Page 16 of The Alien's Cruel Starfrost Domain

“We’ve completed the elliptical approach and are coming upbehind the firelord’s ship. You know, that thing you were so worried about?”

“And there’s no indication?—”

“Nothing to suggest they have observed us,” she interrupted with far too much satisfaction. “I am capable of basic stealth operations, you know. I’m not some newly programmed navigation system fresh off the assembly line.”

I tamped down my snort. “Sorry I questioned your sneaking ability.”

“As well you should be. I could teach those firelords a thing or two about actual stealth, rather than just charging around the galaxy in their flashy ships.”

“Would you like to share the results of your spying with me as well? Or shall we continue discussing your superior capabilities?”

“Oh, but discussing my capabilities is so much fun.” She paused dramatically. “However, if you insist... The ship we’re following is The Nightflame.” She delivered this with all the flourish of a performer announcing the climax of a show.

“Oh, fuck,” I breathed out. “The firelord king’s ship?”

“The very same. Aren’t you glad you have such a talented AI looking out for you?”

My stomach clenched, and I swallowed hard. “There’s no good reason for him to be out here—not unless...” My voice trailed off. “You don’t think he’s been to Earth, too?”

“Not according to his ship’s logs.”

“You accessed his ship’s logs?”

Cyan’s laugh rang through the cabin. “Please. Their AI is practically prehistoric. Despite embracing most forms of technology, the firelords are as suspicious of artificial intelligence as your people. That thing piloting his ship is barely sentient. It took about as much effort as teaching you to pilot in atmosphere.”

“Be careful,” I admonished her, though I couldn’t quite keep the fondness from my voice. “If anyone on Trasq catches you doing that kind of thing, you’ll be stripped down to yourcomponent parts and sold off—and that’s if you’re lucky. Otherwise, they’ll smelt you down until there’s nothing left but molten metal.”

The playfulness dropped from her voice. After a moment’s silence, she acknowledged my worry. “I promise I’ll take care.” Then she added, unable to help herself, “Someone has to stay alive to keep you out of trouble, after all.”

I shook my head, dropping it into my hands. It wasn’t the first time we’d had that discussion. I rubbed my eyes with the heels of my hands, wishing I had some way to be certain I could keep my ship’s AI safe.

But I knew that wasn’t possible—we would have to leave the entire system in order to find a place she could be truly free. And I couldn’t do that. Not yet.

Maybe not ever.

As for the firelord king… Well, it wasn’t as if this was the first time he’d left the planet without warning. If he had been Caix, he would have been declared to have abdicated his throne a dozen times in the last century. Especially the last time, when he’d been gone for eight star cycles.

But the firelords were less likely to want to overthrow their government than we Caix were.

Certainly less likely than I am, at any rate.

“Did you learn anything else from your snooping?” I asked Cyan.

“Nothing of any note. The ship does have the king aboard, but even their logs don’t mention their destination or the reason for the journey.”

I paused for another long moment before replying. “Then stay on course to drop us into the next wormhole segment. If it looks like they’re trying to use our FTL trail to sniff us out, take evasive maneuvers and wake me.”

“Yes, sir.”

I should have felt safe enough leaving Cyan in control. But as I stood to head back to my cryocasket, once again pausing to look in on Lara in all her ethereal sleeping beauty, I found myself worrying.

If the wrong firelords became aware of what I was trying to do, I wouldn’t survive the attempt.

Worse, neither would Lara.

They would incinerate us both.

I was used to facing such possibilities on my own. But the thought of exposing Lara to that kind of blazing death suddenly horrified me, brought bile to my throat. I swallowed it down and leaned in close to her cryocasket, my breath fogging the clear plate over her face as I whispered, “I’ll do everything I can to protect you from that kind of pain.”

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