“They don’t look happy,” Gillian says. “They’re pointing ray guns at us.”
“Darax won’t risk damaging his flyer.” I laugh.
A pulsar bolt pings off the hull.
“Nev him,” I growl, and increase the engine power, slowly moving towards the hangar exit. “If he wants to play dirty, then let him play dirty.”
I fire the flyer’s pulsars at the forcefield mechanism, and it disengages just long enough for me to put on a surge ofspeed, and we burst out into the open, rising higher and higher above the Sarkarnii complex. A few warriors follow us in their Sarkarnii forms, but they turn back after a half-hearted chase.
“I don’t know why you wanted my flyer,” Darax growls through the comm. “Perhaps the rut has messed with your nevving head, but you’d better bring it back in one piece.”
I mute the receiver on the comm and dial away from Darax’s frequency.
“I wouldn’t want to make a bond I could not keep.” I grin over at Gillian.
She shakes her head, but from the upwards twitch of her mouth, I don’t think she disagrees.
“So this was your plan all along, steal a ship from another Sarkarnii.”
“Hardly steal.” I punch in the co-ordinates for the second continent. “Everything on Vorostor belongs to me.”
“I’m not sure Darax would agree.” Gillian snorts.
“Darax gained his vast amount of credits in this galaxy because of me. What he owns, I own,” I growl.
“Especially when he has a flyer you want?” Gillian has her arms folded as she gazes at me, head on one side.
“He knows I would offer him the same courtesy.”
Gillian says nothing.
“And after all, we’re the original pirates, not just of this galaxy, but of them all. He cannot expect me, or any of the warlords, to forget what we are.”
Gillian turns and gazes out the window at the sky.
“I didn’t come here to cause trouble,” she says. “Especially with the only humans I’m ever likely to encounter.”
“This is not trouble. We will get what we need to take you back to your planet, Darax will get his flyer back, and all will be well.”
I see her shoulders drop. I’m not sure what it means.
“Okay,” she says, quietly. “But I’ll need to see my fellow humans, especially Kerra, to explain myself when this is all over.”
I check on the comm.
“We have five nova-hours before we reach the area you identified. It should take a maximum of two nova-hours to extract the mapping system and then a further five nova-hours to return. You will be able to make your peace with the humans before nightfall.” I give her my best smile.
“I guess it will have to do.” Gillian glances briefly over at me before returning to the window. “After all, you are helping me get home.” She sighs. “But it can’t be at any cost, Dalox, understand? There has to be limits.”
“Of course, my mate,” I respond.
It’s a good thing she hasn’t defined what those limits may be, as the chances are we’ve already blasted through most of them at this early stage.
And there’s still a very long way to go.
GILLIAN
Dalox continues to stare at the console in front of him. I probably should have outlined what limits I mean, and I would, if I knew what they were.
