Kranow (Mate the Stars Book 4)

by Loretta Johns

  “I’m not going to go get them until right before dinner, though,” he told Darla and Melissa. “They will just want to go see the baby right away. If I wait, they’ll eat and then know it’s time to start getting ready for bed, so they’ll wait.”

  Marley nodded. It was a sound plan. Darla agreed. “We should go celebrate.”

  “Late lunch at Rosa’s?” Steven suggested. “We never got to eat and I’m starving!”

  “No, let’s wait to do that when Melissa is feeling up to it. I’m thinking Mexican food and margaritas.” She turned to look at Marley. “Yours will have to be virgin ones, of course.”

  “Of course.”

  “That okay? It won’t make you sick or give you heartburn?” Steven asked, concern in his yes.

  “Shit. I didn’t think of that.” Darla looked chagrined.

  “No, it’s fine,” Marley reassured them. “I’ve not been sick yet at all.”

  “Jaffe’s?” Steven asked. “It’s a few shops down from Rosa’s.”

  “Jaffe’s,” Darla affirmed.

  “Sounds good to me. Let’s go!” Marley said. The trio of friends turned to enter the nearest lift. As the doors slid shut, Steven began to sing about going to Margaritaville while the two women laughed.

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Charlotte congratulated her and suggested they have dinner together to celebrate and do some lesson planning. Marley had suggested having her over but Charlotte quickly shot that down. “No, no, this is also a celebration! Do you have a favorite place to eat out at? We can go there. I’ve been meaning to try some of the cafes within the fleet but felt awkward going by myself, so haven’t yet.”

  “Well, there’s Rosa’s,” Marley said. “And I and some friends just went to Jaffe’s which was really good too.”

  “Rosa’s? That’s the new Italian place everyone is talking about?”

  “That’s the one. Jaffe’s is nearby too, only it serves Mexican. Depends on what you want to eat. I’m okay either way.”

  “You think we can get a table at Rosa’s?”

  “I’m sure we can. She leaves one open for Darla, and if Darla’s not coming, lets me, Melissa, or Steven use it if we show up and there’s no other space.”

  “Okay, can you call and see? I fancy some tiramisu!”

  Xero took care of arranging the table, Rosa only too happy to juggle the tables for one of the fleet commander’s wife’s friends. Marley felt a little guilty over that, but shrugged it off. It wasn’t her fault that Rosa decided to give them preferential treatment, after all. She’d certainly never asked for it, specifically. Given her past, that would be the very last thing she’d ever do. She owed the Fleet and the rest of the Mylos, not the other way around.

  Once classes were over, she had a call from Kranow. He couldn’t talk for long as they were leaving for an exercise, but had been excited to hear about Melissa and Junrig’s new baby. He’d also asked her questions about her favorite foods and what kind of places she’d gone to eat at when Earth side. She figured he was simply curious, as she was going out to eat an awful lot, including tonight, and was trying to feel her out for a celebratory dinner when he got home.

  Charlotte met her outside of Rosa’s and got up from their table as soon as they placed their order. “I just want to take some photos, I’ve never actually been on this ship. The park and row of shops and restaurants is unbelievable. I want to show these to my family back home.” Marley watched as Charlotte wandered about, snapping pictures. Once Charlotte returned, she excused herself from their table. Not even in the second bimester, but already got to pee all the damned time. She returned to find their drinks and appetizers had arrived at the table.

  “So, the unit of study is going to relate to animals,” Charlotte said to her, as she reached down to pick up a piece of cheesy garlic bread. “Both Earth animals and the most common ones in Mylos.”

  “Pets or wild animals or both?” Marley asked, spearing an olive with a toothpick.

  “I was thinking we’d start with pets. Cats, dogs, guinea pigs, lizards, turtles, fish, rabbits and so on for Earth. Snarlops, klitherns, polrits, and harjacks for the Mylos ones.”

  “I have no idea what any of those are,” Marley laughed. “Oh, wait, I think I saw a harjack once, in a carrier on the subway thing we took to go back to my sister’s house. Looks like a meerkat crossed with a lizard, but with bright pink feathers around its neck like a boa.”

  “That’s it, yes. We won’t be having any animals visit, but there’s video and soft toys of them, coloring pages, that sort of thing.”

  “Sounds good. I’m guessing there will be children’s stories featuring the Mylos animals, just as there are for the Earth ones.”

  “Definitely. Xero has a list for us to go through. I’ll have him select ten of the most age appropriate ones that have picture book editions and we can look at them over lunch and pick five. Then we can pick five for the Earth animals, too.”

  “Sounds good to me.”

  Their conversation was interrupted by the arrival of their main courses. “Oh this looks fabulous,” Charlotte enthused, looking at her lasagna al forno.

  “I had that the last time. Just wait until you taste it,” Marley told her, moving aside her side plate to make room for her plate of chicken Alfredo.

  Charlotte eyed Marley’s food. “Damn, that looks good too. I’m going to have to come back here. I’m going to get so fat!”

  Their server smiled and asked if they needed a refill on their drinks. Both women demurred as their glasses were only half empty.

  They continued chatting, discussing the bulletin board, Marley’s tentative thoughts regarding maternity leave, and debating whether to order dessert and stay and eat it or take it away to eat at home later. Charlotte declared herself too stuffed to eat it there, so finally decided to order tiramisu to go. While Charlotte waited for it, Marley went to the bathroom once more. Charlotte’s dessert had arrived by the time she returned.

  “See you tomorrow then, if I can roll my fat ass out of bed,” Charlotte joked.

  “I hear you. I could not eat another bite, I swear.”

  The two women made their way down the promenade, going towards the shuttle bay. “We should do this again,” Charlotte said. “I can try some of that Alfredo or maybe go to Jaffe’s for tapas.”

  A roar shook the corridor, tossing the two women to the ground. Marley looked up from the floor. “Charlotte?” she asked, reaching her hand out. Why was she covered in dust? Marley blinked, suddenly aware of something heavy on her back. She reached her hand out to touch her friend. “Charlotte?”

  Charlotte groaned and lifted her head. Except for a goose egg popping up on her forehead and being covered in dust, Charlotte seemed to be okay. “I’m all right. Shit!” she cried out, looking at Marley. “Don’t move. You’ve got part of the ceiling on you!” Charlotte stood up and began calling for help.

  “Charlotte, what was that?” she asked, confused. The ceiling? Was that the heavy feeling she had on her back? Had that noise caused this?

  “I think it was a bomb,” Charlotte said. Another explosion rocked the ship, more debris from the ceiling raining down. Charlotte grunted as it hit them, falling to the floor.

  Marley frowned. A bomb? Why would there be a bomb? Surely no one could have sneaked aboard and planted a bomb. The idea was ludicrous. A wave of pain ran through her as she became more aware of the weight upon her back. The pain curiously stopped at her legs, so Marley supposed the panel or whatever it was that fell on her only hit her back. She became aware of screams, the sound of multiple people crying, and the hurried tramp of booted feet. “Charlotte, we need to get up, in case there’s more.” She spotted a pair of booted feet as someone stopped by them, watching in wonder as a puddle of red made its way towards them, A Mylos bent down and addressed her. “Just try to remain still, we are going to get this off of you and take you to sickbay.”

  “Okay,” she said, as his arm moved to press against h
er neck. Too late, she realized he meant to give her drugs. “No, wait, I’m pregnant.” As darkness overtook her, she hoped that whatever he gave her was safe for the baby.

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Marley blinked, moving to raise her hand to rub her eyes only to discover she couldn’t. “What the hell?” she muttered angrily, yanking against restraints. Holding her arms down. Now fully conscious, she became aware that her ankles were similarly restrained.

  “Oh good, I see you’re awake,” a deep voice said. She blinked, trying to focus her blurred vision on the figure moving towards her. It resolved into the familiar figure of Dr. Litrelp, the senior medical officer aboard ship. “No sense trying to sit up, the restraints won’t allow it. Sorry about those, but Security insisted on those, given the circumstances?”

  “What do you mean ‘the circumstances’?” she demanded. “Wait. I remember a loud noise and something hitting me. Then another noise and Charlotte falling down next to me. What happened? If I’m being blamed for something, which apparently I am, or I’d not be tied up here like this, I have a right to know what t is I’m being accused of at least.”

  “I think I best let Security explain. I’m not privy to all the details,” he said stiffly. Marley watched him walk away, baffled. When she’d come for her first pre-natal appointment, he’d been friendly. This version of him had barely managed to conceal his feelings of animosity. She racked her brains. The noise and the shaking along with the vague impressions she’d had of screams and of being knocked to the floor, something heavy hitting her from behind indicated some kind of explosion. Anger began to pool in the bottom of her belly. Had someone known she’d be there and taken advantage of that fact to try to pin this on her? Surely the ship’s AI could confirm there was no footage of her planting any kind of device, show that she had just sat there with Charlotte and had dinner.

  “Oh, God, Charlotte,” she whispered to herself. She turned her head about, trying frantically to see if her friend and co-worker was also injured. The beds on either side were empty and she saw now that she was in a small room with no other beds. The doctor turned to face her., having heard her. His expression was blank but he pursed his lips before turning and leaving. Several minutes later, Commander Gundar entered along with someone else she knew quite well, both standing next to her bed. If Sachuu was here, it meant big trouble.

  Sachuu said nothing to her, standing to one side of Commander Gundar, regarding her through narrowed eyes that missed nothing. Gundar regarded her silently for a moment before letting out a sigh. “I understand you asked about Charlotte,” he said. “I’m sorry to say, the section of roof that fell upon you both did more than leave her bruised and concussed. She died within moments of the second explosion and I’m told she likely was unconscious mere moments after impact and unaware of anything.”

  Marley swallowed, her eyes filling with tears. “She’s dead?”

  “That is correct.”

  “But we were just having dinner. We have a whole new bulletin board to create for the next unit on animals. We’d just planned it all out,” she said, her voice wavering. Her vision was now even more blurred and she was only dimly aware of it being because of the tears now spilling down her cheeks unchecked. Surely they were wrong. This was all some kind of mistake.

  “I’m sorry,” Gundar replied, his tone gentling. “I’m afraid that she won’t be here to do any of that. Nor will you, as you have to remain in confinement until the investigation into the incident is complete.”

  “I didn’t do anything!” she cried out. “I just went for a meal with my friend! Who would do this? How could they get on board to do it anyways? It was an explosion, right? Somebody tried to kill us with a bomb?”

  Sachuu breathed out heavily, his nostrils flaring. “Yes, it was an explosion involving some kind of incendiary device. We know that you and Charlotte were at Rosa’s and the ship’s AI reports that you got up and made your way to the area of the restaurant that the blast originated from. Until we know more, due to your past, we thought it best to keep you confined for your own safety.”

  “My safety? If it’s for my safety, why am I tied down like a criminal? Admit it, you think I’m guilty! That I, what, set a timer on it and miscalculated?” Marley could hear her voice screaming but she didn’t care. Sure, she’d done some terrible things in the past, but never anything like this. She’d worked hard to atone for her sins and she’d thought herself lucky. That she had been forgiven. She sobbed brokenly. “It was all a lie. Just a big lie. You all were never my friends, you just wanted to pretend so I’d do what you wanted, and never believing in me, that I’d changed. That I am sorry. Fuck you! Fuck you all!”

  Gundar stiffened. “No order was issued by myself that she was to be so retrained,” Sachuu told him. “I ordered her kept secure in an area by herself, in case someone blamed her when they realized she had been in the area. I did not wish a grieving and angry person looking for someone to blame to come across her, especially while she was unconscious and the emergency responders stretched thin.” Gundar nodded at his words and reached towards the restraint on the arm nearest him. Sachuu reached for the one ay her ankle. Marley stared in disbelief as the two males unfastened the restraints and then moved over to the other side to repeat their actions.

  “I have observed you closely ever since my team first moved to apprehend you,” Sachuu informed her. “I have seen you grow. I have spoken to your sister and her mate, to their neighbors, and to both of your therapists. Your mate went from wary to joyous, and you have been an exemplary teacher. Charlotte was full of praise for you. I do not believe you did this, but I also do not know yet who did.”

  Marley tried to push up to a sitting position. “Ahh! Shit, shit, shit,” she cried out through gritted teeth. Sachuu frowned and slid an arm behind her in support, helping her move into position as Gundar moved her pillow into a better position.

  “You are badly bruised and should take care to not injure yourself further,” Sachuu gently admonished her.

  “Yeah, got that, thanks,” she muttered, feeling more than a little embarrassed at her earlier outburst.

  “I am going to have you stay sequestered in here. Until we find out who is responsible, we do not wish to risk your safety,” Gundar said. “It is not a punishment.”

  “It is possible that you were the intended target,”Sachhu said.

  “What?” Darla asked sharply, squinting at him.

  “Xero informed me that you were regular at Rosa’s, eating there frequently with and without Darla, Melissa, and Steven. It is possible that someone made the device and kept it to hand, concealing it on their person, and placed it when they saw you were there. They may have merely miscalculated the timing of the explosion.”

  “Why would they do that?’ she whispered. “Why would they kill a whole bunch of people just to get to me?”

  “Perhaps because they saw you on the show you did, where you became mated,” Gundar replied grimly. “It is possible that we have a saboteur onboard, one who wishes to make you pay for betraying their cause.”

  The thought turned the blood in her veins to ice. Was it possible? Was there a member of The Human Right within the fleet, having infiltrated with death and destruction in mind. Had her students and friends and everyone around her been in danger this whole time?

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Her mind still reeling from this revelation, she quickly began running through a list of people. The two men she’d hired were back on Earth, serving time for their roles in the botched kidnapping. Could it be someone related to them in some way? She voiced her thought, but Sachuu quickly shot that theory down.

  “After your apprehension, my men and I ran down every possible social tie to them to make sure there were no sympathizers and to ensure they did not have a third accomplice we knew nothing of,” he explained. “All have been accounted for and security services have been keeping tabs on those who raised red flags for potential trouble.”


  “Then I have no idea. If I’d seen anyone I’d recognized from my HR days, I’d have mentioned it, I swear.”

  “I believe you. But, there’s another complication,” Gundar said, grimly. “Jackie O’Hannigan’s production assistant is onboard. She and Jackie’s personal assistant were waiting for a table at Rosie’s when the blast occurred. The personal assistant is in sick bay recovering from surgery while the production assistant has been released. Ms. O’Hannigan and her network are, as Darla puts it, raising a ruckus over the matter. They wish to come and film a special report and are demanding we allow a special human investigation team from earth onboard to track down the culprit.”

  “They think it’s me, don’t they?”

  “They think you’re involved, yes,” Sachuu admitted.

  “I thought Jackie O’Hannigan was busy doing a special on the Mylos worlds and the human brides living there,” Marley said.