Warrior's Plight (Cadi Warriors Book 6)

by Stephanie West

  “We only have one healing unit on this vessel, so this may take a moment. Lie back.” The medic pulled a handheld unit from a table nearby and began running it over Maya’s shoulder.

  Vintor watched as slowly the wound left by the human’s primitive disrupter began to knit together. Relief filled him seeing the angry red and purple bruising fade.

  “We need to discuss the fate of your vessel. Please come,” the Miran Sona male who led them aboard said from the door.

  Vintor glanced back at Maya.

  “This will take a while,” the lanky medic encouraged.

  “It’s okay.” Maya smiled at him.

  “Take care of her,” he insisted, putting force behind the request.

  “As we always have.” The medic made eye contact with him, and it was clear she genuinely was concerned for her patient.

  Vintor nodded. The male by the door led the way back to the loading bay. He pointed out the window where a bright light shone through the murky water illuminating the crashed silver cruiser sitting on the ocean floor.

  “See there on the aft section.” The Miran Sona pointed.

  Vintor looked at the small device attached to the cruiser. “What is it?”

  “One of the few things we’ve given the humans. It disabled your cruiser.”

  Why am I not surprised?

  “One of the things you’ve exchanged in order to collect more of their people?” Vintor asked.

  “It was meant to be used to help them protect themselves,” the pale, lanky male replied.

  “Ha,” Vintor laughed. The humans hadn’t used it to defend themselves but to gain retribution and safe guard if they couldn’t have their prize, no one would.

  “We can tow it back to our vessel in orbit. The systems may be salvageable, making it possible for you to reach your people before they exit this galaxy.”

  Vintor’s head popped up. He assumed Aculus’ large cruiser was still stationed on the moon, but it sounded like the Miran Sona had forced them to leave the galaxy.

  “And if it’s not, I’m trapped here.”

  “No. We do not wish for you to continue interfering in human affairs. You will have to wait till the next collection vessel makes a pass by Earth. It won’t be that long.”

  Vintor nodded. This was his only option. The male stepped over to the control panel by the door and started tapping. As Vintor watched, a blue beam of light enveloped the teardrop-shaped cruiser and lifted it from the sea floor, and it occurred to him nothing had been said about Maya, Gary and the other female. He spun away from the window to find he was alone. Vintor sprinted to the closed door and hammered on it.

  “Let me out of here! I trusted you to be honorable. How dare you separate me from my mate!” he bellowed as he pounded on the metal portal.

  “We walk a fine line with the humans. Their trust is important in these early phases of their development. They wish to have the female back,” the male’s voice projected through a speaker in the panel by the door.

  “They will kill her!” he roared and punched the control panel as fear and anger burned through his veins.

  14 Making a Case

  Maya

  We’re not going to die! I’m going to get to see my little stone house after all. She could almost picture it by the river set against a purple sky.

  Maya was so giddy, the rush of endorphins had her soaring. She should’ve been numb by now to all the bursts of adrenaline as they went from one harrowing situation to the next, but somehow the roller coaster still thrilled her.

  Vintor looked like he didn’t have a scratch before he left to deal with his ship, their poor brunette companion was being treated, and Gary’s injuries were already healed, adding to her ecstatic mood. Her brother now sat gaping in awe at the Miran Sona advancements. This had to be a lot for him to take in. She could sympathize. At least with his first contact he was seeing how other races were willing to help, where she’d been fed nonsense about them being a threat as her government forced her to experiment on them.

  It was strange being on the receiving end of medical care from the Miran Sona, when her only interaction with them had been on her operating table. As the pale woman ran the device over her injuries, the various aches and pains disappeared like they never existed. It was miraculous. It also made her feel terribly guilty knowing what she’d done to this woman’s people.

  “I know we appear strange to you, but you have nothing to fear from us,” the tall, pale woman coaxed. She must’ve seen her guilty expression.

  “I am familiar with the Miran Sona.”

  “Ah, I wasn’t told that you were one of the human ambassadors. Your costae are nearly healed. How do they feel?” The woman gently palpated Maya’s ribs with her three-fingered hand.

  “Much better. Thank you.”

  “You will be back to the comfort of your home soon,” the Miran Sona man who led them onto the ship said from the doorway.

  “Excuse me?” Maya’s brow furrowed. “Home?”

  “Once you are healed, we will be taking you home. Hopefully you can forget the red male’s abduction attempt,” the lanky man replied.

  “We can’t go home!” Gary barked.

  Maya stared at him as panic surged through her. Vintor wasn’t with the pale man and she had a sinking feeling this was the reason.

  No, no, no! She refused to believe Emil was dead till she saw his cold, lifeless body laid out in the morgue and General Offutt was alive and kicking. There was no way in hell they could return home. Maya scrambled off the gurney.

  “If you return us to my people it’s a death sentence. I demand to speak to whoever’s in charge.”

  “What do you mean?” the man asked, his hairless brow furrowing.

  “I wasn’t abducted by my mate, I was escaping my own people. I have important information that you’re going to want to know. So, I demand to speak to whoever is in charge, now. And release Vintor,” Maya growled as she stepped into the man’s personal space.

  She might be a head shorter than the Miran Sona, but they weren’t known for being physically aggressive. If he didn’t return her man, she’d have no problem kicking his ass.

  “Very well.” The wisp of a man backed up. “We will take you to see Ambassador Deto, but you must be patient, it will take us a bit to get into orbit.”

  “And Vintor?”

  “I am not authorized to reunite you at this time. But rest assured your friend is unharmed.”

  “My mate!” Maya corrected with a growl.

  The man hit a button on the nearby wall-mounted panel and it brought up an image of Vintor. His chest heaved as he angrily paced the loading bay, wildly shaking his head, his dark hair flying about. She gaped at the sight of her incensed lover. His hands were dripping blood all over the floor as he stalked back and forth like a caged animal.

  “He is not unharmed!”

  “The male did that to himself when he struck the door repeatedly,” the Miran Sona man insisted.

  “I want to speak to him.”

  “Fine. We will reach the prime vessel shortly.” The man hit another button on the panel then left the room.

  “Vintor,” Maya spoke into the panel.

  Vintor’s head swung around at the sound of her voice. His eyes shifted from enraged to pained as he approached the wall where the camera was. He said something, but she couldn’t hear him. The way he stroked the screen she assumed he could also see her.

  “I know the Miran Sona were going to return me home, but I’ve demanded to speak to their ambassador. We’re heading to their ship in orbit. I’m going to exchange what I know for our freedom.”

  “She had the guy quaking in his boots,” Gary interjected from over her shoulder.

  Vintor smiled slightly at the exaggeration.

  “I’m all healed, so things are looking up.” She smiled back at her worried man. Considering they were doomed an hour ago, this was progress and she wasn’t about to let it slip through her fingers. “We’
ll get this little hiccup figured out so don’t go breaking any more of your body parts. I’m looking forward to seeing our home.”

  Time passed quickly as she spoke to Vintor, trying to keep him calm. Her gaze swiveled toward the door when the man she’d bargained with reentered.

  “We have docked,” he announced. “This way.”

  “What about the woman?” Gary asked as he glanced at the brunette in the pod.

  “Her injuries will take longer to heal,” the slight female doctor reported.

  “She can’t be returned to the people who demanded me either. They will only abuse her.” Maya refused to let the poor woman fall into the government’s clutches again. It would be better for her to wind up in the colony than to go back.

  Maya and Gary followed the pale man through the ship and exited in a large loading bay. They were greeted by another Miran Sona standing stiffly at the foot of the ramp. Maya’s head tipped to one side as she studied the woman in the green jumpsuit. She’d never seen a Miran Sona with hair, they were usually bald, but this one had a tuft of white fuzz on her head. Amusingly it reminded her of a cute baby chick, an utter contrast to the woman’s serious mien.

  “Welcome. My name is Wen. I am captain of this vessel. It is my understanding you desire to speak to Ambassador Deto.”

  “I’m Maya and this is my brother, Gary. I do want to speak to the ambassador, if that’s who’s in charge. I also want to be reunited with my mate, Vintor.” Maya glanced back at the ship.

  “Your mate? Interesting. I’m sure the ambassador has questions for him as well. Lieutenant, please retrieve their companion,” Wen instructed the man who’d rescued them.

  “Yes, Captain.”

  Their escort retreated, then swiftly returned with Vintor, who was flanked by two armed Miran Sona. Vintor didn’t seem to care. The moment he saw her, he rushed forward and pulled her into his arms. Maya groaned from how tight he squeezed her and Vintor instantly let her loose.

  “I am sorry.” His large hands carefully felt her midsection as he frowned.

  “You didn’t hurt me. My ribs are all healed.” She grinned up at the large, sweet man. Maya took one of his hands and examined his bloodied knuckles. “Oh, handsome.”

  “It’s fine.” He tucked his face against the top of her head.

  Vintor was a big strong man, and yet he trembled as she hugged him close. It angered her that the Miran Sona dared to separate them, but she had to shove it down. She couldn’t get emotional as she negotiated with them. It was going to be hard, though, considering what was on the line.

  “Come, Deto is waiting,” Captain Wen beckoned.

  Maya squealed in surprise when Vintor picked her up and followed the captain, but she didn’t object. It wouldn’t keep the Miran Sona from separating them if that was their plan, but it made him feel better. She caressed his bare chest, hoping to soothe his still rapid heartbeat.

  Her gaze shifted from his swarthy visage to study the people and ship as they made their way down the primary corridor. The Miran Sona were dressed in various-colored suits, probably denoting their rank. The walls of the vessel looked like frosted glass, soft light radiating from the ceiling and floor. They abruptly stopped, and she glanced around curiously. One of the frosted walls slid open to reveal a large room. A man stood at the head of a long table laden with food. His suit was utilitarian like all the jumpsuits worn by the Miran Sona, but his outfit had white stripes on the lapels which stood out against the midnight blue.

  “Ambassador Deto, I present the human, Maya, who wishes to speak to you before she is returned to her people. And this is her brother, Gary, and apparently her mate, Vintor,” Wen announced then stepped back.

  “You claim to have mated the new species that only just arrived?” Deto studied her with his large, oblong dark eyes. The Miran Sona didn’t seem to show much emotion beyond the subtle widening of their eyes and a twitch of their stubby little noses, but the ambassador was more sober than even the captain had been.

  “I do. Vintor, set me down, please.”

  Reluctantly he did.

  “I was under the impression this male took you all against your will. Interesting. Please sit. Eat.” Deto pointed to the table.

  Maya didn’t want to be rude, so she took a seat. Vintor sat beside her and Gary took the chair on the opposite side of the table. She lifted a glass of what she assumed was water and took a small sip to appease the ambassador. She hadn’t eaten all day but didn’t have an appetite with everything they were facing.

  “You have been misinformed—on a lot of things.” Maya cast Deto a wan smile. “It’s a long story but I guarantee you want to hear us out.”

  “I agreed to bring you here. Speak.”

  “For starters, the last thing you want to do is return us to my people. That is the price for what we’re about to share.” She looked Deto in the eye.

  “You must understand what is at stake here. Your people asked for my help in retrieving you alive or dead, so what you have to tell me better be compelling.”

  “We cannot trust this male,” Vintor growled. “He and these people here are nothing like the Miran Sona I call my friends. They come and go, making bargains with the human authorities, both sides writing off individuals in the name of the greater good. You cavalierly bargain with Maya’s life, just like you did with Cila, Zer, Ion and Exo.” He smacked the table with a resounding thud that had Wen and the Miran Sona guards nervously moving forward, ready to protect their ambassador.

  Maya placed a hand on Vintor’s arm to calm him. “No, we will trust Deto, because what we have to share does pertain to the greater good. He will see reason in that.”

  Vintor grunted in displeasure as he sat back in his chair, folding his massive arms across his chest. He was at the end of his patience with the stunt the Miran Sona pulled on the cruiser.

  “I accept your price, but what you have to share better be good since I will have to lie to your people,” Deto replied, undaunted by Vintor’s anger.

  “Do you recall two years ago, when the meteors came bringing the parasitic viruses?” she asked.

  “That is something none of us will ever forget. You humans and your unique evolution turned out to be our salvation. When we returned to the planet we thought doomed, we were overjoyed to discover your people survived the Morbo virus,” Deto’s voice trembled. This was the first hint of emotion she’d witnessed in the otherwise stoic ambassador. “However, your governments were struggling with how to deal with the fallout. As a whole, your people were not ready to accept their place in the universe. They still aren’t. The threat of chaos then and now is too great. That is why your mate and his kind can’t be here.” Deto glared at Vintor.

  “Yes. So, you aided the various governments in covering up the invasion. But those in charge still know what happened and they fear being weak and vulnerable. That is when my government hired me. I specialize in infectious diseases. They lured me in saying there was an odd illness affecting people due to the meteors. Then I was forced to do unspeakable things, experiments on that horrific virus, the Miran Sona, Anguis and other humans,” Maya choked on the words as the faces of everyone she wronged surfaced in her mind.

  “Maya, that’s enough,” Gary insisted.

  “You don’t have to go through this again.” Vintor interlaced his fingers with hers and gripped her hand.

  “No. Deto must know. My own people tormented, tortured and lied not only to me, but to you, all while claiming to be your ally. They threatened my family and everyone I ever loved. When mom got cancer, that bastard Emil made a comment and I was certain he’d done something to her, to keep me in line.” Maya glanced toward her brother, unable to keep the tears from falling. She meant to stay strong as she told her story, but it was hard to lay it all on the line without feeling a thing.

  “And were you successful in creating this new abomination?” Deto asked, appearing unaffected by her tale.

  “I discovered enough to know this new pa
rasite would doom us all. I hid what I learned, staying one step ahead of my government. When everything came to a head I was able to destroy all but a fraction of my research. But the DOD could always find someone else to repeat my work.”

  “So, you have come to tell me your people are not truly vested in this alliance and have gone so far as to murder my people and conspire to create a new plague that will annihilate us all,” Deto summed up.

  “Yes, but that is not the sum total of their worth. Among the humans there are those with great strength and honor. They are the driving force that has brought together many races in my quadrant,” Vintor interjected.

  Maya smiled at him. Vintor was right. It probably wasn’t wise for her to paint humanity as the ultimate evil and scare off the Miran Sona. Hopefully she hadn’t done too much damage. Deto was hard to read. She’d just told him they narrowly avoided Armageddon and he barely blinked. She couldn’t tell if he wanted to declare war on Earth or shrug it off as the antics of a fledgling race. As a race on the dawn of a new era, humans were stuck between a rock and a hard place, and the path forward was fraught with obstacles. But there was one thing she was certain of, humanity would one day regret angering races who had good intentions toward them.

  “I’m guessing you met this male during your unpleasant employment.” Deto looked toward Vintor. “And from the sound of it your kind was already familiar with humans and the Miran Sona before you arrived. I’m sorry that I can’t say the same for you, besides a brief run in with another of your kind, who is now wisely retreating toward the rift in space.”

  “I am Cadi. My people have aided yours on the other side of the wormhole. Recently one of your collection vessels was stolen by a terrible race of reptilian flesh merchants, the Jurou Biljana. On that ship was my Miran Sona friend, Exo, and another friend’s human mate. It was that female who destroyed the location of your colony and Earth at great risk to herself. Unfortunately, when we reacquired your ship with the help of our Osivoire allies, we discovered the slavers had taken a special part from the propulsion drive. The reptiles now have the means to pass through the wormhole. If you only provided means to communicate through the rift your people could’ve warned you. But because you expect them to fade into nothing as the human colony thrives, you have given your own brethren next to nothing to defend themselves. They didn’t even know that you were guarding Earth. So, we came here to hide the planet we assumed was entirely vulnerable. I commend the Miran Sona on their valiant intentions, but your methods leave much to be desired,” Vintor growled.