Tann: Delti Utopia 6 (A Sci-Fi Alien Weredragon Romance)

by Celeste Raye

  Nervous sweat popped out all over him as he waited for the exchange. Anything could happen during this time. They stood in plain sight, making a deal over stolen technology, with gold bars that shouldn't be obtainable. It was a recipe for disaster: namely death.

  Other things were being unloaded from the spaceship that had contained the gold, but Tann couldn't see what they were. The cargo ramp was now shielded by portable screens on both sides. Whatever was being offloaded was highly secretive, more so than gold bars. His curiosity was piqued. His cop radar was sounding off, loudly. What needed to be shielded when gold bars hadn't warranted the secrecy?

  The fat man returned and nodded. Tann tensed for trouble, but none came. "We have a deal," he stated. "Open the cargo hatch so we can remove the merchandise."

  "I'll take the gold first," Tann retorted.

  "Not possible."

  "We're all distrustful, so how about we make our own arrangement?" Tann asked, feeling the pirates ready their weapons. He knew he was making them nervous. They clearly thought he was about to betray Torbin. "I'll take one portion of gold inside each time one piece of technology is unloaded. That way, no matter what transpires, we're even."

  "It is a better plan than any Torbin has ever offered. Tell him you have gained him another chance at trading with us," the white-haired man answered.

  Tann turned to stare at the pirates. One by one, they nodded assent. Respect showed in their eyes. That was a new development. He could use that in the future, if they got off this strange space station.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Mariana

  Surrounded by pirates, who smelled of whiskey, sweat, and cigars, Mariana felt so alone she would have drawn Torbin into conversation if it were possible. He, however, was occupied with business. It seemed he always was, unless he had a lesson he thought she needed to learn.

  So far, she'd been tattooed, which hurt terribly, and forced to practice walking in heels: a dangerous endeavor for everyone near her, considering each time she fell she threw the offending spikes like weapons. She had to admit it wasn't as bad to be in his ship as she'd imagined. She had a tiny cabin to herself, which she was locked into at night, and was ignored for the most part. She had a premonition that those conditions were about to change. She'd caught some of the conversation Torbin was having. He really wasn't trying to keep it quiet, so she assumed he intended for her to listen in.

  She didn't catch a name, but she knew without a doubt he was speaking to the man who controlled the huge casinos. Her name popped up several times during the discussion. He was guaranteeing she would bring in more profit for Torbin and the owner. He'd mentioned distraction, loaded dice, and outright theft. From the sound of it, Mariana would be working alone: something she hadn't contemplated when she'd decided to take a shot at piracy. Her idea of what pirates did and the actuality of it were totally different.

  She'd thought they would travel continuously, attacking unsuspecting vessels, or raiding space stations. She pictured carrying weapons and having sword fights, not negotiating deals.

  Torbin finished his business and focused on Mariana. "Today will be very busy for ya, girl. Ya get to become someone new. My men have gone to drag Lolita here. She'll cut and dye that pretty hair of yours and cover that soft skin, so ya don't look so young. The big man has supplied fancy dresses for ya to wear. The cost will be taken from your earnin's as incentive to steal more. Lolita may be old, but she knows the art of distraction. She'll be givin' ya some pointers if she wants her coins."

  "I don't understand exactly what I'm supposed to do. None of this sounds like piracy," Mariana told him.

  "Piracy has evolved. It's had to. The pickin's on ships don't keep us alive, let alone make us rich. I've had to expand my horizons a bit, make deals with the devil himself. I'll be rollin' in the dough soon. Then, I'll find me a spot in a new colony and live in luxury for the rest of my days. You and that technology Tann's deliverin' are my insurance policy for retirement. Once you're used up, I'm outta here."

  "Why me?"

  "You're the best that's come around in a while that the big man hasn't claimed. He ain't happy about it, but he'll negotiate. Ya get one coin outta every four from my share, just like the kid. Except, of course, the price of the dresses. You'll be on the gamblin' floor of the biggest casino. You'll take drinks and smokes to the high rollers, lingering to swipe some coins, offer to roll the dice, which you'll be switchin' for loaded ones, and borrowin’ room codes. The big man takes sixty percent for lettin' us in. If you're good enough, I might be persuaded to let ya buy your freedom when I go," Torbin explained.

  Mariana wanted to scream, "I'm not a slave!" but she knew it would get her nowhere.

  A woman was dragged into the room, her tired face scrunched up in despair. "What did I do to deserve this treatment, Torbin?" she cried out.

  "Didn't my crew take the time to explain?" he asked facetiously. "Ya ain't in trouble, old woman. I got a job for ya. It'll pay more than ya make most nights. Ya see this girl? She needs a new identity. Cut the hair, color it, and make her look older. Dress her up and show her the art of distraction. Teach her to use that chest she's trying so hard to hide from me."

  "What's it pay?" Lolita asked, eyeing Mariana's considerable assets and feeling inadequate.

  "Depends on how good ya do the job. Twenty coins for a decent job, fifty for outstanding. She can't be recognized. Ya get my drift?"

  "She's a wanted woman? She seems awful innocent looking for that. It doesn't matter to me, though. I'll earn that fifty. Not even you'll recognize her. As to distraction, I'd bet all she has to do is walk in the room. In fact, by the time I'm finished, it'll be guaranteed. The things I could have done with a body like that would curl your toes, old man."

  "Ya did pretty good once upon a time, Lolita. It's a shame we have to get old," Torbin replied in the sincerest voice Mariana had ever heard him use. "I dearly miss the old days."

  "We had good times, Torbin. I intend to again. I've got something up my sleeve that will get me out of stripping. I might earn enough to get a spot next door to you when you retire. How about that?" Lolita asked.

  "As long as ya don't sunbathe in the nude. I don't care to see wrinkled boobs ruinin' my views," he cackled.

  "The same goes for you, Torbin. I bet your backside isn't so firm anymore either. Come on, girl. Let's get you fixed up. I can't hang around here all day. There's still a few men who'll pay to see me strip."

  Mariana didn't understand these people at all. They went from enemies to best friends without blinking, and yet she could tell Lolita was frightened of Torbin. There was a story to be told somewhere in this relationship.

  Mariana had to close her eyes and hold her breath to keep from crying out. Silent tears ran down her cheeks. The girl in the mirror wasn't her at all. Her beautiful blonde mane was now jet black, and Lolita was whacking it off at her shoulders. Seeing the locks fall to the floor made her sick to her stomach. Her past, including Tylina and her mother, were being eradicated. She had craved freedom and a pirate's life, but not to have her identity and memories stripped away. What had she done?

  Lolita produced an array of makeup from a box marked with the big casino's logo. Mariana had no idea what any of it was for. She'd never worn makeup, and Tylina's alien skin didn't tolerate it, so there had been no one to teach her. Vague memories of her mother, from when Mariana was very small, suggested she might have used it when they still had her father, but it hadn't been mentioned in all the years since.

  "Strip, Mariana," Lolita commanded, "We have to use body tint to give you a darker complexion and cover what's left of those bruises. I don't know where they came from and I don't want to know. What I do know is that the big man and Torbin won't like it if they mar your beauty."

  Mariana was shaking so hard she could barely unbutton her shirt. Embarrassment at showing her body to a stranger, even though she was female, caused profuse blushing and nausea.

  "Don't worry, honey. I've s
een it all before. I work as a stripper, and young girls dance around in the buff all the time. You're lucky. You won't be showing this to anyone but me. It's a shame, though. Men would pay their last gold nugget to get a load of your curves. Hold still now; we don't want the tint to streak."

  Wrapped in a drying cloth, Mariana felt relief at being covered again. Lolita turned her away from the mirror and began applying makeup to her eyes, lips, and cheeks. It took a long time and many facial contortions before she announced it done.

  "No peeking allowed until you're dressed. I want you to see the full effect," the stripper declared.

  The dress Mariana slipped over her head was bright red. It was a contrast to the black hair and golden hue of her skin. It cupped right beneath her rounded bottom, barely covering it, and fit her body like a glove. Her breasts were pushed up high and on display by a corset-like garment built into the dress. The only redeeming value of the dress were the sleeves. They left her shoulders bare, but covered the top of her arms, hiding the tattoo.

  "Why give me a tattoo and then cover it?" she asked.

  "It was probably a stipulation from the big boss. He doesn't like the girls inside his casino to belong to pirates. Besides, it would announce to the players that you're about to steal their gold. Are you ready to see the new and improved Mariana? I think I more than fulfilled my assignment."

  Mariana was shocked by the woman in the mirror. It was a stranger, much older than she was. The black hair framed her heart-shaped face, and her blue eyes popped out, encircled by black lines. Her eyelashes appeared so long, they almost brushed her eyebrows. Her skin was a golden hue that sparkled, and her lips were blood red to match the dress. Every curve was exhibited, and the heels made her legs look endless.

  Lolita had exceeded expectations, alright. She and the wanted poster description didn't match at all. Mariana had doubts that her own mother would recognize her. What about Tann? Would he know her? If he did, would he be disenchanted with the new look? Would this somehow break their connection? Was she no longer his soul mate?

  "Stop crying, girl. You'll ruin all my hard work before Torbin sees you. Get a hold of yourself. You've got a job to do," Lolita told her. The tone was gruff, but her hand was gentle as she led Mariana out of the room.

  Torbin's back was to the entrance when the women came to the control center. As he shut down his COM link, Mariana swore she heard Tann's voice coming from it. He mentioned gold, so the trade must be happening. She wanted so badly to call out to him, but she knew the link had been cut and an outburst would confirm what Torbin already believed was between Tann and herself.

  "Take a look, old man," Lolita taunted Torbin.

  He turned, and Mariana could see the surprise and shock that disturbed his system. He hadn't imagined Lolita could do as she'd promised.

  "Ain't you a sight? Who would of thought ya could look like that? You've done gone from pretty little girl who didn't know what to do with curves, to experienced woman. It makes me wish I'd kept ya for myself."

  "You wouldn't know what to do with her, Torbin," Lolita proclaimed. "She's too much for you, old man."

  "Keep talkin' trash, old woman, and I'll have ya executed instead of payin' what you're owed."

  "You might torture me, but you'd never have me executed. We both know why. Sometimes, you still frighten me a little, but not at this moment. I did too good a job for you to get your hackles up," Lolita said, bravely.

  "I can't argue with that. I could parade her in front of her former owner and he'd pay me top dollar and never know he already had dibs. Them players are gonna fall all over the new girl. She outshines the ones the big boss has there now. I got better goods than him, even if it was an accident." Torbin rubbed his hands together gleefully.

  "Can I go back to my cabin now," Mariana asked. She was overwhelmed and exhausted by the changes in herself. She wanted time and space to wrap her head around it. She wanted Tann.

  "No way, girl. You're all dressed up and need a place to go. We're gonna do a practice run," Torbin announced.

  Mariana's heart almost burst from her chest. She wasn't ready. Fear paralyzed her, and she grabbed onto any excuse not to go. "There's no place in this dress to hide dice, and you said I'd need to switch the ones the players had for loaded ones."

  "Next time. Tonight, we just see how handy ya are at distraction and taking some coins. I'll be around for ya to pass the coins to. Pirate's honor, you'll get your fair share," he laughed heartily.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Tann*

  It was over and done. The exchange had been made, and no one had died. Tann counted that as a win and a blessing. If a fight had ensued and someone been killed, word would have reached his superiors. His reputation would be so tarnished that life as he knew it would be over. He'd have to truly become what he pretended to be, a pirate, in order to survive. No law enforcement would have him should his betrayal be discovered.

  Five hours after they had left the space station, trouble was sighted. "Tann, there's a ship comin' up on our tail. It's movin' awful fast."

  "Are you sure? The console doesn't work perfectly on this barge all the time," Tann explained.

  "It is now. I can see the thing. It's pirates, and the spaceship is outfitted with weaponry. What do ya want to do?"

  "Are the shields operable?"

  "Maybe. They kind of flicker on and off," another man replied.

  "Put them up and make evasive maneuvers to dodge whatever they send at us. This sorry piece of metal doesn't have weapons. It's just an old transport ship. I suspect it was used to carry expensive technology because no one would believe someone would be stupid enough to do such a thing, thus it was safe. Whoever is after us knows more than they should."

  "If that's true, then why didn't they come for us before we got rid of the cargo?"

  "It's simpler. No trade deal or risk is necessary now. We've done it for them. The gold is what they want," Tann answered as the first laser blast rocked the ship. He remembered the information Lolita had provided. They'd been ratted out by Corsair. The pirate ship shooting at them was in too good of condition and too well armed. It belonged to the big boss.

  "How bad is the damage?" he asked, knowing that eventually, they'd have to surrender. Their ship was too slow to outrun the bigger ship, and the shields wouldn't hold long.

  "Hangin' in there, but a direct hit will stop us in our tracks. What happens then? You know it's comin'."

  "We get ready to be boarded. There's going to be a fight. We have an advantage. The pirates in that ship are used to relying on fancy weapons. We're not. We use our wits and the kind of weapon that brings the enemy up close and personal. Then, there's me. I doubt they know there's a weredragon aboard," Tann stated.

  "What good's that do? You can't transform in here."

  "I don't have to. Dragon fire doesn't require transformation."

  The ship rocked as they moved to evade the next shot. It missed, but another came instantly.

  "Shields are gone. There's a hole in level four."

  "Seal that floor off. Maintain evasive maneuvers and get your weapons ready. Tika, get below right now! No arguments. Lock yourself in an empty escape pod. Use it if you think we're losing. I'll find you, I swear," Tann ordered.

  Disobedience crossed her mind, as he knew it would. He saw it in her eyes. She wanted to use her abilities too: add her dragon fire to the mix. However, she didn't yet have enough control over it and might set the entire ship aflame, killing them all. He also didn't want to risk the child's life any more than he already had.

  "Go, Tika! Disobey, and I send you away for good."

  She glared at him as tears ran from her eyes. She believed his threat and hated him for it. Good, at least she'd live. Hate from her he could handle; her death was another story.

  The ship shuddered, and Tann came close to toppling over. Their speed slowed considerably.

  "One engine's down. We're limping."

  "It's time," Tann repl
ied. "We have to surrender. If we lose the other engine, we're just floating in space without a way back to Delti Utopia 6. The gold has to be saved. We lose it, and Torbin will leave us here to die."

  "The ship's hailing us. They want to talk."

  "Fine, but my face only. We don't want them to see how few of us there are."

  The man on screen had red hair, green eyes, and a big nose that sported a piercing. A large ring hung from the center column. He had a ragged scar that ran from his chin, over his right cheek, all the way to his hairline. It pulled the skin so tight, it gave him a gruesome smile.

  "What do you want with us?" Tann asked him.

  "I want your surrender, of course. Your ship's crippled. You got no weapons attached to it, and I got plenty. Let us aboard for the gold, and I might let you live. It depends on how well you treat me."

  "Who would I be surrendering to? I don't believe I've had the pleasure of meeting a well-mannered man such as yourself?" Tann sarcastically countered.

  "The name's Bull, and you don't want to butt heads with me, boy! You don't want these horns to scar that pretty-boy face none. You can let us aboard the easy way, or we'll get there anyway. I don't care whether you live or die. I get paid either way. What's it gonna be?"

  The name matched the ring in his nose, and his attitude suggested he was bullheaded as well. His confidence would be his undoing. You didn't call Tann a pretty boy and get away with it. He'd remove that scar and leave a burn in its place. Playing along, he smiled, displaying his perfect, white teeth. That should further the impression of a soft, privileged, pretty boy. "I kind of like my pretty face, so welcome aboard. Battles aren't my style."

  The link was broken and Tann commanded, "Open bay door two. I want him up here close, instead of by the cargo hold. Make sure no one gets inside it and discovers the gold isn't there."