It came harder to Allandria, it appeared. Voice monotone, eyes pointed at the ceiling, Ally spit her practiced speech out in a huff. “Thanks for the help.”
Lyk had to bite back a laugh. She was a brat, that was certain, but it didn’t make her any less adorable. “My pleasure, of course. Now, if you’ll come with me?”
As they walked to the docking hatch, Lyk had to fight every Vartik instinct in his body that screamed at him not to let Ally go. His hands itched to grab her and carry her to his quarters wherehe’d lock himself in with her for days until she forgot all about her desire to leave.
He didn’t want to tame her fiery spirit but to harness it. He was certain he could funnel her energy into passion, and the thought of what they could accomplish in bed together made him drool.
Yet, even though he was a pirate, he was also a man of his word. Which meant he had to let her go if she didn’t want to stay. He wasn’t a kidnapper, wasn’t a hostage taker. If she didn’t want to remain with him, he would not make her.
No matter how much it fucked him up inside.
The outpost was bustling, so Lyk kept close to the siblings. Guiding them to a desk on the edge of the market, Lyk knocked on the window to attract the clerk’s attention. The clerk was turned away, his back to them, but it swiveled around in its chair at the knock, and Lyk let out a groan.
It was a Sandarkian. The large insectoid creature was immune to his Vartik powers because of the vast differences in Sandarkian brains when compared to Vartik ones. He’d have to rely on old-fashioned conversation. And credits.
“Can I help you?” Its mandibles twitched in inquiry.
“I certainly hope so. I’m looking to book passage for these two ladies on a reputable ship headed to the Rings. Could you take a look at the flight plans for the vessels you currently have docked and let me know if any might be headed in that direction?”
“My apologies, but all filed flight plans are considered confidential by the management of Outpost Nexus Eight.”
“Right, I understand, but it’s a matter of an emergency. These ladies need to reach the Rings as soon as possible and are willing to pay handsomely to anyone who can help them out. Just take a look at your console and let me know if any ships are headed toward Saturn, and I’ll make it worth your while.”
“Bribery of any official is illegal under section X-10 of the intergalactic penal code. Violators are subject to a fine or up to 10 revolutions in a re-education center.”
Lyk wanted to tear out his hair. Sandarkians really were the worst. Opening his mouth to tell how close he was to having his mandibles ripped off his buggy face, Lyk paused when he felt a hand on his shoulder.
“You’re wasting your time with this guy,” Ally said. “Let’s just ask around.”
“Asking around at the docks got us kidnapped last time,” Evie said through the side of her mouth.
“No one is going to grab you while I’m around,” Lyk assured her. “Let’s ask around at the market. One of the vendors might be able to help us.”
Lyk kept his eye out for anyone that sold saturite, a particular gem mined from the molten core of Saturn. The gems were faceted like diamonds, but inside, trace amounts of gaseous clouds were trapped so that it looked like there was a tiny colorful storm taking place within the gem as blue, yellow, and green wisps chased each other under the gem’s transparent surface.
Saturite was extremely expensive, and the chance of finding someone selling jewelry featuring the gem on this out-of-the-way outpost was slim, but Lyk decided to start with a dealer who had various hard to find items, weapons, platinum, and other odds and ends. He was clearly an opportunist, so he may have heard of someone headed toward the Rings or Saturn itself.
“You looking for a new laser pistol?” the grizzled Territhian asked when he approached. “I’ve got one that’s completely clean. Registered to a grandmother who took it out on weekends solely for target practice. I’ve got paperwork of all its maintenance visits. Only twenty-thousand credits!”
“I’m looking for saturite.”
The old man’s eyes lit up. “That’s not gonna come cheap.”
“You know someone who’s got a supply?” Lyk pulled out a hundred-credit note from his pocket and held it up.
“Oh, for godssakes!” Ally lurched forward, grabbing the money out of Lyk’s hands. “Why all the cloak and dagger?” She turned to the vendor. “We need a ride to the Rings. Do you know anyone heading in that direction?”
The Territhian frowned. “People mind their own business around here. If you need supplies, I can help you. But I’m not a transporter. Go pester the foxes. They hang out around the entertainment section.”
The old man moved toward another customer, rattling off his spiel. Lyk put his hands on his hips. “Let me handle this. You’re out of your depth.”
“And you’re throwing away good money on information that might not even get us a ride. We’ve only got an hour. You said it yourself.”
Frustration filled him. “Why do you have such a hard time letting me help you? You try to sabotage me at every step.”
“I don’t need your help!”
“Ally!” Evie grabbed her sister and turned her around. “We do need his help!”
