by RK Munin
“You try to board my ship and I'll make sure you regret it,” she promises him, and his eyes widen at her threat but then narrow.
“You wouldn't kill me,” he states confidently.
“No,” she agrees. “But that doesn't mean I can't incapacitate you. You saw me on the range. Do you really think you'd stand a chance if I decided I didn't want you on my ship? Fortune is littered with little traps and surprises, and it won’t take long before you find yourself vented into space or running afoul of a PKB.”
“Halin kept you subdued,” Revin points out with a cruel smile. She doesn't rise to the bait, just tilts her head and gives him a cold smile of her own.
“Halin spent almost two weeks traveling with me before that. He learned my hiding spots. You won't. Think you can keep me bound enough to keep me from accessing a weapon? Are you really that confident in your detection skills that you think you can find all my hiding spots? Are you willing to risk your dick to find out which one of us is cleverer? Or crueler? Something to think about before you answer: I love Halin and I broke his nose. I’m not sure I even like you right now.”
Noting his look of apprehension, she takes a small step closer to him and lets her smile widen, showing her teeth. “My smell affects you, but your smell doesn't affect me. How long until I can make sure my smell puts you in a vulnerable position?”
Revin scowls at her. “You're being foolish.”
“No,” she disagrees. “I'm being a warrior. I know my limits, and I know my skills. I'll be safe with Halin, but if any of you guys try to travel with us, I know I'll spend all my time trying to keep him from going crazy. Follow in another ship if you feel you need to, but no one else is allowed aboard Fortune except Halin.”
“Very well,” Revin agrees with obvious irritation. “We’ll follow on another ship. Don't fire on us.”
She gives him a genuine grin. “You're safe as long as you don’t get in my way.”
“I’m now convinced you and Halin belong together,” he grumbles and strides out to catch up with the others. She follows close at his heels. “You're both too stubborn and arrogant for your own good.”
“It's not arrogant if it's true.”
He mumbles something she doesn’t catch but gives up his argument.
They catch up with the others just as they are shoving Halin into a large transport vehicle. They all manage to fit inside, but it’s tight. Thankfully the port isn’t far away. Soon they’re loading her and Halin into a shuttle. Povin takes the pilot seat and with more haste than grace gets them in the air.
Mian doesn't know how Sarin did it, but soon they’re boarding Fortune. The men carry Halin to her bed, easing him down with care. She's surprised when they don't leave immediately. Instead they stare at her living space, looking around with open curiosity.
“Semin told me you decorated like a Hissa,” one of the men comments as he reaches out to touch a scarlet drape. “I didn't believe him, but you've made this room beautiful.”
“It's a place any Hissa woman would be proud to call home,” Sarin agrees. “My sister would have loved the color of the walls.”
“Thanks for the compliment, guys, but it’s time to go,” she says as she tries to usher the men out, worried Halin will wake up from the drugs at any moment.
She manages to shove them out the cabin door and down the hall. She almost has them all boarded on the shuttle when Sarin stops at the shuttle hatch, refusing to move. He waits for her to meet his gaze. With hands on hips she meets his eyes with a challenge and insult ready on her lips. Neither is necessary because his expression is one of fearful hope.
“You're a warrior I'm proud to know,” he states with a gentle, soft voice. He taps his fingers to his throat and then to his heart. “They might have tried to create a human, but they bred a proud, capable Hissa female warrior instead.”
Touched by his words, she taps her throat and gives a little bow with her head. “Thank you for the compliment. I’ll do my best to guard us and find a cure for Halin.”
“I have no doubt,” he replies, and she thinks she sees longing on his face as he turns. “Would it was me instead that inspired such devotion.”
She doesn't have time to respond before the hatch closes. Rushing to the cockpit to get Fortune underway, she hurries to set the navigation system, thankful to find the ship is fully fueled. Once the ship is underway, she checks the displays and sees a Hissa gunship, twice the size of Fortune, following her at a respectable distance.
“I guess I don't need to worry about any raiders trying to get revenge on me,” she murmurs. She has to admit it feels good to have backup for once.
She makes her way back to her cabin to find Halin just starting to wake up from the drugs. She strips out of her clothes and settles in the bed next to him. The previous day’s activities are catching up to her. She needs to run diagnostics on the ship and check their food stores, but she’ll do that later.
Right now, she needs to wrap her arms around Halin.
CHAPTER 17
Halin holds her tightly as they stand in the stone circle waiting for the Bicoma to show up. He was mostly lucid for the trip from Hissa to here, having only one small meltdown when he first came fully awake after leaving Hissa. Smelling Revin and Sarin on her sent him into a primitive roaring fit. Finally, he calmed enough to allow her to lead him into the cleansing unit.
After thoroughly washing her, he grabbed her and tossed her onto the bed, rubbing himself on her until she only smelled of the two of them. After that he remained mellow but unfocused. She tried repeatedly to engage him in conversation, but he acted almost drugged, unable to follow a train of thought for very long.
He only got worse as the days passed until he stopped talking all together. Although she wasn't sure if he understood her or not, he let her lead him around so she managed to get him to the surface of Bicoma, but he refused to let go of her the moment they exited the small shuttle she used to travel planet side. Now she stands in front of him, his arms wrapped around her like steel bands, scanning the horizon and waiting for the Bicoma to show up.
Even though the Bicoma granted Fortune passage, Revin, Sarin, and the other Hissa were forced to stay just outside Bicoma space. She feels the loss of the extra support but refuses to be deterred from her mission.
Scanning the horizon, Mian hopes they don't keep her waiting like last time. She's not sure she can keep Halin out in the open very long. He didn't want to leave the shuttle. Even after she managed to get him out of the shuttle and into the stone circle, he keeps trying to pull her back. He doesn’t like to be out in the open, and every time something skitters under a rock or a shadow moves, Halin growls and looks to the open hatch of the nearby shuttle
Constant petting and soft, soothing words are keeping him in the stone circle, but she doesn’t know how much longer he’ll allow the two of them to remain in such a vulnerable spot. She’s not wearing any armor or weapons because there’s no point, so it makes skin to skin contact a little easier. She’s in one of the sets of the clothes Halin bought for her on Wint. It’s what she’s been wearing the past few days. When they hug he’ll often rub the fabric between his fingers and smile. Somewhere deep inside him, he remembers the clothes.
At least the light cotton of her outfit is helping her stay cool. The planet’s air is intensely hot and arid. The dry breeze means sweat doesn’t have time to gather on her body. If they’re forced to wait much longer, she’s going to have to give in to Halin’s inarticulate demands to go back in the shuttle, just so she can re-hydrate.
The sun is almost at its zenith when Halin growls, arms tightening around her. Looking up to where he’s staring, she sees three Bicoma walking toward them. She can't be sure, but the three look very similar to Leader, Follower, and Advocate.
“You need to be calm,” she tells him. “They’re here to help.” At least she hopes they are here to help. Halin tries to pull her toward the shuttle, but she digs in her heels and smacks his arm until
he finally looks down and meets her eyes.
“You need to trust me,” she tells him. She can see confusion on his face, but finally he grunts and nods. “I need to talk to these creatures,” she explains, wondering how much is getting through. “You need to let me stay here and talk to them.”
He grunts again and remains in the center of the stone circle as they approach.
“Greetings,” the one in the middle addresses her. “I'm Leader. This is Follower and Advocate. We are joyful to see you Captain Mian Sorrow, false human.”
She ignores the greeting and the title and levels them with a pleading look. “There’s something wrong with Halin,” she states. She tries to take a step forward, but he holds her back. She doesn't struggle. He isn't trying to drag her into the shuttle so she's willing to call it a win.
“What is wrong with Commander Halin?” Leader asks.
“After we left here, he became aggressive, and it's gotten worse. He can't seem to even talk now. It's like his brain is devolving. Becoming more instinct than thought.”
“Of course it is,” Adovate states. “That’s as we expected.”
Mian's too stunned to speak for a moment. “As you expected?” Her voice isn't much more than a croak when she finally manages to form words.
“We needed to test the Hissa, and he was the only one,” Follower explains.
“Test?”
“We needed to know the Hissa could be trusted with something precious, something delicate. Something they might find delectable. We had to know they would have control.”
Mian feels equal parts confused and annoyed. “Are you saying you did this to him? On purpose?”
“Of course,” Leader says.
Mian would have launched herself at the Bicoma if Halin didn't have her in such a strong embrace. As it is, she can feel him picking up on her emotions and tensing up, ready to jump at the Bicoma to defend her. She can't afford for him to get agitated so she takes a few deep breaths. She needs to stay calm and in control so his aggression doesn’t get out of hand.
“Why would you do this to him? He might have been hurt or killed.” She’s proud of how even her voice is. It only sounds mildly accusatory.
“Better his life ends than we trust the Hissa to find our Treasure and they fail us because they lack control.”
Ignoring their blatant willingness to sacrifice Halin for their own ends Mian latches on to the most confusing part of that statement. “Treasure?”
“There is a Decanted female that is one of us,” Advocate explains. “We do not know how it was done, but she is out there. We can feel her. We cannot leave our system. We cannot leave our suns. But the Hissa already have a reason to seek out Decanted females. They can find her. We need them to bring her to us when she is found.”
“There is a Decanted Bicoma?” Mian asks, feeling like the universe might have just tilted around her. She knows the scientists messed with a lot of alien DNA to create the perfect Decanted children, but how would they even get ahold of Bicoma DNA, let alone figure out how to combine it with human?
“She is like you, a false human. We need her.”
“And you need the Hissa to find her?”
“Yes. We feared the Hissa might harm her in their quest to reproduce, so we decided to use the two of you as test subjects. It was easy to tell the Hissa they couldn't have a ship with weapons. We were aware of the danger. We were also aware of you, Mian the false human, and your reputation for protecting those attacked. We set the events in motion and hoped it would be you who rescued the Hissa delegation. We asked they send only the worthiest males to meet with us, hoping you would like one of them enough to engage in mating behavior.”
She's shocked and knows it shows on her face. “There’re so many things that could have gone wrong,” she whispers. “Halin could have died.”
“He did not,” Advocate points out. “You rescued him and brought him to us. We could not have hoped for a better outcome.”
“What if I didn't make it to the Hope in time? What if Halin died?”
“We would have simply requested more Hissa,” Follower says calmly, making Mian’s blood run cold. “We would request Hissa until the situation was as we needed it with you and a Hissa male on our planet.”
“You couldn't have known,” she whispers. “Couldn't have known we'd have sex or that mating marks would show up.”
“We can know,” Advocate informs her. “Because all Hissa are breeding compatible with all Decanted humans. Mating marks would appear no matter who you had sex with, as long as you enjoyed it.”
Well, that’s a revelation that’ll make the Council jump for joy. “Did you change my scent too?” she asks, barely keeping her anger in check.
“We did,” Follower confirms. “We let his higher brain functions bleed away, leaving only instinct, and made your scent too delectable for any Hissa male to ignore. Those conditions are ripe to create violence and abuse. Now you are here with no marks of abuse on your body. He kept you safe and protected, even though he can no longer even think with language, only feelings and images.”
“We had hopes for the Hissa,” Advocate says. “He exceeded our expectations. We are relieved.”
“I'm glad you’re so happy. Now fix him,” Mian demands. Halin growls at her angry tone. She pets him and coos to calm him. He doesn’t relax, but the growling diminishes.
“We will need to touch both of you,” Follower warns, unperturbed by either her tone or Halin’s growl. Just like last time, the familiar smell of her mother’s sweet tea envelopes her, and she knows it's affecting Halin too because he seems to relax slightly.
Mian wiggles until Halin allows her to move out of his arms. She turns to face him, pulling one of his arms away from his bod. Holding his one arm with both hands, she steps backwards and pulling him with her toward Leader. “They're going to make you feel better,” she promises. “You want this, I promise. You trust me. Just keep trusting me.”
He resists, but she keeps speaking to him in a soft, calming, reassuring voice as she walks. Reluctantly he follows until Leader can reach out to touch the arm Mian is holding. He gives a growl and tenses. She lets go of his arm with one hand and reaches up to draw his face to hers. She kisses him, hoping her scent overwhelms him. He shudders against her and growls even as she kisses him but doesn't pull away. Leader wraps a three-digit appendage around his wrist. She feels the clawed fingers of another Bicoma wrap around her own forearm. She can see it’s Advocate out of the corner of her eye but ignores him in favor of keeping Halin distracted.
When the claws dig into his flesh enough to pierce his skin Halin brings his head up and roars. She can feel his body tensing, readying to strike out at Leader. Then he stiffens against her, and she knows the Bicoma has immobilized him.
She doesn't fight Advocate’s grip, just braces herself for what’s coming. The familiar fiery pain lances up and down her arm as his claws pierce her skin. She ignores the discomfort and fixes her gaze on Halin. She watches as intelligence seeps back into his eyes, and when he blinks and rolls his eyes to meet hers, she knows he can think and reason again. She almost collapses with relief.
“You are both returned to your original markers,” Advocate announces and withdraws his hand from her arm. Leader releases Halin, and she can feel the moment Halin has control of his own body again. He doesn't growl; he doesn't roar; instead he just wraps his arms around her.
“I don't know what happened,” he whispers into her ear. “But I have a strong suspicion you just saved my life.”
“That's two you owe me,” she murmurs, throwing her arms around him and hugging him tightly with relief. They hold each other like that, forgetting about the Bicoma until Leader speaks again.
“There is one of us you must find,” Leader reminds her. “When she is found she must be brought to us.”
Mian turns to face them. She wants to refuse the request. She wants to scream at them and pull out a blaster and shoot all of them for what they pu
t her and Halin through. Instead, knowing the immense power of these creatures, she makes herself nod her head in agreement.
“The Hissa will bring her to you, but how will they know? If she’s Decanted, then she’ll just look like a normal human.”
“She’ll be unmistakable,” Advocate assures her. “You’ll know she is of us, even though her appearance is human.”
“She’ll help guide you,” Follower explains. “You must trust her as you trust each other.”
“She is delicate. You must not let the Hissa be forceful with her,” Leader warns, and Mian gives him a hard look.
“I think Halin has proved the Hissa ability to care and protect females,” she grounds out, just barely restraining her urge to take a swing at the Bicoma.
“Just so,” Advocate says. “We wish you to be compassionate with the female. She’ll be conflicted and in pain. You must understand this wasn’t our wish. We didn’t manipulate her into existence. We don’t know how it came to pass, but we must rectify and preserve. She is our new start.”
Mian isn't sure she completely understands what the Bicoma are saying but nods her head anyway. Something occurs to her, and she cocks her head, regarding them shrewdly.
“You're powerless outside the Bicoma system, aren't you?” she asks. “You have all this tech, all this power, but you can't leave here. There’s something you desperately want, but no one you trust enough to get it for you without holding it for ransom.”
“Not until now,” Advocate agrees. “We trust you and the Hissa now. We will see you again, Captain Sorrow, when you deliver her to us.”
“Sure,” she mutters but decides she’s not going be the one bringing this precious “treasure” back to Bicoma. She’s getting within a light year of this place ever again. Someone else can have the dubious pleasure of delivering that poor decanted woman into the hands of these powerful and manipulative beings. That is, assuming, they ever find the Decanted woman with Bicoma DNA mixed in. Considering the size of the universe, it’s a daunting task.
Halin makes a puzzled sound, his hold on her loosening as he looks around them.
