by Imogene Nix
They were down to five and through the atmosphere when a single spook rose out of nowhere; the trajectory indicated from somewhere on the planet. Rapid fire hit the front of the Raptor; she saw the damage as the craft started to smoke in the thin atmosphere. Shit! They’d used her blindspot to target the Raptor. She pulled the ship upright, hard, so that a single wing took the worst of the damage, but it was too late.
“Chowd! I’m hit and going down!” she yelled.
Manually working the flaps, she tried to pull the ship up. It careened out of control, pitching from one side to another, and finally the wing detached, torn away as the plane shuddered wildly. The screaming of the engines cut to silence in death.
“Jem! Eject now! Eject!”
She could hear Chowd shouting the instructions as she pulled on the ejector lever, but it was stuck. She grasped her breathing apparatus and jammed it over her face, fastening it with one hand, the gravitational forces pushing her back into the seat. The ship gave one more shudder and dropped nose-down, twisting and turning.
A final massive heave on the ejector arm, and it gave, ripping the top off the Raptor as the plas-glass roof tore away, propelling her out of the craft as it dove toward the planet’s violet surface. The parachute deployed, but she was too high. The fall and impact would kill her. She closed her eyes, breathing deeply from the mask as her heart thudded. The comm was still working, and she could hear Chowd screaming that he was coming.
“Raven?” she called one last time, knowing he could hear her, but unable to hear him. Her heart rate increased, and the wind whistled past her as she plummeted toward the surface.
“Jemma, I’m going to try to bring this about and get under you, matching your speed. I don’t have much time...” Chowd was wrestling the shuttle into position, spearing downward, attempting to match her trajectory.
It was a risky maneuver and, if he pulled it off, magnificently flown. She feared it was a death sentence for both of them. The craft neared her, and she spied the surface of the planet speeding toward her. Suddenly the craft was edging below her, and an instrument that looked like a hook deployed.
“Jemma, let the hook grab the chute. Don’t reach for it though. Let it grab you. I think we can slow you down sufficiently for the Elector systems to grab you and transport you.”
She closed her eyes, hoping like hell this mad plan would work. Suddenly she felt a jerk, and inside her body she felt a tearing sensation. It sliced through her, stealing her breath and sight. “Raven!” The scream cut off as the tug of the chute disappeared, and blackness enveloped her.
Chapter 6
Chowd instructed Jemma swiftly, but there was no answer, and Raven’s heart thudded harder than before. Let her hear the instructions, and let it not be too late! He watched the hook deploy via the video feed, praying as he worked that it would do enough, slow her enough for him to grab her.
The hook caught momentarily, and her descent slowed enough to allow him to grab her and transport her to SurgiTech. For a moment he stood, stunned, as the video feed showed she had been transmitted.
“Elara! Do you have her?” he called urgently.
“I’ve got her, but she’s in a bad way, Raven.” The voice cut off abruptly, and his heart dropped to his feet.
“I’m on my way!” he yelled as he pushed away from the console and pounded down the decking, not stopping to think. He had to get there. He had to make sure he had done enough to save her.
He ran to the door of the SurgiTech suite and pushed it open. The beeping of systems greeted him as he hurried toward the intensive care unit. He spied Jemma lying on the medi-bed and advanced, only to be stopped by Elara barring his way.
“You need to let me do my job, Raven. I know how you feel, but you can’t be here now.” Her voice was soft but firm.
“I need to be with—” His voice was hoarse with fear. She looked pale, abrasions clear on her face, as she lay so still. So white, except the trickle of scarlet at her lips. He gulped.
“She’ll be fine, but I need to work with her while you do your job. Now go.”
“I can’t—”
“You can. You must. I’ll call you if something happens, but she won’t be able to—”
“No. I have to be here.” His eyes snapped to hers. “I have to be here, Elara. She needs me, and I need to be near her.”
Elara sighed, frustration clear on her face as she turned away. “Fine, but you need to stay in my office. No matter what anyone thinks, this is still my SurgiTech suite. But if I say you need to go, you go. No arguments. Right?” Her eyes spat fire as she turned her head toward him. She turned back to Jemma, pressing points on her palm screen as she went.
She’d dismissed him, but he’d won this small concession. At least he could stay here, for now. He wandered into the office and sat down.
Another disturbance erupted in the SurgiTech suite. He rose to his feet, ready to be there for her, when he noticed it was Duvall and Mellissa. He saw Elara, her face dark with anger, as she gestured toward her office. He watched as the couple moved toward the door and opened it, Mellissa white-faced and trembling as Duvall ushered her inside. They looked surprised to see him there.
“Oh God! Raven, did you see her?” Mellissa’s voice cracked. “I was listening to her. She nearly died out there!” Her voice rose toward hysteria, then she shook herself, found her center determinedly, and turned back to Duvall, who enclosed her in his arms.
Raven sat back down, resting his elbows on his legs, pitched slightly forward, and head in his hands. He noted that they shook slightly.
“Are you all right, Raven?” Duvall’s voice broke through the fear that welled inside.
His precipitous flight toward SurgiTech after she was transmitted here had obviously telegraphed some of his feelings and the shaking of his body told the rest of the tale. Right now, he didn’t care. He was here if she needed him.
“Yeah. Barsha! I’ve never been through anything so nerve-wracking in my life. I wasn’t sure I could get to her in time.” He kept his head down. His stomach protested as the roiling continued. He was sure it wouldn’t stop until Elara had determined the extent of Jemma’s injuries and worked her magic. He scrubbed the heels of his hands over aching, dry eyes.
“Elara says she’ll be fine.”
“I know that, Duvall, but even so...” He stopped and centered himself once more. “I don’t think I could do that again.” He looked up to see Duvall and Mellissa watching him.
“Oh God, Raven. I never knew you had a thing for her. Are you okay?” Mellissa reached toward him with one slim hand, and he looked at it then her.
“I don’t know if I am.” He let the words, heavy with painfully brutal emotion, fill the air.
Sure, he’d been proud of Jemma’s accomplishments, but this had jerked reality out into the open for him. He never expected she would see any sort of combat, and certainly not like that. He wasn’t sure how well he would deal with this in the future. That is, if they had a future, his head reminded him.
He shook his head. “I really don’t know,” he concluded heavily.
“Come on, Raven, she’ll be fine in a day or two.” The look in Mellissa’s eyes told him that the reality of the situation had hit home for her too. He closed his eyes.
The sound of the door opening once more had him opening his eyes again. Chowd stood just inside the doorway. “I came as soon as it was safe to do so.” His face, covered in sweat, attested the difficulty of the fight. Chowd may be some sort of security machine, but he showed not just great respect for Jemma, but also concern. “Elara said she’ll make a full recovery.” Raven just sat looking at him, seeing the concern in Chowd’s intense eyes.
“Yeah, so I hear. Elara said she had quite a few injuries, but with a few days, the help of the regen units and physio systems, she’ll make a full recovery.” Mellissa’s voice washed over him.
“I am pleased. She’s a marvelous warrior and an exceptional pilot. To be able to maneuver
that ship the way she did and to manage to hold it for as long...” His voice carried an emotion that Raven could only define as awe. A quick explosion of jealousy zinged through his system. He squashed down the emotion just as Elara pushed her way into the crowded office.
“Well, her injuries are numerous. She has several broken ribs, a severe concussion, extensive lacerations to her left arm, which I believe she had received in the ejection, and is already being healed. She also has a broken arm and leg and some internal injuries. Having said that, I believe she’ll make a full recovery swiftly.” Elara looked at Chowd. “You can see her soon. She was briefly conscious and said that she has some information for you.”
Raven stood and made to head toward the door, but Elara stood in his way. “I need to see her.”
“No, Raven. What she needs now is rest, and honestly, I don’t think you’re currently in the right frame of mind to see her. Give me a couple of hours—”
“No. I need to see her now.” His voice was like shards of ice, and he attempted once more to push forward.
“Raven! Elara has said not now. You can speak to her in a couple of hours—just let Jemma rest for now.” Duvall’s face was closer than he realized, and he felt the hand on his arm. “Come on, man. Let’s go back to my office, and you can fill me in on the repairs.”
Frustration rose like a black cloud around him. He sensed that with Chowd and Duvall, not to mention Elara, pushing him further away from Jemma, there was no way he could currently get to her. For now, he conceded defeat. He would do what they wanted, but Jemma was his, and he’d be back.
He’d waited a long time for her, but no longer. Not while Jemma was aboard the Elector. He walked through the door and, without looking back, made his way out of the suite.
* * * *
Jemma cracked open an eye. Her entire body hurt, even her eyes stung in the bright light. She tried to move her head to the side and found it was immobilized. The sound of feet tapping on the floor caught her attention.
“So, you finally woke up, did you, sleeping beauty?”
The voice was familiar, and she trawled through her memories. Oh yes. Elara. Damn! Then she must be back on the Elector. Slowly, the memories began to resurface—Raven, Duvall, and Mellissa. Her sickness and the first attack of the Phobos pirates. The second attack on the Elector slid back into her mind together with her attempts to protect it, ending with her Raptor going down.
“Why am I in here?” Her voice croaked, and she immediately tried to push the weakness away.
“Well, after Raven and Chowd saved you and you were transmitted here to the SurgiTech, I’ve been working to repair all your lumps and bumps.” She could hear strain in Elara’s voice.
“Lumps and bumps?”
“Broken left arm and leg, some ribs, concussion, internal injuries, and lacerations. We’re slowly getting you back together.” Elara grinned weakly before she moved out of Jemma’s line of sight.
“Ahh, I see. How long have I been here?”
“Fifteen hours, give or take. We kept you sedated long enough for the initial regen work to begin and alleviated some of the discomfort you would have experienced. We also had to do a little internal surgery, but that was successful.”
“Surgery?”
“A few of your organs were compromised during the fall. But unlike in your time, we have techniques that allow us to fix that without needing to make an incision.” Elara’s face popped back into view. “Now I need to run some quick tests then a meal for you, I think.”
The little handscreen was employed; the clicks as her fingers ranged quickly over it and the look of intense concentration told Jemma it was time to be quiet and let Elara do what she did best.
A couple of flickers of light and finally, after what seemed a long time, Elara smiled, the tension that had been evident on her face giving way. “Good. You’re well on the way to recovery. Now Raven is waiting for me to call him and bring you something to eat. Do you feel up to it?” Elara looked at her carefully as she slid the diagnostic arm covering Jemma back into the wall.
“Sure, yeah, that sounds great.” She smiled weakly as her stomach growled loudly. Nothing like having your body tell on you, she thought sourly.
Elara laughed. “Yes, I would say a meal must definitely be in order.”
Elara left the room, already contacting Raven to head to SurgiTech with the meal she’d suggested. Jemma lay quietly on the bed, listening for the footfalls that would tell her Raven had found his way to her bedside. When he arrived, he carried a steaming bowl of soup and soft foods, setting them down on the movable table beside the bed.
“Hey, sweetheart. You gave me one hell of a fright.” His voice was rough, and his sexy hair was standing up in spikes as if he had been pulling at it in frustration. His eyes were burning blue orbs of intensity, and she could see lines on his face that hadn’t existed before.
“Rough day?” she queried as he spooned the soup into her mouth.
“You have no idea,” he answered, his normally smooth demeanor gone, betrayed by the terse answer and jerky movements.
She gulped quickly, feeling the warm slide of liquid down her throat. “Want to tell me about it?” Another spoonful was thrust into her mouth.
“Not right now.”
He closed his eyes, taking a deep breath, and she watched in fascination as his broad chest expanded. A tingle of awareness flickered through her. He seemed to need to do something for her, so she let him continue to feed her. It was nice to be cared for, she decided, even if he was a little rough.
She watched the play of emotions on his face, totally mesmerized. He might be sexy and all, but his attitude confused her, and right now she really did not need anything else to make life harder. Once the bowl was empty, he stood and took it from the room.
Jemma heaved a sigh. So, what comes next? The answer was immediate as Elara made her way into the room. Raven made to follow her, but she shooed him out efficiently.
“Go wait in my office,” she told him, and Jemma noted his angry glance before he turned and followed the instruction. “How do you feel now, Jemma?”
“Like I got hit by a meteorite.” She answered Elara’s query dryly. You couldn’t lie to a doctor, she supposed.
Elara snorted. “Well, I think your injuries are about on par with that.”
“When can I get out of here?” Elara quirked an eyebrow in her direction.
“You don’t want to keep me company?”
“Well, to be honest, it’s nothing to do with that. Medical places like this give me the heebie-jeebies. I just want to… You know, be in my own cabin.” She extended a shaking arm.
“Hmm. You did have quite a few injuries, but I think I can release you now that you’ve eaten. The regen band has started the job of healing your bones, and most of the lacerations are closed. I think we can just attach regen tabs now.” Elara activated the diagnostic device she had slipped onto Jemma’s skin and slowly waved it to and fro over the left-hand side of her body.
“Is… Is there anything I need to know about… Dammit, the internal injuries?”
“Are you planning on doing something strenuous? Like have sex?”
Jemma blushed. “No. Not exactly.” She didn’t want to look at the medic right now. After all, what kind of a question was that anyway?
“Good to hear. You aren’t ready for anything like that. So lie back and let me check the rest of you over.” A few aha’s and hmm’s later, Elara smiled. “Just let me fit a leg brace and you’re free to leave.” She rooted around in the cupboard beside the bed and came up with a lightweight contraption, swiftly strapping the metal to her leg. “I expect to see you first thing in the morning for a full check up though, and no gymnastics, right?” She smiled at Jemma.
“Sure thing, Doc. The high wire is a little beyond me at the moment.”
She lay still as Elara retracted the last of the diagnostic equipment from around her, then she slowly stood up. It was only then that she
realized she was still in her flight suit—or rather what was left of it. She looked down ruefully at the torn and filthy garment.
“Come on, Raven will escort you back to your cabin.”
Jemma walked, her movements cautious as she ached all over. Raven held the door open, and Elara motioned for Jemma to make her way through. Her arm and leg throbbed, but not as much as she would have expected.
“You’re letting her go? Now? What about pain meds?” He looked earnest.
“She’ll be fine. I administered pain meds via hypospray, which should be good for another fifteen hours or so. Bed rest is best at this point, and the regen has done its work very effectively.” Elara smiled at Raven. “But rest is the optimal word.”
Jemma blushed again and sighed. “Right then...off I go... Thanks, Doc.” With those words, she slowly maneuvered her way through the door that led to the corridor. This could take a while, she thought as she felt a hand insert itself around her waist.
“Hey, what are you—”
“I’m getting you back to your cabin in one piece.” Raven’s face was close to hers, and she watched it, fascinated once more by the play of emotions. She sighed and leaned back slightly, trying to gain some distance. In response, he tightened his arm around her, pulling her closer to his body. “Then we need to talk.”
Chapter 7
By the time they reached her cabin, Jemma felt utterly exhausted and just wanted to rest her aching bones. She turned at the door and balanced to swipe her palm over the screen when Raven swept her up into his arms, giving the order for the door override. She felt her body shaking in reaction to her weakness and cursed herself. Once the door closed behind them, she groaned slightly.
“You can let me down now.”
“I rather like this.”
She felt the rumble of his words and raised an eyebrow at him. “Yeah? Well, that’s fine, but I bet you’re busy. and I’m tired.”
“Nothing much to do at the moment. The matrix is back online and my crew is running diagnostics.” He smiled at her, and she wanted to melt.