by T. S. Ryder
Tom's eyes widened. His heart pounded, and all his instincts told him to strike now. He trembled, wanting to lash out. "Yes. It's none of your business, though."
"We could just kill you and take her," Rayo said, still smiling. "When I heard that Zon's son was sent after a shipment of humans, I thought of you. You showed up just at the right time to get this job. And then your so-called escape from Flanard really—"
Rayo didn't have a chance to finish. Tom drew one of his daggers and lunged, sinking the blade through the man's collar before he had a chance to react. The crew members Rayo had brought aboard cried out. They reached for their weapons. Tom was able to kill another one before two shots rang out; two dropped like stones, smoking holes in their backs. The last remaining alien whipped his head around to see Sara standing in the bedroom door, holding a gun.
Tom threw his knife, sinking it into the alien's chest. He fell, gurgling, and Sara finished him off with a blast from the gun. Tom rushed for the ship's controls. He didn't bother scanning to see if there were lifeforms on Rayo's ship before he turned the ship's weapons on it. If there was anybody over there, by the time the scans were complete they could destroy Tom's ship.
As the fiery explosion of the ship was smothered by the vacuum of space, Tom slumped back into his chair. Adrenaline spiked through him, and now that there was nobody left to fight he wanted to go back to Sara and brace her against the wall, to wildly sate his desire the way they had their first time together.
The warm muzzle of a blaster pressed into the back of his head.
Sara's ragged breathing filled his ears. "Plot a course back to USC space."
Tom rested his hands on the controls but didn't move them. "Sara, I know you feel betrayed, but—"
"Feel betrayed? Were you just going to pretend like you were on my side until we brought the humans back to the corporation? Would you have sold me, too? Everything you said about Starmates, you were just trying to seduce me. You wanted to use me for sex during your musth, and then earn a little extra by selling me!"
Think calmly, he told himself severely. What else was she supposed to think? He needed to keep his head, not let his hurt get the better of him. He struggled against the feelings of betrayal and anger that made him want to break his fist on the ship's navigation.
"That's not it at all. Please let me explain."
"There isn't anything else to explain. So either turn this ship around or I swear I will kill you."
Tom closed his eyes. He could either attack her and risk things going too far and one or both of them getting hurt, or he could risk his own life and call her bluff–which probably wasn't a bluff. Well, at least I know now that she didn't plant the tracker. Unless she thought I was up to this the whole time.
But no. She had seemed genuinely shocked when Rayo stated the Ruziers Corporation planned to seel the humans. He had been stupid to suspect her of selling out her fellow humans in the first place. Taking a deep breath, he swiveled the chair to face her. The gun pressed into his forehead now. Sara's golden bionic eyes were merciless.
"You can either listen to me, or you can shoot me, Sara. I have a mission and I am not going to abandon it."
"I told you to—"
Tom's hands came up. He twisted the gun away from himself; a blast went off, hitting the floor. Sara screamed and let the weapon go. It hung loose in Tom's hand as he stared up at her. She stared back, her hands pressed to her mouth. Guilt and relief warred in her eyes. She thought she had shot him. She really did care…
"It's okay," Tom murmured, standing. He removed the power packet from the gun and put it in his pocket while leaving the gun itself on the chair. "Neither of us are hurt, it's okay."
Sara trembled as she looked up at him. Tears filled her eyes and she shook her head. "I was actually starting to fall for you. Or maybe that was just the musth. I should never have trusted that a T'shav could be honest. Never."
Tom fell back a step. He was used to being discriminated against because of his heritage. It was true that the vast majority of T'shav worked as pirates and mercenaries, but that was because they couldn't get any other work. They were mistrusted, and when a person was driven to the brink of civilization, what other choice did they have but to take whatever job was offered? And if the only jobs offered were being pirates, then a pirate you became.
"I should never have trusted you. I should never have helped you."
"Sara, please. Listen to me. Think. I was hired by the corporation, but that's not the reason I'm out here."
Her eyes widened slightly and Tom pressed his advantage, praying that she would believe him.
"You heard them say that one of Zon's agents was out here. That's me."
"You?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
Tom's throat was dry, so worried that she wasn't going to believe him. He moved a little closer, wanting to pull her into his arms and reassure her. But when he moved closer, she backed away. And considering that she still considered him no better than Rayo and his crew, it really was no wonder why. He withdrew again.
"I told you that I have a human mother." Would she put together the dots that he was Zon's son? If he told her, would he believe her? "I love my mother, and I was raised to respect all species, not just the handful that are part of the United Species. When I heard that there was a ship full of humans who were going to be sold off like this, I volunteered to take the mission. I'm not bringing them to the Ruziers Corporation, I'm taking them to Zon, and the human sanctuary he set up. He has the strength to protect them."
"I want to believe you." Sara's shoulders slumped. "I want to, Tom. I wish I could. But if I do and I find you that you never…"
"It's why I was calling myself Bond. Because if I went by my real name, then they'd have known."
"Or Tom isn't your real name and you were setting me up."
"Before I even knew that Flanard was after us?"
Sara shrugged listlessly. "All I know is that right now I'm not thinking clearly, and if I let myself believe you… then it's all over."
Tom felt his whole body sagging. He'd have to prove himself to her. Once they were at the sanctuary and his musth was over, she could see that he was telling the truth, and they could have a rational discussion.
"I guess it's back to lockup for me now?" she asked, her voice even.
Tom sighed. "I'm sorry I have to do this."
"I'll believe you when I'm not your prisoner." Sara turned on her heel and marched away, stepping over Rayo's body as she headed into the bathroom. His heart heavy, Tom followed.
Chapter Thirteen: Sara
If Tom saw her naked right now, he'd know she was pregnant. She had always carried a little extra weight around her middle despite her athletic, muscular build, but the baby bump was clearly there. Her uniform helped to hide the gentle swell of her belly, for now. It wouldn't be long until it was obvious to anybody who looked at her, though. What would she do if Tom found out?
Maybe this was what he really wanted from her.
Sara sighed as she pulled her uniform back on. The baby would be T'shav. She wasn't a genetics expert, but from what she knew, when a human woman gave birth to a baby sired by another species, it took on that species' traits and inherited very little of the mother. So chances were that her child would look exactly like Tom. If it was a boy, he would go through musth.
No matter the gender, though, the child would be treated like any other T'shav. He or she would be considered the scum of the galaxy, looked down on, spat at, less likely to find a job and more likely to be arrested for inconsequential things. Unless she fled to the human sanctuary Zon apparently had set up. There, with their benefactor being a T'shav, she could be with humans who might not look at her child the way the rest of the galaxy did.
If only she knew more about Zon! She knew that he commanded a huge fleet, knew he was a human-rights activist, but other than that… she thought he might have found the first human, but she really didn't know anythi
ng else. For all she knew, this 'sanctuary' was nothing more than a breeding program, or some sort of human farming experiment.
"Whatever," she muttered, leaning her head back against the shower door. "It doesn't matter. None of that matters. I'm a citizen of the United Species and a lieutenant of the Corps. Even if I'm discharged, they can't take away my freedom or pension."
This baby was her baby, and she was going to keep it.
Now the only thing she needed to decide was if she should trust Tom and tell him, or if she should find a way to escape. It would be far easier if her libido wasn't cranked into overdrive! Between his musth and her pregnancy hormones, Sara thought she might lose her mind and jump on him every time the door opened.
Speaking of which. The doors slid open.
Sara felt a jerk in her lower stomach as the bitter scent she had begun to associate with Tom hit her. She scrambled to her feet, only just able to stop herself from launching herself into his arms. Tom stared at her for a long moment before swallowing hard. His black eyes glittered with lust, and she knew it was as hard for him as it was for her to deny her bodily desires.
A rush of respect welled in her, no matter how much she wanted to push it away. If nothing else, he had spoken the truth about not taking a woman who had not previously agreed to go to bed with him while he was in musth. So maybe all of her assumptions were wrong.
"I'm entering the peak of my musth," he said, handing a small, black metallic box to her.
She hadn't even realized that he was holding anything until then. After she took it, the thought occurred to her that it would have been the perfect opportunity to rush him and escape the confines of the bathroom. But no. Where would she go?
"What is this?"
Tom shrugged. "Food. Vitamin supplements, dehydrated staples. I know it's not tasty, but for the next few days it's crucial that I not see you."
Heat swirled in her lower regions at the thought of what he would do if he did. Sara knew it was only the musth–or was it? The reason she wasn't letting herself believe what he was saying was she was afraid that the pregnancy, his musth and her feelings were messing up her head. But if he wasn't in his musth, would she still feel the same way?
"You have more self-control than that," she whispered. "If I told you no, you wouldn't… I know that."
Tom gave her a pained smile. "I'm not worried about losing my self-control if you said no. I'm worried that if you said yes, I'd forget why it doesn't actually mean yes. Not in these circumstances. I want you so bad…"
His gaze trailed down her body, growing more heated. Sara nearly dropped the box she was holding. Her mouth was so dry that she wasn't sure she would be able to speak. Heart hammering, she set the box down on the floor and half-stepped from the bathroom. Maybe there was something to listening to him, believing him when he said he was working with Zon. After all, if she trusted that he wouldn't take advantage of her during his musth, couldn't she believe that he was a good man trying to do the best thing for those humans?
Or was that just her hormones and his pheromones talking?
"I want you, too," she blurted. She pushed herself against him, not caring about musth or missions. Her body was crying out for his, but there was more to it than that, too. Her very soul ached to be near him again. "I want… I want so much from you."
Tom gripped her shoulders and moaned. "Sara, we can't. You don't trust me."
"But we're Starmates, aren't we?"
"You don't believe that." He gently pushed her away, his chest heaving. Sweat beaded his brow, a sign of just how much he was fighting his desires. "My peak will be over in a few days, and by the time we reach the ship with the humans, the musth will be over. We can talk then."
"But what if I believe you now? What if—"
"But you don't."
"Maybe I do."
"I'm sorry. Please, Sara. I know that this isn't what you really want. Please stop trying to… Please stop. We can't talk right now, there's too much messing with our heads." He swallowed hard, his gaze going to her lips. "I have to lock you in now. There's an internal lock in the supplies I gave you, too. Use it. I'll want to see you… but if I do the pheromones might prove too powerful. So you need to lock the door from the inside."
Sara nodded slowly, wanting to cling to him but understanding why she couldn’t. She stepped back into the bathroom, her eyes on his as the doors slid shut, cutting them off from each other.
Chapter Fourteen: Tom
The cargo ship full of humans was small in comparison to the vessels in his father's fleet but was sizable nonetheless. It was plodding along at light speed, an outdated mode of transport. The sensors didn't even register it as a ship, it was so slow. It was a bulky thing, and Tom couldn't help but wonder how ancient it was. There really was no way of knowing, since the few artifacts that archaeologists had been able to scavenge from Earth were just too old to date, and it was really their only reference point, seeing as the ship was filled with humans.
He stared at the bathroom door, his supplies gathered around him. The days when his musth was at its peak were terrible, and Sara filled his thoughts until he thought he would go mad with need for her. But he had resisted breaking open the bathroom doors, and since then while they had talked a little, nothing was resolved. His musth might not be as strong, but it was barely over. The hormones and pheromones were still messing with their heads, and they couldn't trust their feelings.
With a sigh, he knocked on the doors.
Sara opened them at once. She looked pale and tired, but considering her confinement, that wasn't surprising. Her uniform was grubby. "We've arrived."
Tom nodded. "I'm going to head over and establish a drag shield, so I can drag the ship through space at full speed. I would like your help, Sara. I know you don't trust me, but—"
"But you want me to trust you anyway." She sighed and shrugged. "If I do help you, what happens to me?"
"If you still don't believe me when we get to where I'm going, I will take you to a USC-controlled world and leave you there. You'll never hear from me again."
She'll understand once we reach the sanctuary. She'll see that I meant it when I said I wanted to help these humans.
Sara studied him for a moment before she nodded. "I suppose you've had plenty of opportunities to sell me or use me or whatever else if that was your plan. I'll help you."
Tom released a breath of relief he hadn't realized he had been holding. "Thank you."
Sara stepped out of the bathroom. "Do we need space suits?"
Tom shook his head. "I've done scans. Conditions over there are suitable for both our species. I'm not registering any lifeforms, but I think we ought to take our weapons anyway."
"We?"
Looking Sara in the eye, he handed her a blaster. Her brows rose slightly as she accepted it, and Tom turned his back, praying he had made the right choice in trusting her. If she shot him in the back… well, he wouldn’t be alive to regret it, would he? He picked up his supplies, slinging a pack over his shoulders.
Sara was still watching him with narrowed eyes. "And you need me for this excursion because…?"
"Rayo might not have been the only one that the corporation sent. My hands are going to be full as I anchor the drag net. I need you to watch my back."
"You—" the lieutenant cut herself off and shook her head. "Okay. I'll end up starving to death if you're not here to pilot me away."
"You're a pilot."
"Yeah, but… the ship's controls are set to your DNA, aren't they?"
They weren't. But Sara wouldn’t believe him if he said that, would she? It wouldn't be the smart thing to do. "Let's go."
***
Tom had docked his ship on the hull of the cargo ship, clamping over a weapons port. It was easy enough to cut through and gain entrance. Soon he and Sara were standing in a long, oddly wide corridor. Everything was sharp, jutting angles, made from a crystalline structure that looked like stained glass. A dim blue glow emitted fro
m pods up and down the corridor. Peering into the closest one, Tom saw a female human face inside, skin the same hue as his mother's, eyes closed, hair overgrown and matted.
"There's so many of them," Sara whispered in awe, as though they were in a church. "How many?"
"Our estimates from the recon data is at least six hundred. We'll have to do a count of the survivors when we get them to the sanctuary."
Sara nodded. "Do you think they were taken by the same people who took me from Earth?"
"Maybe. It's impossible to tell." Tom watched Sara's face as angry lines creased her eyes. "The technology of all the ships we've found humans in seems similar. So it's possible that they're the same ones to have taken you."
"What did they even want with us?"
"Slave labor, maybe. Maybe they ate humans." Sara turned a dirty look on him and he shrugged. He gestured down the hallway. "We have to put anchors at twelve spots if we're going to drag the ship back without tearing it to pieces. The sooner they're in place the sooner we can get away."
The air was cold enough for Tom to see his breath crystallizing in the air. Silence pressed in on them, made all the more eerie by the sleeping faces all about them. Some of them were probably dead; decomposition wouldn’t happen in the stasis pods, and so there was no way of knowing who was alive and who was dead until they were opened.
They worked their way through the ship quickly, planting the anchors in strategic locations. Neither spoke. Just as Tom planted the fourth anchor, footsteps echoed down the corridor. Tom jumped to his feet and Sara tensed. They both darted to either side of the corridor, hiding behind the pods.
A voice rang through the hall. "We've got movement."
Tom bit back a curse, struggling to release himself from the confines of his pack. More footsteps echoed towards them.
His heart nearly stopped when Sara stepped out from her protected hiding spot and held her hands in the air. "I am Lieutenant Sara O'Neill of the UCS, identify yourselves at once."
"O'Neill?" A familiar voice said. "Well, well. I thought that T'shav would have spaced you by now."