"Admit it. I'm good." Lily jumped from the fledgling's flank flap, hit the ground and bounced up six inches. Gravity on Riklim was wonky. "Like really, really good."
"You were lucky." Vortrand landed beside her. Once he gained his footing, he caught her upper arm. "And if you ever incapacitate me again I will return the favor. Permanently."
Before climbing from the navigation cabin, they'd removed and stowed their helmets in their suits' packs. Vortrand had been right about their gear. After the fledgling exporated the MSac fluid from the cabin, the internal port fissures blasted the residue from their bodies. Their equipment came away bone dry and running in perfect order. Shrugging out of the captain's grip, Lily smirked and paced around the fledgling, checking its injuries.
"You really can't stand that little, inferior me might be as good or better than you at anything, can you?"
Damage to the fledgling wasn't as bad as Lily expected. The ship's sprint end got the worst of it. Deep and dripping gouges raked the ship's elastic flesh. Frowning, she bent and touched the area around the wounds. The fledgling shuddered and groaned. Patterns of violet bioluminescence flared at its ululation. She drew her hand away. The captain came up behind her.
"A neural bond is no substitute for skill of which you have pathetically little."
With a snort, Lily righted herself and spun away from him. Her dismal surroundings went off kilter. Legs wobbled. She steadied herself on the fledgling's side.
Flu-like symptoms from piloting hadn't gone away even after Lily disconnected from the flagettes. Weakened limbs protested her weight. At home she'd be snuggled in bed with soup and a glass of icy water. But she wasn't home. She was on a small, black rock in space with a crotchety alien.
"What's wrong?" Vortrand asked.
"Nothing." Lily rubbed her forehead. "Just worried about the fledgling. Those asteroids tore up its sprint end."
"It's shallow damage. Reesa can patch that. It won't affect our return trip if we're careful."
"Yeah, yeah." Lily pushed herself off the ship and swayed. She stood doe-still until the ground stopped shifting.
Vortrand's hand slid under her arm. "Let me he—"
Lily snatched her arm away. "I don't need help." Faintness overcame her. Wobbly knees buckled. Legs gave out and she collapsed.
The captain's face came into view. "You sure about that?"
"Piloting took more out of me than I thought it would. Give me a cezin."
Vortrand made a thoughtful noise and let her collect herself. Curling over, she inhaled shuddering breaths of mountain-thin air. When the wooziness subsided, she sat up.
The ground crunched under Lily's shifting weight. Impressions of her hands indented the soft, black pumice. Pitted stone stretched as far as she could see. Glimmering mineral deposits dusted the dark, hilly terrain. A chilling breeze whistled over the pocked landscape. Gusts flapped hair over her face. Light from a sun not close enough to warm her bones washed Riklim in a wan glow.
Rising, she said, "I don't see anyone. Any buildings or anything." She patted grime from her palms and legs. Clouds of anthracite dust puffed from her limbs.
"Intel places the camp a mile north. The Verakian mercs there wouldn't be stupid or arrogant enough to keep an over-ground site in hostilespace." Vortrand looked her over. A crease split his brow.
"How will we find it?"
The captain answered with a northward nod. Lily fell into step at his side. Feet bounced up in the low gravity until she regulated her stride. Vortrand's hand hooked under her arm. She wriggled.
"I can't have you staggering around. We can't afford to show any weakness. We didn't bring L-Strikers for nothing. If they think they're better off selling us for labor or parts they will."
They marched on in silence. Just when Lily thought she might collapse again and let Vortrand drag her the rest of the way, a wink of light glinted on the horizon. The captain slowed as they came upon a strange grove.
Pale yellow stalks twisted from the black ground. Cone shaped buds of buttery crystal topped the thick stems. Lily counted twenty of the crystalline plants. They were all a good foot and a half taller than she. When they entered the grove, the vegetation stirred.
Buds blossomed at their intrusion. Crystal tinkled as petals unfurled, creating star shaped, glittering flowers. Holes darkened the centers of the blooms. White vines peeked from these mouths. Tendrils investigated the newly occupied space in their grove.
Lily hung back by the captain. He didn't seem concerned at the flora nearing his chest and face. One of the more daring vines snaked to his chin. Its lapping tip brushed his cheeks and kissed at his forehead. A bump at her tummy drew her attention downward where a vine investigated her. She lowered her face to the curious plants. A stern remark from the captain straightened her posture. He swatted away the vines.
"No. Get up. Get your helmet on."
Arms contorted behind her back, Lily pried her helmet from her pack and popped it into shape. She wedged her head inside. Vortrand drew her close. Vines bumped off her body and the hard parts of her helmet then pulled back, retreating into their stalks. Flowers rattled their hostility then clamped shut. Quiet blanketed the grove. Vortrand nudged Lily forwards.
When they cleared the flora, he said, "Take your helmet off and get ready."
The helmet popped free. "For what?"
"The mercs coming to meet us. Those Sentinels we passed know there are two of us but they only recorded my DNA. The mercs can't be certain who else is here. They'll be suspicious. Dangerous."
"Those things back there sampled your DNA?"
"Yes. For obvious reasons I didn't want them sampling yours."
Three figures appeared in the distance. Bulky forms trekked towards them.
"Be ready with your Striker," Vortrand said. "Make sure you have a cartridge chambered."
Lily checked and left her holster unfastened. Hands trembled. "Are...are we going to have to shoot someone?"
A flash of the Verakian woman from Myskuul. Milky gore spattered on a plaster wall.
Lily swallowed. Sweated.
"Don't anticipate it, but be ready."
The trio neared. Pressuresuits deformed their features and corrupted their gait. Lily's muscles tightened until her body was one big charlie horse.
Astronaut-bubble helmets encased the Verakians' heads. One Verakian man walked between two women. Rifles strapped to the women's backs. An L-Striker attached to the side of the man's puffy suit. Lily edged forward to get a better view.
Vortrand tugged her back and the sudden repositioning made her head pound. Her skull was too small for a swollen brain pulsing against smooth bone. Teetering, she hitched against the captain's body. Two spikes of pain lanced her temples. A fresh bout of fever chills shook her and her stomach growled.
"Stand up," Vortrand muttered and shook her off.
The Verakian women halted while the man continued forwards. He scanned Vortrand then Lily. The merc's gaze lingered on her much longer than it had on the captain. Brows knotted.
"How did you find us?" A booming voice projected from a speaker at the base of his bulbous helmet.
"Artemi?" Vortrand asked.
"What's it to you?" The Verakian man folded his arms.
"I've come to trade with Berigan Artemi. If you are not Artemi I'll not waste my words."
"Your words aren't a waste." Artemi eyed their L-Strikers and gave Lily another long once over. "And to open our negotiations I'd like to know where you obtained your information."
"Command likes to keep tabs on Verakian occupied hostilespace."
"You with Command?" A flick of Artemi's fingers brought his backup to his side. The women took their rifles in hand. Lily flinched for her L-Striker, but Vortrand didn't twitch. The captain waved for her calm, the gesture concealed behind his back.
"I maintain contacts who are."
"Those are some high grade channels you maintain."
The captain nodded and Artemi continued.
"And why should I open my doors to a Command snitch?"
"You already have a few Command snitches in your camp. What's one more?"
Artemi sneered. The rubbery suit he wore crinkled as he clenched his fists. The captain held out his arms.
"If Command considered you a threat they would have terminated you. You're worth more to them active. As part of our trade I can tell you who among your camp should reconsider their life choices."
Artemi considered then dropped his chin. "Sorted." Calling off his guard, he pointed at Lily. "And that one? What is she?"
A hand came to the small of Lily's back. "Verakian. Bralian dominant genetics."
Artemi's brows raised. "Your partner?"
"My pilot."
"Why didn't you allow the sentinels to scan her? We might have dispensed with the," the merc gestured at his guard, "formalities."
"I won't have her spoiled by alien filth." Razor edged disgust sharpened Vortrand's statement and set Lily's skin crawling. "There's more than the Contamination Standard at stake in her case."
"A sentinel scan wouldn't affect your fledgling's organics if that's your concern."
The pressure of Vortrand's hand left Lily's back. He clasped her wrist and yanked out her arm. A touch to one of the secondary function cores shifted the translucency of her barriersuit. Gasping, she reached for her outfit's controls, but the captain plastered her against him. A crushing arm looped around her waist. A suggestive hand slid over her hips.
"Granted, but she's an ulari. I paid a premium for her genetic purity. I won't have that corrupted in any way."
Half of Lily's breasts, most of her torso and her inner thighs were all on display. Snarling, she struggled against the captain which set off her migraine. A chill rippled her back. Arms and legs weakened. She fell onto Vortrand who caught her. When she blinked, phantom data—after effects from the fledgling's attempted takeover—flashed green on the backs of her lids.
Vortrand must have thought her faint was part of his impromptu charade. Capturing her chin, he tipped up her head. His hungry expression doubled then blurred.
"Your ulari has some fight in her." The phrase stretched from Artemi's mouth, his voice too deep, too slow. The captain's voice drawled out equally distorted.
"Discretion is her preference," Vortrand said. "She doesn't like her assets displayed."
Artemi chuckled. "I can't imagine why."
Lips parted. Words wouldn't come. Lily couldn't tell Vortrand something was very, very wrong. She couldn't even lift her arm. It weighed a ton. All her limbs did. The extra ballast pulled her down. Vision flickered then darkened. A swirl of demonically low voices chased her into oblivion.