The tracks were a mess.

The men had stuck together until they’d reached the trees, but then split off in numerous directions, some following the lake and others veering inland. What had been two sets of bird tracks pursuing them had turned into a flock. To make matters more confusing, the birds had occasionally taken to flight for long stretches, then come down later. Orion followed what appeared to be the main group, continuing along the lake.

What he didn’t understand, among other things, was why the men had run from some big birds. The tracks promised they were wearing their combat armor, and they likely had weapons too. Maybe the birds had followed them, not chased them, and maybe the men had gone out to deal with some other threat. Could some of the slavers have escaped the brig? Or could another slaver ship be out here? With the ship’s network down, the sensor capabilities of his logostec were severely limited.

Orion glanced back to ensure Juanita was staying close. He wondered if he was making a mistake by wandering off with her. It was possible the Star Guardians would need help, but what if the men circled back to the ship without anyone realizing that Orion and Juanita were out here? If they took off, he and Juanita would be stranded with no way home.

That might not be horrible for a few days—he was sure they could find a way to pass the time—but he would miss his own ship eventually, and even his parents back home. And she… Well, he had promised to make sure she was taken home.

At the time, it had seemed the noble thing to do, but he already found it depressing to think of depositing her on her home world and never seeing her again. It wasn’t as if Gaia was one of the other planets in the Confederation. Who knew what kind of policy the government would adopt in regard to it? With the last human-populated world that had been found, the archons had decided to leave the planet alone and not to interfere with the natives’ development, at least until they achieved spaceflight capabilities on their own. It was understandable after some of the angst and unpleasantness that had resulted from adding more primitive worlds like Kukulcani into the Confederation. He understood that, but if people were forbidden to visit Gaia, he could never go back and see Juanita again. Especially if the government decided to physically block access to the wormhole that led to her solar system.

A screech came from above the trees, and something flapped past, rustling branches. One of the fire falcons? Twilight was coming to the swamp, darkening the sky above the canopy and making it harder to see threats. Before long, Orion wouldn’t be able to follow the tracks.

At another screech, he admonished himself to concentrate on the sights, sounds, and smells around him and not on the fate of Gaia or the woman cheerfully following him into the swamp. Cheerfully and willingly.

Juanita not only seemed to trust him, but she wanted to help him. She had no reason to care about his fate or the fate of the Star Guardians, but for some reason, she did.

He smiled, thinking of Treyjon’s words from when they had crossed paths the night before. He’d said that Juanita had tried to straighten out Sage and let him know that Orion’s attentions hadn’t been unwanted. Most people were nervous speaking to Sage, including his own men who had served under him for years, but Orion had no trouble imagining her looking him in the eye and speaking her mind. Orion doubted it would change anything—Sage would still be certain it was inappropriate for Orion to have feelings for a kidnap victim—but it meant a lot to him that she had done it.

What would Sage say if he found Orion leading Juanita out here into the woods? What awful things would he think Orion intended to do?

Orion sighed, wondering why his brother’s opinion even mattered to him after all these years.

“If he didn’t want us alone out here, he shouldn’t have locked the door,” he muttered.

“Did you say something?” Juanita asked.

“I’m just mumbling to myself.”

He smiled over his shoulder, and that smile broadened when he noticed the fresh mud spattered on her cheeks. He wasn’t sure how she’d managed to acquire it, but she had been peering behind every bush and thicket and at every flowering shrub as they walked, sometimes taking pictures, though she was being careful to preserve the battery life of her device. He reminded himself to talk to Hierax about finding a way to charge it. She would give him the warmest smile if he could be the one to facilitate that for her.

“Is that normal?” she asked.

“For me or for other people?”

“For you.”

“Completely normal.”

“For other people?”

“Not at all.”

Orion reached over and used his thumb to rub the mud from her cheeks. He didn’t mean to let his fingers linger, but his mind flashed back to how their last kiss had started, to the way he’d traced her lips, felt the warm softness of her against his skin. If they shared a kiss out here, nobody would know. Her lips parted as she met his eyes, and the tip of her tongue slipped out. She ran it along her bottom lip, and heat stirred in his groin. Was she, perhaps, having similar thoughts?

A bird shrieked nearby, and Orion jerked his hand away, bringing it to the trigger of his bolt bow. It wasn’t safe out here. This would be a foolish place for kisses, a foolish place to be at anything other than one hundred percent alertness.

As he turned back toward the tracks, Juanita cried, “Look out!”

She scurried away, pressing her back to a tree and lifting the Ares 5 knuckle-puncher he’d given her.

A branch cracked overhead. Orion looked up as a massive red-feathered bird descended from the trees. A fire falcon.

Its eyes seemed to blaze with crimson fire as it dove straight toward Juanita, its long talons outstretched. Orion sprang into its path, ensuring it couldn’t get to her without going through him first.

Not that it seemed to mind. It arrowed down fearlessly, its red eyes boring into him now.

Though it pained him to strike at such a beautiful bird, Orion lifted his bolt bow and fired. The huge falcon pulled its wings in and spun, its angle shifting just enough to avoid the en-bolt that streaked at it. Feathers singed and flew off, but the strike didn’t touch the huge bird’s body.

Orion fired again as the falcon unfurled its wings right above him, talons raking toward his face. He ducked as his en-bolt slammed into its chest with a dull thud. The power of the impact knocked it aside, but it still managed to slash at him with those long, razor-like talons. He rolled away, barely avoiding them.

Despite being hit in the chest, the falcon wasn’t ready to give up on its meal. It flapped its wings, flying up so it could dive toward them once more. It barely seemed to feel the pain, its tough skin almost like armor underneath those feathers.

As it turned to dive at him, Orion fired once more. His en-bolt caught it in the belly this time. Feathers flew, and it squawked uproariously, altering its path. It flew off, using the surrounding trees for cover. Orion kept firing, wanting to give it a reason not to return.

A hint of movement to his left was his only warning that there was another threat.

He spun that way as a huge gray bird sprang at him. The thing was taller than he was, and a beak like a sword darted toward his face. He got a shot off, but not before its bulk struck him. For something with hollow bones, it packed impressive mass, and he was knocked to the side.

Orion rolled, intending to jump to his feet and fire, but he’d come down in tar-like mud. It clutched at his body, giving way when he tried to push off it. Worse, his legs sank alarmingly into the thick stuff. In a second, both his legs had disappeared to the knees, and the cold mud made a slurping sound, wanting more of him.

Flinging himself to his belly, he tried to drag his body to the edge by grabbing a branch that extended out over the area. He pulled himself to solid ground and was finally able to regain his footing.

A weapon fired, the crack of a knuckle-puncher. Juanita.

Orion whipped his bolt bow up and toward the spot where he’d first been attacked. The massive bird lay dead in front of the tree where he’d left Juanita.

“Are you all right?” he asked, shaking thick globs of mud from his weapon.

Juanita leaned out from behind the tree, the Ares 5 clenched in her hand and her eyes round. “Did I hit it?”

“Either that or it conveniently had a heart attack just then.” Orion grinned and shuffled toward her, pleased that she’d put his weapon to use so effectively, and also pleased that he’d made it out of that mud. That had been more terrifying than the predators.

A piece of wood snapped behind Orion, and he spun in that direction, expecting something else to attack.

“Did that girl just save your life, bounty hunter?” a man in hulking combat armor asked, a helmet and faceplate obscuring his features as he walked out from behind a copse of trees with three other armored men.

Normally, Orion would have leaped for cover at the sight of such foes approaching, and Juanita did dart back behind her tree, but even in the fading light, he could tell the armor was black with the falcon-ship-in-a-gate Star Guardian logo on the front. Besides, who else would have been tramping around out here?

The man ambling at the back of the group removed his helmet and grinned. Treyjon. The others followed his example, tucking their helmets under their arms. Orion recognized the others but didn’t know their names. Maybe he was glad he didn’t. They were smirking at him.

“Yes,” he said, “but I saved her life first.”

“From what? There’s only one dead bird, and we saw her shoot it.”

“I shot a fire falcon that flew off that way.”

They all looked in the direction he pointed, but if that falcon had gone down, it had waited until it was well out of eyesight to do it. The birds were notoriously tough—hence someone deciding to name the line of Star Guardian ships after them—so he wasn’t surprised.

“Sure you did, bounty hunter. Maybe you better take her along with you on your next job. To protect your ass.”

He would if he could…

“Orion was very brave,” Juanita said, stepping out from behind the tree. “I’m sure he’s an excellent bounty hunter. After all, he found me and the other women.” She smiled warmly, but there was a challenging glint in her eye.

Maybe it was Orion’s imagination, but she seemed to also be subtly saying that none of the Star Guardians had even known to look for them. He would like to take credit for finding the women, but he’d botched so much since then, that he felt more inept than brave. If it was true that Cutty had known all along that he was a spy, he would feel even worse.

Orion sighed. Juanita took his hand.

Well, it was nice to have support.

The man who’d spoken eyed that handgrip and sneered.

“What are you doing out here, Orion?” Treyjon rapped his gauntleted knuckle against his cuirass. “You’re not appropriately attired. Also, I didn’t think the captain invited you along on his master plan. And I’m positive he didn’t invite her.”

“Maybe he should have,” one man muttered. “Did you see her shoot?” He nodded with appreciation toward Juanita and winked.

Was he flirting with her?

Orion’s concerns that Juanita would find one of the Star Guardians more appealing rushed back to him. But did he truly need to fear that? He was as fierce as any of them, and he had a killer instinct they didn’t. He’d beat any one of them in a fair fight; he was sure of it. And besides, Juanita had said she was the misunderstood family member back home, the same as he was. He had things in common with her that Armored and Pretty over there didn’t.

“Master plan?” Orion asked, forcing his thoughts back to the situation at hand. “Leaving the ship stuck in mud with the power off and the hatches locked is his master plan?”

Now that he’d experienced the sucking power of the mud on this planet, he grew even more alarmed at the idea of the Falcon 8 having landed in some. What if the ship was sinking deeper even now?

Treyjon chuckled. “Come with us. He can explain it to you himself.”

“He’s out here?”

“Keeping an eye on the sky, of course.”

“I’m confused,” Juanita whispered as the Star Guardians led the way into the deepening gloom.

“So am I.” Orion squeezed her hand reassuringly while wishing that, now that he knew the rest of the crew wasn’t in danger, he’d found a nice quite spot near the ship to sit down with her instead of tramping out into the mud.

They hadn’t walked far when the roar of an engine came from the sky overhead. Orion grimaced. There were other people on this planet.

The four Star Guardians darted for the closest trees, hiding their bulky armor in the brush. Orion doubted they could be seen through the canopy, but he followed the example. He still had Juanita’s hand, so he guided her to a tree with him. He hoped that whatever ship was flying by wasn’t scanning for life forms. The men’s suits of armor would hide their body heat and other telltales, but Juanita and Orion would stand out, with the cool trees doing little to obscure them from such sensors.

The ship flew past above them and out toward the lake. Orion couldn’t see it through the leaves, so he could only follow it by the sound of its engines. Night was falling quickly, so he probably wouldn’t have seen anything but a few running lights even if the trees hadn’t been blocking the sky. The sound of the engines fluctuated as the craft circled over the lake, flying farther away and then nearer again.

“They’re searching for us,” Treyjon said, looking toward Orion, a frown in his voice.

He and the others had put their helmets back on, so Orion couldn’t see their expressions. But they might also be worried that the two people out here who weren’t in armor would give away their position.

“Let’s hope they’re just focused on finding the ship,” Treyjon added. “We landed in an open spot, and Hierax and Zakota were supposed to power everything down, so now that it’s dark, the slavers may be having trouble pinpointing it. Even without shields, the hull will partially block their sensors, so they shouldn’t get life form readings until they’re up close.” The ship flew over again, following the shoreline. “He knows our ship is down there somewhere though.”

“What if the slavers shoot at it while the shields are down?” one man asked.

“Slavers?” Orion asked. “Where did other ships of slavers come from?”

“Then the captain will have guessed wrong,” Treyjon said, answering the first question instead of Orion’s. “But he seemed real sure they’ll want a fire-falcon-class ship. One as new as ours would be quite the valuable prize for such money-driven men. Not to mention that a chance to get a few dozen slaves back would appeal to them. And the ship is just lying there, seemingly defenseless…”

Orion was beginning to get the gist of what was going on. Sage had figured out that more slaver ships were coming to the planet, and he was laying a trap. And hadn’t bothered informing him about it.

Orion grumbled to himself. He’d come out here because he thought the men might need help, but in their combat armor, they would have no trouble dealing with predators. Probably no trouble with slavers, either. He was the one more likely to get in trouble, and he’d brought Juanita out here into it too.

The rumble in the sky died down, and it sounded like the new ship had landed across the lake somewhere. Before the men started moving again, the roar of a second ship sounded. This one also flew around the area. And was that another engine off in the distance? Flying a larger loop around the lake?

“Three ships?” Treyjon didn’t sound like he liked that idea.

“That more than Sage planned on?” Orion asked.

“More than the first mate told him about under interrogation, yes.”

Juanita shifted and leaned against Orion. He wrapped an arm around her, wondering if she was cold. Or concerned that the ship would be destroyed and everyone would be stranded here.

Fortunately, Treyjon had a valid point. If the slavers knew their kidnap victims were inside, they would try to board the Falcon 8 to steal them back rather than simply blowing up the ship. Not that Juanita would find that notion comforting.

As Orion imagined slavers stealing her away, his grip inadvertently tightened. She didn’t protest or try to pull away. He enjoyed the warmth of having her against him and lifted his hand, rubbing her back through her shirt.

“Come on,” Treyjon said. “We better get back to the others and report on the suspicious life forms we found out here.” He snorted, pointing and turning toward Orion. “You two are lucky you didn’t get shot. When we sensed humans over here, we assumed they were slavers.”

“That’s one hobby I haven’t been interested in picking up,” Orion said.

He kept his tone flippant, but he was glad that Treyjon had been along and had recognized him. Given that he was still dressed in his bounty-hunting clothes, clothes not that different from what the slavers had been wearing, the Star Guardians might have shot first and identified him later.

“No lights,” Treyjon ordered, and the men moved off.

Their heavy boots broke twigs and smashed foliage. Orion would have had an easier time sneaking around out here without them, but it would be easier for enemies to kill him and Juanita than the armored men. Their equipment could deflect a lot of weapons fire. He also didn’t mind having someone to follow. If there were more muddy sinkholes about, they would find them first.

Orion took Juanita’s hand again and led her into the darkness after the men. Traveling through the swamp in the daylight hadn’t been that easy, and it was even more difficult to maneuver at night. Following the Star Guardians helped somewhat, but not much. More than once, his boot sank into deep mud, and he had to yank it out and backtrack to find solid ground. Juanita, too, grunted and gasped softly as her footing shifted under her.

Orion had the satisfaction of seeing one of the Star Guardians sink into a mud pit up to his thighs. The heavy armor made it harder for him to wriggle out, and someone else had to grab his arm and pull. So heroic.

Someone up ahead lit a flare, just visible through the trees. The Star Guardians?

After Treyjon had insisted their group travel without light, it seemed foolish for Sage’s people to illuminate the woods. A flare would be easy for a ship flying overhead to spot, even through the foliage.

Weapons fire broke out, and en-bolts streaked between the trees.

Orion cursed, realizing that hadn’t been the Star Guardians at all.

“Slavers,” he whispered.

“Do we help?” Juanita hefted the Ares 5.

He was pleased she was willing to help, but fighting men would be far more dangerous than dealing with animals. Besides, the Star Guardians probably wouldn’t need assistance when they were fully armored. Still, it wasn’t his way to hide while others fought.

“I’ll help. You stay here and hug a tree.” Orion squeezed her hand, then let go. “I’ll be back for you. Don’t move.”

He looked around, taking careful note of her position.

She didn’t exactly agree, but she also didn’t protest. He hoped that meant she would stay out of danger.

A lit flare hurtled through the trees, landing less than twenty meters ahead of him. Instead of continuing in that direction, Orion angled off through the woods, aiming for the location where it had seemed to originate.

The red light burned like a campfire where it had fallen, lighting up the trees around it and throwing shadows into the woods. Orion skirted those shadows, staying in the dark as much as possible.

A familiar shout came from ahead and to the right. Treyjon. Weapons fired, burning away the shadows temporarily. Orion glimpsed the Star Guardians standing back to back, using trees for cover and protecting each other’s flanks as they fired out into the woods. Then darkness fell again, shrouding them.

Deciding to continue to work on his own, Orion kept going toward where that last flare had originated. He hoped the slavers weren’t also wearing combat armor. If they were, he would struggle to do anything against them. But the men on Captain Cutty’s ship hadn’t worn any for their mission. The stuff cost a fortune, and it was illegal for those outside of military and law enforcement to own.

Two men came into view, likely the ones who had thrown the flares. They looked like they were trying to circle around to come at the Star Guardians from an unexpected direction. Their focus was toward the armored men, and they hadn’t seen Orion yet.

Orion stepped behind a tree as more men fired upon the Star Guardians from elsewhere in the woods. The two dark figures kept coming toward him. They were not armored. And they kept looking toward the Star Guardians.

As they passed him, Orion jumped out, slamming the butt of his bolt bow into the back of one man’s head. He cried out and dropped to the ground. Orion lunged for the second. His target spun, but too slowly. Orion wrapped an arm around the man’s throat as he kicked the back of his knees. The slaver’s legs crumpled. Orion was tempted to kill his foe, knowing the first man would recover and jump up any second, but he didn’t want to make the same mistake twice. Instead, he kept his arm around the man’s throat, trying to starve him of air and force him to drop unconscious.

The man he’d clubbed scrambled to his feet, turning a weapon toward Orion. It was barely visible in the light from the distant flare, but Orion saw enough. He shifted himself behind the man he was choking, the man clawing at his arms and trying to get him to loosen his grip.

The man with the weapon fired. It slammed into the chest of Orion’s foe.

Orion cursed and dropped the slaver. So much for keeping him alive.

Before the armed man could fire again, Orion rushed him, knocking his weapon hand aside. The man backed away, but was hesitant in the dark. He must have glimpsed a tree looming behind him because he glanced that way. Orion took advantage, throwing a series of jabs and punches. He connected several times, driving his enemy back against the tree. He pummeled his foe until the man no longer defended himself, then finished with an uppercut. The man’s head cracked back against the tree, and he pitched sideways, unconscious.

Orion grabbed his weapon so he couldn’t use it again if he woke, then turned toward where the Star Guardians had been. Blood surged through his veins, making him ready and eager to fight again.

But the night had quieted, en-bolts no longer streaking through the woods. The flares still burned dully, and four armored figures strode toward Orion. The Star Guardians. None of them appeared injured. Good.

“Two for you?” the one who had teased him earlier spoke up.

“I’d gladly take on more,” Orion said, his blood still hot from the fight.

“What you’d take on and what you took on aren’t the same things. Two for you, and two for her. We’ll see how the night ends.”

“What?” Orion asked, confused by the words and also the men’s chuckles until Juanita walked uncertainly into view.

“Will he live?” There was a quaver to her voice as she joined the group.

Orion walked toward her, trying to piece together what had happened. He’d only left her for a minute. Why hadn’t she stayed put?

Treyjon walked over and hoisted a man to his feet, eliciting a groan. “Yes, ma’am. You shot him in the shoulder. Appreciate the effort. He was trying to sneak around to the side of us.”

“Oh, good.” Her voice rang with profound relief.

“You shot someone else?” Orion asked, coming to stand beside Juanita. “You’re quite the sharpshooter.”

He was proud of her, but at the same time, he wished he could have protected her so she wouldn’t have had to worry about shooting anyone. She didn’t sound like she’d truly wanted to do it.

“No, I was just lucky,” she said, seeming more shaken than proud. “He was outlined between me and the flare, and he was aiming at our group of people, so… I didn’t really think. If I had, I would have stayed where I was. Or maybe wet myself.”

Orion snorted and put an arm around her shoulders again. “Don’t say things like that or the Star Guardians will tease you.”

“Nah, that’s only Onyx over there,” Treyjon said. “He teases the ones he likes. Better watch your ass in the shower, Orion. I heard he’s got some fantasies going about the captain. He might be satisfied with Sagitta’s little brother.”

This time, the snickers weren’t aimed at Orion. Though he wasn’t entirely certain his ass hadn’t been part of the joke.

“It’s hard for me to imagine anyone fantasizing about my brother, male or female, though from the way his instructors at the military academy still talked about him when I went through school, I suppose he left a few of them hot and hard.”

“Don’t worry, Orion. You’ll get someone fantasizing after you someday.”

“Not Onyx, I hope.” Orion had just learned the man’s name, but he was already certain he didn’t want to star in his fantasies.

“Don’t flatter yourself, bounty hunter,” Onyx said.

The words sounded far more defensive than tough. Whenever they made it back to civilization, Orion would have to buy Treyjon a beer for deflating the man’s pomposity.

“Black Squad, report,” came a woman’s voice from a rise beyond the flares.

“Had some trouble, LT,” Treyjon called, “but we’re on our way in now.”

“Slavers?”

“Someone with weapons shooting us without asking questions first. Eight someones to be precise.”

“If any are alive, bring them up. We’re making a collection.”

“I’d much rather collect coins or Zakota’s wooden figurines.”

“Yeah? How many of those he sucker you into buying, Treyjon?”

“Just one. A year ago. I’m still waiting for it to cause women to fall into my lap.”

“Stow that noise,” a new voice ordered. Sage.

Orion sighed, again puzzled by the idea of anyone fantasizing about him.