Twelve
Three planet rotations later, Kasia perched on Vector’s lap, sitting across his legs. He was at the helm of the battle station, her command-loving warrior unable to stay away from the bridge.
No one protested his assumed role. Dissent might be the leader of the J Models but Vector was recognized by every warrior on board the battle station as the captain. Her C Model had the experience and skill for flying unmatched by any of the other males.
He steered the battle station toward the location communicated by Commander Smith, toward a sure-to-be-violent rendezvous with the Humanoid Alliance.
They couldn’t yet see the Vault, their target, not with the human eye. A covering of black, sprinkled with a dusting of stars, filled the main viewscreen.
Cyborgs chatted around her, Dissent standing to their right, North standing to their left. J Models were being trained in their newly acquired roles by Vector’s crew. The buzz of conversation hummed around them.
Kasia and Vector were at the center of the activity, seen, part of it. She reveled in that position, happiness bubbling inside her. After solar cycles of watching, not being viewed, listening, not talking, it felt good to be included. It felt right.
Vector felt right. His thighs were hard underneath her ass. One of his arms encircled her waist. His breath blew warm against her temple. His nanocybotics fizzed within her.
They fucked four times a planet rotation yet it wasn’t enough. Kasia wanted him again, always. She wiggled.
Vector drew her back against him, trying to restrain her movements.
She allowed that for one, two, three heartbeats and then swiveled her hips, rubbing her outer thigh over the telling ridge in his body armor.
Vector stiffened. “Control yourself,” he murmured into her ear.
Kasia suspected it wasn’t her restraint he was concerned about. Her captain showed no weakness in front of the other males. She tried to respect that, never pushed him too far.
In public.
In private, she teased him until he broke, until the primitive part of his nature sprang free, until he ravished her until she couldn’t think straight. Kasia’s nipples tightened.
Now was not the time for arousal. Warriors watched them, males she considered to be her friends.
“Entering the Vault will be challenging.” Kasia redirected her attention to the upcoming mission. “The Humanoid Alliance will expect Commander Smith to fly a smaller ship.”
A battle station required a crew and no additional males were authorized to enter Commander Alakai’s escape vessel.
“We have smaller ships in the docking bay.”
Kasia noticed Vector didn’t mention the Freedom. It was a smaller ship but it was also their home.
“The Humanoid Alliance will use all five levels of security.” The conversation with Commander Smith and a lifespan of hiding upon ships told her that. “We have finger and iris scans covered.” She jostled the container holding Commander Smith’s eyeballs and hands. Liquid preserved those pieces of the deceased human. “A quality projection will fool the visual.”
“I have unlimited footage of the human.” Dissent tapped the embedded control panel on the console and a three-dimensional image of Commander Smith appeared on the bridge. His uniform was splattered with blood. Cruelty gleamed in his eyes.
They’d require a less gruesome image of him but Dissent would have plenty of those. The J Model had been observing his enemy for solar cycles.
“I’ve duplicated Commander Smith’s voice.” Kasia had also studied the Humanoid Alliance male, had used his verbal commands to access chambers within the battle station.
“I realized your voice was simulated the moment I heard it.” Vector’s lips flattened. “It won’t fool any system.”
“Fooling you wasn’t my intention.” Kasia rolled her eyes. “I wanted you to realize it wasn’t my real voice.” She had no desire to deceive her proud male more than was necessary.
Vector gazed at her for a moment.
“It was a very bad simulation,” he admitted.
“It was too bad for someone with my abilities, you mean.” She winked at him and grinned. “The speech test won’t be an issue.”
“You’ll design the voice simulation program.” Vector granted her that fun task. “Dissent will implement it.”
“What?” Kasia’s smile faded.
“You’re staying on our battle station, far from the Humanoid Alliance vessel,” her bossy cyborg declared.
“I’m part of this mission.” Her spine straightened. She wasn’t missing out on the adventure.
“You’ll be part of the mission. A remote part.”
That wasn’t the same thing. At all.
“If I stay on the battle station, we’ll fail the final test – the lifeform scanners.” Thank the stars Commander Smith had been human or she wouldn’t have any negotiation power. “There has to be a human on board the warship. If there isn’t one, the Humanoid Alliance will become suspicious.”
According to her research, Commander Alakai, the being in charge of the Vault, was a paranoid bastard. She would have to block the cyborgs’ presences or the male might consider them to be a hostile force and blow them out of space.
“The human on board the warship won’t be you.” Vector’s jaw jutted. “It’s too dangerous. You’re too fragile.”
Being tall and strong, she had never been called fragile in her lifespan. “I—”
“Find another way.” His face hardened.
“There isn’t any other way.” The lifeform scanners could be blocked but they couldn’t be fooled into detecting beings who weren’t there. “I have to be on the warship.” She looked at Dissent, hoping he’d support her.
The J Model avoided her gaze, feigning interest in the embedded control panel. He wouldn’t be any assistance.
She was on her own. “You need a human. You need me.”
“I do need you,” Vector admitted. “Which is why you are staying on the battle station, where you’ll be safe.”
“I’ll be safe with you.” Her warrior wouldn’t allow anyone to harm her. “I—”
“We’re being hailed by the Homeland, Captain.” Chuckles informed them.
Everyone stopped talking, the sudden silence on the bridge emphasizing the importance of the communication. It would decide their fate.
Would they be declared enemies of the cyborgs or would they be granted more time to find a solution?
“Open hailing frequencies.” Vector tightened his grip on her.
Kasia covered his hands with hers, relaying her support. Whatever her warrior did, whatever he said, she’d stand with him.
The image of a grim-looking E Model appeared on the main viewscreen. All the cyborgs on the bridge snapped to attention, their spines straightening.
That must be Power, the leader of the cyborg council, the male who had ordered Vector to kill her. Kasia studied her adversary. There was no softness in the male. His jaw was clenched. His shoulders were squared. His dark eyes glowed.
“Vector.” Power’s tone was curt.
Kasia’s heart pounded. That didn’t bode well for the conversation or their future.
“Sir.” Vector’s voice was manufactured flatness, all emotion scrubbed from it. “Did you receive the programming change?”
“We all received the programming change,” the cyborg council member snapped. “You didn’t have authorization to send it to the entire population. It could have damaged our brethren.”
Kasia’s eyes widened. It wasn’t like her cautious cyborg to send a mass transmission without council approval, even if it eliminated his brethren’s susceptibility to EMPs.
“We tested it on our warriors first.” Vector lifted his chin. “We verified it wouldn’t damage any of our brethren and a delay of even one planet rotation could have put them at risk. I refuse to withhold such critical information from our warriors.”
As critical information had been withheld from him, costing his brethren on Furud One their lifespans. She knocked her booted feet against his, signaling she understood.
Vector’s gaze flicked to her face and then returned to the main viewscreen. “The decision to share the programming change was mine alone. My crew, the J Models, and the human female weren’t involved.”
“I wasn’t involved but I would have approved of the decision.” Kasia wouldn’t allow him to shoulder all of the blame.
“I like this female.” Truth grinned.
“The J Models would have approved of the decision also.” Dissent was the next to express his support.
“As would his crew.” North spoke for them.
Kasia squeezed Vector’s hands, pride expanding her chest. His innate sense of right and wrong was one of the facets of his personality that had attracted her to him. And it had earned him the loyalty of everyone around him.
“I’m aware you were responsible for the decision.” Power’s lips twisted.
“Then you’ll agree the others shouldn’t be reprimanded for my actions.” Vector pressed. “There’s no reason for them to return to the Homeland and report to the cyborg council. They’re free.”
“As soon as they rebelled, they were free.” The E Model glanced at the other warriors. “The order to return to the Homeland was a precaution.” His gaze returned to Vector, his eyes narrowing. “Make this transmission private.”
“There’s no longer any need for that precaution.” Vector ignored the command, her cyborg focused on the plight of his crew and the J Models. “The programming change, devised by the female, removed our vulnerability to EMPs. Ordering the warriors to return to the Homeland serves no purpose.”
“We agree, which is why we’re rescinding that order.” Power conceded, spacing his words out. “The warriors don’t have to return to the Homeland. You and the human female, however, are to report to the cyborg council immediately.”
Her clever warrior had given the J Models and his crew back their freedom. Kasia smiled, impressed and relieved. She hadn’t caused them lasting harm.
She was the only one on the bridge pleased with the situation. The cyborgs scowled at Vector. Vector’s expression remained studiously blank.
“The human female was responsible for the programming change.” He splayed his fingers over her stomach.
The human female? It wasn’t the first time during the conversation he’d used that cold description for her. Why was he being deliberately hurtful?
“There’s no reason for her to report to the cyborg council.” Vector’s voice was firm. “She’s no threat to us.”
Was he proposing he return alone? Kasia opened her mouth.
Vector covered her parted lips with his palm, muffling her objections. She nipped at his skin. He didn’t remove his hand, silencing her.
“The human female will accompany you to the Homeland.” Power wouldn’t move on that decision.
Vector said nothing.
“Confirm that, warrior,” the council member barked.
“The human female will accompany me to the Homeland.” Vector rested his chin on the top of Kasia’s head.
“See that she does.” Power nodded, triumph reflecting in his dark eyes.
His image disappeared from the main viewscreen, the communication ending. Vector removed his hand.
Kasia glared at him. “The human female?” She heard the pain in her voice and didn’t care. That pain was the truth. He’d hurt her. “I’m your human female. Why didn’t you claim me?”
“You are claimed.” Vector sniffed the air and her face heated. She smelled of him, of their fucks. “Thoroughly.”
“But not publicly.” Her heart twisted as that realization sank in. “I’m another one of your dirty little secrets, aren’t I?”
She squirmed, trying to free herself from his hold on her, seeking to run, to put distance between them.
“Because captains of warships don’t have rebellious human females.” She didn’t fit into his world. She realized that. “I’ll jeopardize your precious role within the cyborg ranks.”
“Female—”
“And stars forbid you take me to the Homeland with you.” Kasia elbowed him in the stomach. He exhaled sharply but didn’t ease his grip on her. “Everyone would know I was your female then. How would you deal with the shame?”
Her heart ached but that’s what she deserved for falling in love with an uptight rule-following warrior.
“Let me go and you don’t have to deal with it.” She fought harder. “You’ll never have to see me again. I’ll take a warship and—”
“And you’ll crash it.” Vector slapped his hand over her mouth, containing her fury with his flesh. “Because you’re reckless and, although you’re an intelligent female, you never think before you act. Which is why I have to think for you.”
How was he thinking for her? Unable to speak, she kicked him, hard, the heels of her boots connecting with his shins.
His beautiful eyes flashed, blue surges of energy shooting across his irises. “If I claim you, you’re bound to me, female. My reprimand will be yours.”
His expression turned bleak, lines etching around his mouth.
Because he thought his reprimand would be harsh…which it likely would be. Kasia stopped moving. Her warrior had ignored direct orders, shared information he hadn’t permission to share.
Kasia knew more than most how dangerous that could be. She had placed her entire family in peril by accessing the Humanoid Alliance databases.
Vector pulled his hand away from her mouth. “I have to protect you, Kasia.” His voice softened with caring.
Her heart warmed, her outrage, her pain dissipating. He was attempting to shield her from harm.
“I appreciate that, warrior.” She had tried to physically put space between them in an attempt to keep him safe.
He was doing the same emotionally.
“But you won’t protect me by putting yourself in peril.” The thought of anyone hurting him strengthened Kasia’s voice. “I risked my lifespan to assist my J Model friends.”
“She did.” Dissent confirmed. “The Humanoid Alliance could have caught her at any time.”
“My foolish female,” Vector murmured.
“Yes, I’m your foolish female.” She touched his stark face. “I was cautious when I assisted Dissent. I wouldn’t be cautious if you were in danger.” Fear punctured her soul at that possibility. “I would rush to save you, fight the cyborg council with my bare hands to defend you, take on the universe if I had to. My survival wouldn’t be a consideration. I’d act first and think about it later.”
“You would do that.” Vector blew out his breath. “This is serious, Kasia. Being bound to me could kill you.”
“That ominous fate has chased me for half my lifespan.” She shrugged, not-at-all concerned. “I’ve hidden from it in containers, in air conduits.” She looked upward. “But I’ve accepted it will catch me eventually. Until then, I stay with you.”
“You’re reckless.” Vector’s eyes gleamed.
“I am.” She grinned at him.
“Your female won’t die, Captain.” North sounded certain about that. “We wouldn’t allow that.”
“We will defend her,” Dissent agreed. “As will all of the other warriors once they hear she exposed the EMP vulnerability and crafted the programming change.”
“She’s intelligent…for a human,” Chuckles conceded, that rare praise from the human-hating male surprising Kasia. He was a difficult warrior to win over, determined to distrust her.
“Females remain scarce,” Doc chimed in, his head bowed over his handheld.
“Especially females like yours.” Truth chuckled.
Vector turned his head and frowned at his subordinate. The warrior’s mirth abruptly stopped and Kasia smothered her amusement. Her C Model didn’t tolerate disrespect.
Except from her. “This settles the discussion about whether or not I’m participating in the upcoming mission.” She didn’t hide her smugness. “I’m to accompany you.”
“You’re to accompany me to the Homeland.” Vector’s attention returned to her. “Not on dangerous missions.”
“Accompanying you to the Homeland is a dangerous mission.” Kasia wouldn’t be abandoned, even temporarily. “If you leave me on the battle station, I’ll steal a ship and follow you.”
“I’ll lock you in our chambers.”
“You can try.” She shook her head. No one had the ability to restrain her. “You’ll be as successful as you were the last time, which means not at all.”
Truth laughed, earning him another dark look from his captain.
“You have to keep me by your side.” Kasia placed her hands on Vector’s body armor-covered chest. “That’s the only way you’ll ensure my safety.”
He gazed at her. She looked back at him, as determined as he was.
“I’ll keep you by my side.” Vector relented.
Kasia exhaled, relieved. “Good.”
“We’ll fly the ship into the Vault but we’re not leaving the docking bay.” He dashed her hopes of having a grand adventure, of finally taking action rather than watching it. “We’re staying on board the vessel while others pursue the commanders and other senior officers.”
She could work with those restrictions. “Can I fly the ship?”
His lips twitched. “No, you cannot fly the ship.”
“You could teach me.” She realized she needed guidance. Her last attempt at flying had shown her that. “I’m a fast learner.”
One of his eyebrows lifted. “I’ve been trying to teach you restraint and I’ve seen no progress.”
“That’s different.” She waved her hands in the air. “I don’t wish to learn restraint. I want to learn how to fly a ship.”
He caught her wrists, his fingers rough against her skin. “I’m not teaching you to fly a ship during a life-or-death mission.”
She realized it was dangerous but the universe had been in the midst of a war for her entire lifespan. There would be no safe time to learn to fly. “You’ll be standing right behind me.”
“No.” He released her, his expression telling her the discussion was over.
Kasia’s shoulders slumped. “You’re no fun.”
“Took her a while to figure that out,” Truth muttered.
“Truth.” Vector’s voice rang out. Everyone, including Kasia, straightened, responding to the dominance in his tone. “Perform a complete systems check on the Freedom.”
“Yes, Captain.” Truth’s expression was revealingly blank as he left to carry out the order. Kasia enjoyed systems checks but she suspected the super-social warrior didn’t share that feeling.
“Dissent.” Vector set Kasia on the console and stood. “You have the bridge.” He slung her over his right shoulder and strode through the doors.
“Where are we going?” She grabbed his waist, trying to steady herself.
“Truth isn’t the only being who has earned a reprimand.” Vector smacked her ass. Hard. Pain and heat rushed over her form, stimulating her all over. “When I give you an order during the mission, there will be no arguing and no fighting it.” He cuffed her again and she arched her back, embracing the burn. “You will obey me.”
“I’ll try to obey you.” Her voice was thin.
“You will obey me.” Vector swatted her, emphasizing his point. “You could die, female.” He massaged her ass, rubbing the warmth into her flesh. “If that happened…”
She waited for him to say more. He didn’t.
“Would you care?” she prompted.
That earned her another smack. “Yes, I’d care.”
He’d care if she died. Kasia smiled against Vector’s back. It wasn’t a declaration of love but she didn’t know if her tightly wound warrior would allow himself to feel that unfettered, illogical emotion.
She’d accept caring… for now. “I care about you too.”
He huffed.