Page 45 of Infiltration

“I’m studying Bi’is’ ecosystem in honor of our mission. Just for fun and ideas for future projects when I return to the terraforming group.” Ulof beamed broader than before, obviously delighted to take a hand in his own training.

“Smart. Nako just left for Captain Kila’s ship for yet another meeting. I wish I knew what exactly is going on where this mission is concerned. Nako and Terig are sharing less and less of what they know.”

“I don’t want to find out. I’m perfectly happy being in the dark where this spy nonsense is concerned.”

“Really?” Piper gazed at him in surprise. “Even if we’re in danger?”

“Especially if we’re in danger. The less information I have in terms of the hidden underbelly of our mission, the happier I am. Let me bask in my ignorance for as long as possible.” He returned to his computer and enlarged a file showing a picture of a large white flower.

“Ignorance is bliss.” Piper was disappointed he wasn’t as curious as her about what they were heading into. Nako and Terig were on edge. Whatever had happened to send them to Bi’is was big.

* * * *

Kila’s spyship

Kila woofed air when Nako’s fist slammed his gut. Fortunately, he’d seen the punch coming and had braced for it.

He wasn’t ready to be picked up and flung across the mat-strewn room, however. He hit the floor hard, and his arm from his shoulder to his fingertips went numb.

He shot to his feet before Nako could reach him to capitalize on the damage he’d done. He managed to thrust his unfeeling shoulder against the other man’s chest, knocking the Dramok-Nobek back several feet. They circled each other, grimacing bloody grins.

“The lack of power signatures from Bi’is concerns me,” Kila told his opponent. “Their satellites are issuing signals, but there’s nothing from the planet itself.”

“Ensign Ilid said the Darks were telepathic. Maybe they shut down all coms since they can communicate everything mind to mind.”

“The Bi’isils would have definitely noticed their communications disappearing.”

“They may have detected the Darks beforehand. Crippling the com systems would hinder attempts to fend the invaders off.” Nako feinted and pulled back with a noticeable limp when Kila showed he was prepared for attack. So far, he hadn’t seemed to pick up on the fact Kila had little use of the arm he’d crashed on. It was tingling and starting to hurt as it began its slow return to life.

They’d been fighting for nearly an hour in the room designed for it on board the spyship. Both had the injuries to prove it. Despite Nako’s eagerness to break in his marauder’s fight room, he’d worried his Matara might come looking for him and catch them pounding the hell out of each other. Piper wouldn’t be interested in the fact discussing strategy while serving up severe beatings was a very Nobek thing to do. “I’d never hear the end of it,” Nako had grumbled.

Having an opinionated Matara of his own whose wrath wasn’t to be minimized, Kila understood. As small and physically weak as Earther women were, a warrior Nobek was wise to think twice about earning their displeasure. They had ways of making a man sorry.

“It isn’t just com activity missing. We aren’t detecting any sort of energy output at all.” He watched for Nako to put weight on his bad leg.

“We’re still distant enough that it might be the lack of com activity weakening the signals.”

“True. Once we pass—”

Kila stopped talking and charged as Nako put weight on his injured leg. He hit him in the knee, earning a satisfying yell of pain.

It didn’t keep Nako from raining punches on his way down. He hit Kila on the temple, jaw, and chin in quick succession. The world grayed, and Kila crumpled to the ground.

They lay gasping and groaning. After a few seconds, Nako wheezed, “Fuck. My knee is sprung.”

“I win.” Kila sat up. The room tilted violently, and he fell flat again. “Damn. Concussion.”

“A draw then.”

“Sure. Why the fuck not?” They had to work together for a while yet. A tie wasn’t a real loss. Besides, it was a great setup for them to square off again in the future to settle who was the bigger badass. Kila turned his head to grin at Nako, swallowing a tide of nausea. “Do you want to visit my lovely medical facility, or shall I have you stretchered to your shuttle to use your own?”

“Ancestors, let me get fixed here. Between Dr. Zo and Piper, I’d be an idiot to show up on my ship in this shape. You might never see my sorry carcass again if they learn what we’ve been doing.” Nako laughed, his earlier storminess alleviated by their fight.

“We can’t have that. We definitely have to do this again.”

“Definitely.”

* * * *

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