Page 9 of Her Alien Captain
SIX
Zeke left the auction house and went back to the docking bays. He continued down the row of ships until he found the one he was looking for. Mexelin Draca's ship was registered as a passenger freighter but armed like a frigate because he was a pirate masquerading as an honest businessman. Zeke had shared a few rounds of drinks with him on occasion, but he was more and acquaintance than a friend. As a fellow feline Mexelin liked his Napeta Catia.
He would probably take all twenty kilos---if he had the funds to pay.
When Zeke found theNebula Dancer, he walked up the loading ramp to the unguarded hatch and stood in front of it for the ship’s AI to acknowledge him. A baritone AI voice responded to his presence.
“State your name and your business with theNebula Dancer,”it said,
“Captain Farzeke Be’Kal here to speak with Captain Draca on a personal business matter,” he stated. “I have some merchandise that might interest him---Terran Gold Napeta Catia. I brought a sample in case he is interested.”
The inner hatch door slid open, and Zeke was instantly facing h Mexelin Draca. “Zeke, my friend, please come in. It’s been so long. Tell me about this Terran Gold you mentioned. If it’s as good as rumored, I am very interested,” Mexelin stepped back so Zeke could enter.
It looked like any normal freighter with nothing to hint at its supercharged star drive and heavy armament. In Drayid space, it didn’t matter, but such a heavily armed craft was not legal for private ownership in Alliance space. Then again, neither was the sale of twenty kilos of Napeta catia. Bending the law here and there didn’t concern Zeke, but he drew the line at slavery. He’d give the whole module to Mexelin to get that sapien female back from the Vrootomian who bought her. The things he’d heard they did to females who displeased them turned his stomach. Zeke was one of many who opposed to their joining the Alliance. Narova didn’t recruit enough votes in the Alliance General Assembly to block them. The Vrootomians treated even their own females like slaves, and the Alliance looked the other way because of their non-interference policy regarding sovereign planetary politics. But Zeke knew better. It was their planet’s rich veins oftoklatimcrystals that got them into the Alliance, not their integrity.
Fortunately, for him, Mexelin Draca could not get near Earth without risking capture. A price on his head barred him from the Sol system and the planet where Napeta Catia grew like a weed.
Once inside the ship, Zeke said, “I’m just going to reach into my pocket for the sample I brought for you to try.”
Mexelin nodded.
Zeke took out a small plastic canister and unscrewed the top, handing it to the pirate. Mexelin put it under his nose and sniffed it gingerly. It had been ground into fine snuff as felines generally snorted the stuff as Earther humans did illegal drugs. Sometimes, they mixed it in food or drink.
“Go ahead, try it,” Zeke encouraged. “Then you will know it’s worth my price.”
Mexelin took a pinch between his thumb and index finger and made two dots of the power on his other index finger. He put it up to his nose and sniffed it up. He sneezed almost immediately and staggered backward, palming the inner bulkhead to steady himself.
“Gods, Be’Kal! Why didn’t you say it was that potent? Woohoo!” he shouted, clearly high. His amber cat’s eyes were nearly black because they were so dilated. “What’s your price?”
“It’s not cheap,” Zeke, warned him. “I need five bars. Some Vrootomian dick bought the female I came for. That’s all I need to buy her back.”
“Three,” Mexelin dickered.
“Four,” Zeke countered.
“Three and a half.”
“Done,” said Zeke. He took out his tablet and commed Tray to send their loading droid over to Mexelin’s ship with the contraband. The module arrived within five minutes.
Mexelin happily gave Zeke three and a half gold bars and took delivery of the contraband module. Zeke thanked him and hurried back to the auction house where the Vrootomian was still adding to his harem. Had Zeke had more time to find a buyer, he might have gotten twice what he did for the contraband. He didn’t care; he wasn’t there for profit. Selling sentient beings to other sentient beings was reprehensible. He just needed enough to buy back the Earther female. That’s all he cared.
Zeke found the Vrootimian noble in his booth at the auction house as expected. He fed him a line that his brother had his heart set on the tall blond Earther female and no other would do. He would be ever so grateful if the Vrootimian would sell her to him for twenty percent more than he paid. Zeke could go as high as fifty percent, but the Vrootomian settled for thirty.
Zeke paced the corridor waiting for the Vrootomian’s servant to bring Susan Williams to him. He was growing more uncomfortable as the mating pheromones took hold. His pants seemed to be growing tighter by the minute as his erection seemed to swell. This was no time to be thinking about mating. What the hell was going on? He didn’t remember coming in contact with a female who would have set him off, but he had passed many of all different species in the corridors of the auction house.
Finally, the servant arrived, leading the young woman by a chain leash, attached to the collar around her neck.
“My master thanks you for your business. Please enjoy your purchase.” The servant handed him the leash and bowed his head briefly as a sign of respect.
Zeke returned the gesture and took the offered lead. Not knowing what was going on, Susan fixed Zeke with a sullen scowl.
“I’m sorry about all of this,” Zeke said, “but if you ever want to see Earth again, come with me. Slavery is illegal in the Alliance. We were sent to rescue you and the others. That handsome red guy outbid us for you.”
“Who are you? What Alliance?” Susan demanded in a low tone.
“The United Galactic Alliance of Planets that protects your world.” Zeke gently gripped her arm and urged her to walk with him. “This world is out of their jurisdiction, so we were sent to purchase you and your friends.”
“What happened to them?”
