Page 13 of Space Daddy’s Guide to the Galaxy (Villains in Space #2)

13

ZIGGY

I can’t leave him alone for a minute.

It didn’t shock me anymore that trouble followed Micah everywhere he went, but this magnetism for disaster was making my protective instincts go haywire.

“Celestial catastrophe” may be the perfect distinction after all…

While I’d been trying my best to tamp down the urge to rescue my mate at the slightest threat, there were still instances—like this one—where I clearly needed to step in with a few threats, possibly some violence.

What a hardship.

“You are S-Stellarians….” the Hydrassian I was now restraining with my tendrils idiotically observed.

Micah’s chest—where a piece of me was permanently lodged—puffed up with pride at being classified as such.

I wish it was true…

“Fuck yes, we are!” he crowed, shooting me a wink before glaring at our captive. “So maybe you should think twice about cornering one who’s just trying to shop for a nanny bot, huh?”

Nanny bot?

My gaze flickered to a bright gold droid next to Micah, and I realized my perfect mate had discovered a solution for our noticeable lack of “Tendril Touchy Time.”

We are taking a bot with us.

“We simply wished to offer our services instead.” The Hydrassian’s sibilant tone brought me back to the task at hand.

Interrogation.

My favorite thing.

“Exactly why would we allow you anywhere near our offspring?” I snarled, oddly enraged at the idea, considering Pedro wasn’t actually mine.

“Because we know what it issss…” they hissed, vainly straining against my tendrils. “What it is worth.”

“Worth?” Micah wrapped his arms around the contents of the baby sling before growling. “You think we’d SELL OUR CHILD?!”

Commander Babygirl is angry.

So fucking attractive.

The Hydrassian briefly shrank from my stellar collision’s intensity before scoffing. “You think you would be given the opportunity to sell? Killing you both would be a far easier solution, especially with how many planets—how many galaxies— are searching for the Trol.”

Trol?

“Trol…” Micah murmured, most likely as confused as I was.

“Is that why I’ve spotted no less than six Hydrassians following us today?” I scoffed in return. “Including the two currently hiding in the stall directly across from us—no doubt waiting for you to die and get out of their way?”

Because you will be dying.

“What?” Micah yelped, his pretty brown eyes widening as he glanced around. “I mean, yeah! Why are Hydrassians following us?”

An excellent question.

“Answer him.” I tightened my hold, allowing my tendrils to grow sharp along their edges, just to hear the creature cry out in pain. “And don’t try to deny it.”

The Hydrassian choked out a dry cough. “A fellow mercenary, we see. Come now, Stellarian… We all do what we need to in order to survive.”

What?!

“Hydrassian’s are not mercenaries,” I snapped, confused by this unexpected intel. “You are seers. Recluses. The only time you leave your humid planet is to gather supplies for your ridiculous rituals.”

Supplies like…

“This wouldn’t have anything to do with karnilian, would it?” I growled, thinking of the oddly agitated Hydrassian on Stellaria attacking gem dealers in search of the illegal stone.

My captive paused before releasing a chorus of laughter from all six heads. “Of course, a Stellarian would know nothing about the source of karnilian’s power. Such a formidable species has no need of ‘ridiculous rituals’ to ensure victory in battle, hmm?”

Ridiculous indeed.

“These rituals sound like how the ancient Greeks consulted oracles before battles and other major decisions,” Micah murmured thoughtfully. “They believed the answers were divinely inspired and could predict the outcome of…” He trailed off before eyeing the alien shrewdly. “Do your rituals predict or determine?”

The Hydrassian made a sound of admiration. “Ah, how refreshing. A Stellarian who does not assume undefeated means impossible to defeat.”

Because he’s not a Stellarian…

I inwardly cursed. The full extent of my knowledge on karnilian was that it was illegal—in my galaxy, Invenio-Astralis, and most I’d visited. In fact, the only planet within reasonable distance of Stellaria that allowed the stone and its related rituals was…

Lacertus.

Speaking of predictable.

The reptilian species had once been considered a worthy foe for my kind, but then we evolved—perfecting star hopping to evade their agile flight and developing an immunity to their paralyzing power drain. Now, they could barely bring us a challenge.

Do they honestly think a silly little rock is going to give them an advantage?

“So, it was the Lacertus who hired you,” I sighed, more annoyed by this sad excuse for a mercenary than anything. “They hired you to track down the karnilian and this… Trol, whatever that is. As if possession of either of those assets will change the fact Stellarians are— and forever will be—undefeated by those lumbering lizards.”

“Zig…” Micah warned, but I’d had enough.

I didn’t want to spend another minute in this sector, or in this Muonova, or be on glorified babysitting duty while Honnor and their Star Units were defending my home from invaders. All I wanted was to complete this mission and move on to the next with my stellar collision by my side.

“Careful, Stellarian…” the Hydrassian chuckled low, dropping to their knees as I released them, accepting the inevitable. “Imperial blind spots may be the end of your empire.”

Enough!

With a snarl, I sliced my tendrils through the air, cleanly decapitating all six of our captive’s heads in one stroke.

“Gross,” Micah grimaced as he attempted to wipe the Hydrassian’s black blood off his shields—which only resulted in him smearing it around even more. “I wasn’t expecting you to go full Alien Rambo until we were done interrogating.”

“I was done,” I snapped. “There was nothing this self-proclaimed mercenary could tell me that I didn’t already know.”

Micah deactivated his blood-covered shields with a huff. “Is that so? I’m not gonna lie, Zig—I’m having serious déjà vu from the last time you refused to humor any perspectives that didn’t confirm your own biases.”

What is he talking about?

“It’s not a bias to suspect the Lacertus are behind this, Micah,” I scoffed, tossing aside the fallen Hydrassian so I could step closer. “They have never accepted their inferiority, so it’s unsurprising that they?—”

I paused my history lesson to unleash another set of tendrils, snatching the second Hydrassian who thought they were sneaking up on us and decapitating them as well.

“ZIG!” Micah shouted, now wiping Hydrassian blood directly off his skin and clothes.

Oops.

“Well…” I cleared my throat. “That’s why you shouldn’t lower your shields until?—”

Sigh.

I turned to face the third—and hopefully, for everyone’s sake, final —Hydrassian, letting them get close enough to satisfy my bloodlust before sweeping a razor-sharp tendril toward their necks.

Only to have a set of mechanical tendrils intercept.

“No, Zig.” Micah’s stern tone mixed with the way his tendrils coiled around mine had me melting…

Now is not the time, Ziggy.

“I’ve got this.” My mate smoothly released me and entrapped the now fleeing Hydrassian before it could escape. “Just let me handle it.”

Commander Babygirl is reporting for duty I see…

To my immense disappointment, Micah didn’t reel in our prey to finish him off. I was partially appeased when, instead, he swung his tendrils and slammed the Hydrassian into a nearby metal wall so hard, it bent.

Hot.

“Whoops!” My mate winced before clearing his throat and rallying. “Who are you working for? Tell us, and maybe we won’t kill you.”

Slightly less hot.

“Micah…” I sighed. “I already told you. They were hired by?—”

“The Irathians,” our captive croaked before one of their heads swiveled to the last one I killed. “We are unsure who sent the others.”

WHAT?!

The Irathians may have terrified lesser species, but they were barely a blip on Stellaria’s radar. They also had never struck me as intelligent enough for strategic thinking, so the idea of them attacking my planet while simultaneously sending a mercenary after us…

No.

This mercenary was already here.

They all were.

They’re everywhere…

“We need to leave, Micah.” I kept my tone calm while unleashing dozens of tendrils to search the area for more lurking opportunists. “Now.”

My mate froze before nodding hurriedly. “Okay, so what do I…” His gaze drifted to the trapped Hydrassian before he swallowed hard.

Oh, sunshine.

One of things I respected most about Micah was his natural affinity to help instead of harm. It wasn’t an ideal trait for a mercenary to possess, but I had no intention of making him change who he was.

I’m happy to be the cold-blooded killer in this partnership.

Secure in our roles, I neatly ended our final opponent then grabbed my sputtering—and blood-covered—mate in one tendril, snatched the golden ‘nanny bot’ in another, and star hopped us back to our ship.