It took nearly thirty minutes to get themselves suited up and outside. Like everything on Balastar’s ship, the suits were impressive. They had built-in gravity modulators, giving them approximately one Vertan-G. However, without a planet’s core to draw from, it was a serious power drain on their battery packs. It was a fair trade. They would be able to make the walk out and back in the fraction of the time it would take in zero-G. Kit carried a box with the short-range sensors. They carefully made their way toward the cave entrance, hugging the side wall.
“That’s far enough,” Balastar said when they approached the mouth of the cave. “We don’t want to risk showing up on a Torog scanner.”
Kit set down the box and flipped it open. She took out three sensors and entered the activation code for each one. As soon as the small devices left her gravity modulator field they’d be in zero-G. She connected to the suit’s controls with her psi and compressed the field. This allowed her to reach her hand through the perimeter and release the sensors. A Torog would have to be within ten feet of the device to pick up its electronic signature. And if they were that close, she and Balastar were crags-meat, anyway. The sensors were limited. They had to be in line of site, and the range was only two hundred feet. At that distance outside the entrance, they should have nearly a three-sixty degree vis around their asteroid. She pulled up the controls on her com and sent the little balls outside. Slow movers, it would take a few minutes for them to make their way beyond the cave entrance.
“Let’s hope it’s clear.” Balastar’s voice sounded distant in her helmet as he eyed the cave’s interior. “You’ll eat up all our supplies, otherwise.”
Her expelled breath momentarily fogged her helmet. “If you’d stop doing all those…things to me, I wouldn’t eat so much.”
There was a long pause before he answered. “I’m going to miss doing all those things to you.”
She turned her head and looked into those cerulean blue eyes of his. Her psi rippled with pleasure. “Me, too.”
Her com sent her a signal, letting her know the probes were nearing the cave’s perimeter. On the screen, asteroids large and small drifted by. Using her psi, she sent the units out as far as possible, and they recorded the feed on her com. One of the units was bumped out of sight by a smaller asteroid, but she managed to keep the other two functioning.
After fifteen minutes and no sign of any activity, Balastar broke the silence. “I think we’re good. Pack them up, and we’ll head back. I’ll send the long range out as soon as we’re ready. If they’re around, they’ll know we’re here, but not where.”
“Sounds good.” Kit put the remaining two probes away and followed Balastar to the ship. The energy between them was strained. Playtime was over, and it was back to reality, which well and truly sucked.
Inside, Balastar helped her out of her suit, and she did the same for him, resisting the urge to grab his shirt and taste those lips again. She didn’t like resisting that urge and found the whole situation irritating.
They stored the suits and settled into the control room. It had only been two days since they arrived, but it felt like a lot longer. She watched him as he primed the long-range probe. It was an odd feeling to know someone so intimately, and yet not really know them at all.
She forced herself to stop thinking about it. Could his friends help them? That’s what mattered. Her entire life had been spent with the Torogs as their celestial jailers. The older people remembered a time before. They had just started exploring the stars and setting up interstellar portals when the Torogs swooped in, destroyed their spaceports, and knocked their level of technology back nearly a hundred years. Months later, the Sandarian Portal Masters had sent a planet-wide decree forbidding their spatial distorters and all attempts at space flight. And so began her generation’s fight for freedom. One portal at a time. Her parents were used to not hearing from her for weeks on end, but for some reason, she wanted to hear their voices. She’d call them as soon as she could. Just to say “hi.”
“Are you even listening?” Balastar sounded annoyed.
She glared at him. “No. As a matter of fact I wasn’t. What do you want?”
He held her gaze with an intense expression of his own. “I asked if you knew where your ship was.”
Kit thought back. It had been over two weeks since the Torogs took Thomas and his wife. Two weeks since she’d heard from Corvak. “Hold on a minute.” She needed to check and see which point was closest to Florin 5. They’d only gotten separated once before, but it was enough to establish a protocol in case it happened again. They had a list of over fifty destinations. Corvak would be at the one closest to, but not on, Florin 5. “Looks like we need to go to Leshan. It’s in the Zeta sector. Are you familiar with it?”
Balastar pulled up a holo nav screen and entered the planet’s name. He plotted a course. “Okay. If the long-range probe still has nothing in ten minutes, we make a break for the portal. We’ll make three jumps just in case.”
That was smart. It would be damn near impossible to follow them. Unless they were right on their ass like before. It was a chance they’d have to take.
CHAPTER THREE
Loc Zorton stood in his office looking out at the city of Ardos and the mountains beyond. It was the capital of Sandaria and beautiful by design. There was a sour taste in his mouth that had been a constant companion ever since the day a little over a month ago. That was the day everything he believed in had exploded. After his election to guild leader, old Merrin and the four eldest masters had taken him to the inner sanctum and revealed the guild’s secrets.
Below the anteroom where portals were made stood a mysterious monolith. Merrin explained that portals were not created by the desire and power of a god, but by the monolith. It had been horrifying and devastating to say the least. His beloved god did not exist. The men had to stay in the compound, not to appease the deity, but to feed the portals. For once they helped create a portal, they were tied to it for life. No, there was no destiny determining their fate. They were chosen simply because of their strong psi abilities and the guild’s desire to maintain its control.
The horrors of that day didn’t stop with the conceptual death of his god. Merrin continued to explain that nearly three decades ago, the Portal Masters had discovered a planet that had humans capable of creating portals with the use of a small black box. In a move designed to retain the guild’s hold on the galaxy’s portals, they had blasted the planet and placed it under quarantine. Since then, the Torog’s had been monitoring the Vertans and keeping them planet-bound. An entire planet.
The implications were staggering.
A knock at his door brought him back to the present. “Enter.”
“Your Excellence.” Portal Master Tern bowed in respect. Tall and bald, he made an imposing figure.
“You have a status report?”
“Yes. The Torogs have captured eighteen Vertans, and they are en-route as we speak. Two more were captured approximately a week prior, and they will be arriving sometime tomorrow. We believe twenty will be sufficient for our needs.”
“And the compound?”
“It is progressing as planned. A main building is already complete and will house the Vertans until they are able to design the compound according to their own desires.”
“Anything else?”
“No, sir.”
“Good work, Tern. You may be excused.”
“Thank you, sir.” He left without another word.
Loc turned back to the window. He had truly believed in their God, and the idea of entrapping an entire planet felt somehow shameful. But there was no god, only the mysterious monolith and the planet Vertan.
As Merrin disclosed the truth, he had watched Loc closely with an undisguised look of joy on his face. He’d made no attempt to hide his own desire to lead the guild and now reveled in the act of destroying Loc’s faith. Bastard. Loc had kept the despair to himself. He was head of the guild now, but he’d be lying if he sai
d it wasn’t difficult. How did one go about finding a new anchor in life when the god you’d worshiped and loved turned out to be pure fabrication? Loc still didn’t know the answer.
His anger flared as he recalled the faces of the nine Portal Masters who had deserted Sandaria with the help of the Cavacent clan and now resided on Earth. Their departure had forced the guild into this new direction. Recruiting and training new PMs would take time. Time they didn’t have. The Vertans would serve the guild and repair the failing portals until such a time as the masters were again complete. It would be an embarrassment of extreme proportions if it ever got out, but Loc was determined to keep it secret and ensure its success. The Vertans were lucky. As long as they cooperated, they would want for nothing. Any illness would be cured, and they would have every creature comfort. All they had to do was create portals on demand. Loc could almost envy the simplicity of their new lives. Almost.
***
Kit and Balastar were nearly through the third portal on the way to Leshan. They’d picked up the signature of a Torog ship back in the asteroid belt, but it had been too far away to be a danger. Leshan was deep in GTO territory. Even if they ran into Torogs, they should be safe enough. She hoped. Neither of them spoke. Kit didn’t know what Balastar was thinking about, and she was glad for the silence. If not for Corvak, she could see this thing with him lasting. At least for awhile. She toyed with her com, but they were still too far out to access the PortalNet. She shot Balastar a covert glance. Corvak was a fine lover, but it was different with Balastar. The way their psi blended together. The things he did to her body. She let out a long sigh. He was busy with the nav system and thinking of him had made her antsy.
“Mind if I use your equipment?” She smirked at the words.
Balastar slipped her a sideways glance. “Any time, m’lady. Dig around my bottom drawer. You should be able to find some workout clothes that will do.”
M’lady. She was no lady, but he could very well be a lord. “Thanks.” Feeling oddly out classed, she went to his cabin and ruffled through the drawer. She made do with his drawstring shorts and a T-shirt. Curiosity getting the better of her, she took a quick look in his closet and found no evidence of a woman’s presence. Why did that make her so happy? Opening another door she found a closet full of suits. There had to be at least fifteen. Who needed fifteen suits? She closed the door quietly. He definitely moved in different circles than she did, but since when did she care about any of that?
She padded across the hall into the small room. She was discombobulated and needed a run. Sending a signal to her com, she connected to the speakers on the treadmill and played her favorite workout music. Vast open space greeted her on the screen as she stepped onto the machine. It was an odd sensation to be running barefoot, but after a few strides, she decided she liked it. She increased the speed a notch. Now that they were headed back to the real world, she began to worry about how Corvak would react to Balastar. Not that there was anything she could do about it now, and she sure as hell didn’t regret her choices. Another hour or so, and she should be able to start sending messages.
He better be there. She never even considered the idea he may have taken her ship and run. No. He was a fellow Vertan, and they’d been through too much together. He’d be there.
Eventually, her mind drifted back to Balastar. She wanted him. He was probably still setting up their path to Leshan. Cranking up the speed, she sprinted until she couldn’t go any longer. She slowed to a walk and wiped the sweat from her face. It was probably best that they separate. He was getting under her skin, and the last thing she wanted was to find herself needing someone. Time to get back to Corvak. Safe Corvak, who could leave tomorrow and she wouldn’t miss a beat.
***
Balastar leaned against the doorframe of the exercise room. Kit had been running as if the devil was after her. What are you thinking, beautiful? She’d pulled her hair into a tie, and he admired her profile. High cheekbones and full lips. Her almond-shaped, slanted eyes were focused on the view port as she slowed.
His com buzzed him. Incoming messages. Good.
“Kit.”
She turned to him, hands on hips, walking to catch her breath.
He held up his com. “We’re back on the PortalNet.”
“Awesome, thanks.”
Balastar returned to the bridge and ran through his incoming messages. Both Lord Rucon and his son, Ian, had tried to reach him. He called Rucon first. He’d sworn his loyalty to the man and his clan shortly before they’d escaped Sandaria. A far cry from the corruption of the old council, the Cavacent clan was one of honor. It was a welcome change.
Rucon picked up right away. “You’ve been offline for days. What happened?”
“A run-in with Torogs. Had to go silent.”
“Are you all right?”
“I am. I have news. I found someone on Florin 5. She’s from a planet that seems likely to be the source of the alternate psi.”
“Interesting. Is she with you now?”
“She is, but before we come to Earth, we need to get her ship.” And her lover. The thought hit him hard.
“What’s your ETA?” Rucon asked.
“Once we have her ship, we should be able to make it to Earth in a day and a half. I’ll notify you when we depart.”
“All right. I’ll notify Durgan. I’m sure he and the other Portal Masters will be interested in meeting her.”
“Let’s just keep it to Durgan for now. We’ll explain when we arrive, but suffice to say she’s not a fan of the guild.”
“Understood. And Balastar, thank you. I know this is impacting your business. Rest assured, I will reimburse you for any losses.”
“Thank you. Can you fill in Ian and the others for me?”
“Absolutely.”
He made a few more calls and sent some status updates to his clients. Their deliveries would be delayed, but that couldn’t be helped.
Kit’s laughter came from her room down the hall. She hadn’t used the room since boarding. Was she talking to Corvak?
Balastar pushed out of the chair. It was his turn for a run.
He’d logged nearly eight miles before he needed to get ready. He had just enough time to shower and dress before taking the helm and bringing them into port on Leshan. He entered his room to find Kit wrapped in a towel and drying her hair.
“Sorry,” she said. “I couldn’t get my shower to work.” Since she’d spent all her time here with him, he’d never activated the systems in her room.
“My fault. We’ll be in port within the hour. You good?” Stupid question. She was better than good.
“Yeah. I sent my stuff through the wash again. It will be nice to get my things back.”
They stood there for an awkward moment before she hurried past him, sending a jolt of pleasure through his psi. Frack. He peeled off his clothes and stepped into the steaming shower. He’d taken her up against the wall in here more than once. The memory had him throbbing. With one hand braced against the surface, he worked his hard-on with the other. He should be buried inside her, not going for a one-handed release. He came hard, but not nearly as fulfilled as he needed. He leaned his forehead against the wall. What was he doing? Dani had broken his heart on Sandaria when she bonded with Ian. Now here he was, falling for another woman who flat-out stated she was involved with someone else. A few years she’d said. When had she gotten to him? When the hell had he let his guard down? And why the hell was he setting himself up for another heartbreak? He slammed a fist against the side of the shower. This ended here.
He found Kit awhile later on the bridge, pacing behind the captain’s chairs.
“You finished the job without me? You freaking crags-mate. We barely got off Florin 5 alive.”
She nodded her acknowledgement of his presence before turning back to the view port.
“You heard me. I said we.” The streak in her hair glowed a vibrant blue he hadn’t seen before as she listened to whoever was on the
other end.
“I don’t need to calm down. I need my ship. Get your ass to Leshan now,” she growled as she shoved her com into her pocket.
“Trouble?”
“My partner decided to finish a little business before coming to our rendezvous point.” The stripe in her hair pulsed blue.
“How long?”
“A day and a half, maybe two.”
There was no way in hell he could spend two days with her and keep his hands off. He slid into his chair and took control of his ship.
“No problem. I’ll get us a couple of rooms planet-side. I’ve arranged for a thorough inspection of my hull and a complete systems check. That’ll take the better part of a day at least.”
Kit didn’t say anything as she slid into the chair next to him.
***
Balastar spent most of the following day and a half working alongside the crew he’d hired to check out his ship. It was a personal goal to know everything he could about this beauty so that he could be as self-sufficient as possible. It also helped to keep his mind off Kit. Besides, she wasn’t a good fit for him. She was rough around the edges. Not the type of woman he usually dated. But, damn it, if he was honest with himself, he liked that about her. He slammed the locking joist into place with more force than necessary.
“Easy, mate,” the engineer working next to him said. “You’ve got to treat her like the beauty she is. Treat her kind.”
For a split second, Balastar thought he was talking about Kit. He laughed at the absurdity and gave the ship a stroke. “You’re right. It was stuck. That’s all.”
The engineer was an easygoing man who enjoyed explaining everything as he went along. It was time well spent, and Balastar filed away a lot of information. Another four hours, and they were done. His ship was ready to go, so Balastar decided to find Kit and get a status. Corvak should be here by now. He pinged her com, and she sent her coordinates almost immediately. It was a bar about a mile from here.
Liberation (Alien Attachments Book 3) Page 4