Page 38 of Salvaged By the Alien Pirate

“Deal,” I say, clasping McCoy’s hand despite the fever making my grip unsteady. “But if you betray us...”

“You’ll kill me,” she finishes, that sharp smile returning. “I’d expect nothing less. Now, shall we discuss what was really stored in this facility? Because I don’t think either of us believes it was just medical supplies.”

The facility’s interior feels colder than the void outside, each breath visible in the recycled air. My wings twitch with barely contained tension as we follow McCoy deeper into the complex, past rows of empty storage units that once held enough luminore to power entire systems.

“The Eclipse didn’t just take over Kyor’s routes,” McCoy explains, her voice echoing off metal walls. “They inverted his entire operation. Where he smuggled luminore to help outer colonies, they’re using those same networks to control supply lines. Create artificial shortages.”

The words stir memories of the Brotherhood captains’ meeting—K’vex’s too-careful questions about our supply routes, Vornak’s aggressive posturing, Ralith’s calculated indifference. Could one of them be feeding information to the Eclipse? The thought sends a fresh wave of fever through me.

“I might have something useful for you,” I say, fighting to keep my voice steady despite the bond-sickness. “The Brotherhood recently lost several ships along supposedly secure routes. Routes that only our captains should know about.” I meet McCoy’s sharp gaze. “Cross-reference those disappearances with your Eclipse activity data. Might help identify their infiltration patterns.”

McCoy’s expression doesn’t change, but something like interest flickers in her eyes. “That could be... enlightening. Especially if we can establish a timeline of when specific routes were compromised.”

“And if one of your captains is the leak?” Neon asks softly beside me, her enhanced eyes studying my reaction.

“Then we’ll deal with that too,” I growl, wings shifting restlessly. “One betrayal at a time.”

“And in the meantime?” McCoy asks, her sharp gaze cutting through the shadows. “While we hunt for your traitor, the Eclipse continues weaponizing medical supplies. Making colonies beg for basic treatment.”

“Forcing colonies to submit to their rule in exchange for medical treatment,” I growl, the words tasting bitter. My wings shift restlessly, partly from the fever and partly from growing rage. “Using suffering as leverage.”

“That’s not all,” Neon cuts in, her neural implants flaring as she accesses another terminal. “They’re not just stockpiling luminore—they’re modifying it. Running tests on different chemical compositions.” Her enhanced eyes widen. “I think they’re trying to create an enhanced version that only their people can use.”

McCoy nods grimly. “Which makes this facility more than just a storage point. It was a testing ground. A place to perfect their control over who lives and who dies.”

The implications land like a punch to the gut. This isn’t just about power or profit anymore. It’s about systematic extermination through selective treatment. About reshaping the very fabric of society by controlling who has access to life-saving medicine.

“How did you find this place?” I ask McCoy, fighting another wave of fever that makes my markings pulse erratically. “Why were you watching it?”

“We weren’t looking for you specifically,” she admits. “We were tracking unusual luminore shipments, trying to map the Eclipse’s distribution network. Your raid just happened to trip the same security alerts we were monitoring.”

It makes sense—too much sense, perhaps. But we’re running out of options, out of time. The bond-sickness burns hotter with each passing moment, and Kira’s presence in the facility’s systems proves she’s always one step ahead of us.

“We need to shut this down,” I say, my voice rough with pain and determination. “All of it. The testing, the distribution network, everything.”

“Agreed.” McCoy’s expression hardens. “But we do this smart. Gather evidence that can’t be buried or denied. Build a case that will expose not just the Eclipse, but everyone who’s been helping them maintain power.”

“And in the meantime?” Neon asks, her voice tight with barely contained fury. “How many more colonies suffer while we play politics?”

“We help where we can,” I say, catching her gaze. “Keep smuggling pure luminore to those who need it most. But we have to be careful now—Kira’s watching. Learning. Planning.”

The name hangs heavy in the air, though McCoy doesn’t comment on it. Instead, she pulls up another set of classified files on her datapad. “Start with these shipping manifests. They show regular deliveries to coordinates that don’t exist in any official database.”

“Black sites,” Neon murmurs, her implants already processing the data. “Testing facilities hidden in dead space.”

“Find them,” McCoy orders. “Map their network. Give me something I can use to bring them down—legally and permanently.”

It’s a start. A chance to fight back against the rot that’s been spreading through the galaxy like a cancer. But as another wave of fever washes over me, making my vision blur and my wings tremble, I can’t help but wonder if we’ll live long enough to see it through.

Because time is running out—for the colonies dependent on luminore, for my own survival, for all of us. And somewhere out there, Kira watches and waits, using everything she learns against us.

Chapter 13

Neon Valkyrie

TheVoidReaver’smaintenancebay smells of grease and burning metal as I crouch behind a gutted nav console, trying to focus on the delicate circuitry instead of the electric awareness of Cirdox’s presence. Every time he shifts position near the door, my implants helpfully track his movements, making it impossible to ignore how his wings cast shifting shadows across my workbench or how his fever-bright tribal markings pulse in time with my thundering heart.

“You’ve been at that for hours,” he says, his voice rough with barely contained need. The bond-sickness radiates from him in waves hot enough to make my enhanced senses malfunction. My fingers tremble as I connect another crystalline matrix, fighting the urge to go to him, to ease his pain the way we both know I could.

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