I frowned as the larger ship didn't seem to stop pursuing me and I didn't get a response either. What were they thinking? Were they trying to decide if I was bluffing or not. Reaching out to Icaan on some kind of longer range communication system to see if he'd confirm? Coming after me without bothering to say anything else because it was clear I was lying?
"Okay," the voice said a moment later, sounding a little defeated. "I'm going to trust you since you clearly came in with Icaan earlier and I trust him. But he better be coming through here soon. If he doesn't I'm going to come right after you."
"Oh, don't worry," I replied. "You'll see him. I don't doubt he'll be no more than an hour or two behind me."
"Good."
I cut the comms as the patrol ship dropped behind. As I sat back and flicked the ship
With two of each of my seed packets planted and ready for me to try and grow them, I opened a meal packet and chowed down on the noodle dish I'd never had before. It was delicious hot and soon had my stomach making happier rumbling noises.I left everything else where it had been, intending to save the tin of shortbread as a victory meal when I was safely out of Frentin land and planning to trade the coffee beans for more ration packs at the first available opportunity.I couldn't say for sure when that would be but focusing on one problem at a time was still working pretty well as a plan. No reason why I couldn't keep doing that until I was out the other side of the mess I'd inadvertently got myself into. Because I did blame myself for everything.If I had been thinking clearly and not won over by the money offered to chart somewhere
I was about two thirds of the way through the debris field when I noticed a change in pattern from the ship in pursuit. They had slipped back a little but they'd dropped down as well. The detector was also picking up on some extra heat.Suspecting a firefight I flicked my guns to warm as well and took a deep breath. Adrenaline shot through me at the expected fight coming my way and I felt more awake finally.I still had a long way to go but if I needed to give a pirate some merry hell first so be it.Just as I'd begun to guess when they'd make their move, they did so, pushing their ship harder and faster towards mine. I responded in kind, not intending to make it easy for them to hit me, but they had taken me by surprise and their ship must have been using some kind of speed boost because it closed some of the gap in almost no time at
I pushed the ship to one side, trying to turn away from the fast moving Frentin ship but I'd been incredibly stupid and it was clear Icaan had outwitted me yet again.Swearing more than once, I could do little to stop it as he outmaneuvered me and hit my ship with more bolts. The shields did their best to absorb the hits and I warmed the guns to fire back, but it was too little too late.All the fighting I'd already done had softened me up and he'd found me ripe for the chasing.Despite all that I refused to just give up and I did my best to fly and dodge, making it harder and harder for him to grapple and reel me in. Eventually, he caught me with the final bolt needed to take my shields out entirely, and then my console lit up with the indicator for an incoming hail.I almost didn't accept it, but
"You're beautiful," Icaan said, my completely naked body beneath him. I felt my cheeks flush. I was still on the floor of his ship and for several seconds he'd not moved.I reached a hand up to him, wanting to reconnect us to each other but he didn't give me the satisfaction at first, still wandering my body with his gaze.The longer it went on the more self conscious I felt, but slowly he reached for me, picking me up and carrying me against him. Gently he took me to the ladder and holding me against him with one hand, he climbed with the other.Not sure what else to do, I gripped him and tried not to think of anything else but the moment we were in. The scent of his body so close to mine was already making me hungry for him and ready in so many ways.He took me all the way to his familiar bed and
A beeping from the cockpit made Icaan finally leave me in his bed. He quickly pulled his shorts and space suit back on and hurried to the ladder. I wasn't sure I could walk yet, my body well and truly claimed by him in pretty much every way it could be.I had lost track of time and I was pretty sure he had as well. But the alarm sounded a moment later and I hastily got up and pulled my suit on as well. The restraints were still around my wrists and ankles, but they didn't stop me from getting dressed.As soon as I was in the suit and protected from a hull breach I also made my way to the cockpit. I was more than a little tired, but I wasn't about to show any weakness right now."We've got company," Icaan said. "Two ships. I think they might be enforcers.""And let me guess, they'll insist on escorti
As my ship sat near the edge of a solar system with a particularly large active sun, the solar panels were all extended and sucking up as much energy as they could while Icaan patrolled nearby."Those enforcers were quick to give up," I said. "Why was that, when I was worth so much?""The pirate ship was probably worth a fair amount too. And the pirate in it. Law enforcement put prices on the heads of anyone who breaks the law if they've stolen enough to warrant it. Only way to see the fringe areas of our territory policed.""So it's not uncommon for ships to try and hunt down pirates out here?""No. I've even taken a few in before now. The credits can make a difference. The reward and the ship price.""So why don't we do that? Why don't we find a pirate worth eno
This time I took Icaan's hand and led him up the ladder to his bedroom. Everything else could wait. I wanted him and I didn't want him to doubt my desire to be with him for a second longer.As soon as I had him in the bedroom with me, I gently pushed him down into a sitting position and started to unzip my suit. His eyes never left me as I slowly pulled the zipper down, making sure to go just slow enough he was riveted, but not so slow he decided to take matter into his own hands.He watched as I stripped off every single bit of clothing I had and then stepped closer, finally putting myself in reach.Almost immediately his hands came up and cupped my hips, the palms molding over each curve. His eyes roved, drinking me in and making me heat up at the same time.His skin on mine was like a lightning r
I tried not to show the ache in my chest at having to go back to my own ship again, but did as I was bid anyway. It was the third night I'd had to do so after coming back to Icaan and making love to him.Until we found Kryan, however, it was the safest thing to do. We needed to make sure any enforcers who came across us thought Icaan was already in pursuit and didn't interfere.We had a lead finally. A report Icaan had intercepted from an enforcer that said he was once more near Antiga. It was good news of a sort even if it meant we were another step closer to the most dangerous part of our plan.Capturing Kryan wouldn't be easy. The Frentin pirate was one of the best pilots and he was stronger than most of the alien males as well. On top of that he was cunning, good at escaping and otherwise slippery.