Rogue Instinct

by Elin Wyn

  “She’s right,” I heard a voice. Lynna came to stand behind Maris and put a hand on her shoulder. “You got lucky. Zayn knew your system better, I knew the surgery. Took us a few hours to get you off the table, then we still weren’t sure you were going to pull through. You nearly left us a few times.”

  I raised an eyebrow, the extent of my strength at the time.

  “It was a hell of a fight to keep you here,” Lynna explained. Then she turned to Maris. “You need some sleep, too. It won’t do either of you any good if you’re too tired to do anything.”

  Maris nodded as she patted Lynna’s hand. “I will. I promise,” she added as Lynna fixed her with a ‘really?’ look. “In just a little bit, promise.”

  “Okay.” Then Lynna looked at me and patted my leg. “Glad to have you back. Do me a favor and don’t get shot again, okay?”

  “My best,” I said. “Thank you.”

  “Always,” she said, then walked out of the room.

  I turned my head, as best as I could, to Maris. “You need to sleep.”

  “I will. I just need to make sure you’re okay first.” Tears were running down her cheeks. “I almost lost you.” She put her head in her hands and her shoulders shuddered. I had to make her feel better.

  I summoned up every ounce of strength I had, then dipped into reserves I didn’t know I could tap into in my condition and rolled onto my side. I reached out for her and brushed my fingertips against her arm. She looked up, then jerked up to her feet.

  “You’re not supposed to move,” she said, her voice breaking.

  “And you need to stop worrying about me. I’m okay. I’m alive.”

  The fear in her eyes scared me. “You almost weren’t. You actually weren’t. Your heart stopped, twice.”

  “But it started back up…” I had to catch my breath. “For you.”

  Her eyes widened, then she grabbed my hand and kissed it. “When you were lying on the bay floor, bleeding everywhere, I thought I couldn’t be more scared. But when they brought you in here and I had to watch them, I was terrified. The thought of losing you was unbearable. I don’t know what I would have done if you had died.”

  Tears streamed unchecked down her cheeks and I felt a tear leave my own eyes. I moved a bit, using my weak strength to pull her so she would sit on the bed next to me. I held her hand and looked at her. “You are the reason I came back.”

  We sat there, staring at one another for a few moments before I continued. “I heard your voice, talking to me, telling me that things weren’t finished yet, that we weren’t finished yet. It was your voice that made me want to wake up.” I squeezed her hand. “I’m here, for you. I’m not leaving. Apparently, not even a madman can take me away from you.”

  She laughed, wiped the tears from her eyes, and smiled at me. “You’re so weird, trying to joke at a time like this.”

  “Who’s joking?” I asked. “Look at what happened. I was shot, and I’m still here, with you. If that doesn’t mean something, I don’t know what does.” I was tired of lying in bed. I wanted to get up. I wanted to hold her in my arms and comfort her. “Help me sit up.”

  With a shake of her head, she said, “Uh-uh. You need to rest. You’re not strong enough to sit up yet.”

  “Yes, I am. Either help me up, or I’ll sit up on my own,” I shot back and started to sit up. The room, the world, the universe, everything swam in hundreds of different directions at the same time as I sat up. I felt Maris grab me and hold me. I wrapped my arms around her and brought my lips close to her ear. “I’m not leaving, ever. Promise.”

  I did my best to squeeze her, and she did the same. I wasn’t sure how long we sat there, holding one another, but when she let me go and my head hit the pillow, I was asleep.

  Maris

  “Are you sure I can’t convince you to take notes?” Orrin asked for the third time.

  “Nope,” I rubbed my eyes. I was so thankful he was recovering, but there were moments…

  Dejar had called a crew meeting that was due to start any minute. Lynna hadn’t given Orrin permission to leave his bed in the med bay yet.

  Orrin, being Orrin, didn’t agree with that decision. He said he could run around the ship twice if he wanted to.

  Personally, I thought he was just grumpy about being left out.

  “How will I know that you listened to everything if you don’t take notes?” he asked.

  “I’m going to listen,” I assured him.

  “You barely pay attention to me as it is,” he rolled his eyes.

  “That’s not true and you know it.” I playfully swatted his shoulder.

  “It’s completely true,” Orrin objected. “Pass me that pad and paper, please.”

  “I’m not taking notes!” I exclaimed.

  “It’s not for you, it’s for me. I’m writing out all the things you need to get done today around the ship and in the workshop,” Orrin explained.

  “You’ve told me everything already,” I laughed.

  “What if you forget something?” he asked.

  “Have I ever?” I replied.

  “No, but there’s a first time for everything,” Orrin said.

  “Not necessarily,” I shrugged.

  “I was shot for the first time a few days ago. It’s plausible that you will experience a first time forgetting a task,” Orrin reasoned.

  “Are you being difficult because you know I think it’s charming?” I lifted a brow.

  “Possibly,” Orrin gave a single slow nod.

  “Dork,” I snorted.

  “What does that mean?” he asked.

  “It’s a compliment,” I assured him as I planted a kiss on the top of his head.

  “For some reason, I don’t believe you,” he teased. “Go on over to the meeting. You’re going to be late.”

  “If I’m late, it’s because I took twenty minutes coddling you.” I stuck out my tongue. “I’ll come right back here and tell you everything, I promise.” He smiled at me and my whole body filled with a pleasant warmth.

  It hadn’t taken long before we’d fallen back into our usual pattern of bickering. It meant things were returning to normal.

  Or whatever our new normal would be.

  Everyone, including the alien women, was gathered in the dining hall. It was cramped, but the only other space that could hold all of us at once would be the cargo bay, and more than a few of us were reluctant to head down there anytime soon.

  Dejar stood in the center and everyone formed a loose circle around him.

  “It is with great pleasure that I am now able to present every one of you rescued from the auction house with new identities. You are free to leave whenever you like, though I would appreciate your input on a few things that have weighed heavily on me,” Dejar said.

  Vixaine translated for the women who didn’t understand Dejar.

  One by one, their faces lit up. Some grasped hands or embraced each other. Others stood silent while happy tears rolled down their cheeks.

  “After a small amount of research,” Dejar continued, “we were able to confirm that Tiatra was, indeed, the princess of Xio. It’s a system new to the Dominion.” He and Aavat shot each other significant looks, but then he continued. “We don’t know much about it, but there are rumors that her people can influence the minds and memories of others. The extent of their powers isn’t well researched, but it does seem like their skin throws light back at our cameras in an unusual way, makes them hard to catch.”

  “That’s how she was able to sneak out,” I gasped.

  “What was that, Maris?” Dejar asked.

  “When Orrin and I were out getting supplies, I thought I spied her in the crowd. When I asked the others, they said she hadn’t moved in days. She must have altered their memories to sneak in and out,” I explained.

  “It is true,” Vixaine added. “To us, she never left.”

  “And that explains why the motion sensors for the security system kept going off, but we never saw a
nyone on the surveillance footage,” I added.

  “Interesting,” Dejar nodded. “We’ve also speculated that the hunter, whoever he was, insisted on such a sophisticated stealth system when he made the contract, to prevent any attempt at rescue from locating us.” His jaw tightened. “If we’d been able to call for help before he finished his plan.”

  “He really put a lot of planning into this,” Aryn shook her head.

  “And a lot of money,” Kovor added, then cracked a small smile. “All of which we still have, by the way. I assume he planned to reclaim his funds once he handed us over to the Dominion.”

  “At least we don’t have to worry about food,” Shenna grinned, Slink draped around her shoulders. I wondered if anyone else had noticed yet.

  “We have other things to worry about, I’m afraid.” Aavat gave her a tender smile. “After examining the body of the bounty hunter, we discovered a small brand. It’s not quite the same as the mark at the bottom of the auction list, but the two marks are obviously related. Whoever he was, he was involved with selling these women.”

  “One of them was lying,” I spoke up. Everyone turned to look at me. “Think about it. Tiatra claims she was an ally of the Dominion, yet she ended up in the auction. The attacker bears the sigil of the group that runs the auction, but worked with her, offering help from the Dominion. How can either of them be what they said they were?”

  “Perhaps the Dominion didn’t know about his affiliation with the auctioneers,” Dejar suggested.

  “The Dominion could’ve caught him in the act and forced him to come after us to avoid prosecution,” Kalyn suggested.

  “That would explain how he and Tiatra met. If she was an agent of the Dominion, she could’ve been the one who caught him,” Aavat added.

  “But they couldn’t have known we were going to rescue the exact group of women Tiatra was placed with,” I replied. “Tiatra might’ve been placed in the auctions as a spy, but she had no way of knowing she was going to meet us. If she was already allied with the hunter, she would’ve had to warn him in advance that she was hunting us.”

  “When we found her with the others waiting to be sold off, she didn’t leave the group to pass a message to anyone,” Shenna offered. “She was one of the first I got out.”

  “That’s what you think,” Dejar said. “Remember, she can influence memories. She might’ve slipped away and made it look like she was there all along.”

  “This is suspiciously like everything else that’s been happening to us,” I huffed.

  “What do you mean?” Aryn asked.

  “Strange things that are too connected to be a coincidence, yet we don’t know enough of the story to say for certain.” I crossed my arms across my chest.

  “She’s right,” Kovor nodded. “If I didn’t know better, I’d say everything that’s happened to us has been perfectly planned to look like a series of random, yet devastating, events.”

  “I do know better and still I say that’s exactly what’s happening,” Aavat declared. “Someone is toying with us.”

  “The Dominion’s been after us from the start of this,” Qal said.

  “Why would they drag it out like this?” Kovor replied. “They have the resources to track us and commandeer us a hundred times over. If they’re so desperate to bring us down, why haven’t they?”

  “The auctioneers then,” Aavat offered. “We stole their business. They could’ve gone to Itair and put the pieces together. We always knew it was a possibility.”

  “They would’ve had to figure it out within a day or two.” Dejar rubbed his chin.

  “Is that not possible?” Kalyn asked.

  “It is,” Dejar nodded. “But then the next question is, how did they know we came here? Orrin and Maris crafted new registration chips that fooled the system here. We wouldn’t have come up on record as the same ship that was docked in Katzul.”

  “That means the auctioneers had to have known it was us right away and followed us,” Kovor supplemented.

  “That’s highly unlikely,” Qal said. “The window to trail us without being too close to detect yet not too far to lose us completely is very small.”

  “Then how do they keep finding us?” Aavat shouted. “When this meeting is dismissed, all of us will search every inch of this ship for tracking devices, cameras, and transmitters.”

  My head began to ache. I’d had enough to mysteries, conspiracy theories, and realizing we still don’t have every piece of the puzzle. I didn’t want to think about it anymore today.

  “Excuse me,” I murmured to those around me. I backed out of the group and quietly slipped away. I’d only taken a few steps down the hall when Aryn called my name.

  “Are you okay?” She jogged up to me to close the distance between us.

  “I’m tired of fighting,” I sighed. “I feel like I’ve been at war since the moment I left home and I’m sick of it.”

  “You and me both,” Aryn sighed. “But as long as we’re being hunted, we’ve got to keep fighting.”

  “You’re right,” I agreed. “However, just for today, I’d like to pretend I don’t have to fight anything.”

  “You’ve earned that,” Aryn grinned. “You’re the one that really saved us.”

  “Barely,” I replied. “Tell me what happens in the meeting, okay? I promised Orrin a full report.”

  “Sure thing,” Aryn smiled before ducking back inside.

  I dragged my feet wearily through the corridors until I reached the med bay. Orrin was asleep in his bed. The sight of him made me smile. I climbed into the bed beside him, carefully curled into his good side.

  Within minutes, I was fast asleep, with my head on his chest.

  Orrin

  “I bet you’re excited to get back to work,” Lynna said as she redressed my bandages.

  “You have no idea,” I replied. “I feel useless lying here day after day when there’s so much to be done.”

  “I’m sure Maris loves having full control of the workshop,” Lynna gave me wry smile.

  “I’m sure she does,” I grinned, then stopped, an image of her rearranging my desk all too clear in my mind. “Have you told her I’m coming back today?”

  “Not yet,” Lynna replied.

  “Don’t,” I urged. “I want to surprise her.”

  “Maris doesn’t seem like the type that enjoys surprises,” Lynna said slowly.

  “Maybe so, but when she’s startled, that mask of hers tends to slip.”

  “I hadn’t thought of it like that,” Lynna admitted. “What kind are you looking to see in her?”

  “She said some things to me a few days back.” The memory of all that she’d said made me smile. “But, she was distressed and emotional. Human emotions seem to be greatly influenced by their environment.”

  “Not Maris,” Lynna assured me. “I’ve never seen someone with a stronger handle on their feelings. I thought mild-to-severe irritability was her only mood, until the Rogue Star scooped us up. If Maris is displaying emotions, then I’d expect they are genuine.”

  “That brings me comfort,” I smiled. “However, I’d still like to surprise her.”

  “My lips are sealed,” Lynna grinned. I dropped my gaze down to her mouth.

  “They don’t appear to be.” Lynna blinked and looked as confused as I felt, then burst into laughter.

  “It’s a human expression,” she explained. “It means I won’t tell.”

  “Why do you humans always find ways to complicate simple sayings,” I sighed.

  “We’re a creative species,” she shrugged. “Don’t think on it too much. You’ll just give yourself a headache.”

  “Fair enough,” I agreed. “Will you let me out of this bed now, gatekeeper?”

  “You’re free to go,” Lynna said with a dismissive wave. “However, I don’t want you working too long your first day back. Eight hours max, and no heavy lifting or stretching.”

  “Most of my job is lifting and stretching,” I prote
sted.

  “Then Maris will have to do it in the meantime,” Lynna replied. “And don’t think you get away with working more. I won’t tell Maris you’re coming back to work, but I will tell her, later on, to make you go off-shift once you’ve worked eight hours.”

  “Fine,” I grumbled. “Thanks for not telling her and thanks for making sure I didn’t end up with a hole in my gut for the rest of my life.”

  “You’re welcome!” Lynna said cheerfully. “I’ll expect you back here daily for checkups, but you’ve healed remarkably well.”

  “Yes, ma’am.” I nodded and slowly walked out of the med bay. I wanted to run, but if I did, surely Lynna would give me the scolding of a lifetime.

  Then she would call Maris in and she would give me another scolding.

  I could force myself to walk.

  Today.

  When I reached the workshop, I peered through the window in the door. Maris sat at the workbench with her back to me, bent over something. I knocked softly to avoid scaring her. The last thing I wanted was for her to end up in the med bay, too.

  She looked over her shoulder, eyes opening wide. Her face split into a huge grin as she set aside whatever she was working on, and she ran to the door and threw it open.

  “Am I allowed to jump into your arms?” she asked.

  “Just don’t tell Lynna.” I opened my arms for her. She jumped up, wrapping her arms around my neck. My gut ached from the exertion, but I didn’t mind. It was worth it to have her in my arms.

  It was worth anything.

  “Are you just visiting me or are you really back to work?” she asked.

  “I’m allowed to work again,” I replied.

  “Finally!” she sighed. “It’s been lonely in the workshop without someone to criticize.”

  I laughed heartily. “Is that all you keep me around for?” I asked.

  Maris pulled back to look me in the face.

  “Yes. I spent days in the med bay making sure you’d live long enough to take more of my snark.” She rolled her eyes.