Page 18 of Einar (The Brigands of Ruk #2)
Chapter Eighteen
EINAR
Settling my bulk into the pilot’s chair, I wiggle around trying to get comfortable. Things are almost too small for me, which is part of why I do not go on raids as often as the others. Me being the only medic we all have access to is another. I am always on standby to make sure my brothers have access to the best medical care we can procure.
My larger body makes fitting into shuttles and smaller spaces a pain in the backside. Thanks to the improvements the Aynar did while my Life - Giver was pregnant with me, my body is larger than all of my brothers. More often than not, my mass creates more trouble for me than it resolves. I am still not sure what those frackin fairies were thinking to make their expert healer so large, but they did not ask me.
Grabbing the yoke in front of me, I ease the shuttle out of the bay and into the vastness of the Void . Once I have cleared the Zenith , I activate the cloaking mechanism and then double check that it is fully functional before leaving the safety of the Zenith’s larger cloak. Reaching over, I flip a switch to initiate the navigation panel and look over the coordinates Bikar pre-programmed into the shuttle one more time. Assured that they are fully loaded and correct, I check the fuel cells and comm systems.
The sound of Slavic’s rough voice on the comm confirms that he has left the Zenith as well, and he is checking our comm links, too.
“ Einar , are you with me, brother?”
“ Right behind you. I will take the bottom bay and you take the other.”
“ Sounds like a plan. Are we going to keep any prisoners alive for Murgul to play with?”
“ Depends on how much fun I am having, or if I have any restraint left once we secure the ship.”
I hear the soft snick of the communication line cutting off. Slavic is not one for idle chitchat. Maneuvering around the Velgriddix ship, we check for any sign of a trap. It would not be the first time Bikar found what appears to be an easy target only for it to be a ploy to lure unsuspecting beings in. These bugs have infiltrated every portion of this solar system, and have done so by being suspicious, vicious, and highly intelligent.
Falon should be working on disabling the thrusters on the Velgriddix ship. I have no doubt that he almost has it done and when he does…
The fun will begin.
A soft ping on the console is my signal from Slavic that I am free to proceed toward the lower cargo dock while he infiltrates the main one. Guiding my shuttle around, I find the hatch for the cargo deck on this rust bucket of a ship and extend the docking cable. Once I know the connection is solid, I ping Slavic to let him know I am attached and proceeding with the next step of the plan.
Launching a bit of malware into the ship next to me, I cut the power to the engines and the majority of their systems. A slight lurch is the only sign that their power is shut off. Then , I override their backup security protocols and open the hatch to their lower dock as I move the shuttle over so I can just step from it into their cargo hold. Extending the docking sleeve, I make a pressurized hallway of sorts. My brothers would never let me live it down if I got sucked into the vacuum of space because I forgot to set the atmospheric shield to move from one ship to another.
Why thank you for making it so easy for me to get inside your piece of shet ship you nasty bastards.
Grinning to myself, I unwedge myself from the pilot’s chair and move toward the shuttle door, grabbing my ‘new to me’ axes as I go. Just as the shuttle door opens, I hear alarms start going off all over the bug’s ship.
Frack !
Slavic beat me on board by a tic, not that I have any intention of letting him know that. Just because we are grown does not mean there is no sibling rivalry still.
The slide of a door snags my attention, and I watch in anticipation as three bugs rush into the cargo bay. Stepping out of the shuttle, the door automatically closes behind me. My biosignature leaving the vessel initiates an automatic lockdown. Even if I should fall in battle, the bugs will not be able to scrap the shuttle. My brothers will be able to retrieve it or it will explode if the Velgriddix manage to get the door open and then step on board.
Murgul is a genius at warfare tactics.
Gripping the handle of an axe in each of my meaty fists, I lunge forward with a bellow, meeting the scourge before me with a vengeance. Dodging a pincher from the biggest one in front, I whirl, lashing out with both axes and chopping the tails off the smaller two in one motion.
Their shrieks of pain are music to my ears. Unfortunately , I do not have time to play with these three, so I cannot dawdle. I know not how many more are on board and Slavic might need my help. With that thought in mind, I hack, chop, and maim my way through the bugs with a deadly grace that seems otherworldly, considering my size.
Just because I am big, does not mean I am clumsy.
By the time I make it to the door leading to the interior of the ship, my body is covered in slime, and there is a trail of dismembered bodies behind me. To my surprise, the door opens when I get close, and I sneer in reaction.
The Velgriddix are cheap, so their doors are triggered by motion only. Fortunate for me, truly stupid of them. This means my brothers and I will have zero issues accessing the entire ship.
Exiting the lower cargo deck, I instantly hear the sounds of battle. My boots clang against the floor with each heavy stride as I run toward the commotion. Certain that when I reach the source of all the noise, I will find Slavic smack dab in the middle of the melee. Rounding a corner, I see several Velgriddix attacking my oldest brother and I launch myself into the fray with a booming bellow. Shooting a mischievous grin over at him, I see his answering smile and we hack away at the bugs until there’s nothing left but steaming carcasses beneath our boots. I am almost disappointed that the fight is over so soon. It was just getting fun!
Rolling my head from side to side, I stretch the tension out of my thick neck before running my eyes over Slavic as I check him for damage. My eyes land on a small wound on one of his arms.
“ I have not enjoyed a rising quite this much, in well, some time! Are you injured, Slavic ?”
He sees me motion toward his arm and looks down to assess the wound.
“ One of the frackers tried to stab me with his tail, but he just nicked me. I got sidetracked playing with that last one who was teetering back and forth on the two legs I had not cut off yet. I just managed to get my arm up in time, or you might have had to finish them off by yourself.”
“ That is what you get for playing with your enemies, instead of focusing on the matter at hand. Their upper bodies, at least, have several weak points, but those fracking tails are deadly. Let’s go see if there is anything worth salvaging on this stinking heap. Then let us get out of here before their filth settles into our skin and we cannot scrub it off. I will comm Bikar and let him know it is safe to hard dock.”
“ Sounds like a plan. I will check the rest of this upper corridor while you head back toward the lower deck. Keep your eyes open, there could still be a few hiding.”
Shuddering in disgust at the second layer of grime clinging to me, I drop both axes into the frogs attached to my belt as I head back toward the lower deck, taking the hallway to the left that angles downward and lets you descend to the lower level without having to use a lift.
Stinking miserly Velgriddix ; did not even have a lift installed in this hunk of junk.
Once I reach the lower level, I pause at each door to check out the contents of said room before moving on to the next. The first three rooms appear to be lower-level crew quarters, and I do not linger in any of those rooms as the stench emanating from them makes my eyes water. It is hard to believe that this species is perfectly fine with living in squalor.
The last door lurches opens as I approach, and I realize this is the room they keep their breeders and food in. I can see blatant signs of captivity all over the room, and the scent of bodily waste combined with ammonia is almost enough to make me gag. That is a hard thing to do since as a medic I am accustomed to all sorts of scent profiles. Peering around the room, I make sure there are not any unfortunate souls left down here before beating a hasty retreat.
Huffing in frustration, I ping Slavic on the comm.
“ Slavic , did you find anything interesting up there?”
“ Negative , Einar . There are only two more doors in this area, so once I clear both of them, I will be down to help with the cargo.”
Re -entering the lower cargo bay, I make my way over to the large pile of crates stacked against the far wall. Rubbing my hands together, I start to open one of them to see what treasures lie in wait when my comm sounds and Slavic’s gruff voice catches me by surprise.
“ Einar , I need some help up here.”
“ Be right there.”
The urgency in his voice prompts me to sprint back across the ship, my heavy tread shaking the ramp as I thunder up it toward my brother and whatever it is that he found. It has got to be something big or he would not have sounded like that.
Glancing down, I tap one of the buttons on the side of my comm, activating the tracking beacon so I can find Slavic sooner rather than later. From the sound of his voice, I have no time to lose. Sliding around the corner, I pass a startled Ruarc .
What is he doing here? He is supposed to be on the Zentih …
Though I don’t stop to speak, I note his curious gaze in passing as I continue toward the room Slavic is in.
Absently , I note the pounding rhythm of Ruarc’s boots sounding behind me as he follows. I am running so fast I almost pass the room Slavic is in as I screech to a halt just as the door slides open. Grabbing the edge of the doorway, I propel myself into the room. The second I breech the threshold a delicate scent, entirely out of place in this hellhole, infiltrates my sensitive nose.
Looking around, I search for the source of the scent when a flash of red across the room catches my attention. Without thinking, I storm that way, the mouthwatering scent getting stronger the closer I get to the breeding nest where I saw the red originate from.
The sight that greets me when I reach the bowl robs me of breath. Lying there amongst the litter is an emaciated human female. At first glance I think she is dead and grief wells from deep within me at the thought that this delicate creature is no longer amongst the living. But then I hear a weak whisper of breath and one of her delicate fingers twitches. Reaching down, I start tearing the bowl apart, looking for the end of the chain that is wrapped around her too thin ankle.
I know I am not thinking logically but instead, panicking and I am not sure why. All I need to do is break the chain where it is connected to the wall, but that would mean moving away from the little female. That is not something I am capable of at this time. Finally , I locate the rusty chain amongst the filth covering the bottom of the nest she’s in. Grabbing the chain, I grip the links in my hands and rip them apart as close to her ankle as I can get.
The edge of my pinky finger brushes her ankle as I jerk the links apart and the second our skin touches, my breath is sucked from my lungs as my mating mark burns its way across my body, and my soul lights up from deep within. It scorches a path from my neck down across my chest and continues further down where it pools in my groin. The fact that my cock is on fire should be concerning, but I am too overwhelmed with the fact that I just found my Starshine . I can feel the spines on my back lifting from where they have lain hidden amongst the armor-plated scales that line my back. The tingling emanating from them tells me that they are changing colors to match the gamut of emotions filtering through my mind.
Leaning down, I lift my mate into my arms, being as gentle as I can with her fragile body. Once she’s safely in my arms, the gravity of her condition becomes apparent. She has almost no body fat to speak of, her cheeks are sunken in, and I can see almost every bone because of her thinness. What concerns me the most is the blue hue to her lips and the rasping wheeze that is rattling within her chest as she gasps for every tiny breath. She is suffocating to death right in front of me.
Turning on my heel, I sprint toward the door.
“ I will meet you on the Zenith ,” I call out to Slavic as I pass him where he kneels next to a Rukuhk female that looks eerily like Kallen , but I do not stop to double check. Ruarc appears in the door just before I reach it, and he jumps out of the way to avoid being run over as I hurriedly exit this hellish place.
My mate is dying in my arms, and I refuse to let her go before I have even met her. Looking down into her battered face, I note the multitude of wounds, both old and new, before my eyes land on a tiny silver chain held together by the smallest lock I have ever seen, suspended there between her breasts, swaying with every step I take.
My poor Starshine … what has happened to you?