Pirate (LGBT - Sci-Fi - Romantic)

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Twelve 

Mars slipped off to visit Conn for the first time in his cell. He was pretty sure he was going to regret it, but he couldn't stay away. 

Connell looked up warily as he entered the small room. He was lying on his back on the bed but he scrambled hastily to his feet when he saw Mars. The pirate gestured to him to sit down on the room's one and only chair which was attached to the floor, then studied him in silence for a moment, legs astride, his arms crossed in front of his chest. 

The stranger in front of him still looked like Conn, he sounded like Conn, he even moved like Conn, but he wasn't. He was a stranger called Liam Connell. His face was white and drawn and he looked older, white plasfoam bandages ringed his wrists and ankles, just visible at the edges of his grey uniform, reminding Mars of the blood he had seen there earlier. His copper hair hung lank, flat against his head. Even though he was scarcely looking his best, Mars thought he was still the most attractive man on the ship. And despite everything, he realised to his dismay that he still wanted him, with a fierce aching longing. Fruitlessly he reminded himself that it was Conn he wanted, not Connell. 

"How are you?" he asked, realising how stupid the question was as soon as it left his lips. How on Earth did he think he was? No matter what sort of man Connell was when he wasn't playing a part, at the moment he would be feeling scared and hurt, wondering what was going to happen to him. 

"I'm alright," came the cautious answer. Connell was relieved he could meet the Captain's eyes, even for a moment. He had wondered if he would feel too embarrassed, too self conscious when they met again. But he didn't, too many different emotions were churning around inside him. Angry humiliation that he had been made to feel so vulnerable fought with utter thankfulness that Mars had stepped back at the last minute, unexpected guilt over his own deception fought with fear over what they were going to do to him next.  

Right now, he clamped a lid down hard on everything, he couldn't afford to give anything away.  

"How are your wrists?" Mars ventured. "They looked bad." 

"Fine." 

God this was awkward. 

"So it was all an act then? Everything?" Mars burst out, unable to help himself. He didn't know why he was asking, he wasn't going to believe anything Connell said to the contrary in any case.  

"Yes."  

Mars winced. He waited, but the other man was silent.  

"That's it? That's all you're going to say?" he was disbelieving. He'd wanted an explanation, excuses, an argument, anything. Anything to show him that Conn was still there, hiding inside that stranger. 

Connell couldn't think what else to say. It was too hard to explain that although he'd certainly had an agenda, he'd basically been playing himself. He didn't want to appear any more vulnerable than he already was. 

"What's going to happen to me?" 

Mars pulled himself together, "I haven't decided yet. Nowak wants to dispose of you, permanently," he added snidely. "Well if you're not going to talk to me I'll leave you alone." He turned to the door. As he went out he flung over his shoulder, "You've got a really cute ass by the way!" 

Despite the momentary satisfaction caused by the embarrassed flush that had risen in Connell's face, Mars left the cell feeling frustrated and cross. He'd known he was going to regret the visit from the beginning, what on Earth had he thought was going to happen? That Connell was suddenly going to turn back into Conn and they'd have a good laugh and forgive each other? Kiss and make up? 

XXX 

As soon as Mars had left, Connell lay back down on the bed, his arms folded beneath his head, glaring at the ceiling. He had done the right thing, saying nothing. Nick wouldn't have believed anything he said in his defence so why had he even asked? In any case it was true, everything had been an act, the initial approach, his character as a rather unsuccessful smuggler, the Mahjong games to get close to the Captain.  

All an act. To start with. True, he had set Mars up to play Mahjong with him in the first instance but after that second game when he had told him to stop teasing him, he had played whole heartedly, enjoying himself. The weird friendship, if he could call it that, which had grown up between them later had been real, sort of. The way Mars treated his male prisoners was the significant barrier, always lurking in the back of his mind, pulling him back from genuine friendship. But he had found himself liking Mars, despite himself. Not in the way Mars wanted, mind you, but he had liked him. 

The man was such an odd contradiction he thought. Just look at the way he had backed away from taking his revenge, which many would have considered justified, on a man who he had a genuine grievance against and yet seemed to have no problems in forcing himself on men who had done nothing to him. He couldn't understand it. 

He made an effort to put Mars out of his mind. He had other things to worry about. Major Rice for one. He grew angry just thinking about the way he had sabotaged him with those nanobots. Presumably he hadn't considered that the Zeron's medic would take a blood test or else he had simply considered him expendable, a pawn to get the king he was after. He felt betrayed. The image of Nick's momentarily devastated face popped into his mind again. It wasn't the same he told himself. Rice was his boss, he had the right to expect a certain level of honesty from him, a level of trust. Nick was a criminal, and despite the myth, there was no such thing as honour among thieves. His thoughts went round and round. 

XXX 

Mars looked up as Andrews appeared unexpectedly at his elbow.  

"Captain? I'd like you to come and see me for a blood test today," Andrews asked earnestly. "I'd like to be certain you don't have any of those nanobots in your blood."  

Mars stared at him with narrowed eyes for a moment, was he trying to set him up? No, he decided with a sigh, Lachlan was sincerely concerned, if rather unfortunately naive. He bet someone else had put him up to this. 

"I hardly think it's likely, but of course, if you think it's necessary. It's hardly urgent though is it? Tomorrow afternoon would suit me better, or perhaps the day after." 

Andrews seemed about to protest, but backed down at the sight of Mars' raised eyebrow. "Of course, Captain." 

"I'm considering taking the Zeron to Mayia, in the Almaaz system for a few weeks," Mars explained. "We need a breather from the Patrol and the men can have a bit of a holiday." 

"And, Conn?" Andrews asked delicately. 

"I haven't decided yet," he answered, deliberately ignoring the other man's frown of disapproval. "My research suggests we'd be out of range for Rice to be able to track the nanobots, so that shouldn't be an issue."  

He told Nowak the same thing a few minutes later. "We're going to Mayia, at least until the heat wears off here. Who knows, once we've familiarised ourselves with the Almaaz system we might find some fresh opportunities," he smiled. "We'll drop in briefly at Aykut for supplies tomorrow, then set up a series of FTL jumps to cover our tracks. You know the drill." 

"Righto, Cap'n," Nowak replied, his expression schooled into his usual compliance.