Not unsurprisingly, several pulsar bolts whizz past me, along with one which impacts my hind leg.
“Driok!” Maggie calls out.
“It’ll take more than a pulsar bolt to bother me,” I respond.
“You need to go faster,” she adds.
“Not just yet.”
The flyers are catching up with us, which is something I was hoping because the moment they open fire at me, and consequently at the stream of traffic above me, I hear the noise I was hoping to hear. The whooshing sound of the enforcers.
Now I put on a burst of speed. Now I swing around above the traffic, out of the way of the enforcers. A quick glance behind me shows the flyers being controlled by plasma nets and the occupants being plucked from their seats by vicious looking metal claws.
“Nice one!” Maggie shouts above the sound of the city and the rushing wind. “Not sure about your choice of friend though. The baron was a bit of a twat.”
“He was no friend of mine,” I growl back. “Never trust a Ntahal.”
The spaceport is up ahead, and with a quick final look to make sure we’re not being followed, I descend to the hangar and shift into my biped form, catching my sweet mate in my arms.
She squeaks beautifully, and the dress she wears is still intact. It won’t be for long once I get her aboard and we leave this sector of space.
It’s quicker and easier despite her protests to carry her through the hangar and to the ship the Paralnyi procured for me. It’s a decent size and already has weapons installed.
“Is this it?” Maggie looks up at the ship as we climb the ramp to the main airlock.
“It might not be pretty, but that’s what I prefer. It won’t attract attention.”
“Like a dragon in the middle of a city?”
“Just like that.”
The airlock closes behind us, and there is the sweet scent of recycled air. I put Maggie on her feet, and she brushes down her dress.
“You’re bleeding.” She reaches for my leg, where the pulsar wound is rapidly closing.
“I won’t be for long. Sarkarnii heal fast,” I explain, ushering her up the main passage to the bridge where I fire up the pre-flight sequence.
Maggie puts her hand to her mouth, and I wrap my arms around her. “I promise, it’s not so bad.”
“Horace,” she says. “I left him…”
She’s thinking about the nevving horc! I’m not sure whether to be pleased she cares about it or growl because she’s worried.
“I didn’t pay the Paralnyi for this ship. I gave him our quarters instead,” I say quickly. “To buy time. To keep the baron off our tracks. I told him about the horc.”
Maggie looks up at me. “I brought him with us when we went to see the baron. I let him go do his own thing.”
“I know. It found me.” I grimace, trying to forget the feeling of the little tentacle feet on my scales. “I told the Paralnyi to look after it,” I say, eventually.
“Promise?”
“I promise.”
She studies my face for a short while, as if trying to be sure. Like I would do anything to hurt her, ever.
“Is there anything I can do?” she says finally.
“Can you get on the comm and request an exit window?” I point to the main comm console as I release her.
