“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.
