Davion turned, his face serious. “The Rengard sent more intel. One of their beacons picked up a signal.”
“The Eon spy?” Jamie asked.
Caze leaned forward. “No, we aren’t exactly sure what it is.”
Aydin frowned. “What do we know?”
“That an unknown object not far from here is emitting a faint helian signature,” Davion said.
A star map appeared with a glowing dot on it.
Jamie pressed a hand to her hip, studying the map. “That dot is in an asteroid field.”
“Yes,” Caze confirmed. “And it’s close to a triple star system.”
Aydin saw the stars. Two caught in a binary formation, with the third star orbiting the binary ones.
Caze turned. “Using your Terran star classifications, one star is a blue subgiant, and the others are B-type stars.”
Jamie made a sound. “I’m sensing more to this story.”
“The triple star system is emitting dangerous levels of radiation that is irradiating the asteroid field.” The security commander’s jaw was tight. “It’ll limit how close we can get to the object.”
Davion clasped his hands behind his back. “We need to find out what that object is and if there is a helian on it, we need to recover it. Malax has asked us to take point on investigating.”
Jamie smiled.
Aydin’s pulse jumped with mixed emotions. He absolutely wanted the helian recovered…but he knew Jamie wanted to be a part of the mission. He didn’t like the idea of her anywhere near unknown objects and dangerous radiation.
He sucked in a breath. If he let that slip, she’d eviscerate him.
“What’s the plan?” Jamie demanded.
Chapter Five
Jamie stayed glued to the viewscreen as they approached the asteroid field. Around her, the Desteron’s bridge was a hubbub of noise as warriors monitored their screens and consoles.
The triple star system formed a beautiful backdrop in the center of the screen, blue shining starlight like some gorgeous painting.
“We’re in visual range,” a warrior called out.
“Zoom in,” Davion ordered.
The screen zoomed in on the asteroid field. Jamie frowned. All she could make out was a smudge among the other asteroids. “Can you clear it up?”
The warrior shook his head. “The radiation is making it difficult to get clear scans or images.”
She could make out the vague shape of the object. “It looks like another asteroid.”
“What we do have on scans,” Caze said, “is that it is not organic.”
“The helian signature?” Aydin asked.
His deep voice vibrated through her and she stiffened her spine. So she’d locked lips with the annoying warrior. It didn’t mean anything.
Caze nodded. “It’s faint, but it is definitely coming from the object.”
“Continue trying to get more readings,” Davion ordered. “We need more information so we can make a plan on how to reach the object.”
Warriors sprang into action, many of them conferring together and tapping at the consoles.
Finally, Caze shook his head. “We can’t get clear readings, and we can’t send a smaller ship into the asteroid field.”
“So that’s it?” Lara said. “We can’t get any closer to it?”
Jamie tapped a finger against her lip. “We can fly in wearing our suits.”
Aydin spun. “That’s too dangerous. We can’t be exposed to the radiation for long. Our suits would only give us limited protection.”
“How long?” she asked.
Aydin turned to look at Davion. “You can’t be seriously considering this.”
Davion looked at his boots for a moment, then he raised his head. “How long could we safely be exposed in suits?”
Aydin blew out a breath. “At these levels of radiation, twenty minutes, maximum. After that, you’d be risking radiation burns.”
“That’s enough time to get there, have a quick look around, and get back,” Jamie said.
“Our helian suits provide better protection than your Space Corps suits,” Aydin said. “If we go ahead with this, Eon warriors should go.”
Jamie hissed. No way she was being forced off a mission. God, let a guy kiss you or get his hand up your shirt, and he turned into an overprotective idiot. “My suit is rated for radiation exposure, Medical Commander. You can’t sideline me that easily.”
His mouth firmed into a line and she knew she was right. She turned to look at Caze. “I’m most maneuverable in space, I’ve proved that. I can do this.”
Then Aydin stepped up beside her. “There’s a helian aboard, and it could be injured. I’ll be needed to recover it.”
“What?” She glared at him.
Davion eyed them, a hint of amusement on his face. “Both of you get ready. Fly out and take a look.”
Jamie sucked in a breath and stomped off the bridge. She got to her cabin and pulled on her suit, yanking it up her body. She checked her gear and tried to get her mind in the game. She blew out a breath and tied her hair back.
She was not going to think about Aydin, or his strong hands on her, or his far-too-sexy kisses. This was a mission and that’s all she was thinking about.
She met Aydin at an airlock on the starboard side of the Desteron.
“Ready?” he asked.
“I know you’re coming just to keep an eye on me.”
“I’m coming to do my job.” He thumped a fist on the controls of the airlock. They opened with a hiss.
“Don’t think I don’t see you trying to protect the little lady.”
He shot her a look before he pushed into the airlock.
“You have twenty minutes out there.” Davion’s voice came through their communicators. “Do not enter the object. Take a look, confirm what the object is, and if the helian is aboard.”
“Got it,” Jamie answered.
“Twenty minutes,” Davion reiterated. “And the radiation will distort comms, so you won’t be able to communicate with the ship.”
“We’ll be back in twenty,” Aydin said.
The internal door closed behind them, then with a blare of siren, the outer door opened. Aydin pushed off the ship, and Jamie followed him.
She let the familiar weightlessness calm her nerves. The Desteron wasn’t far from the asteroid field, and she adjusted her trajectory, zooming forward and keeping her arms by her side. Aydin kept pace beside her.
They entered the field, the large bodies of the rocky asteroids sliding past them.
“Follow me,” he said. “My helian can determine the best path through the asteroids.”
She pulled in behind him and they flew through the asteroids, dodging the large hunks of rock. She heard the comm line to the Desteron die. They were by themselves.
They ducked and weaved, diving beneath the rocks. As they rounded an extra-large asteroid, she saw the object.
“What the hell is that?” she breathed.
The object did look a little like an asteroid, roughly oval-shaped and the size of a stealth ship. Its surface was smoother, and carved in places. Definitely, not natural.
Aydin glanced at the small comp screen attached to his wrist. “I’m detecting the helian.”
They flew closer, pulling up beside the object. Jamie reached out her gloved hand, stroking the surface of the object. It was very dark, like it was absorbing all the light around it, and she saw gold veins running through it.
“I’m getting a bad feeling about this,” she said. “This looks vaguely Kantos.”
Aydin’s face looked grim through his helmet. He pressed his palms against the object and suddenly, they both saw movement in front of them. A small patch of the object retracted leaving a square opening behind.
Hello. “If we go in there, Davion’s going to lose his mind.”
“I’m detecting a stronger helian signature. It’s inside.”
Their gazes met.
Aydin glanced a
t his screen again. “We have ten minutes of exposure time left.”
“Let’s do it,” Jamie said. “In and out.”
He nodded.
She smiled and climbed into the hole. Aydin climbed in right behind her.
It was pitch black and she touched the flashlight attached to the shoulder of her suit. The white light speared into the dense black. Aydin pressed against her back, trying to look past her. His helian had formed a light on his suit.
All of a sudden, the external door slammed shut behind them.
“Shit,” she bit out.
He spun, pressing his hands against the door and shoving. “It…won’t budge.”
Well, crap. “We’d better keep moving. Find another way out.”
They moved through the space. Aydin shined his light around and then she heard him suck in a breath.
She turned and saw it.
“The helian.” He hurried across the tight space.
The helian was on the floor, glowing a faint blue. It looked like a crystal kids grew in science kits.
Aydin pulled a container off his belt. “It’s dying.” He slid the symbiont into the container. “We need to get it back to the ship.”
“We can’t go back out that way.” Jamie ran her flashlight over the walls, then looked up, and the light shined upward. “There.”
There was a narrow hole. She leaped up, catching the edge of the hole. She pulled herself up and into another level above. Aydin followed behind her.
Lights clicked on in the room and she tensed.
“Wow.” The walls were covered in carvings. “Look at this.”
She traced her fingers over the grooves. It was gorgeous.
“It’s a star map,” Aydin said. “I recognize the system. The Caylar System. It’s light years away from here.”
“You think that’s where the helians are?”
His brows drew together. “I don’t know.”
Then his comp screen chimed. “Five minutes of exposure time remaining.”
He cursed. “We need to get out of here.”
She looked around, and then shook her head. “I don’t see a way out.”
Aydin glanced at his screen, and they both saw the clock ticking down on their exposure time. They barely had enough time to make it back to the Desteron.
“Screw this.” Jamie yanked two small devices off her belt.
“What are you doing?” he asked.
“If we can’t find an exit, I’ll make one.” She pressed the explosives to the wall.
“You’ll kill us,” he said.
“If we sit here, we die of radiation poisoning. This way, we have a chance.” She pressed the buttons on the explosives and lights flickered to life.
Aydin grabbed her and yanked her to the far side of the space. Then he shoved the helian container into her arms and curled his body around her.
“Hey!” she said.
He shoved her to the ground and turned his back to the explosives.
Shielding her. Her heart leaped into her throat. The big, arrogant, noble—
Boom.
The wall of the object exploded outward and they were sucked violently into space.
They tumbled over and over, and Jamie tried to slow her momentum.
“I’ve got you,” Aydin called out, his strong arms wrapping around her.
They grabbed at each other until they finally slowed down. Panting, they both hung in space, asteroids drifting past them.
“You are brave, bold, and reckless,” he said.
“Hey, I got us out.”
Then suddenly, his face contorted in pain. A groan tore out of him.
She clutched his arms. “Aydin!”
* * *
Waves of pain throbbed through Aydin. He realized it wasn’t his own pain, or even that of his helian. It was coming from the helian in the container.
He took the container from Jamie and lifted it up. “The helian’s dying.”
“Oh no,” she said.
“Come on.” He commanded his helian and propulsion sent them flying back toward the Desteron. They dodged around several asteroids.
Suddenly, he sensed the helian move and it pressed against the side of the jar closest to his palm. It let out a violent wave of pain and he groaned.
Images cascaded through Aydin’s head. Of a planet.
Then the pain ebbed away and the faint light of the helian died.
“It’s gone.”
“Damn,” Jamie murmured.
He glanced at his comp screen. They had two minutes remaining. He knew that it would take them longer than that to get back to the ship.
“We need to go. As fast as we can.”
She nodded. He pushed his helian harder, gaining some more speed. They dived above an asteroid and he glimpsed the Desteron.
Elation pumped through him. Almost there.
Then he saw Jamie miscalculate, her body scraping over an asteroid. With a cry, the blow sent her tumbling.
“Jamie!”
He grabbed for her, caught the back of her suit, and reeled her in close.
She released a breath. “Thanks. I’m not usually that clumsy.”
He stared at her through her helmet. Then his gut tightened. She had a patch of radiation burn on her cheek.
“You’re not clumsy. The radiation is starting to affect you.”
Her lips firmed. “We have to keep going.”
He nodded, taking her hand in his. They flew as fast as they could, and the shape of the Desteron became clearer in the distance. “Not far now.”
“Exposure time exceeded.” The computer voice echoed through their helmets. “Warning, exposure time exceeded.”
Cren. They hadn’t gone much further when he felt Jamie falter. He grabbed her, pulling her into his chest. She’d lost consciousness, the burn on her cheek now taking up half her face.
By Ston’s sword. He wrapped his arms around her and raced toward the ship.
“Aydin… Aydin… Do you…? Where are…?”
The broken transmission filtered through his comm link.
“We’re almost there!” he yelled.
He arrowed towards the airlock they’d used before. He felt his helian cry out, his skin starting to burn.
“Aydin?” Davion’s voice.
“We’re here! We need a radiation decontamination chamber. Now!”
“We’re on it.”
Aydin rammed into the airlock, trying to focus enough to open the door. Suddenly, it opened for him and he tumbled inside with Jamie in his arms.
They were in the decon chamber. As soon as it closed behind them, the lights flickered to blue.
“Radiation decontamination in progress,” a computer voice said.
Aydin’s helmet retracted and his black-scale armor slid away. He laid Jamie down on the bench in the center of the chamber and started stripping her suit off. He took off all her irradiated clothes, leaving her naked.
Against his will, his gaze drifted down her body. He forced himself to look away. Right now, he was a doctor. She needed his help, not him drooling over her.
Quickly, Aydin shed his own clothes. A red spray drifted down from the ceiling, coating their skin. He knew it was a havv-enhanced spray that would heal them from the radiation exposure.
“Aydin?” Davion’s voice again.
Aydin touched the control panel on the wall. “We’re okay. Both alive.”
“What happened?”
“It was a Kantos trap. The helian was inside. We also saw a map of the Caylar System engraved inside the object.”
“The Caylar System?”
“Yes.” Aydin paused. “I think it was a decoy.”
“Why?”
Aydin pulled in a breath. “The helian died, but before it did, it transferred images of another planet to me. One covered in jungle and sinkholes.”
Davion was silent for a moment. “We’ll try to identify the planet. You focus on yourself and the lieutenant’s recovery.”
“Davion, I’m sorry about the helian.” Aydin felt a pulse of grief.
“Me too. May it rest in the arms of the warriors.”
Aydin dropped back on the bench, suddenly tired. He leaned his head against the wall, then looked down at Jamie. She was still unconscious, but her vitals appeared strong.
It wasn’t too much longer before she stirred. Her eyes opened, then she saw him and froze.
“You’re naked.” She sat up gingerly. “Very naked.”
“As are you,” he said.
She lifted her chin, not covering herself, but he saw her swallow. “I’m used to naked bodies. You can’t be a space marine and be shy.”
Aydin violently disliked the idea of this woman sharing her showers with her fellow marines. Naked, her body slicked with water. His cock twitched and he raised his knee to hide it. “We’re in a radiation decontamination chamber. We’ll be fine.”
She tucked a strand of ink-black hair behind her ear. “Thanks for getting me back.”
“You’re welcome.”
“So, what now?” she asked.
“We have to wait for the decontamination cycle to finish.” He paused. “I should check your radiation burns.”
She nodded and he edged closer on the bench. Then he reached out to touch her shoulder. He felt the zing up his arm and gritted his teeth. This was a medical assessment, and he had to be professional.
He probed her shoulder, then touched her cheek. She shivered.
Clearing her throat, she looked at the wall. “Nothing hurts.”
“Good.” He stroked the new pink skin that was forming. “You’re healing well.”
“Good.” Her voice was thick.
When he raised his gaze, he saw she was looking down his body. At his rapidly hardening cock.
Her gaze met his, and he knew they were both thinking about those hot, sexy moments they’d shared in the gym.
His fingers twitched, desperate to touch her. Her tongue darted out and licked her lips. He swallowed a groan.
Both of them inched closer. She raised a hand, moving it toward his chest…
The control panel chimed. “Radiation decontamination complete.”
The doors to the chamber opened and suddenly, medical staff rushed in, holding equipment.
Mark of Eon: Eon Warriors #5 Page 4