Maya was pulling her hand back when Ranek suddenly grabbed it, making her gasp. He didn’t shake her hand, though; he just held it.
“Maya. You will tell me your story. But first, we must get to shelter before the flying creatures return. My shuttle is nearby. Follow me.”
He turned and started into the trees.
“Wait! I’m supposed to stay by the pod!”
“The pod is sunk, and we need to leave now.” He continued moving, pulling her along as she held onto her dragus pup in one arm.
She glanced over at the hunk of metal in the middle of the bog. It was mostly sunken by now. Good thing she’d hauled the supplies along, though; she was certain that everything was covered in mud by now. So far, everything she was told the escape pod would do had not actually happened. How would she know if it actually transmitted her location?
But it was the shrill cry and the shape of three flying reptilians that had her making up her mind for good. Those things were coming back, and she didn’t want to be around when they got here.
It turned out his shuttle was really nearby. It was the type of shuttle meant for short flights between nearby planets. The craft had seen better days, but by the fancy gold-colored gilding on some of the details, it was clear that it had once belonged to a merchant. Clearly, that was in the past, because this Tallean was no merchant; he wasn’t wearing nearly enough gold or jewels.
He hadn’t stolen this ship, had he?
She narrowed her eyes at him, her question unasked, as he opened the hatch and gestured for her to enter. Inside, she was greeted by a mix of practicality and wear. The walls still bore faint traces of decorative filigree, but they were dulled by years of neglect, their golden trim chipped and tarnished.
Both sides of the shuttle were piled high with crates, strapped down to the floor with cables and nets. The floor was worn and covered in scuff marks from boots and claws.
But while it was rundown and worn, there was no stink of unwashed bodies, which was more than she could say for the delivery ship she’d recently escaped. That ship had smelled like the inside of a high school locker room. Here, there was the faint scent of oil and metal, clean, and mingling with something pleasant, a perfume or cologne. She’d smelled that somewhere before, but where?
Toward the front, the shuttle narrowed into a space filled with mismatched panels and blinking lights. Some of the controls were clearly original, ornate and gold, almost too fancy to be on a shuttle, while others had been swapped out with utilitarian replacements. Only one set of the original seats were left, and they’d been recently reupholstered. The rest had been removed to accommodate all the crates.
Clearly, Ranek did what he could to care for this shuttle, regardless of how he’d acquired it.
Maya stood awkwardly, trying not to get mud everywhere. But it was nearly impossible, especially with Commander Chaos wriggling to be let down in her arms. They were both caked and dripping. She stared at the puddle of muddy water under her feet in dismay.
“Sit,” Ranek said, taking her by her shoulder and moving her to the seat.
“But the mud!”
“It will clean off. We must head back to the mining station now, before the skies are filled with those creatures. There is a working cleansing unit in the infirmary.”
Mining station?
“You look confused.”
“I am,” she said honestly. “I wasn’t aware there were any mines in New Rhea.”
He frowned, the expression making him look even more terrifying. “You’re not on New Rhea.”
“So that podwasdicking with me.” She knew it.
He continued to frown at her words. “My translator must be acting up; pods do not have dicks. But you will explain everything to me when we are safe.”
She sat, and Ranek took the dragus pup from her. Too surprised, Commander Chaos didn’t even manage to complain before he was plonked down onto the seat next to her. Then Ranek knelt down in front of her, getting right up in her space.
Her heart rate sped up, and she was suddenly very aware that she was alone with a predator, one that had already told her he thought she smelled tasty. She shrank back in her seat, wishing she could disappear into it. But all he did was reach for the harness and buckle her in.
Then he was climbing over the crates to the front and starting the shuttle.
Ranek
Ranek swerved to the side, avoiding yet another set of airborne claws. He’d made a mistake believing the creatures had left, but the second he’d lifted into the air, they’d been there waiting for him. Their best bet was to get back to the mining station and stay there till morning.
Spotting the abandoned building, he angled down for the landing. The shuttle, old and not made for this kind of flying,especially with such a heavy load, creaked at the sudden shift. Maya gasped behind him.
