Page 5 of Alien Knight Teddy Bear Troubles

They were in the deepest depths of hell with no way out.

But they wouldn’t lay down and die without a fight. It wasn’t in them.

They would survive and take the boy to safety. There was no other choice.

At last, he felt the boy’s presence. Throwing several light sticks on the ground so they could see without the aid of their night vision sensors, they pushed the square on the wall to open the door to the cell. His shoulders sagged with relief as there was no blast of air, just a quiet sigh as the atmosphere inside the cell merged with that of the hallway. Taeger crouched down, decloaked, and held out his hand to the little boy, just three years old. “Ion?”

Ion turned his head, his cheeks chapped from crying, his eyes puffy and swollen nearly shut. “Taegie? Is that you Uncle Taegie?” he whispered in his best, bravest big boy voice.

“It’s me. I got you.”

Ion ran to Taeger, wrapping his arms as far around his favorite uncle as they would go. “I knew you would come get me. I told her you would come and save us, Uncle Taegie. I told her.”

“That’s right. I’ll always come for you.” Taeger squeezed the little boy he’d come to love as hard as he dared. He didn’t want to hurt him. “Come on. We have to get out of here.”

“Okay,” Ion said happily, wiggling out of Taeger’s arms. “I’ll get them,” he added, waving Taeger back toward the cell.

“Wait,” Taeger whispered urgently. “Get who?”

“All of them,” Ion said with big, innocent eyes. “I promised you would come and save us and take them anywhere they want to go, Uncle Taigie, ‘cuz I knew you would. Right? And a ‘umerian promise can’t ever be broken. That’s what you said.”

Taeger pinched the bridge of his nose in resignation. “A Lumerian promise is a sacred oath, Ion.” He sighed and almost wished he was not teaching the boy to be so honorable. How was he to get so many people out when he wasn’t sure they could get out at all?

But that was not the Lumerian way. “Very well, Ion, I won’t leave until everyone is off the ship,” he vowed, resigned to his fate. The boy’s promise was more binding than he knew. A promise was a promise, and Taeger had also made several to Ion’s father, including his own vow to raise the boy as his own, teach him what it meant to be honorable. To keep his word, no matter how casually or without thought it was given. A promise was a promise.

“Ion? Where are you?” A woman’s voice called out for the young royal and Ion’s eyes lit up with happiness.

“Over here!” Ion turned back, ran into the cell, and reappeared seconds later leading a woman by the hand, looking up at her adoringly as he rambled, “Told you Uncle Taegie would come. I told you! ‘Member I told you I got lost in the trees and it was dark and I was scared until Uncle Taegie found me? He always comes. He said so. Promise is a promise.”

The woman’s touch was kind. Protective. She pulled Ion close, then shoved him behind her as she approached the open doorway. “So you’re Uncle Taegie.”

Hearing such a beautiful woman call him the ridiculously childish name set his teeth on edge. He did not want this female to think of him as such. For a reason he did not have time to examine, he wanted her respect. Her admiration. Perhaps, even, a taste of fear. He was a Lumerian Knight, an ancient, not a helpless child or a doddering elder uncle. “I am Commander Taeger Qebroelk Norasair. We are here for the child. He is under our protection.”

Cassandra tilted her head, staring into his hazel eyes, measuring his worth. A gorgeous blue marking just above his left eyebrow told her he was Caldorian. The man was huge. Easily the biggest Caldorian she’d ever seen, tall with muscles on top of muscles. Smoking hot. Broad shoulders encased in some sort of alien military style black uniform that flickered in and out of sight. Lots of alien weapons. And was that aswordstrapped to his back, too?

Her fingers itched to get a hold of just one of the high-tech devices he was packing around. She couldn’t remember seeing any of the Caldorians on Earth carrying such weapons, but then, they had only come to Earth two years ago and were extremely secretive. They guarded their tech from prying eyes, so it wasn’t that surprising.

She pulled Ion a fraction closer as he peered around her, one hand covering his ear as she hissed, “Mr. Norasair, I’m Cap,” she paused mid-word, deciding against giving the smoking hot Caldorian any more information than was absolutely necessary. And giving her military rank was definitely not necessary. “Cassandra Davis. Ion seems to think you’re some sort of superhero, and I hope you are, because I saw the creatures that killed his guardian, and I don’t think we stand a chance in hell against them.”

A heavy weight pulled at Taeger, only centuries of training allowing him to keep his emotions under check, his face a stony mask. “Marcano is dead? You’re sure?”

“Well, I tried to help him, but he wouldn’t have it. Ion was trying to get him to drink some water, so I helped pour some down his throat. He was bleeding out and told me to take the boy. There’s no way he could survive injuries that severe. I - I’m sorry.” Her shoulders slumped briefly before straightening again, one hand wrapped around Ion’s head as she pressed the boy to her side like a protective Kuvu bear with a cub. “And he gave me this.” She held out Marcano’s dagger, hilt offered in Taeger’s general direction.

Relief swept through him at her words. There was a strong possibility Marcano, his best friend and second in command, was still alive. This woman was human. Thought like a human. Marcano was not human. None of them were. They were Lumerians. Ancient. Nearly immortal. They’d been betrayed thousands of years ago. Their planet had been destroyed, survivors hunted lest they share what they knew about the Intergalactic Council. He, Marcano, and the rest of the Knights under his command had gone into hiding. They’d survived it all and Taeger was sure the water she spoke of was Maju water, a strong healing agent for his people. So, unless he saw Marcano’s head detached from his body, there was a chance he still lived.

For now, the question remained; who was this female that Ion so clearly adored? Her grip was sure, her balance, even with Ion clinging to her leg, good enough for him to recognize someone with combat training. She was obviously human. Beautiful. Brave. He leaned down slightly, intending to intimidate the small woman, but she held her ground. Impressive. Was she a black market trader? A human spy, perhaps? “Marcano is tougher than you can imagine. Keep the dagger for now. What exactly were you doing on Mora Five?”

Cassandra put the dagger away and moved back a step. “My business there is irrelevant. I’m glad you’re here to get Ion. I hope that extends to the others as well.”

“You have to come, too! You promised, Cassie! Don’t leave me!” Ion left Taeger’s arms and ran to Cassandra, wrapped his arms around her leg and clung, obviously attached to his new protector. The poor boy had never had a mother, not one that he remembered. Seems he was placing this female in that role. Which could be a big problem since they knew nothing about her.

Behind Ion and the woman, people began to stand and come forward, stirred from their stupor by the activity at the door. Taeger turned to Greig, who stood behind him, clearly agitated.

“Get the other cells open,” Taeger ordered. “We don’t have much time.”

Greig jerked his head in denial, his gaze narrowed. “You were right. We can’t save them all. You know we can’t. We already lost Lyari and Elduin, possibly Belsaran and Almar as well.”

Taeger knelt down to meet Ion’s trusting gaze, his words for Greig as much as they were for Ion. “We can get these people off the ship. After that, they’re on their own.”

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