Chapter Four – Taliga
Why should he care?
It wasn't like he knew her. Kulog was right. A woman like her, with all her delicious curves and that beautiful face, could have a choice of any man she wanted. Just like Edala, using her beauty against him. And even if she wasn't, she was cargo. He was getting paid well to deliver her to these priests.
What they did to her after they had her was their own business. He had known from the start that they were going to kill her. It didn't matter what method they were going to use. It didn't matter that Vanessa was pressed against him, shivering, tears pooling in her eyes. It didn't matter that she was the furthest thing from Edala Taliga had ever seen.
It didn't matter that he wanted to tear apart all of these priests for daring to even think of hurting her.
His hand gripped the butt of his blaster. Even if he wanted to try to save her, he wouldn’t be able to do it. First, he'd have to shoot Kulog, or the other T'shav would get in his way. Then he'd have to lay down a cover fire at the priests while pulling Vanessa back through the grass towards the ship and hope they didn't return his fire.
He cast a glance over them. They didn't appear to be carrying weapons, but that didn't mean much. Their loose robes could be concealing dozens of smaller guns, not to mention bladed weapons.
"Please," Vanessa whispered again.
Even if he did shoot Kulog and got away from the priests, there was his piloting skills – or lack thereof – to contend with. Would he be able to outfly the priest's ship?
Did it matter? Could he leave Vanessa to her fate? Even if she was Edala, rather than the clueless, innocent human she was, would he really be able to hand her over to such a cruel fate? Was that the kind of man he was? Was it the kind of man he wanted to be?
"Are you sure you need her unmarked and untouched?" Kulog asked the priests.
He turned and looked up and down Vanessa in a very deliberate, violating way. She shivered, shying away from him and closer to Taliga. The T'shav tensed, glaring at his partner.
Kulog grinned at her. "Can't we have a little fun with her first?"
Taliga had fired his blaster before he even realized he had drawn it. The bolt of energy hit Kulog square in the chest, lifting him off his feet and throwing him backward. There was a sizzling and popping sound; a shower of black dots sprang from Kulog's chest. Nanite armor. Invisible, but effective once against almost any attack.
Kulog stumbled. His face twisted in a snarl as he reached for his broadsword. Taliga grabbed Vanessa's arm and pulled her back the way they had come, running half-turned, shooting at the priests as they chased after the two fleeing figures.
"Taliga!" Kulog's voice boomed over the sound of the blaster-fire. "You traitor! This is the repayment I get for saving your life all those years ago? I should have cut your head from your shoulders and used the human to my delight from the start!"
"What are you doing?" Vanessa gasped.
"Trying to save your life! Run!"
She stumbled, but Taliga still urged her faster. The sound of Kulog's screaming was getting ever closer, and if they didn't get to the ship before the other T'shav, it would be all over. Taliga didn't have nanite armor to protect him, and Vanessa's flimsy white dress certainly would do nothing to stop a blaster bolt from tearing through her soft, feminine body.
"Taliga! Face me, you coward!" The rage in Kulog's voice was reaching levels of madness. He never could control his temper, even when not in musth. "Fight me! I'll make your death swift!"
Taliga cursed. He dragged Vanessa closer and threw her over his shoulder. The extra weight slowed him slightly, but he could move smoother without worrying about Vanessa stumbling over her dress. Unlike the other times he carried her like this, she remained still. Her panting was louder than his own breathing.
"He's going to kill us," she whimpered. "He's going to kill us."
They emerged from the long grass, the ship in sight. Taliga's heart rose. Maybe, just maybe, there was a chance that they would get out of this alive…
"I prepared for the chance you'd betray me," Kulog shouted again, still in the tall grasses.
They were almost to the ship. Just a few more steps—
The ship exploded. The force picked Taliga up and threw him backward. Red and yellow flames burst from the hull, sending shards of debris all around them. Taliga tucked Vanessa into a ball and shielded her with his body, covering her ears and face with his arms. Smoldering pieces of metal fell onto his back, making him grunt with pain.
Once the shockwave had passed, he scrambled to his feet. His back felt like it was on fire. Kulog and the priests emerged from the grass. Taliga threw Vanessa over his shoulder again and ran. A bolt flew by his ear.
"No, you fool!" roared one of the priests. "You'll hit our sacrifice!"
He darted into the grasses, knowing that his speed was their only chance now. Just beyond the tall grasses were pale shadows that might have been trees. He headed towards them. There might be a chance to hide among them. The sounds of pursuit faded behind him, though he knew it wouldn't last long. The grass might hide where he was, but the trail he was leaving was plain as day, even in the dark world.
"I can walk," Vanessa said after some time.
The T'shav grunted. It would be better that way – they could still move, but he would also be free to fight. He slowed and stopped before setting her down. She was shivering violently, but that was only to be expected. The blue crackle of light from her restraints lit her face. Her eyes were wide.
Taliga couldn’t help himself. He brushed his fingers against her cheek. "It's going to be okay, Vanessa. I won't let them hurt you."
She hesitated before nodding. Trust shone clearly from her eyes, making it difficult for him to breathe. He had never had anybody look at him like that before.
The desire to kiss her welled up in him, but he shoved it away. The whole situation was a mess, and he wasn't going to make it worse. He ought to have just handed her over. He had ruined his own chances now. Where in the galaxy could a mercenary go where he would be safe from the likes of the Wytsian Order?
"Here." He flicked his thumbs over the restraints, turning them off. The small silver clasps fell to the ground. He grabbed his knife and grabbed a handful of Vanessa's skirt. She yelped as he ripped a strip off at the knee, then tied it around her waist. "We might need to use that for bandages. Are you hurt?"
She shook her head mutely.
Taliga grunted. What had he been thinking? Risking his life, giving up everything, for a woman. This woman. Hadn't he learned his lesson with Edala? Love was a weakness. Worse than that, it got people killed. And yet, when Vanessa put her hand on his arm and peered up at him, his anger at himself melted away.
"Thank you," she whispered.
"Don't thank me yet. There's a settlement five clicks that way if I remember correctly." Without a compass, it was impossible to know for sure. "Hopefully, we'll find a United Species Corps base. They'll be able to hold off the Wytsians."
If the USC decided to help him at all. The Corps wasn't known for treating T'shav well, and whatever officers they found there – if any –might just end up handing them both over to the Wytsians with the right monetary encouragement.
He started walking, a steady pace but not one so fast that Vanessa would wear out quickly. Vanessa's hand slid into his, whether for comfort or to help her keep up, he didn't know. In any case, it felt too familiar, too intimate, and he shifted it to his shoulder instead.
The only ground-level indication when they entered the pale forest was that darkness became even deeper. The grasses barely thinned, although shades of the trees stretched out above them.
Taliga frowned as they walked, searching for some small niche that seemed impossible to find. Was there no way to hide from their pursuers? Vanessa's breathing was becoming labored, and though he slowed a little more, he knew she wouldn’t be able to keep going for long. They needed to rest but were too vulnerable out there.
"Once we get to the settlement, what do we do if there isn't a USC base?" she asked.
"Steal a ship and get off the planet."
"And go where?"
Taliga shrugged. "Somewhere safe."
"I'm from Zon's Sanctuary. If we could contact him, I know that he'd send somebody to come pick me up."
Taliga glanced at a nearby tree. It was spindly, but the darkness swallowed up the canopy completely. Any number of creatures could be up there and they'd have no idea. And neither would their pursuers. If he put Vanessa up a tree and then continued the path to some sort of cliff or river, he could throw Kulog off his trail, at least for a little while. Long enough to buy them time to rest, at least.
"The Sanctuary contacted us, offering to buy you back from us," Taliga mentioned idly. "Twice as much as the Wytsians, actually."
Silence answered him.
Taliga glanced at Vanessa. "I'll find a place to rest soon."
"Is that why you saved me?"
"What?"
Vanessa pulled her hand away from him. He couldn’t see her face, but her voice was thick with anger. "You saved me from them so you could collect a bigger bounty from Zon. And you shot Kulog so you could have a bigger piece of the pie."
"No."
"Then why? Why not sell me to Zon earlier?"
He hesitated. Did he dare tell her the truth? Well, what harm would it do? "Kulog was part of the Sanctuary, long ago. He was imprisoned for using his musth to seduce women. I never liked him. But I owe him, or at least I thought I did."
"And now?"
"I think it's worth the risk to get more money," he lied. "I'll be ransoming you back to Zon after all."
"I see," Vanessa murmured.
Was it his imagination, or did she sound disappointed? Taliga opened his mouth to tell her the truth, that he lost his head at the thought of her being harmed in any way, but stopped. She didn't need to know the amount of power she had over him. And besides, giving her to Zon sounded like a good idea.
She'd be safe there, and all he'd have to worry about was the Wytsian Order coming after him after he dropped her off.