Page 46 of Her Alien Cyborgs
By the time Flek brought out the pizzas, everything was settled and Hezza had instructed the ship’s AI to start offloading the cryo-pods and their mysterious contents.
Fyr’enth followed along, but most of his attention was on the feast laid out in front of him. Hot dough smothered in toppings, including a generous amount of melted cheese.
One bite was all he needed to decide that he and Kalan needed more of it in their lives. The question was, why hadn’t Hezza introduced them to it already?
Was she holding out on them? Was the food dispenser not capable of creating something this complex? He would find out.
“Which of these drinks do you prefer?”Kalan asked via their internal link at one point.
“The honey lager.”The light, slightly sweet taste appealed to him.
“I like the stout.”
It didn’t surprise him that they’d chosen different beverages. The longer they were free, the more they learned about themselves. They’d always known they were not the same in every way, but the list of differences grew as the days passed. It was strange, and sometimes he disliked the changes. He knew some things would always stay the same, though. They would always share a face, and they’d love the same female.
The thought startled him.
Love? He hadn’t known the word was more than an abstract concept until recently. Even then, he hadn’t expected to experience it himself. But sitting there, enjoying a meal with the only two beings he cared about, he realized it was true. He loved his brother in one way, and he loved theirzanain another.
His revelation was cut short by a strident series of chirps from the comm device Hezza had given him before they left the ship. Kalan’s and Hezza’s went off at the same time.
“Fraxx,” Hezza muttered as she fumbled in her pocket. He handed her his device, instead.
She activated the screen and cursed. “We need to go. Now! An IAF ship is entering the system. We need to be gone before they try to lock down the port.”
“Try? Yes. Do?” Flek shook his head. “They are not in charge here. You go anyway. Be safe.”
“No time to pay. Sorry Flek. Put it on my tab, and I’ll pay you the next time we meet.”
“Yes. Go now. Pay later.”
They were almost to the door when he shouted, “Wait. I have your dessert ready!” He grabbed a bag from beneath the counter and tossed it to them, somehow avoiding snagging it on his thorns.
Kalan caught the bag and tucked it under his arm.“I’ve got these. You take Alyssa.”He sent through their link.
“No one ever stays for dessert. Always rushing.” He managed a grin that revealed far too many teeth. “You were never here. Yeah?”
“We were not,” Hezza agreed.
The flight back to theGambitfelt like it took forever. Where was the IAF ship now? Was it already in orbit?
It was not. Adrenaline had made time crawl, but in reality, it took them less than six minutes to return to the ship. They still had time to do…something.
“What’s the plan?” Kalan asked as they strapped into their chairs in the cockpit. The ship’s AI had already started the preflight process, and they were only minutes away from being able to take off.
“Message incoming. All bands and frequencies. I apologize. I am unable to block the signal,” the AI announced.
It was audio only, a female voice as cold as the void they were about to return to. “Attention, citizens of Taza Four’s lunar colony. This is Lieutenant Commander Heath of the Interstellar Armed Forces shipFalcon. Be advised that we are in pursuit of a fugitive. Anyone assisting Captain Bratt, also known as Hezza B, or the crew of theDesperate Gambitwill be prosecuted under Galactic law. This is your only warning. Do not interfere.”
“How thefraxxdid they get here so fast?” Hezza cursed as her hands flew over the controls.
“Ship, we’re leaving. Give me full manual control and prepare for evasive maneuvers the second we clear the atmosphere.”
Fyr’enth glanced back at his brother. He recognized that name, but from where?
Kalan had a thoughtful look on his face, too.
“The Bright Arrow,” they both said at the same time. That was it. The female in command of theFalconhad been the one they’d heard speaking to Barrios when they’d made their escape.
