Page 13 of Her Alien Cyborgs
“Could we let our guests out of their cell now?” Hezza asked, her voice as sweet as syrup.
Another nod.
“Thank you, Commander.” She turned toward the two cyborgs and finally let herself smile. They were one step closer to freedom. Now…came the hard part.
True to his word, Scott arranged for several crates of goods to be transferred to her ship. His ship’s AI was more advanced than the one on her vessel. It accepted his directions and had everything packed and waiting before they reached the shuttle bay, where both ships were parked.
She sent instructions for her ship to send out the cargo droids to collect everything, and just like that, she had everything they would need for the next part of the plan. The bit where she flewlike hell to get away from Barrios and anyone else who might be a threat to her new charges.
While she was worried about them, they seemed more concerned about her safety. The moment the cell door opened, they’d taken up positions on either side of her, both of them extending one wing to shield her back. Later, she intended to ask about their wings. They were not the standard for their species. Instead of a membrane stretched over their bone structure, these looked more like the wings of a bird, complete with metallic feathers.
They’d stayed quiet and watchful for the entire trip back up to the hangar deck. Now that no bars stood between them, they were impossible to ignore. Even if she hadn’t been hit with the mating fever whammy, she suspected she’d have enjoyed looking at them. Attractive wasn’t a strong enough word, and beautiful was too gentle a description. They were mesmerizing.
Kalan and Fyr’enth walked with purpose, their gait carefully measured to match the smaller humans around them. Despite the restriction, they moved like predators.
Part of her knew it would be wise to be wary of them, but she wasn’t. Even stronger than her physical attraction and hormone-fueled urges was a sense of security andrightnessthat was as unsettling as it was unfamiliar.
It took an alarming amount of effort to drag her attention off the pair of cyborgs and back to reality, but she managed. Mostly. The soldiers were already turning away when she tripped over the threshold of her own blasted entry hatch. Kalan caught her hand to steady her, and she allowed herself to enjoy that brief touch longer than she should have. With a mental shake, she let him go and turned to close and seal the hatch.
“Computer, secure all cargo for hard maneuvers, and confirm that all hatches are closed and sealed.”
“Hatches are sealed. Cargo is being secured now.” The flat, sexless voice of her ship’s AI stated.
“Good. Once that’s done, have the bots prep both passenger cabins for…” She looked at her companions and did some quick thinking. They would need a lot of space. “Prep the cabins for Torski-sized passengers. Oh, and prepare for launch.”
“Tasks registered and in progress.”
With that done, she turned to face the two cyborgs. “Fyr’enth and Kalan, welcome aboard theDesperate Gambit. I’ll show you your quarters and give you the grand tour once we’re safely on our way. For now, please come with me.”
She gestured down the corridor toward the cockpit and led the way there. “I don’t suppose either of you has flight training?”
Fyr’enth only shook his head, but Kalan spoke up. “We have ship-to-ship weapons training, but no piloting skills.”
“That makes sense. Why teach your prisoners anything that might help them escape?” she said.
“Exactly,” Kalan said. “Will you teach us?”
That was an easy question to answer. “I’d be happy to. It’ll help us pass the time. We’re weeks away from anything that resembles civilization.”
“And the more civilized an area, the more likely that someone like Barrios will be there, looking for us, so we’ll be keeping to the fringes?” Fyr’enth asked.
“I’ve got a few places in mind.” They’d touched on that topic during the planning stage, but only in general terms. The less Phylomenia and the others knew, the better.
They reached the cockpit, and she slid into her seat. “One of you can squeeze into the copilot’s seat. The other can take the gunner’s chair. Strap in and don’t touch anything. We’re about to find out if the parts Iacquiredfrom theBright Arrow’sinventory are as good as I think they are.”
“Acquired?” Fyr’enth asked.
“You stole them?” Kal said with what she thought was a hint of approval.
She laughed. “I prefer to call it creative acquisition, but Barrios would definitely call it stealing.”
Kalan grinned widely enough she saw his fangs. “So, we are escaping thatbakaffausing parts you stole from his own ship?”
“That’s the plan.”
“I like this plan,” Kalan said.
The two of them went quiet, and she assumed they were having the same sort of internal conversation the cyborgs she knew in Haven sometimes had. After a few seconds, Fyr’enth claimed the seat beside her while Kalan tried to fold himself into the gunner’s chair.
