Chapter 22: Brenda & Zibry

ZIBRY

“Just as you commanded, Captain Ream, we’ll be entering Rictor 5’s orbit in less than thirty minutes. Senior Operative Zibry, out.”

The headset crackled, then went silent.

Up ahead, he could already see Rictor 5, little more than a distant blue dot.

“I can’t believe it,” Brenda breathed. “~Home~. And it looks so small.”

She pressed her hand up against the viewing window.

Zibry smiled, feeling her wonder through their bond. She was like a child. It had been a long time since he, himself, had felt anything close to such a thing.

Planets, galaxies, solar systems—they were just another day for Zibry.

“She shouldn’t be here,” Murry hissed from his console.

“We shouldn’t be going back to Rictor 5 either, but here we are,” Zibry said.

He looked at him. “I trust you won’t tell the captain.”

Shaking his head, the Zibon frowned, his yellow eyes gleaming with uncertainty.

Then he turned to look at Brenda, those same uncertain yellow eyes filling with something more as they studied her.

Zibry leaned over. “Eyes off, Murry.”

The Zibon quickly looked away.

Brenda turned. “You okay, Zibry?”

“Just fine. Just fine.” He smiled. “Almost there!”

“You’re such a liar,” Brenda said, coming up to him as he sat at his flight controls. “I remember you telling me that it wasn’t possible to go back to Earth. What happened?”

Leaning back in his seat, Zibry met her playful gaze. “You know why. It was too dangerous. You might have discovered us.”

She pursed her lips. “But not now. What has changed?”

“The risk is worth the reward. That is all.”

“Hmm…like it was for me.”

Their bond was humming.

“Like it was for you.”

He turned as his headset crackled again. “Come again?”

“…Zibry, you must halt our trajectory.”

“What? Who is this?” He tapped the headset.

“Quinton.”

“Quinton?” He looked at Brenda in surprise. “Captain Ream wants me to continue at full speed.”

“Negative! Don’t do it. We need time to perform cellular matching before we reach Rictor 5’s orbit.”

Zibry frowned. “What do you mean? Hasn’t that already been done?”

“The captain doesn’t want it.”

Zibry raised his eyebrows. Brenda did the same. “Why not?”

“He thinks it unnecessary. Halt your trajectory.”

“I can’t do that, Quinton. Captain’s orders.”

“Just do it, Zibry!”

“Zibry…” Brenda began.

Zibry looked at her. Her eyes were narrowed, her lips pursed.

He tapped at his console. “Halting trajectory.”

“You can’t do that! It’s an order!” Murry said.

“I just did,” Zibry told him.

He spoke into the headset. “You in the laboratory, Quinton?”

“Affirmative.”

Zibry tore off his headset, stood from his seat, and held out his hand. Brenda took it.

“Oy! You can’t just leave,” Murry called after them.

Zibry and Brenda stepped through the door without looking back.

“You’re fearful,” Brenda said as they walked down the passageway.

“Of course I’m fearful. I just disobeyed an order. A ~major~ order.”

Brenda squeezed his hand.

Earlier, he’d told her everything about the battle, the Wrilings, and all that had happened in the infirmary.

And now, of course, what the captain planned in order to save his men. His ~brothers~. Zibry had just assumed they’d perform cellular matching.

~I’m like a dog to you.~ Brenda’s voice seemed to resound in his ears.

They stepped into the infirmary. The room was all set up, ready to go. Thirteen beds had been squashed in between the thirteen capsules.

There were medics everywhere. It seemed like every piece of equipment was switched on. He hadn’t seen the room so full before.

The very real consequences of his disobedience suddenly crashed upon him. He’d stopped the ship. These men could die.

“Zibry?”

Zibry turned. It was Drake. He was looking tired and very…different. Zibry raised his eyebrows.

Drake gave a crooked smile. “Yes, yes I know. I’m bonded.” He paused. “Aren’t you supposed to be piloting the ship?”

“Not right now.”

Drake gave a knowing nod. “Quinton told you.”

“Alexis?” Brenda suddenly called across the room.

Zibry turned and saw Drake’s mate. She was ~startlingly~ different. Releasing Zibry’s hand, Brenda went over to her.

Zibry grabbed Drake’s arm and took him aside. “What’s going on? I thought we had it all worked out.”

Drake shook his head. “When do we ever?”

They both turned at the call of Zibry’s name. It was Quinton. He was walking over, the door to the laboratory shutting behind him. He was frowning.

Zibry was about to say something when his I-Spy leapt in his pocket. They all watched as Zibry pulled it out, knowing exactly who it was.

“Captain Ream,” Zibry said.

BRENDA

Brenda’s mouth fell open. “Look at you!”

Alexis gave an awkward smile back.

“You’re bonded!”

“With Drake, yes,” she said, nodding over toward the doctor with the dark hair.

Brenda took a double take. She hadn’t even realized it was him. The three men seemed tense. Zibry was looking rattled as he spoke on his phone.

Brenda turned back, shaking her head at Alexis. “You know, I never thought…”

“…I would do it. Well,” she shrugged, “surprise, surprise! Juan said the same thing.”

“Do you know what’s going on? Why aren’t they going to perform cellular matching?”

Alexis’s smile dropped into a frown. “Because it’ll take too long.” She gestured at the capsules.

“But they can’t do that!”

“I’m glad I’m not the only one to think so.”

Brenda looked over the capsules. “Can I… can I have a look?”

Alexis nodded.

Brenda sucked in a breath when she went over to the nearest one. “So that’s a Wriling. ~Jesus~. Those poor men.”

“I know.”

Brenda tucked her hair behind her ear with nervous fingers. “I can see why they want to get to Rictor 5 as soon as possible.”

“You mean Earth.”

“~Right~.”

They both turned at a booming shout. “What is the meaning of this!” In strode an imperious-looking Zibon with dark graying hair. His boots thudded in the sudden quiet.

“That’s Captain Ream,” Alexis murmured in Brenda’s ear.

Brenda’s heart flipped in her chest as he strode up to Zibry, who turned toward him, straight and tall, his chin lifted. The captain was a little shorter than the average Zibon but broader in the shoulders. His hands looked powerful.

“How dare you leave your post,” he snarled at Zibry.

Brenda winced at the hard clench in their bond.

“Give me an excuse not to send you back to Zibon 8 to be judged for your disobedience,” the captain continued. “If it were up to me, you would never fly again.”

“Where are you going?” Alexis hissed as Brenda marched over.

She didn’t know what compelled her to do it. Her feet seemed to be moving of their own accord. Her heart was pounding. She felt a thrill of fear as Zibry looked toward her. His eyes were filled with warning.

Captain Ream turned to her with a scowl. “Again! Rictorians in the infirmary! What did I say about keeping them out of here?”

Brenda stood in front of him. Her heart fluttered as she crossed her arms. She was trembling a little, but the angry heat building in her chest was worse.

“My name is Brenda,” she told him in an even voice.

The Zibon raised his eyebrows. “So, you can talk.”

“Of course I can talk! Leave Zibry alone. It’s me you have a problem with,” she said. She looked over at Alexis, who caught her eye and hurried over to join her. “And the rest of us Rictorians.”

The Zibon’s eyes narrowed, then he sneered. “I knew I shouldn’t have allowed any of these…~beings~ on our ship. I should never have approved the request.”

He glared at Zibry, Quinton, and Drake. “Who’s running the ship now? Who’s going to explain to the others that we’ve potentially crippled their brothers? Are ~you~, Zibry?”

His yellow eyes darted over to Quinton. “And you shouldn’t be here. You’re a science officer. Get back to your quarters.”

Drake stepped forward. “Here’s the deal, Captain. If you don’t allow cellular matching, I will not be assisting in the medical treatment of the infiltrated.”

The captain’s eyes widened. “~Excuse me~?”

Zibry stepped forward. “Same with me, Captain. I will not fly the ship until it’s been approved.”

The captain stiffened. His yellow eyes blazed. “You dare to risk your careers like this? Your very freedoms?”

Drake lifted his chin. Zibry held out his hand and Brenda took it. “That is right, Captain. We cannot do it. There must be some consideration for the Rictorians. They are a thinking, loving, remarkable species, and we will not treat them like cattle.”

Brenda’s heart lifted. She could feel Zibry’s love rushing through their bond, filling up her chest, her throat, behind her eyes. Tears were pricking the corners of them as she sent the same feeling back.

Captain Ream’s expression turned to stone as his eyes darted between them all. Brenda thought he could be handsome if he wasn’t so angry. He spoke in a deep, quiet voice. “You do realize this is a global expedition? You do realize what that means?”

Drake and Zibry nodded. Quinton spoke up. “We do.”

“You’ll be judged by the global courts. You could lose everything.”

“Perhaps. Perhaps not,” Quinton said.

Captain Ream’s jaw was ticking. “You would put your futures at risk.”

“You don’t understand, Captain,” Drake said. He gripped Alexis’s hand and kissed it. “Not until you’re bonded.”

All was quiet. The room was still. Everyone was frozen. The captain seemed to suddenly notice. He looked at the rest of them with a frown. “What are you all doing? Get back to work! There are men’s lives in the balance!”

He glared at Zibry and the others, his gaze lingering over Brenda and Alexis. “We should never have gone to Rictor 5.” He shook his head. “Do as you want, then. Any deaths—and it will be on ~your~ heads. Not mine. I will inform the delegates back on Zibon 8 of your actions.”

“So be it,” Drake said.

And that seemed to be the end of the conversation. Grumbling under his breath, Captain Ream turned and stormed away.