Angel in the Badlands: space opera sci fi romance (Sons of Amber Book 1) (7 page)

“
Regulus
to Zeke, do you copy?” The male voice came over the speakers built into Zeke’s command chair.

“Bram, is that you? This is Zeke, reading you loud and clear,” he replied.

“Good to hear your voice, brother. Captain Litus sends her regards and wanted me to liaise with you. She’s sending out the fighter squadrons to run orbital patrols. We arrived in time to see you toast the shuttle. Was that the only attempt at the surface, or is there more mopping up we should be doing?”

“As far as we can tell, that shuttle was the first foray and as you saw, it’s been taken care of. You arrived just in time. Please pass along my compliments to the captain.”

“Will do, Zeke. She’s a little tied up at the moment, but this pirate shouldn’t take too long.”

“We’re watching progress on our sensors. Looks like she’ll have him in another quarter-standard or less,” Zeke said, pride filling his voice. Whoever this female warship captain was, Zeke definitely respected the woman.

“You’re clear to return to your new friends and let them know what’s going on. We’ll be in orbit until the rest of the party guests arrive. Let us know if you need anything.”

“Will do,” Zeke acknowledged and turned the ship around, heading back toward the colony entrance.

They flew for a bit, Angela taking in the sight of the land beneath her. She’d never seen her home planet from this angle before.

“It’s beautiful from up here,” she said softly.

The rugged terrain of her homeworld dazzled her senses. From this altitude the suns were lighting a good portion of the land below in shimmering golds, browns, and reds. It was breathtaking.

“Pretty planet from this vantage point,” Zeke agreed, “but damned inhospitable to live on. Someday, Angela, I’d like to show you the warm oceans of Pacifica or the rolling grasslands of Argentia.”

She heard the yearning in his tone but she also knew those worlds he spoke of were infected with the jit virus. She couldn’t go there now and probably would never be able to set foot off this adopted homeworld. Still, she could dream.

“I’d like to see Espia. That’s where our people originated.” She remembered the beautiful green and blue forests she’d seen only in recordings. “The history cubes I’ve seen of it are lovely.”

He leaned back in his chair as she noticed him starting their descent sequence.

“Espia is truly beautiful. The mists in the capital city burn off in the morning sun and the temperature is ideal all year round.”

“You’ve been there?” Only the oldest of the elders now remembered their home planet and they’d been children when the colonists fled.

“Yeah, I had a stopover there last year. Spent a few weeks of downtime while my ship was serviced. It’s a beautiful place, but they were hit hard by the virus. There are no males left there at all.”

“None?” She gasped, thinking of all her male friends and family that would die if the virus found its way to their colony.

“Some worlds were luckier than others. A few males survived here and there on many planets, but almost all were sterile after their bout with the virus. On a few rare worlds, the males suffered through the disease badly at first, then it went dormant, waiting to strike again at any moment.” His face tightened into grim lines. “Espia was one of the few planets where all the males died in the first round of infection. Certain uniquely Espian DNA sequences and physiology made your ancestors much more susceptible to the virus than other human variants. Many of the Espian females died as well, though most females on other planets did not. Your ancestors were wise to leave.” Angela sent up a silent prayer as she thought of all the dead. “The cities are pretty much empty now, with many buildings vacant. There are few people to live in the leftover spaces, but the survivors are resilient. They’ve learned to value what they have left of their world. Music and the arts flourish still, and new schools to study medicine and science have been opened. The few young born since the virus are encouraged to study hard and help rebuild their society.”

“They’re still having children then?”

“With Dr. Waithe’s help.” He turned away to focus on the landing as they approached the hills where the entrance to the settlement was hidden. “Sons of Amber were dispatched to the hardest hit planets as soon as we were able to perform our duties.”

“Duties?” She had a sinking feeling about what that seemingly innocent word might entail.

“I and my brothers were designed to help repopulate human worlds. We breed true and have certain skills and qualities that are helpful to societies starting to rebuild. Some of my brothers were dispatched to Espia to help protect them from jit raiders. Some were sent to help the scientists set up sperm banks and a breeding program. Whatever the assignment, we are always encouraged to have sex with any female that desires it.”

Angela’s heart plummeted. His voice sounded so clinical, so cold as he explained his bizarre
duties
. The warmth they’d shared so far seeped away from her, leaving her chilled inside.

“So flirting with me is just a part of your duty, then?” She couldn’t even look at him.

“No.” His voice was low and rough around the edges when he spoke, indicating deep emotion. “You’re different, Angela. From the moment I first saw you, everything about you has been completely out of my experience. While I freely admit I’ve had a lot of experience with women of every sort.” He grinned, though she didn’t like to hear that she was only one in a long line of conquests for him. “I don’t know what it is about you, but when I look at you, I could care less about my duty, my mission, or anything else. All that matters is you.”

His whispered words were so touching, so heartfelt, tears gathered behind her eyes. They flew in silence for a moment before he asked her a question she’d been expecting…just not right at that moment.

“When I crashed, how did you find me? Am I right in assuming the colony doesn’t have any long-range sensors that saw me rocket in from orbit?”

“You’re right. We’re woefully unprepared in that regard. We don’t have any working sensors that detect incoming ships, or we would have seen you long before I went searching after I saw your smoke trail on the horizon.”

“You saw the smoke and decided to investigate? In the middle of the day?” He sounded incredulous and she knew how her actions must sound. The fact that he recognized her recklessness made her want to squirm. “I want to ask what the hell you were thinking, but I can’t because you undoubtedly saved my life.” He seemed to chuckle at his own words, then he met her gaze. “Thank you, Angel. Your courage fills me with admiration and I want you to know I will defend you and your people to the best of my ability. Even if it means my death.”

His serious tone left her stunned and she couldn’t speak. She didn’t know what to say to a declaration like that.

Silence reigned for a few more moments before Zeke broke it again with a soft whistle. He looked at her as they approached the hidden entrance.

“If I didn’t say so already, that was some great shooting back there.”

“Thanks.” She felt a bit of heat rise to her cheeks, flushed by both the battle and his praise.

“So where should we park this thing?” he asked, his mood apparently lightening.

“Probably the best place would be among the small hills that hide the entrance to the colony, but give me a minute to check if my father has any specific instructions.” She closed her eyes briefly to initiate communication with her father. They spent a moment or two sending information back and forth and then she had his answer. “He says thanks and to set down on the north side of the entrance, just over the first berm. There’s been a holgar sighting near the main entrance in recent days, so we should keep our eyes open and move as fast as possible.”

“Should I ask what a holgar is?” Zeke asked, amusement clear in his tone.

“Were you taught about earth history? Specifically a period during which things called dinosaurs roamed the planet, long before man?” She saw his eyes widen.

“Yeah, I know what dinosaurs are. Is this holgar flying or ground based?” Suddenly he was fully alert—a warrior assessing an enemy.

“Ground based,” she said, drawing out the explanation even as he began the approach to the hiding spot her father had suggested for his craft.

“So is it more like a wooly mammoth or a tyrannosaurus rex?” He expertly piloted the ship into the small depression behind the berm. They wouldn’t have far to travel, but if there really was a holgar in the area, the going could still be treacherous.

“More like a T-rex, but with much larger forearms equipped with huge pincers on the tips, and a killer sense of smell. They move pretty fast and have enormous, sharp fangs. They are not to be trifled with under the best of circumstances and when riled seem to go into a berserker kind of rage that makes them even worse.”

“Lovely.” Zeke tapped more commands into his console. “I’m not picking up anything in the immediate area with that large a heat signature.”

“They’re cold blooded,” she quipped. “Their body temperature adapts to whatever the surrounding area can dish out, so that kind of scan isn’t always very helpful. Visual is best.” She tapped some commands of her own onto the console in front of her and brought up an external visual. “It looks okay though. I can’t see anything obvious in the immediate area. We should be safe enough to make the run over the berm to the entrance. Just don’t dawdle.”

They didn’t waste any time, taking the land buggy they had driven out to the ship, back into the settlement with all possible haste. Zeke was glad to avoid a run-in with an alien T-rex and get down to the business of protecting the colony.

When the stopped, handing off the buggy to a woman in battle dress, Zeke turned to find Angela in the arms of a tall man with dark hair. Instant jealousy hit him, but was quickly squelched when he realized that the tall man shared traits with Angela. This was most likely one of her brothers.

Zeke approached carefully. It was rare to meet another human male who was not also a Son. But this was different. Zeke had never met a human male whose life had been untouched by the virus. As he looked around the busy entryway, Zeke realized that about half of the warriors present were male. So many men, working side by side with the females. It was something he had never witnessed.

Angela stepped away from the other man and turned to smile at Zeke. She beckoned him forward and stepped to the side to make introductions.

“Ezekiel, this is my brother, Sven. He’s in charge of the outer perimeter defense,” she explained.

Sven offered his hand and Zeke took it. They exchanged a quick, strong grip, each sizing the other up somewhat. Zeke liked what he saw of the human male. He was tall and strong, even without the genetic engineering that had gone into making the Sons.

“Welcome, Ezekiel. Thanks for keeping an eye on my little sister.” Sven’s manner was easy-going and receptive.

“I think it’s more of a case of her keeping an eye on me,” Zeke allowed. “She is an excellent shot. She’s the one who took out the shuttle. I merely piloted.”

Angela’s blushing smile told Zeke he was right to praise her skills.

“She always had the best aim when we were kids,” Sven admitted with good grace. “But then her path diverged and we in the defense corps were sad to see her go.” Sven put his hand on his sister’s shoulder, as if proud of her life choices. Zeke read genuine affection between the siblings that was a joy to witness when he had seen so much of human suffering in his life.

“This is for you, I suppose,” Zeke said, offering Sven one of the portable comms he’d brought from his ship. He would keep one, of course, but the other should go to a high ranking member of the defense forces. “With it you can communicate directly with Captain Litus and her crew. They are patrolling from orbit and will intercept any enemy craft that try to approach.”

“I’ll have a runner deliver it to the general. He’s in the sanctuary with Mother Rachel. If anyone is going to make first contact with your people, it should be one of them,” Sven said, already handing the device over to a young man who handled it as if it were a live grenade.

Like a shot, the youngster was off and running deeper into the colony. Zeke didn’t know what or where this
sanctuary
was, but he was sure with Sven’s telepathic abilities, news of the device would reach there long before the actual unit.

Chapter Seven

The captain of the
Regulus
commed Zeke a few moments later to confirm they had destroyed the jit battleship in orbit. Captain Litus was an old friend and Zeke greeted her as such. They had worked together before. He apprised her of the situation on-planet and was able to relay her intel to Angela, and through her, to the general.

“We’ll hold position in orbit until the rest of the fleet arrives,” Captain Litus assured them. Both Angela and her brother were listening in on the conversation. “We’re expecting quite the turnout for your little party, Zeke. Kudos on taking your simple mission into a whole new realm of possibilities.”

Zeke clearly heard both the sarcasm and the very real pride in Litus’s voice. She wouldn’t refer to specifics, even with a scrambled signal. This discovery was too important to take any chances whatsoever.

“Thanks, Captain. I’m glad you have my back.”

“Always, Zeke. We’ll keep watch. You get things ready down there. When stuff starts happening, it’s going to happen all at once.”

Litus ended the comm and Zeke tucked the device into his pocket. Litus was one of the best. She wouldn’t let any pirates get past her. Not while she was still breathing.

Zeke knew the entire planet had to be quarantined until the scientists could determine whether the population could be protected against the jit virus. No way would they let anyone who had the potential of carrying the jit virus to these uninfected humans anywhere near the surface. Sons were naturally immune and had been designed so that they would never carry the disease. Scrubbers on board all spacecraft would ensure any remnants of the virus that might be carried on inanimate objects were eradicated as soon as all hatches were shut and the air started cycling. Zeke knew his ship had been one hundred percent clean before he crashed, and it was impossible for him, or any Son, to carry the virus. Regular humans, though, that was another matter.