Soul of Desire

Chapter Four

“Is she still alive?” Hela asked turning to look back at Koi. The puma looked out into the hallway before ducking quickly back inside and closing the door.

“I am fine,” I muttered sourly opening my eyes. My headache had receded thankfully, though my brain still throbbed occasionally. The Captain restricted me and the other three Therros to our quarters until he thought up a suitable reaction. It had already been three days. Maze helped me sit up, she moved the pillows behind my back.

“Are you alright? Gosh, that was stupid! How could you be so foolhardy? Haze is spitting mad and the Captain almost killed Brik, Jeg and Cleo.” She whispered. I rolled my shoulders, trying to ease the muscles.

“I know. Look, I am not really up for visitors right now, can we raincheck this chat for a couple of more days?” I asked. All three females stood, they smiled reassuringly and left me alone. I rolled off the bed and onto the floor. I crept to the door and peered out. As silently as I could I hurried down to engineering.

I stepped through the hatch and closed the door behind me. I ran lightly down the stairs and into the maintenance common room.

“I heard you had been restricted to quarters? Yet you have been here every day for the past three.” A rough voice stated from the table sitting at the other side of the room. I turned my head and picked up a tool belt. The old grey Therros nodded his permission and I strapped it around my hips.

“Ever heard the phrase, better to beg forgiveness than ask permission?” I said with a wink as I walked out the door.

“I doubt you are the begging kind, Luca Hex.” The old male’s laugh following me into the hall. I climbed down into the bowels of the ship's engine. I had a list from Hart the old Grey I had run into upstairs. He had been keeping a record of all the things needing work or replacing. I was in awe; this ship was incredible. Like something out of the Sci-Fi’s back home. I passed several male Therros, they grinned when they saw me. Knowing full and well the captain probably was not aware I was wondering free-range in engineering.

“Hey, hey Luca! Can you come down here?” Someone called. I took the stairs two at a time.

“Yeah, what’s up man?” I asked stopping in front of a male with tort shell coloured fur. All the males towered over me. Most of the time I felt like a kid when standing next to them.

“Can you get under here, there is an oil leak and none of us can fit? Your only snack-sized, you’ll get in there with no trouble.” He said with a laugh. I nodded and with a grin, I slid under the low hydraulic arm.

“I’m Kruk, by the way. I meant to introduce myself yesterday, didn’t get the chance though.” He called bending down to talk to me. I felt around beside me for the small stash of tools. My hand found the one I was after and disappeared back over my head again.

“Nice to meet you, Kruk,” I answered, yelling over the noise around us.

“I thought you were meant to be in your room? Aren’t you worried about what the Captain will do?” He called. Cross that bridge when I get to it. I thought keeping the reply in my head.

“I would like to know the answer to that myself.” Nixim Kane growled, scaring Kruk out of the way. Nix grabbed my thighs and tore me out from under the machine. The creeper I lay on rolled easily and shot me out like a bullet. I stared up in shock at a growling, angry Therros captain.

“Nix! Hi! Oops, you have grease in your fur. Sorry, it must have flicked up off the creeper.” I said with a grin. Using the rag in my tool belt, I wiped the glistening black smudge off the side of his jaw. Nix still crouched over me, his claws on my thighs.

“What are you doing down here? You are meant to be confined to quarters.” He growled though it did not hold the bite it once did.

“The code I agreed to have jacked into my brain, were engine schematics, warp core, sub-light mechanics and engineering. I also got combat skills and weapons tech. We were not doing it for fun. I wanted to be useful and not just the Terren. You Therros are huge and as Kruk just stated, I am snack-sized. I fit where you lot don’t and your ship is going to s**t fast, Hart can only do so much before your arse drops out of the sky.” I admitted softly. Nix leaned back slightly. He looked down at me thoughtfully.

“You do not follow orders well, do you?”

“No, I don’t. It seems to be a character flaw. It could be genetic, better not let me breed.” I replied watching the male closely. He was still angry; his eyes had begun to glow again. A male appeared behind us, he was panting having run up several flights of stairs quickly.

“Hart said to call you Hex. There is something wrong with the core. Sorry captain, but we need the Terren. Can this ah, meeting wait? It is pulsing, he said it has done it before, but it is not responding to the usual treatment. He’s hoping your code will have the answer.” He asked hesitantly. Nix stood up and drew me up with him.

“Go, but when you’re done we are finishing this conversation.” He growled. I shrugged.

“If we don’t die horribly in a nuclear explosion, sure it’s a date,” I called over my shoulder as I hurried down the stairs.