by L P Peace
Slowly, trying to attract as little attention as possible, she made her way down the spiral.
‘Cintra, open the bay door.’
The ramp lowered. Sophia stepped on before it hit the deck.
‘Close it. Lock it. Don’t let anyone else on board.’
‘Acknowledged,’ Cintra said. Sophia liked the sound of Cintra’s voice. There was something comforting, maternal about it.
She crept up to the upper deck and looked in the empty cells before checking the main living quarters.
Everything seemed to be clear.
Something felt off. Sophia stepped into the main room, keeping her eyes open. She was almost to the bridge when she realised she hadn’t checked either the bathroom or the escape pod. Worse, she realised what was wrong.
When she’d gotten Ronin into the escape pod, his scent permeated everything in the cabin, but over the days, it had faded.
Now, it was as strong as it had been originally.
Turning, Sophia expected to see Ronin emerging from the escape pod in an ironic twist on her victory. Instead, he was tied, gagged, and staring at her from the far side of the bed.
‘Fuck!’
Feeling prickles on the back of her neck, Sophia ducked and rolled into the galley. When she stood, an orange-eyed Bentari was stalking behind her. The expression on his face was terrifying. Sophia knew that, unlike Ronin, if this male caught her, nothing would stop him abusing her.
He darted after her, his movement so fast it added an edge of panic to Sophia’s fear. She dodged back, crashing into a cabinet. She looked around and saw an alien bottle of some alcohol sitting on the counter behind her. As the Bentari reached her, Sophia picked it up and swung it, smashing it into the side of his head where his jaw met his skull.
He went down. But he was still moving.
Jumping over him, Sophia went into the medicine cabinet and dragged out the container inside. Spilling the contents onto the counter, she grabbed anaesthesia and inserted into the medspray.
She dropped to the ground as the Bentari’s eyes met hers. He swung out, connecting with her jaw. Stars exploded behind her eyes, and pain burst across the side of her face.
Blocking the next punch, Sophia jumped on top of him, wrestling against his one free arm to try and pin it. The Bentari was still dazed; she could see it in his eyes, which were unfocused and full of rage.
He ripped his arm from her hands and, in the same move, struck out, grabbing her by the neck and squeezing.
Heart pounding in her ears, the world seemed to dim in her senses. The sensible thing to do would be to struggle against the hand around her throat. Instead, Sophia pushed against it. Her limbs weren’t nearly as long as his, but they didn’t need to be. He wasn’t fully extending his yet.
Sophia pushed harder, feeling her airway cut off and her throat constricted, she reached her arm out and connected the medspray with his neck. She pushed the button and heard the hiss. Saw realisation light his eyes, before slowly, they closed, his grip slacking.
Pushing off him, Sophia felt her back hit the cabinet behind her as she sucked in several breaths.
‘Open—’ She spat several hacking coughs into the helmet. ‘Helm—’
Getting the message, Cintra opened the helmet.
Sophia hacked up several more breath-coughs, feeling air rip down her throat only to cough more.
She stood. Her eyes found Ronin, who was fighting against his binds. Somehow, he’d managed to crawl several feet across the floor. When his eyes met hers, she saw relief fill them and his body relaxed, his head, which had been straining to look at her relaxed against the carpet.
Rounding the counters, she crossed the space to him and grabbed hold of the ropes binding him. Whatever he expected her to do, she could see his visible surprise when, instead of untying him, she dragged him across the floor, through the hall and into one of the cells. She locked the door behind him, then went back to the Bentari.
He seemed to be completely unconscious.
Grabbing his collar, she dragged him to the hall, then rolled him down the stairs. Ronin had at least been decent to her. This one… She wasn’t safe as long as he was around.
She watched him roll, bouncing off the walls and disappearing through the door at the bottom, then followed. A few moments later, she dumped him on the deck outside the ship.
A passing Amaran looked at her, his eyes wide.
‘Tried to steal my bounty,’ she lied. ‘Cintra, close up the ship.’
She returned upstairs and went into the cells.
Ronin was pulling off the last of his bonds. He ripped off the gag and stood, his eyes scanning her.
‘Did he hurt you?’
‘Am I worth less bruised?’ Sophia was incensed. This whole system out here stunk. She hated it and hated the aliens who supported it. Her nerves were wrecked from that encounter and Ronin was the only one in front of her.
‘I was never going to hand you over to Dar. I made bad choices when I met you, but I’m against slavery. I know your name isn’t Marita Gonzalez.’
‘Then why put me in the cell? Why arrest me at the station? If you hadn’t done that, I would have been on IGC right now being picked up by the Amarans.’
‘Do you really think Dar doesn’t have your picture all over the central sphere?’ Ronin shot back. ‘Do you really think you’d ever have gotten past your identity scan?’
Sophia stilled. She’d never thought of that. Dar didn’t control IGC station, but of course he’d have her picture all over it.
‘You’ll have to enter the station on the Amaran section. Go in and request asylum until your real identity can be confirmed.’ Ronin put his hands on the bars. There seemed to be actual concern on his face. ‘If you go to the central sphere first, you’ll be in the Bentari section less than an hacri later.’
Sophia took off the helmet and rubbed her eyes. She was tired already. The adrenaline that had fuelled her during the Bentari’s attack leached from her system, leaving her shaking and worn out.
‘Did he hurt you?’
Sophia looked up at him. The concern was still there. ‘I’m fine,’ she said. As though to remind her, her throat began to ache. ‘Mostly.’ She turned and left the cells.
‘Where are you going?’
‘To get us off this station before he wakes up and reports to Dar.’
The female wouldn’t admit it, but she was hurt, shaken by Dukal’s attack.
Ronin watched her leave with a combination of worry and relief. He wanted to be by her side. Instead, he sat.
After a short time had passed, the ship took off.
‘Strap in. We’re going through the gate.’
Ronin did as she instructed, though he noted the tired, detached quality of her voice.
A few metri later, they emerged on the other side. Metri after that, the small human appeared in the doorway.
She leaned casually against the doorway in nothing but a small covering for her sex, a vest, and an earnest expression. Her hair fell loose around her face and hung down her back in rich curls reaching past the nip of her waist.
She was the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen.
‘Told you my hair was beautiful.’ She smiled at him.
‘You, human. You damage my calm.’
The human smirked at him. ‘Sophia,’ she said.
‘Sophia.’ Ronin’s heart sped up. ‘A beautiful name.’
‘So, Ronin. Why should I trust you?’
‘Where did we go?’ he asked, moving across the cell towards her.
‘The only station available to jump into was in Maruzen space. I’m just waiting for another slot to open.’
‘And where do you intend on going from there? You know Dukal will report to Dar that I’m helping. They’ll be looking for this ship to jump in.’
The light in Sophia’s eyes dimmed. ‘Yeah. I’m not really sure.’
‘Don’t go through the gate. From here, we’re only two rotes from my
home planet. Go to Kerisian space. We can go to my homeworld and figure out what to do from there.’ His eyes couldn’t seem to move from her lips. He remembered the way she’d leaned into him earlier. He’d wanted to kiss her so badly. Her smirk reappeared as though she knew exactly what he was thinking, and something in his stomach lurched at the sight.
‘Vrok, you are spectacular.’ Ronin couldn’t seem to stop the words escaping. Her smirk only grew.
‘But am I adorable?’
The laugh that erupted from Ronin seemed to originate in his stomach. ‘In the time I’ve known you, you’ve escaped me three times, stolen and sold my ship, shut me out of it and fought off an alien who got the better of me. Spectacular is appropriate. I’ve yet to see adorable.’
A throaty laugh filled the room and caused his heart to speed. ‘I’ll have to do better on adorable then,’ Sophia said. ‘Now. Quit stalling.’ Her face went suddenly sober. ‘Why should I trust you with the future of my race.’
‘I understand your hesitance,’ he replied, and he did. How could Sophia trust any alien with the task on her shoulders? Such small and slender shoulders too. Ronin’s were much broader. Better to help her carry this burden. Take the brunt, even. Not that he needed to. Having seen her, Ronin didn’t doubt Sophia could do it; he just didn’t want her to have to do it alone. Not when he was there.
Ronin examined her. Sophia was a strange, random, and beautiful creature. He’d never met anyone like her. She didn’t seem to take anything seriously, yet he could see it was a mask she wore—the young, vital, incredible female with no troubles. But behind that, he saw it, the terrible burden of responsibility she carried.
There were pieces to the puzzle missing. Ronin still needed answers.
‘What happened to the people on your Earth ship?’ he asked.
‘The Crucible,’ she said without missing a beat or elaborating.
‘Vrok.’ Ronin crossed the room. How far did this go? Was it just the Bentari and the Fedhith? Were there more races in the IGC involved?
He turned to Sophia and froze. Her arms were crossed under her small breasts, pushing them up. She was still leaning on the door frame; her long legs reflected the yellow light of the room and made her skin appear burnished gold. She was slender, her waist smaller, making her hips appear wider than they were. Her arms were long and wrapped around her sides, her shoulders narrow. Her neck long and graceful, he imagined pressing kisses to it, finding those areas that were sensitive. As his eyes finished their examination of her body, he looked up to find her full lips tilted in a smile as she looked at him, her head resting on the same frame she was leaning against.
‘Kerisian space. Err, trust. The Crucible!’ Ronin shook his head. Had she done that to him, or had he done it to himself?
‘I damage your calm,’ she echoed his words back at him.
‘Indeed.’
‘Back to the point?’ The amused look hadn’t diminished as she spoke.
‘Yes.’ Ronin turned away from her and gathered what wits remained. He turned around. ‘There would seem to be a conspiracy to stop you from getting to the IGC,’ he said.
‘Obviously,’ she agreed. ‘That’s why we were moving in secret.’
‘Does the IGC know you’re coming?’ Ronin asked.
Sophia nodded. ‘We transmitted our intent three weeks ago in a secret closed session arranged by our allies.’
‘And who are your allies?’
Sophia stared at him.
‘Never mind. The Tessans and the Amarans, at the least.’ There was a flash of acknowledgement in Sophia’s eyes, but she didn’t go so far as to speak confirmation aloud.
‘You need to bring the ship with you. There’s no good us showing up without it. The IGC has strict laws about how you get to the station. So we need to retrieve the ship from—’
‘Ronin.’
He looked at Sophia.
‘It’s already taken care of.’
Ronin crossed the cell until he was standing directly in front of her. Her eyes were all business. ‘You took care of it before I took you prisoner?’
Sophia nodded in confirmation.
Ronin let out a deep breath. Vrok, vrok, vrok! He wanted her so badly. More than he’d ever wanted a Kerisian female. More than he should want a female. In Ronin’s society, fathers didn’t live with their families. At least, normal Kerisian fathers didn’t stay. Ronin scratched at the sensitive golden spots on his stomach and heard the echoes of jeers ring in his ears.
‘So… it’s likely the Tessans or Amarans have it by now,’ he said, forcing himself to return to the conversation.
Sophia stared at him for a few moments before looking around the cells. ‘I take it these cells are designed to be completely secure.’
Ronin frowned. ‘Yes, of course. Why?’
Sophia’s eyes wandered the cage. When her gaze met his, she looked as though she was assessing if he was telling the truth. ‘By now, the Tessans have it.’
‘What about the data packet?’
‘Data packet?’ Her face was like a mask. It gave away nothing.
‘Dar sent me to retrieve a data packet. He never said what it contains.’ He’d made a mistake bringing up the data packet; he could see it in her eyes. ‘It’s the application, isn’t it?’
Sophia let out a long sigh. ‘We had a book running on who had it,’ she said, ‘but it was classified. None of us knew.’ She shrugged.
A few things didn’t add up, but Ronin wasn’t going to press the matter further. Sophia didn’t trust him, and he found he wanted that more than anything.
‘Take us to Keris. Slavery is illegal there, and you have a fake identity. I can protect you. From there, we’ll figure out our next move.’
‘Or I could drop you back in the escape pod. Take the gate to say, Zenin space, sell your ship, and move from there.’
‘Move where?’
Sophia stilled. Ronin bit his tongue. She had it; she had the data packet. Had she gotten to the bridge before him? It didn’t matter. The data packet was hers. He’d long since decided he wasn’t working for Dar anymore.
‘Let me help you?’
‘You still haven’t told me why I should trust you,’ she pointed out.
Ronin let out a deep breath. ‘Fair. I’m an honourable male,’ he said. ‘I’ve already decided I’m not doing the job. I’m on your side here,’ he pleaded.
A small huff of laugh erupted from her. He was losing her. Something struck him deep in his heart and filled him with desperation.
‘Fine,’ he sighed. He turned away. ‘Five solars ago, I was sent with a group of other bounty hunters on a mission to retrieve a human slave from a secret colony. We rendezvoused with a Bentari slave ship. Turned out, the female wasn’t a slave. The male who hired us had sold her on and she’d been legally freed. But he wanted her back and was happy to have the whole colony illegally sold into slavery to do it. I went against orders that night and helped the ex-slaves.’
‘You’re talking about Ann.’
Ronin turned back to Sophia. ‘And Sarah,’ he said. ‘And Mikel. You’ve been to Tessa?’
Reluctantly, she nodded. ‘Once. I stayed in the village. Sarah helped show me around. She spoke about that night. About the bounty hunter that helped them. She has a lot of fondness and respect for you.’
Ronin couldn’t help but smile. ‘I have a fondness for her too. She was a strong, brave female.’
‘Go on.’ Sophia watched him closely.
‘I haven’t worked since that night,’ Ronin continued. ‘The company I worked for, Insagence, lied about what happened. They were putting on another mission to retrieve Ann when the Tessans made their announcement. When Dar hired me for this job, I was desperate,’ Ronin turned to her, ‘but my fondness for Sarah, it seems to extend to all humans. As soon as I realised the ship was human, I knew I couldn’t do whatever job Dar wanted doing.’
‘Then why lock me up?’
‘I was surprised to find you
there.’ Ronin cringed, knowing what he’d have to say next. ‘You disarmed me with the way you spoke to me. With the way you held your body.’ Ronin cleared his throat. ‘I… got confused. I felt like I had no control, and I was still reeling from discovering a human ship.’
Sophia bit her lower lip in a seeming attempt to keep from laughing.
‘Then, when I got you on the ship, you were flirting with me… I couldn’t think, and when I came back the last time, you were talking about my helmet and…’ Ronin looked at her, embarrassed.
‘I damage your calm?’
‘I was going to let you have a shower and cook you food while we talked. It was my fault. I left it too long. I should have taken control from you. You were the one in control from the moment I met you, and I didn’t even realise until I was in the escape pod.’
A chuckle escaped Sophia’s façade. She looked down at her feet, her hair covering her face. Because she didn’t want him to see her face, he realised.
‘If I trust you,’ Sophia looked back up at him, ‘and you betray me, billions of people will be sold into slavery.’ She swallowed. Ronin saw the fear in her eyes.
‘I won’t betray you,’ he said. ‘If we go through the gate, Dar will know where we’ve gone and have the IGC do the work of picking you up for him. My people, as members of the IGC, will have no choice but to comply and hand you over.’
‘But you want to go there?’
‘Through FTL. The gates are quick, but every ship, its destination is logged. We take the long way. Go to Keris. It’ll take us two rotes to get there from Maruzen space. Keep me in the cell until you feel like you trust me.’
‘Why not just go to the IGC?’
Ronin grimaced. ‘Dukal. That Bentari you just fought. He’ll be waiting for us, Dar as well. We need to plan for their attack, and we need to be ready. That means I need my suit,’ he looked at Sophia, ‘but I won’t deprive you of a suit either.’
‘So we go to your mother and pick up another one?’
