by Leslie Chase
Kosar found himself grinning at that question and ran a hand through his hair. It was still damp from the shower, and maybe that was the clue Davenport needed because her eyes widened. Her grin stretched wide.
"Oh for god's sake, now you get laid?" She laughed and shook her head. "I mean, congratulations, but the timing kind of sucks."
He growled menacingly, which only made her laugh harder. It was hard to be threatening across the wide gulf of space. Giving up, he held up a hand in surrender. "There's a story to it, but I don't have time to tell it now."
"Oh, I'm sure you're just swimming in work for the next six hours," she said. "Don't let me keep you."
"I'm not the one who's going to be busy right away, you are," he told her. "There's something that I need done, and you're going to have to arrange it. I'll need you to talk to the Dragon Empire, and you'll need to involve the Consortium too. Probably your best bet there is the Colony Coordinator. Miss St. George is a reasonable and resourceful woman."
Not only that, but he knew that she was sympathetic to the Empire. She'd been instrumental in setting up the joint anti-piracy force between humans and dragons, after all. If there was one powerful human he could trust, it had to be her.
As soon as he mentioned work Davenport was all business, though the sparkle in her eyes made it clear that she was only putting the teasing on hold. Kosar quickly told her what he knew about Ashley's brother Michael.
"I need him safe, and on Mars," he said. "We can heal him here."
"That's likely to be tricky," Davenport said with a frown. "I'll do what I can, but exactly how urgent is this?"
"The man behind the hijacking is holding Michael's safety over Ashley," Kosar said. "I promised her I'd get him to safety."
That was all Davenport needed to hear. She nodded crisply, and he knew he could trust her to get it done. That's one less thing to worry about.
Now onto the nineteen other problems I have to solve.
"Talk to me about the pirate ships," he told her. "What do we know?"
Davenport grimaced. "Not much. There are three of them that we can detect, all with powerful drives. They were cruising quietly until your tugs made a break for it, but now they're powering on an intercept course. They can outperform anything your ship could manage even if you got control of the tugs.
"The good news is that they're mostly engine. Can't be many people aboard any of them, I doubt there are more than eight in each ship."
"That's the good news? That I'll be facing, what, twenty-four armed and prepared humans?"
"Hey, you're a dragon warrior, right? Surely that's not a threat you're too worried about?" Davenport managed a smile, though he could see the concern in her eyes. "Besides, it probably won't be more than twenty-one of them. There'll be a pilot on each ship after all."
"Oh, in that case it's no problem." Kosar smiled back. The odds might be bad, but this was a problem he could fight. That was a lot better than the problems he'd been facing recently and he relished the chance to meet an enemy with his fists. "Those extra three would have made all the difference."
"I'll make those calls now," Davenport told him, shaking her head. "You take care of yourself, okay? I really don't want to have to do your job."
With that she closed the connection, leaving Kosar alone on the bridge. The Grace of Herendar vibrated as the tugs' engines pulled it along ever faster, away from Mars and into the darkness where the enemy waited for him.
He considered waking Ashley, but his mate needed her rest. She looked as though she hadn't gotten a good night's sleep since she arrived on Mars, and now that she was finally relaxed Kosar wasn't going to wake her. It was enough to know that she was there, and happy, and with him.
Though that might not last. He wouldn't take a chance on her getting killed alongside him. If Kosar could ensure one thing, it would be that Ashley survived this.
Before he could make a solid plan, the communicator beeped at him again. A call from Mars, this one marked imperial priority. There was only one person who could use those codes, and despite himself Kosar was impressed with Davenport. It seemed that she'd worked quicker and reached higher than he'd expected her to be able to. Offering a brief prayer to his ancestors as he accepted the call.
"My Emperor," Kosar said, bowing low towards the screen. Emperor Verikan looked almost taken aback by the formality of the gesture, but standards had to be upheld. Especially in front of human witnesses. Adele St. George, the Coordinator of Olympus Colony, was in the call to represent the human consortium's interests.
"Kosar." Verikan nodded to him. "Your news is difficult to take. We need the stardrive, and it's imperative that no one faction gets its secrets before the rest of us do."
"I am aware," Kosar said. "And I apologize for putting us in this position, sir. I take full responsibility for the failure of security."
"Fault and blame can wait until the issue is resolved," the emperor said firmly. "In the meantime, what needs to be done to move forward? Why do you need to speak to the two of us?"
St. George stayed quiet, listening closely but saying nothing. Kosar found himself approving: doubtless she'd speak up when she had something to say, but she wasn't wasting time insisting that she be heard. Too many humans spoke just to assert their own power.
Hopefully she will be willing help, he thought and took a deep breath.
"There are two matters. First, as head of security at the Imperial Research Center, it's my duty to keep both the Consortium and the Dragon Empire updated on matters like this."
St. George smiled slightly. "That duty could have been dealt with via your deputy," she pointed out. "You don't need us in conference to discharge it."
Kosar nodded, acknowledging the point. "That's true. But for the second matter, I do. I am up against an overwhelming force, and I may not be able to win out. I will, of course, die before surrendering the stardrive to the pirates — but if I'm going to lose the fight, what am I to do with the stardrive itself?"
He tensed at the very thought of losing, but this was too important for pride. Three ships, even small ones, full of enemies might be enough to overwhelm him, especially if he couldn't shift to face them in his warform.
Kosar didn't intend to lose this fight, but he had a responsibility to prepare for the worst.
On the screens, Verikan and St. George nodded thoughtfully. To Kosar's surprise it was the human who answered first.
"We can't afford for anyone to take this advantage," she said slowly. "If one corporation can go to the stars, they will leverage that power to try and take over the Earth — and Mars too. Which would lead to a full-on corporate war. There's a reason that we banded together to study the stardrive, so that we can all share in the success when it comes."
Verikan leaned towards the camera, fierce gaze filling the screen. "I agree. Better that no one has it than that the solar system falls into a war over who develops it first. Besides the risk of war, the technology is also dangerous to use or experiment with."
Kosar took a deep breath and centered himself. He's expected this answer but that didn't make it any better to hear, not when his mate was aboard the Grace of Herendar with him. That didn't change his duty, though.
"Very well," he told his emperor. "If the worst happens, I will destroy the ship rather than let the enemy have the stardrive. I know my duty. But I do have one request, one that will need Miss St. George's assistance — if you agree."
Verikan raised an eyebrow, and St. George steepled her fingers as she sat forward. "What is it?" she asked.
"My mate's brother needs help. And I cannot reach him from here."
"Ah, the boy in the clinic that your deputy mentioned?" St. George nodded, glancing aside at another screen. "Yes, I can take care of that. The Consortium has enough power on Earth to make sure that no one harms him, and I think I own shares in the clinic he's being treated in. Don't worry — we won't let an innocent suffer for this. You can reassure your mate that her brother will be
fine."
A frown crossed her face for just a second and then cleared as she looked back at him. "Or at least as well as someone with Trygvassen syndrome can be. I'm afraid that whoever booked him into a clinic for treatment was lying if they said it would be effective. There's no cure on Earth. Perhaps your magical nanotech medicine can help where we fail, though?"
No cure? He put my mate through all that pain for a lie? Kosar felt his face darken with fury and saw St. George flinch from him despite the vast distance between them. He fought down his rage — this was no time for it. She was his ally, not his enemy.
But the man who had promised Ashley that her brother would be treated for an incurable illness would pay for that lie. One more debt Kosar had to settle with him, and he swore to himself that he wouldn't let the bastard get away with his crimes.
19
Ashley
Ashley woke up slowly, drifting in the warmth of the bed and sleepily happy, remembering Kosar's embrace. She wasn't sure if it had been a dream or not, but in that moment it didn't matter. She was here, and happy and warm.
This isn't my apartment, she thought, a slight frown forming as her consciousness returned. No, of course it wasn't. She'd left Mars and they were aboard the Grace of Herendar. And that meant—
Memory hit her like a bucket of ice water and she sat up fast. Bits and pieces came together quickly, reminding her of the mortal peril she and Kosar were in.
Following hot on the heels of that was the memory of what she and Kosar had done in that bed before sleeping. Ashley felt her cheeks heat and a smile spread across her face as she clutched the covers to herself. The pleasant ache in her muscles dispelled all doubt. It hadn't been a dream or wishful thinking, it had actually happened. Kosar had heard her sins and accepted her anyway.
It was just a shame that she was going to get him killed.
She looked around for her clothes. Not here. No, of course not, they'd be on the bridge where she dropped them. Walking around the alien ship naked wasn't her favorite idea, but she didn't have much choice, or much time. Wrapping herself in a sheet was the best she could do as she made her way forward to reclaim them, thinking on the way.
This wasn't part of anyone's plan. Mr. Johnson was expecting the ship to be empty, not to have a dragon still aboard. Maybe, just maybe, he'd back off rather than murdering a representative of the Dragon Empire. The dragons were a serious threat, after all — when they'd woken they'd planned to attack Earth and all the simulations showed them either winning or at least devastating several major cities before they retreated.
These days both sides would have made better preparations for a war, and who'd win was up in the air, but it might, just possibly, be enough to scare off the pirates.
Or perhaps it would be better to keep the element of surprise? Ashley shook her head. They would be too badly outnumbered. If there was a chance she could avoid a fight at all, she'd take it.
"I'm glad to see you're awake." Kosar's gruff voice interrupted her thoughts as she stepped onto the bridge, and she blushed as he turned to face her. The sight of him was instantly distracting, and the look in his eyes as he saw her was even more so. For a moment she just wanted to ignore everything else in the universe and drag Kosar back to bed.
Instead she turned away, picking up her clothes. They no longer lay on the floor where she'd dropped them — at some point while she was sleeping, Kosar had picked them up and folded them neatly on a chair. Squirming into them under the sheet would have been ridiculous, undignified, and perhaps impossible. Ashley didn't even try it, letting the sheet fall.
Let Kosar have a good look, she thought. The feel of his gaze made her blush spread, and the low growl of desire filled her with a delightful thrill.
Her clothes no longer fastened properly, not after Kosar had torn them open. She tried to tug the top closed over her breasts, futilely as it turned out: the zipper was torn. Her blush deepened as he watched.
"If you didn't want me to see that, why didn't you just get fresh clothes from your room?" he asked when she shot him a glare. It was a reasonable question, she had to admit.
"Because I need the keycard in my pocket to open the case," she told him, straight-faced. Not because I didn't think of that. Or because I wanted to see you more than I wanted to get dressed. Nope.
She didn't think he believed her any more than she did, but he let it slide.
"Ashley, the enemy ships will be here soon," he said instead, putting a hand on her shoulder protectively. "Before that, I have to get you to safety. When the fighting starts, I can't afford to worry about you as well as the enemy."
"And yourself, right?" Ashley asked, reaching up to take his hand and squeeze it. "You're going to worry about yourself?"
Kosar laughed. "They are only human, and I am a dragon warrior. There is no need to be concerned about my safety."
Ashley wished that she could believe that, but surely the attackers would be trained and equipped for a dragon enemy. Either that, or they'd give up and turn around as soon as they found out he was aboard — and while she hoped that might happen, she had the sinking feeling that she wasn't that lucky.
She could see that Kosar wasn't as confident as he claimed either. Something about his posture, his expression, said that he expected this to be a hard, dangerous fight. Perhaps an impossible one. He just wasn't going to let that stop him, especially not with her safety on the line. Ashley swallowed, thinking just how likely it was that one or both of them would die in the next few hours.
"I can talk to them," she blurted out. "I still have some communication time left, and they won't want to risk actually killing an imperial official like you. Maybe, if I speak with Mr. Johnson, he'll call off the attack."
"You know he won't, my love," Kosar said with a shake of his head. "He's far too invested in this to turn back now. Just sending out these ships must have cost a fortune, and the crew will need to be paid even if they turn back now."
He was right. She knew he was. But... it was something to try. Talking to Mr. Johnson couldn't hurt, could it?
"I'm going call anyway," she told Kosar firmly. "If there's even a chance we can end this without violence it's worth pursuing, right? For Michael's sake if nothing else."
Ashley reached into her pocket for her phone, but Kosar took hold of her wrist and stopped her. "Before you speak to him, there are some things that you must know."
Listening with growing anger, Ashley felt the blood drain from her face as Kosar told her what he'd learned. By the time he finished summarizing his call to Mars she was shaking with rage.
"That— that rat bastard," she snarled, barely able to keep her anger in check. "He was lying this whole time? There's no help for Michael?"
"None that he can give," Kosar said, holding her tight. "But dragon medical technology is far more advanced than anything Earth has yet. I promise your brother will be looked after as well as anyone in the solar system. More important right now, he is safe. No matter how much Mr. Johnson is willing to pay, no one is going to back him and risk the wrath of the Consortium and the Dragon Empire at once."
Ashley calmed herself, hoping that he was right. It wasn't quite true, of course — if it was there wouldn't be pirate ships waiting to meet them. But there was a difference between an ambush in deep space and killing someone in a private clinic. At least Ashley hoped there was, and that it would be enough to protect Michael.
There's nothing more that can be done now, she reminded herself. Apart from dealing with the mysterious Mr. Johnson and stopping this whole mess. Meeting Kosar's eyes, she pulled out her phone and activated the quantum communicator. The connection was instant.
"My dear Ashley, I was wondering when you'd call," Mr. Johnson's smug, self-satisfied voice filled her head and she struggled to control her loathing. "Things don't seem to be going quite according to plan, do they?"
"You have to turn your men back," she blurted out without responding to his question. "There's still a dragon warrio
r aboard. Your plan won't work anymore, so why get people killed over it?"
"Yes, yes," he drawled. "We've been watching for the two of you to leave, and know that you're both still there. A pity, I did want this done without having to hurt anyone, but I've come too far to give up now. If you want to prevent bloodshed, help us deal with the alien."
"No." The word came out fast, flat, unquestioned. Only afterward did Ashley think that perhaps she should have played along. But even then, she doubted that she could have been convincing. "No, I won't do it."
"Think carefully, my dear," Mr. Johnson said, sounding amused. "You wouldn't want anything to happen to your brother, would you? No matter how much you care for your alien friend, I'm sure Michael's recovery means more to you."
A red-hot rage flooded through Ashley at that, and for a moment she felt nothing else. The pounding of her pulse filled her ears and her hands tightened as though Mr. Johnson's neck was in her grasp. Her phone creaked as she squeezed it.
Kosar's arm folded around her, pulling her to him, and that gave her an anchor, something to hold onto as she recovered her poise. Breathing carefully, slowly, she resisted the urge to scream at Mr. Johnson. It wasn't easy, but shouting wouldn't help.
There was no way to keep the icy anger out of her voice when she spoke again. "Michael will be fine, no thanks to you. I know you're lying about his cure, and I'm done being manipulated by your threats. Come on over here and Kosar will tear your men into little pieces. And I'll help!"
For a moment there was silence on the line, then Mr. Johnson laughed. It wasn't quite a convincing laugh, though. There was a worried undercurrent that made her smile savagely, even though he couldn't see her.
"Ashley. This is the last chance you'll have, so think carefully. If you help me out here, I will make you rich. You and your family will never have to worry about anything ever again, and you'll be doing humanity a service too. Just help me get my hands on the Baby, and everything will be fine."