Zorvak

Sporadic spasms wretched my body, pulling my muscles taut before giving me a moment of reprieve. It hurt!  Not anything I cannot take, but it has been a long time since I had felt the effects of a stun gun.

Her hands felt good on my body.  I wanted to smile, but could not.  I had never had someone worry about me the way she did right now.  It was new territory for me.  Cami was both a strength and a weakness.  I made an amateur mistake getting shot.  Any other time, I would have cast out my senses, feeling for the presence of others.  I would have known the enemy waited behind the closed door.  But Cami was a distraction that occupied my mind most of the time.  It took a conscious effort to shield my desire, and now my pain from her. 

That desire grew stronger the more we talked, the more time we spent together.  Getting shot from inattention just solidified that taking a bond mate could be dangerous for me, and for her.  I still had a traitor to catch, and her being with me puts us both in more danger, at least until I catch the traitor.  Maybe then…

Let me help you.

Whether she meant to or not, she lent me her strength.   The pain partially receded, giving me some relief. 

With my arm draped over her shoulder, we headed down the walkway, the sound of our feet making tiny grating noises as the metal groaned with the force of our weight.  Not good, but it would hold.

With every step, the spasms eased and I felt better.  Stronger.  It wouldn’t take long until I returned to full strength.  Up ahead came the first sounds of others on the space station. 

Make sure your head is covered.  I did not have the strength to fight off a mob.

It is.  I’m scanning the space station now, searching for a ship.  Any particular model?

My lips twitched with the light humor.  The fact she had this NI that connected her to almost anything, made her an asset and very dangerous.  I wasn’t sure how the others on Ulaya would feel about it.  The scientists, who hadn’t been successful, would want to study it.  Learn from it.

Since we are stealing it anyway, get us a luxury ship.

On it.  After a moment of tense silence, she said, Oh, no.  I think we have a problem.

What is it?  With returning strength, I removed my arm from her shoulder and stood with broad shoulders and a stiff spine.  No need to project weakness to the others milling around.

To the right, a door jerked open, and a patron flew through the air and landed with a thud right in front of us.  “And don’t you come back!”  The scruffy male yelled from the entrance. 

The guy on the floor moaned; we stepped around him, and tried to keep a low profile.

Up ahead and to the right.

I followed her instructions.  Just as we turned the corner, I grabbed her wrist to halt her steps.  No, I said with a little shake of my head.

With a sparkle in her eye and a mischievous grin, she nodded. 

It is too dangerous.  In case words weren’t enough, I warned her with my eyes.

It will be fine.  Watch.

Up ahead, docked at one of the ports was a luxury ship, called the Fik.  An ancient word that basically meant fight.  The owner?  A Humchin who owned all the fight clubs, pleasure houses, and basically controlled the planet.

They are looking for us.  Her eyes moved in rapid motion.  I’m reporting our sightings all around the station.  Diverting them from our actual location.

  I watched her eyes with sheer fascination.  An internal computer that she controlled with her mind.  Alarms blared, the space station sprung to life with armed guards running away from us.  

How can I get the guards away from the ship?  She asked with concentration.

I’m not sure you can. 

Hold on. 

What was she doing?  I looked around, waiting for something to happen.  She didn’t disappoint.  Everyone took off running.  What did you do?

Set off the silent fire alarms, unlocked prison cells.  She shrugged as if it were no big deal.  Let’s go.

Only one guard to get past now.  At least I had gained enough strength to take him out.  Cami broke away and circled around to one side, while I went to the other.  She got to the guard first.

“Excuse me, sir.  I’m lost and need help.”

The startled guard turned sharply, faced Cami and grinned.  Not this time.  He never sensed me coming.  When the whip lashed out, a loud crack lit the air, cutting a deep gash through the hard exterior of his exoskeleton.  With pain filled eyes, he fell to his knees.  My fist connected with his jaw, knocking him unconscious.  The ship was ours for the taking.

“Everyone in!”  Cami went first, gun drawn.  Followed by the Jaurians, while I covered from behind. 

“One last thing,” Cami said as I slammed my hand on the sensor to close the door.  “Done.” 

She raced to the bridge and slid into a chair behind the helm.   “Oh! My! God!  This thing is amazing!”

“I got this one.”  I told her as my fingers rapidly put in the startup sequence. 

She scoffed. “Or, I could just tell the ship to leave.”

I glanced her way and nodded.  “I’ll put in the coordinates for Jaur.  We will get them home and then head for Ulaya.”

We left the station without a hitch, with an uneventful, anticlimactic departure.  It wasn’t normal.  No one followed.  No one fired at us.  Stealing the Fik was a huge deal, but no one even tried to contact us. 

With the space station cleared, and the coordinates set, I turned to Cami with a questionable look on my face.  “Tell me.”  With my arms crossed, I leaned back in the chair and waited.

“Tell you what?”  I could see the humor dancing in her eyes.

“What did you do?”  She thought it funny, but I worried. 

“Back there?”  I nodded solemnly.  “I disabled their weapons system, the communication system, and locked all the ports so other ships couldn’t follow us.”

I briefly closed my eyes as the gravity of what she could do took hold.  One person should not hold that much power.  Power breeds corruption.  Especially without a system to keep you in check.  Yes, I was head of the Royal Guard, but I had those close to me, always watching.  We lived by a code. 

“What?”  I could see the disappointment on her face.  I knew her, could feel her.  Her heart was good. 

I shook my head, waving away her question.  “I am going to talk to Munic.  Let him and Oddle know that we are taking them home now.”

“Okay, I got the ship.  Don’t worry.”  But I did.  Greatly.

I found Munic and Oddle seated in the galley.  And extravagant room with several food replicators, rich wooden cabinets stocked full of expensive food. My mouth twisted in anger.  They lived like kings while they force everyone else into poverty.  Their own people. 

I slid into an empty chair, leaned back, and crossed my arms.  As soon as I sat down, Munic lifted his eyes to mine, and for the first time, I noticed the concern on his face.

“Do you know how long it has been since I have tasted actual food?”  I never answered Oddle’s question as I held Munic’s stare.

“I have the ship coordinates set for Jaur.”

He let out a sharp sigh of relief.  “Thank you.”

I nodded.  “Tell me about this NI Cami has.  What do you know about it?”

The tense silence thickened in the room as I waited.  I knew he thought of Cami as family, but I needed to know. 

Finally, he relaxed his pose and said, “I don’t know much about it.”

I admitted, “It worries me.”

He inclined his head to agree.  “I don’t think her people knew the range of this weapon they equipped her with.  It was only meant to help her pilot her ship, not control everything around her.  What I know, and have witnessed, is that this NI is a learning program that never stops.  I don’t think her people realized what they built.  Just stumbled upon it.  With all the technology for space travel…”  He shook his head.  “Weapons like hers…and they are weapons…have been banned on Jaur.  As far as I know, we are the only planet that knows how to invent them, but it is forbidden.”

Now what to do about it?  I held his heavy gaze. “Any suggestions?” 

“It will have to be removed.”

“Yes.”  But how do I convince her? 

“On Jaur.” 

My eyes flashed back to his.  “Explain?”

“Our planet already has this technology.  Yours does not.  What would your people do with that kind of information?”

I raked a hand across my eyes.  He was right.  “Let me talk with her.”  I pushed up from the chair and stalked back to the bridge to talk to Cami.

If she didn’t agree, would I still take her to Ulaya?  That would be a resounding yes.  Loyalty was held in high regards, and she had mine.  She had earned it.  I also craved her presence, her conversations, her beautiful body, even her sharp tongue. 

I rounded the corner and stepped onto the bridge.  She threw me a half-smile over her shoulder. 

“Everything all right?”

“Yes and no.” 

Her smile slipped.  She searched my face and then asked, “What’s wrong?”

After sliding into the empty chair, we sat knee to knee, facing each other.  “The Jaurians have settled in for the trip.”

“That’s great.  I’m glad we brought them with us.”

“Yes.”  I hesitated.  “I spoke with Munic.  We are both worried about you.”

“Why?”  She sat up straighter in the chair.  Concern etched on her delicate face.

“Your NI.  It can be used as a powerful weapon, which makes you a dangerous female.”

Defensively, she scoffed, “I would never hurt you!”

I snatched her hand in mine.  “I know that.  I am not saying you would.”

“Then what are you saying?”

“Munic’s people are the only ones who possess that type of technology, and it is now banned.”  I pleaded with my eyes for her to understand.  “My people have been trying to develop this technology.  If anyone found out, you would be the most sought-after person in the known universe.” 

Fear and anger crossed her face.  “Just say it.”  Her voice was a broken whisper as she tried to hold back her tears.

“I think you should have it removed.”  She jerked her hand from mine.  “Cami, just think about it.  That is all I ask.”

“I need some air.”  She sprang to her feet and rushed from the room.  As I stared at my laced fingers, I felt her hurt and betrayal sweep through me.

With a sharp sigh, I mumbled, “Well, that could have gone much better.”