"At least we know that you are the target. That will narrow down their area of attack."
She nodded and opened the control centre, taking her position and jacking into the data stream surrounding Yosh. "Satellites are online, five ships. Three large, two small, all armed."
"I had best get into the skies then. I will see you later and we will redesign your wardrobe." He pressed a kiss to her lips and Raine cupped his cheek with her hand.
"I will see you after we negotiate this threat, Orell. Don't singe your wings." She gave him as serious a look as she could while reading streams of data as they rolled over his features. She pulled him toward her for a second kiss and her blood sang as their tongues met, tangled and parted for a few glorious moments.
Panting, she threw herself into the data stream and brought the empty relay station online. They wouldn't be expecting an attack from behind the moment that they passed the station and she was willing to take on every advantage she could find.
She heard Orell's words in the distance.
"Raine, send the warning."
She used the com systems to send the signal. "Ships of the Baku family, please turn around or you will be destroyed. You are entering Yosh airspace and trespassing will not be tolerated."
A few moments passed with the ships gliding silently past the small station. Three large ships and two smaller outriders. When the signal came back, it sent a final wave of determination through the folk of Yosh.
"People of Yosh, surrender the Alliance Agent Raine Burke and you will not be harmed." The voice was feminine but harsh.
"Raine, we have our answer. Ladies and gentlemen, let's defend our home." Orell's roar reached her on every level.
With a full dispensation to defend the surface, Raine aimed the station guns at the retreating ships and opened fire.
One of the outriders was struck repeatedly and turned to run. Raine watched through the station's sensors as one of the other Baku ships blasted the smaller ship into pieces.
Apparently, the Baku had a win-or-die attitude for their captains. It was good to know that she could now defend herself and the others with everything she had.
She gave the Vendu a status updated. "Three warships, one smaller ship."
She heard the cheer from the folk in the room. As the Baku passed out of the range of the station, she passed her concentration to the planetary guns.
Orell was in the atmosphere, gaining as much height as he could. They were in the moment of waiting. They could not fire until the ships came closer.
The waiting is the hardest part, is it not?
Shocked, Raine opened her eyes wide to look for Orell. He wasn't in the room. All she could see were the backs of Vendu on guard.
I should have told you. After our consummation, I can now speak directly to you while I am in my dragon form.
Can I speak to you this way as well?
She could hear his silent laughter.
Apparently.
We will speak this way again soon. I can see the ships.
She blinked in surprise and settled with the guns firing at the incoming ships while avoiding her Drai companion.
The blasts emanating from the surface had similar properties to fireworks back on Earth in the way that they separated halfway to their target, but the spread of the energy didn't have any other points of similarity. Each individual spread bored holes in the sides of the ships as they were struck and after a two-hour firefight, two of the ships were gone, leaving one larger ship and the remaining small one.
The guns on the surface were not suited for close-quarters fighting, so it was up to Orell now.
Raine watched via the monitors on the surface of Yosh and while Orell managed to down the smaller ship with a stream of emerald fire, the larger ship closed in on the resort.
"One ship left. It is approaching the resort from the north and firing on Orell." She kept the Vendu informed in a low monotone as the fight grew closer.
As they approached, a sense of worry for the dragon overtook her. Raine pushed her mind out, past Orell and into the ship's systems.
She ran through the data streams of the Baku ship and was horrified to find that they were drawing a bead on Orell. In desperation, she reached through the ship and used her ability to shut the ship down, weapons first. The ship rocked and careened out of control, driving nose first into the ocean.
With the hull already pierced, there was no chance for survivors to escape. As the ship shut down completely, Raine pulled her control back to the resort and sat in the chair, in silence.
The Vendu were looking at her, watching her closely.
She sat up and returned their gazes. "The final Baku ship crashed in the sea. No detectable survivors, but someone might want to check."
Minya came forward, her arms empty of weapons and away from her body. "Madam, what did you do?"
"I pulled their ship down. Why is everyone staring at me?" Raine could smell blood, but she knew she wasn't injured. With shaking hands, she removed her couplings from her skull. A coppery taste ran into her mouth and she touched her upper lip with her hand. It came away stained with blood.
"A nosebleed? Is that what all the fuss is about?" She swiped again, but there was more blood coming. No one said anything.
Orell walked into the room and lifted her in his arms without a word.
"I don't see the fuss in a nosebleed." She tried not to touch her gown, but blood had already dripped on it.
Ah well, no loss.
He took her into the spa area and to a medical centre within. He placed her on an exam bed and started a diagnostic scan. "It isn't the nosebleed that has freaked them out. It is the eye bleed that is causing the problem. Raine, what did you do?"
"I brought the ship down, sort of. I shut them down one system at a time and they pitched into the ocean."
"When did you remove yourself from the system?"
"When it was shutting down. Why?"
He grunted. "Your body is shutting down. You caught their computer's death."
The darkness she had felt came back to her. Not that of killing fifty people who were trying to kidnap her, but the darkness of the dying ship.
She held his hand as he gave Minya a series of commands. The words that came to her were
Udell
and
Flame.
When he turned back to her, he gave her an encouraging smile. "We need to put you in stasis to stop the shutdown. When you wake up, healing will commence, I promise."
She smiled weakly, knowing it would look horrid. "I know. Do what you have to do. I will be here when the healer has arrived. Don't worry. I will be fine. We can't have waited this long to have it end before it starts."
He pressed a kiss to her forehead and when he straightened, he was blinking away tears. The machines were sending out signals that she was in distress and the next moment, Minya was pressing a hypo to her neck and the last thing she saw were those glorious aqua eyes, solemn and glowing.
I will be here.
Chapter Nine
Orell visited his mate every day, pressing his hand to the plexi arch that surrounded her and touching her mind with his. She greeted him each time, asking how things were going and ignoring her own slowly deteriorating state.
It had been one month since the attack. One month since his life began to shut down with hers.
"Sir, you need to sign these work orders to repair the defence stations." Minya had remained at her lady's side, but all of the business of the resort still flowed through her.
"Why? They won't come for her like this and we have nothing else worth taking." He was grim.
"Because she would not be pleased to know that you had suspended everything while she was in stasis. When she wakes, she will demand an accounting and you will have to face her small but determined wrath." General Minya Dorfelling crossed her arms and scowled at him.
Small but determined, yes that suited Raine. He removed his hand from the plexi and authorized the repairs.
"Anything else?"
"Flame will be here within the day. He regrets the delay, but he was on assignment and could not get here earlier." Minya took the data tablet with her and left him alone with his mate.
Did you hear that?
Raine's chuckle ran through his mind.
I don't hear much in here.
Flame is on the way.
I still am not sure what that means.
The Sector Guard has a number of specific and healing talents, but the others are unsuitable for someone with implants.
So, Flame can cure the system shutdown?
Orell paused and dragged in a breath.
I am hoping that he can.
Raine sent waves of reassurance to him.
If not, then I am glad of what time we did have.
Don't talk like that! I haven't waited centuries to let you slip out of my fingers.
There was silence between them for almost a minute.
When I get out of here, I am going to kick your ass or hire someone to do it for me.
He paused for a moment before he started to laugh.
And I will bend over and take it. I hope to see you soon, love.
On the psychic plane, she blew him a kiss that hardened his cock and made his palms sweat. Aroused, aching and lonely, he left her side and walked to the guesthouse.
Since she had been locked in medical, he had applied to Morganti to borrow their seamstress. The boxes had arrived in the last week and he hoped that they were more to Raine's liking. Planning for their future had kept him from going mad, but if Minya had not given him good news today, he might not have lasted much longer.
Drai separated from their mates were vicious creatures and he was no different. If Flame did not arrive today, Orell was going to have to find the Guardsman and drag him in by his braids.
* * * *
The first thing Raine felt upon waking was fire. She opened her mouth to scream but was not sure if anything was coming out. Her world was wreathed in green flames and her nerves burned. She heard shouting, voices but nothing that made sense to her. All she knew was the pain of coming back to life after a fairly long nap.
Hands helped her to sit up and she heard the shouting again. Two Drai men were grappling on one side of the room and the blazing aqua eyes of one of them were so blessedly familiar. It took her three tries but eventually, "Orell." croaked out.
He stopped fighting with the other dragon in that moment, his eyes focusing and fixing on her. "Raine. Let me go, Harusk."
The other Drai let him go, standing aside to take the arm of the Terran woman at his side. They both wore the clothing of the Sector Guard and clung together as Orell approached Raine.
You died, love. The Terran brought you back and--
Who cares, come here.
She beckoned him close and when he was in her arms, she let the tears fall. When his lips touched hers, they tasted of his own tears and with a sob, he pulled her tight against his chest.
A shuffling in the room was unmistakable and when they parted, they were alone.
Her chest ached. Pain was still a close memory. "That was not fun."
He pressed kisses to her forehead, "If you ever do something so stupid again, I will lock you in the tower."
She sighed and relaxed in his arms. "Only if you are there with me."
"That is the only way I would ever do it." He shifted her on the metal bed and lifted her into his lap. His wings draped behind him and she was cuddled against his chest. "You suffered from a neural disconnect. Are you aware of what that is?"
"My brain shorted out. All autonomic reflexes were compromised. It is a risk that we are all made aware of when they train us to use the implants. I never thought I would have a reason to take the chance, but I couldn't let them shoot you."
He froze in place. "What?"
"Both targeting systems locked on you. I had to shut them down. I just didn't realize that I was that deeply connected to them." She inhaled the scent that was his alone. "I have missed you."
"The staff has missed you. They were a little worried about my mood these last few weeks. I am afraid that I lived up to the Drai reputation for madness."
She chuckled weakly. "I can imagine it."
He rubbed his chin on her hair. "I visited you every day."
"I know that. I felt it. Even if everything is rather fuzzy about that time." She snuggled down and let his arms warm her.
Raine jerked when the door slammed open and a relieved Minya stood there with a swath of fabric over one arm. "Oh, Madam. We are all so happy that you are back with us."
Orell let out a heavy sigh. "What is it, Minya?"
"I have a gown for Madam to wear so that she may be properly introduced to the guests." Minya lifted the fabric.
Orell made a noise that Raine had not heard before. He growled.
That was a little much. She slapped his chest with one hand. "Oy, knock it off. I promise you can hold me every night from here on out, but tonight or today, I have to get dressed and meet the other Terran in the mix."
Orell still wasn't happy, but he helped the General of the Vendu army get his mate into a gown of the lightest silk that covered every inch and hinted at everything else.
She laughed. "You went shopping without me."
"I did. Well,
we
did. All of the women on Yosh put their two cents in and we sent an order to Morganti."
She didn't seem to know if that was a good thing or a bad thing, but Raine didn't care as long as she wasn't dressed like an on-duty Companion at an arena fight anymore.
The gown drifted around her ankles in soft folds. The bodice was wrapped tightly from hip to breast, giving her confinement and support and the colour was the same bright aqua as Orell's eyes.
He smiled slowly, a wealth of promise in his eyes. "I can see your point. The other clothing was fun, but this is…much more appropriate."
Raine wished that she wasn't so feeble. The expanse of skirting on the gown made her want to twirl like a six year old. She took a few steps, stumbled and then let Orell support her as she walked out of medical, down the hall and into reception.