them being piloted by Latharian warriors. She disliked killer robots, no matter how many people said they were safe. She’d seen that movie, thank you very much.
Creeping out from her position against the wall, she stalked the little bot on silent feet. Even though it was shuffling along at the moment, if it got wind of her presence, it would bolt, and the little suckers were fast as fuck. Probably so they didn’t get caught out in the open if a group of those combat bots came along. A little guy like this could easily get squished under foot. Or claw... she wasn’t entirely sure what the appendages on the murderous bots were called.
So she kept her movements as quiet as possible, creeping along after the little cleaning bot. When she was halfway between the wall and it, it stopped suddenly, lifting its antennae.
Shit. It had sensed her. With a wordless yell, she launched herself toward it in the best tackle she’d ever managed. Sailing through the air, full length, she landed on the bot and pinned it to the floor. It cheeped wildly in distress, the wheels under its body skidding and sliding against the deck, but her weight was too much for it.
“Shhh... shhh... I’m not going to hurt you,” she told it, her voice soothing. So what that it was a robot. She still didn’t like the idea the thing was in distress because of her.
At the sound of her voice it calmed down, cheeping as its antennae rotated so it could “see” her. Must have something like eyes on the ends where the lights were. With a little shudder, it went pliant, no longer trying to escape.
“Who’s a good boy then?” she murmured, lifting up and pinning it between her knees. Reaching to the back of her belt she pulled out a second knife, unsheathing it, and retrieved the tape from her pocket. With quick movements, she taped the blade securely to the side of the bot. Tapping it to make sure it didn’t move, she grinned and then let the thing go.
It cheeped and whizzed off, stopping about ten feet away to turn and give her a rally of irate cheeps and whistles that told her in no uncertain terms what it thought about the indignity of being manhandled. Or was that womanhandled?
She grinned as it turned and whizzed off, disappearing off down another of the mouseholes, still cheeping loudly. That was... number five and she was out of knives. She’d need to steal a few more before she could enlist more cleaners for her bot army.
“What are you doing in the corridors on your own?” The irate demand made her turn quickly and jump to her feet. Mr. Stick-up-his-ass stood at the turn of the corridor, arms folded over his lickably muscled chest.
She sauntered toward him, her eyebrow raised.
“Free country. Isn’t it?”
His brows snapped together. “That makes no sense. The Izal’vias is neither without cost nor a planet-bound location.”
Was this guy for real? She chuckled, shoving her hands on her hips as she came to a stop in front of him. “It means I can do what I want, when I want, and there are no rules to tell me otherwise.”
5
“On this ship you cannot do as you want. You will follow imperial command,” Nyek said as the spikey little human female stalked toward him.
For a moment she’d reminded him of a deearin kit, all claws and ferociousness despite its cuteness, but then she opened her mouth and the liiraas came out.
“Oh, is that so?” She cocked her head to look up at him, the light of challenge in her eyes.
He bit back a growl, fighting the urge to shake her... or kiss the breath out of her. That last just irritated him all the more. He scanned the corridor. Empty.
“Where is your mate? Why has he allowed you to roam on your own?”
Her eyes spat fire. “Oh, so my only worth is when I belong to a man? I can’t make decisions on my own?”
Draanth’s sake. Her mate didn’t just have his sympathies. The male needed a damned medal. Nyek shoved his mind away from how he’d deal with her insubordination and stubbornness if she was his mate and focused on her.
“Not where your safety is concerned. It’s not safe for you to wander the ship.”
He moved to grab her arm but she sidled away somehow, twisting to stay out of his grasp. Interesting. She moved fast. Blowing out a sharp sigh, he