Page 47 of Galaxy Gladiators Romance Box Set #11-19

Chapter Thirteen

L yra

“They’re in our sights!” Captain Zar’s excited voice wakes me from a sound sleep. Without conscious thought, I roll from bed, pull on clothes, and locate my shoes as he says, “Get to your stations. This is going to get rough. May the Gods protect us!”

“I still don’t have a station,” I say as I wonder where I can do the most good. “Savannah is still reeling. I may not know much about the engine room, but I can provide support and do her bidding if needed.”

Vartan and I meet at the doorway and kiss sweetly but swiftly as I palm the door open.

“I’ll see you when this is over Lyra. When things get rough, remember I love you.”

“I love you too.” I kiss him again hard and fast and make a run to the engine room.

“Sorry crew,” Zar announces. “Khour’s ship is within striking distance. We don’t have time to wait for the Devil’s Playground . If we want our males back, we have to attack now.”

Savannah’s on comms with Zar as I bound through the double doors. It shouldn’t surprise me that she’s speaking with him and competently manipulating her screens. Did I expect her to be weeping in a corner? Not someone on this crew!

“We’re going to need all the power you can supply!” Zar says. “We’ve got to keep our shields up and have enough energy to fire at them. If she’s anything like her father, her ship will have to be severely damaged before she agrees to give Theos and Doctoré back.”

“Shields are at full power, captain. We’re ready for battle.”

“Do you want me to share all comms with you, Savannah? It might be reassuring. It might be upsetting. It’s your call.”

“I’d like to see them, Zar. You can count on me to do my job no matter what.”

Zar’s comm flicks out, Savannah makes a few adjustments to her screens, then takes a deep breath and sits quietly for a moment.

“I can’t imagine what you’re going through,” I tell her. Watching Vartan’s match a few lunars back was nerve-wracking, but we hadn’t been together for over an annum like Savannah and Theos.

“I’m very close to him. The slavers threw us into the same cell and forced us to breed. We’ve talked about mating, but . . . it never seemed right. We’re friends, though. Good friends. We often eat together, have fun together, we’ve share a bed . . . but not that often.”

“Sorry.”

“Zar will get him back. He has to.” Her words are strong, but her voice is hollow.

“Brace!” says Callista on comms.

The ship shudders but keeps powering forward.

We’ve been through battle drills before, so I’m well aware of what it means when I hear the high whine as our ion cannons burst.

“Strap in,” Savannah says as she motions her head to the chair next to her.

The screen in front of me is scrolling through exterior shots. We’re in a warbird class vessel, built to do exactly what we’re doing right now—fight and withstand a battle. In front of us is a ship full of our enemy. It’s hard to know how far away they are, the cameras may have made the ship appear closer than it is. It’s terrifying.

“Stand down!” The screen in front of Savannah shows a lavender female with her purple hair in a strip down the middle of her head. The sides of her head are bald. The look on her face, her eyes blazing purple with anger, is more terrifying than her ship.

“I’m Commander Khour of the Diabolus , on orders from the MarZan cartel. I know the names of each and every one of you. You are our property. You stole our vessel. Although you’ve changed ships, we’ll consider this one to be payment for the Warbird you stole.”

I sit frozen in my chair as I watch this hard female list her demands. Although I never imagined our enemies would be soft or forgiving, Khour looks as though she’d use her bare teeth to tear your carotid artery out of your throat for the fun of it.

“I have your males. You will turn yourselves over to us or you will watch them die in front of you. I want to take you in alive, having no desire to destroy MarZan property—and you are MarZan property. Stop moving, turn off your ion cannons, agree to give yourselves and your ship to me, and I’ll let you all live and sell you at auction on Aeon II as planned. I’ll give you five minimas , then kill your comrades.”

Her image fades out and Zar’s face fills the screen. He’s in agony, his lips pulled back exposing his long fangs. He’s told us many times that he rules by democracy. The mantle of power hangs heavy on his shoulders and he prefers to take votes of the ship’s crew before new undertakings.

“There is no time for a vote,” he intones solemnly, his voice a deep growl. “You elected me captain after our insurrection, and I don’t bear the responsibility lightly. I don’t believe in leaving even one person behind. We must fight, we can’t stand down.”

“Brace!” Callista calls over comms as our ion cannon blasts our enemy.

I watch as Khour’s face appears on our screens. “Bad choice, slaves. Our shields were just reinforced with the latest tech. You’ll never penetrate them—”

“Brace!” Callista interrupts. Our ship hurls another ion cannon blast at the Diabolus . We see with our own eyes that the enemy ship barely shudders from the effects of our cannons.

Khour sneers, “If it were up to me, I’d kill you all right now, blow you all to ether with our superior weapon power and sturdier ship, but my father’s orders stand. He deemed a quick death too good for you. He wanted you all to expire in the slave pits of Rhoid or die fighting K’tars in the illegal fights on Numa.

“Brace!” Callista calls again, but it’s no surprise that the only thing this latest blast accomplishes is for Khour to slam her fist on her data console.

“Let me give you a taste of what the MarZan cartel can dish up. I happen to have a K’tar in the hold as we speak. Is everyone on your ship watching? I wouldn’t want you to miss the free show.”

I put my hand on Savannah’s knee, hoping to lend her my strength.

The vid from the cartel ship went dark for a moment, but it flicks on again. As soon as I understand what I’m seeing, my stomach cramps in dread.

Theos and Doctoré have been stripped naked and are standing outside a cage with bars as thick as my forearm. Although the cellblock is dim, I can see as much as I need of the animal inside the cage. Khour called this a K’tar? They should call it a death machine.

It’s on all fours and has a tail, but all resemblance to any animal I ever saw on Hyperion stops there. It has no fur, no skin, it’s as if the animal is made of blades. It’s not like the exoskeleton of an insect, at least not what I can see in the faint light. The blades are harder than that, sharper.

“Turn up the lights!” Khour’s voice cuts through the silence. “I want our enemies to see the fate of the males they have sentenced to death.” Two males, one on each side of Doctoré pull him to the cage door as a third looks ready to open it, a shock-stick in his hand. “If you don’t surrender, be assured one day I’ll catch you unawares and capture you. These males’ death will look like a trip to the park compared to what I have in store for you,” her voice is harsh, full of deadly promise.

Every muscle in my body coils, my teeth clamp together as I wait for the horrendous scene about to unfold.

The animal’s tail lashes as he paces across the small cage, then moves to the back wall and faces Doctoré. When he pulls his mouth back, showing rows of sharp, jagged teeth, he lets out a growl that freezes the blood in my veins.

“One last chance. Give yourselves up and your comrades will live.”

“ Drack you, Khour!” Zar’s voice booms over the comm. “ Drack you and the cartel. We aren’t your property! You don’t own us! We are not your prey. We’re not staying to watch.”

With that our ship launches into hyperdrive. I watch the feed from the front windows as the stars and ship in front of us blur, then disappear.

Savannah and I are silent. When I muster the courage to glance at her, I see tears streaming down her face. She’s a picture of misery, yet she doesn’t say a word.

“She might have stopped, you know,” I finally say. “It was all for show, and her audience left. She’s a businesswoman, practical. She’s not one to waste fighting flesh.”

Savannah says nothing. Her jaw is tight. She’s trying to control her emotions.

“Did you watch the vids of Theos’s capture?” I ask.

“No. I couldn’t bear it,” she says after a lengthy silence.

“No reason for you to watch it. I saw it. I’ll tell you what she said. She wanted souvenirs. She had her henchmen send her videos of everyone in the dining hall. She chose Theos first. It seemed clear to me what she wanted him for, Savannah, and it wasn’t to kill him. Her voice dripped with . . . interest. That may not be what you wanted to hear, but that female is the devil and she wanted Theos alive.”

She’s mulling over my words when Zar’s voice comes over the comm. “Females and males, this isn’t the end of our fight. We’re going to meet up with the Devil’s Playground , and we’ll go after her together. I vow by all that’s holy we’re going to collect our males. But I’m not stupid enough to enter a fight we’re bound to lose. I’m not a coward, and we’re not walking away. We’ll do this when the odds are in our favor.”

V artan

Not a word is spoken as every gladiator onboard files into the weapons room to choose his favorite. We’re all wearing the garb we use as a uniform when we go planetside. A black leather kilt, black leather sash, and black boots.

I choose my favorite longsword from its place on the wall, relishing the heft of it. It’s the only thing that’s felt truly real to me since we watched the door to the K’tar’s cell open and the vid go black. Was that only a day ago? We’re all still reeling.

When I return to the ludus , everyone is there. Zar is in front of the assembly, a well-worn black book in his hands. We gladiators form a ring in front of him and kneel on one knee in front of him, our weapons’ hilts in our hands, their points on the floor. Behind us are the females.

I steal a glance at Lyra who is standing next to Savannah, holding her hand. Lyra has been crying. Savannah has not. She’s standing straight and tall. Her teeth must be clenched, because her jaw is tight. If she’d been born male, that female would be a gladiator. She has the soul of a warrior.

Dahlia and Zoey are flanking Rileigh for support. I’m filled with sadness that Rileigh and Doctoré never bonded after slavers threw the original crew together into cells—one female, one male—and ordered them to have sex. I’m told that although there was no love between them they remained friends.

“Welcome to this solemn ceremony,” Zar intones. “We are here to celebrate two lives, but we’re only mourning one. I stopped the vid feed, none of us needed to be subjected to that, but I can’t imagine anyone, even our beloved Doctoré, could have escaped that K’tar. I will hold out hope for our friend Theos until we have proof otherwise. It is for that reason we still plan to meet up with the Devil’s Playground to pursue the Diabolus .”

Zar looks rough. I wasn’t here when the group elected him captain. I imagine it was a joyous day for him to receive such an honor. I doubt he imagined one day he would be conducting a funeral for one of his crew—a beloved friend.

“I have given grave consideration to the matter of pursuit. We are outgunned and outmanned. The rescue operation will require stealth and cunning. My beloved Anya tells me there is an Earth saying,” he consults his notes, “‘revenge is a dish best served cold.’” He pauses, takes a deep breath, then adds, “We will not forget our comrades. We will retrieve Theos, but although our ship is named the Fool’s Errand we will not embark on one.

“We will be smart. We will bide our time. We will strike when we have a decent chance of accomplishing our mission.” He pauses, folds his note, and slips it into a slim pouch on his sash. “Unfortunately, that mission will have to wait until the timing is right.”

Several in the room murmur, supporting his decision however much we wish we could embark on our rescue mission right this moment.

“Although we cut our feed at the last moment, I believe Commander Khour threw Doctoré into that K’tar’s cage. I do, however, hold out hope for Theos.” He looks pointedly at Savannah. “Sadly, I believe we need to hold a service for our comrade, Doctoré.

“I have no body to say words over. I’ve removed this book from his cabin and will use it in his service.” He holds up the black leather volume.

“Doctoré was a quiet male. A thoughtful male. He was a gladiator and then a trainer of gladiators his entire lifetime. He wasn’t built big like most of us, which in itself is a testament to his skill. If he’d been born in a different time and place, he would have been a scholar.

“I thought that about him on more than one occasion, but when I went to his cabin to find his most personal belonging for this ritual, it was confirmed. For his ceremony, I’ve chosen to read a passage from his journal.”

Zar opens the book to a place he’s marked with a piece of cloth and reads.

Perhaps only one who has endured meager rations

Can fully savor the taste of mellaberries on a summer day.

Perhaps only one who has been locked inside a cell

Can appreciate the simple pleasure of the warm sunshine kissing their skin on a trip to the sea.

Perhaps only one who has felt the sting of the lash

Can appreciate days without pain.

Perhaps only one who has been forced to bow to another

Knows the true joy of standing tall as a free male.

Appreciate it, I say.

Revel in it

Relish it all.

“I know each and every one of us has a heart that is aching. We are going to pursue this bitch, this devil’s spawn. But we’re not going to do it until we’re ready. Until we can win. We will not fight this battle only to lose more precious lives. When we fight, we will prevail.”

Zar stares into the audience. He takes the time to look each of his crew in the eye.

“Until we fight our next fight, I want us to do what Doctoré would have wanted. ‘Relish it all’ should become our watchword. Mourn if you want, I’m not the one to tell you not to. But when you’re ready, I want you to relish life.

“Is there something you’ve always wanted to do? To try? To say to someone? Do it now. Tomorrow might be too late.”

He closes the book and kisses the spine.

“Support each other. Love each other if you can. I’m deeply honored to be part of this crew.”

It’s silent in the ludus . It’s the largest room in the ship. It’s also the most used. I doubt any amount of cleaning will obliterate the smell of males pushing their bodies to the maximum in here. It’s a good smell that testifies to hard work by free males.

Zar’s words awakened something deep inside all of us. They spurred us to express our genuine emotions.

Spontaneously we approach each other and share a personal thought. Zar tells me he admires the way I followed his edict, even though it was so hard for me. Shadow tells me he was surprised at how well I took the instruction he offered so freely. Each male tells me something he values about me, and I have a ready compliment for them as well.

When I look over my shoulder, I see the females performing the same actions, albeit with hugs and tears.

“Maddie has a Paragon cake waiting for us in the dining hall. Finish all prayers in here. Cry your tears. In the dining hall we will celebrate a life well lived,” Zar says.

Before anyone leaves the room, I approach Lyra, grab her hand, and pull her to the weight bench. I jump on it and declare, “I’m relishing the moment!” The room grows quiet.

“Lyra, I love you and cherish you and could never meet a female as wonderful as you if I looked for a thousand lifetimes. Will you be my mate?”

My bold proclamation grabs their attention and even pulls a laugh from a few.

No longer the shy female I met a few lunars ago, little Lyra jumps onto the bench with me, then leaps into my arms as she squeals, “Yes!”

“When?” Savannah asks, her face no longer a mask of pain. Could it be she’s trying to relish this moment?

“No reason to wait another day!” Lyra declares, a huge smile on her face.

Is this the female I met a few lunars ago? The female who huddled at my feet and only nodded or shook her head for fear of speaking a word or making a decision? My heart swells with even more love than I felt a moment ago.

“Our ship has a wedding dress,” Savannah says, “a mating dress. Every couple has used it. It’s my job to take it out or hem it up for each bride. Since you’re so small, it’s going to be a challenge. Especially since we’re going to have a mating ceremony in one hour !” She emphasized those last two words.

“No cake until after the ceremony, you guys!” Maddie calls as she hurries to the dining room.

All the females gather around Savannah, mobilizing like a well-trained army. Lyra hops off the bench and runs to the females.

Savannah’s channeling her grief into work. Smart. When I see the frenzy of activity, I realize that’s what we’re all doing. Everyone mourns in their own way. The crew of the Fool’s Errand is going to mourn by the very act of moving forward while never, ever forgetting our beloved comrades.

Lyra

A herd of females swept me down the hall and are now engaged in a flurry of activity. Every female on the ship is smashed into my cabin. I’m wearing a dress that could fit two of me. Savannah’s mouth is full of pins and she’s slipping them along the hem. In a moment, it will be short enough for me to walk without tripping.

“I have no time to sew this,” she says after she removes the last pin from between her lips. “Walk slowly so you don’t step on a pin. Off!” she orders as she threads a needle with white thread.

“You’re sure I’m supposed to wear white?” I ask. On Hyperion white is for funerals. Bright red is for matings.

“It’s how it’s done where we come from, although I hear some Earth cultures get married in red. Frankly, it doesn’t matter,” Anya says as she helps me step out of the dress without getting scratched. “White is the only choice at this point unless you want to wait to get mated to the hunky guy who just proposed in front of the entire crew.”

“White it is,” I say as I stand in my underwear while Savannah whips long stitches along the side dress seams.

“Basting,” she says without looking up from her work. “It’s all we have time for. Even then, this thing is going to hang off you.”

“Don’t worry,” Dahlia says. She always has something sweet to say. “It will just remind us all how tiny you are and that you crawled into that duct and saved all our asses.”

“Speaking of asses,” Petra pipes up. She changed her hair from purple to shocking pink last night. “Speaking of asses, Commander Purple Hair caused me to make a personal vow to never wear that color again. What do you think?” She fluffs her hair, then gets busy making my long brown hair hang in pretty waves.

Savannah wasn’t exaggerating when she invited everyone to join us in one hoara for the mating ceremony. I like the rush. Everyone has mobilized to make this ceremony work. It’s far better than moping about Doctoré and Theos because right now we can’t make any of it better.

“Have you thought about vows?” Dahlia asks.

“No! Vows?”

“You say a few words about how much you love your guy. During the ceremony.”

For a moment, I freeze. I actually quit breathing. Then a bubble of laughter escapes me. A few lunars ago, speaking in front of everyone would have paralyzed me. Now it’s just another challenge.

“Maybe I should talk to Vartan about it,” I say.

Every female in the room shouts, “No!” in unison.

“It’s bad luck to see him before the ceremony,” Savannah scolds. She’s so immersed in this mating she’s not thinking about Theos. I’m glad she has this distraction. We all need one.

A moment later, Zoey is in front of me and gives me a perfectly formed red flower. Its fragrance perfumes the air. She must have gone to the hydroponics lab while we were all busy with the dress. She gives me a shy smile and I give her a hard hug. No words are necessary.

Moments later, the females escort me to the solarium where Zar is standing in front of the bank of windows. He’s wearing the same outfit in which he officiated the other ceremony only an hoara ago. But this time his face wears a very different expression. He’s beaming.

Vartan and I take our places in front of Zar. The females sit next to their mates if they have one. The happy excitement we all shared moments ago is gone. Everyone is solemnly expectant. This ceremony may have been rushed, but it’s not being taken lightly.

“Thank you all for coming,” Zar says. His feline face looks scary when he smiles, but I know he’s thrilled to be officiating on such a joyous occasion.

After the invasion and the cleanup, after Vartan and I made love and reconnected, I caught Zar alone and forgave him. He tried to apologize again, but I waved him off. “It’s over,” I told him. “Everything has worked out fine. It’s behind us.” We hugged, and I truly felt I had closure as I wondered if perhaps somehow it all worked out for the best.

“Vartan and Lyra will say their vows to each other. I know we will all relish this moment,” Zar says with a feline growl.

Vartan and I turn toward each other. He grips my hands, and his gorgeous gaze holds mine as his red eyes exude all the love he has for me.

“Lyra, you are so beautiful. Not just on the outside, but you are truly beautiful on the inside. Your willingness to learn and try new things has been an inspiration. Everyone in this room, including me, is here because of your courage and intelligence.

“I promise to care for you to the best of my ability. I’ll love you more every day, Lyra. I’ll love you every morning when I wake and when we go to sleep. I’ll love you with my dying breath.”

My knees feel weak for a moment as my pulse races. I take a breath and let my thoughts pour out of my mouth.

“Before I met you, I wasn’t a person. Not just in the eyes of the law, or the way other people thought of me. What was more damaging than all of that was how I viewed myself. I didn’t think I was worth a second glance, or that my thoughts were worth hearing.

“With your help and support, other people listen to me and believe what I have to say is worthwhile. Better than that, though, is that I know I’m important. I trust my thoughts and instincts.

“All of that is to say that through you I’ve found myself and because I’ve found myself, I trust my feelings. I love you, Vartan. And I always will.”

Who would have guessed I’d have the courage to say all that? In front of all those people? And I’m crying. And that’s okay.

“You may kiss,” Zar solemnly intones.

Vartan leans close and kisses me. It’s unlike any kiss we’ve shared before. It’s neither sweet nor passionate. It’s serious.

“I don’t take this lightly, Lyra. I want to protect you and take care of you and always do right by you.”

“It’s serious for me too, Vartan. I may have to keep saving your life. But don’t worry, I will.”

He smiles, lifts me up, and twirls me around as he roars, “Paragon cake in the dining hall and shots of the best Sillerian whiskey.” The room explodes with the noise of clapping, cheering, whistling, and stomping feet as our friends move forward to surround us. Yes, time to relish .