Page 68 of Alien Barbarian's Little Human

“They have a weapons lock,” Nerita says as the console flashes red.

I begin punching in a new vector. It might be next to impossible, but I will do my best to keep us alive.

Just as quickly as they came on, the red lights vanish.

“Wait, they stopped. They’re dropping back. How did you do that?”

“I made them believe we are an Ataxian spy ship on a secret mission of subterfuge. The Ataxians will not risk the wrath of their secret police, and obviously no one would man a missile.”

“You’re so sexy when you’re clever.”

She wraps her arms around my neck and kisses my cheek. I respond by pulling her into my lap and kissing her back, hard. Deep. Dominant.

When I let her come up for air, she looks at me in surprise.

“Wow, what got into you?”

“I am a Vakutan, this time. And I have waited three lifetimes for this.”

Despite my bravado, we only have time for a spirited make out session. Quite spirited. We ar efortunate to locate Jessica quickly. Alive and unharmed, we bring her back to the hover tank and again make the dangerous trek out of the atmosphere.

“What now?” Nerita asks, holding the sleeping Jessica on her lap. “Do we make for Alliance space?”

My expression sours. Perhaps the memories of what happened to the Ishani homeworld are still potent. Or maybe I’ve simply lost my taste for war.

“Or not?” Nerita says. “I don’t care if we go, as long as we’re together. And after the Alliance basically abandoned the survivors on Horus IV, I’m hardly heartbroken.”

“We could go to the Badlands and become Reaper Hunters.”

She gives me a shocked look, and I chuckle.

“I jest, my love. I was thinking we could make for Frontier space. There are many colonies who would welcome one of your medical talents.”

“Not to mention a nearly invincible cyborg,” she says. “All right, I like the idea of League space. But first, we need to drop the survivors off.”

In the end, we decide on leaving the patients on Alpha Centauri 5 in IHC space. Jessica has family there, and it’s a travel hub for the rest of the galaxy. Our patients will be able to find their way home, eventually.

“You did a good thing,” Nerita says as we watch the last of them taken into proper medical care.

“No, we did a good thing, my love. And while we can heal their bodies, the horrors of Horus IV will remain indelibly etched upon them for the rest of their lives. They have a long road to recover, mentally and spiritually.”

“I’m so glad you got me out of there.”

We remain docked at the Alpha Centauri spaceport for several weeks while we work out the purchase of a lightly used starship. I had been created to be the ultimate warrior and bodyguard, but my creators never considered that a higher power’s hands were at work. I feel their unseen guidance again as we prepare to leave for League space.

“It’s so weird,” Nerita says as we board our new ship for the first time. “How are we going to do this? I mean, live our lives while also remembering that we were reincarnated…twice?”

“We do it by living this life to its absolute fullest, my love.”

Suddenly, she’s in my arms, and I taste her sweet lips again. Micah. Chloe. Nerita. At last, I hold my fated mate close, and know that nothing will ever tear us apart again.

Not even when the stars lose their shine.

CHAPTER 20

NERITA

Jagga Prime has a lot of things going for it. It’s in the Goldilocks zone, with the ideal axial tilt for all four seasons. You can grow just about any crop from any world there.

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