Page 3 of Arakiba (Alien Legacy Brotherhood #3)

Chapter Two

“T hat’s what I’m worried about,” Morgan mumbled to herself as she studied the man she named Ari. Did he just admit he was faking his amnesia? If so, why? It’s not like it’d help him with the Ozevroc.

“So, what do you need me to do?” Ari rocked back and forth on the balls of his feet, his hands clasped behind his back.

What did she need him to do? Well, that was a loaded question. Her gaze lingered on him as the soft light accentuated the chiseled lines of his tall, muscular frame. His thick, wavy, blond hair cascaded around his shoulders, framing a face that was undeniably handsome. From his intense thickly lashed metal-gray eyes, to the tempting cleft in his scruffy, manly chin. The tight black jeans and T-shirt he wore clung to his form, highlighting every sculpted muscle.

He towered over her by at least a foot and exuded a raw, powerful presence that made her heart race.

The more Morgan studied him, the more unwelcome warmth spread through her and left her breathless. She wasn’t delusional enough to deny the attraction she had for him. An attraction that simmered just beneath the surface. But she was the last person to let something as inconvenient as an attractive man get in the way of surviving this god-awful situation she found herself in. Her primary goal was to get back to Earth. Since being with the Ozevroc, she’d uncovered more dangers to Earth than anyone on Aethralis could imagine.

It didn’t matter whether she felt drawn to the enigmatic, captivating man or not. He was a part of the solution or… he wasn’t. If that was the case, she’d have no choice but to leave him behind. “I don’t suppose you know how…”

A loud clicking noise echoing outside the open doorway interrupted her. It was the familiar sound of the Ozevroc clawed feet hitting the floor as a group of them headed to the engine/cargo bay room she and Ari were in.

“They’re coming.” She put up a hand as a warning to Ari. “Unless you can speak their language, I suggest you not say a word and let me do all the talking.”

The confused look on his scrunched face as he scratched the side of his head was cute as hell.

Ahem, not cute, Morgan. Not cute.

Liar, her inner voice chastised.

“Okay.” He turned to face the open doorway with his arms crossed. The action made the muscles in his arms writhe and tense.

Tearing her thoughtful gaze from him, she concentrated on the clanking sounds of the Ozevroc steps that matched their hissing and growling noises as they spoke to each other. Oh, great. She could tell their high chieftain, Welozz, was in a pissy mood.

He’d demanded the impossible from her this morning and was back to check on her progress.

“Human. Today you die!” Welozz boomed in the strange mixture of growls, hisses, and snarls that made up the Ozevroc language.

His hollow threat didn’t worry her. It was his usual greeting.

When she first met the species that kidnapped her and the other women from their prison on FiPan, it’d taken her a few moments before she understood them. Fortunately for her, the high chieftain himself took her. As he dragged her to his ship out of the gangster headquarters, she quickly negotiated with him to spare her. She convinced him she’d be more of an asset as a member of his crew instead of selling her on the black market. That was how she ended up as an all-around fixer-upper for anything that went wrong on the Nebula Viper .

The Ozevroc might be crafty smugglers, but mechanics they weren’t. You’d think a spacefaring species would have a full-time engineer on board. Not these guys. They were too busy stealing anything they could get their grubby paws on, rather than bother to keep their ship running. It’s not like their lives in space depended on the vessel to keep working or anything. Short-sighted idiots.

Not for the first time was she grateful for the training she’d gotten back home as a general mechanical engineer. Her limited psychic talent for understanding and speaking other languages wasn’t in much demand there. So, in Aethralis, they deemed her only fit for manual labor. Even though her first love was computer coding, she’d fallen into the role of physical work easy enough. Coding was more of a hobby, and it gave her a chance to keep track of the outside human world. Lately, she worried those humans were catching up with her people’s advancements. She kept a close, obsessive watch for any sign they might use their growing technology to discover Aethralis. If they did, all that she held dear would be lost.

“Not today, High Chief,” she gave her usual response in his garbled language. “Lots to fix.”

Ari hissed a breath. He moved close and leaned down. “You can speak like they do?”

“Hush,” she hissed and waved him away before turning to Welozz. “Tell me, oh, High Chief Welozz. What brings you to the lower levels?” She picked up an almost-clean rag and wiped her greasy hands on it. She kept her gaze away from the Ozevroc’s four beady, black eyes. He’d consider it a challenge if she did. Dammit, she forgot to warn Ari about that. Hopefully he’d be too busy ogling the aliens rather than confronting them.

“You no fix consumable-maker! Seared chichuld not seared!“ Gripped in the high chief’s middle hand was an octagon cylinder that he threw at her feet.

The bronze-colored device rolled before stopping in front of her.

“Human die!” he announced, waving the wooden stick he took with him everywhere. The staff was thin and long as he was, about four and a half feet.

The egotistical creep claimed it was a gift from the ruler of his planet Gnilia as a show of favor. Which she doubted was true. If any of them spoke the truth, she bet their stupid tongues would fall off.

Morgan pursed her lips to stop a smile from flying free. In a fit of childish frustration, she’d programed the device he’d thrown at her to make everything it created either sweet or burned, which the carnivorous Ozevroc loathed. Served him right for refusing to give her a similar contraption for her own use. She’d rather go hungry than eat one more tasteless food-cube.

Good thing he did what she’d hoped he would. Now that she had her hands on the machine again, all she had to do was install it in the replicron she fixed this morning, to create one for herself.

“My sincerest apologies, oh great and wise High Chieftain.” She lowered her eyes and put her hand over her heart. Gotta make it look good and all. “I will endeavor to repair this worthless consumable-maker for your personal use. Please, allow me to correct my mistake. I promise to deliver it to you before the end of the day cycle.” She peeked through her lashes to see if he took the bait.

Above his snout, his four beady-black eyes glared at her.

His stubby tail, one that reminded her of a beaver’s, thudded up and down on the metal floor.

Along his short torso were three pairs of arms. The middle pair held the staff in one hand while he kept his upper and lower arms crossed over the coarse fur of his chest. Unlike most of his crew, he wore a pair of shorts covering his lower half that exposed his legs with their dog-like paws and extended claws.

She kept her head down, waiting for his response.

The small group he brought with him was quiet as well.

She glanced at Ari, who appeared to be studying the small group of Ozevroc with a slight frown. As long as he kept his big mouth shut, everything should work out just fine.

“One chance,” Welozz announced. “Still might kill human.”

Fat chance. The Ozevroc might be a merciless criminal, but he’d never kill her as long as she remained invaluable to him. Which wasn’t hard to do. It’d take a lifetime to fix everything on this bucket of bolts. Not that she planned on staying there much longer. Things were almost ready for her escape, now that she had a spaceship. She only had to wait for it to finish repairing itself.

And since Ari had come in said ship, fingers crossed, she now had a pilot. Plus, she’d found a bonus item aboard that ship she never showed the Ozevroc. It was something she couldn’t wait to delve into. Once that was up and running, the galaxy was the limit!

“Fix now.” Welozz stomped his staff on the ground. “Kill human?” He pointed his staff at Ari.

“No, valuable.” Morgan kept her voice low and respectful. “I am ever grateful to your magnificence for providing slave to help with fixes. Much faster now.”

Welozz tilted his head and studied Ari with wide black eyes. “Male? Human? Know how to fix broken ship?”

The only thing Morgan was sure of about Ari was that he was a male. She doubted he knew how to fix anything. Freaking man didn’t even know his real name. She peeked in his direction. He might be human, but if he was, how did a human end up in the outer reaches of the galaxy in an organic spaceship by himself?

Morgan nodded. “Yes, wise one. Much help.”

Welozz grumbled. The thin black lips on the side of his snout rippled. “Fix consumable-maker.” He nodded to a shorter Ozevroc next to him. “Bugurr will be back to get. See done! Or both humans die!” Another stomp and he whirled around with a flourish and left, his beaver’s tail thumping behind him.

Bugurr, the sub-chieftain who was shorter than the high chieftain, with light gold-ochre fur, snorted in her direction before he too left.

“By Tiamat’s titties, do those boys smell!” Ari waved a hand over his face. As if that’d help get rid of the wet-dog smell the Ozevroc carried.

Morgan raised her eyebrows at that strange exclamation. Wasn’t Tiamat the ancient goddess of Babylonian myth? She hadn’t heard a human use that kind of language in… well, not in her lifetime, anyway.

Who the heck was this guy?

Ari doubted he’d seen anything like those Ozevroc creatures. He glanced at Morgan, captivated by how she interacted with them. He took this opportunity to study the aliens, who he surmised stood around five feet tall.

They circled her, their six muscular arms shifting, and their stubby, beaver-like tails swaying behind them. Their long snouts twitched while their four beady-black eyes stayed locked on her. Each Ozevroc wore minimal clothing, exposing coarse fur that varied from light gold to dark blue across their bare chests and hound-like legs.

Morgan’s posture remained relaxed but focused, and she made subtle hand gestures as she spoke. To Ari, it appeared she was conducting an orchestra of sounds rather than conversing.

The Ozevroc responded with an array of growls, hisses, and deep grumbles, each sound carrying intricate meaning.

While Ari couldn’t understand a damn word, the fluidity of their exchange suggested a level of clear understanding between them. He observed Morgan’s expression and watched as her lush mouth turned down and she furrowed her brow in a slight frown.

Her lips moved, forming garbled sounds that blended with the guttural noises emanating from the Ozevroc. She’d emit a low hum or a sharp click of her tongue, which the Ozevroc mirrored. After a while, their conversation felt almost rhythmic.

Ari’s mind raced, still trying to grasp and make sense of the scene.

The Ozevroc’s growls varied in pitch and intensity, like the distant rumbling of thunder in a high wind. Other words were like the hiss of steam escaping a valve.

Interspersed were grumbles that came out low and resonant in vibrations that Ari could almost feel in his chest. Despite not understanding anything they said, he sensed the emotions around the room. The Ozevroc she talked to clearly had to be the one in charge. His arrogance and superior attitude reminded Ari of… crap. Nope. Couldn’t remember who, but there had been someone in his life just as self-important as this one.

As the conversation continued, Ari’s gaze shifted between Morgan and the Ozevroc like an outsider peering into a secret world. Feeling left out tore something inside of him, like an old unwelcome intruder. As if reacting to an old habit, he shoved that emotion down. Deep down.

The Ozevroc now pointed that ridiculous stick in his direction. They had to be talking about him. The other little fur balls clustered around the leader, their buttony little eyes locked on him. Tension rippled through them, like they were gearing up to strike. He clenched his fists under his crossed arms as he instinctively stiffened, as though preparing to defend himself. If he was lucky, he’d had some sort of protective training in his previous life and his body knew what to do. Because if he had to rely on thinking it through, he doubted he’d survive.

Ari’s only hope was to trust Morgan’s extraordinary communication skills. His eyes narrowed. Unless she wanted to get rid of him. But when she peeked at him beneath her lush lashes, the tension pinching his shoulders relaxed. Her expression wasn’t one of malice, more of confusion. Hopefully, when they were alone, she’d fill him in on what concerned her. Since he couldn’t remember much, he had to be extra careful to keep trust open between him and her. Until he got his memory back, or at least got a better understanding of his current situation, he was at her mercy.

The leader thumped his skinny staff on the floor and, with a hissing growl, exited with a flourish. A shorter, gold one remained behind. He glared at Morgan before snorting, then left.

The aliens might have left the room, but their lingering, pungent odor still hung around. It was an obscene mix of shit, thick musk, and a hint of some metallic stench layered with wet fur. The damn smell was strong enough to make his eyes water.

“By Tiamat’s titties, do those boys smell!” He waved his hand in front of his face. Like that’d help. He swallowed the urge to vomit.

Morgan faced him with her fists on her trim hips, her gorgeous eyes squinted. Uh-oh. What did he say now that made her look at him like that?

“Tiamat’s titties?” She crossed her arms, raising up those glorious breasts again. “Why would you use that name?”

“Well, you know…” His mind went blank. Again. “I have no idea.” By Gilgamesh’s balls, he was tired of repeating himself. Gilgamesh? Well, shit. Time to go on the offensive. “What did short, ugly, and smelly say? Especially about me?”

“Don’t worry. You’re okay for now. I told him you were needed around here.” Her frown told him she might be dropping her earlier question, but no way would she let it go.

“Okay, needed. How so?” At this point, he’d take what he could get.

She dropped her arms and pulled out her handheld, checking the screen. She poked it a couple of times before showing him the screen.

It was a list of some sort.

“These are the major repairs that have to be done to the Nebula Viper .“ She grunted. “Like yesterday.”

He took it from her and studied the list. Not that he could read it. Read. Could he read? He wasn’t sure. At least he couldn’t read whatever was on this stupid-ass thing. “I have no idea what this says.” He gave it back to her. “You’ll have to tell me what’s on it.”

Her smooth brow furrowed. “You can’t read?” She glanced at the screen. “But I translated it into English, which is what you’re speaking.”

Ari shrugged. “You told me that before, but I don’t have any idea what English is.” Much less know what language he spoke. Did he know any others? Hard to say.

Morgan tapped a finger on her screen. “Well, we’ll tackle that some other time.” She looked him in the eye. “What I really want to know is, can you help me with the repairs needed around here?” She waved to the immobile ship on the other side of the room. “At least until your ship repairs itself and you can fly us out of here.”

Ari glanced at the ship. No other sense of recognition came to him. He turned to Morgan and lied through his teeth. “Oh, you bet. Just tell me what’cha need and consider it done.”

“Come on, then.” Morgan pointed to a small crate behind him. “Sit over there while I check you out.”

Ari’s eyebrows rose. Check him out? He grinned. That sounded promising.

“Not like that, you idiot.” She blew out a breath. “You’ve been unconscious for who knows how long. It’s been at least twenty-four hours since I pulled you out of that ship, and I want to make sure you’re not suffering any lasting effects.”

“Other than missing my memories?” Ari grumbled and plopped onto the metal box.

Morgan ignored him and pointed her handheld at him, sweeping the thing up and down his torso. She did it twice, then pulled it to her and read the screen. She pursed her lips as she studied. Every so often, she’d tap or swipe across the screen.

The silence was getting on his nerves. He sprang from the crate and stood behind her to look at the screen over her shoulder. He scowled when the squiggly lines and swirls meant nothing to him. For fruk’s sake, this was getting old.

“Well—“ He crossed his arms. ”—what does it say?”

“I don’t understand this,” Morgan whispered. Probably to herself. She seemed absorbed and said nothing else.

She stayed quiet, her eyes glued to the screen as she continued reading.

The growing silence gnawed at Ari. His nerves stretched tighter with each passing second, and his patience wore thin. Why wasn’t she saying anything? What was so wrong about him that made her forget he was there? The tension built up inside him until his face heated and his body shook. Swallowing a growl, he clenched his fists tight enough to bruise his palms.

Behind him, a loose pile of metallic parts rattled and shook violently before flying apart and crashing to the hard floor in a series of sharp, echoing clanks.

The noise snapped him out of his growing irritation.

Beside him, Morgan jumped. With eyes wide, she glanced across the room at the scattered mess. “I wonder what made them do that?” she muttered.

“Morgan—“ Ari pointed to the handheld. ”—what does that damn thing say?”

“Oh, well. You’re fine.” She eyed him up-and-down. “Believe it or not, there’s nothing wrong with you. At all. And I can’t understand why.” She glanced at her handheld before looking back at him. “When I found you aboard that ship—“ She pointed to Elemi in the corner. ”—I ran a scan over you. You had massive internal damage and several broken bones.“ Her head tilted as she checked the side of his head. “Plus, you were unconscious and had suffered a severe concussion.”

Ari barked with laughter. “Didn’t you say I’d only been here twenty-four hours?” He smirked and nodded at her handheld. “That can’t be right. Stupid thing must be busted.”

Her face flushed, and the caramel skin of her neck and cheeks became a nice rosy hue. “It’s not broken,” she insisted. “There’s something odd about you.” She peered at him. “If I didn’t know any better, I’d swear you were an Adamou .”

His nose scrunched. “A what?”

She shook her head, and waved her hand around. “Never mind. It’s not important. I’d better take care of this before that ass comes back.” She raced to the strange-looking bronze contraption the Ozevroc had thrown at her feet. Grabbing it, she made a quick adjustment before heading to another part of the massive room. “I might just have enough time to do this.”

Ari watched in astonishment as she announced, “Display!”

Nestled against the farthest wall was some type of a rectangular machine that phased into sight. It appeared to have a brushed-metal finish and rounded edges with parallel compartments next to each other. The thing was taller than him, like a refrigerator on steroids. On one side was a control panel with holographic interfaces that made no sense to him. And on the other side were two separate oval-shaped chambers, one on top of the other.

Morgan approached the machine, gripping the cylinder in her hand. She pressed the screen and the top panel turned blue. She placed the canister inside, then tapped the holographic touchscreen again.

The crazy thing lit up with internal lights that shifted from blue to green. In the lower chamber, a green light surrounded tiny robotic arms that sprang to life. With blinding speed, they created another canister identical to the one nestled on the top shelf.

Ari’s eyes widened when both chambers turned from bright green to a soft blue.

A sharp whistle sounded.

Morgan whooped with her fists in the air. She grabbed both cylinders out of the machine. “Refraction!”

The massive machine vanished from sight.

“Now let’s see if they work!” She rushed to an obvious worktable and swept aside a pile of parts that clattered to the floor. With care, she placed the identical canisters next to each other. Her fingers flew across the surfaces with quick, deft precision. Soon the machines hummed to life, with bright-orange lights under the control panels.

“Are you hungry? Tell me what you’re craving, and I’ll make it happen for you.”

Dang woman was practically jumping for joy.

“Huh?” Ari put the hair blocking the side of his face behind his ear. “Food? These things make food?” His stomach growled. Crud. When was the last time he ate? As usual, no clue.

The only thing that popped into his head was, “Steak. I want a rare T-bone steak with a baked potato smothered in real butter.” Hopefully, that was something he liked.

Morgan looked him up-and-down. “Yeah, I can see that. I’ll make sure it’s a double portion. Any other veggies?”

Ari shuddered. “No, I don’t think I eat those.” Whatever “veggies” were. They didn’t sound too good.

“What are you, a five-year-old?” Morgan turned to the chamber and pushed several buttons. “We’ll start with that and try other things later.”

After a few seconds, the upper part of the cylinder on her left opened. Resting inside on a plate was a thick, oddly shaped slab, its surface seared with mysterious grill marks and exuding a familiar, savory aroma. Beside it sat a brown, wrinkled oval, split open to reveal a fluffy white interior dotted with a melting yellow substance. Wrapped next to the plate was a white cloth with the tips of a fork and knife poking out.

The sight and smell from it might be foreign, but it was intriguing enough to make his mouth water.

Morgan jumped at the sound of clacking claws getting louder outside of the hangar. “Quick, take this and hide behind that machine over there.” She slammed the cylinder closed with the food inside and shoved it into his arms. She pushed on his chest with the flat of her hands.

Gripping the cool metal of the canister, he stepped back. Glancing over his shoulder, he spied the area she was pushing him to.

“Hurry, before Bugurr gets here.” She shooed him. “If he sees that, he’ll steal it from us, and we’ll get stuck eating tasteless protein cubes.” She turned her back on him to face the doorway.

Was Bugurr the shorter gold Ozevroc? Not waiting to find out if he was right, Ari rushed to the hiding place she pointed to and crouched behind it.

Sure enough, the ocher-colored alien strode in with two of his buddies close behind, each carrying a weapon.

It didn’t take Morgan long to snarl, hiss, and gurgle at the alien as she handed him the original cylinder.

He answered with a sputtering noise by pressing his lips together, then sticking his tongue out. With a huff, the Ozevroc turned on his clawed paws and left. His minions followed without a garble or hiss.

Ari waited to make sure they didn’t come back before he came out of his hiding place. “Can we eat now?” The aroma from the cylinder in his hands was driving him crazy. The painful pinch gripping his stomach made his hands shake.

“Yeah. Take your food and sit over there.” Morgan nodded to the same box crate he’d sat on before. Opening the cylinder, she took out his plate of food and shoved it back into his hands. Then she put the empty cylinder on the workbench and punched several buttons and knobs on its surface.

Ari picked up the utensils and cut a piece of the meat and took a bite, barely paying attention to the savory goodness as it melted on his tongue. Instead of taking his time to enjoy his food, he watched Morgan turn her back on him and create her own culinary choice. He couldn’t help but feel a pang of isolation with each absent-minded bite. Even while he chewed, his jaw clenched at the impersonal way she acted toward him. Was she indifferent to him, or was there something deeper at play here?

He might not know much, but the quickened beat of his heart and the way his thoughts kept drifting back to her made it clear. Indifference on his part wasn’t on the menu. The more time he spent with her, the more irresistible she became. She drew him in with every glance and gesture. But as far as he could tell, she didn’t give him a second thought. More of a nuisance than anything else. He took another bite, and this time the food was tasteless as he chewed. The ache of this newfound solitude gnawed in his gut. Maybe he didn’t want her to help him find out who he really was.

With his luck, it’d only make him more invisible.

Morgan sighed with a silly grin. Her taste buds and tummy sang satisfied tunes for the first time in a long time. After being kidnapped from the StarChance , the only thing she had to eat were dusty, dry, tasteless protein cubes. That is, when anyone remembered to feed her. Once she “joined” the Nebula Viper , getting something to eat was a dicey proposition. Since the Ozevroc were a hierarchical species with a harsh chain of command, as a female and a lowly alien slave, the only thing she got was leftovers… if she was lucky enough when someone remembered her. Or if they wanted her to fix something. She lived on the stale cubes she’d found in a crate in a forgotten chamber when she’d been scrounging for engine parts.

She licked her lips, savoring the lingering taste of the marinated coconut-and-ginger crab soup she missed from Aethralis. Paired with that were light-as-air buttery biscuits. Now, all was well in the universe. It’d been hard, but she avoided creating a succulent glass of white wine to go with her food. Instead, she did the practical thing and opted for a flask of ice-cold water. Which she made for Ari as well. The guy had to be parched by now.

Taking a chance, Morgan snuck a quick glance at him. No doubt about it, he was one good-looking man. From his messy, sexy, thick blond hair to the masculine boots on his large feet, he was a definite eye-turner. Too bad he couldn’t remember anything. Well, if nothing else, he’d be useful for moving the heavy stuff. Those muscles looked fine. She coughed. Okay, more than fine.

Morgan, quit ogling the strange man and get down to business.

“So, Ari.” Morgan swiped her hands over the thighs of her overalls. “Are you ready to go into that ship now? Maybe we’ll get lucky and something there will trigger your memory.” Fingers crossed, seeing a familiar place might cure him. And, if luck was with them, he’d know how to fix that ship so they could leave sooner than she’d hoped.

Even though the Ozevroc had stripped the ship of anything they could carry, she wondered if he knew about the little secret weapon she’d found tucked into a corner. She was pretty sure she could fix that on her own. But if going onto that ship gave him any insights, all the better.

Ari rubbed his scruffy chin. “I guess so.” He lifted his clean plate. “What do I do with this?”

She thumbed over her shoulder. “Just toss it into that open barrel over there. We’ll dump it into the incinerator later. Come on, this way.”

Ari gave her a nervous smile with a slight shrug. “Okay, you da boss.”

Morgan sniffed at him with a frown, then headed to the dark side of the hangar, expecting him to follow. Thankfully, he did. She stopped in front of Elemi’s sleek form. As she touched the soft surface, the ship reminded her of a predatory creature resting. Its smooth hull had subtle colors that shifted, allowing the vessel to blend into the surrounding shadows. When she stood next to it, the air was noticeably heavier, with a bio-synthetic scent along with a faint floral fragrance.

Morgan went to the place where an open door had originally appeared after the Ozevroc used their tractor beams to bring it in, placing her palm on the surface. There it was, a gentle pulse beneath her hand, as if the ship was breathing and had a faint heartbeat. At her touch, a section next to her rippled and parted like the petals of an exotic flower. Inside was a soft, welcoming glow that came from the leftover bio-luminescent tendrils lining the walls. As the entrance opened wider, a gentle breeze brushed against her face.

Morgan glanced at Ari, hoping to see some spark of recognition.

He hesitated, keeping his eyes on the ship before entering first.

Taking a deep breath, she followed.

Inside, limp tendrils hung from the ceiling like veins devoid of blood. The walls, stripped of their once lush, organic coverings, now exposed the raw, skeletal framework beneath. Shredded membranes and frayed edges were a testament of the Ozevroc’s violence as they stripped the ship of anything they could. The floor, once a soft, cushioned surface, was now hard and cold.

Morgan’s heart ached at the sight. She turned her focus on Ari.

He moved with careful steps as his fingers brushed the bare walls, his eyes scanning the wreckage.

She watched him, hoping the remnants of the ship might stir some memory. Surely, the soft hum of the ship healing itself had to feel like a forgotten melody to him. A possible lullaby lost but not completely forgotten. “Anything?” she dared to ask.

His slack, blank expression said it all. “No, I don’t think so.” He crouched and fingered a loose wire and brought it up to study as he twirled it. “What happened here?”

“Once the Ozevroc stripped this ship of everything they could carry, it ended up like this.” Morgan gestured to the surrounding mess. “I did my best to stop them as much as I could. But, as you can see, I wasn’t much help.” It’d been like watching a mob attack an already wounded, defenseless person.

“No one can blame you for what they did.” Ari spoke in a soft tone, as if lost in his own thoughts. He frowned as he went from one section to another. He caressed an exposed counter. “I’m afraid none of this looks familiar, but it makes me want to punch that alien ass in his pie-hole.”

Morgan nodded. “I was afraid of this. I’m sure it doesn’t help that this doesn’t look anything like it did before.” She snapped her fingers. “Hey, wait. Look at this.” She pulled out her multicorder and browsed through the pictures she’d taken before the Ozevroc destroyed the interior. “Look at these. Do they help?”

He took her handheld and swiped through the vids she’d displayed. After a few moments, he shook his head. “Nope, ’fraid not.” He handed it back to her. His face reddened with a scowl. “Damn it! I wish I’d recognize something!”

The entire ship shook, making Morgan pinwheel to stay upright before it abruptly ended. She teetered and looked around. Did the High Chieftain make some kind of unscheduled move with the Nebula Viper ? She rushed to the open doorway and skidded to a stop. Nothing moved or was out of place. Even the loose parts and tools she had scattered on several counters were where she’d left them. What the hey…?

Glancing behind her, she looked for Ari. He must have stayed inside. Once more she double-checked the outside, just to make sure she hadn’t missed anything. Nope, nothing had moved from that violent shake, so she went back inside.

Ari was kneeling on the floor next to an open portal.

Morgan’s heart raced. Did he find it?

“I wonder what this is.” He’d raised his open palm eye-level to examine the strange-looking secret thingamabob Morgan had hidden, hoping the Ozevroc never found it.

“I’m not sure, but I was hoping at least that might jog your memory.”

The spider-shaped gold-and-silver droid hadn’t moved. Its bulbous body, with its four spindly legs spread on its side, didn’t so much as twitch.

Ari flipped the lifeless bot over, bringing it closer to his face. “I can’t say I recognize it,” he murmured, his voice tight, “but I feel there’s something about it.” The steel gray of his eyes darkened, shadowed by a sudden intensity. “Something important I should know.”