Page 24 of Narzek
“When this mission is over, I want to resign and go back to Farseek,” he said. “The attack by the Sargan’s trying to take back theKurellisscared the hell out of me.”
“I won’t say I wasn’t scared, but I believed in the integrity of our Dread. Our cabin was the safest place to be.”
“I know, but when I took this mission, it was just me taking the risk. Then I brought you here because we aresolmatu, and I wanted you with me. You could be going to Farseek instead. Or even back to Earth, now that Alliance ships have arrived.”
“Have you heard me complaining? Narze, I was being sent into a warzone back on Earth. You may not think so, but I felt safer on this ship than I felt in that desert. I saw the video of the battle we were in. Dread took damage, but no one was hurt aside from some bumps and bruises.”
“What if next time reinforcements don’t show in time to even the odds?”
“Then I want every last second I can have with you in the meantime,” she asserted. “Don’t even think about sending me anywhere without you.”
Narzek framed her face in his hands and met her gaze with a sigh. “I have already thought about it, and I also realize it’s not just my decision to make. Mostly, I don’t want to be separated from you for however long this mission is going to take. It could be a star orbit or longer.”
He didn’t really want to pull out of her moments later but he had waned. They got up and took turns at the lavatory before sharing the shower and another round of sex before getting cleaned up. By sharing, they only used one allotment of water for that rotation.
A few minutes after they finished their shower and dressed to go to the mess for first meal, Narzek noted their com screen was blinking with a message. He gave the command to play the message. It was from the ship AI.
“Greetings, Lieutenant Commander Pardantu. A member from your list of missing family members Jakkin Pardantu has been identified among those liberated from Mecstar Prime and taken to theKurellis. You will receive more information as it becomes available.”
Chapter Eighteen
“Jakkin,” Narzek murmured, clearly stunned. “Jakkin’s alive!” He turned to Cayla, lifting her, so they were chest to chest in a fervent hug, turning in a circle. “Oh, Maker of all things! I can hardly believe it.”
“I can hardly breathe,” Cayla groaned; he was hugging her so tight.
“Sorry,me’ara.” He loosened his grip but didn’t let her down. Instead, he kissed her tenderly, swirling his tongue around hers slowly.
Cayla brought her legs up and crossed her ankles just above his butt, pressing her crotch against his erection. It was an inevitable response whenever her lush body was pressed against him.
Narzek ended the kiss, as his stomach growled. It was half a rotation past his last high energy bar and much longer since his last meal. Still, he was reluctant to release her. He rested his forehead against hers and smiled at her.
“I am so happy for you,” she murmured with a light kiss to his lips. “I know you were disappointed when you returned yesterday, but your team found over two hundred people who might have been left behind in those smaller mining sites.”
“Yes. But I was glad we found Dias’ brother.”
“And someone else found yours,” Cayla said. “The last report I read estimated that seventy-five percent of the people you rescued were Farseekans.”
“That makes me hope that we are on the right path to finding Mother and my sister.”
“If they were on the same slave ship, they could have been taken to one of the next star systems on our route.”
“We are hoping.” Narzek let her down and stepped back, willing his cock into submission. “Most of the repairs on this ship were completed, so we should be moving out of this system soon.”
“And theKurellishas already left for Farseek.”
“Which means I won’t get to com Jakkin. I wish I could have seen him.”
“I know, sweetheart,” she soothed.
“The news is that the Consortium warships are escorting theKurellisback to Consortium space, so we don’t have to send any of the dreads with them,” Narzek added, relieved that he was finally presentable as his problem had resolved. “Let’s go eat. I’m famished.”
“One of the last reports I read before you got back said the Alliance warships were going ahead to the next star system to do recon.”
Narzek moved toward the door, and it opened as Cayla followed. They walked to the lift together.
“We found people from Alliance worlds, including Earth at almost every mine site we explored. That liaison who contacted you also contacted most of them. I think about fifty were transferred to their warships.”
“Probably, because Farseek is so far from Earth and Alliance space.”
