by Pearl Foxx
“What is that?” Veronica asked, reaching out a hand to touch the shimmer. Her fingers tingled with the slightest brush of electricity.
“Cloaking device.”
“We’re good,” Noaz called, pocketing his device.
Maxsym pulled her through the shimmer, and she instantly spotted what she hadn’t seen before. A shuttle was backed up into a corner, hidden where no one would accidentally walk into it.
Noaz stopped and leaned against the shuttle. He lifted his finger to his mouth to indicate they remain quiet. The others might not be able to see them, but they could certainly hear them.
Maeve pressed some buttons on the side of the shuttle, and a hatch opened. She helped Noaz in first and then waved the others on.
When the door closed, Maxsym unceremoniously dropped the guard.
Noaz stumbled deeper into the shuttle, almost falling onto a bench and letting the Katu leap to the ground. The tiny animal scurried over to Veronica and clawed at the hem of her skirt. She picked him up and watched as Maeve hovered over her alien boyfriend.
“That was a complete shit show. We can thank the human resistance for blowing the shit out of this place and distracting everyone so we could slip by even after a guard shot Noaz,” Maxsym snarled.
Maeve brought over a first-aid kit and pressed what looked like a leafy poultice against Noaz’s wound.
“Corporal Noaz, it appears you have been injured,” a computer voice said from overhead.
“He thinks he’s some kind of damn superhero. Got shot with a blaster gun right in the shoulder,” Maeve informed the machine as if it were an old friend.
Noaz pressed his hand against Maeve’s worried face as she worked on his shoulder. “I’m fine. It’ll heal in a few hours. I’m not as fragile as you humans.” He chuckled and then coughed, wincing with pain.
Maxsym paced the small space as if he could get the shuttle to take off and fly them to his home by sheer force of will.
“Maxsym,” Veronica said, coming as close as she dared. “You have to calm down. It’s over.”
“Yeah, it’s over, and another Kladian is injured by a human. Every damn time we interact with you people someone gets kidnapped or tortured or shot. I’m fucking sick of it.”
Veronica watched as the back of his shirt fluttered, and she knew he was barely in control. She set the Katu back on the ground and faced him completely. “Try to stay calm. We’re safe now.”
He swung toward her, and it wasn’t fury she found on his face but fear.
“What if he’d shot you? What if you got injured? What would I have done then?” He pulled her into his arms and nuzzled his nose into her hair. He gripped her so tightly it bordered on painful.
He stroked her hair and ran a hand along her back while he held her against him. All this after a morning of treating her like shit. Veronica wanted to let go, release into his embrace, believe his affection was real. But would he just rip it out from under her again? Her mind swirled as he both checked her for injuries and clutched her for reassurance.
She pushed him away slightly. “I’m fine, but what do we do about him?” She pointed at the guard lying on the floor. Blood covered the side of his head, and there was no way he wouldn’t remember talking to her.
“I’ll drop him off on Earth,” Noaz said. “By the time he gets back up here, we’ll be long gone. And Veronica can say she was taken hostage.”
“Are you insane?” Veronica asked. “You’re going to kidnap him? You know he’ll get word back to the station as soon as he can. No one will buy the hostage story.”
“Don’t worry. They will,” Maxsym said ominously. “He’s probably safer locked in the shuttle than on the station right now anyway.”
Veronica stared at him. “I can only hope you mean because of the human resistance and not some grand plan of yours.”
Maxsym didn’t say anything and returned his attention to Maeve. “You have to go too.”
“No shit,” she replied, running her hands over Noaz’s ruined clothing. “I’m not leaving him now. The only reason I stayed on the stupid space station for so long was to help you people stay hidden, but I’m beginning to think you don’t have any idea what you’re doing.”
Maxsym’s eyes narrowed. “Excuse me?”
Maeve stood and pointed a finger right at him. “I’m done covering for you, hiding the wormhole, keeping your ships off scanners. I’ve betrayed my people to help you, but you know as well as I do you’re not innocent in all this.”
“Maeve,” Noaz grunted. “Calm down. It’s not the Draqon’s fault.”
She turned and wrapped her arms around him. “I’m done being away from you. I can’t do it anymore.”
Despite his injury, he lifted her with his good arm onto his lap and placed a kiss next to her mouth. “I can’t tell you how long I’ve waited to hear you say that. Every time I have to let you go, it’s just as painful as the first time.”
Maxsym huffed but left his hand on the small of Veronica’s back.
She liked the warmth of it there, but watching the tenderness between Noaz and Maeve made her heart ache.
“So, it’s settled, then. You two leave and take the guard with you. We’ll go back.” He looked at Veronica and added, “I think it’s time we got to know more about what the human resistance is planning.”
Chapter Fifteen
Maxsym
Maxsym stood guard in front of Veronica's room for most of the day. Another guard had been assigned to her room with him, and while he didn't mind the company, he did mind the large laser blaster the man kept drawn. Maxsym kept his holstered at his hip.
He had no interest in using it unless absolutely. That was the difference between humans and Draqons. A Draqon never had to worry about defending themselves because they could shift and fight using their natural advantages. Humans always came up with new and more horrible ways to exterminate each other.
At the end of his shift, Maxsym made his way to his quarters in the guards’ dormitory to change and regroup after the insane evening of escape and gunplay. Inside his room, the red light on his personal comm device pulsed like a heartbeat. His hands shook. No one had any reason to contact him on his private channel. Was it Veronica?
He pressed play.
“Maxsym, this is Maeve. We just entered the dead zone near the wormhole entrance. I'm transmitting this on the Vilkas’ private frequency, so don't worry about anybody intercepting. If you're serious about trying to work with the human resistance, they meet most nights in the engineer galley kitchen, usually around 11:00 p.m. Be careful, though. They aren’t what they seem.
Oh, and in case you care, the guard is fine. We’re going to dump him in the middle of nowhere on Earth with a jug of water. Hopefully, it will take him a few months to hike out.
And Maxsym? Stop being an idiot about Veronica. I can tell she's good for you.
Maxsym heard Noaz chuckling in the background as the transmission ended.
He sighed in relief. No matter how his mission ended, at least they were safe with the Katu. Now he just had to focus on keeping Veronica safe while he ended things here on the space station.
Evening crept closer, and Maxsym transmitted a private comm to Veronica to meet him in Maeve’s office. He told himself it would be hard to explain why a guard was visiting her private quarters during his off hours, even though he knew it was a complete and total lie. No one would be surprised in the least to hear that the beautiful debutante was entertaining a guard during her evening. Really, he was just a coward.
He approached Maeve’s office with a jittery feeling in his stomach.
Maybe he was just hungry.
There was no reason for him to worry about whether Veronica would show up. If she didn't, fine, that was her decision. He'd given her ample reason to stay away, which was for the best. Except the idea of not seeing her again made his breath come out in a huff and his chest tighten.
When he stepped into the office, it was dark. He lo
oked around and didn't see her.
Sure, that was fine. Totally reasonable.
Maxsym felt his stomach clench, and his next thought went straight to worry. What if the incident in the lab was somehow linked to her? What if she was in trouble? What if she needed him? Scenarios ran through his mind. Each one required him to run to her aid, playing the hero to her princess.
He wanted to be the good guy. To be someone people counted on. He wanted to be someone Veronica counted on, not someone she stood up in a dark workspace late at night.
Fuck, Zayd was right.
Why couldn't he ever control himself? He always found trouble. Drama followed him no matter where he went. He had himself so worked up that when the door opened and a small figure slipped in behind him, he jumped.
"Maxsym?" a voice asked, and the tension in his body drained away.
Before he could stop himself, he closed the short distance between them and took her in his arms. "I thought something had happened to you," he whispered into her hair.
"Like what? An alien abduction?" Her voice twinkled in the dark room. "Or did you think I’d taken up with space pirates?” She laughed and pulled away from his embrace, putting a distance between them that he hated. She wore black engineer pants and a plain shirt with a hooded jacket.
"Maeve sent a coded transmission to let me know the guard is fine. They’re going to dump him in some deserted place on Earth."
"Great.” Veronica frowned.
The displeasure simmered in her eyes even in the dim light. “What is it?”
"I just would have preferred that nobody got hurt at all."
“I didn’t want to hurt him," Maxsym defended. "I did it for you.
A familiar fire burned in her eyes. "I don't need your rescuing. The sooner you figure that out, the better off we’ll be. I'm not here because of your crusade. I'm here because my father is doing horrible things here on the station, and I'm going to stop it. You just happen to be the only person I know who can help—for now."
He took a step back. The venom in her words sliced through him like lasers. He wondered if this was what his enemies felt when he spat acid on them.
He couldn't figure this girl out. One minute he was in trouble for not caring, and now he was in trouble for caring too much.
"Fine! I don't know what you want from me anyway.”
Veronica folded her arms over her chest. “Some fucking consistency would be nice."
She had him there. But what could he do? He was here for his home and nothing else. She’d turned into more than just a quick fuck, but he had to stay focused. The lives of his friends and family depended on it.
"You can't keep doing this,” she continued. “You can’t keep saying and doing one thing and then come back and kiss me as if everything’s all right. I don’t know what you want, but it doesn't really matter. Because this—whatever it is we've been doing—is just fucking with me. And I’m over it. So either fix it or let's go to the meeting and find out what we need so you can leave."
Maxsym sucked in a breath. He'd been scolded for his behavior before, but he had never made promises to anyone. The closest he’d ever come was when he’d revealed his true nature to Veronica.
"I … I'm sorry," he managed. It was the first time he’d ever apologized to anyone.
"And?" she prompted.
Of course a simple apology wasn’t enough for her. Were all human women this insufferable? "What?” he snapped. “What do you want from me?"
She threw up her hands. "I don't know. I don't deserve the way you’ve been treating me."
Shit. The words hit him like stones. He slumped. He'd been defeated by a tiny human woman. "Look, I'm just not sure what to do. I've never felt like this, and I never thought I would find …"
Veronica stared at him, waiting for him to finish his sentence. What was he afraid of? That he had found his rider and she would side with her father? He knew her better than that. She was a good person, no matter how much of a pain in the ass she may be. But what would he do if, after all this was over, she wanted to stay on the station?
"Can we talk about this later? I don't know what to say. I'm sorry, and I was wrong to yell at you in your room. I've been wrong about a lot of things. This thing between us does matter. It matters more than you know."
Her posture softened, but her arms remained crossed over her chest. "Fine, we'll just go to the meeting. Partners in crime."
They made their way out of the room and down the side corridors to an elevator reserved for engineers. Once they were inside, he couldn’t stand the tension between them.
"Ronnie, I really do mean that I've never felt this way before."
She gave him a small smile. "I believe you. I haven't either, which is why this sucks."
Maxsym let a small chuckle escape. "It kind of does. You know Zayd, the leader of my people and my friend, always warned me that one day I’d find a female who wouldn't put up with my bullshit. He said I would have no idea what to do about it."
Veronica smirked at him. "Just don't fuck it up," she said, echoing Zayd's exact words.
As the door slid open, she pulled the hood over her head and slumped her shoulders forward.
"Wow, you’re almost like a regular person," Maxsym said with a grin.
"You really think this is the first time I’ve snuck somewhere I wasn't supposed to be?"
They made their way down the hall, and he took her hand. She shot him a surprised glance. But she didn’t pull her hand away.
The engineer galley was silent, but the door to the kitchen was closed, and light shone through the gap. Maxsym swung the door open, and only a few heads in the cramped, overly-crowded room turned to look at him. A man at the front of the kitchen stood on a counter, gesturing wildly as he spoke. He was thin, with a voice that cracked as if he’d spent years smoking. His greasy hair was mostly gray and stuck flat to his head.
He continued with his speech. Maxsym could barely hear and shouldered his way through the crowd, Veronica's hand still firmly clasped in his.
"The conditions for humans on Earth are deplorable, but instead of spending our few resources on trying to improve our lives, those in power are more interested in hosting extravagant parties with alien life forms."
A holovid of the most recent welcoming reception fluctuated above the crowd. Maxsym watched Veronica, in her ugly yellow bird dress, dancing with that asshole MacGuire. He couldn't help tightening his hand around hers or the low growl in his chest.
Veronica leaned close and whispered, "Easy, big guy.”
He forced himself to relax his jaw and release her hand. When the holovid finished playing, the man began speaking again. “What we spend on fuel alone to deal with the diplomatic affairs of aliens would feed a family of five for a decade on Earth. These creatures may be sentient, but they aren’t even bipedal. The exchange of technology we receive only enhances the lives of those in power. Look at the extravagance of Commander Gideon and his family and the opulent habitat being built on Mars. That construction will only lead to further segregation of the haves and have-nots."
The crowd stayed quiet, but many raised their fists in the air or snapped their fingers. It was a riotous speech to give in a space that required they remain under the radar. The energy of the event filled Maxsym with excitement.
These people may not have the same goals he did, but their xenophobia would serve him well. If they wanted to have nothing to do with extraterrestrials, then they were his best bet in making sure humans stayed out of Kladian space. There was no way these rebels would be interested in traveling through a wormhole to another universe to deal with a planet rife with its own problems.
"So, what can we do about it?" the leader called out.
"Shut down the Falconer program," someone called.
"Redistribute wealth. Return to the old system of people being paid for their labor instead of compensated simply through housing and rations."
"Return humans to Earth. If we don’t
embrace our planet, things will never get better. As long as there’s someplace for people to go, those in power will exploit it."
The leader raised his hands, and everyone quieted down. "I agree with all of you. The Falconer program was meant for exploration and scientific study, but it's become nothing more than an excuse to rape the universe after we've already depleted our own planet's resources.”
The crowd cheered, and even Maxsym found himself caught up in the speech. He clapped along and let out a low whistle.
"What are you doing?” Veronica hissed in his ear, but the leader continued before he could reply.
“We're past the point of small displays or protests. There is no hope of getting our message across in a peaceful way. I recommend that everyone on board knows the safest and most direct route to an escape pod should the need arise."
Someone else called out, "No need to resort to terrorism."
"Is it terrorism if terror is being inflicted upon us?" the leader asked and the crowd snapped in response. "I have no desire to see anyone injured or killed, but revolution has consequences. It is time for humans to shut the shuttle bays and relearn what it means to be human. Until we do that, we can have no meaningful contact with the aliens anyway."
The meeting went on for a while, and Maxsym watched with rapt attention. Anger radiated through the room, and they didn’t even know half the evil things taking place on the station under Commander Gideon.
Eventually, the meeting wound down, and people drifted out of the small room. While the crowd shuffled around, Maxsym turned to Veronica. “I’m going to go talk to the leader. I’ll be back soon. Make sure no one sees you.”
“Why are you going to talk to him?” she hissed, her eyes cutting to the people passing them. “He sounds crazy.”
“He might be the only one who can help us now.”
That shut her up. She worked her jaw as he stepped back, leaving her to slouch against the wall with her hood drawn. He made his way to the front of the room as the leader climbed off the counter.