TrainedtoDestroy (7 page)

Jarrod walked up and slid an arm around her waist below the metal of her armour. She had suits available, but it was agreed that this was the way she should meet the clients who had requested her services. Technically, they had to sign her through the Citadel, because the Sector Guard did not have long-term outposts aside from the bases.

The Resko-Devi thickened, and it was a swarm of a hundred that wrapped her from head to toe and separated her from Jarrod. She remained calm as they coaxed her off the edge of the cliff and hovered in place while they began to swirl in a tight spiral from her feet up to her forehead.

Rathi asked Jarrod. “What are they doing?”

He and Targo were watching attentively. “It seems they are giving you a makeover.”

Her employers moved her back over the stone walkway and set her down gently. They fluttered away, leaving her staring down at the elegant gown she was wearing. The sides were slit to show the amethyst-enamelled boots that went to mid-thigh, the emerald green gown covered her from shoulder to ankle, but it was strategically slit to expose her arm, cleavage and the top of each hip down to her heels.

She felt something on her head, and the tiara they had woven in with her hair made her grimace. “Did they stop at my armour?”

Jarrod was laughing. “No, you have amethyst lipstick.”

He walked up to her and pressed a kiss to her lips. Whatever they used on her mouth did not rub off on Jarrod.

She sighed and pressed her forehead to his chest. “I am guessing that they accept me. Now, let’s have a look inside.”

The mini-Citadel was part home, part office and part com centre. They had a halo similar to the one Penodal had used and an array of similar components.

The Resko-Devi came in through the window carrying Targo. He was now wearing stripes of emerald and amethyst in his fur, and he seemed pleased with the new markings.

Jarrod took a seat at the array and pulled the halo into position. He closed his eyes, and a very irritated woman’s face filled the screen.

“Hidden, you are supposed to be on assignment.”

He nodded. “I am aware of that, Relay. However, I have bonded to Rathi, and since she was coming to Resko-Devi, I stowed away.”

Relay pressed her fingers to her temples. “You have made things difficult, Hidden.”

“I beg to differ. I can cloak a shuttle and lift off the surface with no visible signs. No one will know I am here, and they certainly will not think that the surface is unattended.”

Relay gave him a sarcastic look. “And where are you supposed to get this shuttle? This was a one-way trip for Wacorathi Quen. That ship is not designed to lift off again.”

Rathi snorted. She had suspected, but this confirmed it.

“I am sure that the Resko-Devi can be asked to assist in that matter.” He smiled charmingly.

Relay sighed. “Find out and get back to me. You are an asset, Hidden. This is going in your file.”

“Understood, but love wants what love wants.”

Relay grinned. “I am well aware. Have fun while it lasts. It may be a while before we can get you back there once we get you out of there.”

“I will take whatever time you can get me here. Hidden, over and out.” He disconnected the connection and removed the halo. “There, I am no longer AWOL. I am now simply out of range.”

She laughed and walked up to him with a sway in her steps. She looked down. The damned locals were giving her high heels as she walked. Rathi fell into Jarrod’s arms. “What shall we do for dinner?”

A bed of glitter carried in the ration packs from the shuttle.

“Oh, that answers that.”

Another sparkle of Resko-Devi were working on the bed, widening it and the bedding on top of it.

A proximity alarm went off just as Jarrod was figuring out how to remove her costume.

The Resko-Devi formed a ball, and Rathi checked the display to figure out where the threat was coming from.

Someone had followed them in.

Rathi fitted herself with the com and earpiece before she exited her new home through the upper portion of the tower.

The Raider ship had weapons systems armed, so she issued a simple demand. “Leave now or be destroyed. I do not take prisoners.”

The words that came to her through the com were not flattering, nor were they polite.

Rathi did what she did best. She extended her hand and the Raider ship went from solid to scattered molecules in an instant, including the pilots.

By the mass she dissipated, there were four crew members on that shuttle in addition to the pilots. As they were exposed, they were destroyed.

It was her job description after all. She was the Destroyer.

Chapter Eleven

Rathi managed to keep Jarrod for three weeks before the Resko-Devi worked the shuttle into the ideal configuration for Jarrod’s needs. His skills as Hidden were in need, and he had to go.

Rathi watched him as he finished grooming Targo before he left. “I am going to miss you.”

He stood and walked to her without a word. “I am coming back as soon as I can. This will be my dispatch point if I have any choice in the matter.”

She hugged him and stroked the familiar planes of his back. “If you don’t come back, I will come out and get you, and you know what kind of a fuss that will cause.”

She grinned and leaned up for his kiss.

“You are my heart, my soul and my destroyer. I will be back as soon as I can. Take care of Targo. He is approaching his special time, and he needs a lot of grooming.”

“His special time?”

“He is going to moult, change and have babies. His diet will also shift from vegan to carnivorous, so prepare to part with your jerky.” He gave her a peck on the nose and got into his newly refitted shuttle.

She watched him go with Targo leaning against her calf. She didn’t need to reach down for him, the Resko-Devi were lifting him into the air so she could reach him easily.

She took him for a walk on the beach and helped him remove his extra fluff. He was half bald but still adorable.

The Resko-Devi were keeping her. In the three weeks since she had arrived, not only had she stopped two attempts to obtain either her or the other inhabitants, but also she had provided a safe space for them to gather in the large numbers required for reproduction. They reproduced via combined energy, and the more of them that could join a mating bundle, the more little bits of light that could create matter would be cruising around the world.

A column of light particles formed in front of her, and she paused. They tended to do makeovers when the whim struck them, and it was best to hold still.

Greetings, Destroyer.

Rathi blinked. “Greetings, Resko-Devi. Speech is new.”

We needed to gain sufficient mass. Thanks to you, we now have a safe place to build our numbers and enough stray energy to power our offspring.

“Power?”

We feed off your stray energy, and you give off plenty. Thank you.

She tilted her head as the light column formed into a simulation of a bipedal being. “Thank you for allowing me to stay. It is good to have somewhere to belong.”

While we doubted the description of the Destroyer guarding us, once we met you, it was clear that you would keep us safe. Speak to us when you have the need. We will be listening.

The light being dissolved into a thousand points of brightness that zipped off in different directions, leaving Rathi and a moulting Targo to continue their walk.

Fourteen days passed before Hidden’s code came through the com system. Targo was busy with his six little fluff balls, so it was up to Rathi to meet the ship as it entered the atmosphere.

Three ships were streaking through the sky and none of them were the new shuttle. Rathi activated her com.

“Incoming vessels, exit the atmosphere or you will be destroyed.” She hovered with the new gown that the Resko-Devi had crafted for her blowing in the breeze.

A voice came to her. “Destroyer, surrender to us or your lover will be the first thing to fall out of the sky. He is in our sights and—”

She ripped the shuttles apart, personnel and all. “You would think that they would learn.”

A swarm of light circled something in her field of view, and as she turned, Hidden’s shuttle circled for a landing or, at least, the outline of it did.

The shuttle flickered into sight, and she landed next to it, waiting for Jarrod to appear.

The door opened, and Hidden staggered out, blood covering him and his eyes glazed with shock.

Rathi caught him to her and held him as he smiled weakly at her.

“I made it home, Rathi.”

She let out a shrill whistle, and Targo screamed, flying toward them and landing on Jarrod’s arm. The Resko-Devi surrounded them, and Rathi gave them all the power they needed to heal him.

When the lights flew off and Targo returned to his children, Rathi was left holding Jarrod’s hand as he reclined on the landing area. “Thank you. I did not think I would make it.”

“What happened?”

“I was caught re-entering this system. I had not thought that there would be
more
Raiders here. I didn’t get myself cloaked in time.”

She stroked his forehead where a long gash was now healed and sealed. “When did they catch you?”

“Two days ago. They tortured me a bit, trying to get me to give them the entry code. The injuries I sustained were in the escape. They have a station set up now. They are watching for us to leave.” He inhaled slowly as if testing his lungs.

She didn’t blame him, one had collapsed.

“Targo doesn’t ride wherever you are anymore?”

“He is busy with his children. There are six of them, by the way. You are an uncle or grandpa, I haven’t figured out the relative designation yet.”

Jarrod laughed and sat up slowly. “You look better. More stable.”

“I feel better.” She whispered to the Resko-Devi, and they flew into the shuttle to clean up the blood and wipe the drives.

They would reset the systems before Jarrod left again, but in the meantime, they cleared any digital signal coming from the ship on the off chance there was a tracking or listening device. Jarrod’s clothing would suffer the same treatment when he slept.

“Come on, let’s get you inside.” She helped him to his feet, and they managed to get his legs working enough to haul him into bed.

She sat him down on the edge and removed his clothing, a piece at a time. “Don’t worry, the Resko-Devi will repair your clothing and probably design you something festive. They have quite the sense of humour when it comes to clothing.”

“This is not how I imagined my homecoming.” He helped her ease him into bed.

“Well, I imagined getting you naked but that is where the similarity ends. If you don’t mind, I will tell Relay that you are home. She was getting worried.”

With Jarrod resting, Rathi walked past Targo’s nesting box and let the little ones bump into her hand as they tumbled over each other for a scratch on the head.

They were perfect pastel miniatures of what their parent used to look like, and she wanted to cuddle them all, but they were still too small for a hug.

After her fuzz therapy, she hooked into the connection with Relay. “Hello, he is back.”

Relay paused. “How much time does he think passed?”

“Two days.”

Relay was silent, and then, she said, “So, he is now a security risk. Keep him with you. We will keep him out of assignments until we can have a Minder sent to you.”

“You know to have them call me first with the code words?”

“I do. Keep him safe, Wacorathi Quen, and congratulate Targo for me.”

“I will. The little ones are so darned cute. Over and out.” Rathi disconnected the headset and went outside to speak to the Resko-Devi.

The glowing figure stood next to her. “What do you wish to say, Destroyer?”

“Watch my mate. The Raiders have subverted him. We do not know what he will do, and he may act against you when I am not present.”

The figure nodded before it shattered into thousands of bits of light.

Rathi looked back at her home before she entered it and crawled into bed with Jarrod. A Minder would be on its way soon.

Three days later, Rathi was swamped with relief and Jarrod was vomiting wildly, a side effect of Recall’s talent when she had to break deep blocks.

Recall was sitting at the kitchen table and gulping down water while Jarrod hurled another round of rations. “I wish I could say I was sorry, but he had some nasty shit in there.”

Rathi snorted and got some clear broth started for Jarrod. “I know. The Resko-Devi had to keep him from killing me in my sleep. Twice.”

The light was currently swarming all over Recall’s shuttle and making aesthetic changes to it.

Jarrod washed his face, brushed his teeth and returned to sit at the table with them. “I am so sorry about that. I had no idea that they did that to me.”

Rathi shrugged. “I won’t say it is fine, but it is understandable. Don’t worry, I don’t love you any less.”

He turned to her, “You love me?”

“I think so. I miss you when you are gone and feel a hole in my life when I can’t talk to you. I love Targo too so that is what I used for a criteria.” She blinked and jerked as the cool mint of his kiss swamped her senses.

Recall cleared her throat. “I think I need to check the inventory in my shuttle for a few hours. I will be back at dinner for a final check up on Jarrod, and then, I can leave.”

Rathi smiled up into Jarrod’s eyes. “I did miss you.”

He laughed. “I do love you.”

She sighed and stroked his cheek. “Even if I turned the satellites on everything within blast radius to clear a path for Recall?”

“Even more for you making sure that those around you are safe. You could have killed me, but you waited for Recall to break the conditioning.”

She got to her feet, and when he followed, she backed him toward the bed. Rathi peeled his clothing off inch by inch. “How could I not wait to heal you when killing you would have taken part of me with you? It was pure self-preservation. I want to live a long and luxurious life, and to do that, I need you alive, well and naked.”