Deadly star, p.1
Deadly Star, page 1
Nova has reinvented herself after surviving two years in the devastation of her dying world, but she didn’t count on being a match for an intergalactic overseer. Relationship goals.
Nova stumbled to her own rescue and spent weeks in rehab learning to move again. She studied every minute of every day and learned to fly anything she could find a simulator for. The next time she was in a life-and-death situation, she would be able to fly to safety. The education station pronounced her suitable for a Hmrain and shipped her off to meet him. She meets some other women who are being bonded to the same world, but before she can settle in to meet them, the transport is under attack.
The ship’s crew is excellent at defense, but there is one person who happened to train as the centre for the battle formation and activate a deadly weapon by becoming the centre. She has to convince her keeper that she’s allowed to go into battle, and once there, she has the time of her life.
Lily nearly died minutes before escaping from Earth. While she is destined for a life as an administrator at a colony, her fate takes a sharp turn when her body sends out a signal, and from across the stars, someone answers.
The characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.
Deadly Star
Copyright © 2023 by Viola Grace
ISBN: 978-1-990635-30-4
©Cover art by Angela Waters
All rights reserved. With the exception of review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part in any form by electronic, mechanical or other means, now known or hereafter invented, is forbidden without the express permission of the publisher.
Published by Viola Grace
Smashwords Edition
Look for me online at violagrace.com.
Deadly Star
Shattered Stars Book 13
By
Viola Grace
Chapter One
The line moved forward, and the woman, who had been Cassandra but was now recorded as Nova, moved with her attendants helping her limp to the shuttle. Other humans watched her as the alien caretakers settled her in a gel-lined bed for the shuttle ride to the station that was visible in the night sky.
She didn’t speak when they chattered at her. Talking to humans hurt her soul. Every face she saw reminded her of the dead. Her dead. She could see them all in the faces around her, and to speak to them would make them real. She didn’t want them to be real.
She heard the word bitch a lot from the other humans, but she had just missed the previous shuttle and had to wait at the pickup point for ten days while enough humans would complete the next load. The shuttles at this site could take thirty humans and the crew. Nova had started some of the more in-depth scans, and her education was already moving rapidly. Theedo, one of the empath medics, had been very interested in her. They didn’t have the equipment to straighten her leg, but they could stop the pain. She had learned about most of the species, but Theedo urged her to focus on the Hmrain. He kept saying she would need to know all she could.
Nova understood a bit of it when she understood that Theedo could test for a few things. One of those things was a sensuality inclination, and another was a psychic frequency that the Hmrain could consume. If the candidates had both, it was a fairly straight trajectory to the bond auction.
She didn’t know if the other humans knew they were heading for a refit station to get their body and muscle condition back, and then they would be sold to worlds that needed warm bodies with certain skills.
Nova was fine with it. She had speed and accuracy. One of the attendants had recommended her for pilot training. Once she was whole with her breaks broken and healed in their proper places, she would be able to request time in a training pod. She was looking forward to it.
The acceleration of the shuttle pushed her into the gel, and she felt the ache in her bones, especially the breaks in her leg and foot. The pain was a very real companion since her world had broken and everyone she knew had died.
Watching the docking through the screen next to her was amazing. She had made it. She was off her dying and broken world. She had a chance to keep living and would hang on with both hands.
Four weeks after being brought on board the station, she was allowed to try the pilot training pod. It wasn’t normally offered to females of breeding age, but Theedo’s recommendation had carried pretty far.
Nova settled into the tutorial unit, bands held her torso in place, and she was given a digital display to show her how to use the controls. When the machine was satisfied that she could manage the controls, a simulation began, and she steered left and right, slowed and accelerated, and learned that it took a lot of effort to do either at any kind of speed.
Once she had control of her vessel, an alert started up, and something was coming at her from below her body. Out of instinct, she accelerated while rolling the ship. There was a thud and a shudder, but the damaged areas of the ship were not essential, so she was able to continue.
She flew the simulator until it announced that she had passed with her Pilot 2 classification.
When she exited, her attendants looked at her in surprise, and one said, “You want to come back tomorrow?”
“Yes, please. How many pilot rankings are there?”
“What?”
“It said I am pilot two, so I wondered how many more classes there were for this type of vessel?”
Her attendant blinked slowly with all four eyes. “Four classes of shuttle pilot.”
“Good. When can I come back to try and get more training?”
“The schedule will have to be checked. The staff here are trying to gain the credentials as well.”
She nodded, and her two escorts walked her back to the learning area where etiquette, dance, and deportment were taught. Nova silently groaned as she was handed over to the dance instructor while other humans giggled nearby. Their instructor had them doing formal dances while Nova’s instructor smiled.
“Are you ready for this? You are hours late.”
Nova grumbled, “It’s fine. I was doing something fun.” She tied the sash around her hips, and when the instructor started the music, she danced and responded to the light touches that corrected her posture and gestures. Even her ankles and feet weren’t spared until she was able to dance to a specification that Nova wasn’t aware of, but her instructor was finally pleased.
“Excellent, Nova. Your leg is completely healed. You have also gained some grace, so that is wonderful. Do you know when your parcel is being sent to the auction?” The teacher helped remove the sash.
“No. They are getting separate education. I don’t think that I am remaining with them.” Nova got a cup of water from the dispenser. “I have asked before, but is there a reason escorts are leading me around?”
The dance instructor shrugged. “I am guessing your weak condition on arrival was one of the factors.”
There was more. Her body language was screaming that there was more.
Nova sighed and nodded. “So, not telling me. Right. Well, back to the study hall.”
The instructor smiled and made a few sharp inhalations.
Nova looked at her. “Are you sniffing me?”
The woman shrugged; her grey-green skin darkened. “Your body is recovering. It is beginning to show. You smell... healthy.”
“Humans have scent senses, too, but we haven’t been using them lately. We were sterilizing our senses so that we smelled like nothing and relied on language for social situations.” She spoke in Hmrain common. She didn’t use English anymore. It was rude to her trainers, medical personnel, and educators.
Nova walked out of the dance studio, and her escorts and monitor flanked her as they walked to her dorm area.
“Where are we going now, guys?”
The green-yellow male on her left said, “Assessment.”
Nova nodded and walked with them. She hoped that she was tired enough for this not to work. She wanted to fly, not be a sex toy.
The examiner checked his notes, checked her again, and looked at the assessor holding her hand. “Anything?”
“Just extreme fatigue. Whatever Theedo sensed, it is gone now.”
Nova kept her emotions numb, but a flicker of triumph came through, and her assessor lifted his head, his eyes swirling silver.
He looked to the examiner. “Check her schedule.”
There was a moment, and the examiner looked at her with narrowed eyes. “She’s a qualified bodyguard, a pilot second class, has a food service certificate, and has just completed as competent in dance. She also has a thick receiver strand in her mind. Theedo was positive that she was companion class. What do we do? There is a standing order for a companion with her frequency, and the delivery vessel is going to depart in a few hours.”
She spoke softly, “Oh, dear. Maybe I will test better after I get some rest.”
The examiner looked at her. “You did this on purpose.”
“Did what?”
“Fatigued yourself to the point where the assessor couldn’t get a clear signal.”
“Well, I didn’t know when I would be assessed, so I am pretty sure I couldn’t have planned for it.” She said it innocently in a voice husky with fatigue.
The assessor’s mind pushed at hers, and she winced. He announced, “Theedo warned her. I doubt he guessed what she would do with the warning.”
Nova shrugged. “I can say he would probably be surprised.”
The examiner scowled. “ So, rested, you are receptive?”
She shrugged again. “You tell me.”
The assessor snorted. “She is stubborn, but a Hmrain can deal with that. If she isn’t a match, she can be downgraded, and her bond can be sold to one of the nobles of Hebor. Both native species are compatible.”
Nova blinked. “Wait. I want to work a job, not on my back.”
The examiner frowned. “You are biologically compatible, have high psychic sensitivity, and a body that is not as strong as you wish it to be, but it is fine for companion class. If you earn yourself out of bond, you can choose your career.”
She stared at him. “You are lying.”
“What?” He looked surprised.
“Once I am a companion, I am stuck in that role.”
His complexion darkened over his collarbone. It was how his people blushed. “I was hoping you didn’t know that. The Hmrain that buys your bond will be careful, and you will go over a final companion contract. You have taken the negotiation class?”
“Yes.”
“Well, during your trip, write up your stipulations, and he will counter with his own requirements, and the idea is that you meet in the middle.”
Nova looked around at the walls of the medical unit. It was elegant and smooth, the surface a pale grey. She found it soothing. “How long do I have?”
The assessor said kindly, “You will need to go to the groomer before you leave for a final record of body condition. Remember, you have survived the death of your world; you will survive the Hmrain.”
Nova nodded. “Outlive them, no. Survive them? Yes. Let’s go for my next indignity.”
They nodded, and she was given a black metal wristband. From medical, she was taken to the groomers, weighed, measured, bathed, and dressed in a very pretty dress. It was nearly transparent but wasn’t the worst thing she had worn in the last few years. Nova was walked through the station under heavy guard, and when she saw the captain of the vessel she was going to be on, she grinned. It was definitely male with feline aspects, including a tail.
“Mistress Nova. I am Captain Na’ith. Welcome to the Deadly Star. I will be taking you to Hebor. I am at your disposal for anything you wish. Please, come with me.” He bowed over her hand, his eyes flicked to the black band, and his shoulders sagged in relief.
She walked next to him and asked, “Does the ship have a flight simulator?”
“Planning an escape?” He chuckled.
“No, I just love the idea of flying. If flight had been an option for me, I might not have been alone for the last two years.”
They were surrounded by guards, and she walked with her hands folded into her sleeves with her arms crossed below her breasts.
She was brought into the ship with all deference, which was odd. “Uh, Captain? I am not technically a companion.”
“Yes, Mistress Nova. I am aware. Until you meet Heboren, it is uncertain that you will be his consort. However, if you are to be the consort of a Hmrain, it is best to be on your good side.”
She chuckled and settled in the small shuttle. Feline mailes filled the space around her. It was like being at a furry bodybuilder convention.
She looked around. “I thought there were other humans coming.”
The captain smiled. “They are coming on the larger transport. We dropped off supplies and the payment for the bond of two dozen of your species.” He paused. “And you.”
“I am a special order?”
“We came for you. It is three weeks of travel to Hebor. We left before you had even departed your world.”
“Theedo was a chatty bastard.”
He made a chuffing sound and grinned, showing long fangs. “If that was your assessor, then, yes. He sent a direct message to Heboren.”
“You mean to Hebor.”
“No, he sent a message directly to the overseer. We were ordered to bring you to Hebor. The others are incidentals, just to see how well they take to being bondservants of the Hebor.”
“Oh. Well. There is another species on Hebor, right?”
He chuckled. “Yes. According to your records, they are canines.”
“Wait. Like, extended muzzles and floppy ears?” She tried to imagine it and came up with a cross between werewolf and Anubis.
There was a laugh that went through the men around her. She felt light touches on her mind, and more chortling passed through the space.
“Wait. You guys all have psychic outreach?” Nova looked around, and several of the faces turned toward her.
Captain Na’ith nodded. “Of course. The entire planet uses it as a secondary form of communication. We are away from the strictures of our world here, and using the distant touch while we are on our ship is essential.”
“So, do the other species talk on those frequencies as well?”
“Of course. We all developed on the same world.”
“No crossbreeding?”
He chuckled. “No. We are not directly compatible. That is why your species has been so enticing. It seems your people will be able to bridge things.”
“Uh. Oh.”
“Not you, Mistress. Heboren is looking forward to meeting you, but he is currently off-world at a conference with his siblings from nearby systems.”
She clenched her nails into her forearms. “How long will he be gone?”
“He will return in four weeks. The palace is waiting for you.”
“What?”
“The staff is ready to attend you and introduce you to our world.”
“That sounds... awkward.” She had a fleeting thought and snickered. She was a mail-ordered pet, and if she bit her owner, she had an image of herself being crated. “So, what happens if I am not a good match?”
“The noble houses will be offered your bond. They will scramble over themselves to get a rejected consort.”
“Scrambling for rejects?”
“If you are a rejected consort, you are as close to Hmrain compatible as can be without actually being one. If you aren’t suitable, then your children might be consort class.”
She covered her mouth. “Because they don’t age.”
“Correct. They wait.”
“Wow. That’s... wow.” She ran her hand over her hair. “It is a lot to take in.”
He chuckled. “I think you can deal with it. Did you really want to use a flight simulator?”
“Yes. I really like it. I always dreamed of flying, and it is one of the things that kept me going after the impact. I dreamed of seeing the sky.” She looked at the large ship they were approaching. “I guess I can change that dream to the stars.”
“We will schedule you in between the active personnel. You will get your time in the simulator.”
“Executive decision?”
He nodded. “Yes, the overseer might not appreciate it, but if you need it, you shall have it during our travels.”
The captain nodded as he rose. “I have heard of some of the issues survivors have gone through. We will assist you and the others wherever we can.”
“Why?” She got to her feet and followed him out of the shuttle and onto the ship. The men gathered around them as they walked into the hall. That was the point where she saw the canine version of Hebor’s inhabitants. They definitely had a proud wolfman vibe.
The captain stopped in front of the canine with the most markings on his uniform. “Commande Y’kak, this is Mistress Nova.”
She smiled and extended her hand to the commander. “Pleased to meet you.”
He lifted her hand to his muzzle and snuffled her skin. “Mistress. You smell like heat.”
Nova’s smile froze, and she curled her hand and removed it from his grasp. “That is what gets me to be companion class, I suppose.”
Y’kak tilted his head. “This offends you?”
“Social issues that I will have to overcome. We were expected to be in full estrus and still do our work. To have someone point it out means we are failing at concealment and might get someone struck.” She smiled tightly.
He snickered. “You think you can take me?”
