by Anna Hackett
The hull began to disintegrate. Eaten away.
“Holy hell,” Nissa breathed.
The remaining ships rallied around the listing cuttership. But it was too late. The ship turned upside down and began a slow descent to the planet.
Justyn dragged his gaze away…just in time to see the hull of the Sky Nomad appear in front of them.
“Brace!” Fuck, this was going to hurt. He moved Nissa between him and the skimmer. The hull raced up to meet them.
Just before they hit, they were jerked to a rapid halt.
“Nice to see you guys arrive with two minutes to spare.” Rynan’s voice came through their helmets.
Justyn looked over and saw his brother manning a large powered exosuit with massive mechanical arms. It was used to recover wreckage in deep space or for heavy lifting on asteroid mines. Rynan had their skimmer clamped in the suit’s large claws.
“Thought you might need a little help,” Rynan said.
“I am damn happy to see you, bro.”
Rynan gave one of his rare smiles. “Likewise. Shall we get inside before that space monster decides to snack on the Nomad?”
“I vote yes,” Nissa said.
Rynan fired the thrusters on the exosuit and maneuvered them through the huma-field into the nearby bay.
As soon as they touched the metal flooring, Justyn tossed the cylinder off his shoulder and ripped the helmet off his head. Nissa had hers half off. He grabbed it and tore it away.
Then he hauled her up and kissed her.
She was as desperate as he was. She leaped up, wrapping her long legs around his waist. They devoured each other.
A not-so-discreet cough forced Justyn to tear his mouth from hers. He glared at Dare and Rynan. “Busy.”
“Yeah, I see.” Dare barely contained his smile. “But we need to strap in and get out of here.”
Damn, he was right. Justyn settled for snatching up the Constitution, tugging Nissa to his side and keeping her there as they hustled to the bridge.
The Nomad’s pilot had already moved away from the gas giant and the scene of destruction above it.
“Fuck.” Justyn watched the creature devouring one of the starships with a strange, horrified awe. It was pure carnage.
“Strap in,” Dare said.
They did and seconds later, the Nomad hit interstellar speed.
“Rynan, drop warning beacon. I want to make sure any travelers coming this way avoid Sargasso,” Dare said.
“On it.”
“So, you found it.” Dare eyed the cylinder, then looked at Justyn.
Justyn flopped back in his seat. “Yep. And I’ll show it to you…later. Right now, I want a rare steak, a shot of kila—” he waggled his eyebrows at Nissa “—and a beautiful, naked woman. Oh, and no interruptions for several hours.”
Nissa stood. “Well, Phoenix, you are out of luck.” She shot him a simmering look. “I don’t cook.”
Her words took a second to register. He leaped to his feet. “I have a food printer in my cabin. It does a pretty good steak.”
“Sorry to interrupt your plans,” Rynan said dryly. “There’s a ship on an intercept course and an incoming transmission…for Nissa.”
***
Nissa frowned. “Who is it?”
Rynan tapped the console screen. “They haven’t responded to hails.”
She stalked over to the comms console. “Put it through.”
She was aware of Justyn stepping up beside her. Adrenaline was still humming through her veins. She wanted nothing more than to rip Justyn’s clothes off, work off her excess energy, then cuddle with the man she loved and fall asleep for a few hours.
A face flashed on the screen.
Nissa stared. “Admiral DeRuyter?”
In her neatly pressed GSS uniform and her hair in its usual starched bob, Admiral DeRuyter was the last person Nissa expected to see this far beyond the galaxy’s edge.
“Captain Sander. Were you successful? Did you recover the Constitution?”
“Yes—”
“Excellent. I’ll have you and the artifact teletransported aboard my ship—”
“Ma’am, with all due respect, what the hell are you doing out here?”
“I wanted to ensure the artifact was secured. It is imperative—”
As the admiral droned on, Nissa’s gut tightened. Her neck was prickling. “How did you know where we were?”
“What?” The admiral’s face went blank.
“You can’t have known where we were. I haven’t reported in to you since before Hydrae.”
“Ah…well, I simply followed Gunn and his ships.”
Disappointed sadness swamped Nissa, followed swiftly by anger. “You mean hired Gunn and his ships.”
The admiral’s brow creased. “I don’t know what you’re talking about, Nissa. Now, prepare for teletransportation and ensure you have the document—”
Nissa could almost smell the woman’s desperation through the screen. “Was it money? Are you planning to sell it? If so, you wouldn’t be able to leave any witnesses.” Please, let me be wrong.
The admiral’s face hardened, all traces of confusion vanishing. “No, I plan to use it to gain a seat on the Galactic Council.”
The highest authority in the galaxy. “Bribe your way on.”
The admiral shrugged. “I’ve spent years working my way to the top of the GSS. Dedicated everything I have to it. They turned down my application for the Galactic Council…again. With the Constitution as a bargaining chip, they’ll have no choice but to see I’m the right woman for the job. I’m doing this for the greater good of the galaxy, Nissa.”
It was like Nissa was staring at a stranger, not a woman she’d admired her entire career. “You hired the mole. The monk on the Nomad.”
“Yes. I was certain you’d keep me informed of your movements, but you’ve always had a stubborn, independent streak.”
And DeRuyter was apparently a power-hungry, control freak.
The admiral continued, “I needed contingencies. Including Gunn.”
“You still wouldn’t be able to leave witnesses.”
“No. Unfortunately, you’re right.”
“Her ship’s weapons have come online,” Rynan announced.
“Last chance, Nissa. Come aboard with the Constitution. You have no allegiance to that edge trash behind you.”
Justyn gripped Nissa’s arm. “She’ll kill you.”
Nissa nodded. “I don’t think I’ll take you up on that offer, Admiral.” Nissa stabbed a finger at the screen and cut the transmission. She slipped into the weapons console beside Rynan. “Can you shield my biosignature? She’ll have it and try to teletrans me out.”
“Already done.”
She looked up at Justyn. “We need to get out of here.”
“We might have to destroy her ship.” Justyn watched Nissa’s face steadily. “You okay with that?”
“She just threatened treason and murder. Yeah, I’m okay with that.”
“They’re opening fire,” Rynan said.
The lasers hit the Nomad’s shields, but the ship still shuddered under the impact.
Rynan cursed. “Shit, they’re packing more than the standard weapons.”
“Take them out.” Dare’s command was hard and crisp.
“Returning fire.” Nissa tapped at the controls to prepare weapons. She hesitated for the briefest second, then touched the final button.
The firefight was vicious. The admiral had a damned good pilot at the helm.
But Rynan had equipped the Nomad extremely well.
The Nomad jolted under the impact of an ion missile. Nissa programmed in a complex attack using the ship’s lasers, plasma cannon and missiles.
Suddenly the side of the admiral’s ship exploded. Nissa stomach clenched. She’d hoped to maim them, leave them here for someone to find.
A second later a chain reaction of explo
sions tore ship apart.
There was silence on the Nomad’s bridge. Nissa stared at the viewscreen and the debris hanging in space.
A hand gripped her shoulder. “Nissa? Are you okay?”
A woman she’d admired, had modelled her career on, had just betrayed them all. And now, Admiral DeRuyter was dead. And her crew. Nissa pressed a hand to her eyes and breathed. “No. But I will be.”
But deep inside, she wondered if she was deficient in some way, because the people she cared for kept betraying her.
Unsteadily, she got to her feet and pushed Justyn’s hand away. She headed for her cabin. “I need to be alone.”
Chapter Twenty-Six
“It wasn’t your fault, sweetheart.” Justyn ran a hand down Nissa’s back.
She was lying face-down on the bed in her cabin. Had been for hours. She hadn’t cried, but damn it, he’d seen how deep the admiral’s betrayal had cut.
He wanted to help her, but didn’t know how. All he could do was show her she wasn’t alone.
Nissa rolled over. “I’m fine.” She ran a hand over her smooth head. “Okay, not fine, but I know we did the right thing.”
He studied her face. Decided she wasn’t lying. He tipped her chin up with his finger. “There’s my girl.”
She managed a small smile. “Where are we headed?”
“Back to Galaxy’s Edge. Figured you’d want to get the Constitution secure and handed over to the authorities before someone else tries to kill us.”
She nodded. “What about the convoy?”
“After they drop us at the Edge, Dare and Ry will head back to Hydrae and continue on.”
“Okay.” She got to her knees and slithered onto Justyn’s lap.
“Well, hello.” His grin widened.
“Hello.” She tugged at his shirt until he helped her slip it over his head.
For the first time, their loving wasn’t rushed or hurried. He let her explore his chest, flick her tongue over his hard, flat nipples. Before long, they were stretched out on the bed, exploring each other.
Savoring, enjoying, taking their time.
“Fuck, your mouth should be illegal.” His hands clenched in the sheets. He lifted his hips as her nails scratched over his stomach and she tugged at the fastening on his trousers. The desire he always felt for her flamed hot.
She pulled his trousers off. “You have a fantastic, lickable body, Justyn.” She leaned down and pressed a kiss to the center of his chest.
He groaned. “Nothing like yours.”
She laughed. “I hope not.” She traced the ridges of his abdomen. “I like you hard and firm.” Her hands dipped lower and cupped his cock. “Really hard and firm.”
Hs groan was more strangled this time. “Nissa, sweetheart, I won’t last—”
“So don’t last.” She licked her lips, leaned down and engulfed his cock.
“Jesus.” His hips surged up.
She looked up the length of him, their gazes meeting.
“You look so hot,” he bit the words out.
She worked him hard. Sucking deep, keeping the suction tight.
“God, yeah, sweetheart. Just like that.” He slid his hand down to cradle her head, urging her to take him deeper.
She swallowed him down, then pulled out, tongue licking the underside of his cock before swallowing him again.
“Nissa…can’t stop…” His groan was long and loud as he came, flooding her mouth with his release.
When he was slumped back on the bed, dragging in deep breaths, she sat up and licked her lips.
He groaned again. “Don’t do that…it’s too sexy.”
She crawled up and lay down beside him. “Watching you come in my mouth is sexy.”
He slid his arms around and held her while he recovered. With a naked Nissa beside him, it didn’t take long. He rolled her beneath him and slid inside her with one deep thrust that had her crying out. “Now it’s my turn to watch you come.”
After they’d taken each other again, with long moans and gentle sighs, they slept. The adrenaline from their space adventure and the extreme excitement of discovering the Constitution having long ebbed away.
He pressed a kiss to her bare shoulder. “I love you, Nissa.” But her even breathing told him she was already asleep.
It was the chime of the comm that woke them.
“Yeah,” Justyn mumbled, slapping at the panel beside the bed. “What?”
“There’s an incoming long-range trans for Nissa,” Rynan said.
She groaned. “Hopefully no more double-crossing admirals.”
Rynan snorted. “Can’t promise anything. It’s from the GSS.”
She sprung off the bed. “Okay, I’ll be there shortly.” She grabbed her clothes and yanked them on. Justyn did the same.
On the bridge, Justyn watched Nissa face her second admiral for the day.
“Admiral Hiraku,” she said, her back straightening. “What can I do for you, sir?”
“I’m looking for information, Captain Sander. I’m not entirely sure what’s going on, but I was informed Admiral DeRuyter had commandeered a ship and left the galaxy in pursuit of you. I was sent to investigate. The admiral’s increasingly erratic behavior is becoming a serious concern for the GSS.”
As Nissa silently studied the man, Justyn did, too. Over the years, he’d learned to judge people quickly. Admiral Hiraku had a solemn face, with straight black hair and narrow, dark eyes. Something in the man’s steady, solemn gaze told Justyn they could trust him.
Nissa obviously reached the same conclusion. Her shoulders relaxed a fraction. “Well, sir, Admiral DeRuyter’s behavior will no longer be a concern. I guess I should start at the beginning. I was chasing an…alleged smuggler out by Galaxy’s Edge Station when—”
“This would be the man beside you, correct? Justyn Phoenix.”
When Justyn gave the man a two-fingered salute, he heard Nissa groan. Out of view of the admiral, she kicked Justyn’s shin.
“Like I said, Admiral, it’s a long story.” She recounted the entire adventure in detail.
Well, not all the details. Justyn was happy she left out the more personal ones.
On screen, Admiral Hiraku blew out a long breath. “That is…quite a story. And you’re sure Admiral DeRuyter was killed?”
“Yes, sir. I was responsible for firing on the ship. The Phoenixes had nothing to do with it. They have provided me every assistance—”
Oh, no. She wasn’t going to shoulder all the blame. He stepped closer to her. “Well, it was our ship. And we would have fired on the admiral anyway, the same way we would on any crazy people trying to kill us.”
Nissa shot him a narrow look and lowered her voice. “I’m trying to make sure you and your brothers don’t get arrested—”
Admiral Hiraku cleared his throat. And was possibly hiding a smile behind his hand at the same time. “You’re well outside GSS jurisdiction. Besides, firing on Admiral DeRuyter’s ship sounds like it was justified. Captain Sander, rest assured, I have no plans to arrest you or Mr. Phoenix.” A pause. “May I see the Constitution?”
***
The quiet reverence in Admiral Hiraku’s voice reaffirmed Nissa’s decision to trust the man. She’d suffered too many betrayals to blindly trust anyone anymore.
“Yes, sir.”
Justyn handed her the cylinder and together they pulled out the document and unrolled it.
The admiral was quiet for several minutes. “Keep it secure, Captain. I’ll arrange a ship to rendezvous with you at Galaxy’s Edge to take custody of the document. I know the Director of the Galactic Institute of Historical Preservation will be very happy to see it.” The admiral’s gaze moved to Justyn. “Mr. Phoenix, the GSS thanks you and your brothers for your assistance in the reacquisition of an artifact of historical significance.”
Justyn winced and saw Nissa didn’t even bother to hide her smile.
“Ah, thank yo
u, Admiral,” Justyn choked out.
“You will, of course, be rewarded with the finder’s fee.”
A funny look crossed Justyn’s face and a warm feeling filled Nissa’s chest. He’d forgotten about the finder’s fee.
Admiral Hiraku continued. “Contact me when you’re back in charted space. The sooner the document is in Institute hands the quicker the GSS can put to rest all the troubles its notoriety has caused.” He paused. “Captain Sander?”
Nissa straightened. “Yes, sir?”
“Good work. I’ve already personally approved a promotion for you, and the commendation for your father.” With a nod, the Admiral ended the transmission.
She stared at the blank screen and waited to feel elation at getting what she’d always wanted. And waited some more. Nope, just as she suspected—nothing. She was happy about her father’s commendation, but the promotion…well, she felt oddly blank.
Strangely enough, she thought of Anderson Chan. He may have died on an unnamed planet in uncharted space, but she had no doubt he’d died doing exactly what he wanted to do. He’d grabbed life and adventure with both hands.
It was time for Nissa to do the same.
Beside her, Justyn was quiet, his body stiff. “I’d better go and…check on some things.” He strode off the bridge.
Nissa stared after him. Stupid man. She slipped her hand in her pocket, felt the now-familiar shapes of the tiny airship and dog he’d given her. She moved to follow him.
“Nissa? There’s another trans for you.”
Air whistled through her teeth. “Rynan, you have to be kidding me.”
One of his slow smiles. “Nope.”
She dropped into a chair. “I’m a popular woman.”
“Appears so. Putting it through now.”
The screen flickered. “Dad?”
“Nissa. You look fine, considering some of the shenanigans I hear you’ve been up to. Are you okay?”
She smiled. “Dad, no one uses the word shenanigans anymore.”
“I do. Don’t avoid the question.”
“I’m fine.” She gave him an abbreviated version of the story.
After she’d finished, her father was quiet. “You did all this for me?”
Nissa swallowed. “Not all of it. Some of it I did for myself. Dad, I’m not going back to Patrol.”