Cosmic Captain: Chapter 19

“How long is this going to take?” I watched as the exit ramp lowered from the cargo bay, trying not to think too hard about being on another planet. Up to this point, I’d only ever been in spaceships and on stations.

Pretia was my first non-Earth planet.

“In and out. We won’t even stay overnight.” Lovath pet my hair soothingly, and I knew he was aware of how nervous I was. They could leave me on Pretia without a second thought while I was knocked out for the procedure. He’d sworn he wouldn’t.

“Then we track down Derrick?”

“Whatever you want, ksiva.” He kissed my forehead and I felt a bit like I was being coddled. But dammit, I was scared to be left alone in this vast universe. I wanted a million reassurances from Lovath and he’d been willing to give them.

The landing ramp thunked to the ground, disrupting a cloud of sand and I immediately feared for my lungs. Talisaar had mentioned this was a dusty planet, but I’d only need cybernetic lung implants if I planned on living there for an extended period of time. Kryn had assured me multiple times he’d check my lungs for any damage once we got back on the ship anyway.

Kryn had also asked if I’d ever been diagnosed with anxiety back on Earth.

I stuck to Lovath’s side like glue as we walked down the ramp, and I didn’t even know where to look first. It was bleak and sandy as far as the eye could see, except for the city that looked like it had been plopped in the middle of a desert. A desert with deep, red sand instead of orange and a city that came straight from a 1960s sci-fi show, but the comparison still worked.

There were no streets, just areas where the mixture of sand and dry dirt had been packed down from years of foot travel. Whizzing around the oddly shaped buildings and skyscrapers were all sorts of flying vehicles, and after studying them for a moment I understood that there was some kind of airway traffic pattern.

I knew it was early evening local time, and I could see the sun setting in the distance. Maybe I’d watched too much science fiction, but I’d kind of been hoping there’d be two suns. According to Talisaar, though, there were only a few systems out there that orbited twin suns.

This was fucking wild. Every time I thought I’d accepted that I was not on Earth and now part of an extraterrestrial society, something like this hit me in the face. I wasn’t home and I didn’t think there was a way for me to ever go home again. With so much to learn and see, was that such a bad thing?

I didn’t have anything on Earth. No friends other than Derrick, who might be out there in space anyway. A job I loved but could easily replace with a space equivalent. Parents who barely even spoke to me save to bitch at me for ruining my dad’s reputation.

Could I never see Earth again and be happy?

A gust of wind blew dust in my face, and I sputtered, coughing and heaving as my eyes watered. Lovath patted me on the back and urged me forwards. “Let’s go, love. Don’t want those weak human lungs out here for long.”

“Jesus Christ, didn’t you say it would take extended exposure before any lasting—”

“Yes.” Kryn cut in, giving Lovath a look.

“Who is this Jesus Christ guy you keep mentioning?” Qwexil asked as we approached the city proper. “I heard you shout that name last night too when I was walking by Lovath’s—”

I blanched and hurriedly interrupted, “He’s a religious figure on Earth. Some humans worship him. People who don’t drink the kool-aid use his name like a swear.”

“Huh, don’t know what ‘cool aid’ is, but I get it. Some species have similar things.” Qwexil shrugged, his tail flicking behind him—I always forgot he had one, but it was long and thin with fur at the end like a lion. “I always thought all these religions were a bunch of bolshtec. Every species tries to come up with their own version of the truth.”

I wasn’t a religious scholar by any means, but it did seem a bit silly to think, given the vastness of the universe and an entire society existing beyond Earth’s knowledge, that humans had somehow discovered the one, definite truth. Maybe there was a creator out there for all this, but the human Bible certainly wasn’t the answer to everything.

Lovath’s arm tightened around my shoulders when a few people glanced my way. He hadn’t used the leash this time because Pretia was a regulated Shukasi Federation planet, even if it was rarely patrolled. No slave trade happened here, and I’d heard some humans even lived on Pretia as free citizens.

Totally safe from slavery, totally not safe from crooks and criminals. Funny thought, given a criminal had fucked me into the mattress last night, but I felt safe with Lovath. He was my smuggler, and if Kryn was to be believed, Lovath had no intention of letting me go.

“Grishe is down this way.” Lovath motioned down a decrepit alleyway that made me shiver with anxiety, but I’d go anywhere he said.

I took a step, then paused. I’d heard something. And when I heard it again, I gasped and turned to Lovath, wide-eyed. “No fucking way.” Was all I managed to whisper before I took off after the sound.

The sound of someone’s voice.

I rounded a few corners, ears straining to hear it again, and when I finally did, I found myself standing outside of what looked like an auto shop. An auto shop where a buff dark-skinned human was working under the open side panel of what could have been a very ugly car.

“Derrick?” I called out, taking a few steps closer. His head jerked up, and when he saw me his dark brown eyes lit with relief.

“Gray!” He ran over to me and tackled me into an embrace that I returned with the same vigor. I still didn’t love touching people other than Lovath, but I was so fucking relieved to see him that I gave it a minute before disentangling myself.

“Fuck, you’re alright? How did you end up here?” I stepped back fully, putting a few feet between us. I’d been prepared to search for him for weeks or months, even years, yet here he was, right on Pretia. I also felt less bad for all the time I spent not looking for him.

“Escaped the krexxian ship after we were abducted. Got tangled up with some Shukasi Federation enforcers and they got me settled—who are you?”

An arm I knew to be Lovath’s snaked around my waist and pulled me tight to his side. “Don’t go wandering off, ksiva. Doubt anyone will try and take you, but you could get hurt regardless.” His presence did make me feel infinitely safer, but Derrick’s eyes had grown hard.

“Derrick this is Lovath. He’s the captain of a ship I’ve been on. He was…transporting me unknowingly. When he found out, he cut ties with my buyer.” It was a short and very glazed over version of the truth, but what Derrick didn’t know wouldn’t hurt him. “He’s tr—”

“Traakian, I know.” Despite being so excited and inviting before, Derrick’s expression had completely closed off.

“We’re here to get me a legal microchip.” I said it quietly so others around wouldn’t hear. I knew that I was easy pickings without a citizen chip and I didn’t want to push my luck. Even on a regulated planet, it seemed risky for me to just be out and about as a non-citizen.

Derrick turned accusing eyes towards Lovath. “He’s been with you for, what, over a month at this point? And he still doesn’t have a Federation chip?” This…wasn’t going how I’d hoped. I could hardly explain that we’d lost a lost of travel time heading straight for Torvan. Or that Lovath wanted to take me to Grishe specifically for an untraceable chip since I planned on staying on the Horizon.

“Can’t just stop anywhere with a human.” Lovath answered easily, and I thanked the stars for that lying tongue of his. “I have a contact here that I wanted to use.”

“Gray, you know if he was transporting you, he’s a smuggler.” Derrick turned his attention to me, and I didn’t love that he was speaking to me like I didn’t understand what was going on. I had anxiety and not a lot of backbone, sure. That didn’t make me stupid.

“I’m aware. He doesn’t do exotic trade. He was tricked into transporting me.”

“Sure.” My friend didn’t sound convinced.

“Grishe is waiting, love. She prefers timeliness.” Lovath’s arm was still tight around my waist and his tone was cool. Had I been worried that Lovath wasn’t jealous of Derrick? His possessiveness now was about be become an outward problem on my part. I did not need Derrick to see me get a hard on because Lovath was being all grabby. But I wouldn’t mind if he continued to be grabby either.

At the same time, my stomach plummeted. I’d tried my best to be prepared for the procedure Grishe was going to perform, but thinking about it gave me the jitters. “Is it bad if we postpone until tomorrow?” I turned my head to look up at Lovath. “I know I said I wanted to be in and out, but if we stay one night then I can also catch up with Derrick. Since we’re not in a hurry to go looking for him anymore.”

Lovath raised a scaled brow at me, and I knew he could tell I was just scared. I did want to spend some time with Derrick, but that could just as easily be done after the chip transfer.

“I can tell Kryn to reschedule with Grishe for tomorrow morning. But that’s it. I’m not comfortable hauling you around with a non-Fed chip for much longer.” He conceded, and some of my tension ebbed.

“Thanks, baby.” I leaned into him, and didn’t miss the look of disgust on Derrick’s face. He and I needed to talk. “If I promise to stay with Derrick, do you care if I spend the evening with him? I think we have a lot to catch up on.”

Tilting my head back to look up at Lovath, I watched his face war with indecision. His eyes flicked to Derrick, then back to me. “Of course. Do you remember where we were earlier? Where Grishe is?”

“I know where Grishe’s clinic is.” Derrick answered for me.

Lovath’s eyes didn’t leave mine. “See you later then, ksiva.” He brought his fingers under my chin to crane my neck back a little more in his tight embrace and kissed me softly. Then he gave my lower lip a playful nip, and I flushed as he split from my side and walked away grinning.

“Thank fuck he’s gone.” Derrick sighed in relief. “Now we just have to hide you until he gives up and leaves without you.”

I blinked in astonishment. “What the fuck are you talking about?”

Derrick snorted. “You’re not with him willingly, are you? He’s clearly got you thinking he rescued you or something.”

He had. Eventually. “I think you have it all wrong, Derrick. Lo isn’t coercing me.” In fact, I was trying like hell to tamp the raging erection Lovath’s kiss had given me. “Look, is there somewhere better we can talk? I want to hear about your great escape and tell you everything that’s happened.”

Not everything, but most of it.

With a world-weary sigh, Derrick started packing up his tools. “Yeah, I know a place.”