"His commander screws with his checkins sometimes," Erix snarled.
"Why?"
Talyn snorted. "What can I say? I'm an abrasive asshole." He approached Erix and picked up his practice gloves. "Where's my opponent?"
He screwed his face up at the sight of Talyn's bruised back. "I canceled it. You don't need anyone else pounding on you until some of that heals. We can do cardio and weights tonight. Not to mention..." He held his link out to Talyn. "He changed your checkin again. You don't have that much time for training."
Talyn growled. "Thanks for looking it up."
"No problem."
Felicia opened her backpack and dug out the plastic containers. "I brought your dinner."
Talyn sat down on the mat next to where she stood. "Where'd you get it from?"
She handed him an airtight plate and cutlery. "I made it."
"You cook?" he asked incredulously.
She gave him a playful, menacing stare. "You don't have to sound so shocked. I love to cook, and your bland, unsavory meals are very easy to prepare."
With a sweet smile at her teasing, he opened his plate.
Erix gently clapped him on the arm. "Eat your dinner in peace, kid. You need it."
"Thanks."
Sitting down beside him, Felicia handed him some of the water she'd packed. "I feel so bad about what happened last night."
"Don't." He touched her hair and smiled at her. "I have no regrets. For what you did ... they can skin me alive."
She looked at his back and scowled. "I find it hard to believe you feel that way."
He shrugged nonchalantly. "Beatings I can take. Trust me. My mother's given me harder kisses and hugs." He sampled the food, then flashed her an adorable expression of disbelief. "It's delicious."
"Thanks," she said sarcastically. "Appreciate your confidence in my abilities." She opened her own plate. Returning his smile, she fed him a bit of her cut-up fruit.
He nipped playfully at her fingers before he swallowed it. "How was school today?"
"Boring. How was patrol?"
"Not boring. Ran into a group of Tavali."
Her eyes widened at his casual mention of the bloodthirsty pirates who preyed on their corporate ships and freighters. "What happened?"
He swallowed and took a drink before he answered. "We fought. I struck a couple of blasts to one of their fighters, but they eluded capture."
"Did they blast you?"
"They tried. Luckily, I dodged. Ran them all the way back to their baseship, the Storm Dancer."
"I'm glad. Please, don't get hurt."
"That's usually my game plan." He winked at her. "Especially now that I have a really good reason to stay out of traction." Wiping his hand off, he pulled the physiology book out of her backpack so that he could glance through it. "You have finals soon, don't you?"
She nodded.
"If you need any help, my mother's immediate family were all physicians and surgeons. In fact, I'm pretty sure this was written by one of her older brothers. And I passed the certs to get in. I've got a good handle on the subject."
"Be happy to have a gorgeous study partner. Not sure how much studying I'll get done talking to you, but I'm willing to try."
Talyn pulled her against him and nuzzled her hair.
Closing her eyes, she savored the sensation of him holding her so sweetly. He took a deep breath in her hair before he got up and headed to the weight bag. While she packed away his empty plate, he shadowboxed. Until he started sweating, then he began punching the weight bag. Ferociously.
She cringed at the strength of his blows that hit it so hard it sounded like he was about to break the chains holding it in place.
"Impressive, isn't it?"
She nodded at Erix's question. "I would hate to be on the receiving end of that."
"Yes. You would." He wrinkled his nose playfully at her. "Luckily, he would never hit a female. And lucky for me, he'd never hit an old male." He glanced over at her. "Thank you, by the way."
"For what?"
"Taking care of him."
"I haven't really done anything."
"I disagree. There's an innate change in him. A peaceful calm he didn't have before. And I've never seen him smile and laugh like he does around you, never mind tease and play."
She wasn't so sure about that. Talyn was still very serious whenever they were together. "I find that hard to believe."
"You shouldn't. I swear. I didn't even know he could smile. At all. He's very different when you're not around. Deathly serious and stern. Silent, like he's sizing you up for a body bag. No one can get much more than noncommittal grunts or smart-ass retorts out of him."
She remembered glimpsing that part of his personality when he'd been in the room the first time they met. And again at the Ritadarion restaurant.
"You make him playful and happy, Felicia. I can almost see the kid in him whenever you're around."
She didn't believe that until Talyn ran at her and picked her up. Laughing, he swung her around and placed a quick kiss to her lips before he dodged to the double-end bag and started training with it.
He was so impressive that within a few minutes, everyone at the gym had stopped what they were doing to watch him train while Erix called out drills.
"Damn," one of the males next to her said to a friend. "I don't ever want to be in the Ring with that."
"That's the Iron Hammer. No one wants to be in the Ring with that."
"Did you see him when they were charting his PSI?" a third male asked the other two.
"No."
Felicia arched her brow at the conversation. "What was it?" she asked the males.
"Almost a ton of pressure. Just over nineteen hundred."
Her jaw dropped.
"Bullshit!" the male beside him said.
The male who'd spoken held his hand up in a sign of sincerity. "No, I swear. It's why they call him the Iron Hammer. You can check it online, if you don't believe me. Splatterdome did it as part of a series where they charted the PSI for all the big-name fighters. And that was barehanded. He rated more than two hundred PSI over his closest rival, Death Warrant."
Wow! Her head spun at what they were telling her. But as she watched him, she didn't doubt it. He did hit like a sledgehammer.
The male closest to her raked an interested look over her body. "Who are you here with, love?"
His friend turned the male's face away from her. "Don't even. I saw her eating with the Hammer earlier. More to the point, hand-feeding him."
"Oh dear God." He passed an apologetic stare at her. "Sorry. It was nice speaking to you. Give your male my best." He quickly put space between them.
Laughing, Felicia returned to watching Talyn practice. There was a fierce beauty and grace to what he did. And like Erix had said, a deadly earnestness. But she still would hate to see him in the Ring being pummeled by another fighter. For that matter, she despised the bruises that marred his tawny skin.
Once he was done with the bag, he grabbed the towel from Erix and wiped his face. She walked over to him and pulled him against her.
He grimaced. "I stink and I'm sweaty."
She nipped his chin. "I like your smell. Have I grossed you out yet?"
"Are you trying?" He gave her a fierce squeeze.
His band started buzzing. It was a different alarm than normal.
"What's that?"
"Drill call. I have to leave immediately. Can you grab my stuff and take it back to the condo for me?"
"Absolutely."
Pulling his gloves off, he kissed her and handed them to her before he pulled on a clean, loose T-shirt and left.
Scared of what it meant, she took the gloves to Erix. "Should I be worried?"
"I don't know. It's a squadron alert. Could be an unexpected meeting or they're needed to fly."
She cringed as she remembered Talyn telling her about the Tavali. She hoped this wasn't them returning with a larger group. "I don't think I like this dange
"Yeah, I feel your pain. And I hate that sound whenever I hear it. I was having dinner with my son when he got a call like that. It was the last time I saw him."
"I'm sorry, Erix."
His white eyes sad, he inclined his head to her. "Did you drive or take public transport?"
"Public."
"Then I'll take you home."
"You don't have to."
"Yeah, I do. Haven't you seen the news? Five females your age have gone missing this week. It's too late for a young one to be out alone."
His kindness warmed her heart. "Thank you. I'll grab Talyn's things and be right out." She went to the dressing room and found the small bag Talyn had carried in. Opening it, she paused. Folded neatly on top was the shirt she'd requested, along with a small red rose. Tears gathered in her eyes. He was always surprising her with such sweet, thoughtful gifts.
"Please be safe," she whispered. She didn't want to think about anything happening to him.
*
As soon as Talyn hit the base and realized they were scrambling for another Tavali attack, he rushed into the lockers to change his clothes. Emergency deployments like this were the only time he was allowed in here to change with the Vested.
Everyone's nerves were stretched taut as friends bantered and dressed as fast as they could manage, then ran to their fighters.
Talyn accidentally brushed his empty sleeve against a female's shoulder as he shrugged his flight suit on.
"Don't touch me!" she growled with unwarranted hostility.
Assuming it was because of his birth status, Talyn mumbled an apology and stepped away to finish dressing. But as he pulled out his boots, he glanced at her and noticed the way her hands shook as she struggled with the buckles on her suit. The fact that her eyes were swollen and red as if she'd been crying for a while.
More than that, there was a faint bruised handprint around the skin of her throat that was peeping out above her high collar. A slight crusting of blood around her nose.
Someone had attacked her, and by the way she was acting, he figured it wasn't in a legitimate fight.
Talyn knew better than to speak to a Vested officer, especially one with a higher rank, but she was obviously upset and shouldn't be battling like this. Though her name was Farina Pinara, he wasn't allowed to use it, so he defaulted to her call sign. "You okay, Syndrome?"
As expected, she glared ultimate hatred at him, then burst into tears.
Stunned, Talyn wasn't sure what to do. Before he could stop himself, he pulled her against his chest to comfort her. "Shh, it's okay."
She trembled in his arms. But to her credit, and in true Andarion fashion, she pulled herself together quickly and stepped back. "Sorry, Batur."
"No problem."
As Anatole and his two wingmen sauntered past, Talyn caught the way Anatole smirked at Farina. He mumbled something to the asshole on his right that caused the male to laugh before he raked a salacious stare over Farina's body. One that brought another wave of tears to her eyes.
And made her shake even more ferociously.
A bad feeling went through him. Sweeping his gaze around the room, he noted the way a number of the females reacted to Anatole and his high-caste wingmen. How fast they vacated the lockers.
Including Farina.
She went so fast, she left part of her uniform behind.
Don't get involved. This was none of his business and there wasn't a soldier here who would ever stand up for him. His current war record was proof of that. But he couldn't help it. His mother had taught him better than to turn away from an Andarion in need.
To fight for right, not for power.
Grabbing her gear, he went after her.
"Syndrome?" he called as he followed her into the hallway. "You forgot your helmet and gloves."
Tears swam in her eyes as she paused and turned back toward him. "Thank you."
Yeah, she was tore up. Normally, she'd be acerbic and pissy with him. When she reached for the helmet, he tightened his grip on it to keep her there for a minute longer.
"Did Anatole do that to you?" He dropped his gaze to her neck.
She trembled even more. "Nothing happened."
Bullshit, and he knew it with every instinct he possessed. Cursing, he started back for the lockers where Anatole was dressing.
Farina grabbed his arm. "Talyn, please. Don't."
He wasn't sure what shocked him most. The fact she deigned to touch him or that she'd used his name. From those actions alone, one thing was clear. Anatole had shattered her spirit. In the past, she'd have never touched the likes of him. For that matter, he was stunned she knew he had a given name, other than "mongrel." It was all any of them had ever called him. "Our females aren't his private harem."
Her grip tightened on his arm as her eyes widened. She lowered her gaze quickly and dropped her hand from his arm.
Talyn turned to find Anatole and his two friends drawing near.
"This isn't a practice drill! Do I need to put both of you on report?"
Defiant to the level of stupid, Talyn curled his lip at his CO. "I challenge you to the Ring, motherfucker!" he growled.
The colonel's friends and Farina sucked their breaths in.
Anatole laughed in his face. "You can't hit me, you stupid piece of shit. It'll mean your life if you do."
Talyn glared at him. Cowardly bastard had no right to sully an Andarion uniform. It was a disgrace to have something like him don it. "Are you not Andarion enough to face me?"
Anatole grabbed the front of Talyn's battlesuit and tried to shove him back. His eyes widened as he realized just how strong Talyn was and the fact that his limp touch had no effect on him. At all. "Watch yourself, mongrel. Be a shame to have such a regaled sports hero go up in flames." Snapping his fingers, he motioned his lap dogs to follow after him.
When Talyn started forward to finish their discussion, Farina cut off his path.
"It's not worth it, Batur. But thank you for being the male none of the rest have been."
Nightdice nodded as she stopped by his side. "Yeah. Everyone else has turned a blind eye."
A tic started in his jaw as he realized several other female pilots were also looking on with gratitude. Some of them were pledged, even married. That angered him even more. It wasn't just for them he fought. It was for his mother and Felicia. "I don't care what he does to me. This stops. Royal-blooded or not, he has no right to touch any of you. Ever!"
Farina offered him a grateful smile as she handed him his helmet. "I'll be your wingman, Viper."
He inclined his head to her.
For the first time in his career, Talyn walked into the bay with other Andarions. And that only saddened him more that he'd earned Farina's and the other females' friendship by simply doing the right thing. Something every male in their squad should be doing for them.
What had happened to the Andarion race that they would put up with this shit? That they'd allow their females to be threatened and abused by some royal-blooded asshole and his friends?
As he started to jog for his ship, a female stepped in front of him and struck her chest twice with an open palm--a friendly sign of good luck.
Stunned, he barely returned it before he went to his fighter. Even his female ground crew gestured at him.
Wanting to do more for them, Talyn pulled his mic into place. He had Tavali to fight right now. But once this was over, he had a much more pressing war he intended to battle. "Viper-Ichi ready for launch."
"Viper-Ichi clear to launch," the controller responded.
Talyn entered the clearance code in his con and was thrown back against his seat as the ship was ejected through its launch tube.
It shot him straight into hell. There were fighters everywhere.
"Damn, Viper," Farina said in his ear. "You seriously pissed off the Tavali earlier. What'd you do?"
"Apparently, they don't like being shot at. Who knew?" He banked right and narrowly missed an ion blast to his windshield.
He listened to their comm intel as he kept his eyes on the enemy. It was another group of Porturnum Tavali. Whether or not they were related to the earlier group he'd battled was unclear. While it was said the four branches of Tavali functioned like military governments, no one outside of their pirate world really knew what went on inside their organizations. They were as secretive as hermitic nuns.
The only thing Talyn knew for sure was that the western group of the pirate outlaws lived to prey on Andarion freighters. Most of all, they loved to take Andarions as slaves.
For some reason, the Porturnum leader hated the Andarion Empire and went out of his way to assault them as often as possible.
Talyn dove beneath the flaming remains of a Tavali fighter and came out in front of the Storm Dancer. He cursed under his breath as he recognized that ship. "Pit Viper to Command. This is the same Tavali group I engaged earlier. At least part of it."
No wonder they fought like they did. This was a vengeance run. Something proven as his fighter was ID'd and one of the Tavali peeled off the rest of the Andarions to chase him.
Laughing, Talyn did what he did best.
Made their mamas cry. Fortunately for his, he flew as well as he fought in the Ring. At least that was his thought until he came up on a black Tavali fighter with a pilot who was amazing. Slippery bastard cut through everything Talyn threw at him.
Worse, Talyn was having a hard time dodging the return volleys. Whoever had taught this one to fight had known what they were doing.
As he rolled to avoid another round of blasts, he caught the name of the pilot that was written in Universal on his wing.
Blister.
What kind of stupid call sign was that? He didn't even want to know what the Tavali had done to earn that moniker. Not that it mattered. This was a fiercely talented warrior, in spite of his name.
Talyn was actually worried.
"Viper! Point ten!"
Talyn hit his retro engines and pulled up and rolled. Brief blasts of color lit the silent darkness around him. Unfortunately, that move brought him into range for "Blister." The pirate opened fire with some kind of weapon Talyn had never seen before. It shredded his shields and burned through the outer layer of his fighter.
"Viper-Ichi hit." Talyn cursed as his controls shocked him. "My directionals are failing. Rear engine going dark."
Farina flew straight at him to engage the pirates who had a hard-on for him. "Syndrome covering Viper. Need a beam, Andarions. Hurry!"
"Nightdice sheltering Syndrome and Viper. We need help. Viper's taking massive fire and they're going for his throat."
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