Star's Storm(69)

“We have an emergency hatch?” Luc asked as he hurried back into the small kitchen area.

Jazin just shook his head and nodded to Jarmen. “You will stay here and protect my mate with your life,” he growled out.

“Oui, oui, with my life,” Luc said as Jon Paul and IQ came down from the bridge.

Jazin took one more look at the man with his two black eyes and his broken nose and groaned. “Go!” He snapped out to Jarmen.

*.*.*

Tai Tek yelled out orders to the Commander of the Tearnat warship he was on. They only had minutes before they would need to disappear. The commander warned him that a Kassian warship was less than fifteen minutes out. He had ordered the group of mercenaries to kill the human males and capture the female. He needed the female. It was obvious from the young Kassian lord’s resistance when he had been held at the fortress that the male would not break. He needed the technology the young lord had on the defense systems. He was running out of resources and the technology would not only give him the tools he needed to defeat the House of Kassis but he could also sell some of it to help finance his rebellion since the middle lord, Manota, had found some of his hidden accounts and seized the credits in them. He was growing desperate and desperate men did what was necessary to win.

Besides, he owed the little white haired warrior. The knife the dark haired female threw ended up in his shoulder but the little warrior’s crossbow had not missed either. He thought of the body it had struck. His lover had been standing next to him. The only thing he cared about beyond the power of ruling Kassis. It had been his plan to have his bodyguard and lover by his side when he ruled. Now, Narus was dead. Fury and the need for revenge burned through him as he thought of the male who had stood beside him since they were children. He wanted to kill the female slowly so she could feel his pain and he wanted the young lord to see and hear her as he did.

“Tell your men they have two minutes to grab the female,” Tai Tek snapped out.

“Sir, they are encountering resistance,” the commander responded.

Tai Tek turned on the commander in fury. “How can two weak human males with no weapons resist ten of your mercenaries?” He asked coldly.

The commander of the Tearnat warship turned with a stony face. “That is how.”

Tai Tek turned as a familiar voice came over the communication’s console. “Tai Tek, you are a dead man,” Jazin said coldly. “The men you sent are dead and you will be joining them shortly. You will never touch my mate.”

Tai Tek stepped back as the icy voice washed over him. A shiver of dread racked his body briefly as he listened to the deep promise in the words. He motioned for the commander to get them out of there even as the ship rocked from a blast to its shields. He cursed silently at having been defeated again.

“I am not dead yet, Lord Jazin,” Tai Tek responded furiously. “You cannot keep her safe forever. When you least expect it, I will be there to warm your spot by her side.”

“Not in this lifetime, you miserable prick!” Star called out. “You want a piece of me, you little twerp, bring it on!”

Tai Tek cut communications to the freighter and turned toward the commander of the Tearnat ship Trolis had given him. “Open fire on the freighter then get us out of here!” Tai Tek snapped to the commander. “I should have known he wouldn't be so brave if he did not have re-enforcements close by,” he snarled as another blast rocked the warship.

“What of my men?” The commander asked.

“They are already dead,” Tai Tek said turning and leaving the bridge.

*.*.*

Jazin grabbed Star around the waist with one arm and placed his hand over her mouth with the other. Her muffled curses and threats could still be heard. He let go of her mouth when she swing her arm around almost clobbering him in the head. His hand gripped her wrist and he looked pointedly at the pan she held in her hand.

“Luc wouldn’t give me the laser pistol,” she muttered. “He said he needed it to protect me if the bad guys got past you and Jarmen and made it into the kitchen.”

“Where is he now?” Jazin asked.

“Jon Paul is with him,” she said turning in his arms and dropping the pan to the floor where it bounced with a loud clatter against the metal floor. “I was so scared,” she whispered before she pulled his lips down to hers in a desperate kiss fueled by fear and relief.

Jar came onto the bridge followed by IQ. Jazin looked up in warning even as he deepened the kiss. He could feel his brave little warrior’s body shaking as she pressed up against him. The fight had been short but fierce. There had been ten men. They had cut them down as they entered the storage bay. Things had gotten hairy when one of the men tried to blow the hatch they had entered through. The storage bay had decompressed, shutting the automatic seals. Both he and Jar would have been swept out into space if not for the large service bot. It had grabbed both of them by their arms, activated the magnetic grips in its feet and pulled them out while Jar held the door open just long enough for them to get through.