Pets in Space® 4

by S. E. Smith

  “Introductions are in order,” Sona said in a crisp tone, as soon as the other men had exited. “Agent Blackline, this is Counselor Ramo. Counselor, this is Rigel Jagger, a Blackline operative for the Network.” Sona addressed Rigel directly, “Ramo has commanded that Maura be returned to your custody immediately.”

  “Thank you, sir.” Rigel’s shoulders slumped with relief. “Thank you both.”

  “Maura is more than a companion,” Sona rushed to add. “She’s a SpyDog.”

  “I see,” Ramo muttered, his dark eyes lighting with understanding.

  Rigel nodded. “Counselor, are you currently the one in charge on MONA Loa Station?”

  “I am a ranking member of leadership. General Kemm is the commanding officer when Admiral Mennelsohn and Commodore Gant are not on station.”

  Rigel seemed to absorb this. “With all due respect, sir, I’d like to request that General Kemm be present when I brief you.”

  Ramo’s eyes narrowed. “You believe this information is important enough to pull General Kemm away from his current duties?”

  “Without question. Sir.”

  Ramo opened his hand, accessing an embedded data device in his palm, and quickly tapped at it. “What’s your understanding of the current status on MONA Loa?”

  “Commodore Gant has gone missing, along with Specter and her crew, since attempting to run a blockade over Banna. Spirit, with Admiral Mennelsohn aboard, is currently overdue back at station. I don’t know if his whereabouts are known.”

  Sona acknowledged his quick glance with a tilt of her head.

  Ramo’s scowl deepened, the kensmarcs crisscrossing his face standing out in bold relief. “An accurate valuation, for the most part. And in light of this, you still believe it wise to interrupt General Kemm’s pressing duties?”

  “The information I have is essential, sir,” Rigel answered, choosing his words with care.

  “You’re going to have to be more specific.” Ramo cast a hard look at Rigel. “Tell me what this involves.”

  “An unprecedented window of opportunity for the Network. But a very brief one.”

  Ramo’s gaze came to bear on Sona. She offered a subtle nod. She believed Rigel. She hoped her absolute trust in him wasn’t a dead giveaway that she had feelings for the man.

  Rigel looked toward the door when the comm sounded. “The creature has arrived, sir.”

  “Bring her in.”

  The seal parted and Major Kelwell entered with Maura’s crate. Rigel got to his feet but stopped short of running to throw open the crate door.

  “Please. Let her out,” Rigel said.

  “You may release the animal,” Ramo instructed the major.

  Kelwell registered his disapproval with a slight scowl but reached around to tweak the catch.

  Maura made a flying leap out of the crate, scampered across the room, and scaled Rigel’s uniform to coil around his shoulders and jabber angrily at the major. Her coat rippled from golden to the olive of Rigel’s field vest, striped in scarlet bands. Sona took a step nearer with hands held out and Maura vaulted into her arms, still scolding the man.

  “The animal appears highly agitated,” Ramo remarked.

  “She’s a field asset, sir. She isn’t used to being caged,” Rigel said, reaching out to stroke the StarDog still cradled in Sona’s arms. He didn’t miss Ramo’s slight scowl at his proximity to her, and quickly dropped his hand and backed off a half step.

  Was his guess right that Ramo was Sona’s intended? The thought rankled him, but this was hardly the time or place to show his true feelings.

  A tall man with bronzed skin and silver white hair blustered into the room. A LaGuardian. His Network uniform, layered with rows of medals, left no doubt in Rigel’s mind who he was.

  “What the blazes is—” The man stopped dead in his tracks when he spied Maura. “That’s a bloody SpyDog!”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “Which one?” he demanded.

  “Maura.”

  “Ah! M-series.” He nodded vigorously and strode up to Rigel, towering over him. “You’re her handler?”

  “I am, General.” Rigel looked the man in the eye. “Agent Rigel Jagger, Blackline. Second squad. Recon detachment.”

  “Ah, yes. Agent Jagger. I know your brother well.” He gave an impatient nod. “Well, son, I’m in the middle of a shitstorm. What the devil have you brought us?”

  “Navigational analytics, sir. Hundreds of terabytes worth.” Rigel met the man’s unyielding gaze and held it. “Data that reveals an opening the Network fleet may not see again in our lifetimes.”

  Chapter Fifteen

  “We’ll be taking the StarDog off your hands now, son,” General Kemm told Rigel. “She’ll be delivered to our lab so they can perform the data extraction and analysis, but she’ll be returned to you after. I promise she’ll get the best of care. In the meantime, you’ll be escorted to quarters. Has anyone else had direct access to this animal?”

  Sona stepped forward. “I have, General.”

  “Then we’ll be keeping you under tabs, as well.”

  Ramo cleared his throat. “Sona will remain in my protection.”

  “Sorry, old friend, these two need to be sequestered until the data has been decrypted. I can’t risk a security breach, if the information is as important as this agent claims.”

  Ramo inclined his head slightly, deferring to the general, but clearly not pleased with his command call.

  Rigel wasn’t particularly pleased either. It didn’t look like he’d ever have that chance to speak with Sona. Once that data was decrypted, MONA Loa might very well be in wartime status.

  Maura squirmed in Sona’s arms. “Rigel not happy?”

  Sona caught his eye. Her implant must’ve picked up Maura’s thought, too.

  “Rigel is happy. Settle down.”

  “Guards will be posted outside your accommodations. I suggest you use this time to get some rest.” The general gave Rigel a pointed inspection. “You look like you could use it.”

  “I’m required to send a report to Blackline field command, sir.”

  “It’s handled, son. Your superiors have been informed of your location and status.” The general inclined his head to Rigel. “Better have a talk with your SpyDog now.”

  Rigel turned to Sona and went to one knee, bringing him eye-to-eye with his partner. “Go with the man, Maura. No hurt.”

  Maura perked her ears at the general. “Big boss!”

  “Yes. Big boss. You remember him, don’t you?”

  “Maura good. Belly rub?”

  “Later. I promise.”

  Rigel plucked Maura gingerly out of Sona’s arms and presented her to the general, who took her in his beefy hands with surprising gentleness. “Haven’t seen the likes of you in quite some time, have I, little girl?” he muttered to Maura, who cuddled up against his chest. “I remember this one. One of our best.”

  “The best, sir,” Rigel said. “And about to be a legend.”

  “We’ll see about that, son.” General Kemm gave Maura’s ears a rub. “These men will take you both to quarters now.”

  The general and his aide departed the debriefing room with Maura. She wouldn’t be getting that belly rub for a while yet. The decryption process would take at least a day.

  “If you would come with us,” one of the remaining guards said.

  Counselor Ramo rose and approached Sona. “We’ll talk again, soon.”

  She lowered her eyes. “Yes, sir.”

  Rigel had never seen Sona kowtow to anyone. It troubled him at some deep level, though he wasn’t ready to admit the reason to himself.

  She turned away from Ramo, joining Rigel and the guards.

  Once they were in the corridor, Sona caught his eye. We need to talk, she mouthed. She held his gaze for several moments, her face revealing nothing.

  At least they were in agreement on that point. He answered with a small nod.

  Their group entered a lift, a spa
cious cabin nearly ten times the size of the one on Banshee. The unit sealed and rose rapidly through many levels of the station’s central core.

  The quarters he’d been assigned were opulent compared to his accommodations in the field and onboard Banshee. Most likely officers’ quarters. It was a fair-sized apartment, complete with galley kitchen, living area, and stylish master suite. The dinnerware was elegant. The floors sparkled. Tasteful holo-art decorated the walls. The place even smelled fresh, probably courtesy of MONA Loa’s state-of-the-art filtration system.

  He missed hearing Maura in his head, even her continuous pleas for a belly rub. Her implant only worked within a reasonable distance. Wherever General Kemm had taken her, she must be well out of range.

  But Maura’s mental chatter wasn’t all he was missing. He couldn’t get Sona’s face out of his mind.

  He stretched out on the big and very comfortable sofa in the living area and slid his hands beneath his head.

  Sona had continued with the guards after he’d been locked in his quarters. What did she need to say to him? Maybe a plea to keep what had happened on Banshee forever on Banshee? She didn’t need to worry about that. The times they’d spent wrapped in the sheets—and each other’s arms—was intel he’d never share. If Counselor Ramo was her intended, the man was clearly in a position of power. He’d never say anything to jeopardize her future. No matter how much he wished things between them could be different.

  He rubbed his tired eyes with his thumb and forefinger. Clearly, he had a lot more to worry about than his feelings for Sona. It was going to be a very long and fretful stretch until he got word the data had been successfully recovered and Maura was safely returned to him.

  He was in for a lonely vigil.

  A quiet tapping sounded. Had a guard returned? No, if anyone needed to speak to him, they’d use the wall comm. And the sound hadn’t come from that direction.

  He heard it again—coming from the galley. Rigel raised his head and cocked his ear toward the noise. It came a third time. Three quiet knocks.

  He rolled off the sofa onto his feet and tracked it, finding a locked door on the side of his suite. When he disengaged the lock and warily opened the door, he came face-to-face with Sona. His heart made a running leap into his throat.

  “Adjoining rooms,” she said quietly.

  Rigel straightened. “So I see.”

  “Would you rather be alone, or…”

  Yeah, he still had feelings for her, but right now those feelings ran the gamut from extreme gratitude to deep anger. And it seemed they now had some time on their hands to hash those feelings out. They may not have another chance, and he didn’t want his memories of her to be bitter.

  Rigel backed up, holding the door open. “Come in.”

  She stepped inside without hesitation. “So it seems we’re both on the same side, after all.”

  “Who would’ve guessed you’re one of the good guys?”

  “Who would have guessed you are?” She finished her scan of his quarters and turned to face him.

  “Maura was right about you all along,” Rigel admitted. “Seems my instincts were, too. For the most part.”

  “Your instincts were right enough the morning you brought me breakfast.”

  “Maybe.”

  “What happened between us wasn’t a ‘maybe.’ The attraction was real for me. And I’m pretty certain it was for you.” There was a challenge in her black eyes.

  He was quiet for a moment, trying to keep his head in the game and his feelings out of it. “I think you hit the mark, but you’ve never been timid about stating your views.”

  The corners of her mouth eased up in a tentative smile. “The bold shall inherit the galaxy.”

  He didn’t smile. “You should’ve told me about your obligation.”

  “It wasn’t something I could share until I was sure of you. And I wasn’t sure of you until we’d already become involved. But you’re right. I owe you an apology.”

  Rigel ran a hand up his face and through his hair. “That’s a bit like closing the hang door after the ship has launched, don’t you think?”

  “Rigel.” She looked down at the hand she had pressed to her mid-section. Anguish? Remorse? He couldn’t recall her ever displaying emotion so openly before. “I can’t change anything that happened. I can’t change how it all unfolded. But I’m here to try to make things right with you.”

  Time to cut to the chase. “What you told me about your father negotiating a match for you?” He lifted his chin. “It’s Ramo, isn’t it?”

  She started, her eyes opening wide. “No. Ramo isn’t my intended, Rigel.”

  “Then—”

  “Ramo is my father.”

  “He’s…” Whoa! Rigel sank into one of the galley chairs. “Then who’s your intended?”

  “It’s…a bit complicated.”

  “I don’t think either of us is going anywhere for quite some time.” Rigel doggedly crossed his arms over his chest. “Explain.”

  Her shoulders sagged and her hands fell to her sides. “I need to sit.”

  He gritted his teeth while she took her seat. He wasn’t sure he was ready to hear this, in spite of his need to understand.

  “Let me first explain about the current troubles on Rathskia.”

  How was the state of her planet pertinent? “Go on.”

  “There was a recent shift in the Rathskian bloodheir lineage,” she began. “It’s shaken Rathskia to its core. The current ruler is dying. He left no living heir.” She paused to study his face.

  “I’m with you, so far.”

  “As a result, the line shifted to the next surviving direct descendant, a man named Row. He has now been named the next majesto—monarch—of the Rathskian Empire, but he is not well and will not reign long. It’s his son, the heir-apparent, who has become the focus. He is young. He will rule Rathskia for decades.”

  Rigel leaned forward to rest his arms on the table. “And this involves you how exactly?”

  “The Rathskians will only tolerate a mate for their bloodheir who’s been handpicked from select bloodlines. Warrior Class bloodlines.” She raised her gaze to his waiting eyes. “The mate they selected is the daughter of Ramo.”

  Rigel jolted back in his seat. “You’re telling me you’re going to be the next flipping Queen of Rathskia?”

  “We do not call the majesto’s mate a queen.”

  “But it will be you.”

  “Yes.”

  Rigel pushed to his feet and paced a few steps. Empora’s Hades. He’d slept with a future Rathskian monarch.

  “But as I said…there’s a complication,” she continued. “The heir-apparent is missing. His current whereabouts are unknown.”

  “He’s missing,” Rigel repeated, fixing his gaze on her. “So what happens if he’s never found?”

  “He’ll be found, Rigel,” she answered quietly. “There’s no hiding from the Alliance. Not for long.”

  Rigel eased back into his seat. “Suppose the Network were to defeat the Alliance, where would that leave you?”

  “Operation Reset will not happen for many calendars. Maybe not even in our lifetimes.”

  “But what if it were to happen…much sooner?”

  “Are you suggesting that’s a possibility?”

  “Humor me.”

  She flattened her palms on the table before her. “If the Network were to succeed in crippling the Alliance, the heir-apparent would be located and returned to Rathskia to reign. If the Network were to fail in their attempt, the heir-apparent would still be located and returned to Rathskia to reign. There is no other surviving bloodheir who can inherit the throne. He is the last of Holy T’mar’s direct descendants. The very last of his line. Do you now understand what my role is?”

  “Not entirely.”

  “I was ordered to MONA Loa for preparation. I’m the Network’s failsafe. As the daughter of Ramo, I am loyal to the cause and as the majesto’s mate, I will have his ear. It wil
l be my mission to influence the next ruler of Rathskia, to help him steer away from tyranny. My duty is to produce his heir, and to teach his successor, in turn, to lead Rathskia down the right path. I may be the last hope for a peaceful defeat of the Alliance for all time.”

  “That’s too gigadam much responsibility to put on any one person.”

  “I am the only one who can fulfill this role. Unlike yours, my mission doesn’t end here, Rigel. It begins here. Much is expected of the daughter of Ramo.”

  Rigel continued to pace. Damn. Flipping gigadam. “So…” He pushed the air out of his lungs forcefully and drew another long breath. “What happened between us…you said it isn’t taboo in your culture?”

  “What two people do before they are bonded has no bearing on their future. But once that bond is made, the commitment is exclusive and lifelong.”

  “So it’s forever,” Rigel conceded.

  “It is.”

  The sadness in her voice was evident. He wasn’t the only one hurting. “What kind of man is he, Sona?”

  She shook her head. “We’ve never met.”

  Rigel turned to stare at her. “What?”

  “I know nothing about him. I’ve seen no images. And I feel nothing for him.”

  “How do you know he’s not a monster?”

  “I don’t.”

  “Hades, Sona!” he blurted.

  She laced her fingers together and studied his face, speaking in a hoarse whisper, “Tell me why this matters to you.”

  He willed the tension from his muscles and the calm back into his head. If he was going to say this, he had to get it right. “What happened between us on Banshee didn’t happen because I wanted to get laid. Or because you were willing. That’s never been me.” Rigel threw his head back, squeezing his eyes shut. Damn, this was hard. He lowered his head to find her staring at him, her eyes large, luminous, and unblinking in the subtle light. “It happened for the worst possible reason. Because I have feelings for you. Because I care about you.” He turned to stare her down. “Because I think I flippin’ fell in love with you, Sona.”

  “Then I wasn’t alone,” she whispered.

  She bolted from her chair and rushed him, knocking him back two steps before her mouth pressed hard to his. He coiled his arms around her, crushing her to his chest.