Page 35 of Space Daddy’s Guide to the Galaxy (Villains in Space #2)

35

MICAH

“Are you ready, babygirl?”

“Is that a rhetorical question, Space Daddy?” I smirked up at the Stellarian-powered Transformer towering over me. “Since you could technically check for yourself now.“

I hope he didn’t. The truth was, I didn’t feel ready to dismantle shields I hadn’t created. Both Leeloo and Ziggy seemed to think I could do anything an Eki could, however, so I was willing to at least give it a try.

Do or do not…

Opertum Ziggy chuckled with a sound like a rumbling motorcycle engine. “Just because I can read your thoughts whenever I want doesn’t mean I’ll do so without your permission.”

We stan a consent king.

I appreciated that and planned to give him the same respect, but I couldn’t resist a little tease. “Oh? So you won’t be snooping for clues during those times when you forget how to human?“

Ziggy cocked his enormous metal head and gazed down at me. “There may be times I need to check in without asking, but I will do my best to save that for emergencies only.”

What my man considered an emergency was up for debate, judging by how he’d gone scorched earth on Ekistron when he couldn’t find me for two whole minutes, but I usually liked how protective he was.

I really liked having more of him inside me. It was comforting, like a sentient security blanket, an ever-present reminder my stellar collision was a permanent part of me now and always would be.

Glancing at the Lodger, I nervously chewed my bottom lip. “Do you really think it’s a good idea to leave Pedro on the ship? I mean, I know SWOL-E is in there with them, but what if?—”

“Pedro will be fine, sunshine,“ Ziggy replied far too quickly.

I narrowed my eyes. “Are you saying that because you’re worried about a Lacertus getting their claws on them… or is it about something else?”

Unfortunately, the giant robot alien I was attempting to stare down from far below had an even better poker face than Ziggy in Earthling form.

“Pedro will be safest on the ship,” my man sneakily skirted the question. “Now, why don’t you get inside me?”

Sir!

I dropped my head back with a groan, channeling all my incredibly impressive powers into not getting a boner. “You really don’t play fair, Zig, but you’re probably right…” I turned my back on the ship before refocusing on my newest party trick.

Star hopping, motherfuckers!

It had never occurred to me to try and manipulate my personal piece of Ziggy to enhance my powers—not until Leeloo suggested it in the most witchy space wizard way possible.

“You already have everything you need inside you.”

Kind of on the nose, but whatever.

They also implied the secret sauce was me needing to trust myself—to trust what I was “made of.”

Super slut alien DNA.

All jokes aside, self-confidence in my abilities was something I’d struggled with for almost my entire life. To add to the emotional soup, now I was linked with a Stellarian who had his own self-worth challenges—who didn’t even trust himself to be around our temporarily adopted baby.

Why can’t you see what I see, Zig?

I stared up at the Opertum for a beat longer, trying to gauge whether he was eavesdropping on my thoughts. When he simply gestured at his chest cavity again, I realized this was a conversation we would need to continue at another time.

With a quick scan of our surroundings to check there were no overgrown lizards to witness my Stellarian skills, I star hopped inside my man.

I’m a space wizard, y’all!

It was still wild to get dragged through the ether by someone else, but it was way cooler to be the one manipulating time and space, to hop there yourself.

As soon as I was settled in my cozy cockpit, Transformer Ziggy started plodding along, his giant robot feet rattling the wooden planks of the wharf we’d parked the Lodger on.

Lacertus was an aquatic planet—which tracked, since I’d grown up with Zion’s “deathpond” beneath the house. With it being a convenient stop on the Intergalactic Highway, multiple rows of piers had been built for the visiting species who couldn’t breathe underwater.

While Zig’s current skinsuit was the opposite of inconspicuous, most of our fellow travelers didn’t seem at all surprised or concerned by the sight of him.

The giant lizards lurking beneath the waves probably help with the shock value.

Zig had told me the Lacertus were a fairly antisocial species, but I still expected to run across at least one. Instead, I was getting strong Stellaria vibes from the melting pot of diverse aliens making pitstops for supplies and business opportunities.

Or… psychic readings?

Uulvin had given us the exact coordinates for their missing sibling, and the location was oddly accessible. Instead of being deep inside an underwater fortress, the shielded cell was apparently just off a bustling market square. This made me wonder if Uuktar was less a high-value prisoner and more of an indentured seer.

My Spidey sense was tingling the closer we got, and even though my partner and I had discussed this mission at length, I couldn’t help “voicing” one of my concerns.

Through our new, witchy bitch bond of course.

“Are you sure this isn’t a trap, Zig?”

“I’m not sure, and if it is a trap, it’s hard to say who set it.”

WHAT?!

“Well, why the hell are we walking straight into what could potentially be a trap?!”

He released another rumbling sound.

“Because sometimes, there’s no better way to determine who your enemy is than to allow them to believe they’ve won.”

Okay, fair.

I knew Ziggy pivoted—had witnessed him change his strategy mid-showdown before—so I knew I could count on him to keep a cool head no matter what happened.

As long as I’m not directly threatened.

Worst case scenario, we could always star hop back to the ship for a quick getaway.

Assuming we don’t get trapped by a shield…

I didn’t like how we’d left things with Leeloo, but I also didn’t believe they, or their fellow Eki, meant us any harm. While many aliens were only looking out for themselves, we’d also met those who were welcoming to different species and more than willing to help.

The same could be said of Earthlings, I suppose.

“Are you open to the possibility that Leeloo was telling the truth?”

This was a topic I'd attempted to discuss before we landed, but Ziggy had managed to avoid engaging.

Shocking, I know.

Unfortunately for him, there was no hiding from a session with Dr. Micah—not when you were sharing the same skinsuit—and I needed to be absolutely sure where my stellar collision stood before we confronted Uuktar.

“About what exactly?”

“About some species not being what they seem…”

He was silent for so long, I wondered if we’d lost our mental connection—or if he’d tapped in to my thoughts to catch my subtext. But then, he rallied.

“It would be hypocritical of me to not be open to the idea. Stellarian history turned out to be more complex than what I was raised to believe so, of course, I am open to considering the same for other species.”

I gasped, loud enough for him to hear me over the bustle of the bazaar—perhaps from outer space.

“Does this mean my superior Stellarian is acknowledging his imperial blind spots?”

He sighed in my head, equally loud.

“Let’s just see what intel we can extract from Uuktar.”

“Roger that, partner!”

Nothing better than interrogation time with my Space Daddy.

Soon enough, we’d reached the last pier in the row, closed in by shields and containing nothing but a small wooden hut and a meditation cushion with a snake-headed alien serenely perched on top.

“Ah, there are our rescuers,” they hissed in unison from all six heads. “We have been expecting you.”

Something was buzzing in my intuition, whispering for me to pay attention, but we’d agreed that Ziggy would do the talking to start.

“Let me guess,” my man boomed in a truly terrifying voice, “your renowned psychic abilities foretold our arrival?”

The Hydrassian snickered. “Psychic abilities were to thank, yes. Now what can we humbly offer you in exchange for our freedom?”

“We seek a planet that has mysteriously disappeared,” Ziggy continued, all business as usual. “The place where we can acquire a gemstone said to guarantee victory in battle for its owner.”

Zig showing such single-minded interest in the karnilian would have freaked me out a day ago, but this angle was part of our agreed upon strategy.

And I trust my stellar collision.

Even if he doesn’t trust himself…

Uuktar’s set of smiles faltered as they rose from the cushion and moved closer. “What do you mean, acquire? I was told you already had the Trol in your possession…”

Told?!

The water beneath the pier began to churn and bubble, causing nearby aliens to run for dry land. Alarm bells were going off in my head, but I desperately needed to know how to get Pedro home.

I could feel Zig preparing to star hop us to the Lodger—to cut the action short once again—so I went off script.

Just like a True Stellarian.

Before he could catch on to my plan, I star hopped myself out of the skinsuit, landing directly in front of Uuktar with only the Eki-made shields between us.

Ziggy shouted as the mech froze in place, but we didn’t have time to waste—not with how the entire pier violently swayed from the force of the waves.

“Who told you we were coming?” I demanded, quickly activating an extra filter on my glasses to block any hypnotism attempts, but the Hydrassian ignored my question.

They leaped forward and frantically pounded their clawed fists on the transparent walls of their enclosure. “I will tell you how to reach the planet of Karn, but you must let me out before they surface. Please hurry!”

Fuck.

Unlike the natural affinity I felt toward Leeloo, I did not trust this witchy bitch one bit, especially as we still didn’t know why they’d been imprisoned here.

So, I switched gears once again.

“Do you trust me, Zig?”

“Of course I do, but we need to go. Now!”

The uncharacteristic panic I was feeling from my Stellarian almost made me abandon my plan, but I was determined to follow my intuition.

Here we go.

Three enormous Lacertus broke the surface of the water the same instant I conjured myself a Jedi robe of glittering, lava-infused space sorcery.

May the witchy bitch Force be with me.