four
Oz
Oz felt his heart sink. Argh. Well, she’ll have already seen the great Haze in action. Best to get it over with.
“Of course, dear Brother,” he said, winking at Molly and turning. He removed his shoes and took his opening stance on the mat.
Haze started slow with his dodge and parry. Oz, who typically watched the others practicing, had a slight advantage. Haze didn’t realize that he fell into easily identifiable patterns when he wasn’t challenged enough. Oz took the early advantage and leaped in for a quick strike just as Haze was readying to leave the ground in a ‘surprise’ swoop and slide.
Haze’s eyes flashed. “Very skilled for an engineer.”
Oz grunted in acknowledgment but didn’t expect the other points to come as easy, now that Haze was alert.
Sure enough, Oz was soon out of breath without having scored another point.
The two spun about, Oz only momentarily finding openings that Haze quickly closed and turned to his advantage. Haze moved like magic, and Oz could only try to protect his weak side and keep his dodges a step ahead of the assault. It was only a delay of the inevitable, but he could feel Molly’s eyes on him as they parried.
Haze’s eyes turned wolf — his only tell — as he swooped in for another point. Oz rolled fast out of the way and back on his feet, darting in for another stolen point… to Haze’s back. It was the best Oz could manage.
“Ah hah!” Haze crowed. “Is that the best you can do, brother?”
Oz leaned down, his hands on his knees, completely spent and groaning in exhaustion. “Yes. Yours, Haze, as you well know.”
Haze rocked on his feet, not even winded. “Damn right, it is.” He turned quick. “Xain, ready for another go?”
Xain was standing next to Molly asking something of her, and Oz felt himself come up quick and start moving toward them. He was across the mat in a breath, not even sure whether he’d somehow sprouted wings and flown there. Oz took a quick step back, recovering himself.
Xain glanced over, a quick compassion on his face. He’d obviously meant no challenge to Oz. Xain took a casual step away from Molly and toward Oz as though to include him in the conversation. “Oz, I was just asking Molly about her family. She has five brothers, so she should feel right at home on this bucket of bolts.”
“Five brothers?” Oz asked. “Plenty of vouch-safe brothers then. Your family must have been held in high regard.”
Molly glanced up at him shyly and took a step closer, completing the circle. “My oldest brother, Joe, died in the war so I have four now, but…”
“I’m sorry.” Oz felt his heart squeeze for her. It was hard to hear of a lost warrior brother, of any species.
“I’m just glad you all came to help us when you did. It’s been hard to know he’ll never come home. It nearly killed my father, and it would have actually done it to lose any more of them. But we were luckier than most.”
Her voice drifted off as she glanced toward the mat. “You all fight so well. It’s hard to believe anyone can fight like you do.”
Haze called over from the mat where he was stretching. “If you’re done yapping your traps over there, don’t we have some sparring to do? Anyone?”
Oz waved Haze off. “Xain, you’re up.”
Xain bowed his head to Molly. “Molly, I’m glad of the connection. We shall bond again soon, little sister.”
~
Molly
The big brute took another deep breath, recovering from the most amazing fight Molly had ever seen.
Not that Xain had been any less impressive. They each had their own style. Haze was definitely the best, almost a magical fighter, but Oz was crazy talented too. Molly could only imagine what they were like with real weapons.
A whole race of warriors. The Suhlik had definitely enslaved the wrong people.
Molly had trouble taking her eyes off the massive man. He was so muscular and built. This little voice inside of her gloated: and he’s mine.
Ugh. Well, for a night — or until he got her pregnant — at least.
This thought did plenty to kill it for her.
Still, she felt her eyes being drawn sideways to stare discreetly at his form as they walked back to her room. He was certainly something to look at, and knowing now how he could move… Molly felt a slight quiver run through her.
As he stopped with her at her room, she wanted to ask how this was supposed to work, but instead she just blushed furiously. Well, crap, how embarrassing is this?
Oz cocked his head to the side in confusion. “You’ll be all right?” he asked.
Molly nodded mutely, not trusting herself to speak, not daring to look him in the eye lest she give herself away. Instead she stared at his muscular chest. Unfortunately he had great definition under the thin tee he now wore.
“I should…” she managed.
Oz held out his hand to her palm up.
Molly hesitated.
“You don’t have to, if you’d rather not.”
“Don’t have to what?” She glanced up at him.
“I wished to touch hands, if you are amenable. I saw it was your custom with the captain. I thought perhaps it would be acceptable if we also—”
Molly grinned. She’d thought he was offering her some alien gesture, but he was the one trying out the ‘alien thing’.
“Okay, so you gotta turn your hand sideways like this….” Gingerly she reached out to turn his hand. “And lift your thumb a little. And usually it’s your right hand but… um, this is okay too.”
Molly slid her hand into his and shook it lightly up and down. “It’s nice to meet you, Oz.”
Oz didn’t let go but instead placed his other hand on the outside of hers. “It’s nice to meet you, Molly.” He pulled her hand close against his firm chest. “Sleep well, mah lo ma.”
It translated a moment later in her head to ‘Is my woman’…‘mate’.
Oz took a step back and released her hand, stepping back into the corridor. The doors slid closed in front of him.
Molly put her hands to her warm cheeks as she walked to the huge bed and fell on it. She covered her face. Thoughts of “This is barbaric” and “I can’t believe he called me his woman” raced through her mind, fighting for supremacy.
It was later, after she’d put back up the comforting forest scene and gotten ready and fallen back into bed, that the loneliness closed back in on her. Not that she was a Walden — or whatever that old time family was that she’d watched once with her mom who loved old shows — but she couldn’t say good night to anyone from here. She held her mother’s note in her hand. She wasn’t ready to read it yet, but she held it close. She would save it for a special occasion, like her birthday.
“Night mom, night dad, night Max,” she whispered, going on through the list. “…night Joe.” Okay. Maybe she was a little bit of a Walden.
When she fell asleep, the dreams were strange and violent, then she was falling and falling. Nothing was holding her up. Molly didn’t know where the bottom was. She just knew she would break when she reached it.
Molly jerked awake to the sound of screaming and her heart beating a rapid staccato to the nightmare.
Moments later, Molly’s door slid open, and something big came through. Molly pressed back against the bed post, breathing hard and trying to squint around the sudden light from the hall.
“Who’s there?” she called out, and her voice quavered in fear.
“It’s me,” said a vaguely familiar voice. “I heard you scream.”
The shape moved stealthily to her bathroom and closet. It then moved closer to her bed.
The memory of what happened yesterday came crashing back to her. I’m in space. On a ship. Then she placed the voice. She whispered in a shaky voice, “Oz?”
“It appears that everything is secure,” he said, leaning over the bed at her. “Is there danger here?”
“I… no… I thought. I…” Molly studied the forest scene still playing on the wall. She could make out the moving shapes in the dim light from the hall. “It was a dream.” Molly took a deep breath, feeling her heart slow down. “I thought I was falling and… that I was going to crash.”
Molly ran her hands through her hair and rubbed her eyes. “I’m SO sorry! This is so embarrassing.” Half joking, she continued, “It’s not a warrior code thing, is it? I’ll be ostracized or something?”
Oz chuckled. “No fear of that. It’s only that I was in close proximity. The others are sleeping; I’m sure they didn’t hear.”
“That’s a relief. Could we maybe keep this between us?”
“Of course, mah lo ma.”
Molly could almost hear the grin on his face. She felt herself relax and realized how tired she still was. “What time is it anyway?”
A dim light glowed from Oz’s wrist. “It’s oh-one-hundred. Should I stay until you fall asleep again; will you feel safer?”
“No, I’m good now. Really.”
He dipped his head to her and retreated out of the room.
As the door closed, Molly clicked off the forest scene and tried again for sleep.
~
Oz
Oz settled back on the floor in front of her door, falling into meditation to quiet his mind. He hadn’t expected to feel so nervous for his mate already, and the surge of adrenalin took longer than expected to leave his body. He would keep her safe from any harm though, imagined or otherwise.
He set his internal clock to awaken at 06:00 before the rest of the crew would make their appearance. No point enduring the teasing of his warrior brothers… er, mostly Haze.
But — considering he’d built the ship and the security system — it was silly to feel any fear for the girl behind the door. Still, he couldn’t leave just now, when she’d only just arrived. He must be available to her if needed.
Oz was sleeping deeply when the whoosh of the door sliding open brought him instantly to his feet. He was in warrior stance, before he’d even come fully alert. Ready to face any danger, he held his hand near his hidden knife, ready to grab it out.
“Molly,” he said a moment later as he relaxed.
The female gasped. “My gosh. I. What are you doing here?”
Oz shook his head to free himself of the last of his cobwebs. He glanced at his wrist. “It’s only just near 05:30, mah lo ma. You rise early for a civilian.”
“I couldn’t really sleep any more. I was just planning to glance outside, trying to remember how this floor was setup.”
“Did you wish for the first meal? I could take you.” Oz glanced down at himself, ashamed for his dissembled appearance in front of her. “I’ll just need a few minutes to ready.”
Molly moved her hand through her hair as though she couldn’t decide. She looked as though she was about to say yes when Haze walked by, on his way to Command.
“Oz,” Haze acknowledged, smirking at Oz’s rumpled appearance as though he knew what had caused it.
Haze would be early this morning. Actually, the entire away team would probably be out and about soon, coordinating the final details of their mission plan.
Molly glanced over and blushed, taking a step back. “I… ah.” She stuttered. Her voice dropped to a near whisper, so Oz had to lean in to hear. “I’ll just need a moment to get ready.”
The door closed almost in Oz’s face. He took a step back and turned to stare at the command door entrance where Haze had disappeared through.
His only mah lo ma blushed for another and for anyone to see. What if, despite the danger, his mate had chosen another?
His heart crushed slightly inside. He walked back to his room to change, trying to re-gather his senses. For the humans, this was probably only the commitment needed to give over one son to the cause. Nothing beyond. He must be more guarded with his feelings, more centered.
Oz changed quickly so that his mate… his matched… the earth female… so that Molly would not have to wait long. Her dimples came to mind as he changed uniforms and freshened up, finally splashing water on his face to complete his morning ablutions in only a few minutes.
Calmness filled him.
He couldn’t make decisions so quickly. Who knew what Earth customs were for females? After all they had no tail to make their intentions known.
Perhaps Seban would know…? After all, he had spent time amongst the humans on their moon base.
Oz shook his head as he returned to Molly’s cabin. He was most definitely not going to expose such weakness to a war brother, even one as soft as the doctor.
~
Molly
Molly changed quickly, brushed her hair and teeth. She hovered at the door nervously, not wanting to open it.
It was silly, right? To feel like a whore when that was the condition of this arrangement. She was here to mate with the man. Who cares what anyone thought?
She should find some way to ask Seban what the expectations were.
She slid the door open, not sure what she wanted to find there. The hall was empty. No teasing men or prying eyes to deal with, but still, how awkward to wait.
A moment later, Oz came jogging up, and she felt herself unfreeze inside. She wasn’t alone.
Already there was just something so comforting in his presence. He was… hmm, safe? She could tell he was capable, intelligent, strong, and lethal. Something about watching him fight made her hyper-aware of his body and those crazy muscles of his, of how he moved and held his body with so much assurance. It touched off a hint of desire to watch him move, even now.
“Are you ready?” he asked.
Molly pulled her eyes away embarrassed and reached in her pocket to touch the edge of her mom’s note. She felt even more reassured. “Breakfast?” she asked.
“Break-fast it is.” His voice broke halfway through the alien-to-him word. He paused for the translation. “Yes, how apt: it is truly the time to break-the-fast. I like it.”
A few of the men marched by them: Haze, Xain and another. It took her a moment to place the other man from dinner: the first officer, Fyn. Oz stood next to Molly for a moment to let them pass.
As the men disappeared down the ladder to a level below, Molly hazarded a question, “Where are they going? Is that the mission- the one with the—” warships, she finished silently, remembering the talk of the Suhlik ships that might come. “They decided to go anyway?”
Oz nodded, not seeming to notice her residual fear of the danger the others had talked about at dinner. “They’ll be gone for several hours. Let’s head up to eat. After, I can show you more of the ship.”
Once they were sitting at the table, Molly asked, “You think it’s safe? Last night they mentioned warships?”
Oz didn’t meet her eyes, which Molly found deeply unsettling.
“I checked,” he said almost too quickly, in an undertone. “The readings are clear. We should be good for another 48 hours, at least. I have the situation continually monitored, and the captain agreed that the haul is worth the risk.”
“The haul?”
“It’s the biggest deposit we’ve ever seen, that’s ever been found.”
Molly shook her head confused. Were they treasure hunters or something? It seemed an odd occupation for the fabled Mahdfel warriors. “What kind of deposit?”
“It’s a mineral. You won’t have heard of it as it’s not in your solar system. It was one of the things our doctor Seban scanned for while he was at your moon base.”
“This mineral— what is it for?”
Oz looked uncomfortable for a minute. “We don’t like to speak of it with outsiders. It’s…” He shook his head slightly. “…private.”
“Outsider?”
“Apologies. It’s not meant to offend. Just think of us as crazy, zealot collectors.”
Molly felt surprise and disappointment seep into her bones: Outsider? Okay then. Not like she was stuck here too or anything…
She felt herself draw into herself and her body shrink, trying not to be part of the room around her, trying to enlarge the space between herself and the warrior.
Apparently, they were risking her life for some secret that she couldn’t even know about.
The nurse’s words filtered through her head again. Something about them taking the value of her life seriously, that they wouldn’t risk her unnecessarily. What a load of crap. If the DNA match was close enough, they’d send her anywhere, even off to collect some stupid rock.
She’d already known it, in a way. Stories had filtered back of women lost on actual battle fields. It was all different than knowing it, than it being her. This was just stupid.
Even though it wasn’t completely fair, she blamed Oz most of all. The captain had asked for a report in order to make a decision. Obviously it’d come down to Oz’s report, and he’d decided to stay, even with her on board.
Seban came into the room and sat at their table, breaking the silence. “Molly, you should try the eggs. I found your planet’s popular dish with the ‘chicken’ eggs very similar to one of our break-fast dishes. ‘Scrambled’ I believe you say?”
The thought of food made her feel sick. She glanced up and stared at the wall, her hands clenched under the table. “I’m not hungry.”
“You must be,” Oz broke in. “I can prepare something for you. It’s one of the few things I can cook well, from my mother’s recipe. …I mostly remember it.”
Oz hastened through the doors behind them. She could hear the clatter of pans. Molly listened for a moment and felt her heart melt a little. There was something very cute about a man trying to be so efficient at something which he obviously wasn’t.
Don’t get attached.
Molly took a deep breath and leaned toward Seban. “Is there any chance I could go home …after? I mean once I have the baby. How does that all work?”
Seban glanced toward the door and back to Molly.
Molly felt her face warm in a blush. She suddenly felt like a traitor. What kind of mother would ask about taking a baby from its father?
“We can return you as soon as you give birth, if that’s your wish. Typically, the woman wishes to stay with her child until he is older, or even to have another child, or marry even, but that’s not a requirement, at least not by us. We would never force you to stay here.”
“Wait.” Cold crept over her as disbelief shot through her. “You don’t mean I’d have to leave my child here, on this ship, alone?”
“Not alone, but yes.” Seban continued awkwardly. “The child wouldn’t belong to you, not really, but for your own life, you can decide. Our situation is more uncertain than an ideal Mahdfel match would have to face, but unfortunately it is part of being with a Mahdfel. Although — thanks to Oz — in some ways our ship would be the safest place you and your son could be.”
Molly glanced back toward the kitchen and thought of those stupid rocks she couldn’t know about. “Except right now,” Molly whispered.
“Ah. Yes.” Seban paused. “Molly?—”
When Seban didn’t continue, Molly finally glanced reluctantly over at him, her heart squeezing tight in frustration.
“We didn’t wish to have a female sent here, but now that it’s happened, we have to make the best of it. We will do our best to keep you safe while you’re here.”
While I’m here?
Seban said it as though she’d actually leave her own child. It wasn’t that she hadn’t already known the draft was meant to be forever. Somehow, hope had crept in anyway.
Molly looked back at the wall as a tear rolled down her cheek. None of them wished to have a female — meaning her — here. Everyone was apparently as thrilled about the situation as she was. She swiped at her eye in aggravation. Why do tears happen when a person’s actually mad?
Seban broke in. “Oz won’t let anything happen to you, Molly.”
Molly shook her head in frustration as yet another tear fell. Outsider. Why did she even care what Oz had called her? Stupid. She’d just freaking met him… them. Obviously she was an outsider.
Why was Oz cooking for her? Ugh.
“It’s fine. Really. Just been a long couple days.” Her voice sounded shaky. She tried to smile; no point making Seban any more uncomfortable. She’d already blubbered in front of him.
“I understand, Molly. So much has changed for you, so quickly. Give it time before you decide what you want to do.”
Molly’s smile tightened, and she nodded her head, staring at the table.
She could ask Seban about the other thing that dug at her — what that stupid rock thing was about — but what did it matter if Seban trusted her, or whether he still thought of her as an Outsider, even though her life was officially over? It mattered nothing at all.
The doors swung open behind them, and Oz walked toward with a platter of something white and soft.
Damn, he was so big and handsome. Grr. …Just stop being cute already.
…Stop looking already!
Molly tore her eyes away.
“Yes, all right,” she said to Seban. To Oz, she attempted a smile as he set down the platter. “I think eggs were a good idea.”
~
Molly
After breakfast, Oz stood beside her chair. “Molly, why don’t I show you around your new home?”
She glanced at Oz, then Seban. Home. Like he knew what they’d been talking about. “Sure.”
They made their way back down the ladder. “You saw the crew quarters on this floor, some of Engineering, the dining room, kitchen, and The Pit upstairs. The Command Center is through here.”
Oz led the way past her room to the area where Haze and the other crew members had gone that morning. It was a brief hallway and a few steps up, and it opened into a large semi-circular room with a few seats and command stations and viewscreens. “Up ahead, you can see the Yrastomus cluster where the crew is harvesting minerals today. The captain is probably in his office deciding the best area to harvest next. Although this location could keep us busy for quite some time.”
Oz flicked a few buttons, and a small area lit up with a red circle indicator. “That’s the signal from our crew’s spacesuits. They’ll probably be gone for a few hours today.”
It was as Molly moved toward the viewscreen, past a door beside her, that she heard the loud growls of animals. They were so loud that they sounded like they were right by her ear. She jumped toward Oz and practically capsized him.
“Easy, easy,” Oz said. “I wasn’t even thinking. It’s the Captain’s Frengs. They’ll be on edge with most of the crew away. Come toward me just a bit.”
“Mars! Io! Here!”
From up a corridor, two fierce, lethal looking animals padded slowly toward her, their ears back and heads low. Instead of fur, they had rough skin like an alligator. Horns pointed toward her from the top of their heads. As they made their way into the corridor, she saw spiky crests around their neck and down their back. Their front paws had long, sharp talons that clicked on the floor.
They were something out of Molly’s worst nightmare.
The animals stopped in front of Oz and sat down, watching Molly.
Oz held out his hand to them, and they each sniffed it. A long tongue darted out to touch his knuckle.
They blinked toward her and growled.
“Mars, Io, down. Friend.”
They dipped their heads and shook them toward Molly, seeming to display their horns and spikes as a warning.
“Molly, slowly put your hand out toward mine.”
The Frengs immediately stared at Molly and shook their heads again. After another moment, they tipped their heads up and gradually bent their horns away from her.
“Good. They’ll let you pet them now.”
“Pet?”
“Just pet this area here, very slow. It will transfer your scent to them, so they will know you are part of the pack.”
“Um.” Molly put one hand on Oz’s forearm, clutching slightly and reached toward the beasts slowly. “Um…” She reached out slowly and touched the cheek of one of the Frengs.
“Here you go. Nice doggie. Nice doggie.” Molly’s voice shook slightly as she moved her finger down its cheek.
The Freng glanced slightly at her and lowered its head.
“Mars,” Oz called with a stern voice.
Mars glanced at Oz and took a step back.
The next Freng was even bigger.
“Yeah, Oz, I don’t think so.” She took a step back. “I think they want to eat me.”
Oz chuckled. “They don’t eat people.” He paused. “Just maybe tear you up a bit… Heh, don’t think about that. Now, you’re doing fine and almost done. I’m right here.”
Molly took a deep breath and reached out to the other one. Her hand started shaking as she reached toward the beast. “These are monsters where you come from, right, or is this your version of a pet?”
“Both. They are highly prized and not often given to ones without a verlok.” He rubbed the side of the largest one’s head. The beast craned its neck in appreciation. “We grow up with them; the Frenglets are passed down within families. These are from the captain’s family and were his from the time they were six months old. I do not have a Freng myself, but these consider me part of their pack. It is enough.”
Molly reached forward again to touch its neck, near Oz’s hand, finding courage that he would not let anything happen to her. The large one responded by closing its eyes and letting its mouth drop open.
“There you go; Io’s in love now.”
“Io, Mars- that’s so strange. How did they get their names?”
“The Captain named them shortly after we came to Earth’s defense, shortly after they were passed down to him. He lost an older brother in the battle for Earth, and these should have been that brother’s.”
Right, she thought, feeling embarrassed. She hadn’t really thought about all the Mahdfel who had also lost people in the war for her planet. The poor captain, it wasn’t even his planet.
How could she even care how they wasted her life? No, not happening. She couldn’t help it; she still cared.
Oz gave Io another pat on the neck. Io let out a soft whine. “Enough Io. Io, Mars. Return.”
Molly drew back as Io and Mars took a wide turn and went back under the passage.
“They return to their den,” Oz explained. “They have a small entrance for themselves. The Captain’s sleeping quarters are through there; his office is over on the other side, through those doors. Now, what have I left to show you?” He leaned toward Molly slightly, a soft smile on his face. She felt something brush against her leg. She gasped and lurched a step away, still nervous from the war beast encounter. She stared down, ready to jump for a high ledge or probably climb up Oz like he was a tree.
It’d been Oz’s tail touching the back of her leg.
She tried to recover herself.
“I’m sorry, I…” Oz drew back. “I didn’t mean to… We can head back now.”
He turned around to head back toward the crew’s quarters.
Molly watched his back for a moment, feeling lost. “Can you show me engineering?” Molly asked in order to slow him down. She didn’t want him to leave exactly.
Oz turned back to say something to her, but glanced up at the view screen. “Wait, that’s not right.” He clicked a few buttons as a look of horror crossed his face.