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Chapter Twenty-Seven

Moonside on Europa.

T he stairwell amplified shots fired. Surprised screams and the moans of the dying meant one thing.

Carne was killing his people, the key members Grant needed.

She sprinted, taking the steps two at a time.

Stopping at the next level was foolhardy, no matter how much she wanted to save these poor folks.

The only way to end the carnage was to capture Carne.

“Vic,” Drafe called, hot on her heels. “When we reach the bottom, let me go first.”

“Why? He wants me, Drafe. You, he’ll just kill.”

“Female,” he growled. “We are walking into a trap. I am most unhappy with this.”

She shrugged. “What do you expect? Besides, Aehort had a vision, remember.”

Drafe scowled. “That does not mean you can be reckless with my heart.”

“What?” she squeaked and paused on a landing to catch her breath.

“You have my heart as I have yours. Dying will sever it from my body.”

“Right. That makes no sense and should have been something you mentioned before a life-and-death mission.”

“She has you there,” Caah said as he ran past them.

Grunting, Drafe followed him.

She sucked in a deep breath and hurried to catch up. “Shorter legs here.”

They ignored her, and she knew why. If they reached the bottom level first, she wouldn’t be able to enter before them. Smartasses .

Farg it . She threw herself over the railing and plummeted the final two levels, landing on her cybernetic leg. Still, she fell into a crouch just to make sure she didn’t harm herself.

“Vic,” Drafe roared, but she ignored him, drew a zero with a line through it across her device, and opened the door.

The blaster shots hit her in the chest. She fired, taking down the five men surrounding Sebastian Carne seated at his wooden desk. The room was a replica of his office onboard the Conqueror , the training grounds for Carne combatants.

“You were always too skilled for your own good. And so damn righteous.” He tapped his vapor pipe on a wooden ashtray.

Without hesitating, she shot him in the shoulder.

He cried out and cupped the wound. “I thought we could be civil,” he gritted out.

“You don’t know the meaning,” she said and shot him in the other shoulder. While he writhed in his chair, she leaned across and pressed the button for the comm system. “I have Carne, cease killing your people or he dies.” She nodded at Caah and Drafe. “Go, I’ve got this. Help Dez clear the levels.”

“ Gevatia ,” Drafe hesitated. “Take care.”

“I promise,” she smiled and fired a shot into Carne’s right thigh.

He whimpered, pushing his chair back. Across his knees lay a blaster.

“Reach for it and die sooner.” She rested her ass on the end of his desk. “You can beg now, although, I will say, it won’t make an ounce of difference.”

“Ande wasn’t my doing,” Carne whimpered.

“Sure it wasn’t. Not like I saw your message to Themba.

” She studied her fingernails then chewed on a torn thumbnail.

“It’s a pity Devlin didn’t travel with you.

” She shrugged. “He was an eager puppet suffering from unrequited love. You always knew where to twist the dagger. I bet you convinced him that Ande was fucking me.” She grinned and nudged the blaster off Carne’s lap with the tip of her boot.

“ Burro Lento , patch me through to Grant on the Mula Pesada .”

“Patched through, Vic.”

“Grant, Carne’s dead. We were unable to save him. His wounds bled too fast, too much. What a shame.” She beamed at a pale Carne.

Silence fell for a minute before Grant asked, “And the facility?”

“Captured. Send in the I.L.E to sweep it clean and gather what intel you can.” Carne spluttered, so she waved her blaster at him. Tilting her head, she studied the man she had hated for a decade of her life. Without hesitation, she shot him between the eyes.

A pause followed before Grant asked, “Was that a blaster shot?”

“Space rats. Best hurry. Burro Lento , end patch.”

She withdrew her dagger and slit Carne’s throat for good measure. There was no surviving that. “For Ande,” she whispered.

Staring at Carne’s slumped body, she felt no remorse. He’d taught her not to regret, not to fear death. Scanning his office, she smiled, allowing the weight of hatred, the memories of pain, loneliness, sadness, and grief to leak from her. Peace settled, and she laughed, letting her tears slip free.

There was freedom in vengeance.

As she climbed the stairs, she paused at each level and peeked through the door, finding strewn bodies, and nothing else.

When she reached the first level, Drafe guarded the elevator, Caah was at the other end of the corridor at the entryway, and Nenn meandered through the prisoners, healing with his black box.

Dez had the employees in hand. He nodded at his people and approached Vic. “Is he—?”

“Yup, right between the eyes.” She tapped her forehead. “ Vesalius is yours. Chosen a name yet?”

“Libertas.” He beamed.

“A good choice.” She slapped him on the shoulder.

“Once we have inventoried everything, we’ll destroy those pods, Drafe, and give those poor souls proper burials.” Dez pressed his hand to his chest. “I promise.”

“My thanks, honorable Dez.” Drafe gripped the older man’s forearm.

Dez’s cheeks flushed at the compliment. “Now what?”

“The I.L.E. should be visiting you soon.” She gestured to the facility’s employees. “Sorry you have to clean this up.”

Dez shrugged. “It’s our home now, and housekeeping is an eagerly awaited chore.”

“Fair enough. We’ll take the Burro Lento to the Mula Pesada .” When Nenn glanced up, she gestured that they were leaving. “Dez, need anyone to come with?”

“No.” Dez scanned the floor, contentment in his lingering smile. “Those who wanted to remain on board did so. Sonja will pilot the shuttle for you.”

Made sense. Vic nodded. “Thanks, Dez.”

“No, thank you, Vic, Drafe, Nenn, and Caah.” He waved at Caah. “You have given us back our lives.”

Vic strolled along the corridor, activated her shield, and walked through the gaping doors. They closed behind Nenn, the last one to leave.

She smiled at Sonja as she stepped into the shuttle’s compartment. “To the Mula Pesada . I wish to bid Themba goodbye.”

“He will be asleep for many days, Vic.” Drafe unflipped a wall-mounted chair and lowered himself onto it. He captured her hips and tugged her onto his lap, wrapping his arms around her waist as he buried his nose in her hair.

“True.” She smiled through her tears. Since leaving Earth, she had cried more than the last twenty-seven years combined. She snorted. It had better be a passing phase.

“I wish to remain on the Mula Pesada ,” Caah said when Sonja launched off the moon. “Without having to ask the Q.C.C. for permission. You know how long they take to debate.”

She could imagine with seven commanders or udaps on the Q.C.C.

, no doubt with volatile and dominant personalities.

Focusing on the whispers inside her, she zoned in.

How had she known about the udaps, what that word even meant?

Or that there were seven of them, one for each tribe: mountains, sky, jungle, canyons, volcano, water, and Drafe’s desert, hence the colors of their hair and eyes. How simple yet so radiantly beautiful.

Drafe tilted her to stare into her eyes, his warmed to amber. “I shall inform them it was my decision.” He didn’t glance at Caah. “Your skills are needed here, and you will serve as a bridge between humans and Qaldreth. If the Q.C.C. wish to send an ambassador, they may do so at their leisure.”

Caah beamed and gripped Drafe’s forearm, snapping his gaze from hers. “My thanks, darasaho .” He joined Nenn in leaning against the interior bulkhead.

“Drop us on top of the Mula Pesada , Sonja.” Drafe pointed over her shoulder to the ice hauler.

“What?” she squeaked. “Okay, if you say so.” Her brows knitted, but she angled the shuttle anyway.

“Get the Aroagni to send a shuttle for pick up,” Nenn said to Drafe. “I do not want my female walking across a ship, not until I have repaired her vision.”

Drafe chuckled. “Protecting her is your right, Nenn.” He rose to his feet, bringing Vic to hers.

“Thanks, Caah, and good luck.” she smiled.

Without him, they wouldn’t have made it inside the facility.

Double-tapping her neck device, she laced her fingers through Drafe’s and leaped out as soon as the door opened.

They landed on the Mula Pesada’s exterior and, together, thumped toward the Aroagni .

When they stepped inside, she laughed and wrapped her arms around Drafe. “We did it.”

“Yes, we did.” He grinned. “Now the trip to Ivoy, time with the Q.C.C., then home, mhi’ vatia .”

“You did as well as I expected.” Aehort greeted them, his hands clasped in front of him and the widest smile splitting his cheeks.

“Thanks for your help.” She squeezed his wrist as they strolled past them.

“What happened?” Vaen asked, wearing his customary scowl—further information the symbiotes shared. Also, Drafe was fond of him. “Aehort has been secretive about your disappearance. Where’s Caah and Nenn?”

“Foq, Nenn.” Drafe burst into a run, abandoning Vic.

“Nenn’s on the Mula Pesada and will be joining us shortly. Caah chose to remain while we travel to Ivoy.”

“What?” Vaen spun on Aehort. “See what becomes of a half-baked idea? Disrespect, flouting our laws and protocol. No, this makes no sense.” He tapped his throat and strode off, barking orders with his brown hair rising and falling.

Vic shrugged and winced, tired to the core. “Dez said he will destroy the pods and no more will be sent.”

“I know.” Aehort gave a slow nod.

She huffed. “I’ll head for Drafe’s quarters.”

“Go, rest, you have earned it.” Without waiting, he glided off.

Each placement of her foot trembled her knees, but she made it to Drafe’s quarters, was able to peel her clothes off, stand under the spray and dryer before sprawling across his bed. Her eyes closed as soon as her head hit the pillow.

T he return journey was spent mostly in bed, on her back, knees, or ass.

When Drafe wasn’t proving how much he adored her body, she visited with Aehort.

He taught her how to listen to the symbiotes, their whisperings.

The images…no, memories, played like old movies, showing the past lives of the Meorri eking out a living in a desolate land.

At night, before they drifted off to sleep, Drafe would tell stories of his childhood, of his time with his parents, of what he loved most about his homeworld. Not that the symbiotes hadn’t revealed those already, but it was more personal when he shared his memories in his husky baritone.

She was eager to meet her sister, Larya and her mate, Kael. Vic knew her as if they’d been family since birth. Such was the efficacy of the symbiotes.

We draw near to Ivoy , Aehort informed her.

Thank you, friend. I am ready.

He had prepared her for the Ivoyan curiosity and the Qaldreth weariness. Tiny and Nenn would stay onboard the Aroagni . Aehort had decided it was best to shock the Q.C.C. only once a day.

Drafe rose and tossed her a pair of breeches and an armor vest. The black was bold against her pale skin.

She left her hair down since he preferred it loose and snapped on her boots.

When she stood, he caught her wrist and tugged her into his arms. Love for her crossed their bond.

Like the warmth of a UV light on her skin after a cold shower, it touched every part of her soul and leaked into her body.

“I want you again.” She flicked her tongue around his earlobe.

“And I you,” he growled, his eyes molten amber. She loved how expressive they were, not that she was in doubt as to how he felt, about anything. Dominating their connection was a sliver of fear, of the unknown, of what the Q.C.C. could decide.

“Why are you nervous? Aehort will ensure we are not separated for long.”

Drafe grunted. “Let us pray they are in a benevolent mood.”

He clasped her hand and led her off the ship and down the ramp.

Pausing, she gaped at the lilac skies, tall, majestic spires that were their buildings, and the flying crafts.

She peered over the edge of the platform at the endless waterfalls and rivers beneath them, some enshrouded in gray-lilac mists.

“It’s breathtaking.” She smiled, admiring the vistas again. “Water is not scarce here at all. Like you said, Drafe. Despite the symbiotes sharing your memories and those of the Qaldreth who came before you, I refused to believe it.”

“As did I.” He kissed her knuckles. “Come, they do not tolerate tardiness.”

They sound like they have sticks up their asses.

Drafe jerked back, his mouth twisted in horror. Is that possible?

She means, they hate for anyone to enjoy themselves. Aehort glided behind them, his hands clasped before him.

She giggled. It is a saying, gevatia, and not meant to be taken literally.

He chuckled. Good to know.

Willing her armor to remain hidden, she let Drafe escort her in silence along a narrow bridge beautifully patterned and carved with what she now knew were hudu, vasquva, and massive flying birds she did not yet know the name of.

Excitement burst in her belly and butterflies fluttered, catching her breath. Soon, she would see her first sandworm.