Reynar stopped next to the stretcher. The man had a large gash across his forehead and from the odd angle of his right arm, he could see that it was broken. The guard paled when he looked up.
“Sir…,” the guard greeted as he tried to sit up.
“What happened to De’Mar?” Reynar demanded.
The guard paled and swayed. The medic reached out and steadied him so he wouldn’t fall off the gurney. The guard shook his head.
“I-I don’t know. There was a Dregulon. He had a container full of Tirrella power crystals. The alarms went off and radiation started pouring out of it. He-he was trying to stabilize it. I guess the poor bastard didn’t make it,” the guard explained.
A vision of the Dregulon standing in the corridor flashed through Reynar’s mind. He turned to gaze at the destruction at the end of the long corridor. A crater the size of a troop transport showed the origin of the blast. He turned to one of the rescue team’s security personnel.
“Find the Dregulon and lock down all departures from this installation. No one is to leave either by ground or air,” he ordered. “No one!”
“Yes, sir,” the security officer replied.
He tightened his grip around the hilt of his blade. He resisted the impulse to bury it in the guard’s chest. There were still unanswered questions. If he discovered that the man had been negligent in his duties, the guard would be wishing he died in the blast alongside his comrade.
“I want De’Mar’s body found,” he said.
“Yes, sir,” the security officer replied.
Reynar turned away and picked his way through the debris. If De’Mar had escaped, there would be hell to pay. He had spent years chasing the bastard only to have him slip through his fingers time after time. If it turned out that the Dregulon had helped De’Mar escape and was responsible for the subsequent explosion, he vowed he would hunt down every damn Dregulon in the galaxy until he found the man from the corridor.
Chapter Four
“Chummy, please tell me you and Pi didn’t drink all the Muza cream,” Raia called over her shoulder with a low groan.
She held a hand to her churning stomach and peered inside the cold unit, muttering a sigh of relief when she saw the familiar glass bottle. Reaching past the array of packaged foods she purchased from the Spaceport a few days earlier, she pulled out the half-full container.
“What is the matter?” Behr asked.
She straightened and looked at him. He took a step toward her when she swayed but stopped when she held up her hand. She shook her head and gave him a weak smile.
“I’ll be okay. I thought I was going to make it through the transporter jump with no side effects this time, but apparently I was wrong,” she muttered.
Behr tried not to grin at her miserable, irritated expression. He must not have done a good job, because she shot him a heated glare and turned away. She lifted the container of liquid and drank straight from it.
“You have a little bit running down your chin,” he pointed out.
She released a loud burp and wiped her chin with the back of her hand. “Thanks,” she replied.
“You’re welcome,” he said.
He leaned against the doorframe as she poured herself a cup of something that looked like hot tea, added the cream to it, then pulled out a small bowl and poured some of the cream into it. She took both over to the U-shaped booth and placed the bowl on the table. In seconds, both creatures were sitting on the table, lapping up the cream. Raia affectionately scratched each of the creatures before she slid onto the bench seat, leaned her head back, and closed her eyes.
“If you’re hungry, there is food in the cold storage and some in the cabinets. My replicator isn’t working at the moment, and I haven’t gotten around to replacing it yet,” she informed him.
“Thank you. I am hungry. It has been a while since I last ate,” he replied.
He walked over to the storage unit. Opening a cabinet, he shook his head. Packages of cookies filled each shelf. He opened a second and a third cabinet. They were also lined with a variety of cookies.
It would appear I will be dining on cookies for the duration of my visit, he mused.
He pulled out a package of fruit-filled cookies, walked over, and sat down at the table. He didn’t even have the package opened all the way before both creatures appeared in front of him, staring up at him with wide, attentive gazes. He pulled out two cookies and handed one to each creature.
“You’ll never get rid of them now,” Raia mused.
His gaze locked with hers. She was looking at him with an amused expression. It finally hit him who—or at least what—species she was.
“You’re a human,” he said in a voice tinged with mild surprise.
She lifted her cup of tea and bowed her head in agreement. “Two credits for being right,” she said.
“I once had the pleasure of meeting two human brothers,” he murmured.
“I know. They—and one hundred thousand credits—are one of the reasons you are on my ship,” she replied.
He frowned. “You have met Ben and Aaron Cooper?” he asked.
She nodded. “It would appear the universe is a small place. I met Ben, Aaron, and their wives ten years ago,” she softly replied.
“Hanine and Evetta,” he said.
She looked at him and nodded. “Yes. Hanine and Evetta have helped me turn the EA II into one of the best freighters in the star system,” she proudly shared.
“Why did you take on such a risky mission? I imagine that Ben and Aaron wouldn’t be pleased that you did,” he said.
She scoffed, leaned her head back against the cushioned seat backing, and stared up at the ceiling. She pursed her lips and released a deep sigh.
“No, they weren’t pleased. Neither were Hanine and Evetta, but they figured I’d do it anyway. They were more agreeable once I told them it was you that I was busting out. They think highly of you,” she added.
She lifted her head and looked at him. For a moment, he was lost in the depths of her dark brown eyes. The pull he felt was so strong that he found himself leaning forward.
More cookie.
He blinked and lurched back. His attention moved to the small creature staring up at him. It had one paw on his hand.
“Did… what… I thought I heard…,” he muttered with a shake of his head.
“Let me guess, Chummy asked you for another cookie,” she dryly inquired.
He looked at her and nodded. “Yes. What are they?” he asked in fascination.
“My friends,” she replied before sliding out of the booth. “I need to go check the scanners. Pi says we’re okay for now, but I would still be more comfortable maintaining a vigilant eye on our unwelcome visitors hanging around not too far from here. I bought some clothes for you, not that it will be much of a disguise with your skin. You can get cleaned up, get some rest, and change in the cabin across the hall.”
“What about you? If you are unwell…,” he said.
She held up the cup of tea. “I’m fine. If you need anything, I’ll be on the bridge or you can ask Chummy or Pi. They understand a lot more than most people guess,” she added.
Behr watched as Raia exited the room. There was so much more that he wanted to ask her. He handed another cookie to Chummy and Pi and sat back in his seat. Who was the mysterious Captain Raia of the Explorer’s Adventure II?