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Dawn left the armory in high spirits, swinging a bag at her side. “Are you sure I can’t pay you for these?”
“It can be settled later,” Harum told her.
They were off to find a place to eat and Dawn wanted to dance in the walkways. She controlled the impulse but it was a close call. Not just because she’d get to eat something besides fish and seafood, the Vassi preference.
Her gleeful state was the result of the two mezzaluna blades she now owned in the bag. She’d tested several weapons, included a slew of staffs—short and long—made from the lightest weight material Dawn had ever touched.
Her favorite moments had been testing the swords and blades. Anders was right in that she held no interest in the blasters that had the men enthralled. The holo system in the store gave her the opportunity to use the weapons in what seemed like real life scenarios with faux opponents attacking.
Even better, Taka had played a demo of someone actually using the thila blades. Dawn studied it carefully, watching the short recorded session three more times before trying to wield them herself. Instantly, she’d felt connected. The adaptive prediction ability Venik called it made so much more sense now.
The new awareness of such a thing made using the circular knives feel familiar and comfortable at once. She didn’t question the way her body moved or how she’d seamlessly followed the pattern and hand movements of the individual in the demo. By the end, she’d already begun changing and meshing the method of fighting with her style.
On her left, Anders slowed and tensed. Dawn’s nape prickled and she followed the line of Anders’ narrowed gaze. The three War Bird pilots stood clustered together glaring. At her. They exchanged muttered words and Yon spat something in Dawn’s direction.
Whatever it was caused Harum to growl. Their group drew to a halt, only the walkway and passersby separating them from the other pilots.
“Let’s keep going,” she advised in a low voice.
“They threaten you,” Anders snarled.
Dawn shrugged. She didn’t hear whatever was said and didn’t care. The malevolent stare from Yon set her hackles on edge and she’d prefer to avoid the trio on the whole. “I don’t even know what they said.”
“Yon said ja dulo vi cockti,” Callie muttered.
Take a cock in the mouth was the best the translator could do. Dawn played with the meaning and laughed. “So basically suck a dick? That’s not the worst I’ve ever heard.”
Anders, Callie, and Harum looked at her in horror. Their reaction was extreme, but maybe it was culturally offensive. “Listen, ignore them. They’ll be leaving when their ship arrives, right?”
She received a grunt from each of them but at least they started walking away from the danger Yon and his friends represented. They may have been semi-congenial onboard the Black Star but Dawn wouldn’t lower her guard around them.
“Are you absolutely sure I’m not violating some Vassi rule by letting you give these to me?” Dawn asked Harum again, getting back to their initial discussion.
He huffed under his breath, flashing sharp teeth. “They are a gift for letting us watch you fight. You are skilled and gifted in a manner that one doesn’t often have the fortune to witness. Also an apology.”
“An apology?” she puzzled, edging closer to him and lowering her voice so the others ahead couldn’t hear them.
“You’re innocent of Vassi culture and knowing that we... rather, I still subjected you to my reservations about what draws you and Commander Avar together.”
Dawn’s pulse thumped and her hand holding the bag clenched on the straps. She needed a minute to gather her breath. “It bothers you?”
The stern yet open soldier was growing on her. Harum had been the least offensive toward Dawn so hearing he had misgivings about her did hurt a little. Hell, more than a little. She considered him an almost friend. Or had.
Harum slowed and gestured at a table located in the middle of a courtyard with two rows of shops and storefronts on either side. The scent of grilled food filled the air. Callie, Anders, Gorsun and Biryn grabbed chairs and sat.
Dawn swallowed the dismay unfurling in the pit of her stomach. The high of her purchase dimmed in light of this information.
Leaning toward her, Harum whispered, “Whether it bothers me or not doesn’t matter. It isn’t my business.”
Clearly, it was everybody’s business and they’d gone out their way to show it to her. “But—”
Harum held up a hand. From the corner of her eyes, Dawn caught the concerned stares as the group waited for them to come over and sit.
“Commander Avar is one of the greatest military members I’ve ever met. He’s wise, strong and has a core of steel. His decisions aren’t always based on what’s right or wrong but what’s best for the situation. I only served under him briefly when he led the Black Star and it was enough to know what kind of male he was. If...”
Harum paused, lifted his head and looked around them. When he continued and faced Dawn, his black gaze burned with determination. “If he and you are more than hiku, I’m on your side. Both of you. Many others will be too.”
What exactly did he expect to happen if she and Venik got involved? Her heart picked up its pace to match her rabbiting pulse but without giving her a chance to pursue the topic, Harum turned and went to one of the two remaining chairs and straddled the seat.
Dawn forced herself to breathe around the constriction in her throat. She inhaled and exhaled evenly. Harum’s support was a good thing. Focusing on anything else at this point served no purpose. He’d only said what many were thinking. Curiosity abounded about her relationship with Venik. It wasn’t news to Dawn.
Gathering her pride, she took the last seat. “Well, what are we eating?”
“Biryn shared that you have food sensitivity issues. There are many Vassi dishes here if you prefer what you’ve been eating or food on every end of the spectrum if you care to experiment,” Callie informed her while glancing between Harum and Dawn.
Dawn’s stomach rumbled in anticipation. “No fish. Anything but that. I’m in the mood for something else. No offense to you.”
Her comment set off a round of laughter. They reviewed holographic food charts in words Dawn didn’t understand. She pursed her lips in frustration. This was the same issue she’d dealt with on the ship.
Biryn gestured to her wrist comm. “If you hold it over each item, an image will appear and a brief description.”
“Ha! I can’t read the brief descriptions, though,” Dawn said with a half of a laugh.
The corner of Biryn’s mouth curled. “Turn on auto or use voice command. The translator will take care of the rest.”
Pleased she wouldn’t need too much help picking out her meal, Dawn studied the selection and asked questions. In the end, she placed her order on the digital pad embedded in the table at each place setting and the others followed suit.
When the food came out, the smell was rich and savory, causing her to salivate. There was one brief moment that caught her off guard. Their server. Dawn shouldn’t have been surprised, considering the clientele present. She’d tried her best not to stare at any of the beings she passed here at the station but everyone was definitely otherworldly.
The server, a blue skinned woman with a long braid set off in the middle of an otherwise bald head, was a prime example of the aliens present. A dish was set in front of each of them one by one until it was Dawn’s turn.
Six scaled arms wavered, including the one holding Dawn’s food. The server’s mouth opened and a long black tongue unfolded and extended down her chest. Dawn couldn’t hide her wince. Three bright green eyes watched her intently, causing an unsettling feeling. The hair at her nape rose and flutters of unease rolled up her back.
The woman had no nose to speak of and at the side of her head were huge indents with hollow openings. Ears, maybe?
“Is everything alright?” Dawn asked politely when her plate wasn’t set down.
The server hissed, tossed the food to the side and leaped over the table onto Dawn. The combined weight and force sent them crashing backward. Air rushed by her face as she hit the ground with the hefty woman atop her.
Grunts and growls rang out but Dawn couldn’t tell from who. She raised her hands to block the wet tongue lashing at her face. Her cheeks burned where the tip managed to land.
“Wha—what the hell?!” she screamed as she fought and struggled to throw the woman to the side.
It wasn’t easy. In addition to the server’s strength, she had six arms. Whenever Dawn prevented one clawed hand from wrapping around her throat, another took its place.
“Dawn!”
“Get her back!”
“Move her!”
The shouts came back to back. Dawn raised her hips and gained enough leverage to toss the server. She rolled over quickly but not fast enough to avoid one last whip of that tongue to the side of her face. Holy shit, it burned.
Surging toward her, the server dodged Harum and they tumbled down together again. Dawn grappled and aimed a solid palm to the woman’s chest. Soft, squishy. Ignoring the desire to draw back, she pressed down.
The server squealed and wiggled. Callie rushed forward from the left and pinned one of the swinging blue arms beneath her boot. Anders stood calmly above the struggling woman and fired his weapon in rapid succession.
A horrendous cry came up from the garbled mouth. Her severed tongue lay on the ground flapping about. Blood, Dawn assumed the congealed green stuff to be, spurted from the appendage and she rolled away from the spray zone.
Gasping, Dawn rose unsteadily to her feet. Gorsun caught Dawn with an arm around her waist, yanking her between him and Biryn. Each of the Black Star crew had a weapon aimed at the huddled server crying on the ground with a hand over her mouth.
Her tongue continued to flop about with a life of its own. Another zap of Ander’s weapon and a pile of ash rested in its place, drawing a mournful cry from the blue woman.
“What happened? Rafeyi?” A hairy man with spikes running across his shoulders and wearing a long brown robe hurried toward them on tentacled limbs and lowered himself next to Rafeyi.
“Move away from her,” Harum snapped.
The entire group made no effort to hide their anger. Aggressive energy pulsed on the air and Dawn was glad to be on the right side of things. Customers, who’d scrambled at the initial attack, eyed the server on the ground warily.
Rafeyi for her part, lay on her side panting, her three eyes arrowed in on Dawn. “Paith to attath the interlopah.”
The mumbled words took a minute to decipher. Dawn’s eyes widened when they did. Paid to attack the interloper.
“Contact the commander,” Harum ordered with a glance toward Anders.
Things were really about to go to hell in a handbasket.
***
Venik’s comm buzzed insistently as he and Sevanti finished making their purchases. The items he’d ordered would be delivered to his quarters on the Black Star. He hadn’t asked his friend what he’d bought but Sevanti’s bronze skin had flushed a deeper hue as he avoided Venik’s gaze.
The temptation to tease him was overwhelming but his comm went off again. The ID alert listed Anders and he stiffened. Venik accepted the incoming audio. “Avar.”
“There was an attack on lom Dawn.”
At Anders’ announcement, Venik’s head snapped up and he scanned the surrounding area as if he could see them. “Where are you?”
The question was a harsh throaty growl.
“Foods and arts. Near the armory run by the Alapodin.”
Venik turned right and started in that direction. His hearts were about to punch through his chest. He shouldn’t have let her go out. Sevanti glanced askance but stepped in line without asking questions. Venik was grateful for that. “Is she hurt?”
It was the most important question he needed the answer to. His hearts drummed a strident chord in his chest as he waited. All around, visitors went about their business. Laughter and conversation ebbed and flowed while Venik bordered on a state of panic.
“She is unharmed, Commander.”
Anders’ response sent a shot of relief through Venik. Nothing would completely ease him except the sight of seeing her in person, within reach and safe, but the words helped. “What happened?”
He skirted around a group standing in the middle of the walkway and made a sharp left. He wasn’t far from the armory and knew the food section where they should be if his memory served.
“It makes no sense,” Anders started. “We sat for a meal and the server suddenly attacked.”
A jolt went through Venik and his thoughts flew. “Unprovoked?”
Dawn had a manner of speaking that could be perceived as abrasive. She also didn’t have a firm grasp on species to species protocol yet but he couldn’t imagine anyone attacking her without cause.
“Lom Dawn did nothing. The strange thing is that the server implied she was paid.”
Another growl rolled free, drawing stares from those near him. Unconcerned, Venik rounded the last corner and saw a small crowd gathered around the outdoor seated section of an eatery. He ended the comm and lowered his wrist.
“What happened?” Sevanti finally asked.
“Someone attacked Dawn and said they were paid to do so.”
One particular dark head drew Venik forward at a faster pace. Standing between Biryn and Gorsun, Dawn shot glares at the blue female on the ground. As soon as he was close enough, Venik threw rules and caution to the winds. He gripped Dawn’s forearms and pulled her in close. His gaze roved over her figure, looking for signs of injury.
“We didn’t let the attacker get away, Commander,” Harum said from behind Venik.
He ignored the statement for the simple fact there were red welts on Dawn’s cheeks. Two on the left and one bright, vivid stripe on the right. “Are you alright?”
She cast him an impish smile. “I’m fine.”
Not fine. Her face looked pale and a slight tremble vibrated from her arms to his hands. Venik sensed the others waiting for his attention. With one last glimpse to ensure Dawn wasn’t in immediate need of medical care, he released her and faced the crying female next to a male in a brown robe balancing his upper body on tentacles. A Ceppi.
Callie, Anders and Harum each had weapons aimed at the two. Green stains on the colored pavers hinted at blood spatter. Avoiding the spots, Venik went to one knee by the pair. Deadly calm descended over him, replacing his worry for Dawn. “You will tell me everything that happened here and why or I will make what few moments that remain of your life miserable.”
“Rafeyi,” the man pleaded, “tell him whatever caused this. Please.”
A relationship existed here. Venik couldn’t place if it was romantic or parental but the man’s care was obvious. Rafeyi looked from him to Venik and sniffled. “Ith only meanth to inthure the interloper. It wasn’th suppothed to be like this. My stinger wilth take months to rethrow.”
Her stinger. Venik took note of her appearance. The woman’s blue skin, three eyes and multiple arms curved around her waist identified her as a Zudan. Their long tongue could cause sharp stings and bursts of pain because it was covered with tiny nettles. Usually a peaceful race, Venik had never heard of one being violent for the sake of it. Definitely not toward a stranger.
“Why did you do this?” he asked, remembering what Anders had mentioned.
“My family back home was to receive gifts and bounties if I did this one favor,” she explained with a fearful look at Venik.
So someone had paid her for the attack on Dawn. His hands clenched at his sides as he snarled, “Who? Who wanted this favor?”
Rafeyi hunched in on herself with a cry from his sharp tone. The fear emanating from her t and the stark look in her eyes weren’t enough. Going after the female under his care was a death sentence. Venik worked hard not to snatch her by the throat and force the answer from her. If she knew how much her life depended on her answer, she’d probably faint.
“I don’t know,” she whimpered.
Her voice rang with the thread of truth which left him with the same problem.
Who wanted to hurt Dawn Reavers?