Kellek's Aria

Nobody can hear a scream in the vacuum of space, or so they say. I'll find out for sure in about thirty seconds if I don't get out of these cuffs. It's too bad these are the newer style with the wrist field grip, otherwise I could just dislocate a thumb and get one hand free. Fat chance of that working as long as the batteries last - which will be a lot longer than the few seconds I have left.

I've never been the type to dwell on the past, but I'm starting to think I shouldn't have antagonized those Dellians in the Portstar Pub so much. They were dumb enough to give up the information I needed, but I hadn't planned on being executed either. I expected the broken ribs and black eye. That's how persuasive I am.

CLICK! BvvvVVVVV!

This is it; exhale as much as I can, close my eyes, and curl up. If I don't hit the door on the way out I might survive long enough to

* * *

I slammed into the back of an airlock and fought to keep conscious. My lungs were burning to take a breath and my skin was just burning. I started counting down and only got to three before hearing the outer door seal shut; I guess I was out a little longer than I thought.

The moment I felt warm air I started gulping it in and shivering as my skin recovered and some of the shock wore off. I don't think I was exposed to vacuum long enough for any permanent damage, but damn does it sting.

"Lucy, get us into one of the rings around the fifth planet and make like a rock" I called out. I don't know if my voice or my ears aren't working properly, but since I feel the ship starting to move, I can safely pass out for a while. I hope I wake up before anyone finds us. They were right I guess, I don't hear my screams.

* * *

"Captain Marrus, can you hear me?"

I can feel myself waking up again. It's still dark and everything hurts, but it's me and I'm here.

"Captain Marrus? Morgan, are you awake?"

I'm still in the airlock of the Starwing, still naked, and still cuffed. Ah right, the Dellians. I suppose I should be thankful they don't find humans very attractive or I might be in a lot more pain. As it is they mostly see us as pink and brown punching bags that occasionally have good ideas. There are exceptions, and I'll need to remember to thank Kellek for the tip when I see him next. Dellians heal quickly, which is why they throw punches so easily.

"Lucy, I'm awake." My voice is still croaky but I can hear myself again. "Open the airlock and send a medical sled" I said.

A few minutes later I'm being delivered to the medical bay of my ship. That's a grand term for what is essentially an extra bed with a pair of doctarms attached to it in an otherwise unused corner of the main living space. No privacy, but since I'm the only one here, that's okay. Sometimes I wish it was different, but then I'd have to worry about putting up a couple of walls and noise cancellers and maybe do some decorating. All those things add weight to a spaceship, and weight is death.

I'm able to transfer myself from the sled to the bed without aggravating my definitely broken ribs too much.

"Lucy, begin general treatment for exposure and blunt force trauma. Let me know if you find anything else I should be aware of."

"Captain, the scan I took while you were being carried to.."

"Transferred," I said. "Sounds better."

"Transferred. Of course." Lucy can't really sound sarcastic, but I swear I can hear it in her voice sometimes. "You have a tracking device inserted under the skin between your shoulder blades. It appears to be Varyan Militia in design, though it doesn't fit the parameters 100%."

"Can you remove it? The Varyans don't need to know where I am unless I want them to." The Dellians must have inserted it while I was being transferred from the pub to the airlock, but why? Salvik Dorn is my client, and they're a very highly placed member of the Varyan Militia. Some kind of general or whatever. I wasn't paying that much attention at the time. Varyan pheromones are extremely powerful.

After a pause - a heavy pause, I thought, although I have no idea how she manages it - Lucy added "I'd be happy to, although you may experience sudden, explosive death if I do. Shall I continue with the removal?"

"No." Fantastic, now the Varyans are going to know where I am all the time. That means no more meeting with underground contacts, no going into restricted areas, and no stopping at secret fast food places. If I do anything Dorn doesn't like, there won't be enough left of me to spread on a pizza.

The doctarms do their work while I the sedative puts me under. I had it modified to leave the taste of whisky in my mouth, and as the flavour hits my tongue, I fall into blackness.

* * *

It's early afternoon, ship time, and I'm just beginning to become uncomfortable in the captain's chair. The med bay has done a good job, as usual. Despite its modest size, the doctarms are about as high-tech as it gets. Probably the only thing other than the liquor cabinet that I spared no expense on when outfitting the Starwing. The outside is almost as beat up as me.

The fifth planet in this system is called Whetu and gives off its own light from a phosphorescent gas in the atmosphere. It's not toxic to humans, but you can see your breath for almost a full day after leaving. It's bright enough to make the ice cubes in my whisky sparkle in the otherwise dimly lit bridge of my ship.

When Salvik Dorn contacted me, they insisted on meeting in person. I usually don't go for that, especially when you need to wear a helmet for protection from yourself, but the money being offered was good and I needed a new rug for the bridge anyways. They did agree to meet in one of the offices I keep around on various planets. I felt a bit better about that, even if it wasn't going to be any safer. Pheromones are like manure in a way - faster than air.

Dorn wasn't what I expected. Varyans, as a rule, are very exotic looking, very tall, and sensuously graceful. Dorn was also very round. Overflowing the chair type of round. They were sitting on one of my chairs, and I knew it was going to need to be replaced. I'd never want to stop rubbing on it if I didn't. Damned Varyans. Unless you wore a rebreather around them it was impossible to concentrate and almost as difficult to stop trying to climb them. Their large expanse of exposed skin was truly intoxicating even with the fans running and my tank nearly full. Whisky didn't help, but I never ask for help anyways.

"We have an agreement0nt, yes?" Dorn waited expectantly. When I didn't answer right away, he continued. "There is only three days0ys until the ceremony, Captain Morgan. If my daughter isn't there, the militia0ia will end up at war. I guarantee that you will be part of that war0ar, Captain." The two lieutenants they brought flexed muscles on all eight arms, as if I needed any help understanding the subtext.

Being threatened helped focus me a little bit. It was still hard to ignore all of their sleek skin and the exaggerated muscles moving around on the two standing. You never get the better end of a deal with a Varyan.

"Don't threaten me, Dorn, you know that doesn't work." I had to think for a moment before continuing to make sure my mouth said what it was supposed to instead of what I was fantasizing about. "I'll need half up front and the rest when I deliver your daughter to your home. We won't be in touch until then, and I will be very upset if this information isn't accurate."

"As I said, Captain0in, the information is from a reliable source. That doesn't mean it's accurate0te, hm." I wish I didn't shiver every time they called me Captain. "We will leave you now. I expect0ct to hear from you in 78 hours or less."

I couldn't help but stare as they walked out. Even as large as Dorn was, they moved with the grace of a born dancer, every movement a suggestion of something more. The muscle on either side of them, Rock and Hard as I named them in my head, wore clothes that almost seemed to shift aside as I looked, affording just the barest imagined glimpse of promise underneath.

Since I didn't have a lighter handy, I sat in my favourite chair and imagined the three of them walking towards me instead. I can always put this one in storage later.