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“Seven bloody hells, the gravity plating on this deck’s shot. It’ll take two weeks to make these repairs.” Disgusted, the Chief engineer tossed his scanner back into his tool pack. “If we can even buy the materials on this Gods forsaken rock. We don’t have the time.”
Aja and the first mate, Davi Fedd, followed his gaze. That section of the exterior hull reflected bright in the desert sun, appearing almost wet, like a child who had fallen down and skinned his knees. Their entry and emergency landing had been rough.
“We passed over a trading zone,” said Mr. Fedd. “We may find some gravity plating there, maybe off an old junker.”
Aja watched the Chief roll his eyes. It was obvious to her that he had no respect for the man who’d taken the helm.
“Until Captain Aram recovers, you’ll follow my orders, Chief, whether you like it or not, and you have two days to make these repairs.”
Aja knew the man wanted to add, you fucking asshole, but he didn’t.
“Roll out the bird,” ordered Mr. Fedd, “and let’s scout a bit. Aja, you stay with the ship. Check on the captain. Might be he’s feeling well enough to eat something.”
Aja nodded. She’d do whatever she could to help out. They’d crash-landed because of her. Because of her, they were running from the Coalition. Captain Aram was ill because of her. Because he’d been exposed to the lethal virus intended for her. It was only due to the fact that she’d managed to steal two vials of the antidote he was recovering.
The Chief flat out hated her. If he could off load her or even kill her and get away with it, he would. Of that she had no doubt. Even if Aja hadn’t been a Seer, born and bred of the Blood, the man’s thoughts were as plain as the nose on his face. He was very poor at disguising his feelings. Fortunately for her, he didn’t know who she was, he only understood she was valuable cargo and that a third party was paying them well to deliver her safe and sound. If he knew with any certainty who and what she was, Aja suspected she’d already be dead.
Aja returned to the ship, stopping by the galley to fill a jug with fresh water. After his high fever, Captain Aram would be thirsty. Although the fever had broken this morning, he hadn’t been able to swallow until a few hours ago. Strapped in as they fled the Coalition cruiser, Aja hadn’t been able to get to his cabin to help him.
The captain knew who she was and he knew what she was. Despite his fever and the hallucinations the virus caused, he’d managed to keep the information to himself. Aja felt both grateful and guilty at the same time. The man had risked his life to save hers and now her presence risked his ship and his crew. It was small comfort that it was a barebones crew, only the Second in Command, Davi Fedd, and the ship’s engineer, Crew Chief Wyer.
With the captain sick, Davi had acted as pilot, engaging the auto-nav, although Aja was capable of piloting the craft if worse came to worse. She would risk taking the helm if absolutely necessary, but Chief Wyer was paranoid enough. Only women of the Blood were trained as pilots. It was a tradition even the Coalition dare not break. They had to continue the myth they’d created, at least until the generation that remembered passed away. Their propaganda machine promulgated the idea that the Coalition ruled with the Empress’ blessing.
Of course, Aja had never been allowed to fly beyond the confines of the asteroid belt that served as their Court in Exile. Smart of the Coalition in one way, very stupid in another, she thought. It was hard to get anything larger than a small supply ship into the Sauran Asteroid Field, so any chance of rescue and return to their home world was almost nil. But learning to fly solo within the belt helped make Aja and her two younger sisters daring pilots. Even their Coalition-assigned instructors had been more than a little in awe of their abilities. Of course, Aja and her sisters had the benefit of generations of genetic engineering and adaptation. Women of the Blood possessed quick reflexes, perfect vision and an unusually forgiving vestibular system. No motion sickness for her. It didn’t hurt that Aja see the path ahead of her with her eyes closed.
Aja slid the plexi-door aside, entering the captain’s spartan quarters. He lay on his side, facing her, eyes open. His face pale, drawn.
“Everyone all right?” Aram rasped.
“Yes,” Aja replied. “It was a rough landing, but no injuries, at least not to us. The gravity skin got torn up a bit. Davi and the Chief took the bird to the nearest settlement to see if they can scrounge some magnetite for repairs.” She lifted the jug. “Here, let me help you.”
She assisted the captain to a sitting position and held the jug for him. He drank like a man dying of thirst. “Not too much at once,” she warned, “You don’t want it to come back up.”
“By the Gods, I’m not sure I’d care. I feel like I’ve been staked out in the Gona Desert for a week.”
“Close,” commented Aja with a grin. “You came very close.”
Closing his eyes, Captain Aram lay back down. He’d never been so weak in his life, but at least he felt better than he had the day before, when he had prayed for death. If this was how the virus behaved even after Aja had given him the antidote, he could only imagine the suffering this disease would cause before it killed its victims. Without the antidote, it was fatal, according to Aja, one hundred percent of the time. He hoped she’d managed to smuggle enough of the antidote out that the rebel medics could replicate it. Pray the Gods.
His eyes flew open. “Why didn’t you and Davi…? Why aren’t you ill? I must have been contagious. Do we have enough of the antidote for the rest of you?”
“It’s all right.” Aja patted his arm. “The strain you were injected with isn’t contagious. It’s a test strain only. It dies when you die. But you didn’t die. So in a sense, you are now immune. Think of it as a vaccination, like the medics give to children. The strain that infected you will confer lifetime immunity.”
“Because I lived.”
“Yes, because you lived. Do you think you can eat something, Captain? I can heat up a mug of broth.”
Captain Aram didn’t answer. He attempted to sit up again. Aja leaned closer to help him, but he waved her away. “What I’d really like,” he said, “is to take a piss in the head and not in a jar. You mind? I know I was pretty far gone, but I assume you’ve seen everything I have. I suspect we’ve already passed the point of embarrassment.” He gave her a weak grin.
He watched a blush spread over her face. Yes, apparently she had seen everything he had. “I’ll help you,” she offered. “You can lean on me. I’ll close my eyes if you like.”
“Thanks,” Captain Aram replied, “It’s not necessary.” Despite his nakedness, he tossed the coverlet aside.
Aja helped him to the edge of the bunk. Getting his bearings, he sat there for a few moments. The woman held his arm, her grip firm, as he rose on shaky legs.
“Let’s go,” he said, feeling winded already, “before I change my mind.”
Aram rested his weight on Aja. He was a head taller than she was, but leaner than he’d been a week ago for certain. They walked side by side to the small room directly across from the bed. When they reached the door, Aja had to duck in first then maneuver him inside after her. He braced himself with both hands against the wall for a second as Aja wriggled around until she stood behind him. Resting his back against her, after a few moments, he relaxed.
Aja had little experience with men. She’d never seen a grown man naked. It would be unthinkable in her cloistered world. A Princess of the Blood was expected to remain pure and unsullied by the touch of any man until her marriage. Prior to the coup, her mother would have arranged a match. Now any royal marriages would be arranged by the ruling Junta. Aja was the eldest. She knew without being told that the Coalition had intended to marry her off to a traitorous pig, a man who would keep her under lock and key for the rest of her life. Of course, that was before the Junta decided to eliminate the problem of the royal family altogether. It made perfect sense from their perspective. If you want the body dead, cut of the head. The Resistance rallied around the restoration of the monarchy. Without an Empress and her family, there was no longer anything to fight for. There was merely the day-to-day struggle for survival.
The captain had finished and Aja assisted him back to his bunk. He practically fell onto the cot.
“Water, please.”
She helped him to drink.
“So where did Davi set her down?”
“In a deep ravine. All power is off and he’s activated the shields. A scan won’t show anything unusual.”
“It was a rough landing.”
“Yes. We skipped off the atmosphere like a pebble on a pond, letting the warships think we’d caught fire and burned up on entry. Davi cut power and glided in. He’s a good pilot.”
“Yes.”
Aja watched Aram close his weary eyes. “I’ll get you some broth. You really should try to eat something.” She hesitated. “Captain, I didn’t get a chance to thank you properly. You nearly died for me.”
She watched him lick his dry lips. “It was duty. My duty to you, to your family, to the Resistance, to the citizens of this corner of the galaxy. I would do it again in a heartbeat. When we got word of what they planned to do…” his voice trailed off.
“You took a needle for me.”
Eyes still closed, Aram grinned. “I would say better than a bullet, but I’m not entirely sure that would be true.”
“My family, have they been moved out of harm’s way?”
“That was the plan,” the man answered, “but I have no way of knowing for sure. Davi’s kept com silence, I assume.”
“Yes.”
“If everything went well, your family will be waiting for you at our destination.”
“Thank you. I pray to the Gods they are safe. And I pray for the safety of all the men who risked their lives to help them.”
As Aja turned to leave the room, the captain reached for her hand.
“My Lady, thank you for the antidote, and for playing the part of nursemaid.”
Aja smiled at the man. “Duty, Captain. I would do it again in a heartbeat.”
“Is there enough left for our medics to replicate it?”
“Oh yes, and then there’s you, Captain. Your serum will be quite useful in making a vaccine.”
Captain Aram chuckled. “I’m glad my serum is good for something.”
Aja warmed to the sound of his laughter. The man had courage to spare. “Oh, Captain Aram, don’t sell yourself short. I’m quite sure that you are good for many things. You are a very brave man. I owe you my life. There is no way I can repay you for that.”
“I think you already have, My Lady. I doubt that helping a sick man to piss in a jar is the standard for a Princess of the Blood.”
“Maybe not,” laughed Aja, “But I enjoyed the experience immensely. Please, you must call me Aja, especially in front of Chief Wyer.” She grinned at him, “Besides, after all this, I see no need for formality between us.”
Captain Aram’s face turned red as a beetroot. Aja patted his hand.
“I’ll be back in a few moments,” she said, still laughing. “I imagine you’ll wait here.”
The captain waved her away with a weak grin.
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