Jager (Galactic Defenders Book 2)

by Jessica E. Subject

  Jager’s blood turned to ice. As much as he looked forward to being with Katrina on Hemera, he dreaded what Granil had planned. He’d do whatever it took to spend as much time with Katrina and their future child as possible, but he’d rather be ejected into space than do anything to harm them. If that’s what the Alliance leader wanted, he would gladly die to save their lives.

  Granil flicked her right hands at him. “Go on, get ready. You have sixty mins before you need to be in the shuttle bay.”

  His stomach flopping, Jager slid off the chair then left the office. He’d hold in his excitement until he knew the full details of his sentence.

  Chapter Twelve

  Jager bowed to the royal family of Hemera. He’d met all of them, at least in passing, on the carrier, but seeing them dressed in formalwear reminded him how out of their league he was. Throughout Katrina’s training, he’d mockingly called her princess, didn’t understand how hard she tried to prove she was a Defender. And she did. Over and over. Yet, he’d never be royalty. He didn’t stand a chance of convincing her to agree to the Alliance leader’s demand. His life was over. She was better off without him.

  And oh so beautiful with her hair pulled back, exposing her long neck. She had some kind of black paint in a thin layer around her eyes that made them stand out, and red paint covered her lips, making them fuller. A wide gold-colored band covered her chest, and a skirt of the same hue hugged her hips and flowed to the ground, exposing her tight stomach where their child grew. What had she seen in him with his scarred face? He had absolutely nothing to offer her, and if she agreed to the Alliance leader’s demands, she would be trapped with him forever. He couldn’t do that to her. She was better off without him.

  He turned to Granil, his mind made up, set to tell her their deal was off. He’d rather be floated than force Katrina to receive the same punishment.

  Bryce stepped in front of him before he had the chance. He saluted then rested a hand on Jager’s shoulder. “It’s good to see you again. It seems we have a lot to talk about.”

  No, they didn’t. Katrina’s parents already didn’t like her being away from home as a Defender. They’d hate him for taking her away permanently. He shook his head. “I’m not here for long. I came to say goodbye. For good.”

  Bryce’s brow ridge lowered as his forehead wrinkled. He stared hard at Jager, making him that much more confident in his decision. Jager couldn’t hurt Katrina, couldn’t take her away from her family.

  Bryce patted his shoulder then glanced over to the Alliance leader. “It seems Granil and I must find a chance to talk. Do not leave without saying goodbye to me.”

  Jager nodded, but the man who’d saved him didn’t see. He was guiding the Alliance leader into the dome, well ahead of everyone else. Pages came out to grab his belongings, but he wouldn’t be needing any of it. His life was over as soon as the shuttle left the atmosphere. A better prospect than being stuck on the prison planet, slowly losing his mind until he didn’t know anyone, not even himself. At least death by space would be quick.

  Jace walked into the dome with Queen Lalia, but Katrina waited for him. He swallowed the lump in his throat, trying to come up with the right words to tell her she’d never see him again. Eventually, she’d get over him, find someone to help her raise her child. Or maybe she’d do it all on her own. She was strong, had more courage than anyone he’d ever met. She could handle raising their child by herself.

  She clasped his hand as he stepped into the dome, the door closing tightly behind them. Why did she have to make saying goodbye so hard?

  He tried to walk along with her mother and Jace, but Katrina held him back, keeping him away from the crowd. Maybe that was for the best. He could tell her now, get it out of the way, and let her start to move on. Stopping, he squeezed her hand. “As you know, I’m not being sent to the prison planet.”

  She nodded, her grin spreading from ear to ear. “Yes, you’re here with me before you are transferred to Kalara.”

  So, she knew. At least half of the story. Obviously, no one had told her she was expected to go with him, along with their child, never to have a permanent home. Kalara would only be temporary. And a cramped spacecraft traveling to remote places across the universe was no place to raise a child, let alone call it home.

  “No.” He sucked in a deep breath. “That’s not an option. There are none. It’s over. I’m finished.”

  She narrowed her brows. “What do you mean? I thought—”

  “I’m done, Katrina. This is my last goodbye. To you. To everyone.”

  Dropping his hand, she took a step away. “I thought you were taking Granil’s deal. I’d still be able to see you. And you would maintain your sanity.”

  “No.” He shook his head. “There is more, more you weren’t told. And I can’t do it. It’s not fair to you, to our child. This has to be the end. One day, you’ll understand it’s for the best.”

  After another couple of steps back, she turned and ran. His heart felt as if it was being crushed by rehn, moisture pooling in the corners of his eyes. They’d had some great moments together. He only wished he’d been privy to her passion, her love sooner.

  ***

  Chest heavy with confusion and heartache, Katrina stared up at the ceiling of her bedroom. Her mom had tried to coax her from her bed, to have dinner with their Alliance guests, but she didn’t want to see any of them. No one could make her understand or accept Jager’s decision to die. He hadn’t even told her the other option, had already made the decision without consulting with her. Before she’d left for Hemera, he’d told her he loved her. Now, he wanted to leave her and their child behind, had no problem with never seeing her again, never seeing his child. He was such a hypocrite, telling her how he wished he’d known his father. Yet, he was denying his own child that chance.

  She pounded her fists on her bed, holding in the tears. She’d cried too much for him, thought he cared. But he didn’t. They had no chance of ever having any kind of relationship if he wasn’t willing to talk to her. Digging her nails into her palms, she screamed. She’d felt guilty when he’d been sentenced to the prison planet, but this personal sacrifice was all on him.

  “Whoa. I sense a lot of anger there.”

  Lifting her head, she spotted Jace in her doorway. “I don’t want to talk to you, either.”

  He strolled inside, no mind to her words. “I get that. But you don’t have to talk. Just listen.”

  Sitting up, she wiped a stray tear from her cheek, one that hadn’t gotten the message she was done crying. “Nothing you can say will make me feel any better.”

  “No, but what I have to say will make you run after Jager, smack him across the head, and tell him how much of an asshole he is.”

  “I don’t think that’s going to make a difference.” Though she’d love to smack him.

  “Maybe not.” He rolled a chair toward her then sat in it. “But, hear me out.”

  “Fine.” Crossing her arms, she released a heavy breath. Regardless of Jager’s decisions, Jace was still her friend.

  Leaning forward, he placed his palms on his lap. “So, Granil told Jager he had to do what she said or she’d float him.”

  A gasp caught in her throat. “She would really do that?”

  Jace nodded. “And apparently that’s what he wants her to do because he doesn’t want to trap you in a marriage.”

  “Marriage?” He hadn’t mentioned a wedding or even proposed. Why would he think she’d feel trapped?

  “Yes, it’s one of the requisites.”

  “But I would marry him. I’m pregnant with his child.” Was he the one who would feel trapped? Fine. If he wanted to die rather than marry her, so be it.

  “I know.” Jace rolled his lips in and out. “But, there’s more. And this is the reason, I think, Jager objected. Granil wants him to be a recruiter, represent the Alliance in finding more trainees to become Defenders.”

  “Again, I don’t see what the problem is.” Why was
he willing to die to avoid that?

  “The problem is, the Alliance wants him to be with his family. They want the new planets to think that one can still have a family as a Defender. They want him to travel around with his family, giving other beings the wrong impression. That means, you’d always be with him on some faraway planet. You would never have a permanent home. And he didn’t want to do that to you, or to your child.”

  “So, he’d rather our child not have a father, instead? I don’t get it. Why didn’t he tell me that? I would have agreed.” He may have thought he was being selfless, but he wasn’t.

  “For now. But, what about in the future?” Jace wrinkled his forehead. “Once you agree, you can’t change your mind.”

  Fuming, Katrina rose from the bed and marched out of her room, leaving Jace behind. Jager really was an asshole. And no way was he going to make a decision based on what he thought she’d want.

  Yanking the door to the dining hall open, she searched the room for him. Instead of sitting with her parents and Granil, he stood in the corner to her right, his head bowed. Was he meditating, coming to peace with the decision he’d made?

  Well, she was about to break it. He wasn’t going to die anytime soon. Stalking up to him, she slapped him across the face. “How dare you!”

  He didn’t say a word, only glanced up, revealing his blotchy face before he returned his gaze to the floor.

  She stomped her foot. “Don’t ignore me. And don’t for one second think I don’t want to marry you. I know it all happened really fast, and not under the best of circumstances, but I don’t regret any of it. If you don’t want to marry me, fine. Just don’t assume you know what I want or don’t want. You should have told me.”

  He gulped. “I don’t want you to feel obligated. I am sacrificing myself so you can be free.”

  Stepping forward, she stared right in his face. “So, you’re going to leave our child without a father? Do you think I’ll be okay with that? Do you think our child will be okay with that? You’ve always regretted never knowing your father.”

  Jager clenched his fists. “Yes, but my father didn’t sacrifice himself for my well-being. He just vanished.”

  “Well, you’re not sacrificing yourself for anyone. Just your own selfish, crazy assumptions.” She placed her palm on his chest. “You said you loved me. But it seems like that was all a lie.”

  “No.” He shook his head. “I do love you, with everything I have. But I cannot force you to live out my punishment.”

  She pressed her body to his. “It’s not punishment if we’re together. Because I love you, too.”

  His eyes widened, as if the concept surprised him. “You would give up everything to be with me?”

  “Of course.” She cupped his cheek. “That’s what love is. Something I learned from my parents. I want to be part of your life. I want you to be part of mine. And I want you to be part of our child’s life.”

  “As touching as this moment is, you need to make a decision, Jager.” Granil stood behind them, having sneaked up on them like the cat Katrina had on Earth. “Are you signing up your family to be recruiters for the Alliance, or giving up your life?”

  “Whoa!” Bryce stepped between the Alliance leader and Jager. “You need more Defenders, yet you’re willing to sacrifice Jager, who has more courage than most Defenders I’ve ever served with?”

  Granil’s tentacles stood straight up on the top of her head. “He disobeyed orders on a mission, left his squad without a leader, and got himself abducted. I can’t encourage that type of behavior. This is his punishment.”

  “Actually, he did obey orders. Just not yours.” Bryce cocked his head to the side. “And I think you’re going to change Jager’s punishment to something more acceptable, or I’m going to contact the Alliance council and let them know you’re willing to kill Defenders. We know how they already feel about sending them to guard the prison planet.”

  Granil shrank back. “But I am the leader. I make the decisions.”

  A sly smile spread across Bryce’s face. “You know that is only half true, Granil. And as the prince of this planet, I can not only make sure that none of the residents here become Defenders, I can also let all the other planets know what kind of a leader you are. I may be a retired Defender, but I’m still in contact with many leaders of the planets in the Alliance. And they all seem to trust me.”

  Granil’s tentacles fell flat, and her face turned green. “Kimba should have left you on Niesgoo.”

  “She did.” Bryce’s eyes tensed as he stared the leader down. “It was my daughter and Jace who saved me and several other Defenders. They saved Defenders, which is the opposite of what you’re planning to do.”

  “Fine,” Granil spat. “You can keep him here then. But he is no longer welcome on the carrier as long as I’m leader.”

  “Oh, no, no,” Bryce said.

  Katrina couldn’t believe how her father stood up to the Alliance leader. She didn’t know whether to laugh or slowly sneak away, expecting Granil to explode.

  Bryce flicked on his wrist com. “I have a new proposal, and I’m going to record it right here. I want my daughter and future son-in-law to be recruiters for the Alliance. With a couple of conditions. For half of the Galactic year, they will be recruiting. And, for the other half, they will train recruits on Kalara. I believe they both have excellent skills to teach future Defenders, even if it took them a while to realize it. Plus, I want them to have some time off to visit us here. I want to see my grandchildren.”

  “And you think you can tell me how to do my job.” Granil crossed both sets of arms. “You’re just a Kalaren. The only thing your species is good for is fighting Erebus. I’m a Yarwin. We’re the leaders of the Alliance. We always have been. That means you don’t make decisions for me.”

  “Fine.” Bryce tapped his wrist com. “Your race also has the gift of foresight, but you seemed to miss me taking the recording of our conversation to the council, showing them just what type of leader you are. You’ll be the only Alliance leader who didn’t serve a minimum of five Galactic years.”

  “You wouldn’t.” Her eyes flared, and her tentacles bristled.

  With his jaw firmly clenched, he stepped closer to Granil. “Try me.”

  “Fine.” She threw up all four hands. “You have a deal. But, I meant it when I said I don’t want Jager on the carrier. After these two have their commitment ceremony, I expect at least him on Kalara ready to train new recruits. Whether your daughter is with him is up to you. And, once the baby is born, I expect them to start recruiting.”

  Before Katrina could object, the Alliance leader spun around and left the hall. A wave of horror washed through Katrina as she glanced between Jager and her father. “I...I can’t take a newborn on a recruiting mission.”

  Bryce gripped her arms. “I know, and we’ll worry about that soon enough. Right now, you need to stay calm for your baby’s sake. The rest of us have some planning to do.”

  “Planning?” If anyone had to worry about her future, it was her.

  Jager took Bryce’s place in front of her. “Yes, for our wedding.” Lowering to one knee, he took her hand in his. “I hope I’m doing this right. Katrina, will you marry me?”

  “Yes!” She punched him in the arm. “You should have asked me when you set foot off the shuttle.”

  “Agreed.” Jace sauntered up beside them, smiling. “And let me be the first to congratulate you both.” After he shook Jager’s hand, he hugged Katrina. “Since your dad one-upped Granil, she’s anxious to leave, so I’ve got to get going. Don’t forget about me. And let me know if you need anything, Jager. You may not be welcome on the carrier, but you’re always welcome on my shuttle.”

  Katrina hugged him again, swallowing the lump in her throat. Anything could make her cry lately, but it was harder to say goodbye to Jace now than when she’d left the carrier. “You don’t forget about me with all the ladies who will be after you now that I’m gone.”

  A
smile lit his eyes. “Yeah, that’s right. You were holding me back.” He left, heading out the same way the Alliance leader had.

  Lower lip quivering, she turned to Jager, trying to hold in the tears. He pulled her into his arms. “Thank you for making me see that living was a much better alternative than being airlocked into space. And thank you for giving me the family I’ve always wanted.”

  Her heart swelled in her chest, bringing on a new set of tears. She’d never planned to start a family so early in life, but she couldn’t imagine having it any other way. She’d soon travel the universe with her husband and child, and every now and again, she would return to Hemera to visit her parents, an obligation that wasn’t as bad as she’d thought. Plus, her child needed grandparents to spoil it, something she’d never had, but all her friends on Earth had boasted about. And maybe one day, she’d take her child to visit the planet she grew up on, see how much it had changed over the years. Hopefully for the better. One day, Earth may even be part of the Alliance. But that was getting too far ahead.

  ***

  Eight months later...

  Jager recorded the finish times of the new Defenders in training, impressed at how fast they’d completed the course. He hadn’t run them through a course with Erebus yet, not confident in their fighting skills. But, none would be taken out by any other obstacle he threw at them.

  He nodded to Oflaria, Bravo’s Warwa squad leader. “You ready to see how they do against the holograms?”

  “Sure.” She shrugged, her glittery head reflecting the sunlight into his eyes. “They have to do it sometime. I’ll bring up the rear.”

  “Sounds good. The cameras are ready.” He found a beginner level simulation on his com tab and programmed it in. The first time his squad had tackled the sim, Katrina had killed every Erebus and the rest walked through the forest wondering if the simulation had started. But Bravo already worked together as his squad had eventually learned to do. He nodded to Oflaria. “You can go anytime.”