Total pages in book: 86
Estimated words: 81280 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 406(@200wpm)___ 325(@250wpm)___ 271(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 81280 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 406(@200wpm)___ 325(@250wpm)___ 271(@300wpm)
He hits the button to talk to people.
“Pirate attackers,” he says. “Flee and I will allow you to go. Keep attacking and you will have no chance of survival.”
There’s a brief hiss through the mic.
“How about you try to survive,” the lady pirate says. “You’re taking damage too, bitch.”
“I like her. She seems fun,” I say.
Sharp makes an annoyed sound. “I still had the channel open. She would have heard you.”
“Who is that?” The female newly minted captain speaks over the intercom.
I hit the button I saw Sharp hit before.
“Who is who? Who is me?”
“Yeah, who are you?”
“Oh. I’m a human woman. I don’t care if you wipe the Sligs out, but I’m going to need to save the humans aboard that vessel. It’s my life’s mission to free human ladies from alien incarceration.”
There’s a pause.
“You’re a human woman?”
“Yes.”
“You want us to free you from your mercenary captives?”
“Oh, hell, yes,” I laugh.
Everybody gives me the kind of look that makes me aware nobody finds this to be a good joke, or even a joke at all. I can see this because their faces are briefly reflected in the screen in front of me as a particularly bright blast takes out a chunk of the Slig ship.
“Can we suck the ladies in there into our ship?” I ask. “Can we do that bubble thing you did to me in the club?”
“We’d need someone on that ship to have a transmitter,” Sharp says.
“We’re going to raid this ship,” the woman captain says. “And then we’ll see about coming for you.”
“What’s your name?”
“Captain Sherah,” she says. “What’s yours?”
“I don’t know!” I say, in a tone that’s probably too excited. “My brain doesn’t work because I can’t remember the things that happened to me.”
“Your brain doesn’t work?”
“No!” I grin.
“Okay. Hold on. I need to board this ship and…”
What happens next is the sound of screaming, cursing, gunfire. Long minutes pass. Then Sherah’s voice comes over the speakers more clearly now because she’s obviously speaking directly to the Slig mic.
“We got it all secured,” she says. “Don’t worry. I’ll let the humans go. Can’t guarantee their survival, but we’re here for other commodities.”
“Nice,” I say. “Good for you. Sorry about your man being vaporized.”
“Thanks,” she says. “The tritium reserves on the ship should make up for some of that grief. Are you guys done shooting now? We’re keeping the Sligs as hostages, naturally.”
“Naturally,” I say.
A big, scaled hand flicks the speakers and mic off. The bridge is silent. I am reminded that I am now alone, and at the mercy of several displeased mercenaries.
Sharp grabs my hair and tips my head back, forcing me to look into his eyes.
“You know you just turned that into a complete failure,” he says.
“I think that depends on your definition of failure. We stopped the Sligs from trafficking humans.”
Kronos slams his hands on the controls and says something in a language I don’t know, but can easily translate. It’s profanity. He’s pissed. His sharp teeth flash viciously.
“Easy!” Boss says. “No harm done.”
“What do you mean, no harm done? We’ve failed the mission. That’s going to reflect on us professionally. That’s money we didn’t earn.”
“Go cool off,” Sharp says.
“Great mercenary-ing, guys,” I say.
Kronos storms out, so thoroughly annoyed by the course of events I am sure he would beat the hell out of me if the others would let him. I am scared of what he’d do if he did get me, but I don’t think they’re going to let him get anywhere near me now. I’ve passed through the point where I do something just bad enough that they’d let him teach me a lesson, and I’m out the other side of they’re scared he’s going to ruin me. Actually kind of a good tactic, not that I planned it.
Boss doesn’t seem mad, but he doesn’t seem amused either. He steps away from his console and shakes his head at me.
“That was…” he says. “You are…”
“I made friends,” I say. “And I like to think I saved some lives. You would have evaporated all of those aliens. And the Sligs would have sold the women. This is actually the best outcome of a whole lot of possible outcomes.”
“It is not!” Kronos says, not quite shouting but certainly projecting his voice as he steps off the bridge.
Kronos is pissed at me. The chain of command on this ship is confusing. Sometimes it seems like Sharp is captain. Other times, Kronos seems to be in charge. Boss is an independent creature at the best of times, but dominant all the time.
“You have to at least attempt obedience,” Sharp says. “This interference in our missions is going to end badly. Kronos is right about that. We could get ourselves killed if we can’t focus on the mission at hand.”
“I’m not going to be strapped down and thrown around the whole time you guys are having fun,” I say. “I made friends with that lady, too.”