The maze still didn’t make any sense, but Kaau li knew she needed to trust the map.

Had Kaur realized she was gone? Was he this minute tracking her with the handset? Or sending cyborgs after her?

She shuddered and broke into a run. If someone saw her now, she would attract attention, but the thought of Kaur at her heels, chasing her, spurred her forward.

Once, in her haste to make the next turn, she turned too quickly down the wrong corridor. Immediately, the lights turned off and she stumbled into the wall. Getting her bearings, she turned back the way she had come.

And then a soft whoosh of air went by her ear. Instinctively, she ducked.

What was that?

She held up the handset, trying to see better in its soft glow. Something thumped behind her. Kaau li spun around, keeping her back to the wall.

Then she heard a a buzzing sound, growing steadily louder. Remembering the booby traps, Kaau li tried to control her frantic breathing, swiped through the map, and looked for the way out. It showed to her left, so she groped down the black corridor, keeping to the wall.

Another soft whoosh went by her ear, and she pressed herself to the wall.

Behind, the buzzing stopped in a shower of sparks, and the light temporarily illuminated an intersecting corridor. Without bothering to turn back, thought, Kaau li continued following the map until she fell through some kind of barrier, which dumped her into the main hall where the lights still shone brightly. She wondered how the trick was achieved, but didn’t have time nor the desire to investigate.

As she picked herself up from the floor, the lights flickered on in the corridor she had just exited. There, laying on the ground in a tangled heap, was one of those insect-like drones—still sparking and feebly sputtering—with a long, thin spear sticking out of it.

Kaau li sagged against the wall. The spear had barely missed going through her head.

She looked at the map again, determined not to take any more wrong turns. As she wound her way through the remaining labyrinth, she thought she heard sounds behind. But when she paused to listen, they were only the echoes of her own footfalls going down the corridor.

Any minute, someone could spot her on a security feed and find a way to stop her. She walked around every corner with trepidation, expecting discovery. But she was getting so close to the hangar that she imagined being able to hear the typical movement inside it. Almost there.

The comm crackled, and Kaau li almost dropped the handset.

“Kali,” Kaur’s stern voice said over the comm. “What are you doing?”

But Kaau li ignored him. Ahead, the corridor widened, and large doors stood open.

When she finally stepped out into the hangar, though, the sound of boots running behind her were unmistakable. But Kaau li knew where she was now, and she hurried to duck behind some crates and edge along the wall.

Keeping an eye out for someone on duty, she skirted the perimeter of the expansive hangar. But it seemed that almost everyone was still at the arena. If she kept the ships between herself and the observation deck above, she might just escape notice.

The docks for smaller ships like the Inimical was through another short corridor. Around a bend, through a hatch, and there it was. Her ship. The Inimical was still attached to the dock with the ramp down. Her brother, Kai lu, was sitting at the top. When he saw her panicked, sweaty face, he jumped up.

She nodded to him, and he followed her inside without questions.

The ramp closed, sealing them in, and Kai lu gave the order to the pilot, who disengaged the docking clamps around the ship.

Both of them ran up onto the bridge and sat down in their seats.

“How much time do you think we have?” Kai lu asked.

“Very little,” she said. “They could at this moment be standing at the hatch.”

Kaau li went through the handset again, this time looking for a program to disable the Wraith’s capture beam. She found it, and relief washed through her as she activated the program. As she looked through the handset to find a way to lock the hangar doors, the hum of the engines signaled they were in flight.

“Kali,” Kaur said over the comm. “You cannot escape.”

Beyond the view screen, an asteroid field hid the Star Wraith from prying eyes. But it would also hide another ship if needed.

“Kali. Answer me.”

She could picture his angry countenance, his cold, dark stare.

“Can we hide in time?” Kaau li asked her pilot. “Long enough to lose them and jump to hyperspace?”

“It’s doubtful,” her pilot said. “They will launch their fighters any minute.”

For the moment, the sensors showed everything was clear. But the pilot was correct. They wouldn’t for long.

Technically, the Star Wraith didn’t need too many fighters. It could lock onto the freighter with its weapons systems and blow them far into the asteroid field, which now looked like giant brown lumps in a sea of black.

“Kali.” Kaur’s voice sounded muffled, as if it were bouncing inside a mask.

It could only mean that he was inside his combat armor. Which meant he was flying to Kaau li himself.

Goosebumps rose on her arms, and the crew on the bridge exchanged terror-stricken glances.

She decided to answer him.

“Yes, Kaur.”

“Turn your ship around.”

“I can’t do that.”

“Then you will die. You saw what happened to the cyborg, and yet you ran from me.” The murderous tone of his voice was bone-chilling.

The pilot shuddered.

“I cannot live there with you, Kaur. I can’t. Let us go. There are so many women who would love to be there with you.”

“Ten fighters just launched from the hangar, Kaau li,” her brother said. “They are headed this way.”

“Kaur, please,” she begged. “Let me go.”

“You know I can’t do that. You have shamed me.”

“No, I haven’t. I can spy for you.”

Her brother shot her a wild look. But Kaau li had to try something. Anything to keep the pirates from firing on the Inimical. The fighters would be within range in seconds.

Kaur laughed. “Why do I need you to spy?”

“Because I can find out what they are doing with the arthenium. Really find out, I mean. You need my eyes and ears there much more than you need me on the Wraith.”

There was a long silence, as if Kaur were considering her request.

“Kaau li, they have locked on. Any time now.”

“Please, Kaur.”

“No. Turn around, and I might be lenient with your crew.”

“They’ve launched,” Kai lu said. “Evasive maneuvers.”

The Inimical banked right, diving straight for a large asteroid. Bits of brown dust pelted the shields, burning up in bright flashes of red.

“Kaur!” Kaau li said. “Don’t fire! Please. I’m begging you.”

“Why shouldn’t I? You have disappointed me more than I can say.”

“Because I am carrying your child.”

As one, the bridge crew turned to look at Kaau li. Looks of shock crossed their faces. But she didn’t have time to deal with them now.

“My child?” Kaur asked, and shock registered in his own voice.

The Inimical dove beneath the first giant rock.

“We’ve lost the first missile,” her brother said, turning back to his duties.

“Yes, Kaur,” she said, intent on being heard. “And now you know why I can’t stay. I can’t raise a child on your ship.”

“That is my child!” he roared.

“And he or she will be taken care of. Far away where no harm can come to him.”

“They’re no longer locked on,” someone said. She didn’t register who.

“Kaur?” she asked.

“Kali. You have wounded me deeply. But I will not kill my child.”

“Thank you.”

“It is not for you! But for him.”

“…we’re almost ready for the jump,” her brother said. “Around this asteroid, we can get to the edge of the field. In ten, nine…”

“Kali!”

“Yes?” she asked.

“…six, five…”

“The ring! Use it if you get into trouble.”

Kaau li reached down and felt the band around her finger. In her haste to leave, she had forgotten it.

“I will still protect you,” the Pirate King said, “for the sake of the child. But know this,” he hissed. “One day I will come to claim him. One day. Until then, you protect him with your life.”

“…three…”

“I will,” she whispered.

And right there, she vowed that Kaur would never set eyes on their child, not while she had breath in her body.

“One.”

And they jumped.

I hope you enjoyed reading this story! If you liked it and want to know more about Kaau li in upcoming books and stories, give me a heads up in the comments. She is an interesting character, and I’d love to tell you more of her adventures if people are interested. So tell me, what would you like to know?
~Wilhelmina

The arena was the largest she had ever seen on a spaceship. The dusty floor was covered in old, dark blood, white, artificial light shone down into the pit, and the air smelled of sweat, dust, excitement. Already, a crowd had gathered, and thousands of pirates jostled one another for seats near the bottom.

Kaur had a box seat overlooking the arena, perfectly situated above and with the best view of the pit below. It was decorated similarly to the tapestry room, with aged wood and comfortable cushions, but they did nothing to alleviate Kaau li’s anxiety. There was also a screen set up with a close up view of the pit, and she assumed that was so he could see everything with the best advantage.

As soon as the Pirate King sat down, the crowd roared, and the noise was so deafening that Kaau li had to resist the urge to put her hands on her ears. Along with the roar, something began rumbling throughout the arena, starting first on one side, and then undulating around it in waves. The air shook. It wasn’t until the wave reached Kaau li and Kaur that she realized the pirates were stomping their feet in a ritualistic pattern that sent shivers down her spine.

Kaur settled more comfortably into his seat and reached out for Kaau li’s hand. She took his, hoping he didn’t notice her clammy skin.

And then, as one, the pirates stopped the noise. After a few more seconds of echoes, everything became still. Kaau li held her breath.

At the opposite end of the pit, a pair of wide doors swung outward, and a man stumbled out.

Silver glinted from his cheek, and the skin peeled back to reveal wires, circuits, and a metal plate.

The cyborg Kaur had spoken of.

“He tried to leave?” she whispered.

“Yes. The Pirate Kaur does not tolerate desertion.”

Kaau li turned back toward the pit. The cyborg spun on his heel, looking at the crowd. Then, he smiled and raised his arms, as if in challenge. When he turned toward Kaur, he screamed at him. Kaau li couldn’t understand what he was saying, but she caught the gist anyway. Spittle flew from his mouth as he uttered obscenities at the Pirate King in three languages.

The crowd shouted him down, hurling scraps of metal, cans, and anything else they had in their hands.

The cyborg turned his red eyes on Kaau li. Was it the same cyborg that had led her to Kaur’s room only an hour ago? She leaned forward to get a better look at him on the screen. Yes, he was.

The noise surged, but she couldn’t tear her eyes away from that face. Suddenly, he looked more human than he had before. The metal cyborg parts and circuits were merely structure, not the measure of him. He blinked and turned away. Kaau li’s gaze followed, to the open double doors.

Her heart seemed to stop beating.

An animal stood just inside the door, a creature of such height it had hunched down to fit through. It stood on four feet, each with six lethal claws. Large, strong jaws with double rows of teeth protruded from its reptilian head, and the entire muscular body was covered in dry, peeling scales, except for a ridge of coarse, gray hair that ran from its head to its spiked tail.

Kaau li expected it to lunge for the cyborg. The cyborg watched it warily, crouching, ready for the monster to spring. But it didn’t. Instead, it shuffled forward, dragging a hind leg like it was injured.

The rhythmic stamping began again. More trash was thrown at the cyborg and at the animal. It grunted loudly as metal bounced off its back.

“Maybe the Executioner is not hungry,” Kaur mused. “We just fed it last week.”

Apparently, the cyborg wasn’t going to stand around and wait to be eaten. He circled slowly, edging toward the door. At first, Kaau li thought he was going to be stupid enough to run, but then he sprinted for the animal, attacking.

The cyborg, enhanced with reinforced bones, moved like lightning. He launched himself in the air, bringing his fists down onto the Executioner’s head.

The animal staggered with the blow, and the cyborg grabbed tufts of hair in his hands and swung onto the Executioner’s back. The creature didn’t take long to recover, and rose up on its hind legs to shake off its attacker.

Kaur smirked. “The cyborgs always put on a good show because they try to fight.”

“Do they ever win?”

“Never.”

The creature rose up higher, higher, until it threatened to turn over on its back. But instead of upending itself, it slammed into the side of the arena, pinning the cyborg to the wall.

Kaau li thought the contest was over, until the cyborg did something and the creature scrambled away, shaking its head.

The rowdy crowd shouted and jeered while the cyborg held up something in his fist.

Kaur scowled.

It was the Executioner’s eyeball. The cyborg had ripped it out of the creature’s socket.

But the Executioner was angry now, and this time it charged. The cyborg rolled out of the way, narrowly escaping its angry jaws. They went around and around. Each time the cyborg latched onto the Executioner, he pulled a piece of flesh from its body. Scales littered the pit, and blood covered both of them.

The monster had yet to grab the cyborg, but he was becoming angrier with each attack. As the battle drew out, Kaur stood and stared down at the arena, watching as if he was worried about the animal. The crowd held its breath.

Kaau li, sickened by the display before her, looked away. And then she realized she was missing an opportunity. The entire crew was watching the battle.

And she had a map to get out.

Below, the cyborg finally made a mistake, and the Executioner latched onto his leg. Kaur whooped with his crew as the cyborg screamed in fury and pain.

The Executioner shook its head, attempting to tear its prey’s body apart.

Kaau li stood, pretending to be curious. Instead, she backed out of the box and into the corridor, which thundered with the deafening noise of the crowd. But there was no one in it. With trembling hands, she pulled out the handset and touched the screen. The Inimical would be waiting for her. As far as she knew, Kaur had not yet commanded her crew to leave or ordered them aboard. So if she wanted to leave on her own ship, this was her chance.

Would Kaur let her go or hunt her down to feed to the Executioner?

Most likely the latter, but Kaau li wanted no part of this place. She swiped through a few programs on the handset and found one document that pulled up the Wraith’s network. It pinged her location, showing where she was on the ship.

And her path to get out.

Kaau li cursed herself again for setting foot on the Star Wraith. She should have disappeared when she had the chance.

“Your offer is tempting. But Kaur,” she said, looking him in the eye. “You know how I like to make my own way. I’m very independent.”

“If the scientists who want the arthenium are building an army, I will have to learn how to deal with it. You have been invaluable to me, and I request that you stay by my side.”

“What if they are just scientists out to make history?”

“Kali,” he said pityingly. “No one goes to that much trouble if they don’t have practical uses in mind.”

His condescending tone irked her, but she didn’t have time to be offended. She needed to convince him that her staying was a bad idea.

Kaur pulled her close.

Kaau li panicked, hoping he wouldn’t feel the stolen handset within her robes. He kissed her, but there was no feeling in it. Kaau li fought the urge to gag, not from the kiss, but from being surrounded by the floating magic users—his wives—and the fear of her theft being discovered.

When Kaur released her, Kaau li smiled up at him, keeping her gaze steady.

“You can be as independent as you want on the Star Wraith,” he said. “But—”

He removed a ring from a chain around his neck. It was a heavy gold band, with his symbol, a slashed flag, etched into the black stone at the top. “With this ring, you will have authority aboard this ship. Power. No one will dare cross you if you are wearing it. But if they do, or if you feel threatened in any way, press the stone down. It will trigger an alert sent directly to me. No matter where I am. Even from across the empire.”

Kaur held up his left hand, where a similar ring adorned his pinky finger.

Kaau li gasped. He had really thought this out.

“I had them specially made for us,” he said, misinterpreting her dread for awe. He took her right hand and placed it on her index finger. “Now, you will feel safe. And part of the clan.”

But Kaau li felt anything but safe. Her heartrate sped up as she thought of being trapped forever on this cursed ship. More than ever, she wanted to flee. Although the handset in her pocket put her in danger, she was oddly comforted by its weight in her cloak.

Kaur took her hand. “You are going to enjoy the arena, Kali. I’m glad you are here on this day.”

Kaau li was surprised at the technology. Even though Kaur had the means for much more aboard the ship, he didn’t trust it, and therefore rarely used it. Unless he was inside his combat armor, and then he trusted it implicitly. She shook her head. The man was full of contradictions.

The door beeped and opened. Kaur wasted no time, pulling Kaau li through it and into a new corridor. This one was brighter than the others in this section of the ship. It smelled fresher too.

He led her through a new labyrinth, and once again, Kaau li was lost. But she strode along beside him, keeping her fear at bay. Whatever Kaur was about to show her was important.

As they walked, his scowl deepened. Finally, he turned aside down a final corridor with dark walls like in the older parts of the ship. Apparently, renovations were incomplete. But the door he brought her to was modern, with another retina scan.

Inside, the lights were dim, glowing yellow from the floor and casting moving shadows on the walls. Kaau li paused to let her eyes adjust, but as they did, a feeling of horror settled on her.

Shapes were floating in the light.

Human shapes.

Kaur took her arm and led her to the nearest one. She had an overwhelming desire to pull away. But, fearing his reaction more than what she would see, she suppressed it.

It was a clear cryogenics tube, filled with liquid. A woman floated inside, dressed in a robe and hooded cloak. A yellow light shone from the bottom of the tube as if she were an exhibit on display in some sort of terrifying, macabre museum.

The hood half-covered her face, but it was fine as porcelain with a thin scar running down across her right eye. The face drew Kaau li to it, a hideous sight she couldn’t turn away from. She didn’t know why, though. The woman didn’t look like she was in pain. Her eyes were closed as if she slept, which was exactly the purpose of a cryogenics tube.

What horrified Kaau li, though, was the smug look on Kaur’s face as he gazed at the woman.

And there were more. Six more. What was Kaur doing with all of them?

“My collection,” he said triumphantly, sweeping his hand around the room.

“Who are they?” Kaau li whispered.

“My wives.”

The room turned cold as his words sunk in.

“Your—” Her throat went dry. Why, exactly, had he brought her here?

Kaur laughed, causing Kaau li to wince. Since he rarely even smiled, a laugh was more alarming than if he’d struck her.

“Don’t worry, my Kali,” he said when he finished laughing. “I am not going to make you my wife.”

“I’m going to take that as a compliment,” she said weakly.

“Do you want to know why I brought you here?”

Because he needed a curator for his exhibit? Kaau li had a horrifying image of herself trapped in this room forever, caring for the wives day after day. Although what they could need while they were in the cryo tubes, she had no idea.

“Why?” she forced herself to ask.

“They are a crucial element in an event I’ve been planning for years. Ever since I took over the Star Wraith.”

Kaau li wished he would stop talking. She’d wanted to distance herself from him, not learn his secret plans. But he was inviting her to ask questions, and she had little choice. “Who are they?”

“Galaxy Wizards. Well, not fully. They should have been Galaxy Wizards. But for one reason or another, the Temple never found them, and they never received the empire’s training.”

Kaau li’s eyes widened, and she peered at the women again. “You persuaded untrained magic users to marry you?” She cringed then, hoping she hadn’t offended Kaur. But what was he doing with them?

“Oh, they weren’t untrained when they went into the cryo tubes,” Kaur said with a smug look on his face. “Each one became powerful in her own right. When I tracked them down, they were all disillusioned with the empire, with being constantly sought after by the Galaxy Wizards. And I offered them safety.”

The pirate said this last bit quietly, as if he was genuinely humbled by his own part in the matter.

Kaau li cleared her throat. “You… you married them all at once?”

Kaur barked a laugh. “No, one at a time, over several years. Officially, they just disappeared from the empire.”

Kaau li shuddered. “And you married them.”

“I seduced them, yes.” Kaur’s dark eyes glittered. “And once I was certain of their loyalty, I brought them here for safekeeping.”

Like he seduced me, she thought. More than anything, Kaau li regretted letting herself be taken in by his power and his charm. Because Kaur could be charming when it suited his purpose. If she had known where to run, she would have already bolted out of the room. Instead, she dragged her eyes away from the trapped women and faced him.

“Why did you show me this?” If the Pirate King was revealing secret plans to her, he wasn’t planning on letting her leave.

“These women will serve a purpose,” he said. “They all have special abilities. They can wield their power like other Wizards have not been able to do in a thousand years. That is why they refused to join the Temple, because they knew they wouldn’t be allowed to use the full measure of their power. Or to use it as they saw fit. The Order would forbid them from doing anything with their magic that wasn’t sanctioned by the emperor. And I, of course, offered them that freedom. So in a few years, when I am ready, they will lead my armies into battle against the empire.”

“Will they be willing after being in hibernation for so long? Did they know they were going into the cryogenic chambers?”

“They knew, in part. They knew that my road to overthrowing the empire could take years, and they were willing to wait until I needed them. For now, they are safe.”

Kaau li didn’t know whether to believe him or not.

“It will be a great honor for them,” he continued. “Once I have assumed the imperial throne, they will be my stewards, governing the far-flung reaches of the empire by proxy. And they will continue to lead my armies against anyone who defies me.”

Kaau li had no love of the empire, especially since she made a living thwarting it. But the picture of Pirate Kaur as emperor, terrorizing the Core planets and the Outer Colonies, left her with a feeling of revulsion. What kind of world would that be for raising a child?

Or for living at all?

I hope you’re enjoying this story! Feel free to leave a comment below if you want.

Until next time,
Wilhelmina

“Trouble, my love?” she asked quietly.

“A cyborg has malfunctioned.”

“Malfunctioned?” she asked with curiosity. Cyborgs were mostly humans, with free will.

“He tried to leave,” he said. “Someone caught him stealing a long-range shuttle.”

Kaau li shuddered slightly and gripped her cloak more tightly. “Why would he do that?”

Kaur looked up at her. “It doesn’t matter why. The fact that he tried to leave and turn traitor is enough.”

The cold in the room seeped into Kaau li’s bones. “What will happen to him?” She heard herself ask the question even though she didn’t really want the answer.

“He will be dealt with. Have you seen my arena?”

What did the cyborg have to do with an arena? Kaau li almost asked, but then decided she didn’t want to know. “No, I haven’t,” she asked with feigned curiosity.

“Then today will be an experience you will not forget.”

He had never spoken a truer word.

But maybe “dealing with” the cyborg was an answer to Kaau li’s problems. If Kaur was caught up in doling out punishment, she could take advantage of the distraction. Her mouth went dry as she imagined being on the receiving end of whatever punishment happened in the “arena,” and her stomach churned with pity for the cyborg.

“I do have a request,” she finally said with a boldness she did not feel.

“Oh?” He raised an eyebrow, intrigued.

She almost didn’t say it. If she didn’t, if she stayed, Kaur would give her a position of power on his ship. He’d made that clear in the past. But Kaau li didn’t want to be a pirate, and she shuddered at raising a child inside the bloodthirsty ranks of Kaur’s men. Or bringing up a son or daughter to be like Kaur. No, Kaau li wanted to remain a smuggler, in charge of her own life. And to keep her baby far away from this ruthless killer.

“You are keeping me in suspense, Kali,” he said quietly, a hint of annoyance in his voice.

“I apologize,” she said, pulling herself away from her terrible thoughts. “But I have had an opportunity.”

He didn’t bat an eye, but steadily gazed at her.

“It is small compared to your great empire, Kaur, but I believe it is a means to keeping my ship and crew busy for many years.”

More silence. Kaur loved his silences. They made lesser humans squirm in their seats.

Despite her fear, Kaau li was not a lesser human, so the silence didn’t bother her. She took a deep breath and plunged on. “My only regret is that it will take me so far from you—the other side of the empire.”

“I do not recognize the Emperor Arthos,” he said dismissively, “nor his semblance of a government. He is an imbecile.”

“Yes, I only use it as a frame of reference. Nothing more.”

“And what is this job?”

“Near the planet Ares. I have found a previously overlooked trade there.”

“What trade?”

Kaau li smiled. “I’m not sure I should tell you, my love. What if you swoop in and grab my corner of the market?”

Kaur scoffed. “I would grab more than a corner. What is it?”

Kaau li knew better than to make him ask a third time. “Arthenium.”

“Arthenium,” he said skeptically. He knew as well as she that the arthenium market had long ago been controlled by mega-corporations. Discovered in the Nilurian Belt shortly after humans built the first hyperdrive, the strong, flexible metal was used in everything from weapons to ship-building to farm equipment.

“Specifically arthenium dust,” she added.

“Humans have been using arthenium for centuries.”

“Not for sophisticated computer drives.”

“Because it’s too heavy. Everyone knows this.”

Kaau li gave herself a moment to look smug. Then she said, “Nevertheless, someone has found a way around that. And the results will be the most sophisticated artificial intelligence in the galaxy.”

“We have enough AIs,” Kaur said, frowning. “I do not like them, never have. For once, this is something I agree with Arthos about. AI should be kept in check, as it has for centuries. What is your part in all this?”

Kaau li shrugged. “Transporting the dust to the people who want it. They are willing to pay. Especially because they don’t want to attract the notice of the empire.”

That got Kaur’s attention. He leaned forward again, his interest piqued. Anything that subverted the empire automatically became a cause he could rally around.

If pirates ever rallied around anything.

The best part was that it was all true. Although Kaau li was using the job as an excuse to get as far away from Kaur as possible, she wanted this opportunity. It would make her enough money to retire within five years. A perfect situation, especially with a child on the way.

“What do they want with artificial intelligence, I wonder?” Kaur murmured, lost in thought.

“I don’t know. And a good smuggler doesn’t ask.”

Kaur frowned. “You would help supply manufacturers with the means to creating the most powerful AI in the galaxy, and not question why? They could be creating an army of intelligent androids.”

He really is paranoid, she thought. “I doubt it. Next to you, they are a small operation. It will be years before they reach any kind of mass production.”

Kaur reached out and grabbed her hand. His grip was surprisingly fierce, but Kaau li resisted the urge to wince.

“I must show you something,” he said suddenly.

Curious, but wary of the look in Kaur’s eye, Kaau li allowed him to pull her to her feet.

“What is it?” she asked.

Kaur smiled. “You will see.”

He shifted in his seat, puzzlement on his face. “Tired of you? Why would I do that, Kali?”

“It’s happened before.”

Kaur made a dismissive gesture and leaned back in his seat. “Those other women weren’t like you.”

“How so?”

“They didn’t have your forthrightness. Your honesty. All of them wanted something from me. You never request anything.”

Kaau li’s situation was not improving with the conversation.

Just then, Kaur’s comm beeped. He picked it up from a side table and looked at it. Whatever he was reading wasn’t good news because a scowl creased his face and his eyes darkened. He stood, tossing the handset back to the table.

“Wait here,” he growled out.

Surprised, Kaau li did no more than murmur an assent as he stalked out of the room. The hatch door banged shut behind him.

She listened intently, waiting to hear the click of a lock being bolted. But it never came. Despite Kaur’s absence, Kaau li did not relax. The fire crackled menacingly in the fireplace, blazing up as if it planned on jumping out of the grate.

Startled, she turned to look at it, but the flames receded on their own. A draft must have fanned them.

Her gaze fell on Kaur’s abandoned handset, and she fiddled with the edge of her cloak. The device would have a map of the Star Wraith. It could even give her directions to leave.

An overwhelming desire to run away washed over Kaau li. The pirate was gone. Now was her chance. Of course, answering his summons at all had been foolish. She had been foolish. Kaur wanted her to stay. She should have anticipated that, knew it could be a possibility. But she couldn’t stay, especially not now.

Kaau li swallowed and looked away from the handset as if turning away from temptation.

If she grabbed it, she could use it to get back to her ship. It was a long trek, but if she left now, maybe she’d have a head start.

No. The ship had security cameras. He would find her within seconds of her leaving.

So she would bide her time. Take the handset now and wait until later, when he was sleeping, maybe.

Her eyes shot back to the handset. It held her gaze, its image burning into her retinas like a bright star. Kaau li’s hand twitched, like her fingers were working of their own accord. Quickly, she pulled her hand back into the folds of her cloak. Stealing his handset would be suicide if she were caught with it.

But what if she needed to leave and she didn’t have it?

She would be trapped.

The thought made Kaau li’s throat close up. Faced with the choice of dying while trying to escape or living on the Wraith forever, she preferred dying.

With a pang of guilt, she cursed herself. If she died, so would the child. And then her brother was waiting for her on the Inimical. If she was killed trying to escape, he could be killed, too. Kaur would never let him leave.

But if Kaau li didn’t get the handset now, she may never get another chance. Just as she was about to reach for it, she spotted the service bot in the dark corner of the room. She balled her cloak in her fists, and her skin felt clammy. She had forgotten the bot.

Even if it looked disinterested, it was certainly watching her.

Would it stop her? Or would it simply report to Kaur when he returned? Either way, she couldn’t risk it seeing what she was doing.

“Could I have some water?”

The bot turned its expressionless eyes on her. “My master has commanded that I stay here.”

“I’m not asking you to go anywhere. I’m asking you for water.”

The bot looked down at the steaming drink on its tray and then back at her, as if contemplating how to fulfill her request without disobeying its master. Its protocols should not have been that simple, but perhaps it possessed older technology.

“Isn’t there a lav somewhere close?” she asked. “A sip of water is all I require.”

The expressionless bot rolled forward toward a smaller door Kaau li had barely noticed earlier. Unlocking it required the bot to take its attention away from her for a moment, and she seized her opportunity to snatch the handset off the table and stuff it under her cloak. She settled back into her seat as the robot went into the lav and came back out with a cup of water sitting next to the amber drink it had offered her earlier. Kaau li took it gratefully. The water tasted of metal, but it was cold and wet, and not whatever horrible drink Kaur had expected her to enjoy.

The service bot returned to its corner, resuming its quiet watching of the room. Had it seen her steal the handset? Kaau li resisted the urge to stare at it. There was no point in looking suspicious. As she drank, she quietly worked the handset into a pocket inside the lining of her cloak.

Feeling relieved and exhilarated, Kaau li sat back and finished her water. But after a few moments, the small adrenaline rush ebbed away, leaving her more fearful than before. She had to ensure Kaur never found the device on her, or she would die.

They stepped into a warm, luxurious room that she had never entered before. And a real fireplace with a hot fire blazing inside graced the center of the room, casting flickering light all around. The stone chimney towered up into the ceiling, disappearing into what must have been the deck above. Kaau li wondered if the smoke were vented into the brig, to suffocate Kaur’s prisoners.

She shook her head. No need to keep thinking such thoughts. They wouldn’t do her any good.

The room’s metal walls were disguised with tapestries, and the furnishings looked like real wood from Old Earth. How or where he’d got them was anyone’s guess.

One of the tapestries caught her eye. It depicted a space battle at the top, with armored soldiers charging each other in front of a smoking ship below. Many had already died grisly deaths, their bodies headless or limbless. Dark red blood splattered the tapestry, pooled under the bodies. It looked suspiciously real. Kaau li shuddered and turned away.

Kaur was watching her. He always watched her. “You haven’t said anything,” he remarked. “Drink?”

He swept his hand toward a service bot standing in a dark corner. It rolled forward, its smooth face expressionless and uncaring, and offered her a drink from the tray in its hands. The amber liquid in the cup steamed like it was on fire, but it wasn’t. It smelled sweet and almost made her gag. Although service bots were common throughout the galaxy, this one, like the cyborgs, only reinforced Kaur’s image as a cold, heartless man.

Kaau li’s throat was parched, but she shook her head politely.

With a scowl, Kaur moved toward her and put a hand on her shoulder. “What’s the matter, my Kali? Did any of my crew bother you?”

She did her best to smile through her fear, but her heart was pounding so loudly she knew it would give her away. “No, Kaur. No one bothered me.”

Kaur’s eyes searched hers, looking for the truth. Kaau li held his gaze, aware that not many people were ever invited to do so. He pulled her forward, leaning in for a kiss. She didn’t protest, tried to make hers seem genuine. After all, if her plan were to work, he couldn’t feel rejected.

Kaau li must have been a better actor than she thought, because when Kaur pulled away, he smiled. “Is your crew docked, or did they drop you off?”

“They are docked.”

“Invite them aboard.”

Pushing aside her fear, Kaau li smiled, slipping into an easy familiarity with him. Time to execute her plan. “Are you trying to recruit my crew?”

“Perhaps I am. I could give them positions, rank. They are more than capable.”

“Yes, I know. I hired them, remember?” Kaau li smirked at him and moved to sit in a chair, pretending to be tired. She was tired, actually—her heightened state of awareness and her anxiety were causing an exhaustion all their own.

“That’s not a yes,” he said, frowning. He snapped his fingers, and the robot rolled forward again. He took the steaming drink that Kaau li had rejected.

“As I have told you many times, my love, we work best when we don’t have to work together.”

“Is it the Wraith? I agree it’s depressing inside. That could be fixed.”

“All for me?”

Kaur set down his drink and leaned forward. “If you will stay this time.”

Kaau li’s heart pounded in her chest, and she silently cursed herself. He wanted her to stay.

If she had wanted to explore, to go through a hatch, or turn down a different corridor, they would stop her.
Kaau li paused at an intersection. A box-shaped drone buzzed past, hovering above her head like a giant fly without wings. She watched it turn a corner farther down, on its own mission through the labyrinth.

“Either one of you gentlemen ever get lost in here?” she asked. At least, she thought the cyborgs were men. With all the cybernetics sticking out of their bodies, their skin peeled away to reveal metal and circuits beneath, Kaau li thought their general profiles were still male.

Neither answered. Maybe Pirate Kaur had ordered them to remain silent in her presence. Or maybe they had gone too far down the path of the robots, and they didn’t want to converse with a human.

“This is my fourth time in this maze,” she continued, “but still no one’s thought to give me a map.”

The joke fell flat as she said it, but she was nervous, and it helped to break the eerie silence in the corridor.

The cyborg to her right turned bland eyes on her. Kaau li thought she read a hint of confusion in his eyes, but it was hard to tell with the visible red implants inside them. With his half-metal, half-human body and the glowing red eyes, he looked like a demon from some robotic version of hell.

And he was creeping her out with that stare.

Not to be intimidated, Kaau li stared right back, determined she wouldn’t show fear.

No, that she wouldn’t be afraid.

Never mind that her sole purpose in returning to this creepy ship was to tell Kaur that they were finished.

A cold shiver ran up Kaau li’s spine. As far as she knew, no one had ever broken things off with the dreaded Pirate Kaur. A relationship wasn’t over until he said it was. And as far as she knew, he’d never ended one unless it involved the woman dying or disappearing.

But Kaau li had other things to worry about now. Someone other than herself. Her hand subconsciously went to her belly, which swelled gently beneath the fine dress and heavy cloak she wore. Right now, no one except the most observant person would even detect that she was pregnant.

The more pressing question was why Kaur had summoned Kaau li at all. She had visited his ship before, it was true. But always after meeting him somewhere else. He had never requested that she fly her own ship, the Inimical, to him. Refusing him had been out of the question. No one refused a summons from Pirate Kaur.

Although Kaau li had seriously considered it.

Feeling as if she’d done something wrong, she suppressed a shudder. Kaur had eyes and ears everywhere, which is why Kaau li had not told anyone about the baby at all.

But she couldn’t shake the feeling of being watched. She glanced at the cyborg to her left. Were the cameras in their eyes sending video feed straight to Kaur?

She swallowed the growing feeling that there was danger ahead. And the cold horror she felt whenever she had been on this ship. Kaur knowing about the baby would be impossible. She was overthinking things.

The Pirate King had always been observant, but Kaau li was not going to give him the chance to scrutinize her. He would not find out she was carrying his baby. To tell him would mean she would never leave this monstrous ship ever again. And her crew, standing by aboard the freighter Inimical, would never be able to infiltrate Kaur’s labyrinthine Star Wraith to rescue her.

Rumors abounded about the internal structure of the Wraith. Since few people outside Kaur’s loyal crew had ever seen the inside and lived to tell about it, Kaau li didn’t know what was true and what wasn’t.

But the prevailing theory was that Kaur had commissioned drastic changes to the ship as soon as he wrested control from his predecessor. Entire levels had been rearranged, the passageways turned into mazes, and the bones of the starship reinforced against a nuclear blast.

It was true that the ship was powered by a nuclear reactor, so that much made sense, but Kaau li had the impression that the reinforcements were to make the Wraith into a flying fortress, rather than a well-constructed starship.

If the Empire Triton’s military arm, Unity, ever wanted to “storm the castle,” they would not only have to contend with state-of-the-art weapons systems and heavy artillery, but also find their way through the mazes.

And getting lost wouldn’t be their worst fate. The mazes held some of the most brutal booby traps in the galaxy. Kaur had learned about them from the alien ships he had overrun and dismantled.

Another shiver ran up Kaau li’s spine, leaving goosebumps on her neck and arms. She pulled her cloak around her as if it would protect her. Kaur had no reason to keep the ship cold, other than he liked the idea of someone getting lost in the corridors and dying of hypothermia. Kaau li half-expected to encounter skeletons in the dark corners, torture implements hanging from the ceiling, and blood-stained walls.

But the dark corridors didn’t give up their secrets so easily.

Her sweaty palms wouldn’t hold still, so she gripped the cloak to steady them. Then, she tried to memorize their path through the ship, but after so many turns, she was hopelessly lost.

In a few minutes, she would find out how she would spend the rest of her life. Either Kaur would accept her decision, or he wouldn’t.

She was crazy to think he would.

As Kaau li fought the rising panic in her throat, the cyborgs herded her toward a hatch at the end of the corridor. It was an old-fashioned hatch with a real handle. No advanced motion-sensing doors here, lifted on hydraulics. The handle itself was a relic of ages past.

Before any of them could touch it, the door swung open. Kaau li thought she’d been mistaken about the motion-sensors until Kaur himself stepped out of the hatch with his hand on the inner handle.

He was as broad as ever, with powerful shoulders and arms that barely fit through the door. Originally, his physical presence had attracted Kaau li, until she found out who he was. The pirate king was so big that his combat armor had to be specially made. He wasn’t wearing his armor now, though, but a soft shirt and loose slacks. His dark hair was pulled back in a short ponytail, his dangerous eyes piercing into her.

With a slight wave of his hand, he dismissed the cyborgs. They turned back the way they had come, but Kaau li didn’t watch them go. Her eyes were on Kaur.

“Kali,” he whispered with a slight accent. It was his pet name for her.

Kaau li didn’t address him. Instead, she found herself rooted to the spot, her body going cold and hot all at the same time. A bead of sweat trickled down her back, like a finger drawn slowly down her spine. She’d rehearsed what to say for weeks. But now, standing in front of the most feared pirate in the known galaxy, she was too terrified to remember any of it.

A distant clang sounded from the depths of the ship. Aboard any other vessel, Kaau li would have dismissed it as a normal, mechanical occurrence. Aboard the Star Wraith, she couldn’t help but wonder if it were the sound of someone being beheaded or thrown out an airlock.

She should have run away from Kaur’s summons, should have done everything within her power to disappear before it came to this.

“You’re trembling,” Kaur said, taking her hand and pulling her through the hatch. His hand was calloused and strong, but gentle.

For now.

Next chapter coming soon! If you want a notification, please sign up for my mailing list using the form on this page. Thank you!

~Wilhelmina