Page 39 of Rescuing Mara

Hmm, that is rather clever. I would like to know how that works, but now is not the place, and I will make a mental note to ask him about it later. I untangle myself from him and walk over to the gurney where D’Var is helping Lauren up to a seated position.

“Hey, Lauren, how are you feeling?” I gently ask her.

“Like I was in a plane crash, only the plane was a spaceship.” I let out a small laugh; leave it to Lauren to make a joke at a time like this.

“How is T’Rak?” she asks, worry on her face as she searches for her mate.

“He is doing fine, my Zarra,” he says, glued to her side.

“Good,” she says before she turns her attention to all of us. “Now, what do we do?”

CHAPTER25

O’Rec

Ilink my mind with T’Rak.“How are you doing, my friend? Any luck with the scans?”

“Nothing threatening yet,”he responds.“We are definitely on a hostile planet, but the shields appear to be holding, so we have time to figure out what has happened to the ship and how to repair it.”

“T’Rak says he keeps scanning. The planet’s surface is not safe, but our shields are holding for now. We should join him.” I report to our little group.

We return to Command in silence. T’Rak heaves a heavy sigh and spins his chair as we enter through the still-functioning sliding doors.

“Is everybody good? Were the essentials still safe?”

I confirm with a nod, and his shoulders sag the tiniest fraction. I am glad I was able to relieve one worry, but when I look at what is outside our ship, I know there are plenty more waiting for him.

Marra walks up to the window in silence. Hesitantly, she places her hand on the glass, looking hypnotized by our surroundings. I make my way over and cradle her body with mine, putting my hand over hers.

“What kind of freaky planet did we crash ourselves onto?” she whispers. I join her line of sight as I think about how best to answer.

“Have you ever been to a desert?” When she nods, I continue. “We are on a desert planet, and this particular planet has the strongest magnetic pulse I have ever encountered. A particular nasty outburst sucked us in and…”

Suddenly, the ship starts shaking again, interrupting what I wanted to say. I quickly step back from the window, taking Marra with me.

“Be careful!” I shout out, not knowing exactly for whom I utter the warning. The winds pick up outside, and sand is flying everywhere, crashing into the glass. A sandstorm, a freaking sandstorm.

“Hold on to something,”T’Rak tells us through our mind link.“The scanners are sensing major magnetic activity, and it is coming at us from both sides and heading right for this fucking rock formation.”

I do not hesitate but throw us on the ground, covering Marra’s body with mine, the only way I know with a hundred percent certainty to keep her safe.

The storm howls outside, and the ship starts rattling. I hear T’Rak cursing through our link. It’s something about magnetic waves before I hear loud clashing sounds outside. The entire ship freezes, and everything turns dark.

I breathe deeply, reaching for my warrior calm past the scent of sweet, fresh flowers. It takes me a minute, but when I find it, I register all the small changes in the ship. The storm appears to be past its peak - the howling slowly dulls. There seems to have been some sort of malfunction in the ship, but I can hear the system’s reboot starting. I slowly lift myself up when the emergency lights come back online, pulling Marra up with me. She has not uttered a single word since the storm got really bad.

D’Var is holding on to L’Ren with two arms and a tail, and I notice that my own tail is still firmly slung around Marra’s leg. I guess my entire being is feeling a little overprotective.

I guide Marra toward my chair and pull her into my lap while I start processing scans. We are a practiced crew, so when a crisis hits, we automatically fall back into our designated roles. After I finish processing the security data, I give the ready sign, waiting for my crewmates to complete their tasks.

Completing the scans and processing the data takes about twenty minutes. The storm damaged our shields, and flying debris caused a leak in our fuel tank. T’Rak and D’Var will go outside to fix the leak, and I will take the females to the cargo bay and the mess hall to see what we can salvage.

L’Ren watches silently as D’Var equips himself with protective gear. It is obvious she is not so happy with him going outside, but she understands there is no other choice. We step away from the landing dock when it is time for them to seal the exit, and when she turns around, we see the tears burning in her eyes. My mate is next to her in a heartbeat, putting a comforting arm around her, easing her hurt. They talk as we walk, and when L’Ren stops to hug Marra tightly, I feel proud. Proud of the woman my mate shares with me and my crew. Would she also be this kind to my people? Would she give guidance and comfort when needed? The thought makes the bond in my chest pulse with overwhelming pride. Could she truly be the Queen to stand by me as I finally give my people the King that they have been asking for all these years?

I stop in my tracks as we enter the cargo bay. The females gasp, and L’Ren hangs her head. The place is an even bigger mess than when the Sternotheri came and kidnapped her. There is not a single thing unscathed in this room. Soil and plants are lying everywhere, surrounded by broken pottery and broken crates from the hiding place. Even our weapons are thrown around in disarray. For a moment L’Ren looks like giving up, then she looks at Marra.

“Girl power,” she says firmly.

Marra smiles. “Girl power.”

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