’t an order, nor was it a request. It sounded like the most natural statement in the world, like Weiss had longed to kiss her and now simply had to.

  “What if I—I make a mistake?”

  “You won’t. I promise you. You won’t.” Weiss pulled Madisyn half on top of her.

  Unable to resist, Madisyn lowered her head toward Weiss. “Computer, lights out.” The sudden darkness was a blessing until Madisyn realized that she had to feel her way as her optical nerve adjusted.

  “Yes. Just like that.” Weiss’s voice deepened. “Just relax.”

  Madisyn trembled uncontrollably as she pressed her lips against Weiss’s. They were so warm, soft, and alluring; she couldn’t repress a moan as she sank into a full-body embrace. She parted her lips because she had a deep need to taste Weiss. She might never get another chance to do this.

  “Mmm, Madi…” Weiss rolled them over, ending up on top. She rested on her elbows and nibbled Madisyn’s lips, intermittently soothing the teasing nips with soft, gentle kisses. Madisyn arched her back, her body reacting as if someone had poured burning plasma on it. She had never explored her BNSL body’s preparedness for sexual encounters. Her natural shyness had kept her from discussing the matter with her parents, but now she realized what her mother had meant when she said, “The Twenty-Two Alpha is fully functional; it
will serve you well.” What an understatement. Cringing slightly, Madisyn accepted Weiss’s tongue into her mouth and felt for the first time the physical manifestations of arousal. She assumed the wetness between her legs was normal, as was the way her nipples pebbled into sharp points, chafing against her sleep shirt.

  Weiss had her arms around Madisyn and pushed her hands up underneath the shirt, stroking her back slowly. Madisyn whimpered and pushed her hands into Weiss’s hair, which hung loose against her cheeks. Reveling in how it wound itself around her fingers, as if to keep her close, Madisyn returned Weiss’s kisses with trust and passion.

  “Madisyn?” Weiss murmured against her lips. “This is…getting out of hand.”

  Madisyn didn’t want to listen. She needed more of these feelings, more of the amazing sensation of being held like she was the only woman in the universe—Madisyn flinched and pushed back. “All right! Let go. Let go of me.” She shivered now as panic began to set in. It was ridiculous to fantasize like this, to pretend even for a second that she would ever be important to anyone.

  “There, you’re fine. See. No hands.” Weiss moved back. “Lights on ten—”

  “No. No lights.” Madisyn hardly recognized her own voice, raw and intense. “I need a moment. Please.”

  “Hey, Madi, don’t.” Weiss gently gripped Madisyn’s hands. “You’re fine. It was a kiss, that’s all. A kiss.”

  “Sure. Absolutely.” Why was she so damn short of breath? “You’re right.” Just a kiss, true, but it was her first.

  They sat in silence as Madisyn struggled to find her bearings. She used every technique her enhanced system possessed to stymie the raging synthetic hormones, mildly cursing her brilliant parents for creating a body such as this, even equipped to indulge in sex if the need arose. For stars and skies, it certainly had. How was she supposed to work side by side with Weiss now that she knew what it felt like to be held by her, kissed by her?

  The automatic illumination switched the light on at twenty percent and a computerized voice stated the stellar time. Madisyn pushed her shoulders back and for the first time met Weiss’s steady gaze. Was there something new there, something different? Quite sure it was wishful thinking, Madisyn couldn’t disregard the fullness of Weiss’s usually narrow lips. She had done that. Her kisses had made them look like that. Somehow this realization alleviated the lingering feeling of awkwardness. Madisyn swung her legs over the edge of the bed.