Page 17 of Interstellar Love Song (Villains in Space #3)

ZIGGY

Aside from the weeks we’d spent back on Earth for another family wedding, I hadn’t experienced what one might call a “vacation” since I first began working for Astrum Force Command.

What am I supposed to do with myself?!

“Hey, Zig. What do you think of guests writing their wishes for our future on a bunch of stones that we can keep?”

I blinked. “As weapons?”

“What?” Micah choked on a laugh. “No. We would put the stones in a glass bowl and display it somewhere…” he gestured toward the coffee table in my high-rise condo. “Like a keepsake.”

Why would I want to keep something like that?

“Can guests write threats and curses as well?” I asked, wondering if perhaps this “keepsake” had a dual purpose. “Against our enemies, of course. ”

Now that would be useful.

“I mean… whatever blows their skirt up.” My mate returned his attention to his tablet. “Okay, moving on?—”

Speaking of skirts.

“What will you be wearing?” I cut in, extremely interested in that topic. “In some cultures, the betrothed wear nothing but elaborate body paint for the binding ceremony.”

Micah swallowed thickly, gaze running down my body like a caress. “I… wouldn’t be opposed to seeing you in body paint, but I don’t think I’d want anyone else getting an eyeful.”

“Good point,” I muttered, calming myself by imagining removing the eyeballs of anyone who dared look at what belonged to me.

Maybe we can just elope…

“ Special delivery!” Bron’s voice called out from the condo’s entryway.

“KRAWWWWK!!!” Pedro squawked a moment later and I was star hopping to greet them before I knew what was happening.

Just to be helpful, of course.

“Greetings, little star.” I relieved Bron of the wriggling Trol, who seemed heavier than the last time I’d held them. “Are you here to help Micah plan the wedding?”

“Oh my gawd, yes!” Micah gasped as I strolled back into the living room with Pedro perched in his usual spot on my shoulder. “Maybe Baby P should have a part in the ceremony. They can throw rose petals around or something. ”

Or eat them.

“The only flower that grows here lets off a stream of noxious acid three times per day,” Bron proudly announced. “It’s Stellaria’s official flora.”

“Okay, let’s table that idea for now.” Micah returned his attention to the tablet as Pedro scampered down the arm of the couch and pounced on the fruit bowl with a ferocious snarl.

Perfect predatory instincts.

“How is the planning going?” Bron asked, lowering their armored form onto the nearby armchair. “Anything you need me to send a Star Unit to fetch for you?”

I stifled a smile. “Didn’t Honnor say that wasn’t what Star Units were for?”

My creator’s mate waved their hand. “Bah! I’m First Lieutenant. They have to do whatever I say.”

“And how did you get that prestigious title?” Micah snickered, eyes still locked on his screen as he scrolled through hundreds of wedding customs.

Better him than me.

Bron snorted and flipped open their visor, revealing swirling stars beneath. “Nepotism. How did you get your title… Commander Babygirl?”

Because I’ll do anything he says.

Micah’s cheeks darkened, but he unflinchingly met their gaze, lifting his chin defiantly. “Because I’m a bad bitch with powers beyond anything most Stellarians can comprehend.”

Get ‘em, Commander .

Bron’s laughter filled the space, startling Pedro back onto my shoulder with a spiny gup-gup clutched in their paws. “I must admit, Micah, it was slightly disappointing to hear confirmation of your lineage, but it makes sense. The Eki far exceed Stellarians when it comes to their abilities.”

Hmph.

“How close in genetics would you say we are?” My stellar collision’s tone was casual, but I could feel his tension through our bond as he awaited the answer.

Bron hummed thoughtfully. “We are more or less in the same genus when it comes to the Caelestis kingdom.”

“You know about the Caelestis family tree?” Micah snapped, anger flashing in his rich brown eyes. “Why was it news to Ziggy then?”

Get ‘em.

I also wondered why I continued to be kept in the dark about my own heritage, especially as I’d since been reunited with a maker who knew the truth.

Bron shifted uncomfortably in their chair.

“There are extensive records on Stellarian history in our stronghold on Apotelesma—everything that was liberated before the old Astrum Force destroyed the museums. While we needed to keep all knowledge within secret during our refugee days, it should probably be relocated back to Stellaria…”

Micah and I exchanged a glance, reminding me there was a larger issue at hand.

And I need to speak up.

For… Stellaria .

I rose from the couch and crossed my arms before staring down at Bron from my intimidating vantage point—a tactic I’d learned from years of interrogations.

“First Lieutenant… Why has the new Astrum Force not publicly revealed the existence of these historical records, or told Stellarians about our true purpose as stellar collisions? Honnor lied to me when we first met—saying he’d never met a bonded pair.

While I understand his reasoning then, withholding the official truth from your people now that you’re in a position of power sounds like the old Astrum Force’s methods, don’t you think? ”

“Get ‘em, Zig,” Micah whispered.

Pedro hissed in agreement.

Bron chuckled in amusement and spread their gloved hands wide.

“The historical records have not been brought back yet because we lack the time and resources to build a new museum to house a collection of this magnitude. That is all. As for the truth about stellar collision bonds… Honnor and I are still concerned that Stellarians raised on the old Astrum Force’s preference for total conquest may end up injuring any vessels they attempt to bond with ? —”

“What if it was Honnor?” I interrupted, needing them to understand how wrong this was. “Imagine for a moment that Honnor was a different species—a human— in a vessel that you could take over completely.”

Bron shuddered as if imagining exactly that, despite their insistence on True Stellarian moral superiority.

Never mind that we first met them wearing the empty shells of Zeanidions .

I leaned down, gripping the arms of Bron’s chair, caging in the much older—more battle-tested—Stellarian who could no doubt return me to the stars before I had time to react.

But I trust they won’t.

Because we are family.

“Would you have done it then, Bron?” I rasped.

“Would you have lulled Honnor into dreamlike complacency so you could take over like a degenerative disease—slowly so they felt every physical change, every mental synapses disengaging? Or perhaps you would have struck fast, fed off that moment of pure terror before you viciously destroyed their vitality, along with everything that made Honnor who they were?—”

“I WOULD NEVER!” Bron snarled, leaning forward so their helmet was centimeters away from my face. “I would never hurt them in that way.”

“And why is that?” I sneered. “Isn’t that all Stellarians know how to do? All we were created to do?”

The point I was making must have landed as they sat back with a resigned sigh. “Because Honnor is the other half of my soul, and even without having a true stellar collision bond, I would know they were mine.”

You would recognize them anywhere.

I straightened and glared down at them. “You wouldn’t if you still believed your only purpose in life was to be a harbinger of death and destruction.

I was terrified at the thought of connecting with my mate—convinced I would hurt him if I did—because no one had told me otherwise.

Stop. Infantilizing. Stellarians. The only reason we followed the old Astrum Force was because we didn’t know any better, and we had no one willing to lead us to the truth. ”

“Until you,” Bron murmured, rising to stand, softly humming with our familial resonance. “You were born to lead our kind ? —”

“I didn’t want to lead!” I shouted, annoyed that not only was my resonance responding to theirs, but that tears were threatening to fall. “All I wanted was the truth. I wanted to be free!”

Oh, fuck.

I met Micah’s gaze again as Bron yanked me into their arms for what my mate would call a “squeezer” hug.

The True Eki only wanted to be free…

“I am so sorry, son,” Bron murmured in one ear as Pedro chittered in the other. “You are absolutely correct. Stellarians deserve to know every truth the old Astrum Force was keeping from them, and we need to trust they can handle the knowledge that is their birthright.”

“Would you be willing to pass along what Zig said to Honnor?” Micah cut in, instinctively knowing I wouldn’t have it in me to repeat myself—especially to my Head Commander, maker or not.

My stellar collision always has my back.

“Of course.” Bron pulled back, seemingly struggling to compose themselves. “And I have no doubt they will agree completely, not only because Honnor sees Ziggy as the true savior of Stellaria—whether or not he agrees—but because it is the right thing to do. ”

“Thank you,” I murmured, dipping my head, mostly to hide how my cheeks had heated. “Thank you for listening to what I had to say.”

What I needed to say.

“We will always listen, Ziggy,” they replied. “You and Micah are in a unique position to have the ear of Astrum Force but Stellaria is meant to be a communal society—similar to what we’d established on Genero, Interitus, and Apotelesma.”

Creation, destruction, and the effect of the stars on human destiny.

Human… destiny.

“Bron…” I cleared my throat. “Is there anything in these archives on Apotelesma about why humans make the ideal vessel for stellar collision bonds?”

My maker’s mate cocked their head. “Perhaps… To be honest, I was too busy infiltrating Star Units on other planets to spend much time in the dusty archives. Would you like me to ask Honnor to arrange a tour when I speak with them tonight?”

“Yes!” Micah exclaimed before I could reply.

“Yes, that would be perfect, Bron… Please go speak with Honnor about all the things. In fact, why don’t you leave Pedro with us tonight and we’ll bring them home tomorrow.

We’ll all come over for dinner tomorrow, which gives you plenty of time to go talk to Honnor now. ”

What is he babbling about?

I watched in confusion as my mate practically herded Bron out the door, before spinning to face me, smiling wide. “Zig! Let’s take a sneaky trip to Apotelesma. ”

WHAT?!

“What?!” I hissed, glancing around as if Bron might reappear at any moment. “Why would we need to be sneaky? Honnor will take us, I’m sure of it?—”

“But when, Zig? Those historical records haven’t been high on Honnor’s priority list, understandably… But between you and me, I don’t trust that something won’t disappear from the archives before we can see it.”

My blood turned to ice in my veins. “You don’t trust Honnor and Bron?”

“Nonono, Space Daddy…” Micah ran to me, clutching my arm. “That’s not what I’m saying at all. I just find it weird that there are still Stellarians who’ve refused to leave the moons—who’ve shown no interest in rejoining Stellaria’s society. Who still insist on being free.”

Fuck.

I sank onto the couch as all the coincidences turned into similarities.

“You don’t think…” I trailed off as Pedro scampered onto my lap, considering whether the True Stellarians might tamper with history the way Astrum Force did.

The records had been kept safe on Apotelesma for tens of thousands of years, by those who’d seceded from their planet of origin—who’d created a new home, a new identity, based on rebelling against the old rule.

“If there’s something in those archives that contradict what the True Stellarians believe…” I murmured, gathering my th oughts. “Then the last thing they would want is the new Stellaria to get a hold of it.”

Micah slid onto the couch next to me, practically buzzing with the thrill of the chase. “Or, they just want to hold onto their claim for as long as possible.”

Because knowledge is power.

A side mission certainly was tempting, if only because I’d figured out in half a day that taking a break was not my idea of a good time.

Even if I do want to marry my mate as soon as possible.

To make way for other things…

“Perhaps these archives also include records on ancient Stellarian binding ceremonies,” I added, feeling myself blush all over again. “Perhaps there were once ceremonies between a Stellarian and their human stellar collision match.”

“Double mission time!” Micah chirped, tilting his head to kiss my cheek. “All we have to do is show up at the stronghold with Pedro— because who could resist that face —and tell the True Stellarians we’re there on business.”

I stiffened. “No, Micah, I… I can’t abuse my title of Interstellar Ambassador again. I promised Honnor?—”

“Oh, I didn’t mean for you to arrive on Astrum Force business,” Micah chuckled. “This isn’t the right crowd for that. No, we’re showing up with you being exactly who you are.”

Oh, no…

My stellar collision’s grin was truly villainous. “Ziggy Andromeda—the child of two rebels, savior of Stellaria, vanquisher of Astrum Force Command, and poster boy for True Stellarians.”