Page 41 of Chieftain (The Outlander Book Club… in Space! #1)

Khaion

Outside the command deck's bank of windows, the vastness of space appeared static, despite knowing the Bardaga traveled at eighteen thousand miles per hour to maintain an orbit around the Korfu moon.

"What is that?" Navigator second-class Trolan stabbed at his console, and the inky blackness of space morphed into an aerial shot of the moon's surface. Other than the oasis around the villa, the landscape was nothing but orange dust—or at least it should be.

“A Kerzak outpost.” I recognized the arrowhead shape of at least a dozen skiffs.

Charick was right. When he’d noticed the Kerzak ship arriving from somewhere on the moon, my Sage was insistent we survey for a sign of the beasts.

The discovery of this base provided evidence the Kerzak were far more embedded with Nansar than we suspected.

I felt a softness next to me, and my arm slipped around her waist, drawing Emmy to my side.

“Could Willa be there?” Her voice held a tenor of hope.

“I don’t see Nansar’s ship,” Charick cut his eyes toward my mate, his expression holding a modicum of apology unnatural to his features.

Emmy cuddled closer against my side, seeking comfort. I shifted slightly, drawing her fully against my chest, wrapping both arms around her. I needed to announce that Emmy survived the Valakana. My crew—my people would celebrate our mating.

"Where could he have taken her?" It was a question my mate asked of the universe, but my heart hurt I could not answer.

"Bartuk is surveying the galaxy for signs of the tracker. Hopefully, we will find it soon." While the trackers we employed were the best technology in the galaxy, finding their signature was not infallible—especially if Nansar jumped into hyperdrive.

“Chieftain?” The hint of worry in Trolan’s voice captured my attention. Keeping Emmy pressed close, I moved to the navigator’s chair.

“What is it?”

“It appears the Kerzak are readying several of their ships.”

With the punch of a few buttons, we magnified the compound.

Metal buildings low to the ground sat in an L-shape around a rectangular concrete slab holding the ships.

This was more than just a simple outpost. This was a military base.

As we watched, four skiffs went airborne, rocketing toward the villa.

“They must have gotten word of the battle,” Charick huffed.

“Will they know it was us?” Emmy trembled in my arms.

"We left no one alive to tell," I muttered, and her shiver intensified for a moment before subsiding altogether.

“I can target the base easily, Chieftain,” Tolan suggested. “It would only take a couple of blasts from our laser cannon to decimate them.”

I laid a hand on the crewman's shoulder, missing Jutuk acutely. Tolan was skilled but young and emotional. Jutuk knew me well enough to never recommend a senseless slaughter—even of Kerzak.

“Until we know the depth and reason for Nansar’s alliance with the Kerzak, we cannot make a move.”

“Duke Ako cannot know of this,” Charick muttered.

“Why not?” Emmy asked, her green eyes sparkling with curiosity.

Charick’s eyes cut to me. This was a story I needed to relay. Hopefully, it didn’t upset her.

"Duke Ako's mate, Nanaria, was killed in a Kerzak attack."

Emmy’s face scrunched into a frown, her lower lip pouting, and it was all I could do to keep from bending over and catching the plump pink flesh between my teeth.

“If the Kerzak killed Nansar’s mother—how can he help them?” Deep green eyes flashed angrily.

“Nanaria was not his mother.” I took a deep breath and met her inquisitive gaze. “Nansar is the child of Duke Ako and his first human concubine, Helene.”

Emmy’s face flashed with shock for only a second before her lips pressed tightly together, brows furrowing. “I knew he had human features.” She hissed. “What an asshole. How can he do that to Willa when his own mother was human?”

“The Alliance needs to know of this.” Charick moved from his station to peer over Bartuk’s shoulder. “Whatever the reason, Nansar allying with the Kerzak cannot end well.”

“Agreed.” I gave my Sage a curt nod before glancing at my mate.

Her eyes danced as she returned my gaze, whatever ire she felt over Nansar melting.

My chest swelled, as did my cock. I felt her heart beat faster.

Mine matched the beat, thudding against my chest. I ran a knuckle over her cheek.

“I also need to inform the elders of our mating.”

"Why?" Emmy stiffened, and her gaze flashed to Charick as though she suspected him to be somehow to blame. "You don't have to get their permission for us to be together, do you?"

“No.” A chuckle escaped my lips. “I need to inform them of the strength and resilience of human women.”

“Our species has always suffered a small female population and low birth rates.” Charick braced his hip on Bartuk’s console, crossing his arms over his chest. "Cross-species breeding has never been rejected by Vaktaire elders, and they should be pleased to know that we can mate with human women," Charick said as he braced his hip on Bartuk's console and crossed his arms over his chest.

“They better.” The way my mate eyed Charick with fierce determination was the very reason the elders would be pleased.

"Is the Valakana satisfied?" My Sage's voice was skeptical, but I recognized the flash of hope in his eyes.

I pressed one palm over my heart and the other over Emmy’s—the rhythm of our hearts was in complete sync. “It is.”

Charick pursed his lips, studying my mate with something akin to appreciation. "She survived. A species that frail, and she survived."

Emmy issued a loud snort and shook a small finger at my Sage. “I keep telling you, humans aren’t as frail as you think.”

My Sage rolled his eyes, unconvinced. Charick didn't realize that a human female's strength wasn't on the outside. Their courage, resourcefulness, and resiliency existed on the inside, a strength of spirit as great as any strength of the body.

“Chieftain,” Bartuk’s excited yelp made Emmy jump. “I found the Aljani skiff.”

Emmy slipped from my side and was leaning curiously over Bartuk’s console before I managed a step in that direction.

“Where is he?” Charick demanded, his voice edged.

"Trajectory has him heading for the Ajaxian system." Bartuk punched a few buttons, bringing up a map of the known star systems. Nansar's ship appeared as a small red blinking dot in the vastness.

“Of course, he’d head for the Duke’s citadel.” Charick barked, scrubbing a hand through his hair. I hadn’t seen my Sage… my friend this on edge since the Romvesian skirmish.

“He knows we escaped his plans for us on the Korfu moon,” the reason for his trajectory settled into my mind. “Nansar needs to get to the Duke and do damage control before we get to the Alliance.”

“He won’t hurt Willa, will he?” Emmy’s voice wavered, her green eyes shimmering with worry.

"No." I pulled her against my side, loving how I felt her heartbeat slow as she relaxed against me. "Whatever Nansar plans, he won’t stand against the Duke alone. My guess; he’ll use Willa to distract the Duke, but he won’t hurt her.”

"We're going after her, right?" The worry in my mate's eyes shifted to determination. However, there was a faint tremble to her lip as though she expected a negative answer. As if I could ever say no to her.

“Nansar’s skiff is much smaller and faster than the Bardaga,” Bartuk gave a purely technical answer, his fingers flying over his console with practiced ease. “He would long arrive at the Duke’s citadel before we caught up to him.”

"What about a smaller ship? Like Daikon and Jutuk used to go after my other friends?" Emmy's face reflected beautiful resolve. The ache to kiss her was a physical pain, but I denied myself—for now.

My mate was correct. A smaller cruiser or skiff could catch up to Nansar more quickly. I glanced around the command deck. With my council gone, we were shorthanded already, but perhaps I could find one….

“I will go after Willa.”

Emmy’s shocked gasp echoed through the command deck.

Charick stood stiff and straight, hands clasped behind his back as his eyes met mine. He was my loyal friend and Sage. I would trust him with my life—even with Emmy’s life should the need arise, but never in all my years did I expect this.

“You?” My brows drew together as I spoke.

“You will?” Emmy echoed, her voice faint with surprise.

"I am the best choice. My personal cruiser is the fastest of our smaller fleet.

It should catch up to Nansar before he reaches the Ajaxian system.

If not, and Nansar makes it to the Duke's citadel, we will need a political solution to rescue Willa, not a military one. I am best qualified for negotiation.”

“Bullshit!”

Emmy's voice trembled with amusement, and she stepped from my side to glare at my Sage more closely, arms crossing over her chest, which made her breasts plump up rather enticingly.

To Charick's credit, his demeanor didn't change under her scrutiny.

But I'd known him longer than anyone and could tell by the set of his muscles that she perturbed him.

"I saw you when that Kerzak attacked Willa," Emmy leaned closer, peering into Charick's face. "You were like a man possessed."

I laid a hand on my mate's shoulder, intending to tell her that Charick only fought in the Vaktaire way. It was our nature to defend those more helpless than ourselves, but the shifting of my friend's stance and his deep sigh stilled me.

“There was… her scent.”

Charick's eyes met mine, and I recognized the emotions he was trying to hide - fear that the precious thing just discovered might be lost and the determination to fight against that outcome.

“Bartuk, have Charick’s ship prepped. He will leave within the hour.” All I could do as his friend and chieftain was help him with this quest. “Make sure we equip his vessel with the latest version of cloaking technology.”

“Cloaking technology?” Emmy asked, her gaze never leaving Khaion.

“It is akin to the stealth suits we wear. Cloaking will render his ship invisible to all types of radar and scans,” Bartuk explained, putting my command into action with the punch of a button.

My gaze shifted from the console to Emmy as she took another step forward, her hand landing on Charick’s arm. Their relationship could hardly be described as friendly, but Emmy's beautiful face showed her gratitude.

Charick shifted, gazing down at her curiously, his expression morphing to surprise when Emmy slid her arms around his waist, head pressed to his chest.

“Thank you,” she whispered, voice thick and trembling. “Thank you for going after Willa.”

My Sage’s glance flickered to me for permission before his hands lifted to rest on Emmy’s shoulders, dark head dipping to press a cheek against the crown of her head. He seemed as shaken by her gesture as I was proud.

I watched the two of them standing in an embrace made of worry and understanding.

Charick's hand tightened on Emmy's shoulders, and his eyes closed, almost like he was willing away the emotions boiling beneath his skin.

There was no jealousy or rage on my part—no need to rip the touch of Charick's hands from Emmy's body.

I felt a wash of tenderness in watching my best friend and mate comfort each other over worry for one they both held dear.

Watching them, I felt strangely whole.