Her patra made sure that they all knew how to fight. He even taught them the sneaky moves guarantee to bring a male to his knees.
With all that behind her, she had no problems defending herself against anyone, male or female.
“Good luck in your future endeavors, but our paths are not going to cross.” she issued the formal goodbye before standing to return to her cell.
No matter how much her body wished for some sensual naked time with Hot Body Piele, her crap-o-meter informed her that she had already reached her quota. Besides worrying about her matra took all her concentration, she had bigger Tiagerians to declaw.
She signaled the guard that she was ready to leave. The being checking in with the guards caught her attention.
“Shit.” she ducked down underneath the table the security field emanated from.
By the grace of the Purple One please let him not have seen me.
“Captain Sparks? ...Zayda?”
“Hush.” she issued the order from under the desk scanning for an escape route.
Pearls and Diamonds.
She needed an exit and fast. Her matra's top litigator stood at the security desk signing in. He was there for her. To bail her out. She knew this because her matra was the only client he had nowadays.
Smart female, she sent the only litigator Zayda wouldn't be able to weasel her way out of returning home with.
Her patra.
How her matra managed to hear of her arrest so fast was beyond her. That female had spies everywhere on GTR. Zayda would be lucky to make it off this station without getting caught and hauled home like a youngling in trouble.
Pearls and Diamonds.
Zayda couldn’t stop the feeling of happiness that infused her at the sight of her patra. She had inherited her height and purple skin tone from Lytko Sparks. The rest of her was pure Zoya Sparks. Including the desire to rebel against the system, and her penchant for getting into trouble. The refusal to do what her matra wanted and get mated. All of that, he had often teased stemmed from her matra. She really wanted to speak with her patra, but his presence here meant only one thing. He had gone over to the dark side. He sided with her matra and was now the enemy.
Damn. Her matra really was playing dirty by bringing him into this. How unfair. It was now them against her.
She peeked over the top of the desk to see Piele looking at her. He slowly turned to see who was behind him. When he turned back to her a sly look encompassed his face. Zayda knew she was quickly sinking into a gravitational well. She was about to get fucked and not in a pleasant way.
He spoke softly with far more confidence than he had had earlier, and her eyes narrowed. “Captain Sparks I would like to make you an offer.” Piele sat back in his seat, stretching his long legs out in front of him, crossing them at the ankle. He was relaxed in repose. A slow, knowing smile spread across his face, showing a hint of his sexy fangs.
“I will pay you two million credits for transporting my group to Pyloto.” Piele dropped his offer before Zayda could tell him in no uncertain terms where to stick it.
Rich guy says what? Zayda’s forgot to hide from her patra at the astronomical amount of credit.
“Excuse me?” That Tiagerian really must’ve hit her hard. She was losing her mind.
“Half up front and the other half when we arrive on Pyloto. Plus, I will bail you out.” He sweetened the deal.
“Guards!” Zayda yelled.
Piele stood up holding out his hand to Zayda to seal their deal. When she placed her hand in his he felt an immediate reaction.
Piele looked into her dark purple eyes. A loud buzzing started in his head. Dizziness overcame him.
“Hey, are you okay,” that sultry voice asked him.
He slowly lowered himself into his seat. He didn’t know what was happening to him. He felt a warm hand on his. He looked down where a purple hand was touching his grey one to see sparks.
Oh hell.
He looked up into the purple orbs that were leaning over him in concern.
“Mate,” the word echoed softly in the room.
Chapter Four
Riodan Pyloto paced back and forth, keeping an eye on the hellions that were turning his vacation into a desire to end his life. He was worried. They had less than a Redemption Standard Week to get these hellions to Pyloto before the planet shut down due to solar flares.
The Science Ministry was concerned that these solar flares would be the worse ones seen in several centuries. Even though Pyloto was on the edge of the galaxy the radiation from the solar flares would still affect the planet. That is why the Pyloto government decided to shut down the planet for the duration of the solar flares. That meant that if they didn’t get these younglings to Pyloto in time they would be stuck with them for several additional weeks.
They had already lost time when they had to switch to the slower luxury liners due to damage to their private ship, the Burning Duo. They lost even more time when they were kicked off first one luxury liner and then a second one. At the rate they were going they would be stuck with these younglings indefinitely. That was not his idea of fun and excitement.
He would rather be at home on Pyloto. Hacking into GTR’s central archive or creating security programs with his close hacker friend Justin Steele. Anything would be better than escorting a bunch of female teenage younglings across the galaxy. He was content with staying home on his computronics. Occasionally emerging to participate in a hot threesome with his bratha, then going back to his hidey-hole.
Ever since they picked them up on Educolar, he felt like he was on the bad side of the Purple One. Cosmic karma was coming home to roost. He had been acting out of character ever since he first encountered the younglings. Notably being caught on film beating up a male that he normally wouldn’t waste the energy to think about let alone hit.
Someone needed to put warnings on younglings. He turned a stern eye on the biggest culprit of the group.
Destiny.
Her bouncy brown curls, big brown eyes, and innocent smile hid the biggest menace the galaxy had ever known.
It was because of her that his image was now being flashed all over the galaxy. He already received a comm call from his matra complaining how embarrassed she was at the sight of him pounding on such a tiny being.
“Riodan, couldn’t you have been filmed beating up a huge Xirin or even a Gastropian? Imagine the advertising footage we would have received from that. Pyloto Protection would be known as the premier protection agency in the galaxy.” she complained unfazed by their predicament. He barely stopped from rolling his eyes, remembering at the last moment that this was a visual comm call and she could see him.
She didn’t hesitate or pause “All we are getting now are comms from desperate females who want to arrange a mating with you. We are not a mating agency, but if the comms don’t stop I am going to start pimping your grey ass out.” His matra threatened.
“Matra, I was only caught on camera because I was rescuing one of those younglings you stuck us with from the clutches of an unscrupulous male.” He calmly explained knowing his matra could become high-strung especially when it came to the reputation of the business she had built.
“Clutches?” his matra guffawed, “you are so prissy.”
“Prissy? Because I choose not to use my brains instead of brawn,” he gave a sigh, this was an old argument between them.
“Obviously you can use your brawn when called for otherwise there wouldn’t be a vid of you beating up some little weasel of a humanoid floating around the galaxy.”
“Matra, why don’t you send a ship to get us instead of laughing at our expense?” he couldn’t keep the exasperation out of his voice. He loved his matra, but he wanted to be done with this.
“Expense. Funny you mention the expense.” Her tone shifted from annoyed to angry, “I just got a bill for the damage you did to Myelard Fonetergut from the healer. I would send a ship to pick you guys and the younglings up, but I have to pay this
bill now. I think you can handle finding your own way home.”
“You know we are doing this only as a favor for you. If it wasn't for that outbreak of Antarion Flu, Piele and I would still be on Faatania doing all sorts of wicked things to a willing female.” A look of distaste came over his matra's face. Her bright green eyes narrowing.
Mya Pyloto wanted her sons mated. She had been throwing Pylototarian females at Riodan and Piele for years. There were just not cooperating. It's not that they were against mating, they were just waiting for the perfect mate to come along. One that resonated with both of them.
Unfortunately the females that his matra kept throwing at them never pinged his interest. Sure, some of them were loads of fun in the bedroom, but outside was another story. It quickly becomes apparent that he had very little in common with most of them. He had no interest in shopping or the latest gossip making the rounds of the galaxy. So, they continued their search. If they survived this trip with the group of teenage younglings, then maybe their luck would change and they would be able to find their mate. The one preordained by the Purple One.
“What you should be doing is finding a mate. It is beyond the time the pair of you make me a grandmatra.” She crossed her arms over her ample breasts as she stared into the dark eyes of her unmated son, the color reminding her of his unmated status. Once he and his bratha mated the color would change to match the eye color of their mate.
“Matra, I hate to be the one to tell you this, but you’re going to have to let go of the idea of ever being a grandmatra.” He shook his head to emphasize the point, “I am discovering that I like younglings, but I think Piele is over them, especially females. He is finding that they don’t conform to his idea of what females should be like. They are not docile and in need of protection as our Patras tried to convince him. How he managed to maintain that idea growing up with a matra like you amazes me.” He chuckled at what he perceived to be his bratha’s naivety. “Yeah, he was talking about finding a healer and cutting his balls off.”
“Riodan, don’t let him do it.” she demanded, “I absolutely forbid it.” This was not the tone of the sweet, tearful matra that conned them into this adventure. No, this was the hard nose business female who had built a successful business in a male-dominated arena. She had made plenty of enemies as she climbed to success on the back of her competition. Even with that, no business meeting, no task could incur her wrath. Yet, somehow, he and Piele managed. Nothing in the galaxy pissed her off more than being disregarded by her sons.
“I am sorry Matra I gotta go. Your hellions need me.” Riodan hid his grin as his matra continued to yell at him through the comm.
“Riodan Pyloto. Don’t you hang u....” he cut the call mid-sentence.
Riodan smiled at the memory of the slight bit of revenge he was able to get against his matra. Her biggest desire was to be a grandmatra. He didn't let on that him and his bratha Piele had been on the lookout for their true mate for longer than either wanted to admit. They were just having difficulty finding the one female that both of them liked for more than one night of passion.
Now if Piele just showed up with their ride they could get the hell off the Gateway to Redemption. They researched the available ships when they arrived on The Gateway to Redemption three Redemption Standard Days ago. It was after Piele’s talk with the dockmaster that they decided the Sparks Fly would most likely meet there needs.
“Tha’ Captain Sparks a feisty female alrigh’,” the Dockmaster leaned back in his chair putting his boot covered feet up on his messy desk. “I ain’ never heard about her cheating anyone out of their cargo.” He gave a deep belly chuckle that caused the layer of blubber around his middle to undulate. Enoch was an outer ice planet like Pyloto. Unlike Pyloto it had a breathable atmosphere, but still cold due to its distance from Redemption sun.
Their citizens developed a layer of fat over time to insulate their bodies from the cold. Living on the climate-controlled station of GTR didn’t overrule evolution.
Riodan could only stare with fascinated horror at the sight. The Dockmaster didn’t notice or didn’t mind, as he continued to speak in his broken Redemption Standard to Piele.
“Now those who try an’ cheat her learnt real quick the folly of tha’ decision. Yep, Captain Sparks would protect ya’ younglings. If she transported passengers.”
“Captain Sparks doesn’t have a passenger license?” Riodan heard the dismay in his bratha’s tone as he questioned the Dockmaster. He sighed in frustration, clenching his fist to keep from hitting something convenient. Like the Dockmaster. Their plans were falling apart quicker than they could make them. He was sure if he turned up on Pyloto sans the younglings his matra wouldn’t notice. After all, he would just explain to her that Piele launched them into the nearest quantum singularity for the damaged they caused to the Burning Duo and they just so happened to be sucked into a different space and if he was doubly lucky a different time.
“Oh, she has one. Renews it every time she renews her cargo licenses. She just don’t transport passengers. At least not those who aren’t family.” He spoke in his broken Redemption Standard.
“Why not?”
The Dockmaster shrugged, “She don’t like other beings. Not my place to guess. She pays her dues. I don’t care what she does or don’t do with her licenses.”
“Well, I will take her information anyway,” Piele held out his hand for the information, expectantly.
The Dockmaster chuckled as he sat up, reaching into one of the many piles on his desk. He handed Riodan’s bratha a card. “Comm me when you go to talk to her.”
“Why?”
“I’m always up for a good show.” The Dockmaster’s laughter followed them out of his office.
There was a wide variety of ships available in the dock, but there was a very limited number that could be trusted to transport the four younglings safely to Pyloto. The temptation of four untouched younglings and the number of credits that could be obtained from the closest slave auction was a temptation for any struggling indie cargo captain.
Females were in high demand on the outer planets. Far from the safety around the center of commerce that was GTR, life was harsh. The planets were newly settled, predominantly with tougher, harder men. Many families with female refused to allow them to travel anywhere near these unprotected planets. Free Trader brothels flourished with unwilling workers, bought at the slave auctions or flat out stolen. These beings were typically unable to buy their way free from the enforced slavery. A young healthy female could be auctioned off nightly to the highest bidder earning millions of credits in a short time. The scarcity of females on the planets demanded high prices from those that were available.
Captain Sparks' reputation of unwavering honesty and her widely known views opposing sex-trafficking made her their number one choice. When they checked around the docks of GTR, many freighter captains were willing to tell about the clashes between Sparks and Reves Loganax. How she accused him of being a sex-trafficker hiding behind the guise of a wealthy businessman. They whispered of her mission to rescue orphans from all over the galaxy and get them to the safety of the Citadel, a secret orphanage whose location was hidden to most of the galaxy.
Now they just had to convince the captain to take on their cargo. At least Piele had to convince her. As the smooth-talking bratha when it came to females, Riodan hoped he was successful. He didn't like the looks of some of these males. Especially the Tiagerians that were currently eyeballing his charges.
The last thing he needed was for the younglings to tangle with them. Their brutish ways and sexual exploits weren’t something he wanted the younglings exposed too. His charges were not ready for Tiagerians. Physically or mentally.
Destiny, Octavia, Ember, and Elise handled being orphans in different ways. Destiny was bold and ready to take on the galaxy. Her feistiness would be an irresistible lure for some unscrupulous male who wouldn’t think twice about using her and abusing her only to throw her away
when done.
Elise was a shy little mouse with the desire to follow in her patra’s footsteps, becoming a pilot in the IGM. Ember hid in the world of computronics where she didn’t have to interact face to face with another living, breathing being. Then there was Octavia. Determined to be a botanist like her matra. Wanting to finish the research her matra’s death left behind.
He eyeballed a tall Tiagerian sporting a dark bruise around his eye as he approached him. He took a step away from his charges, giving himself room to defend them if he needed. Rolling his head from side to side on his neck, loosening the tension in his shoulders.
“Yo Pyloto,” the Tiagerian called out to him.
Riodan widened his stance as he turned to face the Tiagerian. He was taller than Riodan. Outweighing him by a good amount, the Tiagerian swaggered with confidence. Riodan would have laughed, he had confidence too, confidence stemming from actual fights with far bigger prey. He bared his fangs at the Tiagerian.
“What can I do for you?”
“You can give me those female younglings. I have an itch that they can scratch.” He laughed loudly as he reached around Riodan attempting to grab Destiny who was standing behind him.
The Tiagerian didn’t even see him move before Riodan hit him hard in the throat. The Tiagerian choked bending over as he grasped his throat gasping for breath. Riodan followed up the chop with a punch on the chin causing the Tiagerian to go sprawling on the floor.
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