My 1000-years love

Chapter 20

We were, as usual, arguing with Kalon about whether that i***t Tarak should have sacrificed the lives of two hundred of his pilots to lure the entire sect fleet into a trap on McCormack, when T-GInArA informed us of the arrival of guests.

“Attention, all command staff. We have just docked with a Theta-class ship from the Garay Confederation conglomerate. The Archon’s order is to report to the lower deck forum. End of message.”

I jerked to get up from my chair, but Kalon’s heavy hand pinned me back down.

“You’re not going.”

“Seriously? Are you giving me orders?”

“No. I’m ensuring your safety, as I should. Space mercenaries are bad company for an Earth girl. Unless the Archon specifically orders it, which I doubt, I wouldn’t show you to them.”

“What? I didn’t think I’d be ashamed to be introduced to people.” I joked, still getting up from the chair. But Kalon rarely understood jokes.

“It would be an honor for any man to introduce you as his woman,” he said passionately. “But these Garotes are the worst representatives of the Garay Confederation of free planets. They don’t shy away from anything: murder, human trafficking. If you need the rarest, banned, and most disgusting goods, they’re the ones to get it from. In short, space scum. Like the Tiu-Tioadans. Only they don’t hijack ships, so they can’t be called pirates. You’d better not go there. And I’m not ordering you, I’m asking.”

He looked up at me, still holding my forearm. Okay, he convinced me. If they’re that crazy, I don’t need extra trouble. I’ve got enough as it is. So, I sat back in the chair.

“Good girl. I have to go.”

And in response to my questioning look, he added, “I am, after all, part of the ship’s command staff.”

After sitting for about half an hour, growing increasingly bored, I figured no one had forbidden me from moving around the ship. And I really wanted to see another race. What did she say? Gathering on the lower deck? I’ll sneak to the upper deck and quietly watch from the balcony. And that’s what I did.

Approaching the balcony, I heard a heated discussion. A low, rough voice, as if belonging to an overgrown giant, was sharply arguing with the Archon, who lazily responded occasionally. By the time I reached the balcony, I had figured out that the unknown brute had, first, delivered the cargo Sgannar had ordered, and second, was demanding compensation for two Garote ships T-GInArA had allegedly accidentally destroyed in a recent skirmish with the Tiu-Tioadans. Apparently, the Archon didn’t want to pay. Casually lounging in ripped jeans and a white t-shirt on his high-tech throne, he merely remarked that the mentioned ships were themselves at fault and were part of a pirate assault group. The giant, standing with his back to me, refused to accept this and seemed ready to shout. He even grabbed his sword, strapped to his pants, which were his only clothing, but he quickly thought better of it and crossed his arms over his chest. His back was crisscrossed with numerous leather straps, generously adorned with various weapons. And this in space? He’d be more suited to the steppes. And the Stone Age.

Of course, he wasn’t alone. About twenty of his fellow barbarians, with shaved temples and long hair tied in buns on their heads, stood behind him. They were all armed to the teeth, and their combat readiness was clearly directed at the casually reclining, unarmed Sgannar. The rest of T-GInArA’s “command” staff were scattered around the corners. And yet, looking at this composition, I had no doubt for a second who the predator was here and who the unsuspecting, heavily armed prey were.

“I don’t understand why he allows guests to come aboard with weapons,” I barely whispered to myself, but Sgannar’s gaze immediately shot up to me, and it didn’t bode well. Message received, I thought, and hid behind the balcony railing.

“Your Archon is just a fool,” grunted one of the Garotes, who had appeared behind me. In the next second, he grabbed me, clamped my mouth shut, and I felt a light prick of a knife against my throat.

“Hey, Andor! Look what I found!” With me in tow, he stepped onto the elevator platform and descended to the lower deck in seconds.

The Archon didn’t even flinch, observing with an impassive expression as my throat was threatened. Kalon and a few others rushed forward but were stopped by a single glance from Sgannar.

“Look at this chick!” The brute holding me wasn’t done. “Doesn’t look like she’s from the military. Maybe they’ll give her to us as compensation?”

Honestly, I hoped this i***t threatening me was an exception, and that his own men would point this out to him, pull him away, and apologize to the Archon. But I was wrong. The leader, apparently Andor, stood as still as a statue. The others were just as stupid as the brute holding me. One of them separated from the group and began examining me from all sides with interest, sniffing, clicking his tongue, and generally behaving indecently. The first one pressed even harder.

The worst part was that Sgannar seemed to be enjoying the process, not even considering stepping in for me. Oh, this will cost you dearly, darling. You’ll regret this.

“Earthling!” growled another “comrade” of Andor, a typical beefy type. Not the ugliest, by the way. Do they have complete democracy here? All the warriors seemed to be on equal footing and voiced their stupid opinions equally. “And how she smells! I can tell you’ve already had her, Archon. We’d like to try her too. Let’s take her instead of those two ships?”

“She’s not worth two ships,” came a reasonable voice from within the group.

“But we haven’t had women for a long time. And she’s so tasty. I can already feel how—” The guy’s mouth suddenly closed. Though he tried to continue speaking, he couldn’t. Sgannar kept half-smiling as the brute behind me suddenly disappeared. When I turned, all I saw was a small pile of ash at my feet. The next moment, another insolent fellow turned to dust.

At that moment, my entire body froze with fear. Not when the soon-to-be pile of ash grabbed me; not when he pressed the knife to my throat, piercing the skin from which blood now dripped; and not even when these barbarians started voicing obscene thoughts about me. But right now, as I looked at the man I spent the night with, the man who easily and with apparent amusement, turned two living beings to dust in a second. Staring at him, I backed away, shaking my head. And he, suddenly darkening, addressed Andor:

“This Earthling is my Archaite. Now you will leave my ship, forget all your claims, thank me for not turning you into ash for your dirty thoughts about my woman. Any objection will cost another of your men’s life. So?”

Andor finally found his voice and bowed obsequiously.

“I offer the greatest apologies to you and your woman for the insult. I don’t know if you can ever forgive us. But from now on, I am always at your service, Ancient One. And I thank you for sparing me and my men.”