Nikhil(46)

"He...”

"Did nothing... at least not the way you mean. He helped me with the cleansing unit, fed me, and then I fell asleep. When I woke up, he made sure I ate again, then took me back to Luol to finish my treatment and then I used their educator. That's why I can speak and understand their language now along with every other known species. I also know a great deal about them and their history. The one the Ganglians forced on us only contained two languages."

"You know about them? These Kaliszians?"

"Them and every other species. It's amazing, Jen, the things I know now that I didn't before."

"And that's all because of their educator?"

"Yes."

"Do you know why we were taken?" Craig asked quietly.

"Not really. I mean," she held up her hand to stop everyone from talking at once. "I know we were taken for slave labor. The Zaludians were illegally mining on this planet, which is called Pontus by the way. The Kaliszians only just discovered what was going on because they were on the opposite side of their Empire, defending it from another species. The Kaliszians don't know why the Ganglians were assisting the Zaludians. Apparently, the two don't normally get along. There's more."

"What?"

"It seems the Kaliszians have intercepted several Ganglian ships; one had a female on it they claim was similar to us."

"So they do know where Earth is."

"No. The Ganglians had deleted their navigational information before they were boarded."

"Why would they do that?"

"My guess is they are trying to keep Earth's location a secret for some reason, but no one knows why."

"Do you think they would tell you if they did?" Jen asked quietly.

Mac thought about it for a moment, not because she didn't know the answer, but because they deserved her to take her time. "Nikhil would tell me."

"You trust him that much?" Craig asked doubtfully.

"Yes." Mac's eyes silently pleaded with Jen's for understanding.

"Jen," Craig pulled her gaze from Mac's. "We can't trust that."

"I trust Mac, but I understand your concern, Craig. I'll stay back until we know more."

"Jen, you need the repair unit if only to manage your pain."

"Pain?!!" Paul sat down next to Jen and cupped her jaw, making her gaze meet his. "What pain?"

"It's nothing, Paul." She gave Mac an angry look.

"Mac?" Paul looked at her.

"She's been in constant pain since the attack," Mac told them for the first time.

"Mac!" Jen exclaimed.

"Why didn't you tell us?" Paul asked quietly.

"What good would it have done to tell you, Paul?" Jen said. "When there was nothing you could have done."

"But there is now." Mac broke in. "You can be pain-free."

"You don't know that," Jen argued back. "If they can't even fix the problem, why do you think they can make the pain go away?"

Mac couldn't argue with that because she didn't know. "If I find out they can, will you, at least, let them do that?"

Jen was silent for so long that Mac didn't think she was going to answer. "I will," she finally said.

"That still doesn't explain why you were kissing that man!" Craig said.

"Male," Mac corrected.

"What?" Craig frowned at her.

"They don't use the term man; they say male. You'll learn that after you use their educator. And it's a much better experience than what we had with the Ganglians."

"You keep dodging the question," Craig snarled.

"I don't mean to, it's just hard to explain... you see Kaliszians wear these beads in their hair and...” The doors of the area slamming against the wall cut her off.





Chapter Nine


Parlan ignored Onp and Nroa as he shoved open the doors to the survivors’ wing, uncaring that it sounded like a blaster shot as they slammed against the walls, causing all the traumatized beings inside to jump. His anger and disbelief had grown as he cleansed and every step it took him to get here. How could the Goddess have blessed one like Nikhil with a True Mate, even if she was one from another species? Nikhil was a large, blundering male with no connections to power except for the fact that his manno worked for a Minister.

He was an Elite Warrior.

He descended from a powerful bloodline.

He had access to more credits than any Squad Leader.

He was Parlan Spada.

If anyone deserved a True Mate, it was him.

His gaze scanned the area, searching for the humans, until he found them huddled in a corner like the insignificant beings they were. They didn't look any better to him cleansed than they had filthy. Could the Goddess really have chosen one of these creatures as a True Mate for a Kaliszian? Maybe she was punishing them, the way she had because of General Rayner's ancestor, with the Great Infection.