Page 72 of Infala: The Alien's Bond
“Did your guys find out anything interesting?” Darla asked.
Kuxx nodded, a satisfied grin forming on his lips. “Just that the Dohrags have been using this world as a supply depot of sorts. Larger interstellar craft stop over periodically to resupply but only the stationary transit hub in geosynchronous orbit remains. It will be several months before the next arrives.”
“That’s a lot of information.”
“It gets better. The transit hub is sparsely crewed, and nearly all the guards were stationed on the surface.”
“Meaning even if another ship were to come down, it wouldn’t be a tactical assault group,” Heydar added. “We are safe. At least, until the next of their ships arrives to resupply. But therein lies another interesting possibility.”
“Oh?” Darla wondered.
“Thoseships are capable of traveling across star systems. All we would need to do is capture one.”
Darla’s head spun. Here she had accepted that she would likely be stuck on this planet for the rest of her days. And after the interesting turn things had taken, she wasn’t entirely certain that would be a bad thing.
But Shalia and the other humans would want to get home. And this might actually provide the means for it. But Shalia had other worries on her mind.
“What if a Dohrag ships comes sooner than expected? Won’t they realize what happened here and hunt us down?” she asked.
Heydar shook his head. “There are a great many other races spread across this world, as well as many visiting ones. All of them grant one another peaceful passage to and from this planet. None wishes to start a prolonged conflict.”
“But we took their shuttle. Killed their guards,” Shalia noted.
“Yes, but all of the races who use this world for its resources rely on this place as a resupply waypoint, as well as an inhabitable world upon which to provide their crews with much needed shore leave. None would wish to upset the morale of their crews. And in the case of the Dohrags, the cost of this team of guards would be a price they would willingly pay,” Heydar said. “Not to mention, if, for some reason, they were to be foolish enough to attack any of the others utilizing this planet, that would risk invitingallof the others to join forces in retaliation in order to keep this a neutral world. At least, on the surface appearance, anyway.”
“They do take slaves,” Shalia said. “Case in point.”
“Yes, but they do so with stealth, and only those they can capture without notice.”
The human looked at Darla’s lover curiously. “How exactly is it that you know so much about all of this?” she asked. “You crashed here with the rest of us, but you seem to have quite the grasp of the Dohrags and the rest.”
Kuxx stepped forward, his sense of honor inflamed. “What are you saying about Heydar? He is the reason we are all free.”
“Yeah, I know, and I’m grateful. But it just seems odd, is all.”
Kuxx pointed to a tattoo on Heydar’s shoulder. It wasn’t a rune, but rather a complex series of swooping lines, intersecting and flowing into a unique shape.
“Do you know what this is?” Kuxx asked her.
“Please, do not do this,” Heydar said.
“It is the high leadership mark of the Nimenni,” Kuxx continued, undaunted. “And only those who have successfully commanded many battle campaigns could ever dream of achieving such a rank.”
“Kuxx, please, enough,” Heydar said, but his loyal new friend had said enough.
The human women were equally surprised, sharing a look of both shock and curiosity. A high-ranking leader? And in battle, no less? What exactly was Heydar? Clearly more than he had let on. A warrior, no doubt, but was he some sort of general? Whatever the answer, it now seemed clear why so many were willing to follow his reluctant lead.
He glanced over at Darla, a pained look in his eye. This was not a part of him he wanted her to know. But to his surprise, she held his gaze. Held it lovingly and with no sign of remorse or disgust, but rather with caring and a healthy dose of lust. For the first time in longer than he could remember, Heydar actually felt at ease.
As for Darla, she realized that not only was this man more than she could ever have hoped for, but he was even more than that, if possible.
Damn, Dar. You really did score,she told herself, already craving his touch even more, if that was possible.
Kuxx and Shalia looked at the couple then at one another, each of them reaching the same conclusion at the same instant.
“We really should begin repatriating those released,” Kuxx said. “I am familiar with piloting Dohrag craft.”
“Then we should set to it,” Heydar agreed.
