thumps, and the ancient emergency lights creaked to life at long intervals in the corridor. They provided just enough light to navigate by. It was an eternity before EJ’s stomach settled back into place with the ship’s return to normal, but it still clenched with nerves as she searched for a way they could survive.
They. She was definitely thinking in terms of ‘they’ and not just ‘her.’ Maybe Nokx had weaseled his way back into her heart after all, even if her brain didn’t want to give him the benefit of the doubt.
EJ checked the still-blinking but unchanged comms unit from Violet, then jerked her chin at the side corridor. “We need to know what’s going on. We’ll go to the comms station first, until we know what we face, then I’ll talk to the prisoners if we can’t find a way off the ship. Has the Sraibur contacted you?”
Nokx didn’t gloat over her use of ‘we’ and instead remained serious as his palm rested against her shoulder blade. “There is no signal this deep in the ship. Perhaps I can tap into the comms network to get a message to the Sraibur that we need assistance.”
EJ still didn’t believe the Xaravians would do a damn thing to help her, but as long as Nokx went first, she could slide along on his coattails and deal with the repercussions once they were far, far away from the Hollbrd and the Slasu. Once ‘they’ were far, far away. She pushed hope away as she led the way slowly down the short corridor to the comms station hidden behind a massive storage vat. He claimed he’d leave the Sraibur behind, but if she was a wanted criminal and he had a bounty on his head, where in Faraday’s cage could they actually go? What would they do? It wasn’t like any legitimate business would hire them, and they couldn’t advertise for work or they’d risk having the Tyboli or Slasu or the Alliance or probably a dozen other species coming after them. The rebels, too, if what Violet had said was true.
EJ rubbed her temples and crouched to peer under the door to the comms station. With everything going on inside the ship, there shouldn’t have been anyone manning the terminal, but nothing else went right on the Hollbrd, so why should that? EJ held her breath and retreated back to where Nokx leaned against the wall, wincing and rubbing his chest, to tilt her head at the door. “I think there’s someone in there. Probably just a crew member trying to keep lines open, but he could alert everyone to where we are and what we’re doing.”
“I will handle it,” he said, pushing upright. Before EJ could stop him, the damn Xaravian walked around her, went right up to the door, and kicked it in.
EJ jumped forward with a strangled yelp, hoping she wasn’t about to see Nokx shot in the face by another blaster charge, and prepped her stunner to destroy whoever waited inside. She stopped short in the doorway. Nokx had already lifted a scared kid away from the comms terminal, holding him in the air, and frowned as he debated what else to do. The Xaravian glanced back at her. “Well? You recognize him?”
“I think he’s one of the settlers,” she said slowly. EJ shoved the door to the corridor back into place so no one could sneak up on them, though she kept most of her attention on the young Klonz male. They were iridescent purple and green with rippling, feathered skin, two bright yellow eyes on each side of their head, and long, fragile limbs. The young ones looked even more spindly and delicate. “Careful. Don’t hurt him.”
Nokx, surprise of surprises, actually listened and eased the young male to the floor, though he kept a tight hold of the plain, roughly-made sack that covered most of the Klonz. The Xaravian fiddled with something on his belt and activated a translator. He gave a dark look to the settler, who quailed and started to cower. “What are you doing in here? Who sent you?”
“There is something terrible outside the ship,” the Klonz whispered. His words trilled like one of the old songs from Earth; EJ could have listened to him read the periodic table and still enjoyed every moment of it. “My family is here; I do not want anything to happen to them. I thought if we knew what was going on, we might be able