Page 5 of Interstellar Love Song (Villains in Space #3)

ZIGGY

“So what can you tell me about this one?”

Micah’s question jolted me from my thoughts, and I turned to face my mate. “About what?” I asked, still distracted by the dream I couldn’t seem to shake.

Mine, unfortunately.

Not his.

“The… planet.” He waved in the direction of where the planet in question should have been. “Tell me what you know. Knew.”

I blinked, unsure why my incredibly intelligent stellar collision required me to recite the same intel he’d been given.

“Very well. Locally, it was known as Osarius, mainly inhabited by the Os’os in a feudal system ruled over by land-owning overlords.” I smirked. “Similar to your Earthling medieval times. ”

“So… uneducated, indentured peasants,” Micah stated, his expression giving nothing away even as he studied mine. “Inhabited by no one important, in other words.”

I shrugged. “You could say that, but with Stellaria’s new focus on philanthropic efforts, we must investigate every distress call.”

Even if it’s a complete waste of our time.

Micah squinted at me. “Even if you consider it a complete waste of your time.”

I squinted back, noticing it wasn’t a question. “Are you reading my thoughts?”

“No.” His mouth twisted as he stifled a smile. “I just know how you think. Know how Stellarians think, I should say. Even with your focus on philanthropy, you’re still a bunch of intergalactic classists.”

I chuckled, more than willing to admit the truth in that assessment. “Yes, well, it’s been a learning curve to go from conquering planets to saving them.”

Micah’s smile faded as his focus shifted out the cockpit window. “I don’t think there’s anything left to save here…”

I followed his gaze and frowned. We’d already established that the Os’os and their planet were gone. Not hidden from view like Karn had been, but wiped from existence.

Just like all the others we’ve been sent to investigate.

Just like in my dream…

“I think there’s a pattern here, Zig,” Micah stated, wrenching me from my thoughts once again .

My brow furrowed. “Aside from the end result, I’m not following. The attacks have occurred at random, throughout multiple galaxies, with no clear path of destruction.”

“It’s not the trajectory I’m clocking,” he replied carefully—more thoughtful than hesitant, which filled me with pride. “And I don’t believe it’s random. There’s a pattern with who is getting hit.”

I cocked my head, interested to learn where he was going with this. “Proceed, Commander."

He rolled his eyes but soldiered on. “Okay, so… I don’t know how else to say this, but every planet that’s been annihilated are ones I could totally see old school Stellarians taking out just because they can. Because they’re weak.”

I grimaced at his crude assessment, even if I could understand why an outsider might perceive us that way.

“It’s true that Stellarians believe we’re one of the top predators in the galaxies…

but that doesn’t mean we target weaker species.

If anything, we tend to focus on those who might pose a threat—those who could truly challenge us. ”

Micah’s lip twitched, as if he had been about to smile, but the movement smoothed away before I could be sure.

Is he… testing me?

“Hmm,” he hummed thoughtfully, tapping his chin. “And who would you consider a worthy opponent?”

Definitely a test.

I didn’t mind in the least that Micah was walking me through his “working hypothesis.” He wasn’t doing it to be condescending or to frustrate me—this was simply how his beautiful brain worked. Plus, he liked to get me involved.

He also likes when I talk him through it.

“The Lacertus were a worthy opponent at one time, but then we evolved,” I replied with a smirk, just for the reaction.

“Stellarians and Lacertus are allies now, remember?” he huffed, unnecessarily reminding me we’d reached a truce with the big lizards during our last adventure.

Apparently we were more alike than we’d realized…

I sobered. “To be honest, sunshine, there aren’t many who could match us in battle.” I paused to seriously consider. “You can. Perhaps the Eki, now that I know more about them.”

Not that I would ever admit that to Leeloo.

Micah barked a laugh. “Yeah, because the Eki are you! For real, Zig, you realize the probability of Stellarians being the absolute top dog in all the galaxies is low, right?”

An uncomfortable sensation began to coil in my stomach. “You think whoever’s doing this is more powerful than a Stellarian?”

He peered at me incredulously over his high-tech glasses. “Well, they are making entire planets disappear into thin air… Either way, whoever’s doing this wants Stellarians to know about it.”

I froze. “They’re baiting us?”

That means they know about us…

About our planet .

Micah shrugged. “It’s hard to say what their motives are, but everywhere this has happened—everywhere that these distress calls have come from—the only other planet destroyers…” he cleared his throat, “Are you.”

“But we don’t make planets disap—” I began before snapping my mouth shut.

Oh.

The truth was, we did make planets disappear, in a way.

Back when Star Unit squadrons were sent to conquer planets, they star hopped en masse, in their true forms, with the sole intention of claiming the first vessels they saw.

From there, entire governments were infiltrated, until the only inhabitants left were either already dead or forced into subjugation.

For the glory and continuation of Stellaria.

Will we ever be on the right side of history?

Micah’s hand on my bicep brought me back to reality. “I hope you know I’m not trying to make you feel bad for what you are, Zig. This whole situation just reminds me of how heroes and villains challenge each other back on Earth.”

I smiled softly, appreciating how my stellar collision always made sure I knew he had my back. “Again, proceed.”

Tell me everything.

Micah returned my grin, pausing to stretch up on his toes and kiss me first. “Okay, so… with supes, it’s all about measuring proverbial dicks through superpowered brawls.

It’s no fun to battle someone you can wipe out in only a few minutes—you want your opponents to give you a challenge, you know? ”

He waited for me to nod before continuing, “So it might not even be about the planets disappearing—they’re just collateral damage. Whoever’s doing this is trying to attract a worthier opponent.”

Like Stellarians.

Cold dread skittered up my spine. “What if we can’t beat whoever’s doing this?” I whispered.

Micah pulled me closer. “This is just a hypothesis, Zig. We don’t know their intentions yet?—”

I laughed bitterly, even as I melted against him. “I can’t imagine their intentions are good.”

“Mmm… I wouldn’t be so sure,” he mused, veering off in another direction, as usual. “Sometimes, when supes battle, it’s a form of foreplay.” When I gaped at him he rolled his rich brown eyes. “Oh, please. As if it doesn’t turn you on when I turn up my naturally ingrained violent tendencies.”

Touché.

It was becoming difficult to keep up with his brilliant brain, as usual. “So… you’re suggesting this could also be a… mating call?”

He stepped back and scrubbed a hand down his face. “Maybe? I dunno. Stranger things have happened. All I know for sure is they want the galaxies to be aware of these attacks. Otherwise, the targeted planets wouldn’t even be given the chance to send a distress call.”

Terror is part of the game.

Aside from this sounding suspiciously like a Stellarian’s game, I couldn’t shake the feeling of something looming over us—just like in my dream—toying with us like prey before obliterating us.

“Zig?” Micah’s voice snapped me out of my anxiety yet again, and when I glanced at him, I saw he was watching me closely. “Do you want to talk about whatever’s bothering you?”

No.

“Liiike… Your dream?”

How does he do that?!

I sighed, knowing I’d been beaten. “I’m not trying to hide anything, I promise. I… I just don’t want what I’ve seen to get into your head. It was terrifying, Micah. There was nothing I could do to stop it. I lost my connection to you. I…”

My words choked off as I grabbed my aching chest, my heart pounding and my vision blurring with tears.

I felt our connection snap…

“Hey, hey… I’m here.” Micah slipped his hand under mine, his touch immediately activating my resonance, soothing me. “And I’m not going anywhere.”

“You can’t promise that,” I croaked, knowing I sounded petulant but hardly caring.

I can’t lose you.

Micah was quiet for a long moment, rubbing soothing circles over my heart with his thumb until my panic had subsided.

“Do you remember when Bron star hopped me away from Zeanides?” he finally asked.

I huffed at the reminder of another traumatic experience. “How could I forget?”

His lip twitched but he otherwise ignored my grumbling. “When I got loose, I panicked. I wasn’t sure how I would get back to you through the ether, but then I felt it…”

I couldn’t help smiling at the memory of how sneakily he’d infiltrated my life. “The tether you’d installed on my Celestial Cube?”

“Hell yeah!” He grinned mischievously before turning serious once again. “There was more to it than that, though. It almost felt like an invisible string connecting us together—like a vibrational frequency for me to follow back to you.”

I would recognize you anywhere.

He’d hinted at this story before, but sharing it again served its purpose of further settling me. It also reminded me of my similar experience.

I carefully chose my words, knowing this memory was triggering for him. “When my old Head Commander returned me to the stars, that was how I found my way back to you.” I paused to place my hand on his heart. “The piece of me inside you felt like a frequency calling me home.”

Please, I can’t lose you.

“Jesus, Zig.” Micah sniffled before clearing his throat. “Yeah… I think you’ve been implanting pieces of yourself inside me long before that—since we first kissed, if I had to guess.”

Horrified, I snatched my hand away. “ What?! I… I didn’t mean to?—”

“I know you didn’t!” He laughed and grabbed my hand with both of his. “I think you were subconsciously claiming me without realizing it—swapping star stuff while swapping spit—because after our first kiss was when I started being able to see the shimmer of your tendrils around you.”

This was new information. “You believe that me being inside you is what’s allowed you to sense Stellarians? Why can’t I sense them as well?”

Micah released my hand and reached up to flick my forehead. “You gotta loosen up that third eye, Zig. Let the witchy bitch out!”

Ridiculous.

I sighed but couldn’t help smiling at his antics. “I’m not sure I’ll ever loosen up enough for that… However, I do appreciate you calming me down after that unpleasant vision of a creature large enough to swallow an entire planet.”

My mate’s gaze went glassy in a way I recognized well. “Swallow, huh?”

Behave.

I’d apparently misinterpreted his usual tell, as he suddenly snapped to laser-focus—not on me but the mission. “Do you think we could get a full list of planets with less evolved species? Within the same light-year radius of the past few attacks, I mean…”

The working hypothesis is working overtime.

I grabbed my cube and immediately sent a message to Honnor. “Of course, sunshine. Astrum Force can request The Knowledge to send us what they have on file. Do you want to try and intercept the next attack?”

The idea made me simultaneously ravenous for the fight while also terrified of bringing my precious Earthling anywhere near it.

He canted his head. “Ehhh… I’d rather not put us in the line of fire before we know more about what we’re dealing with, but I wouldn’t mind getting to the scene of the crime before the evidence floats away.”

I nodded, even if I was refocusing on a scheme of my own.

The one where I propose to Micah correctly.

Followed by… other plans…

I cleared my throat and attempted to appear nonchalant. “While we wait for The Knowledge to deliver their intel, we could make a detour to the Mirari-Mirus galaxy to visit?—”

“Leeloo on Ekistron?” he interrupted excitedly. “Good idea! I bet they could give us some insight into what species might be powerful enough to challenge a Stellarian…”

Sigh.

That wasn’t what I’d had in mind, but I could also appreciate going straight to the source for insider knowledge. Plus, what babygirl wanted, babygirl got.

And we can always make my detour afterwards.