Blue solace complete ser.., p.37
Blue Solace: Complete Series Boxset, page 37
“A cook?” Morgan felt some small amount of hope. “That is perfect.”
Chapter 6
En route to Planet Tammol
“The GACP has started processing Jevio,” Dru said. “By the time we get back from Tammol, they’ll have finished a trial and sentenced him.”
“Shouldn’t they wait until we know if anyone on the team has been injured or died?” Hazel frowned. “What if they’re all dead, and he’s just charged with attempted murder?”
“They’re not dead,” Garen and Morgan said at the same time.
The rest of the crew gave them sympathetic looks. Morgan cleared his throat. “We should call in backup,” Morgan said. “If the Concords have been down there for over two months now, there’s no telling what we’ll run into.”
“We’ll send Jody our destination,” Dru said. “Let’s not drag the Foxtail Mercenaries into this unless we have too. I know she’s been reluctant to get involved in our war with the Concords.”
“It’s not that she doesn’t want to, love,” Lerais said. He looked pained.
“I know, baby,” Dru said, smiling gently. “She has more than just herself to think about.”
“We’ll reach Tammol tonight. It’s not far from Rueal,” Linc said. “I’ll do some preliminary scans before we land at Jarth.”
“Good idea,” Dru said. “I’ll call Jody now. Put away the extra supplies we picked up and get some rest guys. I have a feeling things are about to get crazy. Alois, Morgan, and Lerais, please stay for the call. The rest of you guys can scram. Oh yeah. Garen, welcome aboard. We really appreciate your skills.”
Garen laughed. “I’ve never been so well-received. I’ll get to work on lunch.”
The rest of the crew filed out, and Dru patched the call through to Jody. Lerais’s sister was flat out awesome. The woman was big and beautiful and had the warmest heart of any mercenary in the galaxy. Her mercenaries solely focused on rescue jobs, especially those involving children.
Jody’s smile filled the screen. “Hey, baby brother,” she said. “It’s nice to see you too, Dru. You all need help?”
“You know us so well,” Dru said with a smile. “We’re about to go into a precarious situation. You’re the closest ally to us, so we wanted to ask you to be our touchstone.”
“Of course,” Jody said. “Where you going?”
“Tammol,” Lerais said.
“That place isn’t usually too bad,” Jody said.
“The Concords are in the process of conquering it,” Alois said. “They plan to use it as a base as they purify the galaxy.”
“What. The. Fuck.”
“That’s what our source says,” Dru said. “We’ll be getting a firsthand view of it tonight. We’re landing near a village named Jarth. If you don’t mind, we’ll touch base daily. Hopefully, we’ll be in and out, but if the Concords have set up any air defense around the planet, it could get complicated.”
“You miss a day and my ass is coming to get you personally,” Jody said. “This is really bad, guys. The Concords have always been snotty little asswipes, but you’re talking about some serious shit here.”
“We don’t know what’s going on with them, Jody,” Dru said. “There’s something not right, and Charybdis Station is working on figuring it out. Until then, we do the best we can. I’ve updated General Hackett, but we appreciate your help. Hopefully, things go smoothly.”
“Good luck,” Jody said. Her face was troubled. “Love you, Lerais.”
“Love you too, big sis,” he said. “I’ll stay on the comm with you as we land, alright?”
“Perfect.” The call ended.
“We have extra supplies, the ship is in good condition, and we know our situation,” Dru said. “Why do I feel like there’s a shitstorm waiting on us?”
“Because there probably is a shitstorm waiting on us,” Morgan said, gut churning. “We don’t have a choice though. He’s down there.”
“We’ll find your future husband, pretty boy. Don’t worry.” Dru smirked, worry melting away.
“That landing wasn’t my best,” Linc said, breathless.
Morgan stood, rolling his shoulders. “To be fair, our systems didn’t detect their planetary defenses.”
“Report,” Dru ordered.
“No serious injuries to the crew,” Alois said after a moment.
“Serious injuries to the ship,” Lerais said, voice grim. “Our shields only took part of the damage. We’re stuck on the ground until I can get this shit fixed. I’ll let you know how long as soon as I can. Lost contact with Jody too, so she’s probably on her way.”
“I’m so sorry, Captain,” Linc said, on the verge of tears.
Dru rolled her eyes. “For fuck’s sake, Linc, we were shot to shit. There was only so much you could do, and you did it. We landed without casualties.”
“Thank you, Captain,” he said, blushing. The guy was just too cute.
“Where are we?”
“Right next to Jarth,” Linc said. “Our scans showed a lot of movement north and west of here. The map shows that’s where the two largest cities on the planet are. It’s pretty dead right here.”
“Were we spotted?”
“Probably. Their air defenses report encounters. They can likely track our trajectory.”
“We need to get the ship out of here,” Dru said. “Lerais, can she move at all?”
“Like a fucking shuttle,” he said, disgusted. “We can fly her away from here, but she’s not making it back into space anytime soon.”
“Let me and Quinn out here,” Morgan said. “We’ll start tracking Wyatt.”
“How far will the comms work, Lerais?”
“Planet-side only. The ship’s communication system may connect to another ship as long as it’s right outside the planet’s atmosphere.”
“Okay. Take a shuttle and your comms,” Dru said. “We’ll head south since our scans didn’t show much movement there. We’ll let you know when we find a good spot to hole up.”
“Captain,” Garen said. “I need to go too. Please.”
Dru nodded. “Follow Morgan’s instructions and let Quinn and him do the fighting.”
“Yes, sir.”
Morgan gathered his weapons and loaded the shuttle with food and medical supplies in case they found the medical team right away. Garen and Quinn joined him, and they unloaded from the ship, speeding into the village as the Blue Sparrow flew south. The village was empty, only corpses and broken buildings left. A hard rain fell through the trees, and the morning sun barely peeked through the clouds.
Garen and Morgan both jumped out and began checking bodies, looking for the medical team. Morgan was soaked in moments, but he took the time to check each corpse. These poor people had been dead for at least two months. He came across a strange corpse. The man looked like he had been mummified. His corpse was emaciated and empty of all fluids. He had never seen anything like it. He took pictures and moved on, searching for Wyatt.
“Morgan,” Garen yelled. “I’ve found some of the medical team.”
Morgan ran to him, stopping to stare at the four bodies in front of them. They resembled the strange one he had seen outside. There were three men and one woman. None of them were Wyatt.
He let out a sigh of relief, then saw Garen’s tears. “Fuck. Is that Jane?”
“No,” Garen said, wiping at his cheeks. “It’s Dr. Lolani, her security guard Ron, and one of her nurses, Joe. I don’t know who the fourth body is.”
“Maybe a patient,” Morgan said, eyes taking in the position of the bodies. Joe lay atop the patient, likely trying to protect him. Ron had fallen in front of the doctor, a phaser next to his dried hand. What the hell had happened to them?
“Come on,” he said, finally. “Let’s keep searching.” They hunted for over an hour, but the village was empty of anything living. “Where would they have gone?”
“What if they were captured?” Quinn asked.
“It doesn’t look like the Concords were taking prisoners,” he said.
“Jane always said the villagers had little hidey holes they would go to when the fighting got bad. Any survivors would have gone there,” Garen said.
“Let’s branch out,” Morgan said. “We can hide the shuttle and each take a direction. We’ll avoid south for now. We’ll be heading there soon enough anyway. It would likely be within a few miles of the village. I’ll take north. Check in every fifteen minutes.”
They split up, and Morgan headed through the thick forest, looking for signs of travel. It was clear several large groups had marched this way recently. MRE wrappers and other litter were thrown carelessly into the bushes. These were the Concords most likely. The survivors would be taking more care to hide themselves.
He bent down to pick up an empty casing and noticed a grey and white paw beneath a bush. He smiled wide, standing. “Luna?”
The dog poked her head out of the bushes, giving him a weary look. The poor thing was wet and dirty, rain pelting her. He knelt. “Hey, sweetie,” he crooned. “I’m a friend of your daddy’s.” He held his hand out, and she sniffed it, coming closer. He tentatively scratched her ears, and her long tail started wagging. “Is your daddy okay? I’m real worried about him.”
“Wyatt is fine. Who the fuck are you?” The female voice came from behind him. He felt the end of a phaser bump the back of his head. Fuck. He should be afraid, but he seemed stuck on the woman’s first words. Wyatt was fine. Relief filled him even as the phaser pressed harder against his head.
“Who are you?” the woman asked again.
“My name is Morgan. The GACP sent me and my team to find its missing medical unit. Three of them are dead in the village. I’m searching for the remaining five. I’m guessing you’re Kiki.”
“Why do you think that?”
“I read your profile. You’re very well trained, and I didn’t hear you coming.” He twisted quickly and grabbed the gun from her hand. “I’m well trained too though.”
The woman had another phaser in her hand in seconds, but he didn’t mind. He recognized her from her file. He also remembered she was married to a nurse on the team, Joe. One of the dead in the village. The picture in her file had been of a smiling woman, happy and content with life. He didn’t know her, but he felt a stab to his gut at the loss of that woman.
“Joe’s body is back in the village,” he said.
“I know,” she said, voice hoarse. “This has been the first time the area has been empty. I was going to bury them.”
“I have two other people with me and a shuttle full of supplies. What do you need?”
“Supplies? They need food and medical supplies as soon as possible.” She seemed to hesitate, and she looked back at the village. “We should get those first. I can bury him later.”
“Okay,” he said softly. “Are the others alright too?”
“Yeah,” she said. “There are some injuries, but the most seriously wounded are the surviving villagers.”
He pulled his comm out. “Garen, Quinn. I’ve found the survivors. Meet me back at the shuttle as soon as possible.”
“Yes!” Quinn cheered. “On my way.”
“I found some soldiers headed west,” Garen said quietly. “They are headed away from the village, but they look to be searching for the ship. I’m heading back now.”
“Garen,” Morgan said. “Just so you know, Jane is okay.”
The comm was silent for a minute. “Thank you,” Garen whispered. “Thank you so damn much.”
“Let’s go find them,” he said, snapping the comm closed.
Kiki and Luna fell in beside Morgan as they jogged back to the shuttle. “How do you know Wyatt?” Kiki asked. “You said you were a friend of his.”
“Well, I am his friend. He just doesn’t know me yet,” he said as they arrived back at the shuttle. Quinn and Garen were leaning against it.
“Are you talking about Wyatt?” Quinn asked. She looked at Kiki. “He has a massive crush on the guy and hasn’t even met the poor man.”
“How do you know about my crush?” Morgan frowned at her as he opened the shuttle door for Luna.
“Everyone knows,” she said, shrugging. “Alois messaged everyone. Even Selene and Leti back home.”
“Fuck,” he moaned, starting the shuttle. “That’s just embarrassing.”
Kiki watched him carefully, lips twitching. “Why do you like him so much?”
“He’s adorable and sweet and kind and smart. I read his file and ran a background check myself,” Morgan said, sighing. “He’s delicious.”
“Stalker,” Garen coughed into his fist. Morgan glared at him, but he just blinked innocently. “What? My throat had a tickle.”
He followed Kiki’s instructions, and they arrived at the cave system quickly. Unfortunately, a small troop of Concord mercenaries were firing at the entrance. One man crouched behind a large rock, firing back at them.
Morgan recognized him as Rune. He could hear cries coming from inside, and the mercs were approaching the cave fast, shields absorbing Rune’s shots.
“Garen, stay in the shuttle with Luna,” Morgan said.
The man grabbed the dog and held her tightly. They didn’t need her running about in the middle of a fight.
Morgan looked back at Kiki and Quinn, smiling widely. “Let’s have some fun, ladies.”
Chapter 7
Wyatt covered Estella and pressed them both against the wall at the entrance of the cave. Everyone was pushed against the sides, trying to stay out of range of the phasers the soldiers were firing into the cave. The shots hadn’t hit anyone yet, but the cave entrance’s covering disappeared, piece by piece. Their illusion of safety went with it.
“What are we going to do?” Panic filled Jane’s voice, and Wyatt didn’t know what to say. What could they do?
The foliage covering was completely gone now, and Wyatt could see the soldiers approaching through the heavy rain. Rune fired on them, but he was just one person, and they had personal shields.
A shuttle pulled up behind the soldiers, and Wyatt knew it was over. They must have called for reinforcements, or worse, that creature.
Then he saw him.
The man stepped out of the shuttle, a shield covering him with a soft, blue light. He drew a large vibro-sword and launched himself into the line of soldiers. Wyatt barely noticed Kiki and another woman enter the battle too. His eyes were stuck on his hero.
The man cut a line through the soldiers, moving fast and efficiently. He twirled and jumped, dodging their attacks expertly. Wyatt’s whole body seemed to vibrate and a loud hum filled his ears.
“Did time slow down, or is it just me?” Wyatt asked, watching the man dance through the soldiers, killing them.
“Wyatt? What’s wrong? Are you okay?”
Jane’s voice didn’t register. Wyatt could think of nothing but his beautiful hero.
“He’s so beautiful,” Wyatt whispered.
“What the fuck?” Jane was trying to hold back desperate laughter. “What is wrong with you?”
“It’s fine,” Wyatt said. “He’ll save us. Watch him move. Damn, he is so beautiful.” He ran his hands through his hair. “I probably look even worse than normal, and I know I smell horrible. How’s my breath?” He turned to Jane and huffed a breath in her face. “Well?”
“You’ve lost it. We’re being rescued, and you finally lose it,” Jane said. “Your breath is horrible too.”
He gave her a wounded look. “Couldn’t you have lied?”
Estella patted his shoulder from behind him. His sweet girl was always a comfort.
“The fighting has stopped,” Jane said.
Pela rushed over to them before Jane had even finished her sentence.
Wyatt looked outside, and sure enough, his hero was putting away his vibro-sword. Kiki ran into the cave, eyes searching for wounded.
“No one was shot,” Wyatt said. “You all arrived in time. Thank you, Kiki.”
She looked relieved.
He pulled her over to their corner. “Who’s that gorgeous man with you? Is he single? Do you think he might like me?” His face fell. “Never mind. I forgot I was pregnant.” He rubbed his little bump.
Kiki tilted her head, looking just like Luna. “Did you hit your head?”
“He’s been acting weird since he saw that guy,” Jane said.
“He is handsome,” Pela said, eyes wide in appreciation as she ogled Wyatt’s hero.
“Back off, bitch,” Wyatt said before he could stop himself. He looked at Pela, both of them shocked. “I’m so sorry, Pela. I don’t know what’s wrong with me.” He shook his head, but his gaze got stuck on the tall blond again. “He makes the world vibrate and everything hum,” Wyatt said dreamily.
“Vibrate and hum?” Kiki’s eyes were soft, and she smiled sweetly.
“He’s an idiot,” Jane said, rolling her eyes. “Pela, I think you could take the Doc in a fight if it comes to it. Just saying.” She looked at Kiki. “Now, are those people good guys?”
“They are,” Kiki said. “The GACP sent them for us. They have supplies in the shuttle, but we need to get out of here as soon as we can.”
Wyatt shook his head. “Okay. Let’s stabilize the most critical and give them whatever pain meds you brought. We can start moving the others. Where are we going?”
“There you are,” Jane said, patting his cheek. “I’ll go check the shuttle.” She started for the shuttle, then froze. “Garen?” She screeched and launched herself into her husband’s arms.
Luna trotted up and sat at his feet. She woofed hello. Wyatt bent and scratched her chin.
“Pela? Can you go check the shuttle for what medical supplies they have,” Wyatt asked. “Jane is a bit preoccupied.”
Pela grinned. “I can, and don’t worry, Doc. I won’t flirt with your man.”
Wyatt growled as the nurse giggled and ran out of the cave.
Kiki patted his head. “Your growls aren’t at all scary. Just cute.”
He huffed. “Excuse me,” he said. “I have patients to attend to.”
