Page 31 of Naughty List Delivery
The truth of it hits me like a plasma blast to the chest. What happened between us in that pod wasn’t just physical release—it was recognition that we’ve become something more than what we were apart. The way she trusted me with her vulnerability,the way she chose to believe in the man I’m trying to become, has rewritten something fundamental in my understanding of what we could be together.
The airlock cycles open with a hiss of equalizing pressure, and we step into enemy territory together—reformed pirate and ethical criminal, partners in every sense of the word. The boarding tube is narrow, forcing us to move single file, but I keep one hand on her lower back, letting my alien warmth seep through her jacket as a reminder that she’s not facing this alone.
The ship beyond is sleek, elegant, and absolutely lethal. Chrome surfaces reflect emergency lighting in sharp angles, and the air tastes of ozone and recycled atmosphere with an undertone of something that might be blood. This is a hunter’s ship, built for speed and violence, with no space wasted on comfort or civilian considerations.
“Welcome aboard the Phantom’s Edge,” Vex’s voice purrs through hidden speakers as we step into the main corridor. “Please proceed to the forward hold. Any deviation from the prescribed route will result in immediate termination.”
The corridor is lined with tactical displays showing ship configurations, route maps, and what looks like surveillance footage of OOPS convoy attacks. My enhanced vision picks up details faster than human standard—shipping schedules, family photographs attached to target files, and worst of all, what appears to be a holding facility packed with terrified civilians.
The families. Dozens of them, huddled together in what looks like a cargo bay converted into a prison. Parents clutching children, elderly couples holding hands, all wearing the shell-shocked expressions of people who thought they were safe until the universe proved them wrong.
Noomi sees them too, and I smell the spike of fury in her scent—sharp and clean and absolutely murderous. Her handsclench into fists, but she keeps walking, keeps playing the role of defeated courier even as every instinct screams at her to fight.
The sight of her restraint, her ability to channel fury into tactical thinking, makes my chest tight with pride and possession. This is the woman who chose conscience over profit, who’s spent two years proving she deserves redemption.
“Easy,” I murmur, my hand spreading across her lower back in what I hope looks like comfort but feels more like a claiming gesture. “We’ll get them out. All of them.”
“They’re just families,” she whispers, and there’s pain in her voice that makes my alien instincts roar with the need to eliminate whatever put it there. “They just wanted to send Christmas gifts to people they love.”
“And they will.” The promise rumbles out as more growl than words. “Krax made one critical error in his revenge plan.”
“Which is?”
“He assumes we’re the same people who made that choice three years ago.” My tail brushes against her leg, offering comfort and claiming her simultaneously. “He doesn’t understand that we’ve both grown into something more dangerous than what we were apart.”
Before we reach the main hold, my comm unit chirps softly—an incoming transmission on a frequency I recognize. Mother’s emergency channel. Vex is ahead of us, leading the way with predatory confidence, but his enhanced hearing might pick up voices.
I catch Noomi’s eye and tap my comm, then her hidden pocket where PIP’s core rests. Understanding flickers across her face, and she shifts slightly, the movement causing her jacket to muffle any sound.
“Noomi?” Mother’s voice comes through crystal clear but carefully controlled. “Girl, your transponder just went active in hostile territory. What’s your status?”
“Alive but captured,” I murmur, keeping my voice barely above a whisper while Noomi positions herself to block Vex’s line of sight. “Mother, listen carefully. Krax isn’t just destroying Christmas packages—he’s taking hostages. Families who paid for deliveries.”
The silence stretches long enough that I worry we’ve lost connection. When Mother speaks again, her voice carries the deadly calm that means someone’s about to learn why crossing OOPS personnel is a fatal mistake.
“How many families?”
“Forty-seven that I’ve seen. Could be more.” I watch Vex’s elegant form ahead of us, calculating how much time we have before he notices we’ve stopped. “All being held in what looks like a converted cargo bay. This isn’t random revenge, Mother. This is systematic.”
“That bastard.” The venom in Mother’s voice could melt hull plating. “Any children?”
“Yes.” Noomi’s whisper is barely audible, but her voice breaks slightly on the word. “Families with children, elderly couples, people who just wanted to send Christmas gifts to their loved ones.”
The way her voice cracks makes something fierce and protective surge through my chest. This woman has been carrying the weight of every consequence from her moral choice, and now she’s seeing the human cost in the most visceral way possible.
“Copy that. Noomi, girl, I know what you’re thinking—you blame yourself for this. Don’t. Krax made his choices, just like you made yours. Right now, I need you to be the courier who never gives up on a delivery.”
The simple faith in Mother’s voice makes Noomi’s eyes bright with unshed tears. This woman who’s spent two years provingshe’s worthy of redemption suddenly has someone who believes in her without question.
“We’re going to get their location and transmit coordinates,” I promise, still keeping my voice low. “Sixty minutes until backup arrives.”
“Make it forty-five.” Mother’s voice carries the authority of someone who’s moved mountains to complete impossible missions. “I’m scrambling every available ship, calling in favors from three sectors, and personally guaranteeing that anyone who helps us rescue those families gets free OOPS services for a year.”
“Mother—”
“No arguments, Nova. These are our people now. The families who trusted us to deliver their Christmas miracles? They’re OOPS family. And nobody messes with family.”
The transmission cuts just as Vex turns around, his phosphorescent circulatory system pulsing with suspicious interest.
