Page 1 of Klora (Mates of the Mylos #6)
CHAPTER 1
KLORA
“Do you know what ‘polishing your sword’ is a euphemism for?” Peterson asked me.
I shook my head as I rubbed the cloth over the metal, having already checked the blade over carefully for any scratches or nicks I might have missed. I’d been in somewhat of a hurry after my last combat training session, and while I was careful with my weapons, I’d taken care of it while paying closer attention to the latest episode of the BBC’s Death in Paradise than I had to my blade.
Peterson chuckled and made a rude hand gesture I’d learned meant jacking off.
“What does doing that to one’s cock have to do with…oh. Nevermind, I’ve got it now.” I laughed. “Polishing your sword. Good.”
“Yeah, and I can’t believe you guys go swing those about every week. It’s positively medieval.”
“It’s better to fight with blades than blow a hole in the side of the ship,” our L.T.C. replied tersely. “Which is why from next week, you’ll be issued your own blades and begin training.”
Peterson blinked. “I’m getting a sword?”
“That is what I just said. If you’ve become hard of hearing, I suggest visiting Sick Bay so they can do something about it.”
Peterson held up both of his hands. “Nope. Just was rather taken aback, is all.”
“We also learn to fight with daggers,” I informed him.
“Yeah,” he looked interested in that idea. “Can I get one of those as well?”
“Two,” I replied, sliding my sword back into its scabbard and removing my twin daggers from their case. “We fight two-handed with our daggers.”
“That’s pretty hardcore,” Peterson replied. “The guys back at the FBI are gonna go nuts when they find out we’ve learned to do that shit. We should start going down wearing those and not just our stunners. Go fully armed. Really give those assholes at the bureau something to talk about.”
Sachuu shook his head at him. “You should put them out of your mind unless having to deal with them face to face in the moment.”
“Yeah, well, the b.s. we ran into the last time still pisses me off. Anyway, don't you guys worry. We’ll hold down the fort just fine while you go do the wedding arch thing.”
“If the protests get out of hand, we might not be going,” Sachuu replied morosely. “Richie and Rosie may have to go without me.”
I looked at him pityingly. Everyone knew he was in trouble with Richie. How in the world had he managed to not tell him about the first two cats he’d adopted? How hard could it have been? When Rosie had asked, “Can we get a kitty?” all he had to say was, “Yes, we can get two more for you. I’m sure my cats would love more furry friends!” See? Simple. Only he hadn’t, and he’d left his cats in boarding where they’d been while he spent far too much time down on earth dealing with bureaucracy and chasing down leads during our hunt for Star Spangled Killer and Linda Takahashi’s missing husband and runaway lawyer.
Linda Takahashi. My lip curled. She’d certainly had a rude awakening when she’d been sent to face our Council’s High Court for the crimes we had hard proof she’d committed. That stupid bitch had actually thought that she was going to get off scot free if we couldn’t find her husband’s body. News flash: she hadn’t. We had her on the inheritance fraud and custody interference charges. She’d face additional murder charges soon enough, once the guy who’d pretended to be her lawyer was in custody. The actual lawyer had turned up dead under a flower bed in her yard, but those charges were unfortunately still pending because he was human and the FBI was still trying to claim it was their case to prosecute. We’d prevail in the end, but hopefully we’d find the husband in the meantime so this whole thing wouldn’t drag out.
“Attention!” Xeranos’s voice echoed around our office. “All senior security members are to report to Commander Gundar’s office immediately.”
Our kunnarskyns went off and a quick glance down showed the same message.
“Jesus!” Peterson swore. “It still feels weird when it does that.” He rubbed around the edges of the kunnarskyn he’d recently had implanted.
“Lock your weapons in the armory and let’s go,” Sachuu ordered and I scrambled to obey while the rest of my team hastened out the door.
“Xeranos,” I asked as I opened the armory safe in our office..
“Protestors have kidnapped a teacher from one of the human schools participating in the Central Park picnic as well as Tyrone, one of our own young from here in the Fleet.”
This was bad. Very, very bad and those kidnappers were about to find out just how truly terrible it was when the might of the Mylos Fleet came crashing down on them.
“Okay, I’m on my way!” I growled, relocking the safe and running out the door. The sooner we caught those guys and got their hostages back safely, the better. And they’d best not have harmed so much as a hair on their heads, especially young Tyrone. There would be no saving their sorry souls if they had.