Dariux: Sci-Fi Romance (The Gladius Syndicate Book 1) by Emma James (19)

She sat up and pulled her knees up to her chest, leaning back against the cool metal wall behind her. A relaxed smile crossed her lips as she nodded her head in agreement.

“Yes, we have to go. The others are going to be waiting for us,” she replied.

“This saving the galaxy stuff is getting in the way of my having a life or actually relaxing for once,” Thor said.

“Three days of vacation isn’t enough for you, Commander?”

“Not when I’ve spent months running for my life and I’m about to throw myself into the midst of a war involving highly-advanced, supernova-inducing weaponry.”

“You’re just being dramatic,” she said, laughing as she elbowed him playfully.

He caught her arm just as she pulled it away, his hand moving faster than her mind could process. Smiling at her mischievously, he tugged on her softly, pulling her down to him. She pressed her lips to his, hesitating there for a moment before pulling away.

“Let’s go,” she said. “We need to hurry. We’re already late.”

She shifted her weight and let her legs hang over the edge of the bed. She hesitated before pushing herself up. The second she did, she would have to return to reality. It had been nice the last few days, relaxing, catching up on much-needed rest, regaining strength. She and Thor had decided to stay aboard the Curio. The others had opted to get rooms aboard the Arbiter, but Kira had missed her ship. She had missed it so much that she wasn't ready to leave it. Thor didn't mind where he slept, as long as it wasn't inside of a maximum-security prison. So, he was more than happy to stay aboard their beloved ship with her.

During the days, they had wandered through the space station. They met up with the others, enjoyed warm meals and late-night drinks. They got to know Aldo and Kardok better, outside of an accused criminal capacity, at least.

But then, on their third day aboard the Arbiter, the call came. Artanis and his men were ready to act. Kira and her crew were expected to report first thing the next morning.

The comm band Artanis had given her let out a shrill chirp.

“That’s him,” she said, eyeing the device on the table in the corner of the room. Clothes were littering the floor around it, but she had made sure to keep it somewhere easily accessible, so as not to repeat her last embarrassing attempt to dig it out of a pile of fabric on the floor.

“What time is the meeting?” Thor asked.

“Ten minutes.”

“We have time.”

Another chirp rang out. She turned back to face Thor. He was smiling at her mischievously. She loved that smile. It always made her stomach flop. It was boyish and rugged at the same time—playful and daring. It was him, everything about him that she had grown to adore more than she had ever imagined possible.

“Not to cross the entire space station and get through security. Artanis is going to be livid.”

“Isn’t he always?” Thor asked.

“When it comes to me, it seems that way,” she replied, shooting him a sly smile over her shoulder.

“So, what’s the rush?”

He tugged on her arm again, pulling her back into the bed. She gave in. It wasn’t hard for him to convince her. She, too, wasn’t ready to throw herself back into the world of danger and adventure—which was strange, especially for her.

“You’re going to be late,” a metallic voice called out to them from outside the door of their room. “Artanis has already sent two messages. Now, I’m here, making sure that you arrive on time.”

“Didn’t Vinnie take that thing with him?” Thor muttered.

“He did,” Vinnie’s repair bot replied, still from the other side of the door. “But I received a message for you. So, I came back to find you. You need to go. You’re going to be late, damn it.”

Kira laughed as she rolled out of the bed. Thor followed behind her. To their surprise, when they had dressed and stepped out into the hallway, the repair bot was still sitting there, waiting for them.

“Artanis requested that I send a message as soon as you leave the Curio,” he informed them.

"Who do you work for, anyway?" Kira muttered as she pushed past him.

“The greater good,” the robot called after them. “I am nothing but a humble servant.”

“Humble is definitely not the word I would choose,” Thor muttered as they rushed toward the airlock.

Just as they turned the corner, they could hear Rob muttering about the condition of the Curio under his breath. “What the hell is this? I swear, they’re lost without me. Damn air-breathers can’t do anything for themselves. Look at this mess…”

Stepping out into the Arbiter’s hectic landing bay was the slap in the face of reality they both needed to get them back into the mindset they would need to continue their mission to find and destroy Grimm.

It seemed as if overnight, the entire place had exploded. Before, half of the stalls around them were vacant. Now, each and every one was taken. Soldiers, pilots, and all matter of T.A.F. personnel hurried about.

“When he said the troops were ready, he wasn’t kidding,” Kira observed, taking in the scene around them.

Entering the promenade didn’t bring any relief from the crowds. Kira shouldered her way through the smallest of spaces between the countless bodies cramped in around her. She couldn’t help but notice that some of the faces she pushed past seemed familiar.

“Isn’t that…?” she asked, looking back over her shoulder.

“One of the prisoners from Jaantu 7?” Thor said. “Pretty sure. Pretty sure I whooped his ass in the melee, too.”

“What are they doing here?”

“Big crowds, lots of transient people, confusion running rampant due to the recent threats to the Terran Alliance? I don’t know. Seems like the perfect place for a fugitive to blend in.”

“Should we tell someone?” Kira wondered out loud.

Thor looked back at the man they had recognized, noticing that he, too, recognized other faces in the crowd.

“They’re not bothering anything,” he replied.

“Yet,” Kira muttered to herself.

She pushed the concerns from her mind and hurried toward the place where the others would be waiting for them. The high-security door was tucked back into the far corner of the space station. There were fewer people milling about, making it even easier than it would have normally been to spot their very eclectic group.

“Where have you two been?” Bron asked, crossing his arms over his chest and smiling at them.

Vinnie smirked; Alaria giggled. Aldo’s nose twitched and Kardok stared at them with a blank expression on his face. Dario shook his head, trying to repress a grin.

Kira rolled her eyes and shook her head. She smiled. It was a genuine smile, one bred out of both pride and embarrassment.

Embarrassment because she knew that the insinuation that Bron was not-so-subtly conveying was, in fact, true. And pride, because they were her crew. They were a mixture of everything good in the Galaxy, and they were her friends. It was hard to remember a time in her life when they weren’t part of it. Somehow that last few months had come to feel like years, and these people felt like her family.

Even though they made one strange, hodge-podge sort of family, for her, it was perfect.

“You’re just jealous,” Thor said, responding quickly to Bron’s remark.

“I didn’t say anything,” Bron said with a shrug. “I just asked a question. Don’t have to get so defensive.”

“And you don’t have to be so nosey.”

Vinnie stepped forward, scanning the space behind them. “Where’s Rob?”

“He might still be on the Curio,” Kira said with a shrug.

“What’s he doing there?” Vinnie asked.

“What he does best—complain and clean and complain some more.”

“He’s a repair bot, not a personal maid,” Vinnie said defensively.

“You’re the one that programmed him to be a complete control freak. It’s not our fault if we simply let him do what he does best,” Kira said.

The sharp chirp that came from the Comm band on Kira’s wrist didn’t surprise her.

“Artanis is waiting for us,” she said. “I’ve already ignored his messages a few times this morning.”

“Why he keeps you around, I’ll never know,” Thor said, following her through the heavy metal door.

“Because no one else is dumb enough to keep going after Grimm, of course,” Kira replied confidently. “He needs me.”

CHAPTER TWO

Whatever confidence she felt about Artanis’ loyalty to her quickly evaporated when she walked through the door to the conference room he had reserved for them.

She felt as if his eyes could see straight through her.

“Captain,” he said, pushing himself us. “Our meeting was scheduled for…”

“I apologize,” Kira replied quickly. “Sincerely.”

Artanis shook his head. “If you weren’t so damn valuable…” he muttered.

Kira smiled and looked back at Thor over her shoulder.

“Again, Admiral, I apologize. You know that I will always be here when I need to be,” she replied.

Artanis shook his head. “I know that. And I know you. You definitely march to the beat of your own drum. Which is why I actually scheduled this meeting for thirty minutes after the time that I told you.”

“You always are one step ahead of me,” Kira said with a smile.

"It's taken years of practice. But, I'm afraid we don't have time to dredge up old memories and to be honest, I'm not sure I want to. You gave me enough gray hairs the first time around. No need to relive it."

He motioned to the chairs lining the table in the center of the room. It was the first time they had been in that particular conference room. It wasn’t the same, bare, empty, intimidating space Kira had come to associate with her meetings with her Commanding Officer.

This room was large, well-lit, and the walls were lined with screens. Instead of a long, rectangular table, this one was round. There wasn’t a tablet sitting in the center of it, either. Instead, an inlaid device made up the heart of the hard, metallic surface.

Artanis waved his hand over the darkened central screen, bringing it to life instantly. Everyone sat down, their nerves tying them to their chairs. The tension in the room was palpable. It didn’t take long for them to adopt the air of urgency that being on a mission always brought with it.

“This is a map of the entire Galaxy,” Artanis said, stepping back as the image spilled out of the center of the table.

It was strange looking at something so massive in such a small form. The glowing dots, each representing stars scattered throughout the galaxy, were so tiny they were almost invisible. The masses of planets, asteroid belts, and other celestial bodies looked like toys.

“Where do we start?” Artanis asked, directing his question to Aldo.

Aldo leaned forward, examining the rotating image. “Here,” he said, pointing toward a small cluster in the upper quadrants. “This is where he was last time I went to meet with him.”

Artanis nodded, reached out, and swiped his hand through a section of the image, tossing it to his side, as if he were swatting at a swarm of gnats. The particles flew through the air and slammed into one of the screens lining the wall. There, they were magnified, and the picture became clearer.

Aldo, Artanis, Kardok, and Dario all moved to stand in front of the newly illuminated piece of wall. Kira identified it quickly as the section of Omega space where she and Grimm’s team had located the Empyrean hideout.

Still, there was a lot on that screen. There were asteroid clusters and planets and a tangled mess of undefined floating objects.

“Now where?” Artanis urged Aldo.

“Give me a second,” Aldo replied.

They all waited impatiently, staring at the screen.

Then, that screen changed, quickly and with a flash so bright they all winced back against it.

“What did you do?” Aldo asked. “I wasn’t done.”

“I didn’t do it,” Artanis replied, returning to the table.

He leaned forward, trying to bring the image back. After two failed attempts, his face twisted with an expression of fear and frustration. The surge of hazy light that suddenly poured out of the device in the table startled him; it startled all of them.

An evil laugh filled the room. Instantly, it made Kira’s skin crawl. Then, his face appeared.

“I doubted your resolve,” Grimm said, his eyes glowing. “It would appear that you value your precious Alliance more than the innocent lives that will be lost. This is your fault, Artanis. This is your doing. It didn’t have to be this way. But, you’ve left me no choice.”

“What’s he talking about?” Alaria said, her voice soft and laced with nerves.

No one answered. They didn’t have to. Everyone knew, even her. They were helpless to do anything in that moment. All they could do was wait for the transmission to end. But, there was still more to come.

They held their breath as they waited.

“This is what happens when you defy me, Admiral. Captain Winter, I know you’re watching this, too. Just remember, you could have been on this side of the fight. You could have been great. Now, you’re nothing more than a pawn in a game you can’t win.”

Kira’s jaw clenched. She wanted to reach out and take hold of him, strangle him, choke the smile off his smug face. Thor rested his hand on hers, pulling her out of her rage, just a little, just enough for her to focus on what was happening, not on what she was planning to do.

The image in front of them changed. Suddenly, they were flying through space. The recording shook, then focused. A woman’s voice came over the speakers.

“This just in. Another star system has gone supernova. These images are coming to you from a bystander, close enough to capture the event but too far away to stop it.”

A small speck of light formed in the center of the screen. The light grew, too bright to look at, and then disappeared. A second past, then another. Then, a ripple of energy poured out. Kira felt as if it shook the room. She grabbed onto the arms of her chair, wanting to look away, but unable to.

“This explosion is closer to Terran Space than the one before. There is no doubt that this is the work of Colonel Baron Grimm, self-proclaimed coup leader. His demands are still in place. The T.A.F. is left to decide. We will keep you all informed,” the woman’s voice said as the image of the explosion remained.

“Wait,” Thor said, straightening up suddenly. “Pause it. Can you pause it? Go back a little.”

There was an urgency in his voice that everyone in the room identified immediately.

“What is it?” Kira asked.

But as Artanis scrolled the video feedback slightly, a cold chill ran down her spine. She saw it immediately.

“Mordecai,” she said, her blood pressure rising.

An ominous silence filled the room as they all stared at the image hovering in the air. It was clear; Mordecai was at the scene of the explosion, his ship zipping off in the distance just as the shot filled with the bright white glow of the star collapsing in on itself. The clear ripple of FTL warp wrapped around the vessel, transporting it far away from the scene, just as the energy spilled out of the now void, glowing space.

“Mordecai?” Aldo’s high-pitched, squeaky voice broke the silence. “Who’s Mordecai and who cares? Shouldn’t we be focusing on the fact that yet another star just blew up?”

Kira’s eyes flitted over to the fur-covered face of their Rengar companion. Aldo’s nose twitched as he continued to look at her with an expression of confused ignorance. She let her gaze drift over to Thor.

“It’ll be okay, Kira,” Thor assured her.

She didn’t respond.

“We knew we’d have to face him again sometime,” he continued.

“What’s going on?” Aldo asked.

Without turning to face him, Kira answered. “That’s the man that almost killed Thor.”

CHAPTER THREE

She tried to push the feelings away, but the longer she looked at the image, the harder it became. She wanted them to change it, but they couldn’t. They were doing something. Aldo had said something about image analysis. Artanis liked the idea. Even Thor agreed.

Dario seemed to know what they were talking about. Bron and Vinnie chatted impatiently as they waited for the results, and Alaria joined in their conversation, her high-pitched voice the only thing occasionally breaking into Kira’s thoughts.

She couldn’t look away from the image—the ship. It was the same ship that provided the backdrop for the one-on-one battle that nearly took Thor’s life. It was the same ship that had facilitated the retreat of his attacker and would-be killer.

Seeing it brought the memories back with an overwhelming force.

“It has to be here,” Aldo said, pointing a fur-covered finger at the screen in the center of the room.

“If the first explosion was here, and the second here…” Dario said, thinking out loud.

“He’s heading this way,” Aldo finished for him.

“He seems to be working alone, or at least with a small group,” Thor added.

“It would easier for him to keep a low profile that way,” Aldo agreed.

“How many ships did you see in the video?”

“Just one.”

“How many men do you think that ship holds?”

“Not many.”

Finally, Kira pulled her attention away from the image and directed it toward the map they were all gathered around. She saw the line they were tracing across the galaxy. It was like a jagged, gruesome scar slicing through space, leaving a trail of destruction in its wake.

“Someone will need to go after him,” Artanis said.

She could feel him looking at her.

“We need to find Grimm first,” she said.

“It won’t do any good finding Grimm if his lackey is still out there doing his bidding,” Dario said.

“Let’s just deal with one thing at a time,” Kira said, glancing back at the image hovering over the table.

When Artanis reprogrammed the device and the image pouring out of it disappeared, Kira instantly felt herself snap back into the role she needed to embody in that moment. She was no longer thinking about the man she loved nearly losing his life. She was thinking about saving the Galaxy.

“All I remember about the mission with Grimm is that the hideout was in the Omega Sector,” she said, shifting her attention back to the map.

The bright red line Dario had traced across it was still there. She ignored it.

Aldo and Kardok exchanged looks and turned their attention to the sector Kira had specified. “That’s correct,” Aldo said, his nose twitching. “It was the Omega Sector. Zoom in there.”

The map whirled and moved, and the red line drifted out of sight.

“There,” Aldo said, his finger hovering over a cluster of asteroids. “It’s there.”

“There,” Kardok agreed.

“You’re sure?” Artanis asked. “There are hundreds of asteroid clusters in that section of space.”

Aldo turned to look back at the group. His beady eyes narrowed and his brow furrowed. “I could quote you the coordinates if you’d like,” he replied.

“You have the coordinates memorized?” Alaria asked.

“I’m good with numbers,” Aldo replied with a shrug.

“Numbers,” Kardok added with a chuckle.

“Then we go there,” Kira said, stepping back and letting her eyes scan the group. “We go there and we stop Grimm.”

“There’s still the issue of Mordecai,” Artanis reminded her.

“Once we capture Grimm, we can deal with him.”

"And if he destroys more star systems in the meantime? If he kills more people? If he directs his attention to an occupied body of Space?"

“He hasn’t yet.”

“He’s getting close.”

“He’s trying to scare us,” Kira replied.

“And it’s working,” Artanis said.

A heavy silence fell over the room. Kira’s eyes fixed on Artanis’, and her pulse quickened as she realized that there was no use fighting with him.

He was right.

“It’s not safe,” she said softly.

“Nothing we do ever is,” Thor said.

She turned to look at him. The lines in his face were softer than usual, and as he ran his fingers through his ever-disheveled brown hair, his dark brown eyes seemed to see right through her, reading her thoughts and feeling her fears.

He smiled at her and nodded.

"It's almost over," he said as if he were talking only to her. "We have to see this through."

She shook her head but turned back to face Artanis. “Just so you know, I’m going to be filing for early retirement, and you sure as hell better approve it. I can’t keep doing this shit for the rest of my life.”

Artanis smiled, nodded, and clapped his hands together. “I don’t need you to do it for the rest of your life, Captain. Just until we put an end to Grimm.”

“That may end up being the rest of my life,” Kira muttered.

“Don’t be so dramatic,” Thor said gruffly. “So, how are we going to do this? Some of us go after Grimm and the others after Mordecai?”

“What will the groups be?” Dario asked.

“Wait, wait, wait,” Alaria said, pushing herself to the front of the room. “We’re seriously doing this again? We’re splitting up?”

“It worked well the last time,” Thor reminded her.

“Yes, but it was torture!” Alaria replied.

“It won’t be as bad as it will be if Grimm gets his way,” Artanis said.

Alaria sighed and walked over to one of the vacant chairs in the back of the room and slumped down.

“We have two ships,” Kira said. “Which is good. Aldo will take one group, and I will take another.”

“I’ll take the big boy,” Aldo said, craning his neck around to stare up at Bron.

Bron glared down at him and raised an eyebrow. “I’m a package deal,” he said. “You get me, the little one comes along, too.”

Aldo’s nose twitched as he glanced over at Vinnie. “He’s not bad, for a kid.”

Vinnie grunted—a habit he had acquired from his Bandurian companion—and rolled his eyes. “I can do a hell of a lot more damage than you can.”

“Don’t be too sure. You’d be surprised how much havoc you can wreak from behind a console,” Aldo replied. “But, I like your enthusiasm.”

“Right,” Kira said. “So, Aldo’s taking the ‘big boy’,” she couldn’t help but laugh as she repeated his words, “and ‘the little one.’ I’ll take Thor and Kardok, then. We’ll be going after Mordecai. And he is definitely a force to be reckoned with. We’ll need the muscle.”

“You sure?” Thor asked, resting his hand on his shoulder.

“Yes,” Kira replied, not looking back at him. “We’ll take down Mordecai, then meet the others to finish off Grimm.”

“That leaves us,” Alaria said, still slumped down in the back of the room. “Which means we’re going to be separated again.”

Her voice cracked a little as a sniffle escaped her.

"Alaria," Dario said, walking over to her. "It will be okay. I feel it. I know that it will all work out. We didn't do all of this, come this far, take this many risks, to fall short now." He knelt down in front of her and took her hands in his with the fatherly smile he reserved only for her. "I know you're going to be fine. Do you doubt me?"

She cocked her head to the side and smiled. “No,” she muttered.

“Then there’s nothing to worry about.”

“She’ll come with us,” Bron said. “We make a good team, don’t we?”

“Yeah,” she said with a half-hearted giggle. Despite both Dario’s and Bron’s attempts to console her, Alaria continued to stifle her tears, her sniffles still slipping out from time to time.

Dario pushed himself up. “That means I’m with Kira and Thor again.”

“Don’t sound so excited about it,” Kira replied.

"You're right. Getting thrown into a high-security prison with you guys was the best. Great memories," Dario said.

“That’s the spirit,” Kira said. “Alright, Admiral. You have your groups. You have your coordinates. What’s next?”

“All that’s left if assigning a fleet to join in the fight against Grimm. We aren’t going to let you do this on your own,” Artanis said.

“Good,” Kira replied with a nod.

They prepared to leave, everyone somewhat out of sorts. As they walked to the door, Kira turned back.

“Oh, Admiral,” she said. “You know you have a ton of Jaantu 7 fugitives roaming about the space station, right?”

Artanis sighed and nodded. “They’re not my concern, not right now, at least. I’m sure BanCor has people out looking for them.”

“Oh, good. Because they did such a great job keeping them in there,” Kira said as she followed the others out of the room.

CHAPTER FOUR

Alaria continued to sniffle as they walked out of the room. Dario walked beside her with Bron following behind them closely.

“Don’t worry,” Dario said, wrapping his arms around her shoulders.

“How can I not worry? This is it,” Alaria said, her voice shaking slightly. “This is the moment, the event we’ve all been waiting for. This is the fight of our lives, and we’re going to face it divided.”

“It’s our only…” Dario started.

“I’ve heard it before,” Alaria cut him off.

Kira was taken aback by her uncharacteristically brusque temperament. Everyone seemed to be surprised by their usually chipper companion snapping back with a short response.

Everyone was surprised, but no one blamed her.

They were all feeling the pressure and the tension. The last three days had been a dream, an alternate reality—they all knew that. They knew that they would be thrown back into combat again. And, although they hated it, none of them were overly surprised by the need to split up. It was in keeping with everything that had happened up until then.

They were constantly fighting a losing battle. But, they always found a way to come out victorious.

This time, though, it was either victory or death—not just for them, but for everyone. That fact seemed to float in the air around them, following them as they made their way toward the bustling Arbiter promenade.

“I think we all need one more night to relax,” Kira said, hoping to perk up the mood.

She needed to be perked up as much as the rest of them. Still, the thought of going up against Mordecai again made her stomach flop with nerves and her heart sink with the weight of her memories.

“What did you have in mind?” Thor asked.

“We’re on a bustling, busy space station, I’m sure there’s something around here we can do,” Kira replied.

“Or somewhere around here we can drink,” Bron added with a grunt.

“I’m up for that,” Thor said.

“Count me in,” Kira replied.

“Me too!” Vinnie exclaimed.

Bron elbowed him in the side and shook his head firmly. Vinnie returned his gesture with a grunt of his own and crossed his arms over his chest. Alaria sniffled one more time, then forced a smile across her face.

“Yeah,” she said. “A night out sounds nice.”

Deciding on a place didn't take long. Bron simply walked into the first bar they saw and shouted their order across the crowded room.

“Seven cups of Bandurian whiskey!” he cried before anyone could think or object or decide what they wanted.

“A Bandurian drinking Bandurian whiskey, that’s original,” Aldo mused.

“Original!” Kardok exclaimed.

“If you’re complaining, order something else,” Bron said over his shoulder. “I was going to offer to pay for this round…”

“I never turn down a free drink,” Aldo replied.

“No, you just complain about them,” Bron said.

Kira ignored them and shouldered her way toward an empty table. Thor followed closely behind her. Dario, Alaria, and the others stayed back at the bar, waiting for their drinks and giving them a moment alone.

“Is it that obvious that I’m a mess?” Kira asked as she slumped down into the hard, wooden bench.

Thor smiled and sat down across from her. “No. You hide it well. We just happen to know you even better, Captain. You’ve been unusually quiet since we left Artanis. And when you’re quiet, it’s never a good thing.”

“I can be quiet.”

“You can be mulling. And that’s what you’re doing. You’re mulling.”

She flashed him a weak smile and slumped back further in her seat. “Fine, I’m mulling.”

“Care to share?”

“You know.”

“You have to move past that, Kira,” he said, sliding his hands across the table. “I’m fine. I’m here. We all are.”

She slid her hands into his. “We couldn’t beat him before. What’s different this time?” she asked.

“We’re stronger than we were then. Hell, we survived Jaantu 7; we can take on that power-hungry freak. We’re ready for him.”

“And he’s probably ready for us.”

“You’re being cynical again.”

“I’m being realistic.”

“Fine,” he said, shrugging. “Let’s just not do it. Let’s just stay here and not go out and save the Galaxy. Although, if we decide to do that, we probably can’t stay here. The big guys don’t take well to being disobeyed. We could always go to Mars or something, hide out there. Or, back to the Galactic Bazaar—live the life of an outlaw.”

She rolled her eyes.

“I’m not saying that,” she said. “We have to do this.”

“Exactly,” he said. “We don’t have a choice. This whole thing is bigger than us. And you know that. You would never let the entire Galaxy get blown to shit just because you’re afraid. So, it’s time to move past that fear. You can’t let it weigh you down when you go into battle.”

“You’re not the least bit worried?”

“Of course, I am. I was the one lying in that bed in Medical. I know the risks we’re taking. I don’t want you going up against him any more than you want me to. But, I don’t want anyone else to have to, either. We will be ready for him, Kira. We know what we’re up against now. Next time around, I’ll finish him. I promise.”

“I was told to wait, but I am not a patient man,” Aldo announced, sauntering over in their direction, three cups of whiskey in his tiny hands.

He juggled the beverages as he waited for Kira to scoot over. When he set hers down in front of her, she immediately took hold of it and took a long drink. The liquid burned her throat.

“One day, we have to convince Bron to start drinking something a little higher quality,” she coughed.

“Good luck with that,” Aldo said, sipping his drink. “He’s already on his third short.”

“If you cut him open, he’d bleed this stuff,” Thor said, holding his drink up toward the others before throwing back his shot.

The others hesitated a second before walking over in their direction.

“So, Captain,” Aldo said. “Sorry to break up your moment or whatever, but I’m going to be leading half of this mission, and I think I should be brought up to date on what it is we’re up against.”

“You’re not going to be leading shit,” Bron said, slamming his half-empty glass down on the table. “I’m in charge of this mission.”

“It’s my ship.”

“And it’s so kind of you to trust it to me.”

“I wouldn’t trust you with a pile of my…”

“We don’t need that image,” Kira cut him off.

“Garbage,” Aldo said, his beady little eyes darting in her direction. “I was going to say garbage.”

“Sure,” Thor grunted.

“Either way, my ship, my mission.”

A scuffle in the corner of the bar drew Kira’s attention away from the group.

“I don’t take orders from anyone but Kira,” Bron said.

“You’re going to have to.”

“Orders!” Kardok yelled.

“Hey,” Kira whispered harshly.

“I’m the one with experience with Grimm,” Aldo said.

“I’m the one that’s been here through this whole thing from the beginning.”

“What beginning are you talking about, exactly?” Aldo quipped. “Because when I was working for Grimm all those years ago, I don’t remember you hanging around.”

“We know more about what’s going on now…” Vinnie started.

Aldo looked at him quickly. “Don’t even get me started on you, little one. I’ve been dealing with Grimm since before you were born.”

“You’re over exaggerating,” Alaria said with a giggle. “You haven’t been working with Grimm for fifteen years.”

“You’re fifteen?” Aldo said, furrowing his brow and glaring at Vinnie.

Vinnie balled up his fists and slammed them down on the table. Bron couldn’t help but laugh and Alaria ruffled the young boy’s hair, only infuriating him more.

“Don’t worry, little one. You’ll fill out one day,” Aldo said.

“Hey!” Kira said again, this time a little louder. “Is anyone else seeing this?”

Thor turned around to follow her gaze. “No shit,” he muttered.

“What?” Vinnie asked, suddenly forgetting Aldo’s remarks and excited by the prospect of something new and potentially dangerous lurking behind them.

“Damn it,” Bron muttered, also looking in the direction of the scuffle that had previously caught Kira’s eye.

There was no mistaking it. The flashes of metal catching in the dim bar lights, the soft hiss of machinery that accompanied each burst of movement—it was their past coming back to haunt them, yet again.

“Is that a robot or a Rengar?” Aldo asked.

“That’s a good question,” Kira replied.

“And I’m guessing that we’re all staring at him because we know him,” Aldo continued.

“You could say that,” Thor said.

“Know him in a good way or a bad way?” Aldo asked.

“What do you think?” Kira replied.

“I think I should have asked a lot more questions before agreeing to work with you guys,” Aldo said

“Too late. You’re one of us now,” Kira replied. “And here’s your first official lesson in becoming part of the group. That is Nico Rax. He’s a bounty hunter that holds a grudge like you wouldn’t believe.”

CHAPTER FIVE

Thankfully, Nico Rax was too involved in his current brawl to notice their group. Everyone lowered their heads and leaned in. Trying to remain as casual as possible.

“How the hell does he always do that? How is he everywhere, all the time?” Kira muttered.

“It looks like he’s got new lackeys, too,” Thor noted. “There are at least five Rengar with him.”

“Strange, since we generally hate each other,” Aldo mused.

“Yeah, well, you rats seem to find a way to come together whenever there’s money involved. And my bet is, Nico is back here looking for the escaped Jaantu 7 prisoners,” Kira observed. “They’re scattered all over this damn station.”

“Why would any of the prisoners come back here?” Bron asked.

“Why did we?” Kira asked.

“Because we’re idiots,” Thor muttered.

“We’re brave!” Alaria countered.

“What’s the difference?”

“I’m willing to bet that a lot of the refugees are here, hiding in plain sight. A lot of them were T.A.F. before, you know,” Aldo said.

“It doesn’t really matter, right now, does it,” Dario said. “What matters is that he’s here, and he’s probably still really upset with Kira.”

“Kira!” Kardok exclaimed.

“No, Kardok, hush,” Kira muttered, looking over at the group of Rengar, finally dispersing from their scuffle and returning to their drinks at the bar.

Everyone seemed to hold their breath as they waited to see if any of Nico’s men heard Kardok’s outburst.

“Sorry,” Kardok said in a gruff whisper. “Sorry.”

“It’s okay, buddy,” Aldo said, patting him on the shoulder. “You don’t need to apologize. They’re the ones that dragged us into this. He is mad at Kira, after all.”

“Not just me,” Kira replied. “He’s mad at Thor, too.”

“Thanks for that,” Thor said, nudging her.

“What? It’s the truth. To be fair, he’s only mad at me because I was helping you…”

“It doesn’t matter,” Dario said again. “What matters now is that we have to figure out how to get past him without him seeing us.”

Kira looked over at their group again. That’s when something caught her eye. Something familiar and personal.

"That robotic rat has my gun!" she nearly yelled. "Asshole never turned it into the guards at Jaantu 7. They were supposed to turn in all of our belongings."

“Technically, it’s a good thing he didn’t,” Alaria pointed out. “If he had, it’d be floating around in deep space somewhere. Not here in the bar with us.”

“Well, it’s about to be back in my holster again,” Kira said, pushing herself up.

Thor grabbed not her wrist and pulled her down. “Why is it that you’re always running head first into trouble?”

“It’s my gun,” she said firmly. “And I want it back. It’s very important to me.”

“Well my freedom is important to me,” Aldo replied.

“He can’t arrest us,” Kira reminded them. “We don’t have bounties on our heads anymore.”

Smiles spread across their faces as the realization sunk in. It had been so long since they were all able to enjoy that feeling—freedom. They had forgotten what it felt like to see a bounty hunter and not have their stomachs instantly drop.

“Wait,” Bron said, shaking his head. “So, he can’t arrest you. But he can still kill you. And, if I remember correctly, that’s what he wants to do.”

Before the air around them could change from relieved back to concerned, the sound of metal gliding over the worn-down, tile floor sent a chill running down all of their spines.

“Look who it is,” Nico’s voice hummed. “I’ve been wondering when you would turn up again, Commander Rockhold, Captain Winter.”

“He said your name first,” Kira whispered to Thor. “I’m just saying.”

“You can’t do anything to us now,” Dario said, pushing himself to his feet. “We’re not wanted anymore.”

Everyone at their table stood, shoving their way out of the booth and surrounding the robotic bounty hunter completely. Nico didn’t seem afraid or concerned in the least.

“Oh, you’re wanted,” Nico said with a menacing laugh. “You’re wanted dead—by me.”

With that, he reached for his gun—Kira’s gun. It was in his hand and pointed directly at Dario before any of them could blink. The only one that seemed to be able to anticipate his moves at all was Thor, who appeared quickly at his side, his hand wrapped tightly around his shoulder, his own gun pressed into the Rengar’s fur-less right side.

“Let’s just put the past behind us,” Thor said.

Kira reached for her own weapon, causing Nico to spin around and point her Phantom in her direction. Thor continued to press the barrel of his weapon into Nico’s side.

“You know what it’s like to be enhanced, Commander. You know what it’s like to be superior. With each of my operations, I grew stronger, braver, more agile. And, with each operation, I became more and more machine. You know what machines are good for, don’t you?”

Thor clenched his jaw.

“Remembering things. My mind works like a computer. I have each and every second I spent hunting you down stored away in its own little file. That file has grown substantially to include her,” he pointed the gun at Kira. Then, turning on his heel, he let the sights fall on Bron. “And him.” He moved the gun in Vinnie’s direction. “And him.”

“We get it,” Thor said. “You’re crazy.”

“I’m just what they made me, Commander. You should know.”

Before Thor could reply, Kira took a quick step forward. Her hand flew out and grabbed hold of the barrel of the gun in Nico's hand. Spinning on her heel, she pointed the gun at the ground, just in time for Nico to squeeze the trigger, and ripped it out of his hand, bending his elbow backward in the process.

Just for good measure, she let her elbow fly back into his face. The blow hurt her more than him, given that his face was made up mostly of metal bits. But, it felt good to get in the blow, either way.

Standing up straight and turning her Phantom over in her hand before pointing it squarely at his chest, she glared at Nico.

“He’s nothing like you,” she said firmly. “They made you a monster—a soulless, heartless machine.”

Nico twisted his arm around, a snapping sound rippling through the air as his metal joint clicked back into place. The entire bar had fallen silent. Nico took a slow step toward her.

“You’re right about one thing, Captain.”

His eyes glowed and his face twisted into an expression that she could only interpret as amused.

“I don’t have a heart,” he finished.

Just as the last word slid past his lips something hard flew into the back of her head, knocking her forward. Alaria, Dario, and Aldo were also thrown to the ground.

Nico’s men had advanced. They were all enhanced—not nearly as much as their fearless leader—but still more than anyone in their group.

Thor, Bron, and Kardok remained on their feet. Thor was holding tightly to one of Nico’s Rengar lackeys by the throat. Bron had his assault rifle drawn. And Kardok held two of them in headlocks—one under each arm.

That left one running free. He darted backward, separating himself from the group and pulling his weapon. Nico leaped into the air, clearing Thor with ease, and came to land behind him.

Kira’s mind worked fast as she scooted across the ground, reaching for her gun, which had been thrown out of her hand upon impact. The second she was able to wrap her fingers around the barrel, she spun around, lying on her back. She pointed her Phantom straight upward, finding one of Nico’s men in her sights.

With one squeeze, he was no longer an issue. He slumped to the ground, his body falling lifeless at her feet. She pushed herself up quickly, just in time to see Kardok finish one of the men in his grasp and Bron take down the one he was currently facing off against.

Nico was still behind Thor, though, and it looked as if he were ready to strike.

“Behind you!” Kira called out.

But the Rengar in Thor’s grasp was putting up a fight that made it impossible for him to protect himself. Nico laughed and pushed his weight forward onto the balls of his feet. Just as he prepared to leap forward, Kardok finished with the second Rengar, snapping his neck and sending a crackling sound rippling through the room.

Kira tried to find Nico in her sights, but Thor continued to step back and forth, wrestling the rat and walking into her line of fire. Just as Nico pushed himself up into the air, Thor was able to secure his hold on the wiggling ball of half-robot fur. As if he could sense the Rengar’s leader’s quick approach, Thor spun around and pushed his opponent forward, blocking Nico’s advance.

The two rats went sprawling to the ground. With a shout of excitement, Vinnie took down the lesser of the two evils, leaving Nico alone, unarmed, and completely vulnerable. Everyone froze as Thor lifted his gun and pointed it directly in his direction.

Nico laughed, a deep, mechanical, ominous sort of laugh.

“You won’t do it,” he said, his eyes sparkling. “You don’t have the…”

And with that, Thor pulled the trigger.

“The one thing I always hated about him,” Thor said, turning to face the rest of them, “was that he never stopped talking.”

“Well, I don’t think you’ll have to worry about that anymore,” Bron said, eyeing the pile of metal and fur that now laid, motionless, on the ground between them.

“Did you really have to kill him?” Aldo asked, his nose twitching.

“He would have killed us,” Kira said, firmly. “Believe me.”

She holstered her Phantom and let the weight of it at her side comfort her. It wasn’t hard to explain the situation to the Arbiter guards who showed up. Everyone in the bar spoke in their favor, explaining that it was Nico and his men who threw the first punch and everything Kira and her crew did in response was self-defense.

Still, they would have been in some trouble, if it weren’t for Artanis. Who, once again, stepped in and spoke up for them.

“You couldn’t just give me one night, could you?” he asked Kira as they prepared to part ways again.

“Come on, Admiral,” Kira replied with a grateful smile. “You know you would have done the same thing.”

“Yeah, maybe,” Artanis admitted. “He was one annoying son of a bitch.”

CHAPTER SIX

“That was unexpected,” Thor said, smiling as he slid down into the bed.

“Everything with us tends to be,” she replied, sitting down next to him.

Her Phantom still hung at her hip. Feeling the weight of it again made her smile. It was the gun her parents had given her when she started basic training. It had been with her through every adventure she had faced—from routine missions to covert operations. It was the gun she had pointed at Thor when they first met, and the gun she had used to save them countless times since then.

“At least we can cross one enemy off our list,” Thor said. “That’s a good start to all of this, isn’t it?”

“I suppose,” she agreed.

“Come on,” he said, reaching out and taking her hand in his. “Be happy. It’s symbolic or something. It has to be. He was our first true common enemy, you know. All the way back to the Galactic Bazaar.”

“If we’re being technical, our first common enemy was that group of Roughneck pirates.”

Thor grinned up at her, his eyes laughing as he fell back onto the bed. “I almost forgot about them,” he said. “Too much has happened since you came into my life, Kira Winter.”

She pulled her legs up onto the bed and laid back, resting her head on his chest. She wrapped her arm around him and snuggled in close.

“Well, Luthor Rockhold,” she replied. “I can honestly say that I would not change any of it. Except for maybe that whole you-almost-dying part. And, maybe the time in Jaantu 7—I could live without that…”

“Luthor,” he said with a laugh. “It’s been so long since anyone has called me that.”

She turned her face up toward his. “Does it bother you?”

“No,” he shook his head. “I sort of like it, I guess. It is my name—my non-Arcanum name.; my non-military name, even.”

“How do you feel about that? Non-military?”

“You still thinking about getting out of all of this when all is said and done?” he asked, tightening his hold on her.

“Maybe,” she said with a smile.

“Maybe I am, too,” he replied. “But, I have to admit, whooping Nico’s ass sure as hell felt good today. I’ll definitely miss that if we hang up our badges.”

“I’m sure we could find other things to do, though,” Kira replied. “Other things that feel good.”

Thor’s eyes twinkled. “I don’t know,” he said, wrinkling up his nose. “You might need to convince me.”

“Oh really?” she replied, pushing herself up. “I’m not sure I can do that. I mean, the rush of chasing down a mortal enemy, tasting victory after so long…”

As she spoke, she slid her shirt up off over her head. Thor’s hands drifted to her waist, his fingers digging into her bare skin. She pushed herself up and threw her leg over him so that she was seated on top of him.

Leaning in and kissing his neck softly, she whispered, “all I can offer you in exchange are long days filled with nothing to do, no one to hunt, no one to run from. I don’t know what we could do to fill the time.”

She pulled back from him, giving his hands the freedom to roam over her bare body once again. He took the opportunity, finding her breasts within seconds. She felt herself shiver with desire, and between her legs, she could feel him becoming hard with longing.

“It sounds so boring,” he replied.

“I know,” she said, leaning in and kissing his neck.

His body erupted with goosebumps. She could feel them prickling his bare chest, pressed against hers. His breathing became heavy. The feeling of his breath washing over her skin made her tingle with desire. Shivers ran up her spine as his hands drifted over her—his strong, rugged hands that left trails of warmth in their wake.

Together, they wiggled out of the clothes they still wore. When they came together again in a rush of passion, Kira found herself on top of him. As she guided him inside of her, she couldn’t help but shiver with a tantalizing mixture of satisfaction and longing.

The connection between them was strong. With each movement, each gentle thrust, she felt her body shake with satisfaction.

It wasn’t just the way he moved, the way he was able to please her, and she him. It was the look in his eyes—satisfied yet hungry for more. It was the touch of his hand grazing her side—soothing and comforting yet filled with raw desire. It was the way they shared in the moment, letting it wash away the rest of the world, leaving only them—encompassed in a world of affection and pleasure and love.

CHAPTER SEVEN

The morning was filled with activity. Kira and her group were busy preparing the Curio, picking up supplies from Artanis, and making sure that their intended course was approved by the Terran High Command.

"It's strange doing this the legal way," Kira observed as she and Thor returned to TFS Arbiter's onboard hangar. "It feels like a lifetime since I went to the High Command with flight plans."

“Does it make you feel official again?”

“Maybe,” she replied. “I’m not sure how I feel about it.”

He glanced down at her, his eyes sparkling. “Does someone miss the criminal life?”

“It does grow on you,” she replied. “Dingy cells and running for your life and brigs and questionable food… who wouldn’t love that?”

Thor chuckled. “I seem to remember some good times in those dingy cells,” he replied.

Kira laughed.

“What’s really on your mind?” he asked.

She stopped and turned to look at him. He was wearing his uniform. It was the first time she had actually seen him in it. His rank was displayed on his chest, sitting just above the spot where the Arcanum tattoo was etched into his skin. The light blue fabric contrasted with his dark, tan skin. His hair was slicked back, yet a stray strand still found its way into his face.

She looked down at her uniform. It was dark blue and sleek and fit her perfectly. There was a time when that uniform felt like her second skin. Now, it just felt strange and unfamiliar.

“I just always thought that being back in this role would feel so satisfying. Being recognized by the High Command, leading an official mission…”

“It doesn’t?”

“It feels the exact same,” she said with a shrug. “It feels the same as it did when we left for Jaantu 7 or when we went to explore the mining colonies.”

“What are you saying?”

“I’m saying that maybe this whole Captain thing isn’t the only thing that matters to me anymore. For so long, my career was my entire life. But, ever since I stumbled into this mess, my life has become all about you and Alaria and Dario and Bron and Vinnie. It’s become about keeping us alive and trying to take time to enjoy the fact that we still are.”

He smiled and tilted his head to the side. The loose strand of hair fell into his eyes. She reached up and brushed it away softly, pushing herself up onto her tiptoes and stepping into him, pressing her lips to his.

“Well, when all of this is done, we’ll be sure to take plenty of time to enjoy it,” he agreed.

When they made their way back to where the others were waiting, the thoughts of their future together had drifted away. She would think about that when she could. One day, she’d have all the time in the world to think about the simple things. Now, though, she was still Captain Winter, and there were still lives in her hands. She had to be what they needed her to. She had to be their fearless leader.

“We’ll be leaving in ten,” she informed the group.

They were all gathered on the flight deck of the Curio. Alaria’s face was blotchy, and her eyes were filled with tears. She clung to Dario’s hand.

“It should take us about a week to find Mordecai,” Kira continued. “By that time, your group should be closing in on Grimm. If all goes according to plan, we’ll meet up just in time to face off against him—together.”

Everyone nodded slowly. Alaria sniffled.

“Here,” Dario said, reaching into the large, brown bag he had carried aboard with him.

He pulled out Zola, who meowed disgruntledly at being awoken from her mid-morning nap. Alaria’s eyes instantly lit up. She held out her hands as her adoptive father slipped the ball of fur into her arms. Dario carefully removed the implant he had hidden in the cat’s neck and slipped it into his pocket.

“I think you should take her,” he said.

“Really?” Alaria asked.

“She likes you more than she does me,” Dario said.

Alaria smiled and buried her face down into the cat’s fur. Zola purred as she stretched out in the Telani woman’s pale white arms. Alaria’s bright blue eyes sparkled.

“Eight minutes,” Aldo said, not at all moved by the scene.

“We should go,” Bron said, wrapping his arm around Alaria.

She looked up at him and smiled. Holding Zola close, she nodded. “Just for a week, right? We’ll see you again in a week?”

“A week,” Kira said with a nod. “A week and a half, tops.”

Alaria nodded again and let Bron lead her off the ship. Vinnie and Kardok followed behind them, calling back their farewells. Although no one said it, they were all thinking the same thing.

A week—a lot could change in a week.

“Ready, Captain?” Thor asked.

Kira spun her chair around and looked out the large viewscreen. The bustling Arbiter dry docks stretched out before them. And beyond that, the large airlock that would spit them out into the wide-open expanse of space.

“I am,” she replied.

The ship shuddered to life as the engines ignited. Guiding the Curio out of the dry docks and into the airlocks, Kira felt her pulse quicken.

Whatever happened, it would be the end. They would win; they would lose. It didn’t matter. It was going to happen, and now was the start—the beginning of the end.

On the other side of those large doors was her future. Whether that future led her back to safety, to a life with Thor, tucked far away from the evils of the Galaxy, or straight into that very evil's ever-increasing snares, was yet to be determined.

One thing was certain, though. It was too late to turn back now. They started this—she started this long, long ago. And now, it was up to her to end it.

Somewhere in the depths of Space…

Thane’s heart raced. His hands shook. It was happening. Something was happening, at least. Grimm had been locked away for days, only meeting with his secret companion—the man Thane knew only as Victor.

He wasn’t truly a man, though. That much Thane knew for sure.

He didn’t eat; he didn’t sleep.

But, neither did Grimm these days. Not since he got the report that Kira and her crew were successful in breaking out of Jaantu 7. Thane could still hear the rage-induced outburst playing on repeat in his mind.

“I told you,” Victor said calmly. “She’s too good.”

“She’s nothing!” Grimm replied sharply, slamming his fist down on his desk.

In the dark, Thane heard something roll off the hard, metal surface and go skidding to the ground. He shrunk away from the door, holding his breath. When he was certain that it was safe again, he inched forward and pressed his ear to the door.

“You said you were prepared for this,” Victor reminded Grimm.

“I am” Grimm replied, a quiver of doubt lacing his usually confident tone. “I have prepared for all scenarios.”

“You didn’t prepare for her freeing every enemy you’ve ever had—all those people you locked away for safe keeping. They’re out there now, Baron.”

“That changes nothing. The plan continues. I have enemies but I have friends, as well. Friends that make those worthless inmates look like nothing more than a mindless pack of Zel’Dar, bobbing through space with nothing more than their numbers on their side. They lack my intellect.”

“She doesn’t.”

“Damn it!” Grimm exclaimed, slamming his fist down onto his desk again. “Mention her name one more time and you will join her at the top of my hit list!”

“I never mentioned…”

“Shut up! I need to think. I need to collect my thoughts. Nothing changes. Nothing changes about the plan. We can’t afford chaos, not now. We need to remain calm.”

Something rustling in the darkness up ahead caused Thane to come back to reality, the memory of the last conversation he was able to overhear falling quickly from his thoughts. The darkened tunnels were always full of Grimm’s loyal subjects. They lurked in the shadows, much like their leader, letting the time tick by slowly as they waited for their call to action.

Thane had tried to keep count of how many soldiers Grimm had with him. But, it was impossible. Every day he saw new faces. He never saw the same face twice. He lost count somewhere around three hundred.

It had been far too long since he sent an update to Dario. But, he had nothing to report. Nothing had changed. Well, everything had changed. He could feel it in the air. But, what that change was, he didn’t know. He only knew that it was colder in the tunnels than usual.

“How many did he take with him?” a voice said in the darkness.

The sound of someone approaching grew louder. Thane ducked behind one of the many pillars lining the dark, damp walls.

“I don’t know, four or five,” another voice replied.

“Will that be enough?”

“Grimm seems to think so.”

“Damn, I wish I had been chosen. I need some fresh air. These blasted tunnels are beginning to get to me.”

“It won’t be long. They’ll send word soon, I have a feeling.”

The voices grew louder, then fainter. Thane held his breath as he waited for the men to walk by. He shouldn’t be there—in that section of the caves. Only the soldiers were allowed there. He wasn’t a soldier. He wasn’t a fighter. He was nothing more than an errand boy.

If Grimm suspected him, even for a minute, it would be the end. Grimm had strict rules. Those rules were put in place as a measuring stick more than anything—measuring loyalty and reliability.

Why would he have a need to break the rules? Why would he care about the militarized section of the tunnels?

It didn’t matter what answer he gave. The fact that he was there would be enough to cast a shadow of a doubt over his fidelity to Grimm. And crossing a man as suspicious and powerful as Grimm meant becoming disposable.

Still, night after night, Thane snuck out to the section of the tunnels that was forbidden to him. He had to collect intel. He had to figure out what was happening. He had to warn them.

He mentally recorded the conversation he had just heard. What did it mean? Who was ‘he’? Why did he take men? Where?

Did it have something to do with the Jaantu 7 breakout? Did Grimm even care about the breakout anymore?

Why hadn’t he been called to his office in days?

When he returned to his room later that night, Thane collapsed into his bed without checking the comm device he had hidden away. It didn’t matter. There was still nothing to say. And saying nothing was something that was better done in person.

He missed the days of saying nothing. Of staying up late, and letting the conversation take as many twists and turns as it wanted. And yet, somehow, those conversations never slithered into the topic of Galactic takeovers and maniac coup leaders. They were conversations about nothing.

“How was your day?”

“What did you have for lunch?”

“I missed you.”

“I couldn’t stop thinking about you.”

Now, though, the only thing they talked about was danger and warnings and fear.

He missed saying nothing with Dario.

Even though they had to keep their relationship a secret, knowing that Grimm did not approve of relationships between his employees, no matter how often said otherwise, there was still something so peaceful and easy about being together.

There was nothing peaceful about anything anymore. Nothing was easy.

Least of all, being apart.

Thane rolled onto his side and pinched his eyes shut. Even when he tried to remember what it felt like to talk about nothing, he couldn’t. Even when he tried to remember the last conversation he had with Dario face-to-face, he couldn’t.

So, he fell asleep, thinking about danger and warnings and fear.

CHAPTER EIGHT

The trip started out well. Kira settled into her seat, finding it much more comfortable than she had anticipated. Even with her desire to retire into a simpler life still resting heavily in her mind, the adrenaline rush of piloting a vessel and soaring through space to rid the galaxy of evil filled her with the familiar buzz of excitement.

She was beginning to think that she would miss it—the rush. She was beginning to second-guess her plans. But then, reality came rushing back in.

The sirens blared and the screens in front of her started to flash.

“Already?” Kira muttered, her eyes fixed on the screens around her.

“What is it?”

“We have company,” she said, not taking her eyes from the red dots now illuminating the starboard monitor.

“How many?” Thor asked, leaning over to get a view of what she was studying carefully.

“Four,” she said. “Are they big?”

“One of them is.”

“Zel’Dar clusters?”

As if to answer his question for her, a new set of sirens began to ring, informing them that someone had locked in on their position, guns pointed straight at their hull.

“I’m afraid we’re not that lucky,” Kira said, jerking the ship to the right.

“It’s only been a couple of hours,” Thor said, leaning back in his chair and taking hold of the controls in front of him. “Why can’t we ever just get a day or to into a mission? You know, get in the groove and all that before these assholes find a way to mess it all up?"

“What would be the fun in that?” Kira replied, looking over at him with a quick wink. “I always was better at improvising, anyways.”

Thor didn't have the chance to respond because the first of the shots fired by their attackers slammed into the port side of the ship. They were thrown forward slightly, but Kira was able to stabilize the Curio before it went toppling end over end.

“Their weapons are good,” she said, taking the ship up. “Too good.”

“Who do you think they are?”

“Pirates would be my guess.” She slammed her hand down on the intercom. “Dario, we’re going to be hit again here soon. Be ready to work on those shields”

“I can’t promise anything,” Dario replied, his voice shaky. “I’m not Alaria…”

“Shit,” Kira muttered, lowering the ship again as a blast of energy went flying past them. “You can still man the guns, right?” she asked Thor.

“What makes you think I can’t?”

“I don’t know. Maybe the fact that we forgot to bring an actual engineer with us has me rattled all of the sudden.”

“Dario will be able to…”

The blaring of the sirens forced him to cut his statement short. Thor took hold of the controls in front of him quickly, switching to the rear cannons. He let a blast fire before the screen even shifted to show an image of what he was shooting at.

The ripple effect of an explosion off their starboard side and to the rear let them both know his target had found its home. There was no time for celebration, as another pair of missiles appeared on the screen in front of them.

The flashing red lights grew larger and larger, one coming from the right, the other from the left. Kira threw the controls down as Thor took out one of the incoming projectiles. The second flew overhead, but the sirens didn’t cease. Another two missiles were coming straight for them.

"Son of a bitch!" Kira exclaimed. "They're too good! They're…"

She turned the ship hard right and pulled up on the controls simultaneously. It was a quick decision and one she wasn’t happy to make. They had fired honing missiles—meaning it didn’t matter where she went, they would hit.

“Their equipment seems too advanced to be pirates’,” Thor said, just as one of the missiles buzzed overhead while the other plummeted into their starboard side.

The entire ship shook. A new series of alarms began to ring. It had been a direct hit—their shields were down.

“Shit,” Kira said, pulling the ship back around. “Another hit like that and…”

It didn’t matter. The hit came. Thor was able to divert one of the twin missiles heading in their direction, but still, the second found a way to graze against the underside of the Curio’s hull.

Kira’s hands shook as the realization hit her.

“We’re surrounded,” she said. “How is it possible? Didn’t Artanis send out a memo? Shouldn’t we be under intergalactic protection? I can’t believe we are surrounded…”

“Oh, but you are,” an unfamiliar voice came over the radio. “You have two options. One, surrender. Or two, die.”

“That’s so kind of you to let us choose,” Kira said. “Can you give us a little time to think about it?”

She scanned her screens, searching for any way out, any fracture in the pirates' perfectly coordinated attack. The largest of the four ships was stationed directly in front of them now, its massive missiles locked in on their position and the turret guns protruding from the underside of its hull pointed straight at them.

Behind them hovered the second largest ship. And to their sides, the smaller, faster, more easily maneuverable pair stood at the ready.

“I may be kind but I am not patient,” the voice replied. “And you are not in a position to be asking for favors.”

“I see that,” Kira said, looking over at Thor. “Fine. We surrender.”

He shook his head and sighed. “How do you feel about improving now?” he asked in a soft tone.

“Who says I’m not still doing that?” Kira replied in a sharp whisper.

CHAPTER NINE

Bron, Vinnie, Alaria, and Aldo took their time preparing their own ship for departure. They had received a message from Artanis, asking that they wait a day before embarking on their mission.

“I am sending over one of the Lieutenants hand-selected by me to lead the assault against Grimm,” Artanis said in his message. “He will lead a fleet of the most skilled fighters the T.A.F. has to offer. You will form part of that fleet. Until Captain Winter and the others return, you will answer to him.”

Aldo’s nose twitched as he listened. “Looks like neither of us is in charge, big boy,” he said to Bron.

Bron stood still, arms crossed over his chest, and grunted his disapproval. Vinnie kicked at the ground and shoved his hands into his pockets.

“Well, this blows,” Vinnie said. “I thought we were going to be in the center of all the action for once,” Vinnie muttered.

“We’re always at the center of the action,” Alaria said, pacing back and forth on the flight deck.

The tablet from which Artanis’ image had spilled out still sat on the console in front of them. They all stared at it for a second longer, as if waiting for it to bring more news or orders or something. When it didn’t, they all exchanged looks.

“What did he mean ‘sending over’?” Aldo asked.

“I think he means that,” Alaria said, pointing toward one of the screens lining the walls around them.

There they saw the image of a uniformed man walking straight toward Aldo's ship. He was mid-to-late thirties, clean-cut, muscular, with all of the typical Terran traits—dark skin, dark hair, dark eyes. The closer he got, the clearer his traits became and a few faint lines were visible slithering across his face—scars from battles won, surely.

“Has to be him,” Bron grunted.

As if to answer his assumption, the man outside the ship lifted his wrist to his lips and spoke into it. Instantly, his voice came flooding over the on-board intercom.

“This is Lieutenant Doone,” he said. “I have been sent by Admiral Artanis. I am requesting permission to come aboard.”

Everyone turned to face Aldo. His eyes were fixed on the image of the man outside.

“Well, are you going to open the airlock for him?” Alaria asked.

Aldo squinted his eyes. “Maybe.”

"What's the holdup?" Bron asked.

“I don’t know,” Aldo said. “I’m not sure I trust him.”

“You’ve been locked up for too long,” Bron said, reaching across Aldo to open the airlock for their visitor. “You’re far too suspicious of people.”

“It was not being suspicious of people that got me thrown into Jaantu 7 in the first place,” Aldo replied.

“Artanis sent him,” Alaria said, walking toward the door. “What is there to be suspicious about?”

The group met up with Lieutenant Doone in the ship’s common area. Aldo’s ship was larger than the Curio. It was in better shape, as well. Even the furniture was more comfortable, Alaria noted as she slumped down into one of the large, plush chairs.

She would never admit that to Bron, though.

“What can we do for you, Lieutenant?” Bron asked, walking across the room and stretching his hand out in Lieutenant Doone’s direction.

“I just want to make sure that you are all informed as to the nature of this mission.”

Lieutenant Doone spoke with an air of superiority and confidence that made everyone around him feel some sort of innate respect toward him. Everyone except for Aldo, who continued to stare at him with a look of apprehension. If he was trying to hide it, he was doing very poorly.

Alaria doubted that he was trying to hide it, though.

“The nature of this mission is to kick Grimm’s ass!” Vinnie exclaimed.

An amused expression flashed across Lieutenant Doone’s face. He was an attractive man—broad shoulders and chiseled jaw-line. Yet, there was something almost youthful about him hidden behind the veil of authority he assumed so well.

“In essence, yes,” Lieutenant Doone replied. “We will be traveling to the location that Aldo here identified as Colonel Grimm’s hideout.”

“Colonel?” Bron asked with a grunt. “Hasn’t he lost the right to titles by now?”

“Old habits,” Lieutenant Doone said with a shrug. “You see, I worked with Colo—I mean, Grimm, years back. I guess I still want to think of him as the man I knew, not the monster he’s become.”

“You worked with Grimm?” Aldo asked, his voice unusually squeaky.

“You’re not the only one he was able to persuade with his charm, Mr. Firax,” Lieutenant Doone replied.

“I wouldn’t say ‘charm’,” Aldo corrected, shifting his weight around slightly. “More like deep pockets.”

Lieutenant Doone laughed. It was a pleasant, friendly laugh that made Alaria instantly like the clean-cut man in front of them.

“Whatever it was, there are a lot of us out there, people like you and me, used and then discarded by the all-great Grimm.”

“How long ago did you work with him?” Bron asked.

“Longer than I care to admit,” Lieutenant Doone said, waving his hand in the air. “It’s not important. At least, I tell myself it's not. What is, is that you understand the risks you are taking by following me on this mission."

“To be fair, we didn’t even know we were following you until just now. We were willing to take those risks when we thought we were flying solo,” Aldo pointed out.

“Artanis did inform me of your undying loyalty to the cause,” Lieutenant Doone said. “I just had to witness it for myself. I’ve been told that this is not your entire crew? Is this true? I would really love to speak to your Captain.”

“Are we not good enough for you, Lieutenant?” Aldo asked.

“I guess we will just have to wait and see,” Lieutenant Doone replied coolly. “And your Captain?” he asked again.

“She’s with the others,” Alaria said.

“That’s too bad,” Lieutenant Doone replied.

Alaria saw a flash of emotion cross his face—something like disappointment or sadness or something similar. Again, she found herself drawn to him in an odd way. He was mysterious. Looking around the room, she could tell that she wasn’t the only one. Vinnie stared up at him with a sort of respect he only reserved for the most decorated officials—or whoever around them had the biggest gun. Bron’s expression had softened, as well. Aldo still wore a scowl, though.

“I had really hoped to see her,” Lieutenant Doone muttered.

“Do you know her?” Alaria asked.

The expression on Lieutenant Doone’s face changed quickly, back to the mask of confidence he wore when he arrived.

“I’ve simply heard great things,” he replied. “I admire her, I suppose you could say. I’ve followed her career for years. She’s always impressed me.”

“That’s not creepy at all,” Bron muttered to Vinnie, who laughed a little too loud.

Again, Lieutenant Doone laughed that laugh that made Alaria feel as strangely at ease. She looked over at Bron, who shot her a soft smile that made her stomach twist with nerves and made her completely forget about the man with the charming smile.

“We will be leaving first thing in the morning. Please be ready at 0500 hours.”

Before anyone could reply, Lieutenant Doone turned on his heel and marched toward the exit. He left with as much authority as he came in with.

“That was strange,” Alaria noted, watching him go.

“He was just making sure we’re okay with following him,” Bron said, walking over to where she was sitting and slumping down next to her.

“He never told us his name,” Alaria said.

Now that he had left, the air of comfort and confidence he had brought with him had evaporated and she was able to replay their conversation in her head with more clarity.

“Lieutenant Doone.”

“His first name.”

“Who cares? No one calls Artanis by his first name.”

“And no one calls Grimm Colonel anymore,” Aldo said, his eyes still fixed on the spot where Lieutenant Doone previously stood.

“I sort of like him,” Alaria said. Bron shot her a confused look. “I just mean, as a leader and all—he seems capable.”

“I doubt Artanis would send us someone who’s not,” Bron agreed.

A soft silence fell in the room as they all replayed their interaction with Lieutenant Doone over again in their minds. It wasn’t until Vinnie’s self-made sidekick rolled into the room that the silence was broken.

“This ship is nearly as bad as the other,” Rob the robot muttered. “It’s not a complete piece of shit, but it’s no luxury vessel, either.”

“Who the hell is that?” Aldo asked, eyeing Vinnie’s small metallic side-kick suspiciously.

“Rob,” Vinnie replied casually. “He’s a repair bot I made.”

“And why is he here? My ship doesn’t need repairs.”

“That’s what you think,” Rob replied, rolling off.

“You won’t even notice him,” Vinnie said. “He keeps to himself, mostly.”

Alaria giggled. “Who are you kidding? He does whatever he wants whenever he wants.”

Aldo’s eyes flashed with annoyance. “This is what I get…” he muttered, half under his breath. “I should have asked more questions. I knew I should have asked more questions. Teaming up with a rag-tag group of renegades. Bounty hunters, suicide missions, and now a repair bot that thinks he owns my damn ship… I should have asked more questions.”

CHAPTER TEN

Docking aboard the largest of the pirates' ships was easy. The pirates seemed more than eager to meet their new captives and escorted them with flair.

The onboard landing bay was large and state-of-the-art. The second they entered the belly of the ship, Kira sat back and gasped. There were three smaller vessels already stationed there, all sleek and pristine. Except for the fact that they had been stripped of their parts, leaving only the shiny, new hulls to give testament to their once great state.

“Whoa,” she said, leaning forward to take in the scene. “What the hell kind of pirate ship is this?”

“Either they’re very successful or very lucky,” Thor muttered.

“Send a message to the others, let them know what’s happened.”

Thor nodded. He leaned forward and typed in a code, then another. Kira led the ship over to where a group of burly, hair-covered men waited for them.

Static filled the flight deck.

“I can’t get a message out,” Thor said, leaning back. “Our long-range radio has been disabled.”

“Did they do that?” Kira asked.

"Probably, but I doubt it was intentional." Thor looked at the group of men, waving them to a specified dock. "They don't look like the covert ops type of group. It probably happened during the attack. One of their missiles must have destroyed our long-range communications array.”

“Well that’s just perfect,” Kira muttered.

There was no time to assess the situation any further. Dario and Kardok were already in the airlock, and the men waiting for them looked to be a less than patient group. Together, the four of them waited for the Curio’s airlock to pop open, then began their slow, defeated march down the long ramp spitting out of the Curio’s underbelly.

“Come this way,” the largest of the men waiting for them said, not giving them so much as a second look.

He waved his hand in the air, summoning the others around him to fall into place around their captives. A few quick pushes here and there, a quick gruffly spoken interrogation, and they were off—being escorted down one corridor than the next.

The pirates’ ship was nice—surprisingly nice for a pirate ship. Although Kira had only been on one pirate ship before this one, she had a pretty good idea of what they were like. And this ship was not what she had in mind. She took in their surroundings as well as she could. She was trying to think of something, anything, she could do to escape. They didn’t’ have time for pirate games. This was bigger than them.

She would have even gone as far as to try to fight the group of oversized men crowded around them. But, her Phantom had once again been confiscated, along with all the weapons the others had carried off the ship.

Thor marched alongside her. She could see his eyes darting back and forth quickly, looking for any form of escape. Kardok and Dario were silent as their captors pushed at their backs, urging them to move faster.

“We really don’t have time for this,” she mumbled to Thor.

“Oh, come on, we always have time for a blood-pumping adventure,” he replied.

“Quiet back there!” one of the tattoo-covered men leading the way yelled back.

“But, you don’t understand,” Kira spoke despite his orders not to. “We don’t have anything you could possibly want. You’re really just wasting your time…”

“You have a ship,” he cut her off. “Even if it is a pile of shit.”

“What good will a ship do you?” she asked. “You have ships, much nicer ships, at that.”

The man stopped suddenly and turned to face her, her Phantom in his hand and now pointed directly at her chest.

“Stop talking,” he said firmly. “We will decide what to do with you when we decide.”

“Decide?” Kira asked. “You mean, you don’t know what you’re going to do with us?”

“Captain,” Thor said gruffly. “What are you doing?”

“They don’t know what they’re going to do with us,” she said, looking the man holding her gun to her chest in the eye. “It’s almost as if we’re the first group of captives they’ve taken.”

“The first or the one hundredth, it doesn’t matter. You’re our captives now, and you will do what we tell you,” the man replied.

He took a step back, his eyes glancing over his prisoners for the first time. And then, he froze.

“Kardok?”

“Kardok!” Kardok exclaimed.

“Kardok?” Kira asked. “You know him?”

“Kardok!” Kardok exclaimed again.

“How do you know him?” Kira asked, directing her question toward the man still holding her gun.

“Wait,” he said, not answering her question. His eyes darted from her to Thor, then back to Dario. “I know all of you. I lost a bet to you,” he said to Kira.

“I’m not much of a gambler,” Kira replied. “You must have me mistaken…”

“In Jaantu 7?” Thor said before she could finish her sentence. “During the melee?”

The man nodded. “It was between you and the other guy. I bet on the other guy.”

“You were locked up in Jaantu 7?” Dario asked.

“No, I was just there visiting a friend,” the man replied.

“Then, you’re not really a pirate, are you? You’re a fugitive,” Kira said. “That’s why you don’t know what to do with us. We really are your first captives.”

“It doesn’t matter. You’re T.A.F., aren’t you?” the man asked. His eyes flitted down to her uniform. “Captain, I see. Well, Captain, if you’re planning on taking us back to BanCor and turning us in again, you’re going to have to think again.”

“We weren’t after you!” Kira exclaimed. “You attacked us, remember? We would have flown right past you without a second thought if you had just kept your damn distance.”

“Likely story,” the man replied. “Everyone is out there looking for us. There are bounty hunters around every corner, and even high-ranking officials such as yourself have been getting in on the action, wanting to supplement those measly paychecks you give you.”

“Let’s think about this,” Kira said, shaking her head. “If we were in Jaantu 7, that means that we, too, are fugitives, technically. Why would we be working with the organization that locked us up in the first place?”

The man looked at her blankly.

“And besides, how do you know how much the T.A.F. pays?”

The man looked from her to Thor, to Dario, then back at Kardok. “You really don’t want to turn us into BanCor?” he asked.

"We were the ones that broke you out in the first place," Kira replied. "How do you think that whole thing went down, anyway? It was us—our guys."

“That means you’re Captain Winter. And you’re Commander Rockhold. And you…” He looked at Dario. “I don’t know your name… but I recognize your face. I’ve heard so much about you! I figured you’d be a hell of a lot more intimidating, I must say.”

“Thanks?” Kira said, not sure how to reply to a compliment wrapped in an insult.

The man’s eyes narrowed and he turned quickly on his heel. He waved his hand in the air as he marched down the hallway. The men around them pocked at their backs, pushing them forward again.

“We may not be pirates but we do have a Captain aboard our ship. We’ll let him decide what to do with you.”

The pirates’ Captain was as gruff and rugged looking as anyone in their group would have expected. He had a beard that covered nearly all of his face, and underneath the thick layer of hair covering his arms, Kira could make out the faint lines of a tattoo.

He had introduced himself as Max Killheart. Kira had a feeling that was not his given name, but more a persona he adopted when he discovered his life of plundering and pillaging.

“They definitely are familiar,” he said as he stroked his beard and walked around them in a slow circle.

“They claim to be behind the break-out,” the man as they had come to find out, who had escorted them into the sleek, high-end flight deck informed them. “You know, Captain Winter and her crew.”

“Is that so?” Max asked. “Zeek, send the others out. Just the important ones get to enjoy the show.”

Zeek, the man who had been their guide up to that point, hurried around the room, shooing out all but the selected few his Captain had referred to. That left only six of them in the room with Kira and her crew. Six against four would give them better odds, at least.

“We really don’t have time for this,” Kira said for the tenth time since being brought aboard the ship. “We are on a very important mission and…”

“What mission?”

“Just a mission that will save the entire Galaxy, if you really care to ask,” Kira said.

“Are you really that important?” Max replied. “Because, if you are, why would they send you to Jaantu 7?”

Kira looked over at Thor.

“Just tell them,” he said. “Whatever it takes to get us out of here.”

Kira nodded and turned her attention back to Max. “We voluntarily got ourselves thrown in there so we could find Kardok here and his accomplice Aldo Firax and bust them out so they could help us locate the man behind the coup that is on the verge of overpowering the T.A.F.,” she explained quickly.

“The coup?”

“Have you not turned on a TV or anything since you’ve been out?” Kira asked. “The coup—Grimm and his lackeys trying to take over the T.A.F. and purify the Galaxy and all that other nonsense he keeps preaching.”

“Grimm?” Max asked. “You’re out to get Grimm?”

“Yes!” Kira and Thor and Dario answered in unison.

Max took a slow step back, still stroking his beard.

"Yes!" Kardok said, a few seconds later, although with as much zeal as the others.

“Do you know him?” Kira asked. “Do you know Grimm?”

“He’s the one that got me thrown in that hell hole in the first place,” Max replied. “All of us, actually. We were T.A.F. before all of this, you know. We were good men. He’s the one that turned us into criminals. Most of us didn’t even know what was happening until we were thrown aboard an unmarked vessel and dropped off in that floating pit of death.”

“Sounds familiar,” Thor said with an amused grunt.

To Kira, it sounded a little too familiar. Could it really be that Grimm did the same thing to each of these men? It seemed to fit too well. She swallowed back her suspicion, and let a look of relief work its way across her face.

“So, I was right,” she said, picking up the conversation seamlessly. “You’re not pirates.”

“No,” Max shook his head. “We’re soldiers. At least, we used to be.”

“Do you want to be again?”

“What are you proposing?”

“First, give me my gun back,” she said, eyeing the man who had holstered her weapon at his side. “Then, help us take down Grimm. If we’re successful, I’m sure I could get Artanis to pardon your crimes, give you a fresh start and what-not.”

“Tempting,” Max said, turning around to face his men.

They all looked at their Captain. Some had expressions of hope on their faces, while others looked indifferent. Kira held her breath as she waited for his answer.

“Fine,” he said, spinning back around to face them. “We’ll help you. As long as you get Artanis’ word that he’ll pardon us first.”

“We can’t radio him,” Kira replied. “Thanks to our little show-down out there, our comm system is on the fritz. And our engineer is working with another group.”

“Use ours.”

“Fix ours,” Kira countered.

“You want us to help you and fix your ship?”

“We are the ones that got you your freedom in the first place, Max.”

“Captain,” he corrected her.

“No,” she said firmly, shaking her head. “I’m the Captain of this mission. And again, I remind you, we are the reason you are free. You can either help us or let us go. But, if we don’t stop Grimm, it won’t matter who’s free and who’s not. Because he will destroy us—all of us. He’s not going to stop until he gets what he wants.”

Max rocked his weight back on his heels. “Use our radio, get in touch with Artanis, get approval for our pardons. Then, we will join you. And, we will provide you with an engineer, as well.”

Kira looked over at Thor then back at Dario. They both nodded in agreement.

“Deal,” she said. “Now give me my gun and show me to your radio.”

Thirty minutes later, she was speaking to Artanis. He didn’t like the terms of the agreement but he knew there was no other choice. Max hovered over her shoulder as she spoke.

“We could use the help going up against Mordecai,” she explained. “And I’m sure going up against Grimm will be even harder than we are expecting. It doesn’t hurt to have more men on our side.”

“They’re criminals,” Artanis replied.

“So was I at one point, Admiral,” she said. “Grimm has made all of us do things we aren’t proud of. Let these men prove themselves to earn their redemption.”

“Do you trust them?”

“No,” she admitted.

She looked over at Max and shrugged. He shrugged back.

“But, I do trust that their intentions for taking down Grimm are real. He ruined their lives, Admiral. And if we don’t stop him, he’s going to ruin a hell of a lot more before he’s done.”

A long pause. When Kira heard Artanis sigh, she knew he would agree. That was the sound he always made just before conceding to her requests—as outlandish as they may be.

“Thank you, Admiral,” she said before he could voice his response.

“I will tentatively agree,” he replied. “Send me their names. I will look up their files. Once I get word that you have successfully taken down Mordecai, I will deliver my final decision.”

Kira looked over at Max again and he nodded in agreement.

“Good,” Kira said. “And, Admiral? Can you radio Bron and the others and let them know that our comm systems are down. They should be up and running in a few days, though. If they don’t hear from us by then, tell them to come looking for us. I’ll be sure to send our coordinates to Aldo’s ship regularly so they can track our movements, providing that equipment isn’t down, as well. If they see that we veer off course at all, have them send reinforcements.”

She looked back at the pirates again and smiled. “Just in case things don’t work out between us.”

CHAPTER ELEVEN

“We haven’t heard from Kira and the others in a few days,” Alaria said as she joined Bron in the common area. “I’m worried about them.”

He was seated at the table, a bowl of whatever he could find in the kitchen cooling in front of him. He looked up at her quickly and smiled. Seeing her always made him smile, even when he, too, was worried about their friends.

“You have good reason to be,” he said. “They’ve teamed up with pirates.”

“That’s something only Kira would do,” Alaria said.

“I definitely agree with that statement,” Bron replied, pulling out the chair next to him for her to sit in. “Only she’s crazy enough to trust out-laws and criminals. I guess it’s a good thing, though. Or else, we wouldn’t be here right now.”

“Speak for yourself!” Alaria replied defensively as she slid down into the seat next to him. “I’m no criminal.”

“Have you or have you not been thrown into a brig before?”

“Just that one time…” She said.

“And have you or have you not stolen top-secret plans for a high-security prison?”

Her cheeks flushed.

“And have you or have you not orchestrated and carried out the largest assault on said high-security prison in the history of ever?”

“Well, I…” her voice trailed off into a giggle.

“And are you or are you not proud of those things?” Bron asked, his eyes sparkling as he leaned in and nudged her softly.

“Well, except for the being thrown in the brig thing, yeah, I kind of am proud of those things,” she said, her voice soft and laced with laughter. “But, all of that was to help our friends and in turn, save the Galaxy.”

“Criminals can have good intentions,” Bron replied.

“Oh, and what were your intentions for stealing all those ships before?”

“We’re talking about you here,” he said.

“Of course,” she said, nodding her head slowly. “Forgive me.”

Bron reached his arm back around her chair and wrapped it around her shoulders. Even though it wasn’t the first time, he still got a rush of butterflies in his stomach. They only increased when she leaned in and rested her head on his shoulders.

“Thank you,” she said softly.

“For what?”

“For distracting me. I know I worry too much, but I can’t help it.”

“We’re all worried, Alaria. Don’t apologize for caring about people and wanting to know that they’re okay. That’s a good quality to have.”

“They said a few days, right? That’s what Artanis said that Kira said. It’s been a few days.”

“Calm down,” a crackly metallic voice said. “I’ve got your transmission right here.”

Alaria sat up quickly and clapped her hands together as Rob rolled up to the table. Following close behind him was Vinnie, and coming around the corner into the common area was Aldo. Rob halted quickly, just in front of Alaria, and spun around, casting a long beam of light out onto the center of the table.

In a flash, the image of Kira appeared, with Thor to her right and Dario to her left.

“Hello, everyone,” she said. “This message will be short. We are fine and the pirates haven’t gone rogue. Everything is going as planned. Except that their engineer sucks. Alaria, seriously, I haven’t told you enough how amazing you are. I forgot how hard good engineers can be to find.”

“Alaria!” Dario called out from behind Kira. “Alaria, dear. I hope you’re well. Please be safe. We’re safe. I love you; I miss you.”

“Don’t have too much fun without us,” Thor added.

And with that, their message ended. Alaria leaned back and sighed with relief. “When did you receive it?” she asked.

“Five minutes ago,” Rob said. The robot pulled back from the table and spun around to roll off. “No thank you or anything. Just ‘when did you get it?’ Humans are so ungrateful.”

“Thank you, Rob!” everyone called out in unison.

“Too late,” the robot muttered as he rounded the corner.

“He’s pleasant,” Aldo said as he watched the metallic body disappear.

“At least he doesn’t curse as much as he used to,” Vinnie said.

“Shit!” came Rob’s voice echoing back at them. “I just cleaned the kitchen! Who the hell was in here last?”

Alaria giggled as she watched Bron push his plate across the table and in front of Aldo. “You’re new,” Bron said quickly. “We’ll just say you didn’t know any better.”

Aldo eyed the bowl as he slid down into the chair across from Alaria. He shrugged and picked up the fork to finish off what Bron had left. “Maybe I should remind that hunk of metal that this is my ship we’re on,” Aldo said, glancing back over his shoulder.

“It won’t do any good,” Vinnie replied. “If anything, you’ll just piss him off even more.”

"Speaking of pissing people off," Aldo said, scraping the bottom of the bowl with his spoon, "has anyone talked to our fearless leader recently?"

“Kira?” Bron asked.

“No, not her. The guy with the ego bigger than that robot’s.”

“Lieutenant Doone?” Vinnie asked.

“Who else?”

“What does he have to do with pissing people off?” Alaria asked.

“Well, for one, he pisses me off.”

“What do you mean?” Bron asked.

"Ever since we started on this journey, he's been ‘hyper-controlling.' Sending daily reports and hourly location updates. It's like he can't look at the damn screen in his flight deck and see that we're still right here."

“He’s in charge of an entire fleet,” Alaria replied. “He probably doesn’t have time to just sit down and take inventory of his ships. He needs the reports to make sure that we’re all still on course.”

“He asks for more than Grimm did. And let me tell you, he was a major control freak,” Aldo said as he pushed the bowl back across the table at Bron. “You’re washing it.”

“He’s just being careful,” Bron said, collecting the bowl and getting to his feet.

“I’ll help,” Alaria offered, pushing herself up to follow him toward the kitchen.

“That means they’re going to go make out,” Vinnie said with a snicker.

Bron glared back at him and cut his laughter short. Alaria blushed a little, but couldn’t help but let out a small burst of giggles of her own. Once they were alone in the kitchen, though, they didn’t do what it was Vinnie had predicted.

“I just wanted to talk,” Alaria said nervously.

Bron stood over the sink, holding the bowl out as the automated washer sucked it out of his hand.

“Well, I didn’t mean that I don’t want to…” Alaria’s words cut off as another burst of giggles overtook her.

Bron’s cheeks flushed. “We can do whatever you want,” he said, hoping that his words didn’t shake too much.

She walked up next to him and set her hand on his. Her touch was soft and delicate. For an engineer, her hands were surprisingly smooth. Bron turned his hand over in hers and laced their fingers together.

“What do you think of Lieutenant Doone?” she asked, leaning against the sink and looking up at him.

“Are you suspicious of him, too?”

“I don’t know,” she said, tilting her head to the side. “He is a very strange man.”

“Strange, huh?”

“Yeah. He’s confident but very self-conscious at the same time. I liked him at first, I won’t lie. But, maybe Aldo’s right. Maybe there is something off about him.”

“What makes you say that?”

“The way he talks. It’s like he’s trying to convince everyone, even himself, that he’s a real leader.”

“Since when are you so perceptive of that sort of thing?” Bron asked.

“I’ve always been perceptive,” Alaria replied with a smile. “I’m good at reading people.”

“Really? And what did you think about me the first time you met me?”

She tilted her head to the side again, loosing a strand of hair from behind her ear. It fell into her face. Bron lifted his hand to brush it aside but hesitated for a second. She smiled and took a small step closer to him.

“I thought you were brave and strong and selfless.”

“What made you think that?” he asked as he slowly moved to brush the hair from her face. She lifted her hand and rested in on his, pressing his palm into her cheek.

“You didn’t hesitate to help us,” she replied. “Even though we showed up with pirates on our tales and a crazy bounty hunter after us.”

“Maybe I just like fighting.”

“Well, that’s true, too. But then, there’s Vinnie. You took him in. You care about him.”

“I care about all of you,” Bron said softly.

Alaria’s eyes sparkled as she pushed herself up onto her tiptoes. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she pulled him down toward her. “I care about you too, Bron,” she said softly, just before pressing her lips to his.

CHAPTER TWELVE

“Thank you for letting us use your radio,” Kira said, pacing back and forth across Max’s flight deck. “Although, we wouldn’t need to if you had given us an engineer worth the title. For all I know, he’s just making things worse.”

“He was in training when Grimm got him locked up,” Max replied with a shrug. “What do you want from me?”

“A real engineer!” Kira replied, throwing her hands out at her sides. “You have four ships in your little band of rebels here. Surely, there is a decent engineer on one of them.”

"I'm sorry, but we didn't have time for interviews when we were putting together our fleet of outlaws and fugitives. Basically, the only qualifications we had were ‘did you escape from Jaantu 7?' and ‘how good are you with a gun?'"

Kira let out an exhausted sigh as she slumped down in the co-pilot’s chair.

Over the last few days, she had spent more and more time with the pirate’s self-proclaimed Captain. Max was an interesting man. If he wasn’t drinking, he was stern and fierce. After a few, though, he was chatty and light-hearted. It took him awhile to warm up to them. He still refused to refer to Kira as “Captain” and his men didn’t seem eager to follow any order that came from anyone but him.

Still, there was something about him that she enjoyed. Maybe it was the fact that she hadn’t figured him out yet. She needed a way to pass the time while they journeyed to face Mordecai, and a mental puzzle such as Max Killheart was just enough to keep her entertained.

“How did you get a ship like this anyways?” she asked, scanning the equipment around her.

Her fingers itched to take the controls. Everything on that ship was top-of-the-line. Some of the systems were so new, she had never had the chance to even try them out.

“We stole it,” Max replied. “From the prison.”

“You stole a ship from the prison?” Thor asked. “You’re worried about being caught and you are still flying a stolen ship?”

“We’re not complete idiots,” Max replied. “We know that this thing only makes us a bigger more obvious target. That’s why we were out looking for a piece of shit ship to commandeer. Like yours.”

“It’s a good thing Bron isn’t around,” Kira muttered.

Thor chuckled in agreement.

“Well, either way,” Max said, slumping down in the Captain’s chair next to Kira, “this is what we have for now. And, I have a feeling it’s going to come in handy. How far out are we from Grimm’s errand boy?”

“About two days,” Kira replied. “Which is another reason why I requested to join you aboard your ship today.”

“Come to scheme?” Max asked. “Come to admit that you need me to lead this mission, even?”

His fingers ran through his beard and a smirk of satisfaction crossed his face. Kira spun the co-pilot’s chair around to face him. She kept a serious expression on her face.

“I came to make sure I can trust you,” she replied.

“Isn’t that something you should have worried about before inviting us on this adventure?”

“At the time, I was more concerned with getting back on course and not becoming pirate ransom.”

“I see where your priorities lie. For all you know, you’ve enlisted the help of murderous blood-thirsty pirates. And you didn’t even think to ask…”

“Max,” Kira said firmly. “This isn’t a joke. I need to know that I can count on you to back us up when we face off against Mordecai. He and his men are a very real threat.”

Her eyes flitted over to where Thor was leaning against one of the consoles in the center of the flight deck, surrounded by Max’s most-trusted men. Even though the want-to-be pirates were unshaved and draped in rags that did little to hide their muscular arms and legs, Thor still seemed to hold a more imposing presence than all of them combined.

“We know,” she added.

“You’ve faced off against this man before?” Max asked.

“He’s not a man,” Thor said gruffly. “He’s a menace.”

“Whatever he is, you’ve faced him before?”

“Yes,” Thor continued to answer. “Once before.”

“And he bested you?”

“Let’s just say that neither of us walked away unharmed.”

“But you both walked away.”

“Why else would we be going after him now?” Kira said.

“Why else would you need our help?” Max said, spreading out his arms to include all the men he had gathered on his flight deck.

Kira scanned them. She hoped they weren’t truly the best of his best. Strong and able-bodied as they were, they were roughed up from Jaantu 7—tired, blood-thirsty, criminals, whether they wanted to be or not.

“Tell me, Max,” Kira said, “why did you agree to help us?”

“Our freedom.”

“No,” she said, shaking her head. “You have freedom. The life of a pirate is much freer than the life of a soldier. I’m sure you know that. You joined us because you all have a score to settle with Grimm.”

Max stroked his beard and nodded his head. There was something contemplative in his eyes. It was as if he were assessing a situation, weighing his next move carefully. He glanced back at his men, who seemed to respond to his look.

There was tension in the room.

“What did he make you do?” Kira asked, leaning in.

A quiet whisper filled the room as the men around them waited to hear their Captain’s response. They had spent years perfecting their hardened outlaw exteriors—years spent inside of a prison, fighting to survive among some of the most hated criminals in the Galaxy. They had become the men that their situation had made them.

Would their Captain let that façade fall to the side?

"I'm not even sure anymore," Max replied, his eyes drifting over to the large viewscreen. There was a twinge of uncertainty in his voice. "I worked for him for years. I have no idea what of that time was spent doing things inside of the law and what spent doing things not-so-inside of the law. All I know is that when he was done with me, he didn't even have the courtesy of sending a farewell basket. He did send a fleet of men to arrest me, all brainwashed into thinking that I was attempting to bribe Grimm into including me in on his damned Arcanum experiments, trying to convince him to push the Modessi limit with me as his guinea pig. As if I would want to do such a thing. Men becoming machines—it's horrid."

The way he spoke was different. The slur he had acquired to fit his pirate persona slipped away and the words of an official, a man with training and sophistication and pride came out.

Kira glanced over at Thor again. The expression of frustration and hurt she had expected to see on his face wasn’t there. Instead, he seemed almost amused.

“So, if you were not Arcanum, what were you?” Thor asked.

“A Captain,” Max replied, looking over at Kira. “Loyal to a fault. I would have done anything that Grimm asked me to. I wouldn’t be surprised to find out that it was me that transported half of these men here to Jaantu 7 myself.”

Thor chuckled. “Grimm needs to learn some new tricks.”

“That is merely my story. Everyone here has one of their own. You ask if you can trust us, Kira. The answer is simple—if it involves bringing any semblance of suffering to Grimm, you can.”

“All of you feel the same?” Kira asked.

With nods and grunts of approval, Max’s men voiced their allegiance. A sense of calm settled over her. He seemed genuine. She didn’t have time to delve any deeper than that. They were getting closer to Mordecai, and they needed to prepare.

The rest of the time aboard the pirate’s stolen ship was spent discussing their plan of attack for when they finally came face-to-face with Grimm’s lackey. Although it had been years since they had to follow military procedures and participate in organized offensives, each of the prison fugitives seemed to slowly slip back into the world that was once their reality.

By the time they left, Kira’s concerns of rogue pirates turning sides or breaking out of formation were put to rest.

“You’re sure we can trust them?” Dario asked as they returned to the Curio.

“I am,” Kira said with a firm nod.

“What if they’re lying? What if not all of them have a score to settle with Grimm?”

“Bron didn’t when we started this,” Kira reminded him. “And he’s one of our most prized assets in this fight. Somehow, hating Grimm has a way of uniting people.”

“That’s so sweet,” Thor said. “Bet he never saw that coming.”

“If he did, he wouldn’t have made so many damned enemies along the way.”

“Well, you know what they say—the enemy of my enemy is my friend,” Dario said.

“Well, let’s not get carried away. For now, let’s just say the enemy of my enemy is the man that will hopefully keep us safe,” Kira replied.

“So reassuring, this one. I just love the positivity,” Thor said, hugging her tightly and laughing.

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

The flight deck of Aldo’s ship was similar to the Curio’s, except slightly nicer. Bron couldn’t help but notice that fact the first day he was slumped down in the co-pilot’s chair. But, in terms of flying, the two vessels were more or less equal.

Aldo was a decent pilot, something else Bron couldn’t help but notice pretty early on. Although he was nothing compared to Kira, Bron didn’t’ doubt that he would get the job done. He could at least keep them in the air while Bron manned the guns—surprisingly high-end, accurate turret guns and some of the meanest missile launchers that the black market had to offer.

“Found them at the Bazaar,” Aldo said proudly when he noticed Bron admiring them.

“Where? I’ve been all over that place and I never came across anything like this.”

“You didn’t know who to ask.”

Bron grunted, leaning back in his chair and crossing his arms over his chest. He didn’t have long to stew, however, because shortly after he settled in, a gruff voice came over the intercom.

“We’re being surrounded,” Lieutenant Doone said quickly. “I need everyone to move into position.”

“What does he mean, ‘surrounded’?” Aldo asked, leaning forward to peer at the screen in front of him.

At first, neither of them saw anything. Then, as if the system was catching up with itself, a cluster of red dots appeared directly in front of them. Another cluster directly behind them appeared shortly after.

“Shit,” Aldo muttered.

He grabbed for the controls quickly, throwing the ship forward to prepare for battle. Bron’s heart accelerated as he, too, reached for his own set of controls. Aldo radioed down to the control room, informing Alaria and Vinnie of the latest development.

“Who are they?” Alaria asked.

“It’s hard to tell,” Aldo said, moving his ship to the position Lieutenant Doone assigned them.

In the event of an emergency, they were to lead a portion of the fleet and cover the starboard side of the fight. They were assigned four ships to work with them, four out of the sixteen that Doone had in his control. He would take four to the front, and four would go to the rear, leaving the remaining four to man the port section of the battle.

As the dots on the screen grew closer, they seemed to multiply. All the ships around them fell into place. Aldo lowered the cannons, and Bron took control of them, swiveling them about in preparation for the fight.

“Are they pirates?” Alaria asked.

“No,” Aldo said, shaking his head firmly.

The closer the dots got, the clearer their predicament became. The ships quickly gaining on them from all sides weren’t pirates; they weren’t Zel’Dar or Vorian warriors.

They were Grimm’s men.

“It has to be him,” Aldo said, looking quickly over at Bron.

“But, how? How did he know?”

Aldo asked himself the same question, but there was no time to answer. A myriad of sirens began to sound. Some of the ships had locked in on their position. They waited for their Lieutenant’s orders. But, they didn’t come.

“I’m making a move,” Aldo said, bringing his ship up to level with the small fleet of ships heading straight for them.

“But, we’re supposed to wait…”

“To die? I don’t think so,” Aldo said. “Fire, Bron!”

Bron let two cannons fly. There were five ships coming straight for them and they all dove out of the way. Aldo’s rash actions caused an uproar from the fleet behind him. They all began to fire, quickly. The ships in front of them bobbed and weaved, their movements quick and controlled.

They didn’t seem rattled in the least.

To their left and straight ahead, the fight had already begun. Dozens of ships had surrounded them, and the sky was filled with the glow of battle. Bron pressed the release button again, directing his cannon at the belly of one of the ships.

It was tucked behind the others, something he hoped to use to his advantage. And his plan worked. The ships in front of his intended target dove out of the way, their radars picking up on his missile, while shielding the other from receiving the warning.

The explosion that shook through the space surrounding them was a momentary victory. There were still a lot of ships to be dealt with, and one of them had turned its sights directly on them. The small, fast, agile fighter jet zipped in their direction. The alarms blared, letting them know that their position was locked in on. Aldo moved the ship to the right as Bron fought to find the small craft in his sites.

Still, the alarm didn’t stop sounding.

“There’s two of them,” Aldo said, his eyes scanning the screens. “No, three. They’re coming at us from all sides!”

Bron swiveled the cannons around, letting loose a missile. The second a new projectile clanked into place, he let it fly as well. He wasn’t aiming at anything anymore. Aldo was right. Grimm’s fleets had begun to surround them. An explosion rang out to their left, followed by another, then another.

They weren’t sure which fleet had been hit and they didn’t’ have time to check. Aldo dove his ship down quickly, two of his own fleet members moving to the front, firing rapidly on the ships hovering in front of them. Bron switched to the rear cannons and let two more missiles fly.

He hit his target, but the ripple effect of the explosion sent metal and shards of equipment flying straight at them. They pinged against the shields, weakening them more and more as the seconds ticked by.

“Aldo,” Lieutenant Doone’s voice finally came over the intercom. “Our numbers are failing. Tell your men to retreat.”

“Like hell!” Aldo exclaimed. “We’re going to finish this!”

“They’re going to finish us!” Doone boomed in reply.

Aldo let his eyes scan the screens around him again. From the looks of it, they had successfully taken down a good number of Grimm’s men. Unfortunately, Grimm’s men had taken out an even greater number of theirs.

“I still think we can..” Aldo started, but the sound of a new siren ringing wildly cut him off.

He pulled the ship to the left as quickly as he could, but the projectile anticipated his course and plummeted into the side of his ship. Everything around them shuddered; the lights flashed.

“That was bad,” Alaria said over the intercom. “Our shields are down. If we take another hit like that…”

“Got it,” Aldo muttered.

Bron continued to fire the cannons, ignoring the conversations taking place around him. As long as those bastards were in his sights, he was going to take them out. He was able to get off two more clean shots before Aldo’s voice finally broke into his thoughts.

“Pull back!” Aldo ordered. “We’re pulling back!”

“We never pull back,” Bron said, letting loose one last missile.

“Lieutenant bossy pants and his men are abandoning us,” Aldo muttered, eyeing the rest of their fleet as they turned quickly and zipped away from the scene. “We have no choice.”

Darting to and fro as quickly as he could, Aldo maneuvered the ship out of the heart of the battle, which had somehow come to form around them. He dove quickly, then straightened the ship out. Throwing the engines into overdrive, he sent them hurtling through Space.

“I hate retreating,” he mumbled to himself once they were a safe distance from Grimm’s troops and back with what remained of their fleet.

“Then why did we?”

“We had no choice,” Aldo said. “Everything happened too fast.”

He stroked his chin and leaned back in his chair. Alaria and Vinnie joined them on the flight deck, covered in oil and dust. They looked as stunned as Aldo felt.

“How did he know…” Aldo said. “How did he know we were coming? How did he know where we would be?”

“I don’t care about that,” Bron said, pushing himself up with disgust. “I’m just pissed that we ran! I never run from a fight! Kira never runs from a fight.”

“Unfortunately, we’re not following Kira right now,” Aldo said thoughtfully. “I have a feeling none of this would have happened if we were.”

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

Kira’s eyes scanned the wide-open expanse of Space through the viewscreen. They had arrived at the place where Mordecai was expected. But, he wasn’t there. All they found was a small asteroid belt orbiting around a small, uninhabited planet. That planet belonged to the star system they assumed would be Mordecai’s next stop.

“This was anti-climactic,” Max’s voice came over the closed-circuit radio they had opened up between their ships.

“He’ll be here,” Kira said, annoyed. “I know he will.”

She looked over at Thor. He, too, was scanning the sky. He shook his head slowly and sat back in his chair.

“We shouldn’t have beaten him here,” he said, more to himself than to her. “We got delayed with the pirates and all…”

“Did we come to the wrong place?” Max asked.

“No,” Kira said firmly. “He’s planning something.”

“Oh, I forgot. You know this man so well,” Max quipped.

“I know his leader,” Kira replied. “And something tells me, we’re exactly where he wants us to be.”

“That’s not reassuring,” Thor muttered.

“Do you think it’s a trap?” Max asked.

“I think everything all along the way has been a trap,” Kira said. “And the fact that I’ve been prepared for traps the entire way is what’s kept us alive. Max, move over there behind that asteroid. Have your men fan out.”

“Is it a good idea to separate right now?”

“I have a feeling it’s more than a good idea,” Kira said, leaning forward.

In the far corner of her screen, barely noticeable, she saw four red dots begin to flash. Thor leaned in and let out a disgruntled sigh.

“I thought he only had one ship. Didn’t he always only have one ship?” Thor asked.

“I think that’s what he wanted us to think,” Kira said, taking hold of the controls and spinning the Curio around. “Get ready with the guns,” she ordered. “Dario, Kardok, you there?”

They confirmed their presence of the ship’s internal intercom. “In the Control Room,” Dario said.

Although Max’s engineer had proven useless at repairing the comm system, he had been able to work with Dario to get their shields back up. That was a small reassurance now, though.

“Can you handle things down there? I’ll need Kardok here on the turret guns.”

“Kardok!” Kardok exclaimed.

“He’s on his way,” Dario explained.

Kira and Thor exchanged looks. “He planned this,” Kira said.

Her voice shook slightly as the threat grew nearer. She tried to tell herself over and over again in her mind that it was just another fight; he was just another enemy. But the memories of their last encounter with the massive Arkadian warrior hovered in the fringe of her thoughts.

“Grimm planned this.”

“Grimm has planned a lot of things,” Thor said with a weak smile. “And we’ve always beaten him. Let him have his plans. That just means more for us to mess up.”

Kira nodded and turned her attention back to the screen. She let Thor’s determination hover in the air around her, seeping into her skin. As she reached for the controls, simultaneously watching the red dots on her screen grow closer and closer, the familiar buzz of adrenaline rushed through her.

It’s just another fight; he’s just another enemy.

Her ears began to ring with anticipation as her mind homed in on the ultimate goal—victory. The dots grew bigger and suddenly, it wasn’t just the ringing in her ears that she heard. The sirens started to wail and the intercom crackled to life.

"What are your orders?" Max asked.

He had guided his ships to hiding. If Mordecai could have a surprise, so could they.

“Wait until they are on us,” Kira ordered. “Don’t fire a shot until they do. Try to go under the belt and come up behind them as they swarm in. Copy?”

“Copy.”

The four ships ahead of them, three small, sleet fighter jets and one large vessel—the vessel she immediately recognized as Mordecai’s—closed in. As they moved, two of the small ships broke off, one going right, the other left. Mordecai’s ship remained on course.

Kardok appeared on the flight deck, just as Kira prepared to throw them forward into the heat of battle. He didn’t ask any questions. He never did—something she really liked about him. He simply marched over to the controls behind them and took hold.

Kira set her rights on the underbelly of Mordecai’s ship. She didn’t notice or care that the smaller ships in his fleet were zipping straight for them.

“Thor,” she ordered. “Hit the hull. Hit it as many times as you can. Do not stop, no matter what.”

Thor nodded and without a second of hesitation, he let the first cannon fly.

“Kardok,” she said. “You detour the fighter jets as long as you can.”

“Kardok!” he replied.

The first cannon Thor fired found its home, and the battle officially began. The projectile did nothing to Mordecai’s ship. His shields were strong and his determination even stronger. The second his return shot rippled out from the belly of his ship, Max and his men appeared on the scene.

Kira threw the controls forward, guiding the Curio out of the line of fire. Kardok continued to rattle shots through space, some finding their target, others not. But, he was doing exactly what she needed him to do—he was distracting them.

The fighter jets darted back and forth, not having enough time to lock in a projectile of their own.

“Again!” Kira yelled at Thor as she pulled the ship back up.

Thor let another cannon fly. Again, it hit the hull of Moredcai’s ship. Still, nothing happened. The vessel was large, and while it worked to turn around, Kira guided the Curio up over it. Max and his men were battering the vessel from behind. Two of the pirate ships were focused primarily on that. The other two were swopping in from the sides, also working to take down the fighter jets still buzzing wildly around them.

One of the jets zipping up on them from below burst into flames. Kira had to pull the controls quickly to the right to move out of the line of the explosion as it bubbled up after them.

“Boom!” Kardok yelled victoriously.

Kira laughed as she put the Curio back on course. She now had a clear line of sight for the port side of Mordecai’s ship. Thor let another cannon fly, and this time, she saw the shields begin to give.

Another explosion rang out nearby. Another jet had been hit, but not taken out completely. It wasn’t long, though, before one of Max’s ships popped into view and finished the job that Kardok had started.

Mordecai’s ship spun around slowly. The cannons hanging from its left side aimed directly at them. Just as the projectiles flew in their direction, Thor let a cannon of his own go hurtling toward them. The missiles hit—causing an explosion of light and energy to pour out.

The Curio was sent flying backward, slightly. Kira fought to keep it facing their opponent as Thor searched for a weak spot on his screen.

“There,” he said, his eyes focused on the spot. “Just below the left cannon. It looks like the shields are failing. I can get a shot in there.”

“That’s all I needed to hear,” Kira said, throwing the controls forward.

In a flash, the Curio went speeding toward the belly of Mordecai’s ship—straight for the cannon that was pointed directly at them.

“Captain,” Max came over the intercom nervously. “What the hell are you doing?”

“Just keep the two remaining jets busy,” Kira ordered.

The cannon they were headed toward started to shake. It was as if everything was happening in slow motion, the adrenaline pumping through her veins making her hyper-aware of everything that was going on.

She saw a ball of fire form in the long, thick barrel. She saw the missile eject. She didn’t have to tell him—Thor saw it. He saw it clearer than she did. The second the projectile started its course toward them, he let loose a pair of missiles.

“Up!” he yelled.

"Already on it," Kira replied, pulling the ship up, just as Mordecai's missile zoomed past them. The air around it caused the Curio to shake, but no one in the flight deck moved. Their eyes were glued to the screen as the waited.

When Mordecai’s ship burst into flame, a triumphant shout erupted.

“Not so fast,” Max said over the intercom. “It’s not over yet.”

“What?” Kira asked, leaning forward again.

Out of the remains of the ship they had just destroyed, she saw a small vessel take off. Its movements were erratic, and it was clear that it wouldn’t make it far. Following immediately behind it were a dozen other, small ships—all moving in a broken pattern.

Then, a laugh filled the cockpit. A dark, heavy laugh that made the hair on the back of everyone’s neck stand on end.

“Come find me, Captain Winter,” Mordecai said, his words dripping with hate. “And bring your Arcanum boyfriend along. We had so much fun last time. I’d like to finish our game.”

And with that, all of the ships escaping the scene dove quickly, so quickly, that they temporarily fell out of view. They were diving straight for the planetary mass beneath them.

Without giving herself time to think, time to panic and worry and fret, Kira threw the controls forward, leading her troops in a spiraling dive after them.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

She had to move fast so as to not lose sight of them. Max and his ships followed them down, staying directly behind them. The closer they got to the fleeing vessels, though, the more erratic their enemies’ movements became.

“Come find me,” Mordecai taunted over the intercom.

Kira felt desperate. Her entire body was shaking with the rush and trembling with fear all at the same time. There were at least a dozen small ships zipping around the landscape of the barren planet, and they were all heading in different directions.

“Which one is it?” she asked. “Where is he?”

Thor shook his head, trying to maneuver the cannons around to catch any one of the ships in his sites. Their patterns were too broken. They dove and rose and darted. None of them fired at her. They simply danced around and taunted her, until one by one, they began to disappear.

“Go after them,” Kira ordered Max.

“Which ones?”

“The shiny ones.”

“They’re all…”

“Exactly.”

“I don’t have enough ships…”

“Make it work. Pick your favorites and go after them first. Just keep them busy. Oh, and take some prisoners if you can. It’ll give you more practice in the field of pirating.”

She measured the movements of each of the vessels, judging them individually. That's when one of them caught her attention. It flew lower to the ground as if trying to remain hidden among the others. It wasn't the first to flee the scene, but it didn't remain long to continue in the childish mocking.

“There,” she said, directing the Curio after it.

It took a sharp turn, then another. The planet they were flying through was dust-covered and filled with sand-dunes. The shapes and masses around them shifted constantly, giving their target chances to hide again and again.

“Where the hell did he go?” she asked, staring at the screen. “He just disappeared!”

Finally, a section of solid ground came into view, and sitting there in the middle of a collection of boulders, was the ship. Its landing ramp was down, and its engines off.

“This looks too familiar,” she said, circling the Curio around to look for a place to land. “I don’t like it.”

“What’s going on?” Dario asked over the intercom. “Where are we?”

“We’re somewhere,” Kira replied.

“Somewhere?”

“It doesn’t matter where we are. What matters is that we’re getting off the ship.”

“Off the ship?”

“Hey, there’s an echo in here,” Kira replied.

“What do you mean an echo?” Dario asked. “Are we in a cave?”

“Never mind,” Kira said, shaking her head. “Just meet us at the airlock in five.”

“Combat suits?”

“Oh yeah,” Thor replied, not caring what the atmosphere reader to Kira’s left said. “We’re going up against Mordecai. Better safe than sorry.”

“Better home than here,” Kira said to herself as she brought the Curio down behind one of the larger boulders about a half-mile from where Mordecai’s ship sat.

She wanted to take a moment to talk. More than anything, she wanted a moment to mentally prepare herself. But, there was no moment to spare. Just as the Curio touched the ground, a small group of men began to charge toward it.

Leading them was the green giant who had terrorized her thoughts since the start of the mission.

Thor, Kira, and Kardok raced to the airlock, where Dario was waiting with their suits. They dressed and armed themselves in record time. No one spoke. The air was thick with fear and adrenaline.

So thick, in fact, that Kira felt as if she had to throw herself through it to reach the release switch. Thor moved behind her as they waited for the door in front of them to pop open.

“I get the big green one,” he said.

“Thor, I…”

“I have to do this, Kira. I’m not letting you go up against him. Just cover me, okay?” Thor said.

She didn't' have time to object because the door in front of them flew open and in an instant, they were rushing for cover. Shots were fired the second they stepped off the Curio. A blaze of plasma whooshed over her head; a surge of energy skirted past her to her left.

Behind her, Kardok and Dario turned to fire in response. She reached for her Phantom and dove to the ground, just as another blast came hurtling in her direction. She rolled onto her stomach and lifted her gun, firing the second a pair of legs came into her sights.

Dario raced behind her, taking cover behind a boulder as Kardok stood his ground, ducking and bobbing out of the line of fire with ease. For a man of his size, he was surprisingly graceful. He jumped right and fired left; leaped forward and rolled on the ground, tackling one of Mordecai's men as he barreled into the group pursuing them.

There were five men with Mordecai, giving them an initial advantage. Kira intended to even the odds, and quickly. She jumped up from her hiding spot, firing another shot before ducking back down. She did this a handful of times, not making enough progress for her liking.