Rennek
Bossan works at his touch pad. He has been at it for some time, though he usually is quick to decode. I try not to be troubled by this.
“Tennir, took much precaution in the encryption of this message,” he tells me. “He must have been worried about who might get their hands on it.”
“He likely had reason to be,” I think of Tennir’s beaten face.
“But, the thing is, there are not many who have the tech or the skill to decode such a thing. The tech is expensive. If it is pirates he is worried about, they would have to be well funded,” he tells me.
I think on that a while, I assumed it was the Ju’tup, but they are frivolous beings. They spend money on entertainment, not equipment. It is more likely they have hired bounty hunters to do their work for them. I do not understand why they would attack Tennir’s lab though, unless they had hoped to ambush us. Still, the risk and trouble of taking the science station should have been a deterrent. Why not just come after us directly? Attack before we even reached the science station?
“Got it!” Bossan yells. Even the females who do not understand look to him anxiously.
He reads the information. His eyes shoot to mine. “Dark space. He sent us coordinates for a station in dark space.”
“What does that mean?” Kate asks as Reagan hurries to translate.
“Dark space are areas of space that for different reasons interfere with scanners, comms, distress beacons… They are good places to go if you want to disappear or deal in less savory business. These areas are somewhat lawless. Or more accurately, governed by their own laws. The UPC does not even patrol it. I am surprised Tennir knows of such a place.”
“It stands to reason that Tennir did not send those coordinates,” Kellen postulates.
My stomach sinks, if Tennir did not send those coordinates it means one of two things. Either his message was intercepted and altered, or he created that message under the pressure of a captor. If the former is true, we are being led into a trap. If the latter is true, we are still being led into a trap, but likely my brother is dead.
“No, the message definitely had not been altered. It was too complex and had none of the markers of an altered message,” Bossan asserts.
“Okay, so great. Tennir sent the coordinates. How long will it take for us to meet up with him?” Kate inquires.
“It is not that simple, my Kate,” I explain gently.
“What do you mean?”
“We all saw Tennir, sweet Kate. He was badly beaten, his lab had sustained much damage,” I tell her.
“Okay?”
“He might have been forced to send that message,” as I say this realization dawns on her.
“No, he’s your brother. He wouldn’t do that. He’d try to protect you, he’d find a way to signal it was a trap,” she reasons.
“If there were hostages. His friends, his fellow scientists? He may not have had a choice. It is odd he asks us to go to dark space rather than to head directly to the Mother Planet. That he didn’t ask us to contact UPC for aid,” the questions continue to mount in my brain.
“Well what’s the alternative then, if you guys don’t trust this Tennir dude?” Reagan asks.
I look to my crew, “Mother Planet. Trying to contact the UPC and the Governing Core.”
“But Tennir said not to trust anyone,” Reagan adds. “What if you do those things and it gets us killed because we didn’t listen to his warning?”
“She’s right Rennek. Why would Tennir say not to trust anyone? It seems superfluous if he was being coerced into sending the message in the first place,” Kate maintains.
I bow my head to think on what we should do. If the message is authentic and I do not rendezvous with him I could be putting his life in danger. If I go to him and it is a trap I am putting all the females and my friends at risk. But I do trust Tennir and I owe a duty to him. Plus, it is clear he has information we do not have and if I hope to keep Kate and the other humans safe I will need to know what information my brother has.
“We will go. Da’vi, Bossan. I want you to map the area as best as possible. We will try to find a location to conceal the ship. I will take a pod down and look for Tennir. If I am not back in one rotation, leave without me and continue on to the Mother Planet.”
“What? No way!” Kate exclaims. “You can’t go down there alone! What if it’s a trap?”
“Then it is best that as many of my crew as possible is here with you and your people--to protect you and get you to safety,” I tell her.
“You need someone to watch your back,” she tries to justify.
“I would rather they watch your back, my little queen,” I coo to her, petting her mane to calm her, but I look challengingly to my crew to ensure none of them are watching her back. Her delicious round backside is for my eyes only.
She swats my hands away from her mane. “No! I don’t want you going alone. It’s dangerous.”
“Yes Kate, we are in a dangerous situation right now. This is the only way to proceed however.”
“Look Rennek, you have kept me safe… well, you all have and I thank you for it, but you have made me feel safe. I’m scared for you to go down there alone. I’m scared to be away from you.” I see her eyes light up, “Let me go with you!”
“Absolutely not,” I tell her.
“I want to go too,” Allison says.
“No,” Da’vi and I say in unison.
“Why not?” Dax interjects. “This is life in space, if this is where your mate is to be--by your side, it is foolish to pretend we do not find ourselves in dangerous situations every rotation. Let her keep learning, see if she is cut out for this life. And her,” he shrugs toward Allison. “Are you going to argue with that one?” He raises his eyebrows.
“Thank you!” my Kate mouths toward Dax, “Look, I will stay out of the way. I’ll just be an extra set of eyes.”
“We go, the four of us then,” Da’vi says. “I will help you take care of the females.”
“I don’t think we need taking care of,” Allison squares to him but he ignores her offense at his statement.
“Wait, I want to go now too,” Reagan says.
“No. Reagan, you must stay here. You are the only other human with a translator implant. One of you must remain with the other humans in case there is an emergency,” I tell her.
“Wait. Did you just call me Reagan? Like… you said my name right?” She asks shocked.
“Yes. Your name is very easy to say. We were making fun before, but now is not the time.”
“Rennek! I wanted to see how long we could keep it going!” Dax laughs and throws himself into a chair in mock dejection.
“Assholes!” She rages.
“It was poor timing for a joke, Reagan. Our apologies,” I tell her. “Okay, it is settled then, as long as there are no more objections. We head to the coordinates and hide the ship. Da’vi, Kate and Allison will come to the surface with me, we will find Tennir and return.” My crew and the human females nod in response.
“Dax, lock coordinates and engage. Bossan, Da’vi, start mapping. Find the safest place to leave our ship. Let me know when we have an ETA. Kellen, you and I will continue scans.”
“I appreciate it Rennek,” Kate tells me. “I know this is all super scary and dangerous, but part of me is excited to see some more of what’s out there and… I’m glad we aren’t going to be separated.” She aims smiles that beautiful sweet smile of hers at me and part of me is glad too.
I pull her to me and breath in her mane. Perhaps I am making the wrong decision. Perhaps I am being selfish. Part of me only agreed to allow the females to come along because I cannot bear the idea of being away from my Kate. The thought fills me with dread. Perhaps I am putting us all at risk. I hold her at arm’s length and gaze into her eyes. I am ruled by my core now more than ever.