As We Rise: Rogue (As We Rise Saga Book 1) Page 3

  Every detail of her father’s reaction was burned into her memory. How his body jerked to a standstill at her statement. The way his fingers pulled at the ends of his hair as he gulped in three deep breaths. Haedus stepping toward him as he tapped a frantic beat on his UAB. How his skin shimmered with sweat when he finally turned around to look at her. Jo remembered how red her father’s skin had become. Jo knew then that he was furious, but it was the first time in her memory that he’d been angry at her.

  “You will never go there,” he had growled.

  “Captain…” Haedus interrupted.

  “No!” The captain screamed so violently, spittle flew from his lips. His eyes blazed with fury, and yet a deep sadness lurked behind the anger. A pain so profound that Jo’s undeveloped mind took notice, but could not understand why it was there to begin with. “When you are older, I will tell you what horrors lie beyond that hell-gate. I won’t allow you become one of their…”

  “CAPTAIN,” Chitra growled from the docking bay entrance. “You will not say such things around that child.”

  It was like a flip had been switched in her father. His face cooled and his posture relaxed. The captain nodded to Chitra before turning back to Jo, who had been spooked by her father’s outburst and hid behind Haedus’s legs.

  “Come here, Stardust,” her father cooed. “I am not angry at you. My anger is for the injustices of the galaxy.”

  Jo ran into her father’s arms as tears poured down her cheeks. As he wrapped his arms around her in a cocoon radiating warmth and safety, little Jo vowed to share in her father’s anger, even though she was unaware of just how deep the Elitians’ depravities against the rest of the system were. She only wanted to make sure his eyes wouldn’t look that way again.

  “Captain.” Jo stiffened at the sound of Elek’s voice. She didn’t answer him right away, as she needed a moment to process the memory brought on by their arrival to Leonis. She had forgotten the moments leading up to the Captain’s outburst and her subsequent vow. Knowledge and maturity had washed away her childish confusion. Jo understood her father’s wrath now. How it was rooted in fear for her safety, amid the pain of his own memories.

  Elek coughed. “Um…Captain.”

  “Yes, Elek?” Jo turned away from the screen and faced her pilot. His thin lips were turned down in concern as he studied her. This serious expression looked wrong on his youthful face. A stray red curl escaped from the mass tied at the base of his neck and dangled over one green eye. He worried the ring in his lip with his tongue until he nodded at some unknown conclusion. “We are just outside the planetary array’s sensors.”

  “Sky, are you ready with the docking codes?” Jo asked, excitement and nervousness warring deep in her belly. Her face remained solid, not betraying the violent emotions churning inside.

  “Aye, Captain.”

  “Proceed, Elek.”

  “Aye,” Elek squeaked as he slid his fingers across his station’s holoscreen.

  Any other time. Any other job. Any other world. The rest of the crew would have teased Elek relentlessly for the prepubescent slip up, but every soul on the Kismet knew how precarious their situation was. One slip up and the crew could be detained by the Galactic Consulate.

  “Leonis Station requesting docking codes from the CS Kismet,” a gruff voice hailed.

  “Sending now, Captain,” Sky announced. Not one soul dared to release a breath until she said, “They’ve been accepted. We are go to dock in the upper levels.”

  “That’s what we’re were hoping. It would make for a quicker escape if necessary,” Haedus mused. “That’s if your meeting isn’t deep within the station.”

  “Mmhmm,” Jo agreed with a nod before turning back to Elek. “How much longer until we dock?”

  “15 minutes.”

  “Right. Haedus. Sky. Meet me at the docking bay. Minimal weapons.” Jo gave Sky a pointed look. “We don’t want to come in hot.”

  “Aye.” Sky and Haedus said in unison before departing from the bridge.

  “Elek, you have the bridge,” Jo stated as she rose to leave. In her quarters, Jo gave her clothing a once over in the mirror. The gleaming metal of her artificial joints and the unnatural sheen of synthetic skin covering her cybernetic leg would give her a disadvantage in the Elitian quadrant of the galaxy. Their manic desire for youth and perfection drove their entire society. The short pants Jo preferred would not help her win the contract.

  Reluctantly, Jo grabbed the Phrixus leather breeches her father had given to her on her 18th birthday. Phrixus was known for their fine leather craftsmanship. Their genetically modified mammals were bred to make a softer, more durable medium that couldn’t be found anywhere else in the galaxy. Jo slid the material up her legs, lacing the many straps as she went along. The pants were fashioned to hug every curve and sat sensually low on her hips. Jo reached for her utility belt, the one she wore for higher class clients. Her white singlet clung to the V of her lower abdomen and left the upper portions of her hips exposed. She topped these with her mother’s Phrixus leather jacket that, when zipped, highlighted her buxom cleavage. With the addition of her studded ankle boots, Jo looked equal parts sex goddess and badass.

  Jo smiled at herself in the mirror. Her mother’s jacket, paired with the gift from her father, made her feel that her parents were there to support her.

  The trill of her UAB broke her reverie.

  “Captain. We have docked,” Elek’s voice announced.

  “Aye.” Jo slicked her sable brown hair up into a high pony tail and walked out the door.

  Sky and Haedus were waiting for her by the hatch. Sky’s posture stiffened while Haedus smiled approvingly.

  “Your parents’ gifts will raise your status on this world. For more than one reason,” Haedus chuckled. “Your father would raise hell if he knew you’d be wearing that to Leonis.”

  “I disagree. Now we have extra work keeping the captain from being kidnapped for the wife auctions,” Sky growled.

  “Would you rather me dress like this or waltz into a meeting on Leonis with my artificial leg on display? Better I use my womanly assets to guarantee a deal than let their prejudice ruin our chances at putting fuel in the tank and food on the table,” Jo replied as she scanned her wrist on the lock pad, opening the hatch.

  “You know she’s right, Sky.” Haedus shrugged as he stepped through the door behind Jo. “Besides, any fairly attractive female is at risk for being taken to the wife auctions.”

  “Aye, but it’s like she’s advertising herself,” Sky mumbled as she followed.

  The conversation died as they approached the first checkpoint. A lone GC guard stood by the door, unconcerned that a ship full of unknowns had docked sixty feet from his station. Jo introduced herself and the others as she studied the man. He wasn’t classically attractive; his nose was a little too big and his eyes a bit too small. He was rather lean for a soldier, and his skin was the almost translucent shade of a native Leonite. Everything about him gave the impression that he was harmless, except the darkness lurking behind his eyes. The way he stared at Jo made the hairs on her neck stand on end. The soldier scanned their UABs for verification and double checked their holoID’s before uploading directions to their meeting.

  “Follow the route exactly. If you deviate, you will set off a silent alarm and will be detained. Your ship will be searched and any goods on board will be confiscated.” The guard leered at Jo, focusing on exactly which goods he’d like to see confiscated.

  “Thanks for the warning. We’ll make sure to stay on course,” Jo replied with a smile. The guard’s sneer dissolved into a frown as he motioned for them to be on their way. Jo smiled to herself as she allowed one last look at the confused guard.

  The captain had taught her many things as she grew up on a cargo ship. She absorbed his lessons almost as fast as he could teach them. Jo practiced negotiation tactics and memorized the nuances of culture on all the different worlds. When she came of age, he delved in
to the darker subjects, opening Jo’s eyes to a corrupt underworld that existed throughout the galaxy, but whose core was rooted in the Elitian-run worlds. Those two planets—ones that ruled their galaxy—were a rotten amalgamation of depravity coated in beauty and perfection. The truly horrible thing was that these perversions were a known fact throughout the system, and only recently had a select few dared to resist them.

  Soon after, his lessons turned to making sure Jo would be able to have a fighting chance if she had any dealings with the Elitians. She learned to disarm men in seconds with either her wits or fists. Her father encouraged her to use anything at her disposal to keep herself safe, and he begrudgingly included her sensuality. His drive to teach Jo sometimes bordered on manic. It never bothered Jo; she understood his fear. Why wouldn’t a father do everything in his power to keep his daughter from sharing the fate of her mother?

  “Whatever you are thinking of, Captain, you might want to stop before we reach the meeting room.” Haedus broke through Jo’s darkening thoughts. “That scowl on your face would make starting negotiations almost impossible.”

  “Thank you, Haedus.” Jo pushed those memories to the back of her mind. Not tucked away completely. She needed to have the reminder of the darkness she was dealing with just within reach.

  “Captain, we’re approaching the next checkpoint. Just beyond it is our meeting room,” Sky announced, her voice soft and soothing. Jo turned her head slightly to take in Sky’s profile. It was uncharacteristic of Sky to be anything but abrasive and a bit surly. Her beautiful features were always twisted into a scowl, but in this moment, she looked tamed, almost subdued. A ping of worry nestled in Jo’s gut. With her cowl down, Sky was a target. If any man aboard this station took the time to look past her facial tattoo and her gruff personality, Jo would have a different fight on her hands.

  Sky caught Jo staring and in a blink, she was back to her irritable self. “Our position isn’t favorable, Captain,” she sneered. “If we run into issues, we will surely be captured.”

  “I suppose we should avoid all issues then,” Jo replied with a smile.

  Jo approached the guard at the second checkpoint with a wide smile and held out her wrist so he could scan her UAB. This one didn’t give her a second look. His slouched shoulders, droopy eyes, and overall demeanor screamed that he hated his job. Jo itched to interrogate him about his life but knew he wouldn’t answer. Still, she wondered why an Elitian man would be so miserable in their perfect worlds.

  He pressed a few buttons, and the door slid open with hardly a sound. The brightly lit room forced the trio to squint as they walked in. Polished steel surfaces of the sparse furniture and bare white walls devoid of windows or art reflected the harsh florescent. Jo smiled at the familiar negotiation tactic. A large, glimmering table took up majority of the room, flashing news headlines and other entertainment options available through Leonis’ private CyNet for a small fee. Around it sat four Galactic Consulate officers.

  At Jo’s entry, the four men stood to attention. Their eyes scanned Haedus and Sky critically, but their attention quickly returned to Jo. She entered the room with an exaggerated swagger, which the men followed closely. As she approached the group, Jo scanned their insignias to single out the commanding officer and offered her hand.

  “I’m Captain Jo of the CS Kismet.” He took her hand in a weak grip, to which Jo replied with a firm shake.

  “My name is Major Kryten,” he replied, eyeing their joined hands before returning his pale blue gaze back to Jo. He raised a blond eyebrow questioningly, but didn’t let go of her hand—instead he tightened his grip. Jo was amused by his obvious attempt at establishing dominance. In reply, Jo pressed in closer to the major until their bodies were a hair’s breadth apart.

  “I assume that you and these fine men are not who summoned me to your fancy station,” Jo whispered in his ear.

  Jo felt the major’s breath catch, and she leaned back just enough to boldly consider his eyes. They darkened with desire, only a minuscule pale blue ring left around his dilated pupils. Their breaths mingled as the major slid his free hand onto the exposed flesh of her hip. His fingers dug into her skin, and Jo sighed as if she yearned for him to take this game farther.

  “No. We are the welcoming party,” he replied, his voice gravelly. “The chancellor’s advisor will arrive shortly. He was detained by unexpected business.”

  Jo mentally danced at her success. She knew coming in that the lead negotiator would most likely not fall for her wiles, but knowing that he was the advisor to the chancellor almost tripped her up. She had thought she would be dealing with the Zadian guy her father had spoken with in the video.

  “Oh? I was summoned by Advisor Eltanin.” Jo smiled coyly at Kryten. “I am honored. It’s not every day a girl receives such an enticing offer from the second most powerful man in the galaxy.” Jo hoped the double entendre of her statement would get the major’s attention.

  Major Kryten’s brow bunched together in thought as he finally released her hand. She subtly shifted her fist behind her, where Sky stepped forward to hide her movement from the other offers who were content to watch Jo and the major from the other side of the table. He had held her hand in a vice grip so long that it was painful to move. As she worked the muscle loose in her hand, she took a measured step back.

  “Did I say something wrong?” Jo looked away from the major for the first time and bit her lip in worry.

  “No,” the major barked as he pulled Jo against him, her hands falling against his chest. Major Kryten gently cupped her cheek and guided her gaze back to his. “You are a beautiful enigma. I wish to possess you.”

  A quick shock of fear jolted down Jo’s spine. It was an automatic reaction to a deeply seated fear, but Jo pressed the unwanted emotions down. This was exactly what she wanted. The major was playing into her hands. With his unwitting help, Jo was confident that they would all leave this station without the need to draw their weapons.

  “You wouldn’t want me,” Jo answered honestly. Her leg would be a definite deal breaker in this relationship.

  He pressed closer, letting her know that she was wrong. Jo felt her comrades shuffle behind her, and she mentally pleaded with them to let her see this through. Haedus stepped up to her left and cleared his throat.

  The major shifted his eyes to Haedus, and a brief expression of shock registered before they narrowed in anger. Jo turned to face Haedus, but the major gripped her chin tightly and held her face.

  “Who are you?” The major’s voice was no longer passionate, but edged hard in anger. “Her father? It doesn’t matter. I have staked my claim.”

  “These negotiations do not involve you,” Haedus growled in return.

  “You forget where you are. On Leonis, a man can stake claim on any free woman as his own, and I want her.”

  “You cannot have her,” Sky lazily replied.

  Jo watched as his face brightened in anger. The idea that a grown man would be on the verge of a tantrum because he was told he couldn’t own a woman would amuse her if she wasn’t trapped within his arms. There was only one thing left to defuse the situation. She hadn’t planned to take this charade this far, but it was necessary now.

  Sky and Haedus were going to get an ear full when they got back on the Kismet.

  Just as the major’s hands started to shake, Jo slid her hands up and began to stroke the hair at the nape of his neck. His vice-like grip loosened on her chin, and Jo took advantage. She pulled his face down to her and kissed him.

  Five

  Jo held in her cringe as he sloppily returned the kiss. His fingers tangled in her hair before he pulled roughly. The sudden pain made her gasp, and he took advantage, forcing his tongue into her mouth. His breath tasted like sour ale, and Jo had to force herself not to gag. Instead she pressed back, clawing at uniform and nibbling on his lower lip. He pulled back in shock. Perhaps he wasn’t used to aggressive women, but it didn’t faze him for long. With a moan, he attacked her
lips again.

  It didn’t take long for Jo to reach her limit of the slobbery, domineering man. Jo would be the first to admit that she was a bit fast and loose with her morals, but there was a line, a small, faint divider that she refused to cross. Jo didn’t have to think twice to know that this asshole wasn’t worth it, so she began to pull away. The major’s skin purpled with anger as he glared at Jo. The loud scraping of chairs broke the silence surrounding them, and the major stiffened beneath Jo’s hands. His anger forgotten, he turned to the officers standing at attention. The major straightened his uniform jacket and shot Jo a cunning smile before turning his back on her, blocking her view of the new arrival.

  The action pissed Jo off. She wasn’t there to deal with Major Kryten, and she wasn’t his to hide. Before she consciously decided to step around the major, a masculine voice boomed from the other side of the room.

  “I didn’t ask you to join me for this meeting, Major, for you to attack my guest.”

  “Sir, I have claimed her as my own.”

  “Stand down,” the disembodied voice barked. “You already own thirteen wives. There is no need for you to claim my guest as well. Now move so I can meet the captain.”

  The major shifted so that Jo could see the chancellor’s advisor for the first time. What struck her first was not his narrow face and sharp jaw, or his angular ice-blue eyes paired with pale skin and white hair that gave him the quality of a statue. It was his height. He wasn’t an intimidating man in size—only a few inches taller than Jo. But what he lacked in stature, he made up for in presence. There was an aura about him that spoke of keen intelligence, and even Jo had to admit that she was stunned.