by Layla Nash
Her expression turned guarded, and after a long silence, she got up to also approach the screen. She studied the information for a long time, long enough that Faros prepared to hear quite a story or some set of lies, then took a deep breath. “Well, they’re definitely not what they look like.”
He folded his arms over his chest. Perhaps his lawyer had more secrets he needed to uncover.
Chapter 27
Violet
Violet got a sinking feeling in her stomach as she looked at the data on the viewing screen. Maybe Faros slept with her just to get information, to convince her to cooperate and go along with the overall mission. He didn’t seem like the type to be that sneaky and underhanded, instead preferring the direct, door-kicking approach of a pirate. He wasn’t subtle, that was for damn sure.
She still didn’t know what to tell him about the strange Fleet ship on the radar. It approached quickly but not at top speed, and didn’t act like it was fleeing anything. It seemed more like it searched for something and had zeroed in on the Sraibur as an interesting data point. Which was even more troubling.
What if they were also pirates, though less inclined to leave the Sraibur alone? A battle between pirates wasn’t unheard of, though rare, if one ship thought the other had cargo worth killing over. Violet swallowed trepidation over the potential for being kidnapped in the middle of the previous kidnapping, since whoever stole her next would likely be a lot worse than Faros.
That didn’t mean she wanted to unleash the pirates on an unsuspecting ship, either, even if the others were rebels or up to no good. She didn’t want to be responsible for any of it. “I don’t know what kind of ship it is.”
“Are you sure?” This from Wyzak, leaning his fists forward on the battle-station, a scowl making him more intimidating than normal.
But Faros bristled at his second-in-command’s tone and shot him a dark look. “If she doesn’t know, she doesn’t know.” Then the captain looked back at Violet and asked the same damn question. “Are you sure?”
Violet pinched the bridge of her nose and wondered when exactly she’d lost her mind and gone along with the pirates as if any of the situation was normal. Maybe she hallucinated all of it and the reality was she’d been knocked out in the jail and lingered in a coma or something on the Galaxos. Maybe she could wake up and it would all have been a nightmare.
She turned her attention back to the viewing screen so she wouldn’t curse at Faros in front of his crew. No doubt that would have caused another fight, and she didn’t have the time—or the strength—for that kind of fighting. Even if the thought did appeal… “It’s definitely an Aldrin-class ship, but the signatures are all wrong. Legally they have to identify themselves, even in ungoverned space, but—”
Faros laughed hard enough he almost fell out of his chair, and even the grim Wyzak cracked a smile. The captain leaned back and chuckled. “Legally the Fleet isn’t supposed to support genocide, but they do that, too. All that aside, what else is wrong with the signatures?”
She did not appreciate being mocked. Violet clenched her jaw and reined in her temper. “Their shields are lowered but still up, which is the wrong posture for traveling at that speed. And they’re still beaconing, which implies they aren’t trying to hide who and what they are. None of it adds up. None of that falls within the Fleet’s standard manual.”
“So maybe it’s part of the nonstandard manual,” Faros mused. He glanced over at Wyzak. “Prepare the boarding crews.”
Violet sucked in a breath and sat forward, about to object to the possibility that the Sraibur would attack the other ship, but Faros turned and leveled a look at her that nearly stopped her heart. She swallowed back her protest but made a mental note that he was still a pirate and not going to listen to reason. Even after their little… discussion about how that sort of thing made her feel.
But his eyebrows arched in challenge, as if daring her to say something, and Violet couldn’t take it. “You’re an idiot,” she snapped. “If they are Fleet, you’re walking right into a trap, and I don’t want to be caught up in the stupidity. There could be half a dozen other ships or a full battle-group lingering just outside of range behind it, or behind us now, or almost anywhere. Or maybe it’s a Tyboli ruse and they’re using one of their mockups of an Aldrin-class ship to lure you in. Of all the ill-considered, impulsive decisions, this is just the stupidest.”
Faros grinned, then laughed again with a deep, belly-laugh guffaw that almost made Violet smile out of reflex. He shook in his chair until even Izyk and Harzt smiled, and the captain’s scales flared blue and green with hints of silver. Violet wanted even more to throw something at him. “Would you stop laughing?”
The captain managed to control himself and gestured for her to approach, though Violet refused to get anywhere near the jackass. “We have to be prepared in case they want to board us first. We’ll get in range and hail them, or see how they respond as we approach. We must always prepare for the worst-case situation, which usually means hand-to-hand combat.”
“Maybe don’t be so aggressive when you approach a strange ship, and that won’t be the typical response,” she said, folding her arms over her chest.
“This is ungoverned space, as you’ve so frequently reminded me,” Faros said. “A show of strength is the only way to remain free and unboarded.”
Violet geared up to give him a real piece of her mind, but before she could, a loud crackle and a series of beeps filled the bridge.
Izyk said, “Other ship is hailing us, captain. Do we answer?”
Faros didn’t look away from Violet, and she started to feel a little uneasy. “Yes. Answer and connect them to the screen.”
The comms officer did that, answering the hailing call with a strong voice, “This is Xarav ship Sraibur. Identify yourself.”
“This is Xarav ship Lovelace,” a semi-familiar voice said, and Violet tensed. She recognized that ship...
“Lovelace? That’s no Xarav name,” Faros said in a deceptively calm voice. “Who are you really?”
Violet stepped closer to the captain, ready to tell him something else was going on and the ship wasn’t what it looked like, but the viewing screen finally cleared and revealed another Xaravian captain. She exhaled with relief and started to smile as she recognized one of the Earthers on the bridge of the other ship and a round, feathery alien that looked vaguely like an Earth chicken. Space chickens. They’d crossed paths with the Lovelace before, and the ship had been seized by Griggs after one particular adventure avoiding the Alliance and Fleet officers. Once upon a time, it was called the Argo and Violet had crewed aboard it before their old captain sold the female crew to the Xaravians. She couldn’t believe how much things had changed since that awful day.
The Xaravian captain’s head tilted when he saw Violet. “Earther, you look familiar. Have our paths crossed?”
“No,” Faros growled, his scales already bristling.
Violet ignored him and stepped closer to the viewing screen so the others could see her more clearly. “Yes, Captain. It’s Pyix, correct? I’m Violet Newfield, previously of the Galaxos. What is the Lovelace doing out here in ungoverned space?”
Faros got up and remained close to her, as if to somehow prevent her from disappearing into the viewing screen, and spoke before the other Xaravian could. “That is a longer conversation than should be had this way. You’re welcome to come aboard the Sraibur to discuss and eat a meal.”
Pyix eyed him carefully, then inclined his head. “I would be pleased to. I’ll bring my second-in-command, Thula, and my comms officer, Commander Robineau. We’ll be in the loading bay shortly.”
The viewing screen blinked out and the pirate captain turned to Violet with a hard expression. “How do you know that warrior?”
Violet folded her arms over her chest, certain she wasn’t going to put up with over-possessive bullshit from him after only sleeping with him once. Well, one and a half times, technically. She stopped herself from getting b
ogged down in whether she should count their trysts by orgasms or hours spent together, and instead turned on her heel to head for the loading bay. “Friend of a friend. If you’ll excuse me—”
Faros growled and abruptly his arm was around her waist, holding her tight to his side. “I do not want you around another male, do you hear me?”
“You do not own me,” she said. “So let me go or I swear to Newton I’ll ruin your day.” And she fixed him with her fiercest look. She didn’t know exactly how she’d ruin his day, or even if that was possible when the pirate was so self-destructive anyway, but she’d damn well try her hardest.
The pirate’s eyes narrowed in consideration, but he didn’t speak for a long, long time.
Chapter 28
Faros
Faros did not like the other Xaravian, Pyix, knowing his female. Did not like it at all. And the fact that Violet played coy about how she knew him... He’d accepted that she knew other males before she came into his life, including the Xaravians on the Galaxos, but that didn’t mean he had to like it when one showed up in front of him. He didn’t know Pyix from any other warrior, nor did he care to know him, but just a hint that Violet knew him and thought of him kindly made Faros want to rip the warrior’s scales right out.
And when he tried to explain to her that having another male around was not a good idea, she threatened to ruin his day—which was quite an odd threat when he was having a rather catastrophic day as it was. Faros didn’t have time to really explain to her why it was such a bad idea to have her around Pyix, so he tried again to reason with the Earther. “Return to your quarters immediately. I will send for you when this is taken care of.”
Her eyebrows arched and she looked even less pleased, rather like a haugmawt who’d had her snout smacked, and bristled like one of the Earth cats that Vaant’s mate kept on the Galaxos. The Earther elbowed him sharply in the side and managed to wiggle free of his grip. “I’ll do no such thing. I wish to speak with them about their mission and how the ship is faring. The reason they even have that ship is because of Cici Griggs and everything she did to free one of our friends, and I want to know what they’ve been up to.”
“You will say nothing to them about…your status on this ship,” he barked. He kept a tight grip on her arm, not wanting to lose contact with her in case she made a run for it. “Do you understand? Do not try to run or I will be forced to bring you back.”
He couldn’t have explained why panic surged in his chest at the thought of her disappearing onto the Galaxos, other than the thought of not having her on the Sraibur made him tense and irritable. More tense and irritable than normal, he supposed.
Violet gave him a withering look but stopped trying to pull free from his grip. “What is my status on this ship, other than hostage?”
“And we’re back to that already,” he said under his breath. Faros started towing her through the corridor so he’d be there when the other captain arrived. “You aren’t a hostage. You weren’t before and you certainly weren’t when you were in my quarters, riding me like a—”
“Stop it,” she hissed, wrenching at where he held her arm. “Keep your voice down. That was a mistake and not one I’m going to repeat, so just stop thinking that—”
“A mistake?” Faros snorted but released her arm, his own irritation getting the better of him. Uppity Earther, acting like she was too good for him. Maybe he should have put her on that transport ship and sent her off to a miserable existence as a terra-forming settler on some uninhabited rock in ungoverned space. It would have been less aggravation all around. “That’s not what you seemed to be saying over and over and over again.”
Her skin turned that delightful shade of red-purple that meant she was either mad or about to climax. And since her eyes sparked like titanium shavings, he figured it was “mad” and not the other. Not that he cared either way. He should have shoved her into secure quarters or the brig and just been done with it for the time being. Only the fact that she wore his robes and smelled like his body gave him enough confidence to let her step into the loading bay.
Nokx had already attached the secured arm that allowed personnel to walk between ships, and it was just a few moments for Pyix, the round alien with feathers he’d called Thula, and an Earther with hair like golden sands to remove their deep-space suits. Faros wasn’t feeling generous, even if he’d offered them a meal, and grudgingly shook arms with Pyix in the warrior’s way. “You’re far from home.”
“As are you,” Pyix said. He was a hard-eyed bastard until he caught sight of Violet and his expression softened, though his head tilted as he took in the robes and no doubt scented Faros’s claim on her. The other captain didn’t let it stop him from shaking her hand, too. “It is good to see you again, Newfield. I trust your crew is well?”
“I haven’t seen them in a while, but I assume so,” Violet said. Faros tensed, about to remind her that she wasn’t being kidnapped, but the lawyer kept going before he could intervene. “Griggs sends her regards.”
“Oh my yes, yes, the beautiful girl and the fierce warrior,” the feathery alien said, clucking and moving her wings around in the large open bay of the loading area. “We are still so grateful, grateful. Yes yes yes, we have helped many, many females with her gift.”
Faros didn’t bother to ask any questions; he’d heard some of the story from Vaant and the rest from rumors, something about the crazy Earthers stealing a Fleet ship from Tyluks or Dablonians on a hostile planet when they tried to rescue a friend of theirs. They got all Xaravians expelled off the planet but created an opportunity for Pyix to captain his own ship. And a motley crew he captained. Faros didn’t offer to shake arms with the Earther Pyix brought, whose serious face looked far too young for such responsibility.
She introduced herself as Estelle Robineau but didn’t smile at all when greeting the rest of his crew. She didn’t look uncomfortable, precisely, just accustomed to being taken lightly and dismissed. Faros was too smart to ignore her; if the girl was capable enough to serve a Xaravian spaceship captain, then she had to be talented at something.
Pyix looked around at the rest of the Sraibur’s crew and took in the weapons and uniforms they half-wore. “So, brother. Dare we ask what you’re doing in ungoverned space?”
“Probably the same thing you are,” Faros said.
“Chasing Tyboli to free slaves?” the other Xaravian said lightly, one eyebrow arched in challenge. “That’s good news if I ever heard it.”
“That’s not exactly what we’re doing,” Violet said. Faros squeezed her arm in warning, but she didn’t even look in his direction. “They’re pirates.”
Faros wanted to curse and shake her, but the other Xaravian laughed. He waited for some explanation, and was only slightly reassured when Pyix shrugged. “We’ve heard of the Sraibur, which is why we hailed the ship instead of continuing on our way. We wished to hear news of the rebellion and other... events in the area.”
“Events?” Faros asked. He knew they should have gone to the mess to eat already, though part of him didn’t want to take Violet into a smaller room with another male. “What particular events are you interested in?”
Pyix didn’t blink. “A few attacks in this quadrant sounded like they could have been slavers or... opportunists. We thought you might know more about that.”
“They stopped a transport full of farmers,” Violet said. She pulled away from Faros and tilted her head at the corridor leading away from the loading bay. “But released the ship when there was nothing of value on it. You must be hungry. If you’ll come with me, we can at least get something to eat before Faros loses his temper. Estelle, how are you?”
And she led the way out of the loading bay as Faros stared at her in consternation. The damn Earther just took over. He normally would have knocked whoever tried to take over his ship on their ass and crushed their skull under his boot, but with Violet... He just scowled and watched her lead the visitors into his ship.
Which left
him, Wyzak, and Nokx in the loading bay, looking at each other. Wyzak frowned as he studied where the others disappeared. “What just happened? Where did they… What is your Earther doing?”
Faros folded his arms over his chest, a little puzzled himself. “I don’t know.”
“Should you, uh, go after them?” Nokx asked.
“Also a good question,” Faros said. He rubbed his jaw and pondered what had changed in his life that he hadn’t immediately ripped everyone to pieces for going against his orders. Somehow it didn’t bother him quite as much when Violet ignored his directions, although it still made his scales twitch with irritation. He’d take it out on her later, the moment he got her in his quarters alone.
He fought back a surge of interest as he started toward the corridor where Violet and the others disappeared. Getting into a fight with his Earther wasn’t nearly as off-putting as it had been before that morning. Instead, he rather looked forward to it.
Chapter 29
Violet
Violet knew Faros wouldn’t have told Pyix and the rest of the Lovelace crew the truth, so she interjected what they needed to know. And when Faros insisted on being a dick to them, despite having invited them onto the Sraibur, she took over and led the way to the private dining room where they’d previously eaten.
Estelle, who she remembered as being reserved and quiet, remained silent as Pyix observed the ship around them and Thula flapped and clucked and occasionally murmured to herself about “so many opportunities, so many opportunities.” Violet remembered a few of the things that Griggs told her about the space chickens and their mission to save the females of different species who’d been dragged into the intergalactic slave-trade. Apparently the space chickens were carnivores of the first order and didn’t mind eating what they killed when slavers crossed their paths. It just made Violet like them more.
