Saving Koda

by Mikayla Lane

  Traze turned shimmering dark eyes to David and threw his arms around him.

  “Thank you,” he whispered before he quickly left the room.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Emily stood nervously in her room at beta, waiting for Koda to get there. Today was the day and she couldn’t be more nervous, excited, and just plain scared to death. The few weeks that Koda had asked for had only turned out to be six days before he’d kissed her goodnight, asked her to pack her bags for a stay on the ship, and left her room.

  That was last night, and she hadn’t slept a wink as she alternated between pacing her room and packing her bag over and over again. She wasn’t afraid of the mating—if anything she was anxious to get that part over with so they could settle back into a comfortable routine with one another again. She was more concerned for Koda.

  She knew Koda had taken the veterans up the day before and had come back more excited and happy than she’d seen him in a long time, and she knew that he’d worked really hard to try and make it as perfect as he could for her. She just hoped that he hadn’t placed unrealistic expectations on himself that could harm his recovery if things didn’t go as he’d planned.

  For her part, just going into space and spending time alone with him was going to be enough to keep her happy. Even if they didn’t stay on the ship, she’d cherish the memories of the effort Koda had put into making it special for her.

  “Hey, you ready?” Koda asked from the doorway, surprising Emily from her thoughts.

  “Yeah! Let me recheck my bag,” Emily said and turned her face away so he wouldn’t see her blush.

  “You’re not nervous are you? Joey will be in good hands with Grai and Tricia. Mikey, Disc, and Crator also said they wanted to spend time with her, and they’re really great with her,” Koda said reassuringly.

  He was hoping she wasn’t too concerned about leaving Joey behind, but he was more than willing to change his plans if it made her feel better.

  Emily stopped fussing with her bag and turned to smile at him.

  “No, I think if anyone understands her it’s your brother and his wife. Everyone is wonderful with her. I’m not worried at all.”

  To prove her point, she grabbed her bag and slung it over her shoulder before standing in front of him. Emily hugged him around the waist and smiled up at him.

  “Let’s go! I want to see the stars!”

  Koda chuckled, planted a kiss on her forehead, then pulled her bag off of her shoulder and put it on his own as he led her down the hallway and towards the portal.

  “Do you remember what I told you about the portal affects when porting the distance of the ship?” he asked with concern.

  “Of course,” Emily nodded. “Might feel a little woozy and disoriented my first time, but Basil will help me, and I’ll be fine in seconds.”

  “Maybe not seconds, but pretty close. Everything has been programmed to your voice commands and bio signature, so if you happen to wander anywhere you just have to call out, and the computer systems will speak to you through your comm. You can ask it questions, directions . . . anything you want to know,” he assured her.

  “Why would I wander around when you can show me around?” she asked, stopping in front of the strange doorway they called a portal.

  “I don’t know,” Koda said as he blushed slightly. “You may decide to take a walk by yourself, or if you find spirits, you might want to find privacy.”

  Emily could tell that he was the one who was nervous, and she grinned as she took his hand and faced the portal. She pulled her shoulders back and kept her eyes on the strange, swirling lights flowing across the frame.

  “Lead on, baby. Let’s check out space together,” Emily said with a grin.

  Koda squeezed her hand and gently pulled her towards the portal. He stepped inside first, tugging only slightly before they were both swept away.

  Emily swayed slightly and blinked her eyes rapidly at the bright light before she was able to make out several uniformed people standing in front of them. She squeezed Koda’s hand in surprise as she looked around the strange room they were standing in.

  One of the men stepped forward and bowed before them.

  “Welcome aboard the Devil’s Destroyer. I am First Commander Ratarran L’Tor. We are honored to have you here, Emily. If you need anything, please don’t hesitate to ask anyone for what you require.”

  Koda clapped the man on the back and grinned.

  “Thanks, Ratarran. All of you.”

  “Anything for you and yours, Koda. You know that,” Ratarran said hoarsely before he turned and left the portal room with the rest of the men.

  “It seems you are a well-respected man and have been sorely missed,” Emily said with pride, unable to miss the way the men had treated Koda.

  “We’ve been through much together and have recently found we have much more in common now than we ever had before,” Koda said cryptically.

  “He’s been injured badly too?”

  “In a way,” Koda agreed.

  “Then you and the other guys should have him come to your talks,” Emily suggested, surprising him.

  “How do you know about that?”

  Emily laughed and squeezed his hand.

  “I’m not a fool. Now are you going to show me the rest of this ship, or are we staying in here?”

  Koda stared at her in surprise for a moment before he chuckled and tugged her towards the door. The door slid open, and Koda pulled her through it, but Emily stopped short the moment they entered the hallway.

  “Oh my god!” she whispered as she let go of Koda’s hand and placed it on the clear window in front of her.

  Koda smiled as he placed his arm around her shoulders and gave her a gentle squeeze.

  “It’s beautiful, isn’t it?”

  “Oh, Koda, it’s amazing. I never expected it to be so pretty.”

  Emily was stunned at the starlit world around her, and she leaned forward and gasped when she saw the Earth beneath them.

  Koda couldn’t help but chuckle at Emily as she put both hands on the window and plastered her face to it to try and see all around.

  “Come on, I have a better place to view it without giving yourself a bruise trying to look out that window,” he said as he held out his hand to her.

  Emily took his hand, reluctant to leave the incredible view but dying to see the rest of Koda’s beloved ship. After walking down what seemed like dozens of hallways with more windows, she turned to Koda.

  “How big is this ship?”

  Koda chuckled as he continued to lead her down another hallway.

  “It’s pretty big. We currently have over 3,000 crew members on board and several hundred mates and children as well. Here we go,” Koda explained as he gestured through another doorway.

  Emily stepped through, expecting another never-ending set of hallways when she gasped in shock at the sights and sounds that assaulted her senses.

  “Oh! Oh my!”

  Koda chuckled as Emily pulled away from him and ran to the railing, looking below and all around her in awe. He couldn’t contain the surge of pride he felt from her reaction.

  “Koda . . . you built this?” Emily whispered as she turned to look at him questioningly.

  “Yeah, but I had a lot of help too. Most of the people on the ship had some part in helping me build it,” Koda admitted as he joined her at the railing.

  Emily turned back and shook her head at the magnitude of what he’d created. She knew they had to be in the center of the ship because she could look down and see at least a dozen floors beneath her.

  It looked like an upscale city. There were trees, flowers, and greenery all around each floor, and at the very bottom, Emily could see what appeared to be an entire park. There were shops and people everywhere.

  Along with the uniformed personnel, there were women chasing their laughing children, babies being pushed in strollers, and sibiox walking around as well as pet dogs and cats.

  Em
ily tilted her head back and sucked in a breath at the view of the Earth and stars above them, then turned to Koda in confusion.

  “I thought this was your battle cruiser?”

  “It is. This is our family and recreation area—the true heart of our girl. Without the sacrifices of the families who built it, none of us would be here. There is a shield that covers the windows during battle, and this is the most reinforced and protected part of the ship,” Koda continued.

  “The ship is designed so that even if the rest of the ship is destroyed, this center area can detach itself and be used as an emergency life raft, so to speak,” Koda grinned down at her, wondering what she thought of it.

  “Wow . . . you take the kids into battle?” she asked, incredulous that Koda would endanger them.

  “Not really,” Koda said a little defensively. “The outlying ships and fighter craft are designed to take any incoming enemy ships. This ship is used primarily for the big guns. The main pulse cannons can go a lot farther and do a lot more damage than the smaller fighter craft.”

  “Why are the kids even up here? You have that whole town they can live in where it’s safe,” Emily countered, not understanding his thinking.

  “Come,” Koda said as he gestured towards their right. “I’ll explain it better for you.”

  Emily followed him through the people, wondering at the smell of the fresh baked goods and the strange flowers she passed.

  “Wait!” she called out, pulling away from Koda as she stared at a huge grey flower the size of a dinner plate. “What the hell is that?”

  “That is a glaxordarx vestinarium.”

  Emily turned to look at the speaker and smiled at the young woman with lavender streaks in her hair.

  “Where did you find it? Where do they grow? Can I touch it?” Emily asked as she stared at the strange, silky flower surrounded by lethal looking spikes.

  “You shouldn’t touch it. Not because it is dangerous, but because the oils in your skin can kill it, and it is the only surviving thing from my world. Other than the few of us Koda and Grai saved as well,” the young girl said with a smile before turning to Koda. “We are grateful that our prayers for your return to health were answered.”

  “Thank you, Jetia. I have no doubt your prayers helped,” Koda said clasping both of her hands in his before letting go.

  “Your what?” Emily asked.

  “Good day to you, Jetia,” Koda said as he guided Emily away from the young girl.

  “Wait, what did she say? Is she another alien?” Emily asked, trying to look back at the girl.

  “Emily, please keep your voice down a little, honey. I’ll explain it in a minute,” Koda whispered, hurrying her to his private quarters.

  Emily tried to stop Koda from walking so fast but finally gave up fighting him and tried to see as much as she could as they passed by. When they finally stepped through another doorway and she couldn’t see anything else, she tried to go back out but Koda blocked her path.

  “Whoa,” Koda chuckled. “Let’s talk first. I probably should have said something back at beta, but it honestly didn’t cross my mind.”

  “What? Can’t it wait so you can show me around? Is that really a park down below?” Emily asked in excitement.

  Koda couldn’t help but smile at the curiosity and wonder pouring off of her waves, but he knew he needed to explain things to her first.

  “Emily, up here, you’re the alien. My entire ship is made up solely of the people of the planets my father destroyed and the Relian hybrids who fought against him. Almost everything you see on this ship—plants, people, and even animals are the sole survivors of their worlds,” Koda explained, seeing the dawning horror and comprehension in Emily’s eyes.

  “Those poor people . . .” Emily breathed out, recalling the children and families she’d seen before a thought occurred to her. “Wait a minute . . . you built an ark?”

  Koda burst out laughing as he led her away from the door.

  “I never thought of it that way before, but yeah, it’s kind of applicable. At the time I built it, I wanted a place to hide those who needed protection from my father. This inner area was the first place I built for them and built the ship around it to hide them from my father,” he admitted, leading her further into the room.

  Emily finally looked where he was taking her, and her mouth dropped open in surprise.

  “It’s a home!”

  “It’s not really a home, but it’s definitely a home-like place,” Koda said with pride as he led her past the kitchen and into a large, open living area.

  “Are all of them like this?” Emily whispered as she took in the vaulted ceilings and another huge window that looked out into space, this time with a perfect view of Mars.

  “Not exactly. This is the commander’s quarters and the only one with a view like this. The rest of them are protected within the shield. I couldn’t stand not being able to see this,” Koda admitted as he stared up at the window with her.

  “I can see why you love it up here,” Emily whispered in awe.

  Koda wrapped his arms around her and closed his eyes as he sent up a silent prayer to his gods, thanking them for making it possible to be here with his mate.

  “This is where we would live?” Emily asked as she turned to look up at him expectantly.

  Koda nodded and wasn’t surprised when she grabbed his hand and started walking around the room, unsure where to go next.

  “Show me around,” she demanded.

  Koda laughed and headed towards a small hallway. A door opened almost immediately, and Emily looked in to see that the entire room looked like someone threw up cotton candy in it. Everything was pink. The walls were covered in a pink fuzzy fabric of some kind, and the floors were carpeted in a deep, plush pink carpet.

  An almost identical bed to the one Thjodhild gave Joey was in the center of the room, and there were hundreds of stuffed toys, games, overstuffed pillows, and child furniture in the room. All in pink.

  “Joey’s room,” Emily said unnecessarily as she grinned up at Koda.

  “How’d you guess?” Koda laughed before turning serious. “Do you think she’ll like it?”

  “She will love it. I can’t believe you thought of her issues with touch and colors like this.”

  Emily ran a hand along the soft texture of the fabric on the wall and marveled at how it felt like a silky pelt of fur.

  “Tristan hates scratchy things too. Tricia found that covering his room with soft textures and colors made it a haven for him from the chaos. I was hoping it would help Joey too,” Koda explained.

  “She’ll love it,” Emily said, tears shimmering in her eyes at his thoughtfulness.

  “Come on, I’ll show you the rest,” Koda pulled her from the room, not wanting her upset. Not today.

  Koda showed her two other empty rooms down the hall from Joey’s before taking her back through the living room to the other side where there was only one door. He hesitated only for a second before opening the door.

  Emily gasped as she looked around at the starlit room. Unlike in the living room where there was just a large window above them, this bedroom had an entire wall that was a window to space. A large bed was on the opposite wall, and near the window was a sitting area and a few tables.

  She walked through the door and moved to stand in front of the window, which was twice as tall as she was and at least 10 feet wide. She laid her hands on the glass and looked out before yanking her hands back and looking at Koda apologetically.

  “Sorry . . .”

  “It’s OK. They are self-cleaning,” he teased.

  “Did you invent that too?” Emily asked, marveling at his genius in creating something as incredible as the ship.

  “Actually, my father stole the technology from another world, and I stole it from him.”

  “Still . . . Koda, this place is amazing,” Emily exclaimed as she looked around, her face shining in wonder.

  “Do you like it?” he ask
ed.

  “Oh please, you know I do. How can I not? There’s a food court! I’ve never in my life been able to go to the mall, and I got a park now and a food court!” she exclaimed, thrilled with the place.

  “It’s not exactly a food court. You have to pay the shopkeepers in ship credits,” Koda said with a grin.

  “What are ship credits? Is it like ship money? How do I get some? What do they buy? Why are there credits at all?” Emily asked in rapid fire succession.

  Koda laughed and led her over to the couch and sat down with her.

  “Ship credits are like money but are used for bartering. Each person gets a minimum amount of credits a month, but you can barter for more through trading. Crewmembers are paid in credits. They can buy everything from dining out every night to Earth vacations; there are no limits on what they can be spent on. As the commander, I have already added you to my own account,” Koda explained. “I think the shopkeepers would be pretty happy to see some of it spent.”

  “You don’t eat at the shops when you’re on board or buy anything?” Emily asked, curious how he’d taken his meals and spent his time while on the ship.

  Koda chuckled and looked away so she wouldn’t see his blush.

  “I have a private workshop in a lower area of the ship where I tinker and play around with new technology, and I usually spent the rest of my time with the mechanical techs working on tweaking and upgrading the fleet. Since hot meals are provided for all working crew members, I just eat whatever they put in front of me as I’m working,” he admitted.

  “Wow, you really are a geek,” Emily teased.

  “Hey . . . yeah, I am,” Koda chuckled. “So . . . you think you’d like it up here?”

  Emily laughed and pulled him to his feet.

  “You’re so freaking smart that you already know the answer to that. But I demand to know where this secret workshop is so I know where to hunt for you at dinner time. Or breakfast.”

  “Emily,” Koda breathed out as he put his arms around her and drew her close. “You will never have to come find me. I will always come when you ask.”