They were both out of breath, but Bri slowed outside the docking area. She straightened first. “Are you still sure about this?”

Maslin nodded. “Yes. I am ready.”

“Start struggling then. We don't want the bad guy thinking you're a wimp. He might decide to leave you here.”

Before Maslin could snort at her teasing, Bri grabbed the girl by the collar. Pushing through the entrance to the dock, she proceeded to push and drag Maslin across the floor seemingly against her will. Maslin put up a decent struggle, but not enough to stop their momentum.

At the bottom of the ramp, Bri shoved Maslin to the hard metal floor. The clone called out and stayed down on her hands and knees.

“Is this who you wanted, you fucking bastard?” Bri asked the man on the edge of the ramp.

He had a laser blaster pointed at her chest. If she had a credit for every time that had happened to her in her life, she’d be an independently rich woman.

Bri made a big show of wiping her mouth. “She has a mean fist. You’re going to need this.” She tossed him the now useless remote.

Clayton caught it in his hand and smiled when he saw what it was. “Very good, Agent MacNamara.”

“It’s for her collar and cuffs. Now, where’s the antidote for Darcone?”

“Tell them to open the shuttle exit first. I want to be sure I can leave. My son’s already in violation of Guardian orders. I’d advise you not to join him in his treason.”

Bri lifted her wrist and called the bridge. Moments later the doors opened. Passing wind from outside the airship was sucked through the docking bay to blow around her. If she hadn’t been as strong as she was, she would never have been able to remain upright and standing. The shuttle engines caught. The pilot must have been waiting.

“You promised me the antidote,” Bri yelled loudly over the engine noise.

Clayton took a small vial from his pocket. All it held were the remnants of the sedative he’d given his son. He threw it at the foolish woman just to see hope lighting her face briefly. Brianna MacNamara caught it one-handed. She was such a talented waste of an agent.

“Happy now?” Clayton asked, shouting above all the noise.

“No,” Bri called back. “I wanted to be the one to kill you. If Darcone dies, I will be.”

He reached down and grabbed the clone by her collar, dragging her up the ramp as he backed up. He kept his weapon trained on the real threat who merely stood there watching him.

At the top of the ramp, Maslin rolled away from his grip.

Bri took a step toward them intended to help Maslin when she saw a flash of fire. “Oh fuck,” she yelled, her words getting lost in the noise. It was the last thing she remembered.

* * *

The laser fired over her head and Maslin immediately looked in the direction of the flash. It ended in a direct hit to the Commander’s chest, the power of it flinging the nearly unstoppable Brianna MacNamara up and tossing her several feet back to land in a skidding heap on the floor.

Pain twisted her gut and a howl of despair broke from her. Whatever doubts remained about who the good guys were was instantly erased. The woman on the floor had only come to save the alien claiming to be her father. She could have saved herself. This could have played out in many different ways.

Maslin’s eyes were wild as she turned her glare to the man now looming over her.

“Up and into the shuttle,” he demanded, motioning with the weapon.

She climbed to her feet, growling in anger. “Why did you come for me? I’m a clone. I’m dying anyway.”

“I know. Novus Prime wants your DNA back. Apparently, someone has learned how to make more of you. Congratulations. You’re finally going to be useful for something.”

“You poisoned my father,” Maslin spat. She pointed at Brianna’s still body on the floor. “That woman wanted to be my mother.”

Clayton laughed. “Your mother? You can’t have a mother. You’re a fucking clone.”

Maslin took a step closer.

“What are you doing?” Clayton asked. He held up the remote to her collar. “Unless you want to die today, you need to get your incompetent assassin ass into the shuttle.”

“I am not going with you and you are not leaving,” Maslin said.

She reached out and snatched remote from his hand, only to find the blaster now pointed at her chest. Her growl grew louder than her fear. Her father would have been proud of her. She would follow his example. For as long as she lived, which she accepted might not be much longer, she would at least honor him.

“I have nothing now. You killed both those wanting to be my family. For that, I now kill you.”

She sprung upwards, not quite missing the blaster veering up and firing so close, but no injury was going to stop her. Heal she might not, but even if she didn’t, she was still going to kill Bri’s murderer. Two had died now. No more would—not by Director Tiberius’s hands. Her side burned as she wrapped herself around her would-be abductor. The man screamed as she twisted his head until it spun sideways and broke loose from his neck.

She and his limp body both fell to the ramp rolling down it. She heard speaking over the primary com center, but could not understand over the noise what was being said. The shuttle’s engines cut. The shuttle exit doors began to close. Soon the wind whipping through disappeared as well.

Maslin pulled herself up and stumbled down the ramp and floor until she knelt by Brianna MacNamara’s side. The laser had burned the shirt beyond recognition. Her entire chest was a blackened mess. Fearing the worst, but wanting the truth, Maslin reached her hands under the fabric and drew them back out. Seeing no blood, she howled in hope.

She put her fingers on the side of Brianna MacNamara’s neck. A pulse beat softly. The warmth of relief made her fall to her damaged side. She held what was left of the skin there together. If she died too, so be it. At least her father’s killer was no more for the world. She felt no regret.

Moments later, she was surrounded by uniformed crewmen. The highest ranking one knelt to press a folded pad against her bleeding side and helped her to stand. Then suddenly there were six aliens staring at her.

Behind them, she heard a fierce growl. Her head swiveled as the man helping swore and said “Oh, hell. He’s awake.”

Her laughter broke free. “It’s okay,” Maslin said. “My father likes to growl a lot. Right now he’s freaking out over his woman.”

Darcone stooped and swept Bri up in his arms. He looked at Maslin being held up by the Lieutenant. “You live?” he demanded.

Maslin nodded. “Yes. Your woman lives too. Are you going to marry her, Father?”

“Bri is mine,” Darcone said, standing with Bri in his arms.

“I approve. I want our family,” Maslin said.

Mad with relief, Darcone made a sound that was frightening to everyone but her. Maslin growled back at him, the sound echoing in her throat. Then the world went black as she slid to the floor.

* * *

Maslin woke much later to a blonde-haired woman giving her an injection. She tried to stop her but found her wrists were restrained by metal bands.

“Stop struggling so hard, Maslin. You’ll break your stitches. Some of the skin was missing, so I had to improvise and grow some new skin for you.”

“Who are you? I saw you the day my tormentor fought me in my cell,” Maslin said.

Sheena nodded. “My name is Sheena. I’m your typical mad scientist… and birth sister of the woman you keep calling your tormentor. Technically, I’m also the daughter-in-law of the man you killed. Did I say thank you yet for that?”

Stunned at her speech, Maslin shook her head.

“Well, thank you. You saved my future husband and my sister from having to do the dastardly deed. Family members really shouldn’t kill each other. It’s a very bad trend to start.”

“The Commander was shot with a laser blaster, but I think the shirt saved her. How is she?” Maslin asked.

“Bri’s mostly fine. She’s off brooding at the moment,” Sheena said. She met Maslin’s eyes. “Darcone’s mother is here—a surprise visit.”

“Having a family seems to mean having a lot of problems. Perhaps I should not have committed to wanting one,” Maslin said morosely, shaking her head as she rolled it.

Sheena grinned. “I think Darcone is probably feeling the same way right now. His mother brought him a bride from his home planet. She wants him to return with them and settle down there.”

Maslin tried to sit up. “Release me, Scientist. I have to stop her from killing anyone.”

“Stop who from killing who?” Sheena asked, laughing at the girl. “You can call me Aunt Sheena—though I am a scientist.”

“The woman is a warrior. She’ll kill the alien bride and start a planetary war before she’ll ever give him up. She took a laser blast bargaining for his antidote. She has no fear of consequences to herself.”

“You certainly understand Bri well already. By the way, that was an empty sedative vial Clayton threw at her—not an antidote. The Admiral was the one who saved Darcone,” Sheena said, patting the girl as she pushed her back down. “And Brianna’s not going to kill anyone from Darcone’s planet. She said the choice of bride is his to make. She’s not going to try to get him to stay if he feels he has to leave. The alien’s been here two hundred years already. That’s a very long time to be gone from your home world.”

Maslin blinked wide eyes. “Two hundred years? I did not know he was so old. I guess his people must live a long time.” Maslin relaxed back on the table. “I’m sure my Father will make the right choice. He says she is his. He tells the world. All the other aliens are afraid of him because many admire your sister and know he would kill for her.”

“Yes, well, unfortunately, his mother isn’t afraid of him,” Sheena said frowning. “And from what I understand, she sort of gets final say over his love life. That’s how it works on his home planet.”

Maslin lay still, her mind a jumble of concern.

“You know, Maslin… I’ve been working on you since yesterday. Don’t you want to know how you’re doing?” Sheena asked.

Maslin shrugged against the bed. “I know I live. That is enough for now. Your sister joked about becoming my mother. Do you think she was serious?”

Sheena moved to the girl’s wrists and removed the bands. “Bri’s rarely one hundred percent serious, but in this case, she probably was. I knew she liked you when she couldn’t bring herself to kill you. I think she always saw Darcone in you, even before we knew you were his clone.”

“Do you think she could ever learn to genuinely like me?” Maslin asked.

Sheena smiled. “No learning is necessary. I think she already does. Otherwise, you’d still be in your collar and cuff restraints.”

Maslin nodded. She hoped that was true. “I will not harm anyone on the ship.”

“We believe you,” Sheena said. She patted the girl’s shoulder again. “Let’s talk about you for a minute. The results of what I’ve done to your DNA are merely speculation at this point, but I think I’ve managed to give you a relatively normal lifespan for a human. You’re the only living clone of your kind so only time will tell if I was successful. There is still a lot we don’t know about cloning.”

“Whatever time I have will be used wisely. It is what both of them expect of me,” Maslin said. She snorted. “Together they have reformed me of all my other training. It was extremely unpleasant.”

Sheena nodded. “Well, I’m glad you killed Director Tiberius before you rethought your life.” She laughed as she took Maslin’s arm. “You’re going to want to be careful standing up. Toorg’s here to escort you to your new quarters. Darcone’s rooms are a little full right at the moment.”

Maslin let Sheena help her slide to the floor. She was a bit dizzy, but not too bad.

“You need a hot dinner and lots of sleep,” Sheena suggested.

Maslin nodded. When she looked up, Toorg was standing in front of her. “Hi Toorg,” Maslin said in a subdued greeting.

“Sexy,” Toorg replied, matching her somber tone.

Sheena covered her mouth with a hand and giggled, sounding just like her sister. Maslin rolled her eyes. How did the MacNamara women ever get men to respect them? They laughed at everything.

“Is that a new word, Toorg?” Sheena asked. She looked at Maslin.

Maslin snorted. “It’s not what you think. He just saw me without a shirt.”

Sheena’s laughter rang out in Medical. Maslin rubbed her chest. It hurt with the pleasure of making the woman laugh.

“You’re going to be a great addition to our family.”

And that was all she could handle today. Lifting a hand in farewell, Maslin walked to the exit slowly, followed by an alien who she hoped could carry her if she fell.