Pirates of the Dark Nebula (Hearts in Orbit Book 2)

by S. C. Mitchell

  Score another one for Magda and her sight.

  Rik could see the wheels turning behind Demi’s dark eyes.

  Then the pirate chuckled. “You’re problem, Rik, has always been that you are far too honest.” But he lowered his blaster. “In this case, however, that’s an asset. I know I can trust you.”

  The blaster came back up suddenly, firing twice before anyone could react. With thuds, the two men guarding the doorway fell dead to the floor, blood oozing from gaping holes in their chests. “And now we have room in my sled for you and your prisoners.”

  The other pirates seemed to simply shrug off the incident.

  Typical. They’re just happy it wasn’t them. Murder and betrayal were a part of everyday life in the Brotherhood.

  Rik forced a smile, his eyes capturing Demi’s directly. “I’ll be right back with our prisoners.”

  But Demi followed, and Rik knew he had to play the part.

  He grabbed Luna’s arm roughly, praying she’d understand. “Come on, princess. Your chariot awaits.”

  Betrayed, captured. Now what? Luna’s head whirled.

  Only moments before she’d been enjoying the Adventure. But she’d heard the blaster shots. Seen the two dead men on the floor as Rik had dragged her to their rocket sled.

  When the guards at the exit portal of the city dome tried to stop them, Rik and his pirate allies left more destruction in their wake. The rocket sled never slowed as the pirates blasted their way out.

  The bodies just keep piling up.

  Rik sat with his new friends laughing and joking. “Then he said, ‘I’ll heppledance on your wiverstalk anytime.’”

  The joke had been crude, crass, and really not funny, yet the pirates exploded into raucous laughter. How easily Rik had slid into their ranks. But what did that mean for her, Magda, Ian, and Harvey?

  Was he still on their side? Had he ever been? She wanted to believe, but it was hard. In any case, she knew she just couldn’t sit back and rely on him to rescue her. I’m not exactly helpless.

  If what she was overhearing were true, they were headed for a laboratory in Thurban, a nearby city-state run by whatever faction of the pirates Rik had just joined. Once in the lab, she and Ian would be coerced into constructing the asteroid avoidance device as well as replicating the cloaking shield and tractor beam for other pirate ships.

  Her gaze drifted out the porthole, to the dismal wasteland that was Pluton’s ecology. Rocky, icy, and barren, the scant snow barely had a chance to settle before strong winds picked it back up to swirl among the crags. Empty of life, just like Luna felt inside her soul. What could she really do against a whole sector full of vicious pirates?

  Then something moved out on the frigid plain. Some kind of hairy beast rose up on its haunches and appeared to be roaring at the passing rocket jet.

  The beast standing against the planet’s wicked environment suddenly embodied her own need for defiance. If you can thrive out there, my furry friend, then I can survive this.

  She wasn’t about to give up.

  Rik’s guts roiled inside as he stressed to maintain a cool, collected outer facade. He needed a chance to get Luna alone. Explain. Surely she trusted him by now.

  Would I, in her situation?

  No. But he’d been trained to distrust everyone.

  Luna was . . . Gods! Incredible. His starshine. But that just made what he’d had to do worse.

  Betrayal, even of friends, had become second nature to him over the past three years.

  I’m losing who I am . . . who I was.

  Demi elbowed him, pulling him from his reverie. “She’s a good looking bitch, that one.” His gaze swept Luna top to bottom. “Wouldn’t mind a taste of that.”

  Rik forced his fisted hands to relax, shoving down the urge to reach over and rip out his old friend’s spleen. “Aye.” He nodded slowly. “A shame she’s such a valuable asset or I’d take a piece of that myself.”

  The words flowed easier than they should have as he slipped back into the crude speech patterns he’d developed over the past three years.

  It felt like a knife slicing through his gut when Luna’s emerald eyes, glistening with tears, narrowed at him. Pride at her bravery was tempered by regret that he was losing her trust.

  Rik looked away. Have I become as uncaring as the pirates around me? What had happened to the galactic marshal he’d once been?

  But he knew. After spending so much time in the pirate’s ranks that version of himself no longer existed.

  It’d been so much easier before he’d met Luna—the lies and deceit. Now, she’d shined a light on all his crimes. He’d stolen, lied, betrayed . . . gotten people killed. Yes, they’d been the worst kind of people, but people nonetheless.

  His jaw clenched.

  I’ve become the very monster I pledged, on my life, to protect people from when I became a galactic marshal.

  “Now get to work.”

  Luna’s heart sank at the sneer in Rik’s tone. His grip on her arm, while not painful, was still firm as he pushed her into the lab.

  It’s just an act to fool our captors. It has to be.

  Ian’s wail as he entered behind her pulled her out of her dark thoughts. “This laboratory is atrocious.”

  Luna put a hand on Ian’s shoulder to try and calm the man.

  Yes, the lab was in a sorry state, but she was unsure how their hosts would view any criticism.

  Demi and his pirate band stood in front of the exit door joking and laughing after ushering Ian, Magda and Harvey in.

  Cocky, leering maggots.

  “Nonsense, Doctor von Alderamin. “Magda bustled forward, picking up a dusty inhibitor valve from the cluttered work counter. “It just needs a bit of cleaning and it will be right as a meteor shower.”

  “Harvey, go help Magda tidy the place up.” Luna was finding it hard to dislike or distrust the fortuneteller. Magda had certainly inspired trust by helping find Ian.

  Rik brushed up against her from behind, his hard lines sending tingles through her core. His breath was warm on her neck as he whispered, “Do what they say, but work slowly. Don’t give up anything unless you have to. And pretend you don’t like me.”

  Then he bumped past her, jostling her. Playing the bully.

  But her heart warmed. He’d taken a big risk to reassure her.

  “Listen up squints.” His tone filled with distain. “I want a fully functional prototype of that asteroid avoidance system. Work on that first. Then I want the tractor beam and cloaking shields you built before.”

  Ian snorted. “This laboratory is hardly suitable for—”

  “You’ll make it work.” Rik’s voice held a hard, menacing edge that almost frightened her, even knowing he was on their side. Then he turned to her and winked, before continuing in his same badass pirate voice, “Use what you have available here and if you need anything else, ask.”

  Okay, two could play this game.

  Luna gritted her teeth, slapping her hands on her hips. “What I need is my ship and a jump point as far away from you as I can get, you bastard.”

  Am I laying it on too thick?

  The side of Rik’s lip twitched up for just a second before his eyes darkened. “You will do as you are told, Miss Callista.”

  He turned to address the pirate group. “I want two men guarding the door at all times. Give them whatever equipment they want.” He raised an eyebrow. “And if Doctor Callista gives you any trouble . . . bring her to me.”

  One of the pirates chuckled. “Har, Rik, what ‘cha gonna do? Spank her?”

  Rik threw her a leering grin. “I just might.”

  That brought out a tirade of guffaws and rude remarks from the pirates. Rik laughed heartily as he strode toward them.
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  He pointed toward two. “You and you are on guard duty. The rest of you . . . let’s get a drink.”

  How easily Rik had slid into their ranks, becoming one of them. So different from the man he’d portrayed for her. But it made her wonder who Rik really was? What kind of man was under the façade?

  The two selected pirates grumbled, but took up positions on either side of the door. Arms crossed, they leered as their gazes swept her up and down. She didn’t need Magda’s sight to tell her what the bastards were thinking.

  Chapter 14

  Frack. A test raid. Rik might have expected it.

  Stupid zealots.

  A religious cult had taken up residency on an uninhabited planet near the Dark Nebulan sector, then had the ungodly luck to strike a rich vein of platinum. If they’d kept their mouths shut, they’d have probably been fine, but the fools had to proclaim to all of near space how the galactic gods had favored them and their settlement.

  They were almost asking for this raid, damn them.

  Rik led the charge down the ramp after the rusting LX5 cargo ship settled in the dusty surface of Zannar 7. Once again, people were going to be hurt, and he was helpless to stop it.

  The settlers didn’t even attempt a token resistance. Are they that convinced of their divine favor? At least that meant they would probably survive. Ruthless as these pirates were, they wouldn’t slaughter defenseless women and children unless provoked.

  Rik felt the eyes on his back. The other pirates were watching him, judging his loyalty and determination. He had to make this look good.

  His gaze was drawn to a small hut near the perimeter of the settlement. He couldn’t save all of them, but he would do what he could.

  “Keep moving. I’ll take this one.” He shouted as he kicked in the door.

  He leveled his blaster at a family. A man in simple clothing, a young woman in dowdy rough-spun, and two small children. The youngest, no more than a toddler, clung to the woman’s leg.

  Rik kicked the door shut as he stepped into the room. “Hide,” he told them. “And for the love of the galactic gods, don’t come out for at least two hours.”

  The family scrambled for the back rooms, and Rik scanned the living area.

  A small chest sat in a corner. Opening it, he found it filled with platinum disks. Coinage of some sort. Yes, these people had found wealth.

  And now it’s being taken from them.

  The fact that they’d been foolish didn’t make the taking any less wrong.

  He reached into the chest and fisted a handful of coins, then dropped them on the table. Enough for a destitute family to at least make a new start.

  Then he picked up the chest with the rest of the coins and exited the home.

  All around him settlers stood stunned as their wealth was stripped from them. To their credit, the pirates hadn’t littered the ground with corpses. Thank the galactic gods these settlers were mostly pacifists. Had there been resistance the outcome could have turned deadly.

  Then what would I have done? Rik gritted his teeth. The fact that he’d even asked the question was another mark against his soul.

  Ahead, one of the pirates was backing a young woman against a wall, his intent clear. “You,” Rik rushed toward him. “No time for that.” He foisted the chest of coins into the man’s hands. “Get that back to the ship.”

  In the tense moments that followed Rik had to bully a few of the settlers to save their lives, thumbing his blaster to stun twice to take down the more belligerent ones before one of the other pirates shot them dead.

  “Move your arses, you deadbeats,” Rik hollered to his men. “Get that loot back to the ship. There’s ale and whores waitin’ for us back in Thurban, and I’ll space anyone dragging their heels.”

  “A rich haul,” he said placing a chest in the cargo bay. The hold was filling rapidly as pirates dragged in more plunder behind him.

  “Aye.” Demi clapped him on the shoulder. “Fools and their platinum are soon parted.”

  Rik smiled to cover the cold knot twisting in his stomach. “Aye.”

  “Is it cold in here or is it just me?”

  Luna raised an eyebrow at Magda’s query. The close, stuffy workspace they’d been assigned felt overly warm, but the twinkle in the older woman’s eye told her something else was behind the question.

  Well, Rik did say to cause some trouble.

  Luna strode purposefully to the door guards. “Well? Didn’t you hear her? She’s cold. Go get her a sweater or something.”

  “A coat would be better.” Magda came to stand beside Luna. “A nice, heavy coat. I’m sure I’ll freeze otherwise.”

  “You’re crazy, old woman.” The guard shook his head and crossed his arms. “It’s plenty warm in here. Get back to work, both of you.”

  Magda crossed her arms, mimicking the guard’s stance. “No.”

  Luna followed her example. “Is a coat too much for your simple mind to process? You are supposed to fulfill our needs. Are you countermanding your superior’s orders, or just being needlessly cruel?”

  The door behind them opened and another pirate stuck his head in. “He’s back and he’s in.”

  The guard rolled his eyes. “Thank the galactic gods.”

  He grabbed Luna by the forearm, while pointing back into the room with his other hand. His gaze shot to Magda. “Get back to work.”

  His crushing grip made Luna’s arm pound as pain shot up her shoulder as he yanked her close. His breathing ragged, through clenched teeth he said, “You . . . come with me.”

  She wrinkled her nose as his foul breath swirled around her. “Let me go.”

  “Not bloody likely, bitch.” He opened the door and pulled Luna from the room.

  She struggled in his grip. Had she taken things too far?

  The back of the man’s neck reddened as he dragged her down the hallway.

  Those poor, stupid people.

  Rik laid his head back in the overstuffed chair and closed his eyes, seeking peace. Yes, they’d brought the pirate raid on themselves, but that didn’t make it any more right. These pockets of bandits scattered throughout the galaxy needed to be cleaned out, and the cutthroats brought to justice. The work he was doing was important. But why do so many innocents have to suffer while I’m doing it.

  The rough pounding on his quarter’s main door brought him out of his reverie. “Come,” he shouted. Now what?

  Narko Holdine, one of the men he’d assigned to guard, entered with Luna in tow. “You said to bring her to ya if she gave us any trouble.”

  He pushed Luna forward toward Rik, and she stumbled to her knees.

  Riks gut wrenched at the cruel treatment and he was torn between jumping forward to catch Luna and punching the man in the face.

  He did neither, instead forcing himself to appear calm and collected. He had to play the despot, seated upon his throne, passing judgment on his subjects. “What have you done?”

  Luna pulled herself to her feet, her chin up, defiance blazing in her eyes. “Magda’s cold. She needs a coat to continue working.”

  Gods, this woman is incredible.

  Narko straightened his back. “The room’s fine. Not cold in the least.”

  Luna turned on him, raising an index finger. “She’s Ferang.”

  The intelligence of the woman floored him. Ferang was closer to its star than most planets, and the inhabitants had adapted to the planet’s hotter climate. Still, Magda hadn’t complained of the cold before, so they must need the coat for some other purpose.

  Narko’s gaze shifted to Rik. “Whadaya want me ta do, boss?”

  Rik forced a smirk. “Get the old woman a coat. One of those sub-zero, radiant assault jackets. If the woman’s cold, let’s give her an oven.”
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  Narko chuckled and nodded his head, then his gaze fell on to Luna. “What about her?”

  Only then did Rik let his real emotions show. The smile that crossed his face and the open lust he let show would certainly be misinterpreted by the pirate. “Leave her with me. Maybe I can teach her to be a bit more civil when she asks for something.”

  Rik had Luna in his arms the moment the door closed behind Narko. “Is everyone all right? Are you okay?”

  He didn’t wait for an answer, diving in for a kiss. The purring rumble in Luna’s throat and the passion she poured into the kiss spoke volumes. Had she missed him as much as he’d missed her?

  He wanted her so badly, but still wore the dust and grime of his recent mission. Not like this. He pulled back. “I need a shower.”

  “A shower?” Lust-filled joy twinkled in Luna’s eyes.

  The roguish smile that played over Rik’s mouth caused Luna’s core to clench. Her suggestion that they . . . maybe . . . shower together, had been met with his overwhelming approval.

  Rik led her to the shower chamber, shedding clothing as he went. He’d toed off his boots in the sitting room, then helped her out of her blouse in the hallway, stealing kisses after loosening each fastener.