Page 11 of Chieftain (The Outlander Book Club… in Space! #1)
I slowed my stride so Emmy could keep up with me.
Her small hand clutched mine while her other hand rested on my bicep.
I could hear her heartbeat. It was fast but not overly so.
Her scent, which reminded me of the floral fields of my home world, held a sharp edge.
She smelled anxious but without the burning, metallic scent of fear.
The room held a long oval table that seated twenty, with a console at the far end used for refreshments.
The longest wall was a bank of dark screens connected to the ship's comm system.
I took my place in the chair at the head of the table while pulling out a seat on my left for Emmy.
She looked like a small child in the oversized seat, and without much thought, I pulled her chair closer to mine.
My council settled themselves in their usual seats, keeping a guarded watch on Emmy.
Humans tended to scream when they were around us, and they likely wondered why she had not.
The only outward indication of the tiny human's unease was a jerk when the doors whished open again, admitting Orzon, followed by several crew members carrying trays of food and drink.
"It is good to see you, my Chieftain," Orzon announced in his usually exuberant voice, motioning for the serving of refreshments. His bright eyes settled on Emmy, who perused him with calm curiousness. As a species, Framaddi were not frightening. They were as small as humans with stocky bodies, pale blue skin, platinum hair, and light blue eyes. In my Earth studies, I saw an image of a painting called Raphel’s Cherubs .
The Framaddi reminded me of wingless versions of those tiny creatures, save for the blue skin and wickedly sharp teeth.
"Emmy, this is Orzon." The human started when I said her name, but the smile she turned on the Framaddi was sincere and friendly. "Orzon will see to your needs while you are on the Bardaga."
"It's nice to meet you, Orzon." Emmy held out her hand.
Being aboard the Bardaga, Orzon was well-versed in human customs. He gently took her hand, shaking it as was the human way of greeting.
"It is my pleasure to greet you, human Emmy. I will be proud to see to your care."
"Thank you." Emmy's smile broadened, and I watched infatuation settle over Orzon like a blanket. A wild surge of aggravation flashed through me, and I shooed the Framaddi back to his duties while placing a selection of bread, meat, and fruit on Emmy’s plate.
Our daily calories were built from proteins and simple carbs that we could adjust for texture and taste.
On special occasions like this, when we had humans or other guests on board, Orzon displayed his culinary skills using various foods we procured from different venues.
While she eyed some of the selections warily, Emmy's appetite proved decent.
"Do we have a report on the trackers?" I asked after a sip of valat, the wine made from the fruit of the vaya tree native to my planet.
“We do.” Jutuk wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.
His eyes darted to the human at my side, and the corner of his mouth twitched.
I felt myself stiffen with ire, despite knowing my navigator's interest to be innocent enough.
Although not the first human on the Bardaga, Emmy was the first human brought into discussions with my council.
I knew my men wondered why. "From the trajectory of the trackers, we've been able to pinpoint the most likely destination of each skiff—the Lacaille space station, the Gilese moons, Erdani, and Proxima systems. I've contacted Vaktaire ships near those sectors to keep watch. "
The sigh of relief escaping Emmy's lips meant everything to me—though I didn't know why.
“While we waited to intercept the pod, I contacted the superintendent on Tau Ceti," Charick said, leveling his gaze at me, then nodding to Emmy. "They are sending transport for the human to join them."
“Well, they can just turn that transport the hell around!”
Small, soft, fragile Emmy was gone, and a force of nature stood in her place. Her tiny fists were clenched at her sides, and her eyes blazed as she glared at Charick.
"I beg your pardon?" my Sage stuttered. The shock washing over his features was laughable, as proved by Daicon's deep chuckle.
"I'm not going to Tarzan or anywhere else until my friends are found," Emmy announced with a stomp of her foot against the floor.
“Tarzan?” Charick echoed, stupefied.
"Wherever the hell you're trying to send me," Emmy growled, dismissing the idea with a wave of her hand. "I won't go anywhere before I find my friends."
I felt more than heard the rumble of laughter build through my council members. My short grunt and irritated scowl ended any expressions of amusement. Emmy's anger and determination should be respected, not mocked, despite her scowl being far more adorable than threatening.
"Humans do not belong on a Vaktaire battle cruiser." Charick dismissed her with a flick of his long fingers.
“There’s a first time for everything," Emmy snorted, glaring at me. "You said you would help me find my friends. You promised."
Her eyes froze me in place. I was Khaion, Chieftain of the Vaktaire battleship Bardaga, a decorated warrior of many battles. I fought against the worst creatures in the galaxy. I feared nothing... except disappointing the tiny human staring at me.
“I did promise you.” I reached out, covering one of her hands with my own before facing the council. "Emmy will remain onboard the Bardaga until we recover her friends. They will go to Tau Ceti together.”
"You have got to be kidding." Charick's fist hit the tabletop with a thud. "A battlecruiser is no place for a human."
“Oh, I don't know," Daicon drawled. His chair squeaked in protest as his massive frame leaned back from the table. He gave Emmy a dazzling smile. “She might liven the place up a bit.”
Tarook looked up from his glass of Venusian ale with a snort. “It will be nice having something pretty to look at instead of your ugly faces.”
"I will like having a new friend on board," Orzon gave her a shy smile. The way Emmy returned the gesture had him beaming.
“It is against Alliance law to keep a liberated human,” Charick hovered a finger in Emmy’s direction, then dropped it suddenly as though realizing he might be in danger of her biting it off.
“So, it’s okay for a bunch of slavers to carry humans to the far corners of space, but I can’t ride around for a while with the good guys while we look for my friends?" the tiny human challenged. I looked down at my ale cup to keep from laughing at the expression on my Sage's face.
“She’s got a point,” Jutuk agreed, drawing a low growl of anger from Charick.
“Where do we go first?” Emmy turned to me, her eyes bright green and sparkling.
"What do you mean?" My voice was huskier than usual, something I knew wouldn't go unnoticed by my Sage.
Emmy lifted a slender hand and pointed toward my navigator. "Well, Jutuk said, the trackers showed you where my friends are headed. Who do we go get first?"
My eyes rolled at the preening my navigator did at her mention of his name.
I grabbed her slender wrist and drew the tiny human back to her seat. "Emmy, you must understand, even though we have the trajectory of where the skiffs are headed, it may still take minas—I mean months—to find your friends.”
“Plus, the Bardaga’s directive is to guard the Earth, not jaunt across space hunting lost humans." Charick's arms crossed over his chest. He looked like a pouting youngling.
Emmy's face dropped, taking on an expression that made me concerned we were in danger of seeing more human tears. I resisted the urge to punch Charick, giving Emmy's hand a reassuring squeeze.
“The Bardaga has guarded this galaxy for nearly thirty Earth years. The Alliance will consent to a short leave of absence from our duties.
“Thank you,” Emmy sniffled. Her hand touched my forearm, giving a squeeze of very little strength, yet it held inordinate power over me. Her palm was warm against my skin, and the gratitude in her sparkling deep green eyes stroked over me like a caress.
"If we're getting leave, I could check out the Lacaille space station," Jutuk suggested, holding his cup out to Orzon for a refill of ale. "My sister lives there."
Emmy smiled, her beautiful face dancing with a mixture of relief, gratitude, and a flash of something that might be cunning. Her smile widened, and she lifted her hand, kissing the tips of her fingers, and blew across them in Jutuk's direction. "Aren't you sweet? Thank you!"
Jutuk's eyes widened, and a dark bronze flush crept to his cheeks. I wanted to hit him.
“I wouldn’t mind heading to the Eridani system," Tarook chimed in. "The Trogvyk are probably taking your friend to the hedonism ship Hartouk Lenaii.” A wicked grin curved my weapon master’s mouth. “I can look for your friend while I, um… am relaxing.”
A sound trickled from Emmy's lips, high-pitched and lyrical. It warmed me from the inside out, clenching my stomach and making my cock jerk.
"You're such a sweetheart," she beamed at my weapons master. "Horny, but a sweetheart."
Tarook lifted his hands, patting his head for the horns Emmy mentioned, which only made her laugh harder, the sound having a definite effect on my cock. I shifted and adjusted to make myself more comfortable.
What was it about this tiny human female?
"Well, hell, I'm not staying on the ship like some Gomer," Daicon announced, his palm accenting his decision with a thud against the tabletop. "I'll head to the Gilese system. They may be using slaves in the mines again, although I don't know what a bitty thing like you could do in a mine."
"I thought you swore never to set foot on the mines again?" Charick's voice was droll.