BAELAN: Fantasy Romance (Zhekan Mates Book 4) by E.A. James (21)

 

Dario stopped again, but Kira noticed that it was not sadness that held him now, but fear, and maybe something more, something that Kira was not yet sure she understood.

 

“He helped me hide the body,” Dario said. “Then he found me safe passage off the research facility in a merchant cargo ship that was contracted to deliver supplies to the facility. Six months ago that cargo ship delivered me to Vandor, and I have been in hiding since.”

 

“Unsurprisingly, a bounty was placed on me immediately after my escape was discovered,” Dario added, “and I have been pursued since my escape. I have nearly lost my life on a number of occasions in the last half year. I dare say I’m getting used to it.”

 

“Thank you for enlightening us Dr. Marner,” Thor replied, a great deal more respect in his tone than before. “In your time there, were you able to discover what Grimm intended to do with the Arcanum once he completed his experiments?”

 

“Grimm hid his intentions well, even from the research team,” Dario replied. “But my source in the research facility was adamant that Grimm intends to rebel against the Terran Alliance and establish a new order, an order intent on Terran domination through the galaxy. He is secretly recruiting through the military, finding sympathizers to his ideology in an attempt to stage a coup when he is ready.”

 

“He talks of supremacy and domination, his lust for power has seemingly consumed him, and his reason has all but abandoned him,” Dario concluded.

Thor looked over at Kira, raising his eyebrow as if solidifying that what he had told her previously was true.

 

Kira gave up on finishing her meal and turned her attention to the Telani woman sitting across from her. “How do you fit into all of this? Are you part of the dead or alive bounty club too?”

 

“No,” Alaria said, shaking her head with a small smile. “My connection to Dario goes back farther. As a child, I was a Telani orphan, my parents died in a mining accident when I was still too young to remember. I was mostly left to fend for myself, although there were attempts to find me a permanent home. My class in Telani society is quite destitute and it was difficult to survive let alone provide for a child. My life was further devalued when it was discovered that I had a rare genetic condition that I was told would kill me before I was 16. It was believed to be incurable.”

 

With a stroke of luck, I met Dr. Marner. He was still working as a medical doctor at the time and he was hired by the Telani Empire to visit remote mining colonies and offer medical care. He manufactured a genetic implant that cured my condition. Since then, this man has been like a father to me, and shortly after, he adopted me, well, unofficially at least.”

 

Her voice, usually filled with bounce and life, reflected her gratitude to Dario. She spoke softly, almost whimsically, as she recounted her history with the man who saved her life.

 

“He gave me a wonderful life,” Alaria continued. “He funded my education and gave me the opportunity to make something out of myself. Today, I’m an engineer, educated through some of the finest schools in the Telani Empire.”

 

“And a wonderful engineer at that,” Dario added, his tone dripping with a father’s pride.

 

Alaria blushed slightly as she continued, “I worked on several Bandurian and Telani military projects after graduating until I received news of my father’s situation. When I heard, I secretly abandoned my work and found my way to him, though it required a great deal of time and persistence.”

 

“I appreciate your honesty,” Kira replied. “I’m sorry for our aggressive demeanor earlier; we’ve just had way too many people trying to kill us over the past few days.”

 

“I’m still not clear on how you were able to track the cargo ship? The aide?” Thor inquired.

 

Dario’s cheeks blushed slightly and a small smile appeared on his lips. “Indeed,” he said, his tone cheerful and remorseful at the same time.

 

The light bulb finally went on for Kira as she remembered the handsome young man who approached her about meeting with Colonel Grimm. “Thane?” she asked, recalling her uncomfortable interaction with him.

 

Dario’s face lit up at the mention of the man’s name. “Yes,” he said, “Thane. We worked together closely, and somehow a relationship blossomed between us. We fell in love, hopelessly and completely in love. When he helped me escape, I quickly devised a secure way to send messages back to him. Now, he sends communications when he can, and he’s risking his life to pass confidential information to me in the hopes that we can stop Grimm.”

 

Kira sat back in the booth, letting all the information she had acquired in such a short amount of time wash over her. Everything was complex and intermingled in some way. The three individuals sitting with her had personal and emotional connections to what was happening. She was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. Still, she couldn’t help but look at the faces of the people around her and feel as if she, too, had somehow become a part of their story. She felt the urgency with which they recounted their experiences. She sensed the sincerity, the fear, the anger and the sadness they all portrayed.

 

“I want, desperately, to stop Grimm,” Dario said softly. “I have to stop him before he carries out his plans. I have to get to the bottom of everything before the man I love is discovered and his life taken. I need your help. Please, will you help me?”

 

He looked at Kira and Thor with an impassioned expression of hope.

 

“Yes,” Thor said immediately, his eyes burning with determination. “If we don’t find a way, many will die at the hands of his madness.”

 

Every eye at the table fixed on Kira. She sighed softly with a look of mischief, “well, I’m clearly out of a job and have absolutely nothing else going for me at the moment - what the hell have I got to lose.”

 

CHAPTER ELEVEN

 

“Do we get started now?” Kira asked, after the moment of excitement dwindled.

 

Thor chuckled softly and turned to look at her. “You’re a go-getter aren’t you?”

 

“I like to keep busy,” Kira said with a shrug. She turned her attention from him to Dr. Marner. “But, seriously, what do we do now?”

 

“It’s getting late, and returning to the ship at this hour would be nothing short of a suicide mission. I say we stay here for the night, rest up, and regroup tomorrow to figure out our next move.”

 

“I’m not sure returning to the ship will be possible at all” Thor said.

 

“Probably not,” Dario admitted, “but I’m afraid we don’t have a choice. I left the device I’ve been using to communicate with Thane on board. It’s vital that we retrieve it.”

 

“Then we definitely will need our rest,” Kira concluded, remembering the Arcanum soldiers they saw pacing around the docks.

 

“I’ve already spoken to the owner and she said we can have two rooms for tonight if we need them,” Alaria spoke up.

 

The group agreed to spend the night and meet again in the morning, early, to return to Dario and Alaria’s ship. As they bid farewell to the odd duo, Kira and Thor walked side-by-side down the creaky, dark hallway to the room they were forced to share.

 

To their surprise, the room contained only one bed. It wasn’t small but it wasn’t large, either.

“This is awkward, hope you like the floor,” Kira said, crossing the room and eying the lumpy mattress suspiciously.

 

“For the trouble, I’ve indirectly caused you, I won’t complain,” Thor offered, following her in and closing the door behind him. “It’s not the first time I’ve gone without a bed in my life.”

 

“I can’t ask you to do that,” she said, walking along the foot of the bed. “It’s big enough for both of us. We need to be well-rested for tomorrow, and sleeping on the floor is not the best way to prepare for that.”

The wooden floorboards under her feet let out a long, loud squeak as if agreeing with her sentiment. She turned around to face him and shrugged.

 

“As long as you keep your hands to yourself, we shouldn’t have a problem.”

 

“Fair enough,” Thor said, walking past her and sitting down heavily on the bed and leaning forward to begin untying his shoes.

 

Kira went to the bathroom, finding it to be nothing more than a hole in the ground and a faucet sticking out of the wall that sputtered out brown-tinted water, but only if twisted just the right way. She washed up the best she could, although she felt slightly dirtier afterward.

 

Returning to the room, she found Thor sitting shirtless on the bed, his head down examining his clothing. Her eyes went wide as they ran over the detailed tattoo that covered most of his left chest, and a small, unwitting gasp slipped out of her mouth.

 

“Sorry,” he said, standing up quickly and turning to face her.

 

Even though the lighting in the room was low, the fluorescent glow of the busy, never-sleeping market poured into the window behind him. She couldn't help but let her eyes drift over him, his muscular chest and defined arms, his tanned skin and dark brown eyes almost hidden underneath his tousled black hair. When her gaze met him, she felt her cheeks flush red.

 

“I didn’t have anything comfortable to sleep in, and I usually sleep like this anyways,” he explained quickly. “If it bothers you I can…”

 

“It’s fine,” she cut him off, trying to sound as if his physical appearance had made no impact on her. “But, if it’s okay with you, I’ll keep my shirt on.”

 

“It might make me feel less awkward if you didn’t,” he said jokingly as he crossed his arms over his chest. He shifted his weight back and forth on his feet, clearly feeling uncomfortable in his own exposed skin.

 

“As much as I’ve enjoyed getting to know you, I wouldn’t consider being chased by Roughnecks and hunted by Arcanum soldier’s foreplay,” she replied, rolling her eyes.

 

“You’re a hard woman to please.”

 

“You have no idea,” she replied.

 

They laughed, almost nervously, as an uncomfortable silence spread through the room. Neither of them wanted to make the first move towards the bed.

 

“Do you have a side preference?” he asked.

 

“Left, I guess,” she said with a shrug.

 

He nodded and climbed into the bed, moving towards the side closest to the door and away from the window. Walking around to her side, she sat down, keeping her eyes focused out the window. Once he was completely under the blankets, she twisted herself around and pulled her legs up in front of her. Sliding in next to him, she lay on her back and stared up at the ceiling, tracing the outlines of a suspicious looking water stain just above her with her eyes.

 

“Should I turn the light off?” he asked.

 

“Yeah,” she said quickly.

 

The level of awkwardness in the room had reached the point of being nearly unbearable for her. When he reached up and flipped the switch, and the light sitting next to the bed went out, she felt as if her stomach was filled with nothing but knots. The lights from the market still poured into the room, casting a deep blue glow over everything. She tried to focus on that, in a futile effort to relax.

Thor shuffled around a few times and finally lay still, on his left side. She glanced over at him to once again see his back to her. After a second of staring she quickly turned to face the window.

 

The lights outside were bright, and even with her eyes closed, they continued to burn into her retinas. Letting out a frustrated almost defeated grunt, she turned onto her left side. Lying there, unable to sleep, she found herself once again staring at him.

 

As her eyes adjusted to the low lighting, puncture marks running up and down his spine suddenly became clear. They weren’t small, but they weren’t enormous, either. Still, they had a painful look to them. Without realizing what she was doing, she reached up and ran her finger over one of them, feeling the scar tissue just below the surface of his skin.

 

“I thought we were keeping our hands to ourselves,” he said, not moving away from her touch.

 

She pulled her hand back quickly, the realization of what she had done hitting her square in the chest.

 

“I’m sorry,” she said, quickly.

 

She felt flustered, something that rarely happened to her. The unfamiliar sensation crept into her stomach and sat there, growing as the silence around them became deafening.

 

He rolled over, facing her. Her eyes were wide, she knew they were, but she couldn’t force them to return to their normal state. She opened her mouth to apologize again, but the words didn’t come out. Speechless—something else that rarely happened to her.

 

“They’re from the experiments,” he explained.

 

“You don’t have to talk about it,” she said quickly. “I shouldn’t have… I mean, I’m sorry I didn’t mean to…” her words were catching in her throat and in the end, all she could say was, “damn it.”

 

He laughed, his eyes dancing and his smile wide. “I have to say, I never expected to see you at a loss for words.”

 

“It’s not a common thing.”

"Believe me, I've noticed." He let out a soft sigh and the serious tone found its way back into his voice as he continued, "I don't mind talking about it," he said. "They are not fond memories, but you deserve to know why you’re on a virtual suicide mission with three near strangers. You didn't have to risk your life to help me. You didn't have to believe me. You didn't have to join this fight. It's only fair that you know what it is we’re asking you to fight for."

 

As he spoke, his eyes continued to burn into hers. She felt as if the awkwardness in the room lifted, and suddenly became replaced with a strange sort of tension. She didn’t know how to define it; she wasn’t sure what it was that she was feeling. All she knew was that it came over her, suddenly, and was impossible to shake.

 

She nodded, showing her appreciation for his words. “Okay,” she said softly.

 

“The scars on my back, as I said, are from the only round of experiments I underwent.”

 

“What did they do?”

 

“Given my size, Grimm figured that I wouldn’t be the swiftest man on my feet. Truth is, I wasn’t. That’s why when a procedure was created to enhance muscle stimulation, I was the first person he thought of.”

“Muscle stimulation?”

 

“Reflexes,” Thor explained, “agility, speed, and strength.”

 

She remembered the quickness with which he moved when she fired her Phantom at him. The way he rushed up on Dr. Marner when he discovered his identity. The way he always seemed to be able to jump into action in the blink of an eye.

 

“The enhancements had to be grafted directly into my spine,” he continued. “I noted the effects immediately. Even as I was lying there, on the operating table, I felt as if my awareness of my surroundings increased.”

 

“You were awake for the procedure?”

 

“Unfortunately,” he nodded. “Like I said, it wasn’t a pleasant experience. And, in all honestly, I hate what they did to me. I hate that in that instant, I started to feel a little less human and a little more machine. It’s taken me a long time to feel like myself again, I’ll be damned if I let them take that from me or anyone else.”

 

“What about your tattoo?” Kira inquired. “I don’t recognize the design.”

 

“All Arcanum soldiers receive one after we are successfully accepted into the program,” Thor answered. “Unfortunately, it’s little more than a brand, a constant reminder of our supposed unquestioning loyalty to the Terran cause. It feels ironic now, but it’s still a part of my past, one that has finally led me to a place where I feel I am attempting to do some good. In a way, it reminds me of who I want to be more than it reminds me of who I was.”

 

His eyes locked on hers again, and his words washed over her slowly. She had never imagined that the strong, determined, military man in front of her had this level of insight. None of the men she had been around in her life did, especially in the military.

 

Again, a quiet fell around them. But, it wasn’t awkward; it was comfortable. It was an easy silence; one that made her feel that unfamiliar feeling of tension building up in her stomach again.

 

“Thank you,” she said softly. “For telling me all of that. You didn’t have to.”

 

“You didn’t have to do a lot of things you’ve done for me. Consider it a small repayment.”

 

“I appreciate it,” she said, smiling. “Although, a hotel with a functioning shower and food I can actually stomach would have done the job, too.”

 

He laughed, his eyes lighting up as his smile filled his face again. “I’ll keep that in mind. I have a feeling that I’ll have plenty more to repay you for.”

 

CHAPTER TWELVE

 

The next day, the group of four met in the establishment bar and, after a quick discussion of plans, set out on their mission to retrieve Dario’s communication device.

 

Before they left, Alaria shared a long goodbye with the owner of the establishment, and each member of the group thanked her for the safe refuge.

 

“How did you know her anyway?” Kira asked Alaria.

 

“When I was young, she took me in for nearly a year before I met Dario. She kept me safe, fed me and had me work in the kitchen to help pay my way,” Alaria responded, her smile still present and her words full of affection.

 

“I always try to visit when I find myself in this part of the galaxy, but I wish it was under better circumstances this time. We hardly got the chance to catch up,” Alaria continued.

 

“Well, if we get ourselves out of our predicament then let’s make it a point to come back and say thank you properly,” Kira responded.

 

“Ready?” Kira asked.

 

They all nodded in unison and Thor led the way stepping out into the crowded market streets once again.

 

Getting to the ship was the easy part. It was finding a way to get aboard it that posed a real problem.

 

As they made their way through the crowds to the docks, Kira found herself lost in thought. Accepting her new life as a wanted “criminal” was surprisingly easy she thought. After hearing Thor’s recounting of his experience with the Arcanum, and Dario’s account of Grimm’s rapid descent into madness, she knew that she had joined forces with the noble side. Although, the noble side didn’t feel like it had much of a chance at this point.

 

After a time, they approached the docks and the rows of ships steadily grew before them.

 

Kira, Dario, and Alaria hung back, taking cover in the market near their ships docked position while Thor went ahead to scout out the situation. It didn’t take him long to return with his report.

 

“There are three of them,” he informed them.

 

“That’s not too bad,” Kira said, happy to hear that they actually outnumbered them.

 

“They all have cybernetic implants,” Thor said, casting a shadow of doubt over her temporary moment of confidence.

 

“Shit,” she muttered.

 

“No,” Alaria replied, reaching for the bag she had slung over her shoulder. “This might be good for us.”

 

“Is it only good because that means they might kill us faster and cut our suffering short?” Kira asked.

 

Alaria giggled. “You’re more fun than I expected,” she said as she pulled three small metallic squares from her bag.

 

The small squares looked like internal components to some electronic device. Kira eyed them suspiciously, not sure why the Telani woman was so excited about them. Alaria looked at the group, apparently expecting some sort of reaction from them. The smile on her lips didn’t falter as confusion spread through her companions.

 

“They’re direct application electromagnetic inhibitors,” she said, holding them out. Still noting the confusion on Kira and Thor’s faces, she explained, “they’re designed to briefly incapacitate small military equipment that relies on an electric charge to function – it should work the same way for our cybernetic adversaries.”

 

“Oh,” Kira and Thor said in unison, each of them notably thankful for the simple explanation.

 

“The only catch is we have to get close enough to attach the devices to one of their implants,” Alaria added quickly.

 

“Then that’s what we’ll do,” Dario said.

The upbeat, confident tone of his voice didn't match the sinking feeling forming in Kira's stomach. Still, the group huddled together to formulate a plan of attack, or really, a plan of diversion.

 

“I’ll run the point,” Thor offered. “I know these soldiers, and I might be able to hold their attention while you three get into position. Plus, if they attack outright, I have the best chance of surviving.”

 

“That leaves us to play the galaxy’s most dangerous game of tag,” Kira quipped. “Why can’t we just go in shooting?”

 

“Vandor isn’t well policed, but there are still local security forces that would take notice, plus, any one of the delinquents on this planet could take that opportunity to join the gunfight. I suspect it would escalate fast,” Thor replied.

 

“Alright, stealth is our best option then,” Dario added. “Thor, if you get into position we’ll select our targets and give you a signal when we’re ready.”

 

“Understood. Keep your weapons ready, if this goes badly, we’ll need them. Let’s move out,” Thor commanded.

 

Kira’s hand traced down her hip and stroked her Phantom, the familiar feeling calmed her nerves, although only slightly.

 

Not long after, they arrived at the docks and the same three pacing soldiers watched over the ship.

 

Thor nodded to the group and set out to get into position. As he made his way through the crowd the other three watched his progress and selected their targets.

 

“When it comes time to apply the inhibitor, press the small blue activator on the underside of the device, then, it’s as simple as touching the device to the implant,” Alaria explained.

 

“What happens when it comes into contact with their implants?” Kira asked.

 

“They connect magnetically, and that’s really all you should notice apart from the target dropping to the ground,” Alaria replied.

 

“This seems too easy,” Kira said to no one in particular.

 

“I suspect we would be fools to think that there won’t be complications, but our time is short and we must act decisively. The communication device is our only connection to the intel we need to stop Grimm,” Dario said.

 

“Agreed,” Kira conceded.

 

“Let’s get into position, Thor is almost there,” Dario said as he pointed near the ship.

 

Once they were in position, Dario gave Thor the signal. Thor acknowledged and made his way out from cover and walked straight up to the three Arcanum soldiers.

 

“Imagine seeing you guys here,” Thor said, a taunting smile forming on his lips. “It’s been some time. How are the experiments going? Well, I see.”

 

The three men turned to face him, their movements swift and quick. “Thor,” one of them addressed him. “Just the man we were looking for.”

 

As the exchange took place, Kira and the others continued to quietly move forward, closing the distance between them and the three soldiers.

 

Any fear or apprehension she felt earlier was gone. Her eyes were locked on the man furthest to the right, and her attack instincts were buzzing in her ears.

One of the men, the one Dario was creeping up behind, lifted the plasma rifle in his hand and trained the sights on Thor. Just as he squeezed the trigger, Thor moved to the right, the blast just missing him.

The soldier cursed, and Dario took advantage of his distracted state to run forward, pressing the inhibitor’s activator and quickly making contact with the nearly bionic arm of the guard – he dropped instantly, seemingly unconscious.

 

Kira followed his lead and rushed up behind the man she had been watching like a hawk. She drove the inhibitor into his back, where she could visibly see a cybernetic implant. There was a slight pause, and then he too fell hard to the ground.

Alaria was a step or two behind Kira and Dario, and her guard seemed to become aware of what was happening. He quickly spun and squared up to Alaria. She froze on the spot and after a brief moment of understanding between the two, she made a move for her plasma rifle.

 

Before she could reach it the guard had covered the distance between them and raised his hand to strike when Thor crashed into him. The two men violently tumbled to the ground, locked in combat.

 

Quickly, Alaria composed herself and raced over to the melee; she dove in and attached the inhibitor to the cybernetic implant on the guard’s leg. In an instant, he too was incapacitated.

 

Thor climbed back to his feet, sloughing the guard off of him to do so.

 

“Thanks,” Alaria said and Thor nodded an acknowledgment.

“Hurry,” Alaria said over her shoulder to everyone as she made a break for the ship. “The effects won’t last long.”

 

“There’s a time limit?!” Kira shouted as the group ran towards the landing.

 

“That feels like something we should have discussed ahead of time!” she continued.

 

“I can’t say for sure, but these were designed for machines and not men,” Alaria replied.

 

Dario turned without responding, bolting towards the hatch of the ship and running quickly up the ramp before it even descended completely. Thor and Alaria joined Kira as they waited impatiently for Dario to reappear.

 

Just when she felt herself relaxing slightly, a group of familiar-looking men marching in their direction caused Kira’s pulse to accelerate again.

 

“We have company,” she said, grabbing onto Thor’s wrist and pointing towards the disheveled pirates advancing towards them.

 

“Ah, the delinquents I mentioned,” Thor replied with a slight look of exasperation.

The Roughneck captain leading the group had the same crazed, frenzied look on his face he had during their last encounter, only now it was more demonic if that were even possible. His eyes were fixed on Thor.

 

Just as one of his men lifted his gun and began firing in their direction, they ducked behind the belly of the ship, taking cover. Kira drew her Phantom from its holster and Thor reached for the plasma rifle strapped on his back.

 

Ducking back around to confront the pirates, Kira focused her sites on the man shooting at them. Inhaling quickly, she squeezed the trigger of the Phantom, sending a bolt of atomic particles surging through him. Thor began methodically cutting down the men with precision accuracy.

 

The Roughnecks scattered to cover and began to return fire.

 

“Hurry up, Dario!” Alaria shouted as she pounded on the bottom of the ship.

 

The pirates were closing the distance and weapon fire flashed through the air, just missing the side of Kira’s head. Crouching down, she pressed her stomach to the ground and found the knee of one of the men in her sights. Letting another blast fly, she saw him collapse to the ground just before she pushed herself back up to her feet and spun around, jumping out into the open and hitting another Roughneck in the torso.

 

“Dario!” Thor yelled out as he lifted his gun and sent a surge of energy flying into the face of one of the pirates. “Get out here—now!”

 

Finally, Dario came running down the ramp and leather bag slung over his shoulder. Seeing the scenes unfolding around him, he quickly scampered back, taking cover with the others behind the ship.

 

The heavy footsteps of the pirates were louder now, signaling that they were closing in on them quickly. If that wasn’t bad enough, the Arcanum soldiers began to rustle, slowly awakening from their inhibited state.

 

“What do we do?” Alaria asked.

 

“Run!” Thor said, pushing Alaria and Dario forward.

 

Kira and Thor spun around, just as the pirates rounded the ship and recommenced firing on them. In a fury, electric energy, and particle beams spilled out of their weapons. They watched as some of the men fell to the ground, and took off running before the others could retaliate.

 

The group raced along the docks, turning quickly down a crowded, busy market street. The pirates now accompanied by the Arcanum soldiers were still hot on their heels, firing their guns into the air, causing the merchants and customers to fall to the ground for cover.

"This way!" Dario yelled out, taking another sharp turn and leading them down a smaller side street.

 

Just as they rounded the corner, a surge of electricity buzzed past Kira’s ear, nearly taking off her head. Undeterred, she continued running, maneuvering her way through the crowded street with adrenaline-fueled focus.

 

“I have an idea!” Kira yelled out. “Turn right! Turn right here!” As they rounded the next corner, Kira pushed herself to the front of the group, taking the lead. “Follow me,” she instructed them as she continued forward.

 

She led them down the main street of the Market, trying to get her bearings. She had spent some time in Vandor previously, although it wasn’t extensive. The pirates continued to shoot into the air, the explosive sounds ringing out and threatening to pull her concentration back to them.

 

Shaking her head, she forced herself to think, to focus. When she spotted a familiar street, she turned abruptly, nearly losing her followers. Scanning her surroundings frantically, she searched for her hopeful destination. Her mind was clouded by the intensity of the pursuit and her usually sharp senses were beginning to fail her.

 

“If we were having this chase in space, this wouldn’t happen to me,” she thought to herself as she continued to scan her surroundings for something familiar.

 

Finally, her eyes landed on the unmarked doors she was looking for. “Here!” she called out, running towards them, balling up her fists and banging on them frantically.

 

Thor ran up behind her and beat at the door as well. Alaria began pressing the call button with a feverish fury and Dario looked back over his shoulder, watching for any sign of their pursuers. The camera hanging overhead swiveled towards them, and Kira looked up at it, still banging heavily on the door.

 

A few second passed, but finally, the door swung open. The group rushed in, nearly collapsing on the ground as Thor pushed the door closed with force and purpose.

 

“What is this place?” Dario asked, leaning forward to catch his breath.

 

“The Hangar,” Kira said in between pauses to recapture her own breath.

 

The building they had taken refuge in was aptly named and served as a ship hangar. The large, sprawling room filled with parts, engines, weapons, and other objects one would find normally attached to a space-faring vessel. The only sign of movement came from the far corner of the room, where someone hunched over their work, welding together a sophisticated looking piece of machinery.

 

“Hopefully, we’ll be safe here,” Kira added.

 

“Hopefully?” Alaria asked, stepping forward and taking in her surroundings with suspicion.

 

“Identify yourselves!” a booming voice echoed off the metallic walls around them.

 

The group spun around to find a pulse rifle pointed in their direction. The owner of the gun and the roaring voice was a Bandurian man. His face, covered with the ripples typical of his kind, was stern and unemotional.

 

He took another step in their direction, swiveling the gun slowly, locking each of them in turn in his sights. “I said speak!” he demanded.

 

“Hello Bron,” Kira said to the menacing figure before them.

 

“Remember me?”

 

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

 

The group remained silent, each of them waiting for the next to speak. Kira lifted her hands over her head, showing she had no intent to do harm. She took a step towards him, hesitantly.

 

“Bron,” she said, “Bron—it’s me, Kira.”

 

The Bandurian man looked at her skeptically, the dark brown skin around his eyes wrinkling as he stared at her intently. Finally, a shimmer of recognition flashed across his face.

 

“Kira?” he asked, lowering his weapon and hurrying towards her. “Kira? What the hell are you doing here?”

“Unfortunately, I don’t have time to go into details,” she said, glancing back at her companions over her shoulder. “What I can tell you is that a handful of Roughnecks and a small, but very angry, group of Arcanum soldiers are searching for us. We had nowhere else to run. That’s when I thought of you and remembered my visit here several years back. We need somewhere to hide, or we might just be dead.”

 

“Nothing’s ever easy with you,” Bron said, patting her on the back.

 

“You know me—always living on the edge,” Kira replied with a shrug. “Will you help us?

 

“Of course,” Bron said, eying her three companions over her shoulder. “But you can’t stay out in the open. Those Arcanum pricks are relentless. ”

 

Kira winced slightly at his comment, hoping that Thor wouldn’t take anything personal from it.

 

“They’ll start building to building searches after they realize that we have eluded them,” Thor replied, seeming not to notice the slight.

 

“Lucky for you, you’ve come to the right place! Living in this cesspool means I have to be prepared for this type of situation far more than should be common,” Bron replied.

 

He turned abruptly and walked to the back of the hangar. Kira and the others exchanged confused looks, not sure if they were meant to follow him or stay put.

 

“Come!” Bron yelled out, answering the question on all of their minds.

 

They hurried after him. He stopped as abruptly as he started his mini-march and pointed to the floor. “Here,” he said, leaning forward and pulling up one of the metal floor panels – it was perfectly concealed.

 

They all looked on as he reached down into the hole and grabbed hold of a rope, pulling it towards him. Another concealed section below lifted up, revealing a hidden compartment.

 

“This is where I hide contraband,” Bron said proudly as he looked down at the gaping hole at his feet.

 

“That’s convenient,” Dario said, stepping forward and lowering himself into the hole.

 

Alaria followed behind, then Thor. Kira was the last to kneel down and lower herself into the hiding spot.

 

“Thank you, Bron,” she said, as Thor reached up to help her down.

 

“Thank me if we all manage to live – how is it that whenever you’re with me I’m fighting for my life?” Bron quipped.

 

“It seems to be my curse, but at least you can’t say time with me is boring” Kira chimed back.

 

Bron grunted in agreement and lowered down the floor paneling, covering the hole and plunging the group into darkness.

 

Not more than two minutes passed when they heard heavy pounding on the door reverberate through the hangar. Kira felt as if the sound shook the walls around them and the dirt floor under them. The entire group held their breath as they waited to hear what their expected visitors had to say.

 

“Who the fuck are you?” they heard Bron say after he pulled open the heavy metal door. Kira winced hearing Bron’s lack of tact.

 

“We’re looking for someone—a group of someone’s actually,” the Roughneck captain’s voice responded.

 

“If you bring no business, I have no time for you.”

“I think you’ll make time for us,” the captain replied.

 

Kira and the others could hear a number of men enter the hangar. Their footsteps were heavy, echoing down into the compartment as they clanged across the metal floor panels.

 

“I’m losing my patience pirate,” Bron said firmly.

 

“Just hand over what you’re hiding, and we’ll vacate the premises.”

 

“Hiding? The only thing I’m hiding is my rising urge to kill you all where you stand,” Bron said.

 

“We saw them come down this way. They are not in any of the other buildings nearby—they have to be here, with you Bandurian.”

“I will tell you again and for the last time, get out of my hangar,” Bron’s tone sent chills down Kira’s spine.

The captain let out a bellowing, haunting laugh that caused Kira to shrink back slightly as the memory of their first encounter with him flooded her mind. Thor reached up and rested his hand on her shoulder.

 

“Do you think you are intimidating to me, Bandurian?” the captain mused out loud.

 

“I could never expect someone so mentally deficient to perceive the danger that they’re in,” Bron shot back.

 

The sound of rifle actions locking into the loaded position rippled through the room above them.

 

“Enough! We will not ask again,” the captain said ominously.

 

“No need to ask again, I’m done talking!” Bron said at a near shout in reply.

 

Kira’s breath caught in her throat as the sounds of weapon fire rang out. She tried to push herself forward, wanting to run to Bron’s aid. She cursed herself for involving yet another person in this mess. The feeling of guilt worked through her, propelling her forward.

 

Thor tightened his grip on her shoulder, pulling her back quickly. “No, wait,” he said firmly.

 

“But…” Kira tried to object, but another round of shooting rang out, muting the words as they came out of her mouth.

 

Kira, Dario, Alaria and Thor huddled together in the darkness, listening as a struggle took place just over their heads. The shuffling of feet eventually died out, and an eerie silence fell over the hangar.

 

Kira held her breath as she listened for movement, the guilt pressing on her chest increasing – she instinctively tightened her grip on her Phantom.

 

Finally, someone above them spoke.

 

“Why’d you go and do that?” a small, almost child-like voice said. “I had them right where I wanted them.”

 

Kira let out an audible sigh of relief when Bron responded, “I was doing fine on my own.”

 

As he spoke, the sound of heavy footsteps followed by lighter, quicker steps grew closer to their hideout and echoed down on the small group. Kira pushed herself forward, letting Thor’s hand drop from her shoulder, and waited for the floor panels to lift.

 

“Like hell you were!” the child’s voice rang out. “You’re lucky I was here to have your back.”

 

“Lucky! Ha! I’ve been cracking skulls long before you floated into the galaxy,” Bron muttered.

 

Just then, the panels above their heads lifted and the light from the hangar came pouring in. Hovering over them were two individuals—Bron and a Terran child. The boy looked to be in his early teens, although he carried himself with the authority of a man, still clinging to the butt of the rifle slung over his back.

 

“Can you believe this kid?” Bron asked, stretching his hand out to Kira. “He takes out three pirates and suddenly he’s the one who saved the day – sort of reminds me of you, Kira.”

 

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

Kira let Bron help her out of the compartment as Thor leaped up next to her. The two men helped the other two out, Thor lifting Alaria with ease and Bron tugging forcefully at Dario's arm.

“Thank you!” Alaria exclaimed as she emerged from the underground bunker. The excitement on her voice quickly faded as her eyes fell on the scenes around her.

 

The hangar was littered with bodies—at least eight Roughneck pirates were lying lifeless on the ground around them. The stench of blood and sweat permeated the air and the heat from the electric blasts and pulsating energy released during the exchange still wafted about.

 

Kira took in the scene quickly and then turned her attention to Bron and his young companion. “Thank you, you didn’t have to help us,” she said.

 

“My pleasure, I think that about puts us even Kira Winter,” Bron said, smiling. “Plus, I wouldn’t live on this desolate rock if some part of me didn’t enjoy the excitement of fighting for my life.”

 

“Me too,” the young boy piped up.

 

Kira looked at him with an amused expression and then glanced back at Bron, waiting for an introduction.

 

“This is Vinnie,” Bron said, wrapping his arm around the boy’s shoulders. “He’s a fiery little shit, but somehow, despite that, he’s someone you’ll never regret keeping around.”

 

“Hey!” Vinnie exclaimed, pulling away from Bron’s embrace.

 

“Vinnie was an orphan, dropped in Vandor and left to rot,” Bron continued. “I’ve taken him in, given him a job, and he repays me by saving my life from time to time.”

 

“Damn right,” Vinnie agreed.

 

Kira recognized the boy as the person who was busy at work when they entered the hangar. From a distance, somehow, he looked bigger than he did up close. Still, he stood nearly shoulder to shoulder with her. Hopefully, for his sake, he still had some growing to do.

 

“I don’t know about you all,” Bron said, turning around and walking back towards the workbench on the opposite wall of the hangar, “but I could use a drink.”

 

“Sounds good to me,” Thor said, following behind him. “What do you have?”

 

Bron reached up into the cabinet hanging over the dust-covered counter and pulled out a bottle of aged Bandurian whiskey.

 

“A little taste of home,” Bron said, turning back to the group.

"It's not my home, but I'll sure as hell drink it," Thor said, grabbing the bottle from Bron's hands and plopping himself down at the makeshift work table in front of the counter.

 

Kira, Alaria, and Dario joined him, all eagerly waiting as Bron rummaged around for glasses. When he finally found enough, he walked over and joined them, Vinnie on his heels. Thor took his time, pouring each drink slowly, careful not to let one drop go astray.

 

“To living to fight another day,” Dario said, grabbing hold of the glass in front of him and lifting it up.

 

The others quickly grabbed for their drinks, eager to toast. Just as Kira reached for the last remaining glass, Vinnie’s hand slipped in and snatched it away. Before she could respond with amused surprise, Bron took hold of the glass from Vinnie and shoved it in her direction.

 

A look of incredulity spread across the young boy’s face.

 

“One of us has to keep his wits about him,” Bron said with a shrug, causing the expression of disbelief on Vinnie’s face to turn to one of purpose.

 

“Maybe all of us, the Arcanum soldiers are still out there, searching for us,” Kira added.

 

“Tell me, Kira, how the hell did you find yourself mixed up with the Arcanum?” Bron asked.

Kira's eyes shifted to Thor, who was sipping slowly on the whiskey in his hand. He looked back at her and nodded as if consenting to her revealing the nature of their mission.

 

After taking a long drink from the glass in her hand, Kira recounted the events that led her to Bron’s hangar. She told of her mission to deliver Thor to Nico Rax, the infamous bounty hunter. She recounted their run-in with the Roughnecks and Dario and Alaria’s heroic stand-off with the pirates that lead to their rescue. She said all she could think of, not leaving out any of the events of the previous few days.

 

“I have a question,” Alaria spoke up. Her cheeks were flushed, and it was clear that the whiskey was already taking its toll on her. “How did we end up here?”

 

Kira laughed, setting her glass down on the table. “Alaria, that’s what I just got done explaining.”

 

“No,” Alaria said, shaking her head quickly. “Here—why are we here?”

 

“I think what Alaria is trying to ask is why you thought to come here. What is your relation to Bron?” Dario explained.

 

"Oh," Kira said, still laughing at the bright red color that was forming on Alaria's pale white cheeks. "I know Bron from way back. He used to serve as a mercenary, helping out the Terran Alliance on high-profile, covert missions. We worked together on a few occasions."

 

“Kira saved my life,” Bron added. “I was a dead man, surrounded by a small Zel’Dar swarm with no hope of escape, and she just swooped in and took them out. I’ve never seen so much tact and precision from a fighter pilot in my life.”

 

Kira blushed, feeling humbled by his words. “It was the least I could do. You were always right there at my side, never shying away from a fight. That’s a great feat, you know. Not many people can keep up with me.”

 

“And I’ll never be the same again,” Bron said with a laugh. “Don’t let this woman’s small size fool you. She’s a hell-raiser. I’m still shaking from the memory of the last mission we went on together—we went head to head with a fleet of Vorion and we had no business winning that fight, yet here we are.”

 

“Oh please,” Kira said, glaring at him. “You’re fine. You’re still breathing aren’t you?”

 

“Maybe, but sleep comes less frequently thanks to flying with you,” Bron said jokingly.

 

“I can fix that,” Dr. Marner spoke up. Everyone turned to look at him, chuckling slightly. “Really, I can.”

 

“We know you can,” Thor said, “but that was a joke.”

 

“Oh, forgive me, I’m afraid I’m not one for humor,” Dario admitted, looking down at his drink dejectedly.

 

“Dario is a very talented doctor and researcher,” Kira explained. “It’s because of him that we’ll be able to stay one step ahead of the Arcanum.”

 

“Speaking of which,” Thor said, swiveling around to face Dario. “Did you get it?”

 

“It’s right here,” Dario said, grabbing hold of the leather bag still hanging over his shoulder and lifting it gingerly to the table.

 

Everyone leaned in to watch as Dario reached down into the bag to retrieve the ever important item they all risked their lives to get back. They all pulled back in surprise when they saw what the contents of the bag actually were – a small black cat emerged from the bag.

 

“A cat?!” Thor yelled. “We went back to that ship for a damned cat?”

 

Dario set the small, black, furry creature down on the table and nodded.

 

“Are you kidding me?” Thor asked, slamming his fist down on the table. “You risked our lives so you could get your pet back?”

 

“This isn’t just my pet,” Dr. Marner said, stroking the cat. “This is Zola.” She mewed affectionately at Dario when she heard her name.

 

As he continued to pet the cat, he pushed it closer in Thor’s direction. Resting his thumb on Zola’s neck, he pushed back a clump of fur, revealing a small cybernetic implant.

 

“What’s that?” Kira asked, hunching in to get a better look at the small, metallic device.

 

“This,” Dario said, detaching the implant and lifting it up for all to see, “is the communication device I use to keep in contact with Thane. I figured with all the running around we’ve been doing, it would be best that I left Zola in possession of the most important piece of technology on our ship.”

 

Dario, still holding onto the small, metallic device, pushed himself up and began initiating the communication channels. “I’m going to check for any new messages,” he informed the group as he paced around behind them.

 

“You have to admit,” Kira said, nudging Thor with her elbow, “that was pretty smart of Dario to hide the communicator on a cat.”

 

Thor sighed, calming down and grabbing for the drink in front of him again. “I suppose,” he admitted.

 

“Nothing new,” Dario announced, returning to the table and taking his seat next to Alaria, who had reached out and taken the cat in her arms.

 

Zola purred contentedly as she nestled close to Alaria. It seemed like, for once, they had found a moment of peace. They all relaxed back in their seats, sipping their drinks and laughing, recounting stories of the lives they had left behind and the adventures they had shared.

 

The peace was short-lived, however, when the hangar’s alarm sounded, informing them with an ominous, shrill cry that someone was just outside. The group instantly fell silent as the alarm continued to ring out, followed by a heavy banging on the large metallic entrance.

 

Thor and Bron jumped up and prepared their weapons. Vinnie was up in an instant and positioning himself behind cover with his assault rifle trained on the entrance to the hangar.

 

Alaria and Dario followed suit, readying their weapons and finding cover.

A chill ran up Kira’s spine as the pounding on the door reverberated through her, causing her pulse to accelerate and her ears to ring.

 

“We know you’re in there!” a deep booming voice called out from the other side of the door. “We’ve come for what you’ve stolen, Bandurian!”

 

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

 

Kira, Thor, Alaria, and Dario all looked back and forth at each other nervously.

 

“Who is it?” Alaria whispered. “Roughnecks? Arcanum?”

 

Kira shrugged. “Whoever it is, they know we’re here.”

 

“They’re not here for you,” Bron said, pushing himself up and walking towards the pseudo office space he had set up in the front right corner of the hangar.

 

He grabbed hold of the screen connected to the camera hanging over the door outside. He spun it around so the group, following close behind him, could see who was there.

 

The rage-filled eyes of three large Vorion males were slicing through the screen, piercing into them as if they could see them all huddled around, looking back at them. Their scale covered faces and green skin shone in the lights of the market outside, and their massive, imposing frames consumed the image completely.

 

“We know you’re in there, Bandurian!” the largest of the three continued to yell. With his eyes fixed on the camera he pushed himself up, pressing his face closer, and the image of his grizzly countenance nearly filling the screen. “No more delays, our patience has worn thin.”

 

“What did you do?” Kira asked in a whisper, eying Bron curiously.

 

“We’ve come for our ship,” the Vorion man answered her question.

"Oh, that figures," Kira said, nodding and leaning back away from the screen. The reptile-looking man continued to stare through the screen with the same furious expression, and his intense gaze was beginning to make her feel uncomfortable.

When it became clear that Bron was not going to answer their demands, the lead Vorion inched away from the camera slowly. He could be seen issuing orders to the other two in his company, and soon after he finished speaking, each of them dispersed and went off screen, leaving their apparent leader staring down the door to the hangar.

 

“Can they break in?” Kira asked Bron.

 

“Not without a great deal of difficulty,” Bron replied. “They’ll prefer to wait us out, but I’m not even sure they’re convinced we’re inside. It could just be bluster.”

 

“It seems like we’re not the only ones with enemies on Vandor,” Kira noted, crossing her arms over her chest.

 

Bron shrugged and began walking back towards the table. “It’s nothing. I’m sure it’ll just blow over when they realize that what they’re looking for has been chopped up and sold for parts.”

 

“Blow over?” Kira scoffed as she and the others slumped back in their chairs. “Seems more like it’s about to blow up. I think you’ve finally stolen the wrong ship, Bron.”

 

“I can take care of them,” Bron said, grabbing his glass and refilling it.

 

The bottle passed around the table again. Despite the desire they all shared to once again create the jovial atmosphere they had enjoyed before, the nervous tension hanging in the air was too great to shake.

 

Vinnie was pouring over the security footage and keeping a close eye on the Vorion right outside their compound.

 

“What now?” Kira asked after taking a long drink from her glass.

"We can't forget our mission," Dario said firmly. "We need to find a way to stop Grimm."

“I agree,” Thor said, slamming his glass down on the table forcefully. “We have to stay focused. We knew we would be facing dangerous enemies when we united in our cause. We have to stop Grimm at all costs.”

 

“I’m with you,” Kira spoke up. “But, how do we plan on going about doing that when we have no ship? No ship means no way back to Earth. No way to Earth, no way to stop Grimm.”

 

“That’s our second biggest issue at the moment,” Thor replied.

 

“Vinnie – what are they up to out there?”

 

“Looks like they’re taking up surveillance positions at each corner of the building,” Vinnie replied to Thor.

 

“Unfortunately, Vorion mercenaries and Arcanum soldiers aside, our most pressing issue is transport,” Dario chimed in.

 

“As long as we’re trapped here on Vandor, our mission is futile,” Dario added.

 

A dejected silence spread through the group. The only sound was Zola’s soft purring, spurred on by Alaria’s constant coddling.

 

“I may be able to help,” Bron said after a long pause.

 

Everyone turned to look at him, with wide-eyes and skeptical hope. “Really?” Kira asked.

 

“If we can get you all out of here in one piece, I have access to a ship,” Bron continued. “I don’t know Colonel Grimm, but by all accounts, it would seem like his life should be forfeit.”

 

“Where is it?” Thor cut in.

 

“It’s in a remote district about an hour away from here, stationed at a dry dock and well hidden,” Bron explained.

 

“Please don’t tell me it’s stolen as well,” Kira said.

 

“Only parts of it,” Bron said, a mischievous smile rippling through his already rigid face. “But, I think you’ll find it suitable for your crew. It’s a small but heavily armed freighter, able to support about 8 crew members. It doesn’t have a name yet,” Bron added. “I constructed it myself from parts of various vessels, that I, uh, came to possess over the last two years.”

 

“Hey! I think you meant we built it,” Vinnie chimed in from across the room, still locked on the security monitors and watching the Vorion closely.

 

Bron grunted in acknowledgment. “It’s not the prettiest, but it’s well built, and she’ll take a beating if it comes to it.”

 

“Okay, this is our only option, let’s figure out our more immediate problems,” Kira responded, referencing the Vorion sentries stationed outside.

 

“It seems like we have a ship!” Dario exclaimed excitedly. The jovial light crept back into his eyes as he wrapped his arm around Alaria and squeezed her tightly.

 

“Bron, this is a lot to ask and even more to give. Are you certain you can do this for us?” Kira asked.

 

“Vinnie and I don’t have a great deal of trouble in the ship department,” he said wryly. “We’ll be back on our feet in no time.”

 

“Thank you, Bron it looks like I’m the one in your debt now,” Kira replied.

 

“We still have to find a way get to the ship—safely,” Thor said.

 

Thor was lost in thought for a moment and then turned his attention to the group. Dario, Alaria, and Thor immediately dove into a fast-paced discussion, plotting their route to the ship and planning for each and every possible scenario that could arise.

 

“Will you come with us?” Kira asked Bron as their conversation began to slow.

 

“No,” Bron said shaking his head. “I have my business here on Vandor and I need to tend to it.”

 

“You’ve been talking about wanting to get off this depressing rock for ages,” Vinnie piped up. “This is the perfect chance!”

 

The boy's clear thirst for adventure was also playing into his urging that Bron join the crew on their mission back to Earth. His eyes sparkled as he pressed his guardian and his hands seemed to shake with pure excitement.

 

“Come on you grumpy bastard,” he begged.

 

“No,” Bron said firmly. “You and I, young man, have to stay here and look after the Hangar. But,” he turned to face Kira and smiled, “we will help ensure that you and the others get to the ship safely.”

 

“We could use some extra firepower where we’re going – are you sure you won’t reconsider?” Thor asked Bron.

 

“I have worked hard to carve out some semblance of normalcy, and I don’t feel like giving that up just yet,” Bron replied.

 

"I understand. That settles it," Thor said. "We will head to the ship tomorrow. The plan is simple, but it should work. We will move in two groups. The first will be led by Bron and will consist of himself, Vinnie, and Dario. Alaria and Kira, you will come with me. We will keep a low profile and always stay within earshot of each other."

 

“All of you should get some rest, Vinnie and I will keep an eye on our Vorion guests and tidy up this mess of pirates,” Bron said, scanning the group. “Thor and I will discuss our route too, in case we do get separated, I want to make sure you have a way there without me.”

 

Everyone agreed and began shuffling around. Vinnie ran to the front of the hangar and returned with an armful of blankets. Dario and Alaria began preparing their make-shift beds while Kira hung back with Thor.

 

“Is it smart that we split up?” she asked, watching Alaria crawl under the blankets on the cold, hard, metal floor panels and tug Zola in after her. Bron was off dragging pirate bodies and depositing them into a large trash receptacle, likely used for large mechanical parts.

 

“The larger the group, the more likely we are to draw attention to ourselves,” Thor explained. “We divided the groups up the best we could. Bron and Vinnie are both able fighters, and I feel confident having you at my side.”

 

“You know, oddly, we seem to work well in combat” Kira replied.

 

Thor shifted, turning to face her. The expression on his face was the same he had the night they spent in the hotel together. It was sincere and serious. When his eyes locked on hers, she felt the unfamiliar tension suddenly form in her stomach again.

 

She smiled up at him and said, “I never thought I’d feel safe around a wanted criminal.”

 

Laughing slightly, he patted her on the shoulder and responded, “That makes two of us.”

 

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

 

The night passed without incident and the next morning, they woke early. Kira wasn’t sure that Thor or Bron had slept. Their heavy steps rang out, startling Kira awake. The two men had huddled together in front of the screens at the front of the hangar. They were panning the camera around, checking the streets to make sure the coast was clear.

 

“How are our Vorion guests doing?” Kira asked.

 

“They tired of their watch halfway through the night and moved on,” Bron replied, looking slightly relieved.

 

“I’m not sure how long we have before they come back, and I’m sure the next visit won’t be so amicable,” he continued.

 

“Alright then, while the advantage is on our side, are we ready to move out?” Kira asked, walking up behind them.

 

Neither of the men turned to face her, but Thor responded over his shoulder. “As ready as we can be.”

 

Alaria and Dario began to move around slowly, waking up and stretching their muscles from the night of rather uncomfortable sleep on the hard floor. Vinnie, however, popped up with more energy than the five of them combined. He raced around the room, checking weapons and making sure they were all fully functional.

 

“Let’s do this!” the boy cried out, hurrying over to them, juggling the eclectic collection of weaponry.

 

Everyone took their weapon, locking them into the loaded position and tucking them under thick, bulky brown robes Bron had provided them.

 

Kira tucked her Phantom in its holster and buried it under a mound of fabric, clearly intended to be worn by someone much larger.

 

When there was nothing left to do, they all walked with purpose towards the large metal doors at the front of the hangar.

 

“Wait thirty seconds,” Bron instructed as he entered a series of codes into the doors control panel. “Then follow behind. Dario, behind me, Vinnie you have our six.”

 

The door’s locking mechanism retracted with a thud, and Bron slowly crossed the threshold from inside the hangar back out into the crowded streets of Vandor.

 

Kira, Thor, and Alaria nodded in agreement as Bron, Vinnie, and Dario, carrying Zola in his leather pouch, ducked out of the building. The instant the door closed in front of them, Alaria ran back to the security view screens and anxiously watched as Bron led the group down the block.

 

When thirty seconds elapsed and the time came, Thor stepped forward and pressed the door release button. Without a word, he slipped out, pressing his back to the building as he waited for his companions to follow behind.

 

As soon as they were out in the open, the group began to move, slowly so as not to draw attention towards themselves, through the streets. Up ahead, Kira could see Bron’s large frame bouncing through the crowd.

 

Shifting her gaze to Thor, who was walking directly in front of her, she focused on keeping a low profile and not letting the feeling of panic that was building in her stomach bubble over. She hated these situations. She hated laying low and keeping her head down. She felt more in control when she was locked in combat. That’s when her senses kicked in and the adrenaline filled her veins, driving her to attack with fervent, calculated strikes.

 

Now, the only thing running through her was the uncomfortable feeling of being exposed and vulnerable.

 

The two groups moved, unnoticed, through the crowded streets of the market. After an hour of navigating the streets of Vandor without incident, they reached the district where Bron had docked the ship, Kira felt herself relax slightly. Bron and the others ahead of them took a quick turn down one of the side streets. Thor, Kira, and Alaria were just about to round the corner after them when a robotic voice burst through the air.

 

“Halt!” the voice demanded.

They turned quickly, and Kira had a hard time processing what she saw. Nearly twenty yards away stood a Rengar, who appeared as much machine as anything else that he was. The typically fur-covered body of the overgrown rodent was hardly fur-covered at all. Most of the surface of his skin was metallic, shining and reflecting the early morning sun, just breaking through the heavy layer of pollution that seemed to permanently shroud Vandor. The mechanized rat had his eyes fixed on Thor, and his hands were clutching tightly to the stock of a long-barreled plasma gun.

 

“Nico Rax,” Thor said under his breath, grabbing hold of Alaria and pushing her around the corner.

"The bounty hunter?" Kira asked in surprise as she reached under her cloak to retrieve her Phantom.

“The one and only,” Thor replied. Turning his focus to Alaria, he ordered, “run to the others. Do not come back for us—you understand? Tell them to get to the ship. No matter what happens, the plan to take down Grimm has to go forward.”

 

Alaria blinked hard and nodded. Just then, Nico Rax let a fury of plasma fire roar from his weapon in their direction. Thor sensed the attack before he could even pull the trigger, and quickly pushed himself forward, shoving Alaria down the street and spinning back around to face Kira.

 

“You can go, too,” he said as she ducked around the corner after him.

 

“Hell no,” she said firmly. “If we can kill this asshole, that’s one less problem we have staring us down. Plus, he’s almost a celebrity in the Bazaar; I’ll never pay for another drink in my life.”

 

“Not really the time to be thinking about your legacy,” Thor chided, as another bolt of plasma slammed into the building he was using as cover.

 

“Alright, time to move, I’ll cover and you fall back. Keep some distance between us, two targets are more difficult than one,” Thor instructed.

 

Kira fell back twenty yards and took up another firing position.

 

“Move!” Kira shouted to Thor.

 

Thor gracefully rolled from cover and moved with inhuman speed to Kira’s side.

 

Rax continued his pursuit, following their movement with precision and covering when they took up firing positions against him.

 

After a few repetitions, the bionic Rengar seemed to tire of their game. With a sudden burst, Rax thrust himself through the air and with two gigantic strides he propelled himself over Kira and Thor’s position, landing directly in front of them.

Kira spun quickly with her Phantom trained on the bounty hunter. She fired two quick shots. Rax leaped up, still clinging to his gun, the beam just missing him. As he came back down to the ground, he trained his weapon on Thor and released a pulsating string of plasma. Thor shifted to the side just in time and grabbed onto Kira's wrist, dragging her behind him as he ran down a less crowded side street.

 

Nico wasn't giving up. He continued to run after them, firing recklessly through the crowd, a few shots nearly finding their mark. Thor was about to turn down another street when out of the corner of her eye, Kira saw Nico leap high into the air, anticipating his targets move and ready to cut them off.

Just as Thor rounded the corner, Kira pulled back on his arm forcefully. “Stop!” she yelled.

 

In that instant, a red-hot blaze of energetic matter buzzed past them, falling in the exact place Thor would have been if she hadn’t stopped him.

 

“Thanks!” Thor muttered, leaning his weight forward and taking off running again.

 

The two of them continued down the street in a full out run now with Rax scaling the walls behind them, darting gracefully from one building to the next.

 

Rax began closing the distance again and Kira dared risk a glance to identify his position. She turned and looked, but saw no sign of him.

 

“Wait!” Kira shouted to Thor.

 

Thor stopped yards away from Kira and pivoted to Rax’s last position with his weapon at the ready.

 

“Where the hell did he go?” Thor asked.

 

In seconds they had their answer, as the bounty hunter crashed down on Kira from above, tackling her to the ground.

 

Landing on his feet, he kept his gun trained on her, his beady eyes glowing as they focused on her.

 

Just as he was about to squeezed the trigger, Thor threw himself forward, knocking the rodent back. Simultaneously, he reached under his robe and pulled out his sidearm. The blast he shot into the Rengar’s chest surged through him, causing him to tumble back to the ground and dive for cover in an alleyway.

 

“He won’t be down for long,” Thor said, reaching out and lifting Kira to her feet. “Let’s move!”

 

“You don’t have to tell me twice,” Kira replied, leaping to her feet uninjured.

 

Kira and Thor ran hard with Thor keeping a pace that Kira could duplicate. They were constantly checking over their shoulder for any sight of their potential assassin.

 

“Why didn’t he kill us?” Kira asked between breaths as they charged through the crowds.

 

“Bounty’s higher if we’re alive,” Thor replied, seeming to have infinite endurance. “For now, that’s working in our favor.”

 

Kira wanted to point out the irony of the situation, but she didn’t have the breath left to spare for a joke at this point.

 

Her heart still pounding in her ears, she felt a slight wave of ease wash over her when they rounded a corner and the dry docks became visible in the distance. Still searching the crowd, her eyes landed on their group.

 

Thor continued to lead the way, running up to them quickly, panting slightly as he said, “we should probably get on that ship.”

 

“Couldn’t agree more,” Bron said, his eyes shooting over Thor’s shoulder.

 

Kira craned her neck around, expecting to see the demonic, robotic rodent running after them. Instead of Nico Rax, though, she saw the three Arcanum soldiers who were guarding Dario’s ship running quickly towards them. Her body once again pumped adrenaline through her system and she spun around, pushing the group forward.

 

“Hurry! Where’s the ship?” she demanded.

 

“Here,” Bron said, leading them towards a small, roughly constructed freighter.

Kira was slightly disillusioned when she saw the metallic mass in front of her. It was unlike any ship she had seen before, and not in a good way. The mismatched parts and worn metal hull had a sad, almost pathetic quality to them. Still, it was all they had.

Bron entered another set of codes into the control panel next to the retractable ramp and after an electronic beep of confirmation, the ramp lowered down to the platform. It shook and stuttered as it dropped, and Kira winced, afraid it might fall off.

As they began boarding the ship, the Arcanum soldiers began to fire on them. The particle beams buzzed in the air and Thor and Vinnie were returning fire from the ship’s ramp. Dario, Kira, Bron, and Alaria all made their way up the ramp one at a time.

 

“Bron! Which way to the flight deck?” Kira yelled.

 

“Straight down the main corridor, don’t turn, you’ll run right into it,” he shouted back in reply as Kira took off.

 

Weapon fire continued to fill the air, and Dario had started to return fire with Thor and Vinnie.

 

“Get in!” Bron shouted to the group and Thor instructed Dario and Vinnie to move first.

 

As they boarded, Thor continued to fire upon the foremost advancing Arcanum soldier and planted two shots on the man’s torso when he recklessly abandoned cover. He dropped to the ground in a heap and Thor used the opportunity to spin out of his own cover and spring up the ramp.

 

Bron quickly hit the retract command on the control panel and the ramp shuddered and rumbled upwards and ended with a firm crunch of metal on metal.

“Is that sealed?!” Alaria asked Bron with a great deal of disbelief.

 

“Won’t know until we’re in space,” Bron shot back to Alaria’s dismay.

 

Thor sprinted off towards the bow of the ship, heading for Kira and the flight deck.

 

As he reached the flight deck he entered to find Kira sitting at the controls and cycling through a series of pre-flight checks.

 

“We have to move, we don’t have much time,” Thor said to Kira.

 

“Yeah, yeah, keep it together tough guy. This rig is a pile, and if I don’t ease it into space we’ll be killed just as we make our escape,” Kira quipped, her eyes glued to the control panels around her.

 

The sound of weapon fire impacting the hull rang out.

 

Kira paused, “Okay, you’re right, we need to move.”

 

She spun around and entered commands to bring the ship's engine systems online. Nothing. She entered them again. Still nothing. The weapon fire continued to pelt the hull.

 

“What the hell is going on, get us out of here,” Bron shouted as he rushed onto the flight deck.

 

“Your ship doesn’t want to fly!” she yelled over her shoulder at Bron.

 

“Damn it,” Bron said, reaching for the comm button and broadcasting ship wide - “Vinnie, get to the engine room and get this rig running!”

 

“Alaria too!” Kira added. “She’s an engineer.”

 

“You heard the captain!” Bron yelled. “Now, go!”

 

Kira continued to work at the controls, familiarizing herself with the odd collection of parts and making sure she was ready to pilot the ship when the time finally came.

After a minute, the sounds of plasma impacting their hull subsided.

 

“Why did they stop?” Bron asked aloud to the group.

 

“Probably went to get a bigger gun,” Thor replied.

 

“Shit,” Bron said.

 

Bron pressed the comm again and called down to the engine room. "Vinnie, Alaria, where are we at?"

“It’s a mess down here, Bron,” Alaria replied. “This place is filthy!”

 

“Are you cleaning or repairing?”

 

“Both,” Alaria replied. “It’s no wonder this thing isn’t working…”

 

Her words were cut short when a heavy cannon fire blasted into the side of the ship. The hull rocked back and forth and Kira had to grab hold of the side of her captain’s chair to remain upright.

 

“Looks like they found a bigger gun,” Kira yelled to no one in particular.

 

“We’re short on time!” Bron yelled into the receiver.

 

“We noticed you big idiot, how about you stay off the comm and let us do our jobs?” Vinnie chimed in, the sarcasm not lost in his anxious tone.

 

Kira continued to re-enter the ignition sequence, holding her breath each time, waiting to hear the hum of the engines firing up. "Thanks for the great ship, Bron," she said sarcastically over her shoulder.

 

“It’s a hell of a lot better than the non-existent one you have,” he countered.

 

Kira squeezed her fist in frustration and entered the command one more time, the control panels in front of her lit up.

 

“Yes! We have engines,” Kira said.

 

“Stay low on exit, that cannon fire will find a home easier if you take a high trajectory,” Thor interjected.

 

“Right, thanks,” Kira replied, thankful for Thor’s tactical expertise at that moment.

 

Kira throttled up and their ship lifted off the landing platform with surprising ease.

 

“At least she has some power Bron,” Kira said over her shoulder.

 

“I told you, it’s not pretty but it’s more than it looks,” Bron replied triumphantly.

 

The comm system beeped a call of attention and Alaria nearly shouted, “We’re getting somewhere, engines up and operating well, despite the dust. We should have the sensor array online in a few moments and Vinnie’s working on the weapon and defense arrays.”

 

Kira continued to pilot the ship low on the horizon, and as they maneuvered away from the dry docks she could see Nico Rax watching helplessly from the ground.

 

She directed Thor’s attention to the bounty hunter, “Persistent little asshole, isn’t he?”

 

“Yes, unfortunately, I highly doubt we’re done with him yet – he doesn’t take setbacks well” Thor responded.

 

Kira began to increase their speed and the market began to drift away below them and the polluted atmosphere of Vandor gave way to clearer and darker skies as they ascended towards space.

 

Just then, the sensor array beamed to life and Kira was greeted with more bad news.

 

“Two on our tail,” Kira said to the group.

 

“Don’t get too comfortable just yet, it appears they’re not ready to concede our escape,” Kira said, her eyes still locked on the sensor array.

 

Bron grunted as he pushed himself back up and rushed over to the comm. “Vinnie, Alaria, we need shields,” he ordered.

 

“I bet you do,” Alaria replied, “but we’re still working on the weapons and defense arrays.”

 

“Great, we’re unarmed and unprotected,” Kira bemoaned.

 

“I’m afraid so,” Alaria said.

 

“Damn it, what are you two doing down there?” Bron said.

 

“Drinking tea,” Alaria quipped. “What do you think we’re doing?”

 

“Whatever you’re doing, you’re not doing it fast enough. Get those arrays online!”

 

“I already told you to stay off the comm and let us work, so unless you’re planning to come down here and help we’d prefer it if you shut up for the time being,” Vinnie shot back.

 

“You let him talk to you like that?” Kira asked with a wry smile as she worked evasive maneuvers against their pursuers.

 

“Yes, unfortunately, he has no off switch, another quality of his that reminds me of you,” Bron replied, rolling his eyes.

 

Kira continued to maneuver the ship as best she could, but her lack of experience with this vessel was slowing her down. She barely had the basic controls identified and now she was in a high-speed chase.

 

“They’re closing on us,” Thor said as he watched the sensor array intently.

 

“I see it,” Kira replied, her tone conveying that she knew exactly what was happening.

 

Suddenly, one of the ships behind them opened fire. Kira tightened on the controls and drove the ship to the right, the beam rushing past them.

 

Both of their pursuers continued to close and after a few moments, both began to fire. This time, Kira sent the ship into a spiral, falling back down to the planet they had just escaped. As the unmarked vessels followed behind, she turned sharply to the left and drove the ship back up, towards space.

 

“I can’t keep this up all day!” she yelled.

 

Their pursuers were climbing quickly, gaining on them. Another beam of energy flew past them and the sensor array was pinging repeatedly, warning them of the danger.

 

Clenching her jaw, she attempted to pull all of her focus. "Shut those sensors off!" she ordered, the ringing was beginning to grate at her.

 

Thor rushed forward to switch the sensor array off and Kira sent the ship into another free fall dive. Thor was thrown forward, slightly, but regained his balance quickly. Bron, on the other hand, tumbled onto the ground behind her.

 

“Bet you’re thankful for those enhancements now,” Kira said, shooting Thor a playful smile.

 

“I can’t tell if you joking during combat is sadistic or stress management,” Thor said back.

 

“Can’t it be a little of both?” Kira retorted.

 

Bron continued to tumble around on the ground, cursing loudly behind them as she pulled the ship up again. Kira didn’t notice, but one of their pursuers didn’t follow them upwards this time.

 

The next dive she made put her directly in front of the vessel that didn’t make the climb.

 

“Shit, missed that,” Kira said, realizing her mistake.

 

“Shields are up!” Alaria’s voice came ringing over the comm.

 

“Ha! Perfect timing,” Kira replied.

 

“Weapons array is working, too,” Vinnie added.

 

“Bron, stop playing around back there and figure out how to get some fire in their direction!” Kira ordered.

 

“Damn you, Kira,” Bron called out as he regained his footing. “Thor, with me, there are starboard and port mounted pulse cannon turrets, let’s return some fire.”

 

They dashed off in unison and made their way to their respective turrets.

 

The ship in front of them sent another beam surging towards them. This time, Kira kept to her course, praying that the ship’s shields would be able to deflect the blast. The orange beam flew at them quickly, causing the ship to shudder and the lights to flicker.

 

Undeterred, Bron and Thor began to fire on the ships. Thor’s accuracy amazed her. He was able to keep the ship sighted despite Kira’s frenetic flight pattern, and his shots were finding a home.

 

“Pull up!” Thor ordered her, just before unleashing a torrent of cannon fire at his target.

 

Kira’s view screen became filled with a yellow-orange glow as the unmarked vessel imploded in on itself. The aftershock was coming quickly, Kira knew, so she drove the ship upwards, avoiding the disruptive aftershocks.

“The other ship is dead in the water, engines are offline,” Bron called out over the comm system.

 

Kira watched with interest as the vessel’s distance from them continued to increase and Thor and Bron re-entered the flight deck.

 

"Why do I do this to myself?" Bron muttered. "Why do I continue to get on a ship with you, when I know full well it's a bad idea?"

 

“It wasn’t that bad,” Kira said, evening the ship out and beginning to pull up their nav system to enter a course for home. “Don’t be dramatic, that’s not very Bandurian.”

 

Bron let out a loud, incredulous scoff and Thor chuckled, slumping down in the co-pilot’s chair to her right and released a quiet sigh of relief.

 

“Yet another close one, good flying ace,” Thor said with a smile.

“Thanks, good shooting on your part, you’d think you were a cybernetic super soldier or something,” Kira playfully replied.

 

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

 

After they had put a comfortable amount of distance between them and Vandor, Kira initiated the ship’s autopilot and communicated to the others to join her, Bron, and Thor on the flight deck.

"Looks like you two are stuck with us for the time being," she said to Bron and Vinnie once the others had shuffled into the now slightly cramped room.

 

“It’s fine,” Bron muttered. “I never liked Vandor. Besides, those Vorion assholes won’t be able to find me now, and Vinnie gets a chance to see something other than the Bazaar.”

 

“Good,” Dario said, stepping forward, “we’re going to need all the help we can get.”

 

“What’s our plan, then?” Alaria asked.

"I think our best option is to go directly to the Terran High Command and make a case against Grimm," Dario explained. "With Thor's testimony and the notes I kept during my time working with him, I think we have enough to at least initiate a full-fledged investigation."

 

“We might need a little more than that,” Kira said.

 

“It’s all we have,” Dario replied with a slight shrug.

 

“Maybe,” Kira said, crossing her arms over her chest. “What about Admiral Artanis?”

 

Admiral Artanis, the commanding officer that took over her fleet after Grimm was promoted had, on occasion, expressed his dislike of the newest Arcanum forces leader.

 

“They’ve been long-time rivals and as far as I know, there is no love between the two,” Kira explained. “They’ve secretly hated each other for years and competed for the same promotions many times over. Artanis’ name carries weight and might make it easier for us to get proper due with Terran High Command. We need to speak to him, alone, before we go any further.”

 

“Will you be able to convince him to meet with us?” Dario asked.

 

“I don’t think it’ll be a problem,” Kira replied.

 

“Then I believe it’s worth trying,” Dario said.

 

“Alright, up until now this has been a pretty loose operation due to the, well, weird series of events over the past few days. Going forward, we’re going to have to organize ourselves, especially now that we’re running a ship,” Kira continued, her captain’s instincts coming out in full now.

 

“So here’s how we’ll set up this crew – Bron, and Thor will be our security officers, and each will lead fire teams when we’re not on the ship. You’ll both be responsible for weapons and defense arrays aboard the ship as well as maintaining personal arms for the crew.”

 

“Alaria will be our chief engineer and you and Vinnie will be responsible for this ship’s maintenance and operation,” Kira carried on.

 

“Dario is obviously medical, and Zola, well I guess she’s our therapy animal.”

 

“Any objections?” Kira finished.

 

“No, captain,” Thor replied proudly, and the others nodded in unison.

 

“Alright then, we have a mission – let’s get started, Alaria, where are we at with the warp system?” Kira said.

 

“Well,” Alaria said, setting the cat down and turning her attention to the group. “The ship needs some work and the warp system is going to take some coaxing to be reliable. Unfortunately, the ship is in a state of serious disrepair. Couple that with the virtual lack of supplies and equipment, and we’re at a serious disadvantage at the moment.”

 

“Shocking,” Kira said sarcastically.

 

“I haven’t given up hope on her yet,” Alaria added quickly. “I just need a little more time, and some extra hands to help with the work.”

 

“It’s my ship and if anyone can get her working right, it’s me,” Bron said stepping forward.

 

“Hey!” Vinnie objected. “I’m starting to sense that you don’t want to give credit where it’s due – we both know who did the majority of the work here!”

 

“Are you two seriously arguing about who gets to claim responsibility for this pile of flying garbage?” Kira blurted out.

 

“Well, if it’s a matter of pride, we better get to it, then,” Bron said, stepping towards the door. “The rest of you can explore the ship, find your rooms, and make yourselves comfortable.”

 

“If that’s even possible,” Kira shot back at Bron sarcastically.

 

“I forgot how much you talk,” Bron replied in jest. The rest of the crew chuckled at the banter.

 

“Private rooms are better than none, I’m sure some of you will want some rest for the journey ahead, let’s get moving,” Bron said as he left the flight deck.

 

They agreed and Thor, Dario, and Zola followed Bron and the others out of the Flight Deck.

 

“You coming?” Thor asked Kira over his shoulder.

 

“I’ll be along in a minute,” she said. “I just need to make sure navigation’s all set up here.”

 

Thor nodded and disappeared out the door. Kira turned back to the control panels in front of her. She had a meticulous system for checking and re-checking the instruments before entrusting the auto-pilot to take over full control. It took her slightly longer than it normally would, seeing as the ship was strange and unfamiliar to her. But, finally, she pushed her chair back and stood to her feet.

 

She took a moment and breathed deeply. The view of infinite space staring back at her from the view screen was always comforting. After a moment of reverie, Kira turned and walked off the flight deck.

 

No one was around when she emerged. Her steps echoed off the tiled floors as she wandered around, searching for the ship’s sleeping quarters. She moved slowly, though. Lost in her thoughts, replaying all of the recent events that had taken her life way off its intended course, she found herself enjoying the silence.

 

As she thought back on the last few days, she found herself becoming impassioned. While at the outset, the cause she had found herself tangled up with wasn’t hers, she now felt as if her level of personal investment was high.

 

They were still uncertain of what Grimm was planning, but they knew in their hearts it wasn’t anything good. As she remembered Thor’s story of his time trapped in the Arcanum experiments, a horrified shudder ran down her spine. No matter what Grimm was planning, what he was already doing was evil enough on its own.

 

As she continued to contemplate everything, she turned down a short hallway. There were doors lining the walls, and she assumed she had found what she was looking for. Stopping at the second door on the left, she ran her hand over the switch and the carved out entryway slid open.

 

She stepped in, still lost in her thoughts, and the door whooshed shut behind her. To her surprise, she found that the room was already occupied.

 

Thor stood up quickly and looked at her, confused. Again, he was shirtless, a state she found herself suddenly unopposed to.

 

“Oh,” she said, stepping back, her cheeks burning red with shock and embarrassment. “I thought this room was empty.”

 

“Right,” he said, rolling his eyes. “You just can’t stay away from me.”

 

“It’s not for lack of trying,” Kira shot back at him.

 

He crossed his arms over his chest, the muscles in his arms flexing slightly as he moved, and eyed her skeptically. “If you say so,” he said with a shrug.

 

She turned to walk out of the room, feeling his eyes burning into her back. Just as she reached for the door release, she paused.

 

“Thanks,” she said, turning back around to face him. “For earlier—with the bounty hunter. You saved my life.”

 

“I owed you,” he said, smiling. “You stopped me from running straight into the line of fire.”

 

“How did you not know that was coming?” she asked, stepping towards him. “I mean, you’re always so aware of everything going on around you.”

 

He slumped back down on the bed and looked up at her. “My focus was on something else at the time,” he admitted.

 

“Your focus was on something other than the robotic super assassin chasing us through the streets of the Bazaar, firing red-hot plasma at us?” she asked with a slight laugh. Crossing the room, she sat down next to him. “Seems unlikely.”

 

“In that instant, I was worried about getting you to safety,” he said, shifting his body around to face her.

 

“Excuse me?” she said, backing away from him slightly and looking at him with an expression of surprise. “You were worried about me?”

 

“Yes,” he replied.

 

“Thor, if you haven’t noticed, I’m more than capable and I don’t need protection…”

 

Her words cut off when he stood up quickly and took a step towards her. The space between them was small, and his massive frame hovered over her.

 

She moved to take a step back from him, but he quickly reached out and grabbed onto her wrist. When she spun back around and looked up at him, she was surprised to see a smile playing at the corners of his mouth.

 

“I know,” he said, looking slightly surprised at his own words. “I know you’re strong and capable, Kira. I know you don’t need me to protect you.”

“That’s right, so don’t risk your own life on account of my safety, what we’re trying to do here seems, somehow, bigger than all of us,” Kira replied.

 

The surprised expression on his face melted away and the smile once again formed on his lips. “You’re something else,” he said to her, his voice soft. “I’m standing here, telling you that I care about you, and all you can think about is the mission.”

 

“You what?” she asked, her eyes suddenly wide.

 

“You heard me,” he said. Still holding onto her arm, he sat down on the bed, pulling her down with him. “You’re so unlike any person I’ve ever met before. You’re driven and focused, you’re intelligent and by far the best damn pilot I’ve ever seen.”

 

She felt her cheeks flushing red as he continued. She wanted to speak, but again she found herself in the unfamiliar state of speechlessness.

 

“You’re stubborn as hell, and you don’t take shit from anyone. You haven’t stopped surprising me since we met, Kira.”

As he spoke, she felt her stomach begin to turn to knots. Her heart started to race and her head swam with a flustered confusion, processing his words quickly, but not completely absorbing them.

 

She stared into his eyes, searching them. She wanted to push her attraction to him from her mind. She wanted to drive out the feelings she knew she had developed for him, but as hard as she fought to do so, she couldn't.

“Oh,” she replied, unable to say anything else.

 

Thor moved his hand from hers and slowly drifted his fingers up her arm, sending shivers running along her spine. By the time he reached her shoulder, she was already reaching up with her other hand to wrap it around his neck.

 

Their lips came together quickly, almost as if the tension that had built up around them was pushing them towards each other. He wrapped his hand around her arm, holding her tightly and pulling her into him.

 

The feeling of his lips pressed against hers sent a rush of excitement surging through her. Her hand shook as she ran her fingers through his hair. When he began to lean back onto the bed, her body followed him. It was as if her longing was controlling her, urging her to stay as close to him as possible, driving her to topple forward with him, still clinging to him tightly.

As they lay back on the bed, she dropped her hands to his chest, feeling the pounding of his heart against her palm. The feeling of his skin, taut and tight, stretched perfectly over his muscles, was enticing. She felt her stomach tighten with desire as they melted into each other, letting the moment wash over them.

 

She ran her fingers over his bare skin, feeling the gentle rise and fall of his chest as his breathing became heavy and his movements more passionate.

 

“This doesn’t mean I’m okay with you acting as if I’m completely helpless and unable to take care of myself,” she whispered as he began to run his hands over her body.

 

He slipped his hand under her shirt, his fingers delicately sliding over her skin, sending shivers of longing and anticipation radiating through her. Leaning in and kissing her neck softly, he whispered, "There’s nothing helpless about you."

 

“And you had better remember that,” she said as she pulled back from him slightly, staring down at him intently.

 

“Yes, Captain,” he replied firmly, a playful smile spreading across his face.

 

“Good,” she said, reaching down to pull her shirt off over her head, “a man that can follow orders. I like that.”

 

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

 

The next morning, Kira slipped out of Thor's room before any of the others woke up. Regardless of what went on between them, they had both agreed that keeping things professional was their main concern. In an effort to do that, they also agreed that keeping their relationship a secret, for the time being, was the best course of action.

 

In addition, Kira made him swear to treat her like any of the others in their group.

 

“No worrying about me; no protecting me; nothing,” she said firmly.

 

“Deal,” he said as he walked her to the door.

 

Instead of trying to find a room of her own and running the risk of stumbling into someone else’s, she went down to the mess hall. It wasn’t long after she had prepared herself a bowl of oatmeal that the others began to drift in.

 

The first to arrive was Dario, followed closely by Alaria. She looked as if she were still half-asleep, and slumped herself down in the seat across from Kira without so much as a “good morning.”

 

Dario rushed off to find them something to eat as Bron and Vinnie came slowly wandering in. Thor was close behind them, and by the time Dario returned, juggling bowls and spoons, oatmeal and water, they had all taken their seats around the table.

 

“We fixed it,” Alaria finally spoke, her words heavy with sleep. “We fixed the warp system.”

 

“We were up working most of the night,” Bron added. He, too, spoke slowly, his words nearly slurring from exhaustion.

 

“So, that means we can go to Earth, right?” Vinnie asked excitedly. He was clearly the only one of the three who was not still feeling the effects of the long night’s work.

 

“Yes,” Kira said, finishing her oatmeal and pushing the bowl away from her. “Finish eating and I’ll start preparations.”

As she pushed herself up from the table, Zola leaped up into her seat and began sniffing at the air.

“Awe,” Alaria cooed, “she’s so cute.”

 

“I’m glad I can be replaced so easily,” Kira remarked as she turned to walk away.

 

Just then, Zola’s implant began to let out a quiet, but audible alert. The melodic sound bounced off the walls and echoed lightly through the room.

 

“Wait, what does that mean?” Kira asked, turning to walk back towards the group.

 

“A message, a message from Thane,” Dario said, reaching across the table and removing the implant from Zola’s neck. He moved with the excited, clumsy movements of a schoolboy in love. As he pulled the Holo Transmitter back to him, he quickly and eagerly initiated the message.

 

The image of Grimm’s young aid spilled out of the device, propelling upward. Dario set the transmitter on the table and backed up, taking in the image of his beloved with heartfelt emotion.

 

The contents of the message quickly cast out the look of excited longing from his eyes, though. The entire crew crowded around, watching the small man in the hologram move around nervously, wringing his hands and running his fingers through his hair as he spoke.

"Dario," he said, his words small and quick. As he spoke, he continued to pace back and forth, his eyes darting about wildly, as if his brain were trying to process what his mind was seeing. "It's bad. I… I don't know what happened. He acted without warning. I had no idea what was going on. Grimm’s forces ambushed the Terran fleet. It's happening—the coup. That's what he's been planning—a coup against the Terran High Command. He made off with a small fleet—freighters, battlecruisers and more than I know, I’m sure. The Terran Forces are floundering."

 

He stopped pacing suddenly and turned to face the camera. His eyes burned through the hologram, causing a terrified chill to run up Kira's spine. "I'm not safe here. No one is! He's gone mad! He's completely mad with power. He won't stop—this is only the beginning."

 

And then the message cut out. A haunting silence fell over the group as the light sucked back into the transmitter. Kira felt her blood run cold and her arms became covered in goosebumps.

 

“What?” she whispered. “What does all that mean?”

 

Dario reached out for the holo transmitter, holding it tightly. His eyes were filled with tears of worry and concern and his hands shook violently. He attempted to speak, but his words caught in his throat.

 

Alaria rushed across the room, switching on the large screen suspended from the ceiling in the far corner of the room. She began to scroll through the news networks, tuning the receiver to the Galactic News Network.

 

“…and a sizable military component has broken away,” the reporter said.

 

Across the bottom of the screen, emergency notices flashed, warning the Terran population of the military coup that was unfolding across their empire. Behind the woman, images of the Terran High Command on earth were being shown. The building was engulfed in smoke and civilians worked alongside the fire patrol drones to put out the remaining flames.

 

“The leader of the rebel movement has made it clear that he is not looking to negotiate. The planet is in a state of all-out war,” the reporter’s words rang out.

 

“That’s what this has all been about,” Thor spoke up, walking across the room and turning the screen off. “A coup. Grimm wants to destroy the Terran High Command. He wants to take the power for himself. He’s been quietly building the capacity to do so with these experiments.”

 

“This means the Terran Alliance is locked in a civil war,” Kira noted, her eyes still fixed on the black screen. Her mind continued to replay the images of the High Command Headquarters, surrounded by smoke and flame, over and over again.

 

“Our plan,” Alaria said remorsefully. “How will we go to the High Command when it looks as if there is no High Command to go to?”

"It doesn't matter at this point," Thor said, crossing his arms over his chest. "They know what Grimm is doing. There's no question about that anymore—no need to oust him."

“What do we do now?” Kira asked, turning around to face the group.

 

“We go back to Earth!” Dario exclaimed. “We have to! We have to help in any way we can! We have to save him…” his voice drifted off as the memory of Grimm’s aide, pleading for help, once again shook through him.

 

“Agreed,” Thor said vehemently. “We need to fight. He has to be stopped before his sadistic plans drive him to carry out his experiments on innocent civilians.”

 

A weak spark of energy started to spread through the room. Kira felt it, as did Bron, apparently. He stepped forward, nodding his head with purpose and said, “I can’t very well sit on the sidelines for this one. The Hangar is damned, Vinnie, we’re going!”

 

Vinnie jumped with excitement, pumping his fist through the air.

 

Everyone turned their focus on Kira, waiting for her to join in their battle cries. She scanned their faces, seeing the look of determination in Bron’s eyes, the pleading in Dario’s, and the fiery zeal in Thor’s.

 

“Let’s go get ourselves into a fight,” she said, a small smile forming at the corners of her mouth.

 

Propelled forward by the energy in the room that continued to increase, she marched determinedly towards the flight deck. As she lowered herself down into the pilot’s seat, she drove the ship forward with purpose, firing up the warp system and sending the vessel screaming through the stars.

She had no idea what they were racing towards. She had no way of knowing what they would find when they finally made it back to her home planet.

 

What she was sure of, though, was that it wouldn't be the same place she left behind. Then again, she wasn't the same person who had taken on the mission to deliver an unidentified prisoner to a galactic bounty hunter.

 

She wasn't the same person that lived only for her work. She had a new purpose in her life now and Grimm had given it to her.

 

She was willing to do whatever she could to stand up for what she believed in and to set right everything that had quickly and suddenly gone wrong.

 

Just then, Thor came onto the flight deck and sat down in the co-pilot's chair beside her. She looked over wordlessly at Thor who locked his eyes on hers.

 

“You may not need protecting, but do me a favor anyway, and try not to die on me,” Thor said.

 

“No promises,” Kira replied. “But, so far, being alive around you hasn’t been half bad so I’ll do my best to keep it that way.”

 

Thor chuckled slightly and leaned over, pulling her head to him and kissing her softly.

 

He pulled away gently, and strapped himself into the co-pilot's chair, “Alright then, let’s go get this son of a bitch!”