Page 67 of Taken to Kor
“No, no, no. Not him. His dear old dad, Pogar. And now Pogar and my dear old gramma have amassed a mercenary army and are coming to try to take the colony back! We’re fighting them now…still in the grey zone, but we’re incoming too fast and we aren’t going to be able to stop them before they reach the colony surface unless y’all send backup…”
I can hear a male’s voice in the background rumbling something about a trap.
Feeling manic and hysterical, I shriek, “This isn’t a trap! I’m serious! You need to put me through to Svera! Or you need to warn her! We can’t hold on much longer and I’m mondo preggo. I’m not going to let my little kiddos die for you guys, so if y’all want to live, then you need to trust us pirates.”
Miari pauses, but only long enough for me to see a range of emotions flash behind her eyes and then crystalize into a single decision. One she voices when she says, “We’re coming now. Hold the line. I’m opening my life drive and patching you directly through to Svera.”
A moment passes. Another boulder hits our view pane and shatters to brilliant purple on impact.
“Hold on!” Corvenarennu shouts, and I can feel as he and the other navigators pull deep in the token world and redirect the ship into a dizzying dance, one that makes my stomach lurch up into my mouth and makes me feel like I’m about to pee myself. I think I do pee myself a little bit at that and I laugh wild and recklessly.
“What?” Rhork says, appearing at my side. “Are you alright?”
Another spray of cannon fire is followed by a chorus of cheers from the pirates in the control room. “Never better. What’s going on?”
“What’s going on?” Svera says at the same time.
Rhork answers us both. “Hello Svera, pleasure to see you.”
“Rhorkanterannu! If you’ve done anything to Deena…”
“Deena here. And no, he didn’t do anything to me except knock me up and make me a pirate.”
“You were already a pirate,” he says, bending forward to kiss the tip of my nose.
“There’s no time for this!” Miari shouts, severing the moment.Sigh… Lucky for me, I plan to make sure that there are many, many more.“Svera, Deena appears to be mated to Rhorkanterannu and right now they’re only a few clicks away from the Heimo colony. Apparently, Mathilda and the exiled, Pogar, are fast approaching with a mercenary army. I’m sending the scans to Krisxox now. Is he there with you?”
“Of course.” And then in the viewer, I see a red-faced male appear with bright white hair holding two little tiny infants in each of his arms.
“Oh em geeee!” I shriek. “You had a baby?”
“Twins,” she answers. “Miari gave birth as well.”
“Congratulations!” I shout while Krisxox, looking into the life drive and, seeing Rhork, snarls, “I’m going to skin you alive.”
Svera places her hand on his chest, absently giving him a couple distracted pats. “There won’t be any of that now.”
“Do you have any idea what he cost us? What he could have done to you?”
“He’s right to want my skin, but unfortunately, I have no desire to give it,” Rhork chimes.
“He’s trying to help us,” Svera says.
“This is obviously a lie. He’s manipulated Deena…”
“Hey!” I roar, slamming down my fist, which only makes me squirm as I feel like I’m peeing even more. “I’m not manipulated. I’m running shit here! So shut up and help us!”
Krisxox snarls — at me this time — and Rhork grabs Nikkowerranorru’s wrist like he’ll break it. Nikkowerranorru punches him in the chest with another hand and Rhork lets go and I shush him up in time for Miari to say, “She’s telling the truth. Look at the scans! You need to get Xhen’Raku’s ships in place and bring up the shields.”
“Shields!” This time it’s Nikkowerranorru shouting incredulously at the queen, “We need cannons! Big shroving cannons!”
“If we fire, how will we know which ships are yours and which aren’t?” Miari asks.
And then a male appears in view behind her. With blue skin and black hair, I recognize him as Raku, king of Voraxia. He’s glaring at everything caustically, and even though my male is unsettled and unseated by nothing, I can still feel him tense slightly at my side.
“Rhorkanterannu,” Raku says in a deep grumble.
“King,” Rhork sneers out an insult — an insult to any Niahhorru pirate, anyway.
