Page 45 of Alien Naga's Prize
“A bath you will be sharing with me very soon, little sunray,” I respond. “Strap yourself in. This might be rough,” I add as I activate the booster in order to get us out of the atmosphere and into space where I can take on any of Rossz’s misguided former staff who think it’s a good idea to pursue their boss.
Jenna hops into the secondary pilot space and pulls on the grav-straps before activating the comm.
“Are you still there, Tisel?” she asks.
“Here to bail out Azul again, yes.”My contractor’s voice crackles through the comm, and his face appears as a holo in front of us.
“I don’t need bailing out, Tisel. Fak off,” I growl.
“Now, now. Yourbridecontacted me for help.”He adopts a hurt tone.
“The ship did that,” Jenna says. “Not me.”
I curse under my breath for having put his details into the emergency settings, even if he has potentially done me a favor this time.
“And how does he know I’m your bride?” Jenna is staring straight ahead.
“I was there when he contacted Starlight Brides…”
I swing the ship sharply over, causing the comm to distort and his image to slide away from us both as a salvo of pulsar bolts streaks past harmlessly into space.
“What the fak?” I glare at the consoles. “How does a narcotics dealer have firepower like that?”
“Did I not tell you?”Tisel’s image is back.“He’s got a star-fighter.”
“No, you did not tell me,” I say through gritted teeth. “And it would have been helpful to know.” I look over at Jenna. “Hold on,” I tell her. “This is going to be interesting.”
JENNA
“Give me control of your weapons. I can fire back,” I yell over the sound of fizzing as the smoke clears.
“We can’t fire back, not this close to an inhabited planet,” Azul responds, weaving his ship in a sick making movement from side to side.
“Not even if they’re going to blast us into space dust?”
“We need to get to the worm hole. Once we’re in there, they can’t fire on us, and I can activate the stealth shielding,” Azul responds.
“At this rate, you’re not going to make it to the worm hole,”Tisel says unhelpfully.“Or through it, given the state of your port engine.”
“Did I not tell you to fak off?” Azul grinds at his holo image.
“I think we both did.”
“But neither of you terminated the comm.”Tisel’s fat blue face grins at us.
“Make sure our fee is transferred, and the client is waiting to take custody of the fakker in my hold,” Azul responds, reaching to terminate the comm.
Only I get there first.
“And you put up with him because?” I query.
“He hasn’t got me killed.” Azul swings the ship into an evasive pattern, lurching us from side to side. “Yet.”
“Comforting.” I roll my eyes. “Are we going to get out of this alive, do you think?”
“Nothing will harm you, my mate. You have my promise,” I respond as yet another pulsar bolt slams into the ship, the shielding weakening and the hull creaking under the strain of holding together.
“Please let me shoot back,” I beg. “I’ve handled space craft level weaponry in training.”