Vall's Will (4 page)

Chapter Four

Encounter

Will lay staring
up at the ceiling of Plymon’s cabin, but the ceiling was invisible in the
perfect darkness. The Sub-captain needed an absolute lack of light in order to
rest. Being from the Pellucidor cluster, his home planet received sunlight
every hour of the day. In order to survive, the colony that settled on Pellus
Six was forced to build its cities underground, to get away from the constant
day. Underground, the colonists could simulate the hours of day and night with
regularity.

Tonight, the blackness
wasn’t as comforting as it usually was. Beside her, Plymon snored softly. At
first, she’d thought a hard, wild fekking would help banish the demons haunting
her. But her mind had been a blank, and her body had felt no rush of pleasure
when he took her. She’d let her crew member have his moment as she laid
unresponsive. It wasn’t long afterwards that he’d fallen asleep.

She swung her
legs over the side of the bed. The metal floor was warm beneath her feet. She
used her foot to search for her garment, and found it nearby. Grabbing the
short shift where she’d dropped it, she drew it over her head and exited the
cabin.

The ship was on
night watch, which meant the lights in the corridors were dimmed. Even so, it
took a moment for her eyes to adapt. Up top, she knew Badin was acting captain
up on the bridge, with a small crew of three to assist him. But if something
major was to occur, he would contact her immediately, as well as rouse the
entire ship.

Will resisted
the temptation to see what time it was, for fear it was nearer time to rise
than she wanted. She needed sleep, but the events of the day were finally
taking their toll on her nerves, leaving her unable to rest.

Her first
instinct was to go to the clinic for something to put her out. Halfway there,
her throat began to tickle. Will coughed and tried to swallow, but her saliva
felt thick. At the corridor intersection, she turned and entered the tube to
drop to the next level. Stepping into the corridor, she turned again and walked
into the small dining area to get something to drink.

And nearly
bumped into the figure leaning in the doorway.

Will stopped
abruptly and stared up at Vall swaying slightly. He appeared to be confused or
disoriented. He was no longer naked. A pair of off-duty slacks hung off his
bony hips, but he had shed the pullover top. His wrists were bound in medicated
wraps, and she could see similar adhesive patches around his ribs and
shoulders.

His face lit up
at the sight of her. His gritty thick hair had been pulled into a single rope
behind his back. For a moment, Will blinked at the sight of his chest. His male
nipples were heart-shaped. When he moved in her direction, she glanced back up
at him.

“What are
you doing out of your cabin?”

Golden brown
eyes looked pleadingly at her. There was no telling what the man was thinking,
but it was obvious something had persuaded him to move about the ship. Maybe
after all those years confined in his small cell on the Objurian ship, he
needed this freedom suddenly allowed to him. If that was so, why hadn’t the
sensors noticed him moving about before now, and summoned someone to come offer
to return him to his cabin? Surely someone was monitoring from the bridge.

Maybe someone
did. Maybe someone tried to persuade him to go back, but Vall ignored them.
If
Vall had refused to obey, no one would have forced him. He was their guest, and
as far as they knew posed no threat. Even if one of her crew members had
attempted to return him, either physically or with their shield, that person
would have had to answer to her for their actions. When it came to Vall, she
was quickly finding herself becoming increasingly protective of him as she
tried to learn more about his history with the Ben Objure.

Giving him a
warm smile, she decided to change her tactic. “Hello, Vall. I’m thirsty.
What about you? Would you like something to drink?” She held out her hand,
which he took without hesitation. Together, they entered the room.

She procured two
packets and filled them with water from a wall dispenser. After handing one to
him, she gestured for him to follow her, and led him back into the corridor.

The lower part
of the ship, directly under the bridge, was a place where everyone came to
relax and enjoy the view via the immense, bubble-shaped dome that encompassed
nearly the entire chamber. Referred by the crew as the observation deck, the
place was empty this time of night, for which she was grateful. It would take
him time to adjust to being around humans.

She led Vall
into the room, then paused to let the man soak in the view of space swirling
around them. After a few moments, she gave his hand a tug and led him over to a
small divan against the bulkhead. Here, the cushions were large and comfy, just
right for relaxing. With a little luck, she might become drowsy enough to fall
asleep.

“I love to
come here when I’m tense or tired. Looking out at all those stars and planets
calms me.” She glanced over at where his gaze never wavered from the view.
In the distance, a small nebula blazed in shades of red, blue, and purple, and
the colors reflected across his face in the dark room. She watched as he drank
from the packet with audible gulps. Already, she could see a slight change in
him. Most of the grime had been wiped away, but overall he still wasn’t
completely clean. At least, he didn’t stink anymore. Plus, the medicines
Killjorn had given him appeared to be working.

Time. He’ll
need lots of time. And he’ll have to take one step at a time to recover
mentally and physically. And baby steps, at that.

She continued to
study him. Knowing he had been a prisoner of the Ben Objure explained a lot
about his muteness. Even more about his reactions. Her heart ached at the
thought of what a nine-year-old had been forced to endure, and continuously
endure for nearly twenty horrible years.

“Tomorrow,
I think we’ll introduce you to the cleansing chamber. You’ll like the way you
feel after you go through it.”

He took one last
draw on his drink, when the packet imploded in his grasp. Vall started slightly
at the wad of material in his palm that used to be a container of water. Will
laughed softly.

“It’s all
right. It’s supposed to do that. Everything on this ship is recycled, Vall.
Nothing goes to waste, and most of it is reconditioned for reuse. You’ll get
accustomed to it after a while.”

The man looked
up at her and tilted his head slightly. Reaching over, he touched her hair,
lightly grazing the tips of his fingers across her cheek. Before she could
react, he slowly scooted over, narrowing the distance between them. He took her
by the arm, and pulled, guiding her toward him, until she rested against his
side.

Will found
herself with her face lying in the hollow between his neck and shoulder. One of
his arms cradled her, his hand on her hip. The other hand found one of hers,
and their fingers laced together on top of a pillow. Content, Vall sighed and
leaned his cheek on top of her head.

Will remained
unmoving and unable to believe how happy she was by this simple arrangement.
Normally, she was very picky about who she made physical contact with, but
somehow this man was able to manipulate her without any protest from her.

She could still
hear his heart beating, this time slow and regular. Air moved in and out of his
lungs; his breath gently tickled her face.

By the
holiest of worlds, what’s happening to me?

Outside, the
stars sped by. Planets spun overhead, then disappeared behind them. Whole
galaxies whirled in brilliantly lit glory as the ship passed them by.
Gradually, Vall’s breathing slowed as he drifted off to sleep. Oddly enough,
Will felt herself becoming equally drowsy. She was warm. She was comfortable.
And for some reason she couldn’t fathom, she felt protected. Safe. Wanted. It
was an odd sensation, given the fact that he didn’t possess a natural shield
like she did.

She fell asleep
within his embrace, and the dreams she thought would haunt her never appeared.
Or, if they did, she didn’t remember.

Chapter Five

Confrontation

“Captain, I
think it’s time you woke up and assumed your duty.”

The voice was
harsh and strident. Will opened her eyes to find Plymon standing less than a
meter away, arms crossed over his chest, and a peeved expression on his
handsome face.

Vall moved
first, standing and facing the Sub-captain. He moved slightly to the side, as
if to block her from Plymon’s view. To Will’s surprise, she saw his hands curl
into fists against his thighs. She scrambled to her feet and stepped in front
of him.

“Report to
the bridge, Plymon. I’ll be there shortly.”

“Will he be
coming with you?” the man snapped, his eyes never leaving those of the man
standing defiantly in front of him. His tone grated on her nerves, and she
snapped back.

“Sub-captain,
you have your orders. Obey them immediately.”

Plymon dragged
his eyes from Vall to give her a shocked look. Without answering, he pivoted
and walked stiffly from the room. With him gone, she could turn around and face
Vall, who continued to stare at the doorway with an intense expression.

“Vall, you
need to go back to your cabin and relax.”

He looked at her
but his stance never changed. Taking one of his hands in hers, she lifted it
and slowly straightened the fingers until they could touch palms. Vall watched
her, questioning her actions with a lift of one eyebrow.

“He obeys
me. He holds no sway over me, so you have nothing to worry about.” She
added with a smile, “I run this ship. I’m in no danger. Go back to your
cabin, Vall. Someone will come get you and take you to that cleansing chamber I
told you about last night. You’ll like it. I promise.”

She led him out
of the room and down the corridor to where the tube was located. Releasing his
hand, she stepped inside and jetted up to her level, where she went immediately
to her cabin and her own private cleansing chamber. It didn’t take her long to
don her uniform and hurry up to the bridge.

“Morning,
Granth. Where are our guests this morning?” she greeted the communications
officer first thing. She spotted Plymon sitting at his station a few meters
away. The Sub-captain kept his face averted from her, even though she knew he’d
heard her enter.

“Morning,
Captain. The Anglites remain in their cabin. Gayt says they’re eating, resting,
and recuperating. The Vall―”

“Let’s just
call him Vall, until we discover his real name,” she corrected.

Granth nodded.
“Vall is currently in cleansing chamber number two. Killjorn is with
him.”

“Good.
Thank you. Please let the good doctor know that he hasn’t eaten
breakfast.”

“Will do,
Captain.”

Striding over to
her Sub-captain, she tapped the man on the shoulder. “My inner office.
Now.”

She knew the
rest of the bridge members were watching and listening. She knew they all were
aware of where she’d spent the night, and with whom. Crew gossip she couldn’t
control, and had no desire to. But Plymon’s attitude this morning needed a
serious adjustment.

The door had
barely closed behind them when she turned and faced the man directly.

“Who do you
think you are to address me in that tone of voice this morning,
Sub-captain?”

“He’s an
unknown entity. And for some reason I can’t fathom, you’re not yourself when
you’re around him.” Plymon’s face began to redden as he let his anger
flare.

“He’s
completely harmless.”

“We don’t
know that. Or have you forgotten what Gayt said? What we see is a shell. A
sham. The real person, if he is a person, is hidden away inside.”

“He hasn’t flipped
any switches in me,” Will argued. “Has he in you?” If there had
been even the slightest chance the man could be a danger, her own instincts
would have reacted long before now, and erected her shield every time she came
in contact with him.

Plymon reluctantly
shook his head. “No, he hasn’t.”

“So, why,
by all that is holy, are you so angry? You acted like you were mad at me. I was
unable to sleep, so I went to get something to drink. I found him near the
dining bay, and we both got water. I took him to the observation deck, hoping
the scenery would help me relax so I could rest. I had no idea I would spend
the night there…with him.” Will gave a disgusted cry and threw her hands
up. “Why in the fekk am I telling you any of this in the first
place?”

She turned and
strode over to the wall on the opposite side of the room. She was an impulse
away from physically reacting, and needed to put space between them before she
did. Whirling around, she noticed he was standing in his usual feet-spread,
arms-over-chest stance he took whenever he was at odds with her.

“I don’t
have to ask your permission for anything I do, Plymon. And I certainly don’t
have to explain any more of my actions to you!”

He gave her a
pained expression. “By all the stars, Will! Can’t you at least call me by
my given name when we’re alone? It’s Braill, in case you don’t remember.”

She lowered her
voice and her eyebrows at him. “And I told you this was never to become
personal, Sub-captain Plymon.”

They stared at
each other in silent anger, until Plymon finally spoke. “You’ve changed,
Willis,” he almost growled. “I said it earlier, and I’ll say it
again. You’re not yourself when you’re around him.”

Will refused to
back down. She was the captain. And although Plymon had every right to question
her decisions, he didn’t have the authority to turn any of them into a personal
issue. From what he had said up until now, it was blatantly clear to her that
he was trying to make Vall a personal problem, especially between them.

“If I don’t
protect you, who will?” he added.

Suddenly, it was
as if a sun went supernova. Will blinked at the realization. “Good
heavens! Plymon, you’re jealous?”

By the widening
of his eyes, she knew she’d hit upon the truth.

“Plymon,
you don’t own me.”

“I—”

“No!
Silence! We made it clear to each other at the beginning of this mission that
we were only going to be fekk companions in times of physical need. And that’s
all we are. Are you receiving me? That’s all we are, outside of our jobs! There
is no emotional attachment here. I’m not your bonded mate. I haven’t been
selected for you, and you have not decreed intent. You have no hold or control
over me. And you fekking don’t have any say over whom I spend the night
with!”

Plymon remained
rock still and silent, but the dark look on his face spoke volumes. Will placed
her hands on her hips.

“Do you
want a reassignment when we arrive at Blaise Temporum?”

“That was
another issue I wanted to ask you about,” he finally spoke. “Why the
Precorut outpost? Why not return to Regency Base Sixteen, as per
regulations?”

“Because
Precorut is halfway between Sixteen and the Anglites’ home planet. There’s no
sense in making their people go all that extra distance, when the outpost is on
our way, and will cut their travel time in half.”

“But regulations—”

“I have the
right to overstep regs and do what I feel is more beneficial to the crew and
guests. You know that. Stop trying to beat shields with me.”

The anger
between them was slowly dissipating, like moisture in a hot vacuum tube. Plymon
lowered his arms, but otherwise he didn’t move.

“Do you
want a reassignment?” she repeated.

“Not at
this time,” he replied. “Permission to return to the bridge?”

“Granted,
but our discussion isn’t over.”

She watched as
he left the tiny room. Once the door shut behind him, she sat on one of the
cushioned seats and stared at the floor.

She should have
recognized the signs, but this mission was consuming her to the point where
she’d lost all sense of subtlety. At some point, Plymon had fallen in love with
her, and she’d never seen it happen. Maybe the other crew members had, but none
of them would say anything to her. After all, it was her business and not
theirs. And Nion warriors were an intensely private race.

Getting up, she
went over to the small desk and board, and buzzed her navigation officer.
“Magnus, how long before we reach the Precorut outpost?”

“Four
hours, Captain.”

Good. Hopefully,
by the time they released the Anglites, she would have an idea what to do with
Vall.

Speaking
of…

“Gayt.”

A handful of seconds
later, the xenobiologist answered. “Gayt here.”

“What’s the
status on Vall?”

The woman
laughed softly. “He’s taking his third shower.”

“Third?”

“Oh, he’s
loving it, Captain. You won’t recognize him once we’re finished here.”

“How much
longer do you think he’ll be?”

“From the
looks of it, not for a while. If you want my opinion, I’d say he’s never had
one before in his life.”

He’s been a
prisoner of the Ben Objure since he was nine years old. I’d say he’s never had
a shower before, either.

“I want to
talk to him after he’s finished.”

“That might
be a problem. He’s scheduled for a nap after this.” That was Gayt-speak
meaning Vall had already been given his medication to help him rest. Add in the
somnolent effects of the showers, and their guest could be out for a
considerable length of time.

Will nodded to
herself. “Very well. We’re scheduled to arrive at Precorut in four hours.
Will he be on his feet by then?”

“That
shouldn’t be a problem,” the scientist assured her.

“Has he
been fed?”

“Two bowls
of soup, and a large brekk dumpling.”

“Good. If
you need me, I’ll either be in my quarters, or in the dining bay.”

 
Her stomach reminded her she hadn’t had
breakfast, either. Plus, she could make do with an hour or so nap before their
arrival.

Her only regret
to leaving him at the station was the fact that she wouldn’t have the chance to
question him when he was ready to talk. To hear him speak. To hear him tell his
story.

To hear him.

She felt a
twinge of regret go through her. In spite of the short amount of time they’d
shared, she knew she was going to miss Vall, although she couldn’t explain why.
Hopefully, sometime in the near future, their paths might cross again. Will
stared at the doorway as her thoughts focused on the young man reveling in the
shower two levels down. What would he look like over time? Finally free of the
Objurian prison, Vall would be able to develop and grow. What kind of man would
he become? Will made a mental note to leave orders that she be kept notified of
Vall’s progress.

Furthermore,
maybe it was time she found a new fekk companion. Otherwise, there was no
telling how possessive Plymon could become if their current arrangement was
allowed to remain as it was.

Will stretched,
lifting her arms over her head as a smile formed on her lips. For the first
time in a very long time, she felt refreshed and awake, and ready to tackle
whatever the day had in store. Keeping the smile on her face, she exited the
office and notified the bridge of her pending location as she passed through.

Plymon
never glanced her way.