by Layla Nash
The door opened and she turned, expected Wyzak or another crewmember with an excuse. Instead, it was the captain himself. He looked tired but oddly on edge, and checked his comms device. “I don’t have much time.”
It was an odd thing to point out, since it was his choice to be there. She kept her tone cool. “If you have more pressing matters to attend to, by all means go attend to them. Don’t let me distract you from your piracy.”
“Sandsnakes,” he spat, his scales flashing red, then he turned away for a long moment before facing her once more. “Would you trust that I know what I’m doing?”
“No,” she said. Violet folded her arms over her chest. They needed to have an actual conversation, instead of an argument that ended in shouting or sex. Not that she would have minded the second. Just the sight of him flexing his shoulders and the spikes standing up made her stomach clench with need. “I do not understand why you refused to even consider—”
“I have my reasons,” he said.
“Tell me them,” she said. “Help me understand. Right now you sound like a complete asshole, and I know that’s not really you.”
He jerked back in surprise, then his eyes narrowed. “Are you fucking with me?”
“No.” Violet sat on the edge of the desk and watched him evenly. “I’m not fucking with you. Just tell me. The truth for once, please.”
Faros didn’t move for a long time, then he shook himself and tried to bluster. “I won’t risk the ship. It’s too dangerous, and if the ship is damaged, I’d never forgive myself.”
“It’s a ship,” she said, exasperated. “You can get a new one.”
“Maybe I can’t,” he said. Some strain filled his voice and his scales dulled to a grief-stricken orange-gold with twinges of blue. “I already lost one…ship, and it nearly killed me. I did not think I would survive it. And now I have found another... ship that I care about, and I cannot risk something happening to her.”
Violet’s heart started drumming against her ribs. He couldn’t mean... “A ship can be repaired, Faros. If somehow the Tyboli get through the shields, we can—”
He shook his head. “The Tyboli will steal her, take her away. Sell her to someone else or simply destroy her. I can’t risk it. I won’t risk it.” And he took a bone-deep breath all the way from his feet.
She tried to breathe for both of them. She couldn’t tolerate the distance and pushed away from the desk, taking a few steps closer so she could almost reach out and touch him. “You’re not talking about the ship, Faros.”
“You don’t know that,” he said, though the corner of his mouth twitched a little. Sadness still closed his expression; she didn’t like it at all. “I really love this ship.”
And he emphasized “love” and “ship” enough that she knew what he meant. He loved her? How could he love her when they’d known each other such a short time, and been fighting for most of it? A knot tied up her throat as Violet started to suspect she cared for him, too. Maybe even loved him. She clenched her jaw to keep from denying it, from shouting at him for kidnapping her and driving her crazy. “I’m not going anywhere. Even if the Tyboli—”
“No,” he said, making a sharp gesture. “I will not risk you. My last… The mother of my son died because of my carelessness. If I had been a better pilot and warrior, she would still be here to raise our son. But I wasn’t and she is not, and Frrar still blames me for it. Perhaps my son blames me for it as well. I cannot—I will not—have your death on my hands.”
The knot in her throat made it difficult to speak, but she managed to force a few words out. “I’m sure it wasn’t really your fault.”
“It was,” he said, and the cold certainty in his tone nearly knocked her back a step. Faros stared at something over her shoulder, something that probably wasn’t even in the same galaxy as they were, and went on in a curious monotone that chilled her to her bones. “It was entirely my fault. I should have known better. But I was young and stupid and reckless. I have learned from those mistakes, and I will not endanger you in the same way. We will avoid the Tyboli until I can pay the debt, then you will be secured by Wyzak and warriors I trust to make sure Kryken does not try to take you from me.”
“I’ll be secured?” Violet arched an eyebrow and stepped back. “I beg your pardon? I’m my own person, Faros, and you’re not going to order me around. I’m not on your crew and you’re not my captain. I appreciate that you feel responsible for the current situation, but you’re not going to wrap me up in cotton and protect me from the world. I’m a…I was a Fleet officer. I’m tougher than I look.”
“Not when it comes to the Tyboli,” he said. Faros shook his head, adamant, then checked his comms unit once more. “They are awful creatures and would not spare you. Any engagement with the Tyboli, and you will be far away. It is the only way I will sleep at night.”
She glanced at the bed, pondering how much sleeping they’d actually done, then felt her cheeks heat as she caught Faros watching her with an equally intense look on his face. Violet forced herself to focus on the matter at hand instead of all the matters his hands could take care of...
“Do not use me as the excuse for not helping Pyix and the Lovelace deal with the Tyboli. It is a net good for the universe to get rid of Kryken and his crew, Faros. I do not want to be the reason they get away with more bullshit.”
“You aren’t the reason,” he said. Faros abruptly stepped closer and caught her face in his hands. His head bent until his forehead rested against hers, and murmured, “You are the reason for many other things, but not for that. He owns his crimes.”
“If you help the Lovelace,” she said, hardly daring to breathe, “it’ll help your case when we all inevitably get prosecuted for this.”
And she tried to smile. An answering smile cracked through his rough facade, and it was like a star breaking over the horizon after a very long trip through darkest space. “Does that mean you’ll be my defense attorney?”
“I could be convinced,” she said. Violet took a deep breath. “But only if—”
An alert sounded and he cursed. Faros planted a kiss on her that curled her toes, his hand sliding into her hair to keep her close, and Violet swayed against him. The pirate grinned as he straightened and headed back to the door. “Time to deal with a little business. I’ll be back soon.”
And then he was gone. Violet resisted the urge to scream in frustration and instead followed him into the corridor. She’d be damned if she stood by while they committed Newton-only-knew-what kind of crimes. Although her job as defense attorney would have been easier if she didn’t know what actually happened and wouldn’t have to lie about the piracy and attacking innocent ships. She shook her head as she reached the bridge and there was no sign of Faros. Farraday give her patience, she was going to kill him.
Chapter 34
Faros
Faros gave the order from the loading bay, and Wyzak hit the ship-killer switch from the bridge. It was a handy little device he’d bought from a disgruntled Fleet officer months before crossing paths with his brother and those former Fleet officers. The Fleet used the device to disable ships from a distance, so they could destroy or board them without risking losing the ships. He’d used it to good effect many times, and that particular time, it knocked out the three merchant ships’ power sources, propulsion systems, and limited the life support to the very basics. Faros grinned to himself as they circled closer to the largest ship and extended the transfer arm.
Time to board and fight their way to the cargo to find out what they’d taken.
And fight they did. He had half a moment to regret not asking Violet to look at the signatures for whether the ships had solid security before the fight was on. Because the merchant ships did have security—far more of it than they’d anticipated. The hired mercenaries fought hard enough that he knew they’d been paid well and took their jobs seriously. They didn’t immediately surrender like the poor fools on the settler transport.
Still,
though—the Sraibur crew was capable and confident and had exercised taking over a ship so many times it was second nature. He dodged a few laser beams from the mercenaries and ducked into a small corridor to take a breather before heading for the bridge once more. Faros held up his comms unit. “Team three, come in.”
Static and then noise came back to him, and a grim voice over the comms made it clear they were still clearing the path to the cargo bay. Apparently the stiffest resistance was centered around the cargo itself, which just made him even more certain they’d taken something of great value. Finally, his luck was starting to turn.
Wyzak’s voice reached him through the comms device as Izyk jumped into the corridor behind him. “We’re maintaining hold on the ship. The other two are attempting to regenerate their shields and weapons. We may not have as much time as we’d like.”
Which was the second-in-command’s way of saying that things were getting hairy. He growled, “Remember my instructions. We’re almost to the bridge.”
Wyzak grunted but said nothing. He hadn’t wanted to listen to Faros when the captain made it clear that Wyzak had to keep Violet safe regardless of what happened on the merchant ships, to the point where Faros ordered him to fly the Sraibur and Violet to safety and leave the rest of the crew behind. Faros wanted to think it had been a moment of insanity, that he prioritized a female over his crew and ship, but he knew... something had changed. Something changed with Violet being on his ship, in his life. He couldn’t have said when it happened or what it was, precisely, that happened, but... there it was.
He gritted his teeth and fired his stunner at one of the braver mercenaries, and called, “You don’t want to die for this ship, I promise you. All we want is a bit of the cargo, then you can go on your way. We aren’t slavers.”
The mercenary called something back but Faros didn’t really listen before jumping out and firing at him again. The male dropped, unconscious, and Faros continued on his way to the bridge.
Once there, he interrupted the captain giving frantic orders to restart the propulsion system and the life-support system, and Faros suppressed a smile. “That won’t be necessary.”
The whole bridge froze and the crew faced him, expressions almost comical in their panic. A few shouts and the sounds of blasters and stunners firing followed him from the corridor, but when the doors shut behind him, silence reigned. Faros kept his stunner aimed at the captain, relieved that none of the mercenaries or security officers seemed to be stationed on the bridge.
“I am in control of this ship. Tell your crew to stand down immediately.”
The captain, some sort of Uilik nomad with robes similar to Xaravian clothes, clicked and clacked on six-pointed legs to the center of the room. “I will do no such thing. This crew will fight to—”
“To the death,” Faros said with a sigh. “Yes, I’ve heard all that before. Is this cargo really worth your lives? Truly?”
The various crewmembers on the bridge traded looks, and Faros knew he’d won. Whatever they hauled might have been valuable, but most sentient beings—when confronted with the possibility of a painful death—chose to live. Even if their captain was a fool.
The Uilik nomad raised his four arms. “We will not surrender.”
“All I want is the cargo,” Faros said. He smiled, trying to be charming. “In fact, I don’t even want all of it. I just need some, then you can all go on your way.”
“The propulsion system is offline,” the bridge engineer said quietly from the corner. It looked like a female Uilik nomad, though it was hard to say for certain with the Uilik. “We cannot—”
Faros smiled more. “I can assist with correcting that little... issue. The faster we transfer some of that cargo to my ship, the faster you’ll be operational. Someone order the security guards to stand down, and no one else will get hurt.”
They all looked at the captain. He scowled at Faros. “I should have known better than to take this stupid contract. Running Lukkan silk through ungoverned space was a suicide mission.”
Lukkan silk. Faros’s mouth practically watered, but not because of the value of the cargo. Part of him wanted to see Violet wrapped up in the incredibly fine, soft fabric. He wanted to fuck her on sheets made of Lukkan silk. It was worth its weight in gold, and worth more than its weight in most currencies in the universe. He pointed at the comms desk. “Tell your crew to stand down.”
The Uilik shuffled over and gave a garbled message to the rest of the ship. Faros spoke into his own comms device. “I have the bridge. The crew will stand down. Start transferring the cargo. Take it all.”
The Uilik turned purple with fury, but he didn’t argue. Faros knew the captain had to have questioned his own sanity, bringing such a lucrative cargo through ungoverned space, but... He paused. The merchants must have been paid an astronomical sum to do such a thing, and with the capable security teams, it would have been even more expensive. There wasn’t any reason to transport the cargo through ungoverned space, unless... His eyes narrowed as he studied the captain and the nervous crew. What if it was a trap? Some sort of elaborate ambush?
He turned away for a moment and murmured into his comms device for Wyzak to keep an eye out for more trouble. Faros wouldn’t have put it past Kryken to set out bait to lure the Sraibur in, then use it as a reason to attack him first. He frowned and kept his stunner primed and ready, aimed at the captain. Just in case.
Chapter 35
Violet
Violet paced the bridge and eavesdropped on the comms between the pirate crew and Wyzak, who remained on the bridge. The second-in-command kept a hearty scowl on his face as he gave directions, though it seemed it had less to do with what happened on the merchant ships and more about her being there. She didn’t care what he thought. Her heart remained in her throat with every status update and echo of stunner fire and even what sounded like lasers and cannon.
She had never wanted to be a combatant or a space marine—which was why she went to law school. She didn’t like confrontation outside of a courtroom. And waiting to hear the result of someone else’s confrontation, especially someone she cared about—which still threw her off her game, since she’d never envisioned caring about Faros—twisted her stomach up and put her on edge until she almost screamed at Wyzak for being so lackadaisical about the whole thing.
Her wrist twitched as the bracelet she’d gotten from the space chicken warmed up, and Violet frowned down at her arm. That was odd. It was just a metal ring, nothing special. And yet… She rubbed the bracelet and turned her attention back to the sound of Faros saying something about being on the bridge of the merchant ship. Someone in the cargo bay crowed about Lukkan silk, and she blinked in surprise. It was patently stupid to ship something so valuable through ungoverned space. Everyone knew that.
Her nerves twitched to hear that, as well as the amount of security on the ships. It made sense to have so many mercenaries with a cargo like that, but flying in only a three-ship formation? There wasn’t an insurance company in the universe that would have covered the cargo and ships and crew on such a voyage. Which meant the cargo had probably already been stolen at least once.
She put that aside as something well beyond her control and probably a net benefit, since she didn’t know who those merchant ships were going to sell the cargo to on their next stop. She just hoped Faros disrupted some kind of trafficking situation and instead… well, instead he’d give it to the Tyboli. Which was probably just as bad, if not worse, than whatever the merchant ships were up to. She sighed and flopped into the comms station so she could monitor everything going on outside of the conflict with the merchant ships.
Her whole arm jerked and she stared at the bracelet in alarm. It started glowing, a rotating series of codes reflected in the metal, and she held her breath. It looked like… She glanced at Wyzak, who was fully focused on what was going on with the cargo, and eased to her feet. The code looked like one of the ancient systems they’d had to learn at the Fleet Academ
y.
She tapped it on her thigh as she paced a bit, frowning as she struggled to remember what the hell the dots and dashes stood for. The message repeated and she managed to catch more of it. Something about… needing help. It had to be Estelle. No one else in that quadrant could possibly be trying to communicate through that bracelet with that code. Which meant the Lovelace had run into trouble, just like they’d known they would.
She fiddled with the bracelet when the message cleared. She hadn’t gotten all of it, but it looked like Ambush. Three Tyboli. Fighting. Need help.
Violet’s hands shook as she tried to tap a message back, finding a small panel on the underside of the bracelet that clicked and tapped as she pressed it. Not that she knew what to say back. They were too far to help, really. Unless… She glanced at Wyzak once more and gauged his lack of attention. Maybe she could make it to the other ship and to the bridge, and tell Faros to pull his head out of his ass so they could finally do the right thing.
Coordinates she tapped back, and waited, holding her breath.
A series of coordinates came back almost immediately, and she inputted them into the navigation system as their next destination, saving the location so she could find it again.
Then the flashing lights returned, faster than the last time. Hostages. To be sold. Sraibur Next. Run.
It repeated twice, then the bracelet went dark. Violet’s stomach dropped. The Tyboli took the Lovelace to sell the crew as slaves, then intended to take the Sraibur. It had been a trap all along. Maybe her legal maneuvering just gave the Tyboli more time to set up their next ambush… She gulped for air and started moving.