Chapter Nine
Victoria was surprised to feel as though something was missing once Kyree had removed the enormous silicone plug from her bottom. The other woman had taken the plug out with more haste than Victoria would have liked. She could see, though, that there was some sort of emergency unfolding and the pain had been only fleeting.
Sitting on a stool in the medical bay, she shifted from side to side, trying to get used to the sudden emptiness. She had not yet fully recovered from the force of the climax she’d experienced. Her heartbeat hadn’t yet calmed and the warmth in her cheeks told her that her face was still flushed. It was weird to think that, just a few moments ago, she had enjoyed the most intense bliss of her life. Now, she was sitting here alone, becoming increasingly tense as they waited to find out why the alarm had been sounded. The switch in the atmosphere was so abrupt, it had left her feeling a little dazed.
On the other side of the room, Kyree was speaking to someone on the communications device. Victoria couldn’t hear what was being said but, from the tense body language Kyree was exhibiting, it was obvious that something pretty bad had happened. Her fears were confirmed when two large Taar-Breckian males in crisp white uniforms burst into the room and quickly gathered medical supplies before hurrying out again. The urgency with which they moved was not a good sign.
“There has been an incident,” Kyree told Victoria as she came and took a seat next to her. “A large passenger shuttle that was traveling from Earth to dock with us has been attacked. There were several casualties.”
Victoria’s brow crumpled as she digested the news. She was aware, of course, that there was conflict in the universe but had never really understood the specifics. The High Council kept women in the dark about such things; about all things, really. Any information she’d gleaned from listening in on private conversations had been superficial.
“Who attacked the shuttle?” she asked.
“It must have been the Bylanthians.” Kyree’s lips formed a moue of disgust. “They’ve never entered this sector before, but they have been getting bolder recently. They’ve increased their raids on our outposts.”
Victoria nodded. She knew almost nothing about the Bylanthians, except for the fact that they were the mutual enemy the Taar-Breckians protected Earth from.
“Why would they attack a passenger shuttle?” she asked.
“Because they’re barbarians,” Kyree spat out. “Animals. Just look what they did to Allik.”
Shock passed across Kyree’s face and it was obvious to Victoria that she hadn’t meant to say anything. Victoria took a moment to process what she’d said about Allik being hurt by the Bylanthians. She had realized, of course, that something awful must have happened for him to end up with those horrible scars on his face and body. What she hadn’t considered was that the wounds might have been inflicted on him deliberately. Seeing that the other woman was upset about blurting out something she hadn’t intended to, Victoria took pity. Even though her curiosity had been piqued, she chose not to press for more information about what Allik had gone through.
“Why would the Bylanthians try to destroy a passenger shuttle and not a warship?”
“They don’t have the weapons to take down our bigger vessels,” Kyree said and then paused to think. “You know, one of our lieutenants was on board so he may have been the target.” She took another thoughtful pause and then shook her head. “But I don’t see how they could have known he would be there.”
“Perhaps someone told them,” Victoria ventured.
“That is the obvious answer,” Kyree agreed. “But it’s highly unlikely that any of our people betrayed him. Loyalty is everything to us.” She fell silent once more.
Victoria suspected from the almost accusing way Kyree was looking at her that she was thinking the same thing she was—someone from Earth had passed on details of the lieutenant’s movements.
Kyree shook her head, signaling that it wasn’t something she wanted to dwell on right now. “Anyway, that is a matter for our intelligence officers. Allik and his team will figure it out.”
“Allik?”
“Yes,” Kyree replied. “He has gone out to the shuttle to investigate.”
“Won’t that be dangerous?”
“I doubt the Bylanthians have waited around,” Kyree sneered. “They’re nothing but cowards. Besides, a whole squadron has gone after them. Allik will be quite safe and he can take care of himself, you know.”
“Of course.” Victoria felt as though she’d been chastised for expressing fear for Allik’s safety. She cleared her throat. “You mentioned there were casualties. Is anyone badly hurt?”
“Two humans are dead,” Kyree responded, her tone grave. “Three of our people are badly wounded and others have minor injuries. The rest escaped unscathed, which is good because we are going to be overstretched. This ship has only two trained medics on board and an apprentice. We have never needed more than that before now.”
“What can I do?”
“You should return to Allik’s rooms,” Kyree replied. “Can you find your way back there?”
“I could, but I’m not going to.” Victoria’s tone was firm. For once in her life, she intended to make herself useful. “I meant, what can I do to help you?”
Uncertainty was written all over Kyree’s face. Her eyes bored into Victoria’s as though trying to read her mind. She looked her up and down, apparently assessing whether the young woman was actually good for anything apart from being a sexual plaything. For a moment, Victoria was worried that Kyree was about to repeat her suggestion that she go back to Allik’s quarters. She could think of nothing worse than pacing about those stark little rooms waiting for news. It would be far better to spend her time here where she might actually be able to prove her worth. She braced herself for rejection but then the other woman began to nod slowly.
“Very well,” Kyree said. “You may stay and help. Can you sew?”
“Basic stitches, yes.”
“We don’t need anything fancy,” Kyree responded dryly. “Alright, then, you can help with the minor injuries. I want you to clean wounds, apply stitches where necessary, and then send the patients off to rest in the recovery room through there.” She pointed to a door on the left. “Do you think you can do that?”
“Yes.” Victoria’s voice exuded a confidence she didn’t feel.
Kyree gave her another appraising look. She still seemed unsure about whether to involve Victoria in treating the injured or send her away.
“Right, then, let me show you a few things.” Apparently, Kyree had made up her mind to give Victoria a chance to help out. “The first of the wounded will be arriving at any moment, so there isn’t much time.”
She led Victoria over to a medical station tucked away in the corner of the room, most likely because she wouldn’t be in anyone’s way there. The compact space had a bed that patients could sit on, a stool for her, and some cabinets on the wall. There was a screen that could be closed to allow for privacy, but she doubted she would use it. She needed the reassurance of knowing that there were others close by if she ran into difficulties.
“You will work here.” Kyree took a large metal tray from one of the cabinets and ripped the foil seal from it. There were several instruments and various tubes with ointments in them and Kyree began to point each of them out in turn. “That gel is for burns. The spray is for cleaning wounds and there’s a kit for stitching deeper cuts. There’s no time to show you how to use the diagnostic tablet right now, so you’ll have to use your own judgement. You can use the same needle for different Taar-Breckians as we don’t transmit disease in the way your people do. If a human is brought in, you’ll need to open a new kit.” She paused as though trying to remember what other important information Victoria would need. “Oh, and there are some analgesics in pre-loaded syringes. Just stick the needle into the neck here.” Kyree pointed to a spot just above her collarbone, waited for Victoria’s nod of acknowledgement and then carried on. “Only use the syringe if a patient tells you they’re in pain. Taar-Breckians do not complain of pain lightly, so if they do mention it, you will know it is severe enough to require relief.”
“Okay,” Victoria agreed, trying not to feel completely overwhelmed before any of the casualties had even been brought in. It was vital that she stayed calm and tried to process all the information Kyree had given her. She was terrified that everything she’d been told would fly right out of her head the moment she was called to action.
“There are sterile dressings in the cabinet if you need them. My colleagues and I will have our hands full with the critical cases, so please call on us only in an emergency,” Kyree instructed her.
“Right.” Victoria’s nervousness could not be disguised. When she’d offered her help, she’d expected to be asked to mop the medics’ brows and fetch things for them. She hadn’t for one moment thought that she would actually be entrusted with tending to the wounded. She and her friends in the Hyde Ladies’ Circle had read a lot of books on medical issues and they’d secretly practiced first aid techniques. Unfortunately, suturing wounds and administering injections hadn’t been part of it.
“You will be fine.” Kyree patted her arm reassuringly. “Our race is strong and you will be looking after only those with cuts and bruises so you won’t do any damage. Trust your instincts, Victoria, and all will be well.”
Victoria nodded, determined that she would not let Kyree down.
She looked up as the door swung open and a wounded male was brought in on a stretcher that hovered above the ground. His tattered uniform was soaked in a dark, almost purple-colored blood and, even from a distance, she could tell that there was a gaping wound in his chest.
“Oh, here we go.” Kyree sounded almost eager. “Good luck, Victoria.”
“You too,” Victoria replied, but the other woman was already rushing away.
Taking a step back, Victoria found her stool. She perched tentatively on it and watched as Kyree and one of the male medics transferred the injured man from the stretcher onto a table. They gathered round him and Kyree scanned his body with what Victoria assumed was the diagnostic tablet she’d mentioned. A moment later, she read the information from the screen and began to shout out orders. For a moment, Victoria felt as though she might throw up. Bizarrely it was not the blood that bothered her but the tension in the atmosphere. It was too much. What on Earth had possessed her to volunteer to help?
Before there was time to come up with an answer to that question, she heard someone shout “over there” and then a Taar-Breckian male came staggering toward her. Her first patient. Blood flowed profusely from a gash on his forehead. Victoria closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She could do this. If she was ever going to show people she was more than just a pretty face, she had to.
* * *
Allik stood amidst the wreckage of the shuttle’s main cabin and watched as the last of the medical evacuation pods was sent on its short journey back to the military transport ship. He had arrived here shortly after the initial response team and by the time he had boarded, most of the passengers had been evacuated. It was a relief that the last of the dead and injured had now been taken off the shuttle. He could get on with his job without the distraction of dealing with them.
It was up to Allik to survey the damage and form a first impression of what had happened here. Clearly, there had been an explosion in the fuel cells that had ripped up through the floor in this part of the ship. That could have been caused by a well-targeted shot from a laser cannon. The specialists would determine exactly what had occurred here when the shuttle was brought back to Taar-Breck for further examination.
Charring on some of the seats and the floor told Allik that fire had broken out. Fortunately, the crew appeared to have done what they were trained for and extinguished it before it could spread. It hadn’t reached the other compartment that was reserved for the most important passengers, including his superior officer, Lieutenant Taryn, whose personal transport was currently out of commission. Allik made a mental note to ask Taryn about that later. It seemed too much of a coincidence that the shuttle had been targeted when he was on board.
Given the extent of the damage, it was a miracle that almost everyone had survived. Although several of his people had been critically injured and two of the humans who’d been on board were killed instantly, most of the passengers and crew had walked away entirely unscathed. Taryn and his new human mate had been amongst those to escape without so much as a scratch. Allik thanked the stars for the ship’s highly efficient life support systems. The oxygen supply had been maintained and the anti-gravitational mechanism had remained intact. That had undoubtedly saved lives.
As Allik captured detailed images of the scene to share with his colleagues in the intelligence division, he sighed and shook his head. It was hard to make sense of what had happened. The physical evidence painted a clear enough picture but the motivations for the attack were another matter. He found it odd that the Bylanthians had suddenly changed their tactics and hit a civilian spacecraft. Up until now, all engagements had been against military targets. The conflict had been bloody and brutal but there had been some semblance of honor maintained as both sides kept the fight between trained men. This attack on innocents was new and unexpected and Allik didn’t like it one bit. It reeked of cowardice. Unlike some of his people, that was not something Allik would ever have accused the Bylanthians of.
He looked over the data that was being sent to his tablet by the men in his squadron who were out scanning the area for their enemy. Something about their findings bothered Allik. There was no sign of a large Bylanthian vessel in the vicinity. The kind of small ship that the crew had reported seeing when they made their distress call had a very short range. They couldn’t have got this far from home on their own. They had to have launched from somewhere nearby. If there was no transport vessel, then where had it come from? Allik didn’t want to think about the glaringly obvious conclusion. Their enemy must have somehow managed to establish a base on Earth. If that was the case, it meant the humans had betrayed them.
“Allik.” His colleague, Rylan, pulled him from his thoughts. Allik watched as the other man approached, a look of uncharacteristic anxiety on his face. “I’ve just had word from Taryn. It seems there was an infant on board.”
“An infant?” Allik’s brow furrowed as he digested that information. It was unusual for anyone to embark on intergalactic travel with a child, far less to take it aboard a military transport ship where facilities were so basic. “Did we evacuate it?”
“No. The parents both died in the blast. We didn’t find a child with them.”
“It has been more than two hours since the attack,” Allik said in dismay. Human children were weak, vulnerable little creatures and even if it wasn’t injured, it would not survive for long on its own. “Where were the parents found?”
“Back here.” Rylan led the way toward the rear of the cabin where debris was piled up in a mangled mess.
“Scan for body heat,” Allik instructed him.
Rylan took his hand-held scanner from his belt and began to sweep the area, trying to detect signs of life. Allik practically held his breath as he waited. If there was a child on board and there was any chance it could be saved, they had to find it.
“Nothing,” Rylan said.
“Sweep the entire cabin.”
It was possible that the child had been thrown by the blast, which had occurred close to where its parents had been sitting. Allik hoped that was the case because the alternatives were unthinkable. He watched as Rylan carefully scanned the cabin.
“Over here,” the other man called out suddenly. Allik’s eyes followed his finger to the tangle of metal he was pointing at. “It’s faint, but there’s a heat trace.”
Allik began to move the debris, working as quickly as he could whilst taking care not to allow anything heavy to fall on top of the child. He wrenched his shoulder as he pulled up the twisted base of a seat but there was no time to dwell on the sharp twinge of pain that shot down his arm. As he cleared away pieces of metal and padding from broken chairs, he caught sight of a tiny hand.
“It’s the child.” He looked back at Rylan and then crouched down to reach into the wreckage.
With the greatest care, he extracted the infant and cradled it in his arms. The tiny human was warm and soft. A feeling he’d never experienced before came over him. He couldn’t believe how small and fragile it was. Allik was used to seeing Taar-Breckian children. His sister had three of them, and they were robust little monsters. This creature looked as though it could break all too easily and he found himself wanting to protect it.
“Is it alive?” Rylan asked.
“Yes, she is.” Allik had determined it was a girl. “But her breathing is shallow.”
He had to get her medical attention, and fast. Leaving Rylan to finish documenting the condition of the shuttle, Allik headed back to his ship. As he climbed through the docking hatch into the single seat craft, he sent a quick transmission to request that a medic be waiting for him on arrival. Carefully positioning the little girl on his lap, he retracted the clamp that had anchored his ship to the shuttle and fired the engines. He could make it back to the transport ship in a little over ten minutes. He just prayed that the child would hang on for that long.
* * *
Victoria swallowed and clenched her fists tightly. She closed her eyes and took a few deep breaths to steady herself. Behind her, there was frantic activity as Kyree fought to save the man who’d just been brought in. His leg was a shattered mess and she could hear the other woman discussing with her colleague whether or not to amputate. The very thought made her shudder. At another station, the medical apprentice was finishing up with the first man who’d been brought in. It seemed he was going to live. A third man was being tended to by one of the other medics. His injuries were clearly extensive. An almost metallic tang of blood hung in the air and Victoria’s stomach churned.
She had to get it together. Compared to the cases the others were dealing with, the injuries of the man in front of her were nothing. She had already stitched up wounds for one Taar-Breckian male and bandaged up another’s leg. Then she had soothed the burns of an older female who had chided her throughout the entire procedure for failing to show the proper respect. Victoria had no idea who the woman was or if she was worthy of reverence. She’d done her best to be deferential, though.
Now, she had to get on with it once again and deal with the man on the bed in front of her. He was tall, broad-shouldered, with the bearing of a warrior. There was a deep laceration on his right arm. It looked worse than the other injuries she’d seen to and Victoria was hesitant to touch it. She glanced around, but everyone else was busy tending to the critical cases. There was nothing she could do but carry on.
“You are Allik’s mate,” the large male said as she cleaned off the blood from the wound.
“I am here with Allik, yes.” Victoria still wasn’t ready to think of herself in those terms.
“I saw you before,” he told her. “In fact, I almost found myself on top of you.”
He waggled his eyebrows in a flirtatious manner that she hadn’t realized Taar-Breckians were capable of. The few she had encountered were all incredibly serious types. Victoria screwed up her nose as she tried to think what he meant.
“In the docking bay yesterday.” She couldn’t believe how dim she’d been for a moment here. “You’re the pilot who was coming in to land.”
“Yes, right on top of you,” he smirked. “My name is Zaren.”
“Nice to meet you, Zaren,” Victoria said, squinting at the wound on his arm and trying to assess whether it would be okay without stitches. “I’m Victoria.”
“I know.” He gave her that cheeky smirk again as she looked at him questioningly. “Everyone knows who you are. You made quite an entrance, after all.”
Was she ever going to live down that first spanking? Victoria huffed out a breath as she picked up the surgical needle and thread. Reluctantly, she accepted that the gash on the man’s arm needed to be sewn up. She should be grateful, she supposed, that he was the last of the casualties.
“I am glad Allik has found a beautiful mate,” Zaren continued. “He is a good man.”
“You know Allik well?” she asked, trying to keep up the conversation to distract the large warrior as she poked the needle through his skin. She needn’t have worried about hurting him because, like the others she’d tended to, he didn’t even flinch.
“We flew together for many years.”
“Until he was captured by the Bylanthians?” Victoria was fishing but she hoped that Zaren would reveal something about Allik.
“He told you about that?” The look Zaren fixed her with was loaded with skepticism.
“Of course,” Victoria said. “I am his mate, after all.”
“Well, then, there is no need for me to say more,” Zaren responded and gave her a knowing wink of the eye.
Disappointed, Victoria gave her full attention to sewing up the gash on his arm. She took care to make the stitches as neat as possible, having read somewhere that it was the way to minimize scarring. Not that she imagined for one minute that this big brute of a man would care about such things. When she had finished, she tied off the ends of the surgical thread and snipped off the excess. Zaren raised his arm and studied it closely.
“Very nice,” he said. “You have done well, Allik’s mate.”
“My name is Victoria,” she muttered irritably as the warrior swung his legs off the bed, got to his feet, and strode off toward the main door. She called after him, “You should wait in the recovery room. Kyree will need to check you later.”
“No need. You have done a good job and I am not one to lounge in bed.” He turned and winked at her. “Unless you propose to keep me company.”
Victoria glared at him. Zaren laughed loudly and walked off. Muttering under her breath about his insolence, she started to clear away the things she had used in treating her patients. She glowed with pride at that thought. Her patients. She’d actually helped people this afternoon. She might not have saved lives, but she’d done her bit, and that felt incredible. Still, she was glad that it was all over.
A sinking feeling took hold of her as Kyree called out her name and came rushing over.
“I’m going to need your help,” the other woman said. Her face was ashen and the trepidation that hung in the air around her worried Victoria.
“Okay,” Victoria said nervously. “What can I do?”
“There’s a child being brought in. A human girl, a baby.”
Kyree looked worried and that scared Victoria.
“Is she badly hurt?” Victoria asked.
“I don’t know yet but I’ve no experience with babies, especially not human ones.”
Nor had Victoria. She could see Kyree was on the verge of a meltdown so she took her hand and squeezed it tightly. It was then that it occurred to her just how tiny a baby would be in comparison with a Taar-Breckian, even a female. No wonder Kyree was panicking. A human child would probably seem incredibly fragile to someone like her. Victoria had no idea what she could do to help but she would try.
“It’s going to be alright,” she said resolutely. “I’ll do what I can to help. Everything will be fine.” It had to be.