Page 144 of Homebound
She felt his unwavering attention and a rare pulse of inner energy coming off him that she’d come to recognize as heightened emotions. She searched his dear features for a sign of tenderness and love, knowing that it was an ingrained habit she was going to have to kick. Rix didn’t display emotions through facial expression. This subtle energy wave was his way of demonstrating affection.
As focused as she was on him at the moment, she noticed signs of strain in the pronounced pallor of his hollow cheeks. His normally liquid eyes were dull. Even in the low lighting, he didn’t look to be in peak condition.
Gemma frowned. “When was the last time you ate?”
“I’m not hungry.”
“Hmm.”
To think of it, when was the last time she’d seen him meditate to restore his energy? He looked like he sorely needed some stasis now.
“Simon, you need to rest. Let me take over the watch.”
They had been by themselves in space, in a vacuum, for three months. It wasn’t like he had to navigate an intersection at rush hour, so he could well afford a few hours of R and R.
“I can watch over the screen,” Gemma offered. “Come, go get some sleep. I’ll wake you up if something goes wrong, you know I will.”
He acted like he didn’t hear her. She played with his fingers until he gently tugged his hand away.
“Simon?”
“Maybe later. For now, how about you sit down and buckle up?”
“Why?”
He was slow to respond, and the first frisson of unease tingled along her spine.
“Simon, what aren’t you telling me?”
Finally, he said, “We are being followed.”
“We are? By who?”
“By pirates.”
“Excuse me?”
“By pirates.”
Automatically, Gemma sailed to her chair and strapped herself in. “I had no idea they existed out here.”
“They exist everywhere.”
“Are you sure? This,” she waved her hands around, “isn’t exactly a prize.”
“They don’t need much. The way it works, they shoot your ship up, killing all on board and damaging the vessel. Once your crew is out of commission, they snare your ship with special magnetic nets and tow it to their haven. Pirates are known to repossess abandoned space stations and park them in dark corners of the Universe making sort of floating islands that can be moved at any time. There they dock the captured ship and take it apart to sell for parts. If there is any cargo, even better, they barter it too. That’s it. All done in space. No need for a landing on any planet. Your ship simply disappears.”
Gemma couldn't get her head wrapped around the idea that intergalactic piracy was a thing. “But… It’s a crime! Why isn’t anything done about it?”
Simon shook his head. “It’s space. It belongs to everyone and no one. There are no laws and no enforcers.”
The effects of what she was hearing were chilling. “Are you sure that whoever is following us are pirates?”
“They have been observing us from afar for about two weeks, and now they’re approaching.”
“Two weeks?” She was flabbergasted. “You never said anything to me.”
“Because I wasn’t sure then. I am sure now.”
