Galactic Bandits
Book 3
Chapter Forty-Four
Regan woke up in his large bed, feeling renewed. He turned his head toward the massive window of the captain’s quarters and admired the galaxy splattered with color. It was a network of stars, planets, and beautiful gaseous formations that Regan had never seen. But then again, most places he visited these days, and most of the things he did, were firsts. Regan’s adventure in space kept surprising him and making him smile for some time now. He knew these surprises, and these smiles would continue to keep coming.
He was well rested, having slept for an unknown length of time. There was nothing to hurry him from the comfort of his bed. His arms were wide open, and the women he had come to know well all remained sleeping within them.
He glanced down at Arkei, as her head rested on his chest. Her sparkling hair seemed to ripple with the movement of her breathing. Her antenna eyes remained closed and tucked within the beautiful locks. Regan would never forget the first time he saw this hair when she broke into his Earth apartment and kidnapped him.
An arm was wrapped around Arkei’s naked body, that of their pirate, Straya. She was the pirate they spared. This beautiful chameleon became a loyal friend and lover, and someone who Regan knew would never leave any of them behind. Straya’s head rested above Arkei’s on top of Regan’s right arm, while Straya’s naked body spooned around Arkei’s in a warm embrace.
Regan’s left arm was stretched out with Calico resting on it. He gazed down at the lovely feline who snuggled and purred beside him. Her long tail laid across her legs and she unconsciously curled her body tighter and closer to the warmth of his. The Pershan Princess had been living according to her own agenda for who knows how long. She was a ruthless and determined feline that Regan thought would never let her guard down. He was glad when she finally did.
And finally, there was Reverie, who slept on top of Regan, with her head resting on his stomach below Arkei’s. Reverie’s naked form stretched out over his as her arms encircled his waist. The stunning pale Empath had been enslaved and abused. She had the ability to heal—an ability that was exploited by the Brute King until Regan took care of that. He would ensure no harm came her way ever again.
His bed was full of beauty, determination, and love. It was one that he had made. He was proud to greet whatever the day brought him, because this was his home base, and he could rely on it throughout the worst trials imaginable.
Regan decided he should finally get up and did so careful not to disturb his cozy nest of women. None of the ladies seemed disturbed by his leaving, only stretching and readjusting in his wake. Regan observed them while he put on his robe, a robe which once belonged to the late Mephistopheles. In fact, the entire ship once did, but that was another time. It was another battle that Regan had seen through, and he had more to show for it than when he started.
He walked up to the window to get a better look at where they were. It was an amazing sight. The slowing pace of their ship led Regan to believe they were approaching the Voltek planet, the destination they set out for after fleeing the Unmined Jewel Casino.
Posha, the Voltek who Regan was proud to have on his crew, had proven that he had many answers when it came to fixing tight problems or situations. He was useful, and Regan was curious to see what his home world looked like, and what additional resources they could gather from there.
He decided to undress from his robe to a more official attire for the Captain of the ship. While the title of Captain once felt like a costume, or an exaggeration of his abilities, it now felt proper. He did feel like a Captain.
Sure, I lost all our antimatter modules and can’t put our ship into an FTL jump because of it, but sometimes you gotta learn the hard way.
He splashed water on his face from the basin in the attached bathroom, dressed, then headed for the bridge. He gently brushed the bare feet of the four ladies on his way out. They all turned and smiled at him. Arkei even reached out her arm encouraging him to come back from the doorway to bed.
“We’re slowing down,” Regan said. “So I’m going to the bridge to check on our progress. Join when you’re ready.”
He longed to stay in that bed and have those hands all over him, but he had to do his job as well. The adventure was only as good as the leadership, and he couldn’t ignore that they still had a large task in front of them.
As he walked down the hallway, he continued looking out the windows. It was distant, but they seemed to be approaching a single planet with two moons. He couldn’t help but think of Star Wars. He also looked forward to sharing that thought with Bob, the only other human on board who’d get the reference, and who’d hopefully be as excited as Regan was about it.
Bob’s memory wasn’t what it used to be after a botched procedure on his brain, but he could still get the little things.
As exciting as it all was, there remained some nervousness in Regan’s mind. When they fled the Unmined Jewel, they had left quite a mess behind. Even though Squit, their tentacled hacking genius, had assured them that no digital trace of their presence still existed after she deleted every hint of their visit, there was always someone who was going to miss a dead mob boss.
Killing Salvato was a necessary feat, but Regan was sure that it would have consequences. Even if there was no direct footage of them, Salvato was as powerful as they came. His ties to Rubicio, an Intergalactic Council member, meant that there would certainly be an inquiry or an investigation of sorts, even if it remained secret. This was what troubled Regan. Yet he knew he had to keep it to himself.
They had retrieved the data cube from Salvato before fleeing, so they had more than enough information and evidence that would blow the Intergalactic Council’s corruption and mob ties right open, but having that much ammo didn’t make Regan untouchable. In fact, if Rubicio knew he had it, it would make him more of a target.
At least, that’s what it had meant for Salvato. Regan had seen enough of how the universe worked to know that corruption in space was no different from corruption on Earth. If someone in power was threatened, they would react harshly to keep that power in place.
Hopefully Regan and his crew would come up with a solution while they found a haven on the Voltek planet. But again, Regan knew things weren’t always as they seemed. He would have to keep his guard up, whether they were on a trusted planet or not.
The doors to the bridge opened and Regan entered. He was greeted by Posha first, who spoke quickly despite his incredibly slow movements. His hand wave seemed to last minutes, ending long after he had spoken.
“It’s very wonderful to see you Captain,” the lizard-like alien said. “I have made sure I am ready for our arrival and have been waiting patiently for some time.”
“I appreciate the readiness,” Regan said.
Squit and Bob were near a control panel on the far wall. Bob was looking at Regan with a smile, but his face would occasionally disappear from view as Squit’s tentacles were all over him. Regan had known her long enough to know she was perfectly capable of multitasking with her many tentacles, and whatever she was doing on the control screen would not be distracted by what was seemingly a make-out session with Bob.
The sounds of suckers on his skin made it difficult for Regan to turn his attention away. Though he wanted to point out the two moons to Bob, he thought perhaps this wasn’t the best time.
He was curious, however, of what Squit was doing with the controls. As if she recognized his curiosity, she started making muffled squishy sounds.
“She is scanning the news waves,” Bob said. “Still no mention of us or the incident at the Unmined Jewel.”
“That’s great news,” Regan said.
“They’re still inspecting the cause of the blast that occurred when we dropped our antimatter modules,” Bob continued. “But Squit was able to remove our description from any press releases or notifications.”
“So, no FTL drive, but no record of us causing the exp
losion either,” Regan said. “I suppose I just have to focus on the bright side of the situation.”
Just then, the doors to the bridge opened and in walked Arkei, Straya, Calico, and Reverie. They all had showered and dressed in similar attire. Calico knew the ship best and knew where Mephistopheles would have kept clothes that fit all forms of ladies. He decided they did indeed fit very well.
The crew looked exactly like that—a crew. They all took their seats—Calico in the pilot’s chair, Reverie in the back near Regan, and Arkei and Straya on the control panel to the right of Calico. They were all in place. Calico put her hands on the ship’s controls.
“We’re approaching the Voltek atmosphere,” she said.
“And it seems we’re going to be met by a significant security detail,” Arkei said, bringing up the hologram display of what the radar picked up ahead of them.
“I am well prepared for that,” Posha said. “I have a code that should allow us entrance. It should allow us to bypass security, customs, and inspection.”
“Should?” Regan asked.
“I admit, Captain, that it is an older code, but we should be good to go,” Posha said with enthusiasm.
Regan was a bit nervous, but he had to trust his crew. If Posha said the code should work, then that was that.
Shortly after, the planet came into focus before them. It was the planet the two moons belonged to, which was a beautiful sight. But it was also a planet with an extensive security detail. The hologram that Arkei brought up didn’t do justice to the blockade that seemed to be surrounding the planet.
There were patrol ships, a few orbital defense platforms, several inspection hangars, and several other intimidating security measures. What worried Regan the most was the Intergalactic Council logo, which was prominently displayed on all the security gear. This was not a defense system established by the planet, but by the Intergalactic Council itself.
Knowing what he had aboard this ship and what he had done to Salvato made Regan stiffen. Not to mention that he was an illegal species. Arkei, Straya, and Calico were also trying to remain off the grid because of their pasts. And even if they weren’t, they had all assisted in breaking into the casino and killing one of its top players—killing the mob boss with corrupt ties to the most powerful organization in the galaxy.
Yes, Regan was nervous. And increasingly so when a voice came through their communications system.
“Unknown ship! Identify yourself!”
It was not a friendly voice.
Posha was already typing in the code to the system. Regan wanted him to hurry up, but he knew this was as fast as Posha moved. Posha seemed to be aware that Regan was staring at him, as he responded to the action.
“Fear not, Captain. The Intergalactic Council are used to Voltek speed. In fact, they find it too troublesome to inspect Voltek ships. We are a cooperative species, but we do not move as quickly as inspectors prefer. It’s why this code should let us pass without inspection.”
The crew all laughed, having seen Posha in action before. The laugh made the moment seem less tense, and maybe there was nothing to worry about after all. But Regan couldn’t help but notice that Arkei’s expression remained stoic. She was just staring at the hologram of the security detail, seemingly lost in thought.
Regan thought that perhaps she was just looking for loopholes or potential surprises, but her eyes seemed distant and unfocused.
After a few silent moments, the blockade before them opened up.
“Your passcode is accepted, Voltek. You may pass,” said the voice through the communications system speaker.
Calico applied a small amount of speed as the ship moved through the security detail and into the atmosphere of the planet.
Regan gazed out the window and saw the jungle planet that Posha came from. It consisted of massive trees unlike any that Regan had ever seen. They held canopies and complexes of all sizes. And these structures were substantial, many of them large enough to land a ship on.
Pathways went through the trees like a network of roads. The Voltek people moved along these pathways high above the ground—no, that wasn’t ground. In fact, this infinite network of trees wasn’t supported by any land at all, but rooted straight into a turbulent ocean below. Waves smacked into the thick tree trunks, but did little as the wood was so mighty.
It was an impressive civilization, and Regan was thrilled to be experiencing it. It was a paradise that he never could have imagined.
Posha gave Calico the coordinates to his treehouse, then she navigated the ship toward it. The platform above it didn’t seem large enough for their ship to land, but as it hovered over the place where Posha told them, the platform expanded to fit the ship.
“Impressive,” Straya said as she arched a brow.
Calico set the ship down nice and easy. The crew then started to unlatch their seatbelts to stand. But before exiting the ship, Regan wanted to make sure his crew was in a good place.
“Before we do anything, I want to hear any concerns you have,” Regan said. “We have been through a lot, and are lucky that Posha is willing to put us up while we sort this out, but I don’t want to leave the ship until I hear from you all.”
Calico didn’t hesitate before turning around in her chair to face Regan.
“It’s just…” she started. “I still worry they might find some stray lead on us.”
Straya tried to be an optimist for once. “Maybe he doesn’t even know there’s a cube of damning information about him in the first place. Though knowing our luck, I sort of doubt that.”
Regan understood these concerns, but he also wanted to keep his crew in a positive place, with their spirits up. They were definitely in a tricky situation though, and they would all need to be alert.
“Even if he didn’t know about the data cube, he knows somebody just offed his top guy,” Calico continued. “A guy who was protected at the highest level and who had an in with the Intergalactic Council. Data cube or no data cube, Rubicio is going to want answers. And at his level, he will be able to get them. It might take him a while, but he’ll get there eventually.”
The rest of the crew nodded in agreement at this assessment. Or rather, most of them. Regan couldn’t help but notice Arkei was distracted again. Something was going on in her head, and he wanted to find out what. But he had already opened up the conversation to the room, and she stayed quiet. Whatever it was that was bothering her, he’d need to bring it up in private.
For now, it was time to assure his crew they were doing everything they could to navigate this situation with caution.
“I hear what you’re saying,” Regan said. “And that’s why we have to be careful as to how we proceed. It’s why we can’t keep anything from each other and why we need to rely on each other as we get through this. Let’s trust that Squit erased all the footage and acknowledge that Rubicio is going to be hunting us down. But he doesn’t yet know who he’s looking for, so time is still on our side. We just have to decide our next move—what to do with the cube—and then make that move quickly.”
The crew all agreed with Regan, even Arkei, though she appeared to remain distracted.
The gravity of their situation was starting to weigh on Regan, yet he knew he could get through it. He had gotten through so much already and knew there was enough talent on this ship to survive this ordeal as well.
But an ordeal it would most likely be.
As they made their way down the hall to exit the ship, Regan told himself that the next chapter of his adventure in space had begun. The direction it would take him wasn’t clear yet, but the pieces, whatever they were, were falling into place.
Chapter Forty-Five
As Regan and his crew walked down the hallway, Squit noticed something flash on a screen nearby. She hurried over to it and pressed a tentacle up to it.
It was still odd to Regan that she could make so many squishy sounds when she moved and touched things, but leave no trace of liquid or slime on an
y surface. It was like a trick of sound.
“What’s got you worried?” Regan asked.
“She isn’t sure,” Bob replied, translating Squit’s noises. “She noticed there was a brief fuel warning, but it’s gone now…”
Squit was clearly deep in thought, as Bob trailed off.
“Perhaps it was a notification about our missing antimatter modules?” Straya asked, half joking.
“But why would a notification show here, in the hallway?” Calico asked.
Squit made some sounds and Bob turned from her with a proud and confident expression on his face.
“Squit adjusted the settings so that warnings of any type would show wherever the crew happened to be, though this reading wasn’t clear, and disappeared right away. So with your permission, Captain, Squit and I would like to stay aboard the ship to run some maintenance testing.”
Sure you do.
“All good, Bob,” Regan said. “Thank you, Squit.”
She made a squishy sound back at him. Then Regan realized that this should be a protocol of theirs, to run maintenance and diagnostics whenever they land in a new place, just to make sure the ship was up to standards. After all, he had the crew now.
He also thought it would be a good idea to keep Arkei behind, being that she was the second-best pilot they had. She could keep the ship primed and ready in the event of a quick escape. So far, quick escapes seemed to be their thing. Just because Posha vouched for the planet didn’t mean they were out of danger entirely.
“Arkei, would you mind staying behind as well?” Regan asked. “Just to make sure we have the ship up and running if need be?”
Arkei turned her glance toward Regan slowly. Almost too slowly. When she made eye contact, it was as if she were snapping out of a daydream, but not completely.
She finally nodded. “Of course, Captain. That’s a good idea.”
Arkei turned and made her way back to the bridge, but her head wasn’t as tall as it normally was. And she didn’t glide the way her movements generally allowed, her stride sluggish instead.
Galactic Bandits Compilation Page 31