Ensign Probus

by Wendie Nordgren

  “Try and stop us,” Eli said. His voice was calm and deadly.

  Dozens of Inquisitors had arrived and quickly made the hybrids vanish.

  A shuttle dropped down from the sky, and Eli carried me inside of it. Jazon followed with Tracy in his arms, and Xavier was behind him with Sparrow. Phillip, Terre, and Violet were inside of the shuttle waiting for us. Phillip whipped out his scanner and started checking us for injuries. Once Yukihyo had boarded, Dario, who was serving as our pilot, took us up and sped toward Union Port City. Eli went to the cockpit where I could hear him coordinating orders.

  Thunderdrop sat on my knees and cooed to my belly, occasionally gently nuzzling it.

  My head had started to throb. I closed my eyes and felt Yukihyo taking my hands in his.

  Phillip asked, “Are you alright, Cupcake? Talk to me.”

  Zared said, “It’s psychic strain.” Then, he sent me into a dreamless sleep.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  I woke up in Yukihyo’s arms. He’d removed the veil and flowers from my hair, freed it of its bun, and had combed through it with his fingers while I’d slept. He’d done all of that and stripped me of everything I’d worn except for all of the makeup. It was now smudged all over his chest. Looking up at him, I grimaced. He smiled, and it made the skeletal remnants of his painted face crack.

  “Lady Wife, we should clean ourselves before we frighten the children.”

  “Agreed.”

  In the bathroom, we stood in the shower and watched as white paint ran in rivulets down our bodies to become a milky pool at our feet.

  “How is your head?”

  “It still hurts. Has there been any news?” I filled my hand with shampoo, smelling of Arachnean trees, and scrubbed my scalp.

  “I have not left your side. We will learn of any new occurrences together. Turn. I will scrub your back.”

  Once we were clean, dry, and dressed, we entered the sitting room. The children all sat together on a blanket watching a children’s program while playing with snow foxes and Silk spiders. After giving each of them kisses, I went to the kitchen in search of coffee. Yukihyo joined Nico, Dario, Drex, Eli, Fitz, and Rovek at the table. Chef cleared their empty plates.

  Yukihyo asked, “Is there any news?”

  Eli narrowed his eyes in thought. “For a fact, we know the Militia was as ignorant as we were of the alien and its captivity right under their noses. We have proof of Rupert Warren’s complicity, but he wasn’t the one calling the shots. He was tricked, lured in with promises of advanced technology, told enough to make him an accomplice, and then the hybrids learned of it and blackmailed him into funding their illegal and morally reprehensible activities. He is cooperating with Galaxic officials. A team of operatives continues investigating. The question remains as to whom hired the pirates.”

  “What about…. What about them? Where are they?”

  Zared came to me, pulled out my chair, and soothed my emotions. “You are not to worry and have nothing to fear.”

  Suddenly furious, I said, “Stop it! Don’t hide things from me!” My pulse quickened.

  Calmly, he said, “They are in the brig, have had neural blockers implanted within their skulls, and sleep in stasis pods. They can’t touch you or reach for you in any way.”

  Somewhat mollified, I asked, “What do we do now?”

  Drex said, “We wait patiently and see what our investigators uncover. Henry provided us with a sketch of the surviving female crewmember which corroborates the identity on her work pass. She may know something. If she lives, they will find her. The alien destroyed much of the work it was forced to do before fleeing. However, some of its designs and schematics might very well remain within the possession of its captors. They must be discovered. The only way to protect ourselves is to have the knowledge for ourselves.” He quieted, deep in thought. Feeling my distress and knowing what it would do to our relationship should he hide it from me, he said, “At the facility was a weapon so powerful that it could vaporize an entire ship. We believe it was meant to be tested on the Asylum, but the Good Fortune interfered and was destroyed instead.”

  Fear knotted my guts. Such a weapon in the wrong hands, in any hands, would be enough to topple governments and send civilization into chaos. “So, the alien must have used telepathic control of the hybrids and manipulated them into hiding the Asylum as its means of escape. Its captors would have easily believed the ship to have been destroyed along with the Good Fortune.” Then, bile rose in my throat. “We’re on a ship. We spend so much time in space. My babies….”

  Zared took my hand and entwined our fingers. He said, “We destroyed it with Eric and Quaid’s help. It was too advanced for anyone, even Sparrow, to reverse engineer and too costly to have been mass produced or copied even once. However, we don’t know if anyone has copies of its design.”

  Dario said, “For now, we have done all we can.”

  “Eat,” Yukihyo urged.

  Chef placed a stack of syrupy pancakes in front of me, knowing I couldn’t resist. While I ate, Yukihyo moved to a quiet area and called Uncle Lee to share with him the devastating fate of the Good Fortune. I’d managed a few bites when a rustle of fabric drew my attention to Tracy. Her solid-black eyes were large in her porcelain face, and they were on Rovek. He stood and bowed to her as she approached the table.

  “You risked your life to save him.” Her words had broken edges to them, sounding rough as they struggled free of her constricting throat. Tears threatened to silence her words. “Jazon would have been killed. The blast meant for him…. I saw what it did to that man. I would have lost him. It would have killed me. You threw yourself in front of him and saved him. Why?”

  Rovek, ever calm and rational, answered truthfully. “Had Jazon been injured or killed, it would have caused you pain. I would do anything to prevent tears from falling from your eyes or pain entering your heart. I prefer your smiles.” He cleared his throat. “Therefore, prior to the events which unfolded, I took the liberty of getting you these.” Turning toward the wall, he bent down and retrieved a large gift bag.

  Straightening, he attempted to hand it to her, but she crowded in too close, lifted her hands to his face, and gave him a kiss so passionate that I fanned myself with my fork. When their lips parted, she said, “Yes, I will accept you.”

  From the way he stood there dumb before her, his mouth moving like a gasping fish, I began to see the attraction. Tracy did have a thing for sea critters. Knowing she’d shocked him with her acceptance, she took the bag and made pleased noises when she pulled out two beautifully crafted dolls, male and female, dressed in elaborate costumes with painted faces.

  “I love them,” Tracy said. She smiled at the empty air because Rovek had gone down to his knees before her.

  He held out his vid-screen with his marriage contract to her.

  My eyes almost fell out when she pressed her palm to the screen.

  Rovek said, “I will do everything in my power for all of my days to please you.”

  I shoved a big bite of pancakes into my mouth and struggled to chew it. I tried not to but couldn’t help imagining Tracy in bed with Jazon and my instructor. I wondered if Jazon would kill him. Still holding her new dolls, she took him by the hand and led him away. I assumed they were going to his quarters.

  “I’m going to the gym,” Zared said. He kissed me and hurried away.

  “Me too,” Izaac said in my mind.

  “May I be dismissed?” Xavier asked Eli.

  “Permission granted.”

  Yukihyo said, “As clan leader, I should go too. Sparring with all of us may help.” He kissed my forehead and joined the others.

  Coming out of her quarters and making her way to the table, Sparrow asked, “What’s wrong? You look like you just smelled a fart.” She sat and waited impatiently for Chef to bring her a plate.

  “Tracy just accepted Rovek. They just left, and I think they went off to his quarters to do it.”

  “Ew,”
Sparrow said.

  Eli asked, “Do you find him unattractive?”

  “Eli, he’s bossy and mean. He gripes at me constantly and tried to punish me by sparring with Clark.”

  Thoughtfully, Drex asked, “Behaviors can make a male unattractive to females?”

  “Yes,” Sparrow and I said together.

  My vid-screen pinged, and I answered it. I saw the pale blue eyes of Captain Eric Alaric. He was smiling at me from the bridge of the Hadrian. “Oh, come on. Don’t be like that. You know you enjoyed yourself.”

  I scowled at him.

  He laughed and gave me his grin, the one females couldn’t resist. “Captain Espanoza told me you gave her hell but held your own, and she hit me over the head with this.” He held up a large pink dick pillow with white curled ribbons spilling out of its tip.

  I couldn’t fight my smile any longer.

  “There’s my girl.”

  Nico took a seat at my side, strong, protective, and ready to defend me even against my own cousin.

  Unbothered, Eric said, “My first officer has been awarded vacation time and requests permission to board your ship. What do you say?”

  I shrugged. If Quaid wanted to talk to me in person, I’d rather go ahead and get it over with. “Whatever. See you later, Eric.”

  The smile left his eyes before it left his lips. “Teagan, come on. Don’t be like this.”

  I didn’t look at him. He’d been colluding with Quaid and hadn’t spared a moment to speak to me. He’d sent Captain Espanoza to spy on me, babysit me, or both. I ended the call.

  Nico accompanied me down to the transport bay where we waited. I assumed that after our face to face talk Quaid would return to his ship. I held my arms over my chest and tried to be brave, but deep down I knew this was going to hurt. We watched as he drove up into my ship and parked his transport. From where I stood, I could see his blonde hair. When he opened his door and got out, he turned and smiled. I could feel our bond snap back into place from across the deck, and it confused me. His smile vanished as he sensed my thoughts, and my feelings of hurt and betrayal washed over him.

  Nico burst forth going straight for Quaid. Nico swung his fist hitting Quaid in the jaw. Using his telepathy, Quaid dodged a fist coming straight for his nose and sent his knee into Nico’s side. Their shoes squeaked against the decking. They were like two transports traveling at excessive speeds slamming into each other head-on. Crewmen surrounded them, cheering them on like boys in a schoolyard.

  “Stop! Stop!”

  They couldn’t hear me, and crewmen kept me away from the fight. I assumed Nico had ordered them to do it ahead of time. He’d planned his attack. I screamed in frustration. I couldn’t see what was happening, but I could hear flesh hitting flesh.

  “Alright. That’s enough. Break it up,” Kaoti ordered. Sure, for a deadly assassin they’d separate Nico and Quaid. He strode through a crowd which parted for him like fire through ice cream, melting away and spreading out until I could see two angry husbands who had managed to beat each other bloody in seconds. “Infirmary, now.” Kaoti led them into the lift. The doors closed before I could get there.

  By the time I made it into the Infirmary, both of them were being seen to by Phillip and Dr. Savelli. Henry watched the drama from his medical bed. I noticed his coloring was much better before turning my attention back to Nico and Quaid.

  “You put our children at risk with your stupid fucking stunt! We were trapped in radioactive debris while Teagan was under attack by fucking pirates.” Nico was enraged.

  Clearly, Kaoti had broken them apart too soon. Dr. Savelli dabbed at Nico’s temple which was still bleeding.

  “Our intention was to keep her out of the way and safe until we had completed our investigation. She was perfectly safe and content on Epopeus. Why didn’t you simply enjoy a few more weeks there? Oh, right, because the Empire wanted the same thing. Furthermore, how was I to know you’d let her leave her ship to go off to a junk moon base or that space trash mercenaries would be foolish enough to attack a Parvac warship? Don’t you dare put all of the blame on me.”

  “Yeah, and where was the Militia during the pirate attack? On her way to the Empress to use the children to force our compliance?”

  Quaid spat a mouthful of blood into a basin Phillip held out to him. “We had the Constantine on standby to defend the Empress. She’d disobeyed orders to investigate Luna 241 and was speeding back to her true assignment when the bastards attacked.”

  Quaid’s focus settled on me. “Teagan, is this why you were so upset when I boarded? Do you truly believe that either Eric or I would ever do anything to hurt you or anyone who you love? We were ordered to uncover the source of the advanced technology which almost sent our peoples to war. Our superiors considered closing our sectors of space to all but members of the Galaxic Government but feared causing the Empire offense. We were told to distract Parvac from beating us to our goal.”

  I turned my back to the room and studied a medical monitor while trying to get my confused thoughts and emotions under control.

  Quaid said, “Come here, please.”

  I turned my head just a little to look at him, and doing so angered me.

  Quaid said, “Give me a kiss, just one kiss. Here, where your Parvac brute hit me.” He pointed to the corner of his lips.

  “You want a kiss? Why don’t you get Jemaphera Totesh to fucking kiss it for you? She’s the one you really want! Don’t deny it. All of this give me a kiss crap is just a ruse. She’s the one you’ve always wanted. I’m just another assignment!”

  “Jemaphera? Teagan, what?”

  I sneered at him. “Enough of your games, Quaid. Tell the truth. Why are you really here? Did the Militia send you over here to spy? Are you here to try and take one of our hybrid prisoners into custody? Be fucking honest and stop playing your cruel games with me.”

  Kaoti stared at the carpet and leaned against the wall.

  In a devastated, disbelieving tone of voice, Quaid said, “Lady Bosh, I’m here for you and only you. There is no one else in my heart and never will be. Touch me. Take my thoughts. They are yours.”

  Nico said, “You’ve got an odd way of showing a female she can depend on you.” He held his hand out to me, ready to comfort me.

  I glared at him. “How dare you fight on my ship? The Empress is my home. Of all of my husbands, I thought the two of you, as my second and third spouses, understood how important it is for me to have a loving family. I’ve had enough pain and physical violence in what should have been a safe home to last me several lifetimes. How could you? You planned your attack, Nico.” My eyes had gone hot, and tears swelled within them threatening to spill over. “I don’t want to touch either one of you. Both of you, just leave me alone.” I left the Infirmary for the safety of the lift with Kaoti at my side.

  The two of them pursued, but Kaoti shut the lift doors in their faces. He had a smug grin on his face.

  “What are you so happy about?” I wiped at my eyes with the back of my hand.

  “I’m proud of you for standing up to them.”

  Gossip spread faster than a whore’s legs on a starship, and by the time we stepped onto the Imperial Deck, everyone aboard already knew about the fight. From the crewmen on the transport deck to the telepaths aboard, it was impossible to keep things quiet. I glanced around for my ladies, hoping to find some comfort, but they were nowhere to be found. The children had been taken elsewhere. The only ones present on my deck other than Kaoti, myself, and Sue the octopus, were my husbands. They looked like they had gathered with the expectation of watching a firework show. Kaoti quickly vanished into his quarters.

  Yukihyo, Zared, and Izaac were dressed in their sweaty sparring clothes. Dario and Fitz were standing off to the side of the room, whispering with their heads together. Drex and Eli leaned against my white wall panels on opposite sides of the sitting room as if they were preparing to break up another fight. Clark sat on a couch and looked confused.

/>   The lift doors opened and two angry males wearing torn and bloodstained clothing spilled out.

  In a contrite tone, Nico asked, “Woman, why are you mad at me? I can understand your anger with him.” He gestured with his thumb at Quaid. “I was defending you and our family.”

  Quaid yelled at Nico, “I am part of your family, and I’ve explained my actions! Don’t stand there and pretend like you wouldn’t have done something similar in my place!”

  Furious, I yelled, “You’re a part of our family? In name only, right? For how long? Will it last only so long as your mission? Once it ends, you’ll finally be free to be with Jemaphera, right? How long have the two of you been waiting to be together? Let me guess. Since you were teenagers, right?” Hot tears stung my eyes.

  “Teagan, who put such thoughts into your beautiful head?” Quaid asked.

  Clark answered him. “It was a blonde on the beach on Epopeus.”

  Izaac nodded.

  Quaid threw his hands up in exasperation. “She purposefully misled you! She’s a wealthy, spoiled brat who toyed with me years ago, but a touch of her hand at a social gathering told me all I needed to know. All she wanted was the Bosh name and my credits. It’s all any of them wanted. Lady Bosh, I confided these things to you. Would you believe the lies of a stranger over what you know to be true? I have faithfully honored you since the moment we shared on the Hadrian. Ask Zared if my words are true.” His tone had turned pleading.

  I began to doubt my own paranoia. “It doesn’t excuse how you have been ignoring me,” I said petulantly.

  “Lady Bosh, my orders kept my body from you, but all the while you had my heart.” His words, delivered to me in his sexy voice through his gorgeous mouth in his handsome face, had me believing him. Sensing my change in mood, he took a step closer.

  Fitz stepped into his way and turned to Clark. “We didn’t share a family rule with you because we fervently hoped you would one day break it and not with one of us.”

  Most of my husbands chuckled. The others started placing bets. When I realized what they were doing, I shook my head. “Stop it. I said it in jest. I would never expect any of you to demean yourselves in such a way. I have too much respect for each of you. It was nothing more than an outlandish threat.” I sighed heavily and rubbed at my forehead which had started to throb.