Lost in Barbarian Space (12 page)

A woman who could never be his.

Finally, Agent Abora shook her head. “I’m sorry, nothing I’ve tried is working.”

“Take a break, Agent Abora,” Dr. Lev’nan said. “I think we all need a break and I’d like to head to the med bay to check on Dr. Behati.”

Agent Abora nodded. “I’ve set the holo-table to try a few other things, but it will take some time.”

After the others had left, Honor leaned two hands against the table.

Colm saw the tension in her. “Honor.”

“Still no word on Dr. Behati.”

“Not your fault.”

“My mission, and he’s lying in the med bay, torn up by some giant creature I should have protected him from.” She raised her head. “I should have listened to you. This is your world—”

“Ansar is a location I’ve never stepped foot on before, Honor. It was a new place for all of us. The only thing at fault here is the wolf that attacked him, not you.”

“I was security—”

He spun her to face him. “New worlds, new adventures. As I said before, it is a dangerous job you all do.” Colm reached out and touched her face. “From what I can see, you do a fine job, Honor. No one can question your dedication.”

Her eyes fluttered closed. He stroked along her cheekbone, marveling at her smooth skin.

Suddenly, the holo-table beeped. They both turned their heads, and Colm saw text flooding the surface of the table.

“God.” Honor leaned over, scanning the text. “Ship’s logs.
Yes
.” She scrolled through it. “There’s a record of the crash. They were hit by a meteor, the cargo bay was breached.” She looked up. “That’s how the box ended up where it was. It fell out of the ship when the meteor tore a hole in the side of it. Oh…!”

“What?” he demanded.

She grinned. “The ship’s comp recorded their entry path details. We can use it to determine the
exact
location where the ship hit.” She leaned over and started tapping and swiping her finger on the table. It was like she’d forgotten Colm was even there. She muttered to herself, tapping in more commands.

Colm just watched her. He’d always known he would never claim a woman as his own, and he’d never wanted to. But watching Honor, entranced by her, he wished things were different.

“I’ve got it.” Her eyes were wide with excitement. “Right near the third location we’d detected.”

“So, we head back down?”

She nodded and her mouth firmed into a hard line. “But this time, I’m going prepared for those creatures. I’m taking the electro-deterrent system. We can drop it from the marlins, and once it’s operational, the system will generate an electrical field that should deter the wolves.”

“Should?”

“There are never any guarantees. Besides, I’m planning to take more guns this time.”

Colm stroked a finger down her arm. “Can I fly the marlin?”

“No.”

“Not even if I promise to put my mouth on you again?”

Her eyes narrowed. “Quiet.”

He smiled. He saw the memory in her eyes. He remembered the sounds she’d made under his hands.

“Suit up, barbarian, and let’s go and find this ship.”

“You know you call me barbarian when you’re angry…or flustered.”

“I don’t get flustered, barb—Colm.”

He touched her hair. “You call me warrior when you’re not angry.”

“Get your gear. I’ll meet you at the marlins. I want to find that ship…for Dr. Behati. Something for him to study once he’s back on his feet.”

At that moment, Dr. Lev’nan reappeared, holding a mug of some steaming drink in his hand.

Honor took a quick step back from Colm and cleared her throat. “How’s Dr. Behati?”

“He’s not conscious, but the medical team believe he’ll make a full recovery.”

Honor released a breath. “We cracked the Sync from the lockbox, and got the
Valhalla’s
records. We’re heading out again. We found the exact location of where the ship crashed. We’ll need another archeologist to join us.”

Lev’nan grimaced. “Doubt I’ll have any volunteers after what happened to Dr. Behati. Guess I’ll be joining you.”

Soon, Colm found himself strapped into the marlin again, zooming out of the
Drake
.

Honor’s hands cruised over the controls, her face set. “We’ll get to the location, and the first priority will be to drop the deterrent system.”

Colm grunted. He knew Honor needed to do what she could to protect her team.

“Then we’ll land and—”

An alarm sounded. It was loud and strident. Honor went stiff.

“
Drake
, talk to me?”

“Honor.” Agent Abora’s harried voice. “A ship has appeared on scanners! It came out of nowhere.”

Honor looked over at her screen and swore. “Where the hell did they come from?”

“Travelers? Explorers?” They’d never had so many ships in Markarian space before.

“I don’t think so,” Honor said. “Ning, I need details. What kind of ship?”

“Hang on…it’s an old model Zoorian starfreighter. But Honor, it’s got all kinds of illegal modifications. They’re lighting up my screen. There are
a lot
.”

Honor cursed again.

“What?” Colm hated being in the dark in a situation like this.

She looked his way. “That kind of ship. Those kind of mods. It’s likely space pirates.”

Markaria had its share of brigands. He knew pirates were not a good thing. “They know about the wreck…the treasure.”

Honor looked furious. “Yes, I suspect they do. Nik kept the news contained, but my guess is that we have a leak. We have to assume the pirates know.”

“What do we do?”

“Outrun them. Get back to the
Drake,
and then
get the
Magellan
here. It’s the only thing that has the firepower to take the ship on.”

She changed the marlin’s course and touched the screen. “
Marlin Beta
, return to the
Drake
. I repeat, return to the
Drake
.”

Out the window, Colm saw the second marlin just ahead of them. As they turned again, Colm got a perfect view of the pirate ship and cold dread filled his chest.

The central part of the ship looked like two large, vertical discs. Extending off it were huge spikes, giving it an intimidating look. It made Colm think of the garga animals from the Darken Wilds, with their wicked, poisonous spikes.

“God.” Honor changed course. “
Drake
, we need—”

A high-pitched squeal cut across the comms. She slammed her fist against the console.

Silence filled the cockpit.

“They’re jamming our comms. I can’t contact the
Drake
or the second marlin.”

Suddenly another alarm sounded. “Warning.” A cool, female voice filled the cockpit. “Weapons are locked on the ship. Warning.”

“Goddammit, no.” Honor threw the marlin into a dizzying series of turns. Colm felt his stomach dip and pitch.

There was a flare of light from the pirate ship. Before Colm could comprehend what was happening, the second marlin ahead of them exploded.

Colm froze.
Derek Wu and Dr. Lev’nan.
He heard Honor’s shocked cry.

“No.” She pressed a hand to the canopy.

There was nothing left but a smattering of debris.

Honor exploded into action. She threw their craft into crazy zigzags. The alarm still blared.

“Weapons are locked on your ship. Warning.”

The pirate ship fired again. A brilliant flash of blinding light.

Impact
.

The marlin shuddered. A shower of sparks rained over them and alarms blared. Colm gripped the edge of his seat, his gut rolling.

He was helpless. There was nothing he could do help save himself and Honor.

The marlin rolled like a dying animal, plummeting toward the icy moon.

***

Honor tried to right the marlin. But sparks were erupting under her hands, screens were going dead. The ship’s controls were not responding.

The pirates’ missile had clipped their starboard side. The engines were failing and the marlin was rocketing towards the icy moon below.

God
. Derek and Dr. Lev’nan were dead. Her stomach felt sick. She knew the pirates would attack the
Drake
next.

And Honor and Colm were going to crash.

Panic rose, closing her throat and leaving her chest tight. Colm’s life was in her hands.

“Honor.” A big hand closed over hers. She stared up into gold-brown eyes.

“You can do this. You are the most frighteningly competent woman I’ve ever met.”

“We’re going to crash, Colm.”

He shot her a small smile. He reached out and pushed her hair back behind her ear. “What do you need to do to stop us from crashing?”

She swallowed, absorbing his warrior calm. “I can’t stop us from crashing. I’ve lost too many controls. The only thing I can do is slow us down. It’s the only chance we have.”

He nodded. “Do it.”

She touched the dying controls.
Come on, come on.
She slammed her palm against the console. “Nothing’s responding.”

“Stay calm. Do what you have to do.” His hand touched the nape of her neck.

It helped her piece together some semblance of control. She touched the controls again and overrode the security protocols. That gave her access to do some things that weren’t usually recommended.

She managed to level the marlin out and reduce their speed. A little.

“Reentry angle is too steep,” the computer intoned.

“Ha, would never have guessed,” Honor muttered in response.

Colm squeezed her nape again. “You can do this. I have plans for you. Plans that involve you naked.”

She groaned. “Don’t distract me.”

But as she kept working the dying controls, she realized he was doing it on purpose to help keep her calm. Her warrior was far too perceptive.

Another alarm started, shattering her thoughts. Flames poured over the canopy of the marlin and the ship rattled.

They were still going too fast.

The thick clouds engulfed them and she fought with what was left of the ships controls.

Still too fast.

She kept tapping, kept swiping, and bled a little bit of speed from the ship. They burst out of the clouds, and below, she saw the moon’s snowy surface.

Still too fast.

“Colm.” She reached for his hand. “I’m sorry.”

“Nothing to be sorry for.” He laced his fingers with hers. “In a way, this is better for me.”

She didn’t know what he meant by that, but as they hurtled toward the moon’s surface, she felt despair wash through her. “I wish I’d taken you up on your offer that first night we met, at the dinner.” She wished she’d felt him inside her, stretching her, filling her. Wished she’d explored him all over with her hands, with her tongue.

She wished she slept beside him and heard his hearts beating under her ear.

As the ground rushed up to meet them, instead of closing her eyes, Honor kept her gaze on Colm’s.

The impact was staggering.

Metal crunched. Honor was tossed against her harness. Pain bloomed.

Colm’s hand slipped from hers. Something smashed into her head.

Then everything went black.

***

Colm slowly awoke. He was cold, and his head throbbed.

The last time his head had felt like this, he and a teenage Kavon had drunk too much stolen ale at the winter feast. Colm had woken up half naked and facedown in the training yard. Since then, he learned to temper the amount he imbibed at a meal.

He opened his eyes and saw a spider web in front of him. He frowned. That wasn’t right. He squinted. It was glass.

The canopy of the marlin.

Smashed and broken.

A frigid wind blew in along with snow. Everything, including him, was covered in an inch of white powder.

He jerked.
Honor
.

He turned and saw her slumped beside him, her face turned away.

Be alive
. He wrenched the harness off his chest. Blood stained his hands and he touched his head. He felt the wound where his head had contacted with something. He knew his nanami would already be racing to fix it.

But Honor had no nanami.

He reached over the center console and pulled her toward him.

Even over the howl of the wind, he heard her breathing. Some insane tension in him eased. He worked off her harness.

“Honor.” He patted her cheek. “Wake up.” She stirred, then groaned.

Relief punched through him. He leaned over and pressed his lips against hers. “We survived.”

Her eyes fluttered open. “We’re alive?”

“Yes.” Her eyes were a little unfocused, but were slowly clearing. “But we can’t stay here.”

“We made it.” She looked around the shattered cockpit. “We made it. God, Colm, you’re bleeding.”

“Minor. It will be healed within an hour.”

She moved, then clutched her right leg and groaned again.

He leaned over and saw blood on her thigh.

“Minor,” she assured him.

“Good. Because we need to move.”

She rubbed her temple and he realized she was still confused.

“When you injure your prey and it runs into the woods,” he said, “you track it down to finish it off.”

Her eyes widened. “The pirates will come for us.”

He nodded. “And there is a fierce snowstorm coming. The wind and snow are getting stronger.”

She straightened, pulling herself together. “Okay, we need the emergency packs. They’re behind the seats. And let’s see what else we can scavenge from the ship.” She looked through the cracked screen ahead. “How the hell are we going to survive out there?”

“With good, old-fashioned warrior ingenuity.”

She smiled. “Ranks up there with warrior humility.”

He gave her a smile. “No need for humility when you’re so very good.”

She snorted. “Okay, my humble warrior, are you ready to go?”

“Yes.” Colm reached behind his seat, rummaged around and pulled out the emergency pack. Honor did the same, and added a few more items she scavenged. “We just have to decide where to go.”

She pulled her Sync from her pocket and expanded the adaptable screen. “Okay. Because the location of the wreckage was programmed into the marlin’s computer, that’s where we were aiming for. It looks like we’ve crash-landed nearby. God, I hope we didn’t lead the pirates right to what they’re looking for.” A muscle ticked in her jaw. “Because they sure as hell aren’t getting their hands on the
Valhalla
, the murdering bastards.” She looked outside again. “I don’t see any wreckage out there.”