 
Trust and Treachery

By Charissa Dufour

© 2014 by Charissa Dufour

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# Chapter One

Like everyone else not involved in the high-risk game of poker, Bit stood on the sidelines watching her employer glare down at his cards. "Employer" wasn't precisely the correct term. Since she was five Bit had been an indentured servant, handed off from one employer to the next as her debt was sold.

In truth, it wasn't her debt. Her father had signed over her and her sister to relieve his debt; when her sister had died during childbirth, Bit had taken on the duty of working off three-fourths of the bill. The newborn had become responsible for the other one-fourth. If her employer's sums could be trusted, she would be working it off for the entirety of her life.

Bit glanced down at her dirty hands, her interest in the poker game fading with her growing hunger.

"Your bid, Mr. Asselstine," said the only other player still in the game.

Her employer glanced at the pot, at his lack of chips, and his hand in quick succession.

"Will you take an indentured?" Asselstine asked, nodding his head toward Bit. "She has a near million to work off, much more than is on the table."

The other player smiled as Bit jerked her head up to stare at her employer. He couldn't possibly mean to trade her in a lousy hand of poker, even if it was high stakes. Bit stared at the other poker player. He had a long blade of a nose that bisected his playful brown eyes. His dark brown hair was cut short and haphazardly styled. He winked at Bit, enjoying her discomfort.

The other members of the audience whooped and hollered, encouraging the two opponents towards various options. The other indentureds stared at Bit, some of them showing their empathy while others jeered, happy to not be the person on the chopping block.

Like most cantinas in the slums of Johannesburg, the large, dark room was filled with smoke. The stale smell of old liquor and sweat permeated the haze. Bit was too accustomed to the smell to notice. Her whole attention was on the worn, felt-clad table where her fate was being decided.

"Sure. Add her to the pot," said the younger man with a smirk.

"What'll your brother say, Calen, when you bring a girl home?" scoffed a blonde man standing behind her employer's opponent.

"Maybe take a go at her himself," replied another man standing on the opposite side of the table. "As far as I can tell, he's been on a bit of a dry spell."

An older man positioned between the two scoffers slapped the crude man across the back of the head.

Bit pulled her attention off the men who clearly knew the other poker player, Calen. She didn't much want to join their group, especially if they joked about taking sexual favors off her. Then again, James Asselstine wasn't much of an improvement. While he had never shown interest in her in that way—in the way some employers had treated her sister—he was not a kind man.

She had heard of indentured servants working for people who treated them like family but had never experienced the oddity. Though her debt had been owned by five different people—all varying in degrees of cruel—she held out hope to find a kind employer. Something about the way the poker player smirked at her said he was not what she had been looking for.

Mr. Asselstine tossed her paperwork onto the pile of money, gold, and trinkets. Finally, the two men lowered their cards and laid them out across the messy table.

Bit felt her breath catch in her chest.

Mr. Asselstine's three kings were easily beaten by Calen's full house. Bit watched as her employer's shoulders slumped. Slowly, he rose from his seat, grabbed Bit's arm, and pushed her toward the other man.

Somehow, Calen managed to come to his feet in time to catch her. The strange man held her shoulders, keeping her standing with her nose mere inches from his flat chest so that she couldn't see her old employer's exit. All the same, she could hear the rage in Mr. Asselstine's voice as he spoke.

"Take the little slut. What do I care?"

Bit cringed, her face still blocked by Calen's chest.

"Now what're you gonna do?" demanded the youngest of Calen's friends.

Despite the tattoos running up the man's neck, the studs in his ears, the barbell in his lip, and the Mohawk-cut of his hair, he had a soft, baby face. The young-looking man scratched at his painted neck as he stretched to get a better view of Bit.

"We need to be getting back. Captain will be looking for us," said the oldest of the trio before Calen could respond.

"Help me gather this all up," he said to the group, motioning to the pile of winnings still on the table.

The other losing players had already climbed to their feet and sauntered off, looking for a new form of entertainment. The audience had also wandered away, leaving the four men and one indentured to sort themselves out.

The four men began gathering up Calen's winnings. Bit stepped out of their way and watched from a safe distance. She knew better than to touch the money of her new employer. Once the money, gold, and trinkets were dumped into Calen's satchel, he grabbed her wrist and led her out of the cantina, the other three men in hot pursuit.

Bit trotted behind Calen, her shorter legs pumping hard to keep up with him. Though she was twenty-two, many people mistook her for a teenager. The years of malnutrition had kept her short and unusually thin.

They weaved through the crowd surging between the enormous buildings of the city. Though she knew the sun was out, its light was nothing more than a soft glow seeping past the tall structures. Only at midday would the sun shine directly down into the narrow streets.

Within a few short blocks, they were beyond Bit's known territory. Mr. Asselstine did not allow her much freedom and only sent her to the shops nearest his warehouse where she had worked. Now, though, she was journeying farther and farther away from the small area that had been her life for the last eight years.

Her heart began to race as she realized just what a mess she was in. They hadn't even allowed her a chance to return to Mr. Asselstine's warehouse to retrieve her few meager possessions. In truth, the only thing she valued was safely lodged in her memory.

Bit wrinkled her nose as the smell of oil, ionization, and something acidic accosted her senses. She began to wonder what Calen did for a living, who this infamous brother might be, and where in the world they were taking her.

It was a long walk before they turned a sharp corner and came to a stop. Before them stood a large glass box connected to a series of chains and gears. Bit's eyes ran up the chain, which faded out of sight as it rose into the clouds.

Though she had never ridden on one, Bit knew what the glass box was—an elevator to the floating landing pad where transport ships waited. By sling-shooting the ships off of an elevated pad they used less fuel.

Before she could express her fear—not that she would have—Calen pushed her through the door and into a seat nearest one of the glass walls before sitting beside her. The other men took their own seats and began strapping themselves in. Bit scrambled to copy them, though she had no idea how to make the various straps and buckles work.

Just as another small group of travelers stumbled into the glass box and took the remaining empty seats, Calen became aware of her struggles.

"Never flown before?" he asked before undoing his own buckles with a conservative twist.

Bit gave her head a quick shake.

He turned in his seat and worked on her buckles. Bit tried not to flinch as his hands grazed her chest. He wasn't trying to be inappropriate, she realized. He was just trying to get her tangled harness ready before the elevator began climbing.

With mere seconds to spare, Calen finished with hers and re-hooked his own harness. The large glass box gave a shudder and a jerk before beginning the long ascent up to the platform. Though the elevator didn't dally it still took a number of minutes to travel six miles with nothing but a chain pulley system for locomotion.

Bit held her breath as the box crept upward and the enormous city shrunk beneath her feet.

_Why did they make the floor glass, too?_ she wondered as she jerked her gaze back to the hair of the man in front of her.

"You are in so much trouble," chuckled the man sitting on the other side of Calen.

The speaker had blond hair carelessly cut and a crooked nose that suggested he liked the occasional fist fight. Based on the grease under his fingernails and lining the wrinkles in his hands, she thought he worked on engines.

"Shut up, Forrest," grumbled Calen as he crossed his arms over his chest.

Forrest chuckled to himself but didn't say anything more.

"Really, what were you thinking?" asked the oldest of the men, despite Calen's dark glare. "Accepting an indentured's debt? Jack is going to be furious."

"I don't see it being any of your business, Dirk," said Calen, his eyes still pointing straight ahead.

The oldest man, Dirk, had a grumpy set to his lips and bags under his eyes. His short-cropped hair was black while his thick beard was pure salt-and-pepper gray. The combination made it hard for Bit to guess at his age. Whatever it was, she thought him past his prime.

Finally, when Bit thought she was going to have a panic attack, the glass box shuddered to a stop before rumbling again. Bit assumed the noise meant they were about to plunge to their death. Instead, the box glided forward, connecting with the doors of a building. A strange sucking noise filled the box, going silent just before the two sets of doors slid apart.

As if they had been given an unheard cue, the other passengers began undoing their harnesses. Bit hesitated a second before setting to work on her own straps. She had half-freed herself when Calen came to her rescue.

He caught her eye and threw her a wink. "It'll be okay. Just ignore them."

"Y-yes, sir," she whispered, speaking for the first time.

She followed the others, breathing a sigh of relief as she stepped out of the glass box and into the pressurized building. It was a no-nonsense building, as most transportation structures within the poorer cities tended to be. There were no windows, protecting their eyes from the reflection of the sunlight off the top of the clouds. Most of what Bit could see from the entrance was a wide corridor packed with travelers toting their luggage.

Calen reached back and took her wrist again, keeping her close as they weaved through the loud crowd. The corridor broke off repeatedly. She stayed at Calen's side, fearful of getting separated. Though she couldn't see any signs pointing them in the right direction, Calen and the others seemed to know their way.

Finally, they came to a stop at the end of a corridor. Through a break in the wall of bodies, Bit spotted another set of doors, though where they led she could not tell. She wanted to ask where they were going but dared not speak.

The other men were talking to each other, but from her place on the other side of Calen, she couldn't hear what they were saying. As they waited, a man bumped against Bit's back, knocking her against Calen.

Calen wrapped his arm around Bit's shoulder and dragged her up against his side, meanwhile glaring at the offender. The brief encounter caught the attention of their companions. Forrest and the tattooed man stepped forward, placing their bodies between her and the rest of the crowd. Dirk, the older man, rolled his eyes and gave a grunt of disgust.

Bit clamped her teeth together, thinning her lips as she fought against the pressure behind her eyes.

_You've no reason to cry_ , she told herself firmly. The men were being nice, but between their unaccustomed generosity and the sudden changes in her life, Bit felt close to a complete breakdown.

Before anything else exciting could happen, the doors opened and their immediate neighbors began filing in. Calen led her in with the others. Beyond the doors, they wound down a strange enclosed ramp, passed through another wide door, and entered what could only be a transport ship.

Nothing but rows upon rows of seats greeted them. Their group found an empty row and filed in. This time, Calen allowed Bit to wrangle her own harness. She finished attaching the various buckles and Calen gave her another smile.

Bit stared at the back of the seat in front of her, determined not to think about anything. She had never been very good at thinking only on the here and now, especially when the here and now was so foreign, but she tried all the same.

It was a long wait before everyone was seated and the doors slid shut. Finally, the transport ship began to rumble. Bit felt it turn. She forced herself to glance at the nearest window. They were taxiing across the enormous platform. She spotted a few workers on the tarmac dressed in thick, protective jumpsuits, their faces covered in tinted oxygen masks.

As she was watching the workers, wondering what their lives were like, the ship rumbled and quaked as though it were an animal barely able to contain its great power. Bit's gaze jerked back to the seat in front of her just as the great animal was released. She was pressed back into her seat as the ship jetted down the tarmac.

Despite her best efforts, a little squeak of panic escaped her clamped lips. Calen reached over and took her hand. Though his touch startled her, she squeezed his hand in panic as the ship's speed increased in another burst. It gave a little dip as they left the elevated tarmac before beginning to climb upward.

Bit squeezed her eyes shut, refusing to look out the windows as they passed beyond Earth's atmosphere.

# Chapter Two

Jack crossed his arms as he stared out the bridge's windows, watching the cranes lift the last of the cargo crates into his hold. His jaw began to ache, reminding him to relax the pressure on his teeth. He was always grinding his teeth, usually due to some mischief from his younger brother. He heard footsteps on the bridge's metal plating but refused to turn and acknowledge the newcomer.

It wasn't Calen, so what was the point?

"Captain," a voice said from behind his shoulder.

"David," he replied, easily able to recognize the older man's voice. "Still no sign of Calen?"

"Nope."

"What of the others? Dirk, Oden, and Forrest?"

"Also gone. All four left last night and went to the surface. Thought they'd be back before night. Don't worry, sir. They know when we ship off."

Jack grunted. He had no doubt Dirk would be back and, therefore, Forrest, his subordinate. But concerning Calen and Oden he wasn't so sure.

His two pilots. Missing at the same time.

Jack almost laughed at the absurdity of it all. He couldn't take off even if he wanted to at the appointed time if they didn't return on time. And that would result in hefty fees from the docking authority.

Sure, Jack could fly a ship like most captains, but he wasn't as skilled at it as his brother or Oden. He wasn't a true pilot, and he would rather pay the fees than risk damaging the ship, even if his ego took a hit.

"How comes the loading?" he asked his executive officer, changing the subject.

David was a steady man. He was Jack's second cousin, but that wasn't why he had the coveted second-in-command position on the family's freighter. David had been a captain on sea-faring freighters on Earth for at least a decade. While transporting cargo in space was a far cry from transporting across the seas, David's experience was invaluable. The minute Jack had inherited his father's business six years ago, he had contacted his second cousin with the job offer.

After all, the previous XO was unwilling to work under a man as young as Jack. When he had resigned, David had been the obvious choice for the family business. Now, six years later, they had both learned from each other.

"Nearly finished." David glanced down at his clipboard. "I believe there are just four more to be loaded. Should be done within the hour."

Jack squeezed his eye shut.

_Great._ They were ahead of schedule. The port would expect them to take off when the crates had been loaded, whether it was before the appointed time or not, and he had no pilots.

"Damn that boy," he growled more to himself than his companion.

In truth, Calen was only six years younger than Jack, but he had not been forced into the patriarchal position at the age of twenty-five, nor had he been groomed for the position since his birth. He had been allowed a normal childhood while Jack had learned the family business. Calen had been allowed to pursue his dreams of becoming a pilot while Jack learned the interstellar politics subsisting between the various factions controlling their solar system.

Jack tried not to resent his brother's freedom, but, at the current moment, Calen was making it difficult.

Before Jack could say more to his XO, they both heard a ruckus from the level below. Through it, Jack heard his brother's voice rise above the others. He let out a sigh of relief. At least one of his pilots was back in time.

Jack led David out of the bridge and down the staircase to the lower level. He skidded to a stop as he reached the landing and turned to take in the ship's entrance. On the level below him, Jack spotted a young girl, huddled against the wall as the entire crew tried to talk over each other.

"What the devil is going on in here?" he demanded, the sound of his voice quickly quieting his men.

From where he stood, he spotted Dirk glaring at the girl. Oden and Forrest stood behind the chief engineer, their faces wreathed in humor. Calen stood near the girl, a sheepish grin on his face as he dragged his eyes up to where his brother stood on the landing. Vance, the chief steward, Nolan, his under-steward, and Jeremiah, the ship's second engineering assistant, stood in a huddle in the corner, each of them eyeing the girl.

As Jack glared down at his men, his brand new security team peeked out from the stairs leading down to the lower levels of the ship. No doubt they were equally surprised by the sudden appearance of a woman on the freighter.

"Umm..." began Calen in response to his brother's question before trailing off.

"Your brother's gone and won himself a woman," growled Dirk.

Dirk's hatred of the fairer sex was well known among the crew, but for once his anger seemed well-founded.

Jack forced himself to take a deep breath, only half aware that he had been holding it. He dragged his eyes over to his brother and the woman in question. She was a tiny little thing, with blonde hair hanging in dreadlocks down her back and dirt smudged on her fair skin. Her eyes were cast on the floor, and Jack spotted a quivering of her bottom lip as she tried to disappear into the walls of the ship.

"What do you mean? Calen?"

"I kinda won an indentured in a game of poker," he said, raising a packet of documents.

"You what?" snapped Jack, completely dumbfounded by what he was hearing; surely his brother knew the issues with having a woman on board a ship that went weeks, even months, between ports.

"Yeah. He said she had a near million left in her debt. Signed the papers over to me right then and there."

Jack's eyes flickered to the girl again. How could a girl as young as her get into such debt as to require her to indenture herself to pay it off? Slowly, Jack became aware of his crew. All their eyes were on the girl, too.

"I'm sure you all have work to be doing. The port wants us out within the hour. Calen, take the girl to my room. David, please take the bridge with Oden at the helm. All of you, get to your stations."

In record time, the entrance to the ship emptied. Jack marched down the remaining stairs and followed Calen and the girl into his room. He shut the door with more force than he had intended and, to his surprise, the girl jumped before tucking herself into a free corner.

"Now, Calen, tell me exactly what happened?" he asked as he reached out for the documents.

As Calen had said, the previous owner had signed the girl—Larissa Earnest—over to Calen. The girl's debt was very near a million dollars. By herself, he suspected she would be working for the rest of her life to work off the debt. He flipped back through the documents, noting that Calen was now her sixth owner.

"I told you. I won her in a game of poker. Didn't really think I'd win, to be honest. It all happened so fast."

"Do you have any idea what this means?"

Calen shrugged. "She can work with Vance. Cleaning and cooking and whatever the stewards tell her to do."

Jack squeezed his eyes shut, amazed at his brother's ignorance.

"And how will we keep her safe?"

"Safe?"

"From the men. You're telling me these men," and he waved at the door of his room, "are gonna act like perfect gentlemen with a woman on board? You really think none of them will try something indecent with her?"

He watched as Calen blanched. He may not have thought of it on his own, but Calen wasn't slow to understand what his brother was implying.

"I hadn't thought..."

"No. You never do think, do you?"

"When do we leave port?"

"Any minute," Jack barked.

"Jack, you're scaring her."

The captain glanced at the girl. Sure enough, she had her eyes glued to the floor, her whole body quivering. Jack took a deep breath, willing his voice into a calmer tone, despite the rage roiling inside his chest.

"We fly to Mars. I'll find her a job there when we arrive. Guess this is your lucky break, girl. When we get to Mars, you're free to go."

He watched as her blue eyes lifted to his face and widened with fright. Jack frowned. He had expected her to be grateful that they were forgiving her debt, but the expression she showed him was sheer terror.

"P-please, sir. You can't," she said, her voice a mere whisper.

Jack found himself leaning forward to catch her words.

"Why ever not?" he asked. "You'd be free of the debt."

The girl swallowed as though something was clogging her throat. "It don't work like that. Mr. Asselstine were the last employer, according to the records. They find me on Mars, rather than with my employer," she nodded to the documents, "they'll ship me back to Mr. Asselstine and the cost of the voyage will be added to my debt."

Jack groaned. He didn't know this "Mr. Asselstine," but judging by the healing bruises half hidden by her tattered tank-top, he had not been a kind employer.

"Calen, go do your work. I'll deal with you later."

Jack felt a new rise of anger as he watched the girl shy away from him. He hadn't realized how much the girl had already grown to trust Calen. For whatever reason, he found himself hating the fact she trusted Calen more than himself.

She pressed herself back into the corner, her eyes focused on the floor again.

Jack stepped past her and opened the door into his private bathroom. It was one tiny closet, acting as shower, sink, and toilet all at once. He pointed to the lever that would turn on the water.

"That's how you turn it on," he said, pausing to make sure she actually looked where he was pointing.

He moved to the drawers tucked under his bunk and pulled out a clean towel. He dug in the bowels of the lowest drawer and pulled out a t-shirt he had long thought too small and a pair of sleeping shorts.

"And here's some clean clothes. Go ahead and clean up. I'm gonna go to the bridge and contact the authorities. See what I can do about my brother's mess."

Jack turned to the door, ready to exit, his hand resting on the handle. "I'm sorry, miss, for what my brother's done to you... wrecking your life like this."

With that, he marched out and shut the door behind him.

Randal, the commander of his new security team, stood near the staircase leading up to the bridge. He gave Jack a little smile. Like David, Randal was older than Jack by a good number of years, and yet perfectly willing to work under the younger man.

"Randal," Jack sighed as he scratched the back of his head.

"Never a dull moment," chuckled the older man.

"Not with my brother around. Will you hang around here for a few minutes? No one's to enter my quarters, but I don't want it looking like I set a guard."

Randal nodded. "'Course, Captain."

Jack nodded before jogging up the stairs, taking them two at a time. He reached the bridge and ignored the glances David and Oden threw at him. No doubt they were curious what the fate of the girl would be. She was pretty enough that even Jack had given her a second glance; more's the pity. If she had been ugly, Jack might not have been so quick to get rid of her.

He sat down at the communications console, popped the headphones over his ears, and began punching buttons a little harder than necessary.

Twenty minutes later he punched the off button and tossed the large headphones against the console before scratching at his head where the earphones had pressed against his skull. All his efforts had failed.

"Sir," came a hesitant voice from near the helm.

Jack turned in his seat to see his XO staring pensively at him.

"They've finished loading the crates. Port's asking when we'll detach."

Jack rose from his feet and took his station on the bridge. "Contact Port. Tell them we'll be detaching as quickly as we can. Oden, begin uncoupling procedures."

The captain glanced at the displays. The space around them was clear. Compared to other departures, it should be a fairly straightforward procedure, meaning he had few excuses for avoiding the coming conversation.

Jack scratched at his head again. He was loathe to leave the bridge. Here he knew what he was doing. He knew the moves, the commands needed for leaving port. Down there, where that girl waited, he had no idea what he was doing.

"David, the ship is yours. I'll be back as soon as I can," he said as he turned toward the exit.

"Cap," came Oden's voice.

Jack turned back to look at the tattooed pilot. His hands were still on the controls, ready to continue his work.

"The girl staying?" he asked.

"Looks like it."

# Chapter Three

Bit watched the tall man leave. They had said he was the captain of the ship and brother to Calen. Though his hair was darker and his eyes lighter, he had the same long aristocratic nose and firm, muscular jaw. Like many of her past employers, this Jack had a temper. She had seen it in his clenched fist and the working of the muscles in his jaw as he fought the urge to respond with violence. He may not have hit her yet, but that didn't mean he wouldn't later.

Though she wanted nothing more than to stay in her corner, she obediently stripped out of her old clothing and stepped into the shower. She pushed the lever and flinched as the cold water poured down on her body. In record time she was clean and garbed in the captain's clothing.

With nothing else to do, Bit settled back down in her corner. Before she could get comfortable, the ship began to rumble. She heard various metallic sounds as the ship detached from the spaceport.

Bit glanced up at the wall she was leaning against and noticed a swath of cloth. Assuming it could only be a curtain, she climbed to her feet and pulled it aside. Numerous layers of duroglass formed a window. It was small, and all she could see was what looked like a long metal arm. The arm was retracting itself, slowly folding into itself like a telescope. As the arm retracted, the ship gave a small jerk before gently pulling away. The further the ship drifted away, the more she saw of the enormous spaceport.

Without even trying, she counted at least seven arms jutting out of the central hub. Three of the arms were in use, attached to ships of various sizes. Two were freighters, but the third was a sleek, shiny government vessel. Though she had never seen one herself, she had spotted pictures of the new military ships when they were first launched two years ago. From what little she had caught from Mr. Asselstine's grumblings, the Earth's government had "been caught with their pants around their ankles" in regards to monitoring space travel... whatever that meant.

Slowly, the ship turned, revealing the other end of the spaceport and four more ships. Bit had never traveled in space before and only knew about it from what little crumbs of information her employers accidentally dropped for her. She didn't know what she had expected, but it hadn't been this. She had never dreamed that the skies were so busy. Some portion of her had assumed there were only a few ships out there, barely able to travel from Earth to Ceres—the farthest human habitat. Clearly, her few expectations had been wrong.

Bit slid down to the floor and pulled her knees up to her chest, resting her chin on them. She was tired of being frightened. Though she wasn't naive enough to think she would ever find the peace of her early childhood—before she became an indentured—she didn't want to be afraid of her own shadow. Bit wanted to be courageous, she just didn't know how.

She was just beginning to drift off in her cramped and huddled position when the door creaked open. Jack entered, dropping her documents on his bed and sitting down in one swift motion.

As the door swung shut she spotted another man loitering on the catwalk near the stairs, as though he was trying to look like he had a reason to be there. Though she had only seen him for a moment, it was enough to tell her to be afraid of him. He was leaving middle-age behind. His once brown hair was losing its color and she had spotted wrinkles around the eyes, but, despite all this, she saw the power in his arms and shoulders and the stance of a fighter. Even as he lounged against the railing he stayed on the balls of feet.

The door clicked shut, blocking the man from her view. Her eyes flicked up to Jack of their own accord. He caught her looking at him and she dropped her eyes to the ground, focusing on the seams in the metal plating.

"I contacted the Department of Logistical Labor. You were right. I can't just forgive the debt," he said, nearly growling the last few words.

His hand curled into a fist and he pounded it against the mattress.

"So I guess you're stuck with us."

"I-I'll try not to be a burden, sir," she said, barely able to get her voice above a whisper. "I can work hard."

To her surprise, she watched as he clenched his fists again. Bit closed her eyes, waiting for the blows to come.

Jack looked down at her. She had pulled her knees up under her chin almost as though she felt the need to protect her stomach. Her eyes were closed tight and he noticed a slight tremor run through her body. She was frightened and he wasn't helping.

He took a deep breath, letting it out slowly.

"I'm not doing a very good job, am I?" he asked.

As he had hoped, she opened her eyes to stare at him and his unusual statement.

"I'm not worried about you not contributing..." He glanced at her docs to remember her name. "Larissa."

Jack watched as a fleeting emotion crossed her face.

"Do you not like being called Larissa?"

"Uh... no one's ever really called me that before."

"What do they call you?"

"Bit."

Jack frowned. "There must be a story behind that."

She gave him the faintest glimpse of a smile. "My sister... she became an indentured with me. She called me Little Bit. Our first employer picked up on it and eventually it was just Bit. I guess it stuck."

He gave her his best smile, the one all the men in his family knew how to use but, oddly enough, she tensed.

"Alright, Bit it is." He paused, trying to figure out how to explain the situation without frightening her. "How old are you?"

"Twenty-two."

She was older than she looked. He had assumed she was fifteen or maybe sixteen. He needed to feed her. Her last employer hadn't been taking very good care of her. Sadly, her age meant the men would find her even more enticing.

Jack scratched at his jaw, aware that he never had the chance to shave today. He felt his cheeks heat with a blush as he considered the issue. The worst of it all was that even he found her attractive, especially now that she was clean.

He cleared his throat. "The thing is...um... the thing is, this is a ship full of men. And sometimes we go weeks, even months between ports. There are... complications when we throw in a good-looking girl."

She blushed prettily and dropped her eyes from his face.

"Other than the officers, our crew all sleep in the same room. Obviously, we can't add you to that mix. And some of the men are gonna want...ummm."

"Sex?" she asked, saying the word in a matter-of-fact tone, as though this was a normal situation for her.

Without thinking about her previous expressions of fear, he dropped to the ground in front of her, dipping his head so that he could look her in the eye. She glanced up at him before making a greater effort to hide her face.

"Bit. You listen to me," he said with a firm voice.

She couldn't help but look up at him.

"While you are on my ship, no man will touch you without your permission, and if they do, I'll shove them out the airlock. You understand?"

He watched as her eyes glazed with tears. Her bottom lip trembled briefly before she pressed her lips into a thin line. Finally, she nodded once.

Before Jack could try to further relieve her fears, he heard a knock on his door. He climbed to his feet and put some space between them before calling out.

The door opened to reveal his younger brother. Calen wore a sheepish grin on his face, which Jack didn't believe for a minute.

"I take it she's staying since we've shoved off."

Jack glared at him, being certain Bit couldn't see his expression.

"Yes, Bit is staying."

"Bit?" asked Calen, smiling down at her.

To Jack's disgust, he hated his brother's grin. Whether he liked it or not, he had to admit he'd already taken the girl under his wing. Jack didn't know what his feelings towards her might become, but for now, they were protective.

"I'll let her tell you that story. For now, we need to find her a room."

"If I had my own cabin, I'd give it to her," Calen said with a fresh grin.

Jack rolled his eyes. It was a long-standing joke between them that Calen, a member of the family who owned the company, didn't have his own cabin.

"Calen chose to be a pilot. Even after all these years, he complains about not having his own room," Jack said to Bit.

Calen elbowed his brother in the ribs. "My brother just won't admit I've earned one."

Jack rolled his eyes again.

"Actually, I have an idea where she can sleep for now. It's nothing glamorous, but it will be private."

"I don't mean to be a problem," Bit said from her place on the floor; she still hadn't climbed to her feet.

"Bit," said Jack in a mock growl. Sadly, she flinched again. Someone had really done a number on her. "You're not a problem. This is not your fault. If it's anyone's fault it's Calen's. Now, where were you thinking?"

"Well, there's that closet under the stairs on this floor. We could hang a hammock. There'd still be room for a foot locker and maybe we can find an extra desk for her."

"Good. While Oden's on duty can you get that arranged?" asked Jack.

Calen scratched the back of his neck. "Kinda already did."

"Let's go see it. Bit?" asked Jack as he reached down to help her up.

She looked up at him, her eyes going from his open expression to his hand and back. Slowly, she reached up and slipped her little fingers into his. They were rough from work and cold to the touch. He pulled her to her feet and released her hand.

They followed Calen out of Jack's cabin. This level consisted of private cabins for the captain, XO, security commander, and the chief engineer, as well as a large room for the crew to share. In the center sat the stairs leading up to the bridge and down to the lower levels. The stairs leading up started as one, reached a landing, and split into two staircases heading in opposite directions. The steps leading downward were a basic switch-back style.

Tucked under the landing of the staircase leading up was a little closet. Jack couldn't even remember what had been stored in it if anything. Calen opened the door and pulled on the small chain attached to the light fixture. The light flickered on, faintly revealing the interior of the closet.

Whatever had been inside it had been removed. A homemade hammock had been hung on one side of the door, a blanket and pillow tucked into its folds and a dented metal footlocker placed underneath it. Just as Calen had said, there was still space for a desk and chair. To Jack's surprise, the floor had even been mopped.

"Sorry, it's not very nice," Calen said.

Bit stared at the little closet as though it were a palace. "This is for me?"

"Yep. And we'll get some more stuff to make it better. And I'll get a lock for the door too," said Jack.

"Th-thank you," she said, her voice dropping back to a whisper.

"No problem."

Jack turned back to show her the rest of the ship when he noticed three heads peeking around the railing of the staircase, eyeing their new crewmate. They jerked their heads out of sight and raced down the steps to the lower level.

"Calen. Take her down to the kitchen. I'm calling a meeting. We're getting this all out in the open now before the scuttlebutt even has a chance to begin."

With that, Jack stomped up the stairs.

# Chapter Four

Bit watched the captain storm away. He was angry again, but for once she didn't think it was with her.

She glanced back at the little room Calen had arranged for her. Though it was small, it was private, and she had never had a private room before. Bit glanced up at Calen.

He was watching her, a gleam of mischief in his eyes. She didn't think he would do anything like what Jack had insinuated. Bit was starting to suspect Calen was the sort of man to tie another man's bootlaces together.

"Let's get some grub," he said, guiding her to the stairs that led downward without actually touching her.

They headed downward. At the base of the stairs, Calen took the lead, opening a door across from the bottom of the staircase and ushering her in.

"We need to get you clothes that actually fit," he said as they entered the large room.

It was an enormous rectangle, with long tables filling up the first half of the room. The second half was left open, with what looked like a padded mat covering the floor. The burly man she had seen before was watching as two younger men grappled each other. They paused for a moment to eye Bit and Calen before continuing the exercise.

Based on the sweat glistening on the fighters' brows, she suspected they had been practicing for a number of minutes, and yet within a few seconds of her entrance, the man with the longer hair had his opponent on the ground and pinned.

"Why don't we sit over here," suggested Calen, ushering her to the furthest table from the practice area. "I'll be back with some food."

Calen disappeared through the only other door in the room, presumably into the ship's galley. Bit did her best not to look at the men practicing. The sight of their muscles working to dominate each other reminded her of how little power she actually had in this cage full of men.

Bit clamped down on her bottom lip, determined not to be afraid, or at least not to show it. The captain would protect her, and if he didn't, she'd just have to protect herself. She refused to be the victim anymore. Strangely enough, it had taken being thrown into a ship full of men who could very easily hurt her to make her bold. Well, more bold.

Slowly, other crew members began filling the mess hall. She recognized some of them, but not all. Though they all took turns staring at her, none of them sat at her table. Bit kept her eyes down, hoping they would continue to leave her alone.

But it was not to be.

A man she had not seen before spotted her and gave her a sloppy grin. His dirty brown hair was in need of a cut. It flopped in his eyes and he brushed it aside, his smile still in place.

"So this is the chick?" he asked to no one in particular as he crossed to her table and sat down on the bench next to her. "What's your name, sweetheart?"

Bit tried to pull away from his touch, but she was already pressed against the cold metal wall. He gently tucked a long dreadlock behind her ear, pausing to caress her cheek.

"Bit," she whispered.

He leaned in to catch her words.

"Ah, Nolan, leave the girl alone," the blond-haired man from the cantina said. Bit thought his name was Forrest.

"The girl and I were just talking," Nolan said as he lowered his hand to the back of her seat, his thumb rubbing her back between her shoulder blades. "How'd we get a pretty little thing like you to join our crew?"

Before she could answer, a man appeared behind Nolan's seat. His hand snaked out, catching Nolan by the neck and slamming his head down on the table. Bit jerked back, hitting her own head on the wall as she looked up to see who had come to her defense. It was the man with all the tattoos and piercings.

He might have a soft face, but the ripple of the muscles running up his arm was pure strength and testosterone.

"I don't think she's much interested in talking to you," Oden growled.

"What is going on here?" demanded Jack from the doorway.

Bit flinched. It felt as though the entire room was holding its breath. She wasn't the only one afraid of Jack, though he was not the obvious fighter in the room. She spotted Calen standing beside the door with a plate piled high with food.

"Well?" asked Jack when no one answered.

"Nolan was giving the girl a hard time."

"Wassna," mumbled Nolan, his lips distorted as Oden pressed his face against the table.

"Oden, Nolan, get away from her. Everyone get some grub and take a seat."

As if on cue, another man slid a large tray of finger foods onto the counter connecting the galley and the mess hall.

Calen made his way to sit in the seat Nolan had begrudgingly vacated and slid the plate over to her, along with a cup of something she didn't recognize.

"Eat as much as you want," he said, as if he knew her hesitancy.

Bit had never been given so much food in one day, much less at one meal. With Calen sitting next to her and blocking her from the other men, she relaxed a little and dug into the food.

Slowly, the others got their food and took their seats. Oden sat across from her, working to keep his eyes off of her. Forrest took the seat next to Oden. She was beginning to suspect the two young men were close friends with Calen. She wanted to like them all, if nothing else than for Calen's sake.

After all, Calen's luck in poker had freed her from Mr. Asselstine. She might be terrified of the men around her, but it wasn't any worse than her former employer all by himself. Or, at least she hoped, that was the case.

Eventually, they were all seated and ready to listen to Jack. Bit stopped eating. She knew whatever he said was likely to be about her and bring more attention to her. She didn't want to be stuffing her face when the entire crew turned to stare.

"As I'm sure you've all heard by now, Calen was clever enough to win a person in a game of poker. I hope this incident will not encourage you all to try to emulate him." Jack took a deep breath. "I'd like to introduce Bit to you. I'll let her tell you the story behind the name.

"I realize that having a woman in our crew is going to be a little difficult for some. We have already arranged a room for her, and Dirk is currently fixing a lock on her door, to which only she and I will have a key."

The room echoed with the titters of half-concealed laughs. Jack let his dark gaze cross the room, silencing the few who had dared to laugh.

"If any of you touch her without her expressed permission, I will personally see you floating in space. Do we have an understanding?"

The men nodded, their eyes flicking to her and back to the captain. One man dared to raise a hand with a question. Bit recognized him as one of the men grappling on the mat when she first entered the mess hall.

"Yes?" Jack asked, nodding to him.

"Umm... permission to speak freely, sir?"

Jack nodded.

"Does this mean we are to consider her yours?"

Bit dropped her eyes to the half-eaten food. She didn't know what Jack's answer would be, but she knew it would define her future.

The room descended into silence. Whatever his answer would be, Bit hadn't expected it to take long. The silence brought her gaze back to his face. Even from this distance, she could see the wheels in his head turning, as though he had to think on his answer.

Bit's breath caught in her chest. He was thinking on it. He was truly debating over what answer he would give. She had thought the captain an honorable man, never imagining him capable of forcing a woman into his bed. It had only been her past that had made her frightened of him. Now, that had all changed.

Eventually, he shook his head.

"No. Bit is a grown woman. She is free to do as she likes in that department. Who knows, one of you may be lucky enough to get her to like you. I wouldn't have high expectations, though," he added, trying to make a joke. "The point is, I will not have any one of my crew forcing themselves on another member of my crew. Is that understood?"

All the men nodded.

"Good. I don't know where Bit will be working yet. We'll have to figure that out as we go along. For now, I expect each of you to show her the ropes, be courteous, and, above all, get your jobs done. Dismissed."

Before she could take a breath, five more men had joined her at the table.

"So, where'd the name Bit come from?" Oden asked before anyone else could speak to her.

Bit glanced around at the faces. Even Nolan had been brave enough to join her table, though he looked a little chagrined. She swallowed the lump in her throat. For once, she wasn't going to be afraid. None of them were angry with her. There was no reason for her stomach to be doing cartwheels.

"When I first became an indentured servant I was five."—More men joined the crowd listening to her story.—"My sister became an indentured too. She always called me Little Bit. My first employer picked up on it, and it kinda stuck."

The men chuckled.

"What's your real name?" asked one of the fighters.

"Larissa."

"You prefer Bit?" asked another man.

"Why don't we let her eat," Calen said.

Another wave of chuckles spread across the crowd.

"Alright, boys, back to work," said the strong, older man she had seen before.

He began tapping his fighters on the shoulder and directing them back to the mat.

"Shouldn't at least one of you pilots be on the bridge?" he asked before turning and leaving.

Bit watched as Calen and Oden eyed each other. Before either could say anything, Jack settled the debate.

"Oden. Aren't you on duty?"

Oden let out a sigh before tossing her a wink and climbing to his feet. "Yes, sir."

As the pilot left, Dirk appeared in the doorway.

"Her lock's all done," he said as he dropped two keys into Jack's hand. "And why the hell are my assistants huddled around that skirt?"

Forrest scrambled to his feet, running his grease-stained hands through his hair before smacking another man on the shoulder. Bit eyed the other man. "Man" might not have been the right term. He was by far the youngest member of the crew, with soft brown skin that looked as though it had never been touched by wind or sand or dirt, though she did spy some grease under his nails, just like Forrest. They sauntered off with Dirk, the old man who had been in the cantina when Calen won her debt.

"Nolan," called the slightly plump man from the kitchen doorway. "We have work to do."

Nolan rolled his eyes as he left the table and joined the other man in the kitchen, leaving Calen and Bit alone. Presumably, Nolan was the assistant steward. Bit frowned as she watched the man leave. He didn't look like the sort of person to work as a steward. Bit tucked that mystery into the back of her mind.

"You still hungry?" Calen asked, glancing down at her half-finished meal.

Bit picked up her fork and tried to eat some more. She had long ago trained herself to eat anything placed before her, even if she was full, for fear that it might be days before her next meal. She picked at it unenthusiastically.

"You don't have to eat more if you don't want."

Bit shrugged. She didn't want to tell him about her past periods of starvation.

"We'll be having dinner in a just a few hours. Don't want to totally ruin your appetite," he said, sounding as though he had read her thoughts.

She set her fork down. "Yeah. Good idea."

"Calen," Jack called from near the doorway. "Why don't you let Bit rest? She's had a rough day so far. If you want, of course, Bit."

With that, Jack left the mess hall.

"Remember how to get your room?" Calen asked.

Bit nodded. He let her out of the narrow space around their seats and left her to find her own way back up to the main living floor. She spotted a man she had only seen when she first came on board, earlier in the morning.

"You must be Bit," he said with a happy smile.

He was middle-aged, with a head nearly completely shaved clean and firm lines in his face.

"I'm David. I'm second cousin to Jack and Calen and happen to be the Executive Officer. Sorry I couldn't meet you with everyone else. Someone had to stay on the bridge."

She accepted his offered hand in silence.

"You're probably off to rest. Quite the day, huh?" he asked with a laugh.

Had she not been so tired and emotionally drained she would have liked him, but at that moment he was simply another obstacle between her and her hammock.

"Well, I won't keep you," he continued. "But Jack wanted me to give you the key to your room. It locks from the inside. He's keeping his key just in case you accidentally lock yourself out."

Bit accepted the key and nodded. She wasn't worried about Jack having access to her room. Nolan, on the other hand—Bit pushed those thoughts away, determined not to be afraid.

Finally, David left her in peace and she entered her new bedroom, alone and relieved.

# Chapter Five

Oden loitered in the large room where the crew slept. He made his bed with extra care, styled his Mohawk as slowly as he could, and debated over his limited wardrobe. Even with his purposeful dallying, the other men seemed equally slow in leaving for breakfast.

"You coming, Oden?" Calen called from the tail of the mob.

"Yeah. I'll be right there," Oden said over his shoulder.

Calen left with the others, their loud voices fading as they descended the steps and disappeared into the mess hall.

The night before the conversation had settled on one topic, and one topic only: Bit, their new crewmate. It seemed nearly every young man on the crew had an opinion on her presence on the ship, ranging from "What do we need a girl for?" to "Can't wait to get me a piece of that".

Oden had mostly kept his thoughts to himself. Not so much as to be noticeable, but he wouldn't admit to what he had observed in their new crewmate. If they couldn't see the truth in her, they didn't deserve to know her.

He loitered beside his bed, waiting for another full five minutes before carefully opening the door to the barracks. Just as he had expected, Bit was just peeking her head through her own doorway.

"Good morning," he said softly.

As he had expected, she gave a little start and eyed him cautiously.

"Hungry?" he asked.

She hadn't appeared in the mess hall for dinner, and the captain had insisted they leave her alone. He knew she must be starving, but he suspected she was sadly accustomed to the sensation.

Finally, she nodded.

"We missed you at dinner last night," he said as he motioned for her to lead the way to the stairs, wanting to make sure she knew that they ate two full meals a day, with snacks out at midday, and that she was welcome at them all.

Bit didn't respond, and he didn't push.

"We need to get you more clothing. Maybe even something designed for a woman."

She glanced at him over her shoulder and he threw her a wink to make sure she knew he was trying to tease her a little. Once again, Bit didn't respond. Instead, she came to a stop in the doorway of the mess hall, staring at the mass of bodies as though she had forgotten how many souls there were on board. Counting her and the new security team designed to protect against pirates, the ship carried sixteen humans.

Jack looked up at them and smiled as though he knew and appreciated Oden's tactics. With a smile, he nodded to the empty seats at his table.

Unlike larger freighters, the officers ate with the crew; they were all one big happy family. Oden tried to ignore the sarcasm in his own thoughts.

"Shall we sit with Jack?" he asked, ignoring the hopeful glances of the other men.

"Sure," she whispered.

"Let's get some grub first."

He showed her the ropes. She put a little dab of food on her plate, leaving it mostly empty. When he thought she wasn't looking, he plopped two extra sausage links onto her plate. She looked up at him, shock apparent on her pale features.

Oden gave her his best innocent face. "What?"

He thought he saw the beginnings of a smile, but the look faded quickly. Oden grabbed both of them a juice pouch and led them back to Jack's table.

"Morning, Cap," he said as he sat down beside the captain, leaving Bit the seat at the end.

It left her open to be bothered by the others, but he didn't want to look like he was arranging things. He had already received a glare or two from his crewmates. Oden smiled back at them, enjoying their annoyance. No doubt tomorrow they would all try to be the last person out of the barracks in the hopes of catching her on the way to the mess hall. He would need to warn her ahead of time.

"Oden. Bit. Sleep well?" Jack asked, talking around Oden.

"Yes, sir," she said softly.

Jack nodded once. "You relieving Calen?" he asked Oden.

"Yeah. After I scarf this down," he said, motioning toward his full plate with his fork.

With each journey, Calen and Oden made a coin toss for day shift and night shift. This trip, Oden had been the lucky man. He glanced at Bit and thanked whatever gods there might be for his good fortune.

He took a few bites, watching Bit nibble on her food out of the corner of his eye.

"Hey, Cap, mind if I show Bit the bridge? If you want, of course," he added to her before she could think he was planning her day.

Jack shrugged. "If she wants."

Oden looked at her, giving her his full attention for the first time in a few minutes. His gaze didn't seem to unnerve her as much now. This time she smiled at him and nodded.

"Great. Eat up!"

A few minutes later they had both finished. He took her plate and dumped them in the dirty-dish bucket before guiding her out of the mess hall. While a few men had already moved to their posts for the day, he received a chorus of boos as he guided her out.

Oden didn't often bring out his angry side, now that he was out of school and away from the bullies. This time, though, he turned and glared at them until they quieted, but the damage was already done. He glanced at Jack, who was staring at Bit's back, his expression lined with concern.

He turned back and urged her forward. Oden watched her shaking hand take hold of the railing as she reached the steep staircase. He wanted to tell her that their ruckus had been directed at him, not her, but he thought it would do more damage than good. After all, if he said they were upset with him, he would have to explain why. He didn't think she'd appreciate hearing most of the crew wanted to "win her favor," or worse.

They reached the living level and he nudged her toward the next set of stairs. She continued upward, stopping at the point where the steps split in two different directions. Oden took the lead and headed up the right set of stairs. The steps let out on a catwalk nearly opposite of the door to the bridge.

Oden walked in, leaving her to enter at her own pace, and crossed to where Calen sat. He gave his friend a smack on the back.

"All good?" he asked, eying the controls.

"Nothing to report," Calen said as he turned in the swivel seat. "Hey! Bit. Good morning. Had breakfast yet?"

She nodded timidly from the doorway.

"Just my luck," chuckled Calen. "Then you'll eat dinner with me."

"You could at least ask the gal," Oden said, rolling his eyes. He winked at Bit again.

"Too true. Bit, will you please eat dinner with me tonight?"

She nodded again.

"Excellent. I'm off to get some sleep. Don't let this ol' hooligan make you stay up here all day. Explore the ship. I would say find something fun to do, but I doubt you'll find that on a freighter."

Calen patted her on the shoulder in a perfectly platonic fashion as he scooted past her. All the same, she flinched.

Oden took his seat and gave the controls a more involved examination. He adjusted a few things—Calen and he had different opinions on a few aspects of flying—and turned to keep one eye on the controls and one eye on Bit.

She had barely moved one step into the bridge, her eyes fixed on the large duroglass windows. There really wasn't much to look at. They were light-years away from anything interesting. Then again, living in a city as big as Johannesburg, she probably had never seen the stars before.

"Pretty, ain't it?" he said as he fiddled with the buttons and knobs to keep from staring at her.

"I... I never thought space could be so beautiful."

Oden smiled. This was the first he'd really heard her speak, and now he wanted to hear more.

"Didn't see many stars from Johannesburg?"

She shook her head.

"Ever live anywhere else?"

She shook her head again, her eyes still glued to the view.

Before Oden could ask anything else, a screen beeped at him. He glanced down, watching a blip move a space closer to the center. Without letting his gaze leave the screen, he reached for the communicator, flipped it to the right channel, and spoke into the hand-held device.

"Captain to the bridge," he said in a calm tone; no one else needed to know there might be an issue.

His words had caught Bit's attention.

"Wanna see?" he asked, waving to the swath of buttons and knobs that wrapped halfway around his swivel chair.

She walked across the bridge, her bare feet making soft pitter-patter noises on the metal plating, and glanced over her shoulder as if she thought she might get caught. Oden scooted to the far edge of his seat to give her more space.

"Why did you call the captain?" she asked.

Before he could explain the issue, Jack marched in.

"Report," he said, barely taking notice of Bit standing beside his pilot.

"One frigate to the starboard," Oden announced.

"Distance?"

"Nine miles, sir."

Jack moved to Oden's side while Bit scurried to the corner of the room. Oden wanted to suggest she leave. She didn't need to see their stress if the nearing vessel really was a pirate ship, and yet he knew sending her away would only hurt their delicate friendship. Besides, it wasn't his call to send her away. That was up to the captain.

Jack reached over Oden's shoulders and grabbed the communicator. "XO to the bridge."

Oden cringed. By now the entire crew would know something was up.

Jack flipped a switch, changing the communicator to a different channel. "Dirk?"

"Yeah, Cap," came Dirk's voice through the communications system.

"Where we at?"

"Ninety percent."

"Bring us up to ninety-five."

"Aye, sir."

"Oden, ten degrees to the starboard. Let's see if he follows."

"Ten degrees starboard, aye, sir."

Oden flipped the freighter's autopilot off, took hold of the two joysticks and adjusted the direction of the ship according to the captain's orders, his eyes never leaving the control.

"Captain?" called David, the ship's XO, as he came into the bridge.

"We've got a frigate to the starboard."

"Eight miles, sir," announced Oden.

"They following?" asked Jack.

"Seems so," said Oden, glancing at the next screen to check their angle on the z-axis. "Yes. They followed."

"Dirk. Bring us up to one hundred percent," Jack called into the communicator.

Oden felt the rumble of the ship as the engines increased their speed. Technically they could push the engines up to a hundred and ten percent, maybe even a hundred and twenty percent, but it would cost fuel and risk damage. They couldn't get away from the pirates if they were dead in the water—so to speak.

He wanted to glance at the captain, but he knew he needed to stay focused on the myriad of screens in front of him. It was not his job to decide if they needed to call their gunner to his post.

Oden also wanted to check on Bit. No doubt she was frightened. Hell, he was frightened. But worrying about her wouldn't do either of them any good.

Jack flipped the channel on the communicator to reach the entire ship and spoke, "All crew to your stations. All crew to your stations."

"Seven miles," Oden announced.

From their place in the bridge, they heard the metallic clang of the crew clambering up and down the stairs to reach their stations. In record time, Randal appeared on the bridge.

"Want my men in the skiffs?" Randal asked.

"Yes."

Randal crossed to another communicator, flipped it to a private channel, and spoke, "Isaac, Reese, Nathyn to the skiffs. Blaine to the cannon."

In truth, the security team was probably already making their way to their stations, but it never hurt to remind them, especially when they were new. Oden shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts and focus on the ship he was flying. It was one thing to be capable of flying the tiny skiffs used to protect the freighter, it was an entirely different thing to maneuver the enormous freighter within the restraints of a battle while simultaneously not destroying their cargo. The security team had taken a short, six-month course to allow them to fly the skiffs, whereas Oden had undergone years of training.

Within minutes, the entire crew reported ready.

"Six miles."

"Keep us steady," ordered Jack. "Can we get visuals?"

"Not yet, sir. If they keep gaining on us..."

And they waited. It was painful to watch the seconds tick by. Finally, the dot moved another space towards the center of his screen.

"Five miles." Oden punched a few buttons, bringing up a blurry image of the ship creeping up on them.

Even without the details—which would come into focus as it drew nearer—they could tell it was a small ship, with only two turrets on its sides.

"Dispatch the skiffs," ordered Jack.

"Release on my mark," said Randal into his communicator. "In three, two, one. Release."

"In three, two, one. Release."

Bit heard the snap-hiss of something being released. A second later, three tiny ships appeared above the longbow of the freighter. From what Bit could tell from her corner, the skiffs looked to be no more than a cockpit atop a fuel tank. The tiny ships zoomed out of view and began flying patterns around the freighter.

Her eyes shifted to Oden. Beads of sweat were forming on his brow, rolling down the shaved portions of his head and disappearing into the collar of his shirt. No doubt he was the one they were all depending on.

Bit held her breath as the skiffs shifted their maneuvers to protect the back of the freighter. Had it not been for the displays showing the action taking place behind them, she might have tried glancing over her shoulder. Through the cameras mounted on the rear of the ship, they were able to watch the skiffs weave together.

"Three miles," announced Oden.

The attacking frigate let loose a barrage on them.

"Take evasive actions," Jack ordered Oden before speaking into his communicator. "Hold on, folks."

Just as Jack finished his warning, the enormous freighter's bow dipped downward. Bit scrambled for a handhold a second too late. She stumbled forward, right into the back of Oden's seat, nearly flipping over his shoulder and going face first into his lap. In a swift movement, he reached back to stabilize her before returning his hand to the controls.

"Hold on, sweetheart," he murmured, half to himself.

She did as she was told, spreading her feet apart for better balance and gripping the back of his seat until the cushion dented under her fingers.

The ship tilted to the left—was that port or starboard? She was going to have to learn the language if she hoped to stay on with the crew. Bit leaned against the movement, just before Oden shifted the controls again and the bow moved upward.

Bit glanced at the other men. They had their own handholds and were leaning with the movements of the ship.

Something hit the back of the ship, rocking it. From where she stood she could see Oden's eyes narrow as he made another swift maneuver. His eyes glanced up at the display showing where the skiffs were. They were still whizzing about, waiting for the enemy frigate to get close enough to fire.

"Two miles," Oden announced.

Bit wondered how the pilot managed to fly, monitor the incoming vessel's distance, and keep track of where three skiffs were all at the same time.

All of the sudden, all three skiffs opened fire on the incoming vessel. Simultaneously, the freighter gave a mighty shake and the lights dimmed as something overhead released a loud whomping sound. Bit glanced up, wondering if they had been hit again. The freighter gave another shake and made the noise again.

Oden made another careful move. While their movements came unexpectedly to the other passengers, they were smooth and seamless. Bit didn't know much about space flying, but she was pretty sure Oden was earning his pay today.

Suddenly Oden pulled the ship back to level, simultaneously speaking, "Three miles."

"They pulling back?" asked Jack, sounding as though he couldn't believe his ears.

"Looks like," said Oden.

They waited a few more minutes, the skiffs still flying patterns around their backside.

"Four miles," said Oden.

Another wait lasted even less time, though Bit felt as though she had held her breath for an eternity.

"Five miles."

Those on the bridge let out a collective sigh. Jack nodded to David, who flipped on his communicator.

"Looks like the danger's passed." The XO changed to another channel. "Skiffs, stay out another few minutes, then come back in and dock."

The men glanced at each other, each one showing their stress in different ways.

"Good flying, Oden."

David nodded.

"David," continued the captain. "Get the crew into the cargo bay and make sure the goods are in order."

David nodded again and scurried away.

"I'll go debrief with my team," announced Randal.

"Good plan," agreed Jack. He turned to smile at Bit and his pilot. "Well, Little Bit. First encounter with pirates, what do you think?"

She stared at him, unsure what he expected her to say.

"Um... don't much want to repeat it."

Jack and Oden laughed.

"None of us do," Oden said as he messed with a few more buttons.

"But they're part of the trade. Many more days like that and I'm gonna have to give you a raise, Oden," Jack said, patting him on the shoulder and leaving the bridge in one swift movement.

Oden messed with one last thing on his bank of controls before turning in his swivel chair. He gave her a wide grin. She liked his smile, and him. She felt as though Oden knew what she had gone through before joining the crew. He seemed to understand her fears and nervousness. Something about him suggested he had suffered too.

"Where did you learn to do that?" she asked, flinching when she realized how forward she had been.

To her relief, he laughed, turning in his seat to get a better look at her.

"You should see Calen in action. I got a scholarship for the flight school on Mars."

"You've been to Mars?"

"Hell, girl, you're going there now. Couple months with us and you'll have visited most of the outposts and mining camps."

Bit pressed her lips together, trying to hide her excitement. She had learned a long time ago to keep her desires to herself. If her employer knew what she wanted, he knew how to manipulate her. The truth was, she wanted to stay with the freighter. She may not have shown it yet, but she was happier here than she had been since...she couldn't remember when she last had been happy.

Suddenly, Oden's face took on a more serious look.

"Bit, I know you haven't had a good life, just remember, you stick with us and you have a chance at that."

Bit looked down at the metal plating. Oden remained silent, waiting for her to speak.

"Whether I stick with you or not, ain't up to me, sir."

Oden laughed again. "Don't you dare call me 'sir' again, Little Bit. Cap's the only one you need to be treating with that much respect. And trust me, neither the captain nor Calen are gonna give up your debt anytime soon."

"You think?"

"I know."

He paused for a long moment, clearly working through what else he wanted to say. Finally, he spoke again. "I'm not gonna pretend to know what your life has been like before now, but if it was anything like my growing up, then family is something you're pretty short on. Here, aboard the Lenore, you have fifteen men—well, fourteen if you leave Dirk out of this—who are ready to punch the first person who hurts you."

Bit felt pressure build behind her eyes. She couldn't even look at Oden. She didn't want to be afraid anymore, and his words told her she didn't need to be. But her body had suffered time and again at the hands of men, and now she was aboard of ship full of them.

"Hey. No need for tears," he said, reaching out as though he wanted to grip her shoulder, but pulling back at the last second.

Bit shook her head. "S-sorry."

"No need for apologies either."

Bit nodded, gnawing on her tongue in an effort to control her emotions.

"Hey, Bit, you still up there?" called Jack from the lower level.

Bit tried to clear her throat to answer, but couldn't quite get past the lump in her throat.

"Yeah, Cap. You need her?"

"Send her to the mess hall when you're done wooing."

"Ha-ha!" replied Oden with a roll of his eyes. Oden gave her a moment before he said, "You might want to get on down there."

Bit finally swallowed her need to cry. "Thank you for showing me the bridge."

"You're welcome up here with me anytime."

She forced a smile to her lips and turned to leave.

"Hey, Bit."

"Yes?"

"Chances are the rest of the crew will hang back tomorrow morning, hoping to catch you on the way to breakfast."

Bit frowned. She still couldn't understand why they all wanted to sit with her... unless they wanted... She squeezed her eyes shut, refusing to think all these men wanted her for that.

"They just want to talk," Oden said as though he had read her thoughts. "But if you don't want a mob, you might want to try getting there early tomorrow."

"And you'll be there early too, I suspect?" she asked, amazed at her temerity; she had actually teased him.

Oden chuckled. "Maybe. Better get going."

# Chapter Six

Bit had just started feeling comfortable with Oden. Outside the bridge she stopped and took a deep breath, steadying herself before she headed down to the living level. She walked down to the mess hall, starting to feel as though she knew her way around the ship. There were still many doors that were a mystery, plus an entire lower level left to explore. She stopped in the doorway, realizing the entire crew—minus Oden—was seated and staring at Jack.

"Take a seat, Bit," the captain ordered.

She swallowed the lump in her throat and scurried to the nearest seat, next to the longish-haired man who had been wrestling on the mat earlier. She spotted Calen sitting at the next table, looking bleary-eyed.

"As you all know by now, we were just followed by a pirate frigate. We scared them off, taking minimal damage. Thanks to Oden's excellent flying, none of the cargo was damaged either. As we had hoped, the use of the skiffs, manned by our new security team, scared them off."

"Why were we attacked so close to Earth?" asked one of the security team members. "Don't they usually wait 'til we're further into space, away from the security of Earth's ships?"

"What's in the cargo?" asked Nolan, the man who had frightened her the day before.

Bit cringed. She didn't know much about how the crew worked, but she knew Nolan was not in a position to be asking questions. The bearded man standing behind Nolan smacked him across the back of the head hard enough to make a sound.

Jack ground his teeth together for a moment before giving a sharp nod. "I suppose you have a right to know. While the cargo hold hasn't got much of specific value, we are carrying animal embryos to Mars."

"What?"

"Why's that important?"

The crew asked a myriad of questions all at once. Jack raised his hand, waiting for his crew to go silent.

"The animal embryos are a new species being introduced to the Martian ecosystem. They are worth a tidy fortune. Part of the reason I hired on extra security."

"So we'll be attacked again," stated Randal, standing and moving to Jack's side. "Our tactics worked today. They'll work again. We are also installing a security device on the docking port to keep them from boarding. All the same, the captain and I think each of you should take lessons from the security team on how to defend yourselves, just in case."

"Exactly," said Jack, taking the spotlight back. "Find time in your schedules to work with one of the security team on some basics. Dismissed."

The crew members surged to their feet. Bit scrambled to the corner of the room, letting them all pass by.

"Bit," Jack called once the majority of the crew dispersed.

She walked over to where he stood by the bearded man who had smacked Nolan. She suspected he was the head steward.

"Bit. Have you met Vance?"

"No, sir." She forced herself to reach out and take the man's offered hand.

He smiled at her. "Seems we need to get you some clothing. I've taken the liberty to go around and take a few hand-me-downs from the crew. They'll be a bit big on you, but I thought if you have a mind to sewing, you might be able to make them fit better. There's a sewing kit in there too."

Vance held out a bag full of clothing.

Bit looked up at the two men, all her composure gone again. She felt her bottom lip begin to quiver, but couldn't do anything about it. As she tried to press her lips together, tears began to spill from her eyes and roll down her cheeks. She tried to take in a deep breath, but it came in as a gasp. Before she knew what was happening, she was sobbing, barely able to stay on her feet.

"What's going on?" came Oden's voice from the staircase.

"Nothing, Oden. Get back to your post," said Jack, sounding upset.

His tone brought another wave of tears and fear. Before she could do or say anything, Jack scooped her up into his arms and began to make his way to her room. Vance followed, setting the bag down just beyond the entryway. Jack deposited her in her hammock, pulling the chain on the light just as the door swung shut. The captain pulled her foot locker out and sat on it. He threaded his fingers together and stared at the floor, letting her cry her eyes out.

When her tears finally dried out, she turned to look at him.

"S-sorry," she whispered.

Jack shook her head. "No need to apologize. I take it kindness is a bit foreign to you."

Bit turned away to stare at the corner. She felt ridiculous—crying because someone had been nice to her.

"I'm not upset with you, Bit."

She nodded, not really believing him.

"You don't believe me, and that's okay. We'll figure each other out, eventually. It's been a long day. Feel free to rest. Or if you know how to sew, there's the clothing. Dinner's served at 1900. You'll hear the mob rushing to the mess hall. From here on out, I expect you at each meal. You need fattening up."

With that, he left. Bit stared at the door, amazed at just about everything he had said.

"Was that Bit I heard crying?" Calen asked as he emerged from the crew quarters.

He watched as Jack let out a sigh and nodded toward the officers' quarters. They crossed the catwalk and slipped into Jack's room.

"Yeah. Vance gave her a bundle of clothing gathered from the crew. She had a complete meltdown. Starting to think Dirk was right about women on ships."

Calen rolled his eyes. He didn't believe his brother for a minute. Jack liked to complain, but he knew he'd already taken Bit under his wing. Jack either liked a person or didn't. He'd already proven that he liked the petite woman.

"Uh-huh," said Calen as he collapsed on his brother's bunk.

Jack scruffed up his hair and blew out a breath.

"You have brought a world of trouble to my ship."

Calen continued to wait, watching his brother fidget. He knew his brother's tension had little to do with Bit. Her breakdown was just the last straw. Once he was ready, Jack would spill the rest.

"You don't think so?"

"Explain to me how Bit is a problem?"

"We're a crew of men!" exclaimed Jack, rising to his feet and pacing the short distance of his room.

"And other than a few exceptions, do you really think any of the men would dare to touch her after your warning?"

"They want to."

"Want and actually doin' are two very different things, Brother. Hell, I bet you've had a thought or two in that department," responded Calen with a mischievous grin.

Jack's rising anger proved the truth of his brother's statement. He grinned again, making sure his face was neutral when his brother turned back to repeat his path.

"What's really bothering you, Jack?" Calen asked at last; he was tired of waiting for Jack to get to the point.

"Oh, I don't know. That pirate attack took us all by surprise."

Calen nodded.

"You should have seen Bit on the bridge. Scared out of her mind."

Again, Calen kept silent.

"I'm not sure if she's cut out for this. This ship. These men. This life..."

Jack glared at his brother when he remained silent. Calen waited another heartbeat or two before finally responding.

"You really think she can't handle this life?"

"Yeah. You weren't there. You didn't see the terror."

"Well, you were just saying she was a complication. I thought you'd be happy with an excuse to be rid of her."

Jack rolled his eyes, the expression swiftly turning into a glare.

"Admit it, Jack, you'd be devastated if she asked to leave."

The captain glared at him again before nodding.

"I think you have the wrong impression of her, personally."

"How's that?" Jack asked.

"We have no idea what she's gone through before coming to us, as an indentured. A family-less female indentured? It could be anything, and most likely the worst of anything. Assuming she has gone through the worst, a pirate attack ain't nothing."

"Yeah but..."

"Jack. She's strong. Just give her a chance to realize it."

Evidently, this was what Jack needed to hear. "You're right, of course. She's gone through a lot of transition in such a short time."

"A week from now," replied Calen, "she'll be unrecognizable."

"Now all we need to do is figure out how we're gonna get to Mars alive."

Calen laughed. Leave it to his brother to change the topic so rapidly.

"You think we'll be attacked again?"

"I know it."

"The embryos?"

Jack nodded. "Someone leaked it that we'd be carrying them, otherwise we wouldn't have been attacked so close to Earth."

"What can we do?" Calen asked.

"I don't know," Jack sighed, scratching his head again. "Let me know if you think of an idea."

Calen laughed again.

# Chapter Seven

The next morning Bit was awake well before she heard any sound from the crew.

She had stayed in her room as long as she could the day before, working on the clothing donated to her, until she had to emerge for dinner, as per the captain's order, but the minute that was over she went back to her room. She was long depleted of strength.

Thankfully, sewing had been a necessity of her life as an indentured. Most of her clothing back on Earth had been hand-me-downs. This was not a new experience for her—altering the clothes of others to fit her slight frame.

Now, though, after a full night of sleep, she felt better able to face the men of the crew. Still, she wasn't much interested in meeting them all in the corridor on her way to breakfast. She took Oden's suggestion and slipped out of her room.

Bit stopped in her tracks, aware she wasn't the first person up. David knelt next to the airlock, a tool bag at his knees. He smiled at her and waved his screwdriver in greeting. She waved back before turning toward the staircase.

On light feet, she glided down to the mess hall. To her amazement, Oden and another man already sat with plates of food.

She stopped in the doorway and stared.

The two men smiled and waved her over.

"I got caught," Oden said with a sheepish grin.

Bit recognized the other man as one of the security team members—the one with hair just long enough to seem odd compared to the military haircuts.

"Have you met Blaine yet?" Oden asked.

"No. Nice to meet you, sir," she said, shaking his offered hand.

"Well, don't just stand there, girl, get yourself something to eat," Oden ordered, walking with her to the row of food laying across the steam tables.

"You've got to eat more, girl," he said, piling more food on her plate, just as he had done the day before.

She looked back at her plate, wondering how she could possibly eat that much food. Bit followed the pilot over to the table and took the seat next to him. He was grinning ear to ear as she chose her seat.

They ate in silence for a few minutes before Oden spoke.

"I've got duty in a few, but I'll meet you after for that for training," he said to Blaine.

The fighter grunted around his bite of food.

"Um," began Bit. "What about me?"

"I don't think Cap meant for you to get trained," Oden said after swallowing his food.

Bit glanced at Blaine. Whatever his thoughts on the topic, he was willing to let her deal with it. She wanted to leave it be, but an image of the pirates boarding the freighter gave her the necessary courage to speak up.

"And if we get boarded?" she asked.

"We'll protect you," offered Blaine, sounding a little condescending; his tone stiffened her spine.

"You can't promise me that."

Blaine glared at her, no doubt amazed that she was talking back. After all, until that moment she had been as timid as a battered puppy.

"I don't mean no disrespect, sir, but you leaving me ignorant and unable to defend myself leaves me vulnerable on this ship, and if you all think that you have to worry about me, then you're not focused on your job, and I become a liability."

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Oden shaking with silent laughter.

"Do as the girl says," Jack ordered from his position in the doorway.

She looked up at him, her voice suddenly stuck in her throat. She hadn't realized the captain had been listening when she began her speech. Had she known, she might not have said anything.

"No one on the ship is to be unable to defend themselves, including her, especially her."

With this final statement, Jack went and got his own food. He took the seat next to Bit, blocking her from anyone else who might want to join them. It wasn't long before the other crew members trickled in. From the looks they gave Oden, he was quickly becoming the traitor of the group.

"Thought of any brilliant schemes to use against those pirates, Cap?" Oden asked.

"Nope. You?"

Oden shook his head.

"Can I ask a question?" Bit asked hesitantly, instantly regretting opening her mouth.

"Sure."

Bit looked down at her food, desperately wanting to backpedal out of the conversation.

"Um... I remember r-reading about the ships on Earth's seas, specifically the-the submarines. They c-could launch countermeasures that would make enemy torpedoes blow up before they got to the ship. C-can we do something like that?"

Jack shrugged. "Not really. Those worked when the enemy could only shoot one or two shots. Ships nowadays, in space, can shoot loads and loads of shots."

"Oh." Bit felt stupid, now that he had spelled it out.

"They also dropped those depth charges, essentially bombs to shake the submarines to bits," said Oden.

"You suggesting we drop bombs on the pirates?" chuckled Jack.

"We could release bombs, keep them chasing us, and then blow the bombs when the pirate ship is near," countered Oden.

Jack stopped eating, thinking through the possibility.

"They'd shoot the bomb before they got near enough for it to do any damage."

"Then we disguise 'em," said Bit before she could stop herself.

"As what?" scoffed Blaine.

Bit grimaced, once again kicking herself for speaking out. What had gotten into her?

"D-don't you dump your t-trash into space, especially if you n-need all the speed you can get? Ocean vessels d-did something similar way b-back when," Bit said to her half-finished breakfast.

The three men looked at her as though she'd suddenly explained nuclear propulsion.

"We make the bombs look like trash?" asked Oden, his frown suggesting the idea was slowly taking shape in his mind. "How small could the bombs be?"

Jack shrugged. "I think we'd have to get Dirk in on this to say for sure... but we might have something. Good thinking, Bit."

"Earning her keep already," said Oden as he patted her on the back. "I've gotta get to the bridge. Come hang with me, Bit, when you have the time."

She smiled at him as he climbed to his feet.

Before Bit could figure out what she should be doing next, Blaine waved Randal over. The leader of the security team stopped at their table, taking the last seat available at their table, his plate already empty.

"Cap wants the girl trained. Who you want doing it?" he asked, glancing back at the other security team members.

Thus far, Blaine and Randal were the only ones she had met. By the looks of the others, she wasn't sure she wanted to know them.

"You train her, with me overseeing. Start with firearms when the crew disperses. This good with you, Captain?" Randal asked, glancing at Jack who was just scraping his plate of the last of its food.

He nodded as he took the last bite and got to his feet, all in one smooth move.

Long before Bit could prepare herself for a one-on-one training session with this comparative stranger, the crew scattered, leaving them alone. Blaine grabbed her plate as he rose and dumped them in the dirty bucket just as Vance and Nolan began dragging the trays of uneaten food back into the galley.

"Come with me," Blaine said as he licked the last of the grease off his fingers.

Bit followed him out into the hallway. He led her past the staircase into the part of the level she had yet to see. At the very end of the hall, she spotted a single door on the left. On the right, though, there were five narrow doors, evenly spaced.

Blaine stopped at the first door and punched in a code.

On further examination, Bit realized each of the five doors had keypads. She poked her head past the open door and blinked. The walls were lined with special trays and pegs, holding various weapons and weapon-related items—mostly handguns, holsters, and vests.

"I take it you do not prescribe to the 'overkill is underrated' mindset," she murmured as she scanned the various weapons, shocked into speaking.

Blaine let out a single chuckle that sounded more like a grunt as he selected one of the smaller pistols, along with a few other items.

"Is this all for our ship?" she asked when he didn't respond.

Blaine glanced around. "These are just the handguns."

"You mean there's more?"

She glanced down the hall, suddenly realizing each of the five rooms were separated armories.

"Yep. And a secondary armory on the same floor as the bridge. We have Kevlar vests, helmets, rifles, etc."

"Expecting to fight World War Four?"

Blain laughed again. "Just prepared for all eventualities."

Bit smiled up at him. She had found him tense and reserved around her when she first joined him and Oden for breakfast, but the longer he was around her the more he seemed to relax. Bit was beginning to suspect the fighter was slow to warm up to people. She also suspected anyone he did like would have his fierce loyalty.

They returned to the mess hall and pushed the tables back to the corner. Bit glanced at the hole in the wall leading into the galley and found a door had been rolled down to block it. Blaine pulled a curtain across the far wall before moving to a nearby closet. Bit realized the curtain was made of some strange, thick material. It already showed signs of being struck by something small and metallic. From the closet, Blaine dragged a human-shaped target out and placed it in the center of the far wall.

Blaine motioned her to sit across from him on the one table still available. He placed the gun and the clip on the table, the muzzle pointing toward the empty wall.

"You understand that this kills?"

Bit swallowed the lump in her throat and nodded. There was no laughter left in Blaine's eyes; he was all business now.

"Good. First lesson about handling a gun: Never point it at anything you don't intend to kill."

Bit swallowed again. While she had been advocating for her right to learn, she had never actually thought about killing someone. Suddenly, the truth of it all was very real and very present. She nodded again.

"Alright. Now let's learn how to take it apart, clean it, and clear jams."

Thirty minutes later she was barely able to put the gun back together with his step by step instructions. Bit stuck out her tongue as she struggled to get the last piece in place. She hated struggling with a new task and felt a new determination to conquer it.

With the last piece back in place, she set the gun down, careful to keep the muzzle pointing to the wall, and looked up at her trainer.

Blaine's face was carefully neutral.

"That bad?" she asked, seeing the neutral expression as an effort to hide his frustration.

"Well... it obviously doesn't come naturally to you, but that's okay. We haven't worked on it long. We'll work on it more later. I have others coming for training and I want to see how you handle firing it before we quit for today."

Bit swallowed again. Until now, she had mostly managed to look at the weapon as a tool, or broken piece of a gadgetry, rather than a killing device. Blaine handed her the gun and the clip before standing up. She followed him to a spot as far away from the dummy as they could get.

"Put the clip in."

She obeyed.

"Take your stance. Legs a little further apart. No, here, like this."

Bit felt her breath catch in her chest as he took up a position directly behind her and adjusted her body. She knew she needed to be focused on what he was doing so that she could remember the right position, but her brain froze. To her amazement, he didn't step away.

"Now squeeze."

Bit obeyed, her eyes blinking as she pulled on the trigger.

"Gotta keep your eyes open," he said, humor making his voice lighter than it had been.

"Right," she breathed. "Knew I forgot something."

"Breathe, Bit. The gun's not pointed at you."

Bit tried, but her breath would only come in small gasps. Finally, Blaine stepped back, giving her the space she needed. He was staring at her, but she couldn't worry about anything beyond breathing and the gun in her hand.

After a short eternity, he spoke. "Take your stance."

She obeyed, once again.

Instead of lining his body up with hers, he adjusted her elbow with the barest touch. Bit felt her face burn with a blush, not because he had touched her again, but because he had realized the problem.

"Go ahead."

She fired two rounds at the target, hitting the back curtain and grazing the dummy's shoulder.

"Okay. You need to squeeze the trigger. Don't jerk it back. It takes a tender touch."

Bit turned to look at him as he spoke, unwittingly bringing the gun with her. In a split second, Blaine had the gun out of her hand and had somehow taken her to the ground, her arm pinned behind her back. She winced as her shoulder took the brunt of the fall.

"What the hell?" demanded a voice from the doorway. "Let her go!"

"Pilot Calen, how I train Bit is none of your business. You are dismissed," Blaine growled, still pinning her to the floor.

Bit heard footsteps and the bang of the door shutting. Before she could realize Calen had left, Blaine set the pistol on the floor, the muzzle pointing away. Bit absently noticed that he had already flipped the safety on.

"Do you know why I took you to the ground?" he asked softly in her ear.

"Don't point the gun at anything you don't intend to kill," she parroted back to him.

"Exactly. You point the gun at me, you go down. Do you understand?"

Bit nodded, her cheek rubbing against the metal plating.

With that, Blaine jumped up, reached down, and dragged her to her feet. Before either of them could say anything, the door to the mess hall swung open. Jack appeared with Calen on his heels.

Jack glanced between them before speaking. "Calen seems concerned you're being too rough on Bit."

Bit wanted to speak out but wasn't sure how to start. She glanced at her trainer. He was already glaring at Calen.

"I take down any man who stupidly points a gun at me. Hell, I took Calen down three times in our first training session."

"She's not a man," snapped Calen.

"Excuse me!" she yelled back before she could censor herself. "My breasts don't negate the fact I need to learn. If this is how Blaine teaches then that's how I want to learn. And trust me, one takedown and I don't think I'll be forgetting again."

The three men stared at her. Bit felt her cheeks burn as she realized she had just yelled at the captain and the man who held her debt documents.

"Well, I think that's settled," said Jack. "Blaine, while remembering that Bit is not up to fighting weight, to begin with, proceed as you see best under Commander Randal's supervision. Calen, in the future any concern you have with the security team will be taken directly to Randal, not me. Also, from a legal standpoint you might be her employer, but as far as this crew is concerned, your only relationship to Bit is first pilot on the same freighter. Understand?"

Bit watched as Calen seemed to chew on his own teeth. Finally, he nodded once and stomped off.

Bit worried she had offended him. She didn't want to be making enemies, especially on her second day aboard the ship.

"Carry on," Jack said as he glanced at the uninjured dummy.

With the bang of the door shutting, the room went silent. Bit couldn't bring herself to look up at Blaine.

"You okay?" he finally asked.

She nodded, her eyes still glued to the floor.

"Bit?" he called, drawing her name out. "Are you lying to me? Did I hurt you?"

To her surprise, a sputter of laughter escaped her tightly pressed lips. While she suspected she might have a bruise on her shoulder come morning, it was nothing compared to the beatings she had taken from other employers.

"Was that funny?"

Bit shook her head, wiping laugh tears from her eyes as she worked to control herself. "I'm fah-hine. S-sorry, sir"

When she finally looked up, there was laughter in his eyes too.

"So we're okay then?" he asked.

This sobered her jocularity. He was truly concerned that his actions had upset her.

"Sir..."

"Blaine."

"Blaine, I'm not upset. I want you to treat me like everyone else."

"I'm not sure I can entirely keep that promise, but I will try."

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"Never mind. Get going. I have a lesson with Calen next."

"Ah. Uh... good luck."

Blaine chuckled and motioned for her to leave. Bit obeyed and jogged up the stairs, feeling a weight lift from her shoulders. She couldn't tell if it was from standing up for herself or from making a new friend. Either way, she felt happy.

But one look at Calen standing in the hallway outside her little room washed away whatever joy she had found. Bit stopped a few feet away and crossed her arms. She had defended her perspective twice today, she could damn well do it again.

"What?" she asked when he didn't say anything.

She wanted to cringe at the harshness of her own voice but wasn't ready to give away her proverbial footing.

"I was just standing up for you," he said, his voice a perfect mixture of hurt and anger.

Bit felt her righteous indignation leak from her as her shoulders dropped.

"I know, Calen, but I need you to let me defend myself sometimes. Besides, I did accidentally point the gun at Blaine. He needed to correct me."

"He didn't need to throw you to the ground," grumbled Calen.

"If he needs to do it to you, then he needs to do it to me. We have to learn."

Calen closed the distance between them. "You've been through so much. You shouldn't have to be beaten 'cause you made a mistake."

Bit felt her anger surge back.

"What do you know of my past?" she demanded. "Nothing, that's what. Check your facts before you go accusing him or me of anything."

She lowered her eyes, the fight suddenly going out of her. She was putting a wedge between them and she didn't want it there. She liked Calen, and she wanted to keep his friendship.

Despite the warning her body gave her, she reached out and gripped Calen's hand, forcing her gaze up to him.

"I'm sorry, Calen. I shouldn't have said that." She took a deep breath. "I don't want to fight with you. Blaine did nothing wrong. Please don't fight with him because of me."

Slowly, Calen nodded, squeezing her hand in return.

"You better get going. Blaine's waiting for you. Be nice," she added before he could reach the lower level.

Bit took another deep breath. Her battered mind was ready for a rest from navigating the new people in her life. Before she could open her door and disappear, Randal appeared. Bit's shoulders slumped. Was he angry at her too?

"I hear there was a little conflict over Blaine's training."

She nodded.

"You want to rethink getting trained?" he asked.

Bit glanced up at him, his question taking her completely by surprise.

"No, sir. I made a mistake. Blaine corrected me in a way that I won't soon forget."

Randal gave her one nod, as though he was pleased with her answer, and headed up the stairs to the upper level.

Bit stumbled into her room and collapsed on the hammock.

# Chapter Eight

Oden tried to focus as David droned on about the technical qualities of a certain upgrade. The pilot already knew the benefits and the detriments of the upgrade. He had already informed the XO and the captain of his opinion: It wasn't worth the money.

Thankfully, Oden spotted the best distraction the ship had to offer.

"Bit," he called out to the young woman hovering near the door to the bridge and simultaneously interrupting the XO.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw David roll his eyes.

"I see I've been upstaged," David said with an exaggerated sigh. "I'll be in my room."

David slipped past Bit, giving her a gentle nudge onto the bridge at the same time. She stumbled forward, stopping a safe distance away from Oden.

"What have you been up to?" he asked, making no move to close the distance between them.

"I had my training with Blaine, then I, uh... hid in my room for a bit."

"Honesty, I like it."

She gave him a small smile.

"How was training?"

Bit stared at him for a second, the wheels of her thoughts visible in her eyes. Slowly, her body slumped in defeat.

"Rumors already started?"

Oden shrugged, a sheepish grin playing on his lips. "Maybe a bit."

"What're they saying?" she asked.

"Well... that Blaine used his famous take-down on you and that Calen freaked out."

Bit rolled her eyes. "That's about the sum of it."

"You sore?"

"Not yet."

Oden laughed. Her blunt honesty was refreshing. She was different from this morning. He couldn't tell what the difference was, but he liked it. Never before had she tried sarcasm on him.

"Wait 'til you start hand-to-hand with him."

Bit whitened at the thought.

"Don't worry," continued Oden. "He won't hurt you if he can help it. Blaine's one of the good guys."

Oden hid his smile as Bit wandered forward, stopping close to his seat and staring out the windows. She wouldn't have dared come so close to him yesterday.

"What's this?" he asked, taking her bare arm in his gentle hands and turning her so he could see her shoulder blade.

Today she wore a tank-top he had donated and she had taken in. He would never inform her that she was wearing his clothes, much less how he liked the look of them on her. The tank left her shoulder blades bare, revealing the tail end of a number tattooed on her skin. She flinched as he tried to shift the fabric to see the rest of the number.

Oden instantly removed his hands, not wanting her to suddenly fear him again.

"It's nothing."

"You can just say you don't want to talk about it," he said.

Bit stared out the window, chewing on her bottom lip. Oden focused on the controls, not because he needed to adjust anything, but because he wanted to give her space. Finally, she let out a long breath.

"It's my branding for the indentured program. They just have to look up the number to know everything about me."

"What happens when you pay off the debt?"

Bit choked on a half contained laugh. "That's not likely to happen. I have mine and most of my sister's to pay off."

"Why's that?"

"She died."

"I'm sorry." He wanted to say more but suspected it would do more harm than good.

Bit shrugged. "It was a few years ago."

"And now you take on her debt too?"

"It was technically my father's debt, so yeah?"

"Your father?"

"I don't really want to talk about it."

"Okay." He paused. "So, what shall you do now?"

Bit shrugged. "Captain hasn't really put me to any tasks. I wish I could do something useful, though."

"You training again tomorrow morning?"

"I think so."

"So just the afternoons to worry about."

Bit nodded.

"Want to learn to fly?" Oden asked.

He didn't want to admit it, but he was jealous of Blaine's time with her, even if the soldier wasn't interested in her in that way.

"What would Jack say?" she asked, glancing back at the door as though she'd already done something wrong.

"Well, I'll get you started today, and ask him about it before I hand the controls over to you."

Clearly, that hadn't been the answer she wanted. She took a step backward.

"I'm only going to teach you what everything is. I won't let you touch a thing. Okay?"

An hour later, Bit began to wonder why learning to fly had ever sounded like a good idea. Oden had gone over the long array of controls twice before she realized just how hard this would be.

"Maybe this isn't such a good idea," she said as she inched away from him.

"Why's that? Bit, I spent three years in flight school before I was ever allowed to fly an actual ship... and that had been a simplified, two-man skiff, not this monstrosity. I don't expect you to get it all in one explanation, or even two."

"Three years?"

"And three more after that without being allowed to fly solo. Trust me, Bit," he said as he took hold of her shoulder and gave it a little shake. "You're not behind the rest of the class."

Oden waved his free arm to indicate all the other people in the empty bridge. Bit smiled, half amused with herself and half with his expressions. She was truly coming to like Oden, and the sensation made her feel guilty. Calen was the one, technically speaking, who had saved her from her past life. Shouldn't he be her closest friend?

"Alright," continued Oden. "Why don't you take it for a spin?"

He nodded to his own seat as he climbed out of it, as though he thought she should take the controls. Bit stared up at him, her eyes going wide.

"Teasing," he added, giving her shoulder another shake.

Bit let out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding.

"Funny," she said with a sarcastic sneer.

He just smiled at her, as though her grumbling was the best thing he'd heard all year. Bit was beginning to find Oden as an oddity, in the very best way. His tattoos and piercings suggested rough and hard, and yet she found him to be nothing but softness and kindness.

Bit pulled her eyes off of him, afraid he'd not like her staring. She felt a blush warm her cheeks as she realized she had been staring at a man. She couldn't remember the last time she had enjoyed looking at a man, much less enjoyed being around one.

Before either of them could say anything, they heard the sound of footsteps climbing the steps outside the bridge. Jack appeared, his face taking on an expression she couldn't translate, but it swiftly shifted, leaving Bit feeling uncomfortable.

"Just the woman I was looking for," he said to fill the pause.

"Could you look for another woman on this ship?" asked Oden with a laugh.

"Excellent point. Bit, you good with putting small objects together?"

"I used to assemble toasters on Earth for one of my past jobs."

"Perfect," he said. "I pitched your idea to Dirk and he's willing to give it a try, but needs some extra hands to get them all assembled as fast as we can."

"You want me to help assemble bombs? My toasters never had the potential to blow up in my face."

Jack and Oden laughed at her, or was it at her statement?

"The engineers will handle the actual explosives. You and the others will help make the bombs look like bits of garbage."

Bit shrugged. "Not sure how much help I can be, but I'm willing to try."

"Perfect. Head down to the mess hall."

Bit nodded, waved at Oden, and left. Before she could reach a safe distance, she heard Jack speak to Oden.

"Careful, boy. You keep this up, you're going to become hated by the other men."

Bit hurried down the second case of stairs, afraid to hear any more. She had a sneaking suspicion that she knew what Jack meant, but didn't want her fears confirmed.

She reached the mess hall and found it far from empty. To her relief, she knew everyone present. Bit was tired of meeting new people, though she suspected there were not many left that she had not been formally introduced to.

She knew the chief engineer, more from what others said than personal interaction. He was the oldest member of the crew and had flat-out protested the crew's recent addition.

Bit recognized his first assistant, Forrest, as one of the men who had been at the poker game that had changed her life. His dirty-blond hair was unmistakable. Blaine stood next to him, blocking Nolan, the assistant steward who had messed with her when she first arrived, from getting any closer.

"There you are," Blaine said as he shifted to stand next to her, his body still between her and Nolan.

Overall, she thought the crew was overreacting. Nolan had been aggressive, yes, but they didn't need to keep them apart forever. She refused to be ostracized from one of the crew members. After all, the other men couldn't keep this up indefinitely. Bit would just have to find peace with Nolan and prove to the others that there was no need for their protective behaviors.

Before anyone could say anything else, Jack appeared in the doorway.

"Right, show us what we've got, Dirk," Jack said, pushing them toward productivity.

Dirk glanced at his new crew for a moment, his gaze resting on Bit for an extra second before he stepped up to a table where an array of items had been placed.

"With Blaine's help, we came up with this." He picked up a device that was about the size of a woman's shoe, with wires connecting different sections. "It is a small bomb that can be remote detonated and makes a rather large shockwave. We need to find a way to make it look like garbage and we need to find a way to mask its signal without blocking the signal from our remotes."

The men stared down at the small device, no one daring to speak.

"Could we put the bombs on a timer, instead of remote detonated?" Bit finally asked when the silence had dragged out.

"Then we don't have as much control over when they go off. They still need to be relatively close to the enemy ship to do any damage," said Forrest

"Math's never been my strong suit," admitted Nolan, "but can't we calculate, based on their speed and ours, how long to wait for the bomb to go off?"

No one responded.

"Would it be better or worse to have it go off a bit early or late, or risk the chance it never goes off at all?" Nolan asked.

Bit kept her mouth shut. She agreed with Nolan, but compared to the two engineers and Blaine—who dealt with this type of stuff regularly—she and Nolan were the least educated.

Finally, Blaine nodded. "I think we should try it as a timer first. If it doesn't work well the next time the pirates attack, we can adjust."

"Assuming we ain't dead," grumbled Dirk.

"Would you rather not try it?" Blaine asked politely.

"I never said that."

"You're the chief engineer, Dirk. I follow you on this," said Blaine.

"And you're the demolitions expert."

"I say we try it on a timer," said Jack, breaking up the polite battle taking place.

"Now the issue is how to cover them in garbage," said Forrest as he rotated the demonstration bomb.

"Thing is," began Blaine, "I don't think we should be attaching anything directly to the bomb. It's a stable concoction, but I wouldn't want us using drills or hot glue on them. Too much of a risk."

Bit frowned down at the small shape, an idea slowly taking shape. Without saying anything, she turned and walked into the ship's galley. Vance was working away, preparing for the evening meal. He glanced at her, eyeing the row of men that had followed her silent retreat.

"Can I look around, Vance?" she asked in an effort to keep on the steward's good side.

"Umm... sure?" he replied, his eyes more on the captain

Bit, barely waiting for an answer, was already head-deep into one of his storage cabinets. She searched and searched, finally finding what she was hoping to see. In one cabinet she found row upon row of enormous cans, filled with anything from fruit, to tomato paste, to pulled pork.

She used both hands to lift one up above the counter.

"Vance, you have any empty cans?"

He turned around and looked at the large can. "Nope. We've been eating fresh so far. Haven't dug into those yet. Why?"

Bit looked over at the captain.

"Well, we kinda need some of those," said Jack with a big grin.

Vance glanced back at whatever he had been working on.

"Guess I can make a change on the menu. Bit, get six of the tomato paste out. Will six be enough?"

"We could start with six with the timers. Make more later?" asked Blaine.

Jack nodded. "Six will do, but get us more as soon as you can."

"We'll have canned peaches at breakfast."

"Good."

Bit wasn't too impressed with the idea of canned peaches for breakfast, but she was happy that the captain seemed to like her idea.

"You saying we put the bombs in the cans? Will that really look like trash?" Dirk asked from the doorway of the galley.

"We don't just put the bombs in the cans," said Bit as she hoisted the last can onto the central countertop. "We can attach more garbage to the cans, disguising them."

"Blaine already explained, we can't have tools like drills near the bombs."

Bit hesitated a moment, wondering where the breakdown in communications was taking place. There was nothing she could do but explain it again.

"We make the attachments before we put the bombs in. Then all we have to do is reseal the top, and we could do that with duct tape."

Dirk glared at her for a moment before stomping back into the mess hall. With the men's help, they quickly dumped the contents of the six cans into two enormous pots, rinsed the cans out, and returned to mess hall.

"What about the trash?" she asked as they lined up the cans.

"You offering to climb in the trash container?" asked Nolan in a rather grumpy tone.

No doubt Nolan expected he would be the one short-listed for the task.

"I'll do it," Bit said in an effort to smooth things out between her and Nolan and the rest of the crew.

"You don't know what you're offering," smirked Forrest.

"It's okay. So long as I can borrow a shower, I'll do it. Trust me, I've had worse jobs."

No one argued further. Minus Dirk and Jack, the small group wandered down to the lowest level of the ship—a place Bit had yet to see. The lowest level contained the seldom-used infirmary, the life support device, Vance's enormous cold storage, the engineering department, and the ship's two trash compactors.

They went into the infirmary, where the only access panel to the port-side compactor sat. The small hole was positioned on the wall just above Bit's head. Blaine and Forrest undid the lock and pulled the panel free. A noxious odor escaped the hole, quickly filling the infirmary.

"I think I'm going to regret this," Bit said, more to herself.

"Want a leg up?" Blaine asked.

"I think I'm gonna need it."

Bit lifted her leg, placing her shin in Blaine's laced fingers. He easily hoisted her up and into the hole. Bit rolled forward, landing on something squishy. Slowly, careful to not cut herself on anything sharp, she got to her feet. The men were already shining flashlights into the narrow hole. Bit took one and began searching the debris.

"Any suggestions of what we want?" she asked as she found a weird twist of metal.

Bit pulled the metal thing out and lifted it up to the waiting hands.

"That's good," said Blaine. "Find more stuff like that."

"I'm trying but this compactor has a lot of mushy stuff. Eww, what's thi... oh, gross."

"You volunteered," said Nolan.

"I know. I know. Oh, here's something."

Bit dragged another metal piece up to the window. In the dim light provided by the flashlights, she couldn't quite tell what she was stepping in, but based on the compactor's position, most of it was loose food, left to rot until they dumped the contents into space.

She suddenly stopped, working to keep her breakfast down as her bare feet slipped into something wet, the goo sliding between her toes.

"Bit, you okay?" Blaine called when she stopped making noise.

She nodded, only half aware that they couldn't hear her nod. Slowly, she swallowed the lump in her throat.

"Bit?"

"Yeah," she said, barely getting sound past her constricted throat. "I'm fine."

"You don't sound fine."

Bit rolled her eyes. Her annoyance with their over-protectiveness helped her work past the nausea.

"I'm fine," she repeated, sounding more herself. "Just got some goo between the toes."

She heard them muffle their laughter.

"Laugh it up," she growled, feeling safe inside her garbage compactor; the feeling gave her the courage to say what she normally wouldn't have. "Shine your light to the right."

They did and she could see a little better. She began to dig through the piles searching for more metal or plastic bits. It took her a while, but eventually, she found enough stuff to attach to the six cans.

She was digging for one last piece when something sharp snagged her arm.

"Ow!" she cried before she could censor herself.

"Bit? What's happened?"

"Caught myself on something sharp."

"Come on out. This will do," said Blaine.

"Just one more thing. I've almost got it cleared."

"Bit, you get out here right now! That's an order," came Forrest's voice from the small hole.

Bit froze, her breath catching in her chest at his angry tone. She took a moment, forcing her fears down. Her mind knew that none of them—even Nolan—would hurt her. There was no need for the fear that clenched her gut.

Of course, her mind telling her body this did nothing to help her relax.

From where she stood in her pile of muck, she heard the men talking softly. She couldn't make out the words but sensed that Blaine was telling Forrest off. Bit grimaced. She didn't want the men fighting each time one of them snapped at her or did something the others didn't like. She needed to be strong, and she needed to prove her strength to them, all of them.

The thing was, standing in a pile of rotting mashed potatoes, with her arm bleeding, she didn't feel very strong. In fact, she could already feel tears running down her cheek. Before she could turn and work her way back to the opening, she heard a door bang shut.

"Bit?" came Blaine's voice from the opening. "I'll help you down when you're ready."

"I'm coming," she called, pleased to hear how calm her voice sounded.

She climbed through the filth and reached the hole. Despite the garbage she stood on, the hole was still above her head, but not by much. She reached up and tossed the flashlight out, trusting the others to dodge the projectile. Strangely, she didn't hear it clank against the floor.

Bit reached up, intending to grab the edge of the opening and pull herself up. Before she could find a grip, two strong hands grabbed her wrists and began pulling. She let out a squeak of surprise—and a little pain—as he pulled her through the hole. Bit had a moment of fear as she began to slide downward, thinking the metal plating of the floor looked a lot harder than the pile of garbage she had rolled onto before, but instead of letting her fall headfirst, Blaine moved her hands to his neck and wrapped an arm around her waist. She slid downward, right into his arms, their chests pressed against each other.

Had she not been covered in trash, tears, and blood, she might have been worried he would do more. Blaine looked down at her, his hair sliding down until it fell into his eyes. Before she could panic, he released his hold on her waist, allowing her to step back.

"Let me see that arm," he said, lifting her grimy arm up to see the gash.

Blood mixed with gunk plastered to her arm. Blaine led her over to an enormous sink, where he placed her arm. He flipped the water on and began cleaning her arm.

"Where are the others?" she asked, glancing around the empty infirmary.

"I sent them up with the stuff you found."

"Blaine..."

"Hm?" he grunted, his attention taken up by the injury to her arm.

"You didn't need to send them away."

Either her words or her tone caught his attention. He looked up at her, no doubt taking in the tear streaks on her dirty face.

"I thought you'd want some privacy," he said, turning back to work on her arm.

"No. You thought I wouldn't want to be around Forrest after he snapped at me."

"He shouldn't have yelled at you."

"Why's that?"

Again, Blaine stopped to look at her.

"Whatever position I end up taking on the crew, it will be beneath everyone else. I was disobeying. Why shouldn't he snap at me?"

Blaine didn't answer.

"I need you guys to stop trying to protect me all the time, especially from each other."

"Don't expect that anytime soon," he told her wound.

"Why's that, Blaine?"

Finally, with a sigh, he looked up at her. "This crew is full of some very protective men. Don't expect them to change on your account."

Bit felt her lower lip begin to tremble. She bit down on it and stared at the man holding her arm, her red blood still dripping into the sink.

"If you guys don't let me learn to stand on my own, I will be trapped as the victim for the rest of my life."

Bit hadn't meant to say that much. She stared at Blaine, afraid he'd be upset with her. Instead, he let out a sigh and nodded, looking as though her words had deflated him. She laid her other hand on his arm, drawing his attention again.

"I can't be afraid forever. You've already helped me with that, and I think the more you teach me about fighting, the more I'll feel like I can stand on my own two feet."

"Fair enough. But for the record," he said with a new smile, "I'm teaching you to defend yourself. I don't want you to go pickin' fights just 'cause you know stuff."

Bit felt a large smile spread across her lips. "Deal."

Blaine took a few more minutes to clean the wound, stitch up the torn muscle and outer skin, and bandage the arm. When he finished, he wrapped the bandage in plastic, as though it was food he wanted to preserve.

"There's a shower right through there. Forrest put some clean scrubs in there for you to change into."

She disappeared into the shower and luxuriated in the hot water. When she emerged—clean and dressed—she found Blaine dressed in a matching pair of scrubs. Belatedly, she realized she had transferred plenty of the garbage and blood from her clothing to his. The scrubs fit him better, stretching across his muscled chest. She had to roll the pants up to keep from tripping and tie the drawstring to keep them from falling to her ankles. Still, they were clean and she wasn't about to complain.

With careful fingers, Blaine removed the plastic wrap from her arm without ruining the pristine, white bandages.

"Give me your dirty clothing. We can pop them in the washing machine before we join the others," he said as he took her dirty clothing and added them to his pile.

Bit followed him up the stairs to the level with the mess hall. They walked down to the end of the hall and through the only door on the right side of the hallway. Inside sat three dual washer-dryer machines. Blaine dumped their clothing in, adjusted the knob, and started the machine. They went back to the mess hall and found the other men already hard at work attaching the trash to the emptied cans.

They looked up, eyeing her and Blaine in their matching scrubs. Belatedly, Bit realized what might be running through the other men's heads and felt a blush darken her cheeks.

"Forrest tells me Bit got hurt," said Jack as he walked over and lifted Bit's arm to look at the bandages.

"Three-inch laceration. I cleaned and bandaged it. I don't think more stitches will be necessary, but we will want to keep a close eye on it in case it gets infected."

"I'm fine," she said, annoyed with Blaine's tone, though she couldn't say why.

"Very well. You see her for training in the morning so I'll leave it to you. Let's get this finished up, boys," Jack continued, turning to the men. "Randal will want this place for group training in less than an hour, and Vance is going to want to clean these tables before we eat on them."

# Chapter Nine

Jack slipped into the galley using the entrance from the hallway. He knew Blaine was in the middle of giving Bit a lesson, as he had every morning for the last two weeks, and he didn't want to interrupt by walking through the mess hall. Due to an issue in engineering, he had missed breakfast. Thankfully, Vance kept a tray of leftovers available for those whose duties kept them busy during a meal.

The captain was halfway through a sausage link when he heard the bang of gunfire from the mess hall. Jack glanced up to realize the door leading from the galley to the mess hall had been left cracked open. While the door wouldn't completely silence the firearm practice, it would deaden it considerably. Jack crossed to pull the door shut, pausing to watch the two working.

Blaine was just stepping behind Bit, molding his form to hers as he corrected her stance. It was a move he used on anyone who came under his tutelage, as did Randal and the other fighters. Jack had no reason to be jealous, especially if he considered the girlfriend he had waiting for him on Mars. All the same, the ugly green monster reared its head.

His relationship with his girlfriend was not as formalized as most. Though he didn't want to admit it to the other men, Debby had insisted on an open relationship, pointing to his long absences. All the same, the minute he docked at Mars, she was his and his alone.

Jack couldn't decide if he should feel guilty for the attraction he felt for Bit. The captain choked back a laugh. He didn't want them to know he was watching.

His laughter sprung from his realization that half the crew had similar attractions towards the young woman. He also knew that half of those vying for her attention would find better company once they were on dry land. Well, maybe not better company, but rather less picky.

With his family and girlfriend on Mars, he intended on staying over for a few days, rather than the usual forty-eight-hour turnover. Besides, he currently didn't have the next job lined up yet—a situation which continually stressed him.

Jack watched as Blaine's hand slid to Bit's waist to adjust her hips.

Jack felt his own desire form in the shape of pressure in his trousers. It had been too long. He hadn't had the time to find relief on the ground during their stay on Earth. He had been too busy at the docks.

There was always a girl at a cantina willing to provide the one-night relief needed by the space freighters. Maybe Bit would...

No.

Even from his position, he could see Bit tense under Blaine's touch. She took a deep breath, her shoulders rising and falling with the exaggerated movement, and relaxed into Blaine's touch. Jack felt his lips curl up in a snarl as he watched Blaine "accidentally" rub his cheek against hers before stepping back and ordering her to fire.

He began to wonder of what torments Bit's past had actually consisted. He suspected she had actually been raped by a past employer. It was abundantly clear that she feared the touch of the men in his crew, just as it was clear that Blaine was making fast inroads on that score.

Jack considered Oden's ploy for the girl. The tattooed pilot was probably the man closest to Bit, though he was not as aggressive as Blaine. Oden had always had an intuition for other's feelings, despite his rougher exterior.

And then there was Calen. His brother obviously had a crush on Bit, but his night shift was making it almost impossible to court her as the other two were doing. Chances were Oden would be stuck with the night shift after their stop on Mars.

And that was another question—what were they supposed to do during layovers? The men typically fended for themselves or stayed on the ship, but he couldn't very well let an indentured off by herself. It wasn't that he didn't trust her. Rather, the authorities would find her and accuse her of running away. At least he had filed the proper paperwork with the feds. If anything happened and she got separated from them, she would be returned to Calen.

Jack considered having his brother sign her debt over to him, or at least, the company so that her work on the ship would be more obviously working toward her debt, but decided to deal with that in the future. He didn't know if the legal change would put Bit on edge. It meant nothing in the long scheme of things, but she tended to react to the strangest things.

He continued to watch as she fired off another round, her aim improving as the round pierced the dummy in the neck. The gelatinous dummy displayed the hole for a few minutes before reforming and pushing the slug out. The round fell to the floor with a soft clink.

They were nearing the end of her second week on the ship, and he could already see the difference. Not only had her aim improved, but she looked less like a battered skeleton. Despite the gash on her arm, her bruises and the dark circles under her eyes were fading. She didn't flinch if a crew member stared at her too long, and she even talked to Nolan on occasion.

Jack smiled to himself. Just as Calen had predicted, she was barely recognizable after a week with his crew. He was proud of his men. Other than Nolan's first moment of idiocy, they had acted like perfect gentlemen towards their new crew-mate. Jack would never have expected the week to go so smoothly, except for the pirate attack.

Jack felt his brows pull together as he forced himself to eat the rest of the cold sausage link. While Bit wasn't causing him stress anymore, the lack of pirate action was. They were just a few days away from their destination. It didn't make sense that the pirates, whichever pirate bandit had been, hadn't attacked again.

They had even had time to make more bombs, these with questionable remote detonations. It was finally decided that if the remote detonation didn't work, the skiffs could shoot them, causing them to explode near the attacking ship.

Strangely, the lack of attack worried him more than any actual attack would. It was like the calm before the storm. The rest of the crew felt it too. He could see it in the tense way they flinched any time the pilot called for him or the XO to come to the bridge. If this kept up, they were all going to snap, himself included.

Finally, Jack pulled the door shut on the fighter and the girl, and went back to the tray of leftovers. He needed to eat and get back to work.

Bit squeezed off one final round, smiling as the bullet left a gouge in the dummy's left temple. She had a long way to go to match Blaine's uncanny skill at piercing the dummy's eye—or any other body part he called out—but she had come a long way in the four lessons they had together. She flipped the safety on, removed the clip, and cleared the chamber before setting the pieces down on the table.

Looking up at her trainer, she found he had a smile on his face, too.

"So when do I start learning hand-to-hand?" she asked.

Instantly, Bit knew the answer would be "not yet." Blaine looked down at her, humor playing in his blue eyes. She could tell he was trying not to laugh at her question. Instead of feeling ashamed for asking, she enjoyed his humor and the way his eyes danced.

Bit swallowed a sudden lump in her throat. She knew her expression had gone blank, but couldn't get the joy back. She had just admired a man for his attractiveness. Blaine had many attractive qualities, worth admiring, but she had sworn herself off from ever feeling for a man or being with a man. Not because of any pain to herself.

She was not a jilted lover, but rather a sister making her way in the universe without her sister, and all because of a man who had wooed her. Their third employer, Douglas Zandri had seduced her sister, Alesha, and when Alesha had given birth, he sent the child off to some distant home. It wasn't long after the birth Alesha died. The doctors said it had been due to complications from the birth, but Bit was certain it was a broken heart. Not only had Alesha lost her child, but Douglas had informed them that he would be selling their debt. He had no love left for Alesha.

"Bit, you okay?" Blaine asked, bringing her back to the here and now.

She blinked, realizing her eyes had grown moist as she remembered her lost sister. Bit swallowed the fresh lump in her throat and nodded.

"Memories?"

"Yeah. I'm okay."

Blaine gave her shoulder a squeeze before putting a little distance between them.

"So, when do I get to start hand-to-hand training?"

"You sure you want to?" he asked, leaning against the nearest table and twined his arms across his chest.

Bit could tell his posture was designed to look relaxed, but she knew better. She could see the tension in his neck. He thought he had made her cry. She didn't want him to think that, but she wasn't ready to explain herself.

"Yeah, of course."

"Well, first your arm has to finish healing, and secondly, you have to put on a bit more weight—preferably muscle. You're still too skinny."

Bit glanced away from his face, biting down on her lower lip. "Never thought I'd hear a man say that to me."

Blaine chuckled, though she could still hear his tension in the sound.

"So, eat more?"

"Not just eat more, but work your muscles. I can set up a regimen for you." He paused to hold up a hand in a stalling motion. "But not until your arm heals."

Bit rolled her eyes. She had never been very patient, especially in areas she couldn't work to speed things up. Her body would heal at its own speed, no matter how impatient she became, and that just made her more eager to move forward.

"Fine," she mumbled, exaggerating her annoyance in the hopes of getting him to laugh again.

He did.

"Speaking of your arm, I need to check it for infection before I start my next lesson. C'mon," he added as he grabbed the firearm.

They put their weapons away and locked the armory. Bit followed him down the infirmary and climbed onto the examination table. She gave him a put-upon frown, making sure he knew just how much she didn't want to be in the bloody infirmary. When he ignored her look, she let out a depressed sigh.

Blaine turned away from the supply cabinet with a playful smirk, his hand filled with the supplies he expected to need.

"Roll up your sleeve," he ordered.

She obeyed, noticing for the first time that a large red stain marred her bandage. Blaine dumped his supplies on the rolling tray and lifted her arm, all playfulness gone from his face. He was all business now.

Blaine carefully unwrapped the bandaging. A noxious smell escaped the bandaging, reminding Bit of the smell in the trash compactor. Green and white pus seeped from the wound, mixing with the blood still leaking from the wound.

"I'm gonna have to clean this out again. How 'bout some painkillers?" he suggested before releasing her arm and moving to the cabinet.

He grabbed a bottle of pills and handed her one. She swallowed it and watched him organize his supplies.

After a short wait, Bit spoke. "What are we waiting for?"

"For the drugs to kick in. Trust me, you're not gonna want to feel getting that cleaned out."

Bit rolled her eyes. The movement made her feel suddenly unstable. She frowned as the room began to sway, almost as though she was on a boat being gently rocked by the sea. She looked up at Blaine, who was leaning against the enormous sink. A smirk began to play on his shapely lips as he watched her.

He really was extremely handsome as he looked down at her, his hair flopping into his eyes again. She loved to watch him grow annoyed with the errant locks, wiping them angrily out of his eyes.

Blaine had the perfect balance of beautiful muscles without looking as though his goal was bulk. He was truly strong. She had felt it when he had dropped her to the floor for accidentally pointing a loaded weapon at him. Bit felt a blush color her cheeks but she couldn't quite bring herself to care. She was too busy admiring the man.

Today he wore a faded black t-shirt that had seen better days, the old fabric stretching over his biceps revealing every curve of his muscles.

Bit licked her lips. She had never been with a man, but she had seen movies. She knew women were supposed to enjoy it. Was that what had drawn her sister to Douglas?

Bit blinked, suddenly forgetting her train of thought. Blaine caught her attention again. His lips were pulled up into a smile, accentuating his long nose.

"I think I can start working now," he murmured.

She wasn't exactly sure what he was talking about but lost all caring as he crossed the room and took her injured arm in his hand. His hands were large, powerful, and warm. She liked the way his warmth touched her skin, causing a shiver to run up her spine.

He began working on her arm. She felt a distant, pulling sensation on her skin, but it wasn't painful. Instead of focusing on what he was doing, she continued to admire his body. As she had expected, his hair fell in his face.

"Lemme gets that," she said as she gently brushed the lock back.

Her fingers lingered on his skin, slowly tracing their way down to his firm jaw. She liked the way his short stubble scratched at her skin.

Out of the corner of his eye, he glanced up at her, a wary look coming into his eyes. Bit frowned at him. _Why does he look so worried?_

Bit traced her fingers up to the wrinkles forming around his eyes.

"So serious," she said, absently wondering why her mouth didn't seem to be working right.

She moved her fingers from his face to her lips and caressed them.

"I canna' feel ma 'ips," she explained.

Blaine's expression evolved into a smile.

"Sit still, keep your hands to yourself, and let me finish this."

"You donna like it when I 'ouch you?" she slurred before she could clamp her mouth shut.

"I never said that," he replied, still focused on her numb arm.

In truth, all of her was numb.

"So you do like it."

"Bi-it," he growled.

"What?"

She tried to focus, tried to figure out why he looked both annoyed and amused at the same time.

"This is not being good."

"How amma bein' bad?"

"You're tempting me."

"To do what?"

"To kiss you, or more. But when you're not hyped up on pain meds, you don't like to be touched."

Bit thought about what he said. She had never been kissed and part of her wanted to try it, especially with Blaine.

"You wanna kiss me?" she asked, leaning forward a little.

The movement was more than she had been expecting, and without the ability to control her fumbling body, she tipped forward. Blaine caught her with his free hand and helped her stabilize herself. She grinned at him, thoroughly enjoying the sensations coursing through her body.

"Stop, Bit. You would hate me if I did."

"I coo never hate you!" she exclaimed.

He gently set her arm down on the tray, wound up, and grabbed her shoulders, forcing her to look at him.

"Bit, I don't know what happened to you in the past, but normally you flinch at the slightest touch. You're not ready for me to kiss you. But I'm waiting for the day you are ready."

"Doya wanna know?" she asked.

"Of course, but you don't have to tell me," he added before he moved to smear ointment across her cleaned wound.

"One o' my past emp'oyers seduced my sis'er. She died affer givin' birf. The jackass shipped the baby away. Men are aaawwful," she said as she watched Blaine wipe his hands clean of the ointment. "But donna' tell no one. Issa secret."

Blaine cupped her face, his large hands warming her cheeks.

"Not all men are jackasses. Just remember that."

She tried to nod, but the movement was blocked by his continued grip. They stared at each other for a long moment before she tried to speak again.

"Now you gonna kiss me?"

Blaine grinned at her before lifting her head and gently kissing her forehead. She gave him a humph of annoyance as he moved to wrap her arm in fresh bandages. He grinned at her, but still refused to give her what she wanted.

When he finished with her arm, she pushed him aside and slid off the exam table. Had it not been for his quick reflexes, she would have slid all the way to the floor. Blaine scooped her up into his arms and carried her up to the living quarters.

"What's wrong with her?" Jack asked as he emerged from his own room.

"Had to clean out the gash. Gave her a pain killer. Might have been a bit strong..."

"Hi cap'ain," she called, cutting Blaine off.

Jack chuckled as he approached her and tucked her hair back behind her ear. "She's higher than a space dock."

"Di' I ever tell you how han'some you are, Cap?" she asked, reaching out to stroke his face just as she had done to Blaine.

Jack laughed again. "No, but I'm gonna ask you about that when you're sober."

"Okay-dokie. You look allot like Cawen. He's han'some too. And Owen... Oden. Wha'ever."

Bit slumped back into Blaine's arms.

"Get her to her room before Calen or Oden find her like this."

Out of the corner of her eyes, she saw Blaine wink at the captain. Between the two of them, they got her into her room and settled in her hammock, the blanket securely tucked around her small frame.

"Check on her once in a while, Blaine. She might fall out of the hammock."

"Will do, Cap," Blaine said as the door thumped shut.

Bit quickly drifted off to sleep as she floated through a dream world of handsome men and guns.

# Chapter Ten

Bit groaned as she woke up, blinking sleep and grit from her eyes. Her entire body ached with a stiffness that she usually didn't feel. She glanced at the glowing numbers of the clock Calen had found for her. It was four-thirty in the morning. She blinked again, trying to remember how she had gotten into her hammock.

Slowly, the activities of the previous day came back to her—her arm, the painkillers, and Blaine. Bit groaned again. How could she possibly face him?

Carefully, she rolled into a sitting position on her hammock. It was too early for them to be serving breakfast, but she was starving, having not eaten since yesterday's breakfast. Funny how her body had grown so accustomed to eating regularly in such a short period of time.

All the same, maybe Vance would already be in the galley and she could snitch a snack. She climbed to her feet and dressed in fresh clothing. Despite her best efforts, she couldn't take in the men's pants given to her. They hung in loose folds around her thin legs. She rolled the cuffs to keep from tripping and cinched them to her waist with a leather belt. The shirts were another matter. Most of them she had managed to shrink down to something closer to her size. Today she wore a pair of dark green cargo pants and a gray long-sleeve tee.

Bit slipped out of her room and tiptoed down to the mess hall. From the hallway, she heard the sounds of industry within the galley. Slowly, so as not to surprise anyone, she pushed the door open and poked her head in.

Vance and Nolan were hard at work, preparing the crew's breakfast. They heard the creak of the door and turned to stare at her.

"Finally awake, eh?" Vance asked with a jolly smile. "We thought you'd never surface."

Bit felt her cheeks burn with a blush. Did they all know about yesterday?

"You must be starving. Nolan, get her some of those pastries we finished."

Before she could escape, she was seated at the center counter, working through a pile of warm pastries, and watching them work.

Nolan's long hair was tied back in a messy ponytail at the base of his neck. Nolan was a rough man, she decided, as she watched the under steward work. His face had a few little scars, and what facial hair he could grow was splattered thinly across his face. Even his knuckles were scarred.

As she ate, she wondered what sort of life had led such man into the position of an under steward on a freighter. He looked more like he belonged in Randal's security team.

The rough man caught her staring and gave her a dark look. She quickly shifted her eyes to her plate and took another bite. When she finished, she considered how to calm the breach between her and Nolan, and the resulting issue with the rest of the crew.

"Can I help?" she asked as she climbed off her stool.

"You cook much?"

"'Fraid not," she replied.

"Nolan, teach her how to knead the dough."

She took up a position next to Nolan, willing herself not to be afraid. At least she wasn't worrying about her drug-induced embarrassment.

Nolan spread flour over their workspace and lifted a towel from a large bowl filled with white goo. He divided it into two piles, placing one in front of Bit.

"Pack it down and knead it like this," ordered Nolan, showing how to do it.

She copied his movements, working the unruly dough. Her injured arm quickly began to ache with a fierce fire, but she refused to tell Nolan.

"How did you learn to cook?" she asked as she felt sweat begin to form on the back of her neck and between her shoulder blades.

"Mom."

"Cool," she said, unsure how else to respond. "How did you come to be a steward?"

"What's it to you?"

"Just trying to make conversation."

"How'd you become an indentured?" he asked with a sneer.

She didn't much want to tell this man how she had essentially been sold into slavery, but she had asked first. It was only fair that she answer his question.

"My father got into a lot of debt. He signed me and my sister over to the program to cover his debts."

"Huh."

They lapsed into silence for a long time, working the dough over and over again.

"How long do we have to do this?" she asked when the ache in her arm turned into true pain.

"What you put into your bread is what you get out," Vance and Nolan quoted together, though Nolan sounded less impressed by the statement.

Their response didn't really answer her question and so she kneaded on, thoroughly regretting her offer to help. It just proved that Blaine was right—she needed to build some muscles.

"Looks like we have breakfast well in hand. I'm gonna run up for a shower," Vance announced suddenly.

Before either could respond, Vance disappeared. Nolan immediately stopped his kneading and leaned back against the counter. While Bit wanted to do a good job, her arm was hurting. She doubted the torn muscle could do more, even if she had wanted to. She leaned up against the counter next to Nolan and cradled her aching arm.

"There's a closet right over there no one uses," he said suddenly, giving her wink.

"Huh?"

"Oh, c'mon," he said as he reached out and caressed her cheek, letting his hand run down toward her chest.

"Excuse me!" she snapped, taking a step back.

"Let's not pretend. You know what I'm talking about. I can make your life miserable," he added when she took another step away.

He closed the distance and grabbed her arm, barely missing her bandage. He dragged her to his chest, gripped the back of her neck with his free hand, and planted a sloppy kiss on her closed lips.

She protested as best she could, complaining despite her covered mouth. She was loud, but not loud enough, as he began to drag her back to the corner of the kitchen and the closet he had indicated. He got her halfway across the long galley, his lips still working against hers, when he came to a sudden stop.

Suddenly Blaine was standing behind Nolan, his arm wrapped around Nolan's throat. Bit took advantage of Nolan's surprise and jerked free of his grip. Once she was clear, Blaine slammed Nolan down against the metal countertop, effectively knocking him out within seconds of entering the room.

The fighter looked at Bit, his eyes wary as he took her shaking form.

Forgetting her stance on men—despite the recent display from Nolan—Bit flung herself into Blaine's arms, burying her face in folds of his shirt. He gripped her tightly, lifting her off her feet, and setting her on the middle counter. Carefully, he extracted himself from her grip so that he could look at her.

With gentle fingers, he brushed her hair out of her face.

"Are you okay?"

She nodded, too enthralled with the tenderness in his eyes and the feel of his touch as his hands ran down her shoulders as though he was looking for some injury. Bit dragged him back into a tight embrace, and he quickly complied.

"I need to go get Jack," he whispered into her hair.

She shook her head.

"Jack has to know. We have to tell him. Nolan will just try it again."

"I know. Just not yet."

"Bit, I don't want to push you."

"You're not."

They waited in silence, each gladly clinging to the other.

"Bit, if I don't let go, I'm going to start to push you, and I don't want to. I don't want to make you hate me."

She nestled her head into the crook in his neck, clinging all the tighter to his strong form. She knew she needed to let go. Bit knew she was giving him mixed signals, but she couldn't care. All she wanted was the feeling of safety his arms brought to her. She was being greedy and she knew it. She was just about to release him when the door behind her opened.

"What the... where's Nolan?"

They released each other in record time. Blaine pointed to the unconscious figure still lying in a heap on the floor.

"What happened?" asked Vance.

"Came in to find him... to Bit..."

Bit ducked her head, afraid to look at anyone. She didn't want to cause a fuss, but she knew Blaine would refuse to sweep it under the rug.

Vance let out a long sigh through his nose. "Knew he was going to be a problem. I'll go get Jack."

The steward left them again.

Blaine cupped her cheek, forcing her to look up at him.

"Bit. This is not your fault. You're not making a scene. You have done nothing wrong, and you need to let Jack deal with this. Don't argue with whatever he plans to do to Nolan. This is not Nolan's first indiscretion. Okay?"

She nodded, fighting against the tears finally beginning to leak out of her eyes. Once again, Blaine dragged her into a fierce hug.

"I won't let anything happen to you. You can trust me."

She nodded, her cheek rubbing against his.

"Good."

"Remember, Little Bit, we aren't all like Nolan or the guy who hurt your sister."

Bit cringed, pulling away from him.

"I was kinda hoping that had all been a bad dream," she said, referencing her drug-induced talkativeness.

Blaine grinned at her, his eyes softening with his own mischievousness. "Nope."

She cringed again, a deep blush burning her cheeks.

"You tried to get me to kiss you, and then you hit on the captain."

Bit hung her head, trying to avoid his eye contact. Evidently, she was more repressed than she realized. Whatever the case, she would never live this down.

"Ugh," she groaned.

"Don't worry. Aside from the fact you had to take some meds for the gash, the crew doesn't know how you behaved."

"Oh, thank goodness," she sighed.

Blaine knowing was bad enough.

"Speaking of your arm, how is it feeling?"

Bit shrugged. "Fine."

"We'll work on your lying abilities later," he chuckled. "How is it really?"

"Hurts. I was helping Nolan knead the dough before all this."

"Bi-it," he growled. "You have got to let the muscle rest to heal."

She nodded, still hiding her eyes from him. She knew the blush had yet to fade.

"By the way," he whispered as he gripped her chin and nudged her face up towards his. "I thoroughly enjoyed your efforts yesterday."

Bit groaned again.

"And had you not been high as a kite, I would have taken you up on your offer."

Bit's blush deepened until it hurt her skin.

"And when you do want me to kiss you, while sober, all you have to do is ask."

She swallowed a sudden lump in her throat. She hadn't realized he was interested in her. Bit cleared her throat.

"Good to know," she mumbled just as the door to the galley swung open.

In record time, Blaine had put a foot of distance between them. Strangely enough, Bit found the separation discomforting rather than a relief.

Jack stormed into the room, glaring down at Nolan's limp body.

"You okay, Bit?" he asked not looking at her.

"Yes, sir."

"He attacked you?" Jack asked, pulling his attention to her.

She nodded. "He kissed me and began dragging me to the closet after I said 'no'."

"Blaine, lock him up."

Blaine nodded and lifted Nolan's body over his shoulder in a fireman's carry. Bit didn't know where they intended to lock him up, nor did she care.

"Captain, can I ask what you're going to do to him?" Bit asked, remembering Jack's original threat.

"I won't kill him if that's what you're worried about. He leaves the crew. We'll lock him up until we reach Mars."

She nodded, grateful that the captain had agreed to tell her.

"Are you hurt, Bit?" Jack asked.

"No, sir. I'm fine."

"Somehow I doubt that."

"Captain to the bridge," came a voice over the intercom system.

Jack let out a frustrated sigh and left the kitchen.

"You better get going," Vance said as he took control of his kitchen.

Bit knew it was more of an order than a suggestion. She climbed off the counter and left the galley, making her way up to the main level.

# Chapter Eleven

Bit had just reached the living level when the intercom clicked again.

"XO to the bridge."

David emerged from his cabin, his eyes hazy with sleep, as he tugged a t-shirt into place.

"C'mon, Bit. Let's see what they want."

"You sure Cap won't mind me up there?"

The XO shrugged before taking her wrist and dragging her behind him. They arrived at the bridge and instantly became aware of the tension. Calen sat at the helm, sweat already beading on his forehead. The large display was still blank, but Bit spotted the blinking blip on the helm's smaller display. Only this time it wasn't just one blip, but four.

"What happened?" David asked as he quickly realized the situation.

"Four vessels came from behind that asteroid," said Jack.

"Didn't know they were there until they were seven miles from us," added Calen.

"Current distance?" asked David.

"Five miles," answered Calen, flipping the display up to the large screen.

The four ships were of various shapes and sizes, but Bit recognized the one that had attacked them before. Evidently, they had been recruiting.

"Is that the ship from before?" David asked, pointing to the one Bit had noticed.

"Output signals match," said Calen.

"Bit, you stay up here with us," Jack ordered as he flipped a switch on the communicator. "All crew to your stations. All crew! This is NOT a drill."

"That should get them moving," mumbled David.

"Four miles."

"Shit!" exclaimed Jack.

Even Bit could tell the pirates were coming on them with more speed than before. She moved to the corner, feeling the fear and tension of the others leak into her.

In record time, Randal appeared on the bridge.

"Commander, get your men to the skiffs," ordered Jack without turning to look at him. "And get them launched."

"They're already on their way."

"Ready on the cannon," came Blaine's voice over the intercom system.

"Three miles."

Bit grabbed a pipe, knowing what would come next. The ship shook as it took a blow to its stern.

"Take evasive action. Blaine, give 'em hell," added Jack into his intercom.

Suddenly the ship dipped forward and Bit worked to stay on her feet.

"Captain, skiffs ready to launch," announced the commander.

"Two miles," interjected Calen as he turned his ship to port.

"Make it happen," replied Jack to Randal.

"Release in three, two, one," ordered the commander.

Bit was amazed at their ability to work and talk as they continually interrupted each other with more information. Her respect for Jack, who kept it all straight in his head, increased.

"Landmines manned and ready," announced Oden through the intercom.

Bit took a deep breath reminding herself that she was not alone in this terror. She was surrounded by men who would fight for the ship, and so would she. Bit felt a resolution take hold. This was her home now, and she would fight to her last drop of blood to protect it.

"Mark for two minutes," Jack answered into his communicator. "And release."

"Skiffs, landmines being released. Watch out for them," informed Randal into his comm.

"One mile."

The ship took another barrage, shaking with each strike.

"Damage report," Jack ordered into his communicator, his voice resonating throughout the ship.

"Engineering intact. Power levels stable," came Dirk's voice.

"Primary haul intact. Life support stable," announced Forrest over the communicator.

Bit watched the displays as the skiffs circled around the stern of the ship. She began to gnaw on her bottom lip. How could one freighter and three tiny skiffs take on four pirate ships?

The freighter shook again and the lights momentarily dimmed as the enormous cannon let off a shot. Via the displays, Bit watched as the shot blasted into what looked to be the bridge of the nearest pirate ship. The ship faltered and dropped back as the other three surged forward.

"Nice shot, Blaine," Jack called into his communicator.

Without warning, the six landmines exploded, shaking everything within their vicinity, including their own freighter. Bit clung to the pipe as her feet were shaken out from under her. Whatever they put in those bombs, the shock waves had done more than anyone expected.

Bit looked around at the others. They appeared to be just as surprised as she was.

"Damage report," Jack called, fear tainting his voice for the first time.

"We're good, Cap," announced Dirk, sounding less formal and more frantic. "Only a minor leak in the plating. Forrest is on it."

"Keep us flying, Dirk," replied Jack.

The ship shuddered again as Blaine let off another mighty shot, hitting the next nearest ship. Though the displays showed that the shot had done damage, the ship didn't falter as it worked its way forward. The one behind it, though, appeared to be struggling. Slowly, it backed off. Evidently, the shock wave of their landmines had done their job.

"Two down," David said, more to himself.

The skiffs continued to fly circles around their stern, firing at the two pirate ships still giving chase, but their tiny guns did little to the ships. They were flies to the tigers. Blaine's cannon, on the other hand...

Bit clutched the pipe as the freighter shuddered again. Blaine's shot nicked the nearest ship, doing little more than surface level damage.

The nearest ship looked to grow as smaller turrets emerged from the sides of the vessel, telescoping outwards. The smaller guns began firing at the skiffs. Before anyone could react, they hit one of the skiffs.

Bit clamped her mouth shut to keep from crying out as the skiff's speed plummeted. The turrets gave out another barrage and the stalled ship exploded. This time, Bit couldn't keep herself from gasping.

"Who was that?" asked Jack, glancing at Randal.

The commander swallowed. "Isaac Pratt."

Bit could recall what Isaac had looked like, but along with most of the security team, he had left her to her own devices. All the same, she felt the pain of his death. Would there be others before the end of the fight?

"Four hundred meters," announced Calen. "They're preparing to dock."

"What? Evade them!" snapped Jack.

"I can only do so much without damaging the cargo," Calen snapped back.

Jack growled a curse word Bit had never heard before. Had she not been scared witless, she would have blushed.

The captain glanced around the bridge, taking in her presence.

He made an adjustment on the communicator and said, "Prepare for the possibility of being boarded. Skiffs, return to the ship."

"What about the security device on the docking bay?" asked Calen.

"Should work. But better safe than sorry. Bit, come here," he added.

She released the pipe she had been gripping and slid toward him as the bow of the ship dipped downward in another evasive move. Jack caught her, holding her shoulders so that he could look at her.

"Time for you to earn your keep, Bit," he said, staring into her frightened eyes. "The code to the armories is 967211. I need you to get everyone armed. Start with the engineers. Then get everyone else armed. Make sure you close and lock the armories. Got it?"

Bit nodded with each instruction. "Got it."

Without waiting, she scurried out of the bridge, nearly flipping over the railing when the ship made another sudden lurch. She gripped the railing as tightly as she could as she made her way down the staircase.

Calen jerked the ship to starboard, sending Bit flying past Oden and into the door of the captain's cabin. The other pilot followed her, barely catching himself with his strong arms to keep himself from slamming into her body. Oden stood there, surrounding Bit with his own body as though he could protect her from flying into something else painfully solid.

"Where are you going?" he gasped.

"Armory," she said as she ducked out around his protective stance. "C'mon."

He followed her down to the galley level. Vance was already there, waiting for the armory to be opened.

Evidently, neither of the men knew the code, as they both stared at the locked doors.

"Engineering first," she ordered as she punched in the code to the first door.

She left them to that small armory as she slid down to the next door. Part of her wanted to open the other three armories, but they would just have to close them when they left the hallway.

Bit turned to run back to the others just as the ship bucked under their feet. She lost her footing, banging her head against the metal wall. Stars danced before her eyes. Bit shook her head and scrambled back to her feet in time to see Oden stumble down the steps toward the engineering level, a load of guns in his arms.

Bit crossed the threshold, planting her feet as best she could, and took a pistol and holster from Vance. She strapped the belt to her waist, pulling it down over her hips as she had seen Blaine do, and holstered her weapon. Next, Vance handed her a vest, which she strapped to her chest, amazed that it could cinch up tight enough for her slight frame.

"We need to get weapons to the bridge," said Vance as he handed her a few more belts, guns already strapped into the holsters. "Get some shotguns from the other armory, and a box of shotgun flechettes."

Bit slung the belts over her shoulders like a purse and scurried down the hallway, just as the grav-plating gave a low rumble. Before she knew what was happening, she began to float upward. In any other situation, she would have found the weightless sensation entertaining, but, in her need to hurry, it was nothing more than terrifying.

She reached out and grabbed the wall, using it to propel herself down the hallway to the open door. Bit had just gripped the door when a low rumble warned her that something else was about to go wrong. Before she could prepare, the grav-plating kicked in again, sending her crashing downward. Her grip on the door forced her body to fall feet first. She bashed her knee against the door jamb and gulped down a cry of pain.

At the same time, she heard a loud crash from the first armory as Vance fell to the ground.

Bit wasted no time getting into the armory and grabbing a couple of shotguns. She slung them over her shoulder, crossing opposite from the belts. She had just opened a box of flechettes to make sure it was full when the grav-plating went offline again.

She and half the box of flechettes floated upward. Bit scrambled to grab the shells before they could float away and stuff them back into the box. She had just jammed the first handful into the box when a recognizable groan came to her ears.

"Oh shit," she mumbled just as gravity returned.

Bit dropped like a load of bricks, the straps of the guns digging into her chest as she landed painfully on the metal flooring. She moaned, matching the sounds coming from the battered ship. As quickly as her bruised body could manage, Bit climbed to her knees and grabbed a few more of the shells as they rolled across the floor.

She was just climbing to her feet when the grav-plating went on and off in rapid succession. The result was Bit tumbling into the doorway and banging her head and shoulder against the frame. She wiped away the blood coming from a cut on her head as she slammed the door shut and scurried to the next armory. Vance was crumpled against a footlocker, a little blood trickling down the side of his head and mixing with his beard. She saw his chest rise and fall.

_Just knocked out,_ she thought as pulled the door shut. At least he would be safe inside the locked armory.

Bit ran to the stairs, grateful to find the gravity working correctly, and raced up them. She had just reached the split in the next staircase when the ship tilted again. Bit was barely able to grab the railing before she toppled backward.

A loud clunk deafened her as the ship gave a mighty shudder. She glanced around, wondering if the enemy ship had managed to attach itself to them.

Using the railing and ignoring her growing panic, she dragged herself up the last couple of steps and stumbled onto the catwalk just as Blaine slid down the ladder from the ship's turret. He pulled her to her feet, taking the shotguns off her shoulder and the box from her hand.

"Get to the bridge," he ordered as he stationed himself above the stairwell, his feet wedged against a wall and a railing, and began loading the shotguns.

Bit scurried onto the bridge and began handing out the pistols.

"Report," Jack said to her.

She wasn't sure what he wanted to know.

"Blaine is at the stairwell with five shotguns. Oden is in engineering, with...umm... six or seven pistols. Vance is unconscious but alive, locked inside the first armory. I haven't seen Reese or Nathyn."

"Dammit," cursed Jack.

"You think they got hurt on the catwalk from the front docking bay?" Calen asked as he fought the ship's controls; clearly, something was broken with the ship, testing his skills to keep it level.

"Hopefully not. They come out in engineering so they may be there with Oden," said Jack as he grabbed Bit's chin and turned her head. "You okay?"

Bit paused long enough to assess her body. Her head ached and she felt a trickle of warm liquid on the left cheek. Her shoulder throbbed from colliding with the doorframe of the armory, and she felt a few other bruises forming, but beyond that she was intact. She gave him a brisk nod.

"You stay here. Randal, help Blaine protect the staircase. David, get the door locked."

"Let me help," called Bit before she could censor herself. "I can at least load for them."

"It's too dangerous."

"I'm no good locked in here. If they get past Randal and Blaine then I'm dead anyway. Let me do what they've trained me to do."

Jack growled another curse she didn't recognize before nodding to the door. Bit scurried out, hearing the door close and lock behind her.

Randal and Blaine were already at the stairwell, a shotgun in position, pointing down at the ship's entrance.

"Bit, shit, what're you doing here?" Blaine demanded, only giving her the barest of glances.

"What can I do?" she asked Randal, ignoring Blaine's protectiveness.

"Kill anything that comes through that door," Randal said, his eyes never leaving the airlock.

"Will they actually get through?" she asked as she positioned herself just as Blaine had taught her, unholstered her pistol, and aimed at the airlock.

She felt her muscles tremble as she thought about what she was doing. Suddenly, she realized she was more afraid of actually killing someone than getting killed herself. It was foolish, and she knew it. Bit took a deep breath and steadied her aim.

The ship began tilting again, moving at a much slower pace than before. No doubt there was only so much Calen could do now that another ship was attached to them. What would happen if the new security device failed?

She heard a loud clunk and worked to relax her stranglehold on her weapon.

_Gentle touch, gentle touch,_ she chanted to herself.

"They won't get past David's device," said Blaine with complete confidence just as they heard the airlock creak.

To their amazement, the door to the airlock flew open. Like the others, Bit squeezed a few rounds off, their flechette bullets mostly dissolving as they struck the metal of the ship. Bit spotted a man or two duck back behind the entranceway before emerging and firing back at them. Blaine, Randal, and Bit ducked back.

Despite her efforts to stay quiet, Bit let out an oath as she fell back, hitting her head again.

"Dammit," grumbled Randal. "They're using regular bullets. What're they thinking?"

"Bit," Blaine called from his covered position as he cracked the shotgun up and began reloading it. "See what I'm doing?"

She nodded.

"Good. You reload for us," he said with a grunt as he hoisted himself back up and fired back at their enemy.

Bit took Randal's gun and set to work as he took up another one and fired. She had it ready in time to trade, but loading for two men was pushing her ability to keep up.

Another barrage flew up at them. Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted three men sneak to the downward staircase while their comrades kept them pinned down.

Randal grabbed the mobile communicator from his hip and whispered, "They're heading down."

"Copy that," came Reese's voice from the communicator.

Bit let out a soft sigh. At least one of the security team was down in engineering.

Randal and Blaine went back to shooting, and Bit continued loading guns, barely keeping up with their demand.

More gunfire sounded from the lower levels.

As another volley came, Randal and Blaine ducked back, but not fast enough. Randal took one in the shoulder, blood quickly spreading across his shirt. Bit scurried to his side as Blaine stood and fired again.

"What do I do?" she asked.

"Plug the hole. Use the sleeve of my shirt," he said.

She took Randal's knife and cut off the sleeve of his shirt, using the fabric to wrap tightly around his wounded shoulder.

"You're gonna have to shoot," Randal said as he grabbed up one of the empty shotguns.

Bit grabbed up a loaded gun, pressed it against her shoulder, and took Blaine's position. Her aim was horrible as the shotgun jerked painfully into her shoulder. She winced as she squeezed the trigger again. All she had to do was keep them busy while Blaine loaded a fresh gun. After all, Randal couldn't keep up with both of them with one arm not working properly.

To her astonishment, a pirate popped out just as she squeezed the trigger. Sheer luck directed her aim and the pirate fell with a thud against the metal floor. He didn't get up again.

She gave it one more squeeze before she heard the click of an empty gun.

Blaine popped up beside her and she ducked down.

"Last one," Randal said as he handed her the shotgun.

"Cover me," Blaine ordered as he dropped his empty shotgun and drew his sidearm.

Bit began firing, taking her time in hopes of drawing the last pirate out of his hiding place. Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted Randal dragging himself backward toward the door of the bridge.

She fired off another round just as Blaine began his careful descent of the steps.

_Three more,_ she thought as she counted her shots. Those three shots went fast.

Bit fired her last round just as the pirate ducked out of his hiding place to fire at Blaine. She wasn't sure which happened first. Her bullet struck the pirate in the leg, tearing his calf open, and he collapsed, trying to staunch the flow of his blood. Bit let out a scream as she watched Blaine grab his own arm, blood flowing through his fingers, and he fell back onto the bottom step.

A thousand thoughts clouded her mind as her muscles struggled to get her down the steps fast enough. He couldn't be dead. He hadn't kissed her yet and, to her amazement, she wanted him to. At the same time, she felt guilty for so quickly abandoning her vow to steer clear of all men, who would just use and abuse her as they had done to her sister.

She dropped her empty shotgun and raced after him, collapsing next to him on the bottom step to assess his wound.

"What are you doing?" his hissed through clenched teeth.

Bit felt hot tears roll down her cheeks as she saw the life in his eyes, despite the blood soaking into his shirt. She suspected the actual wound was on his arm.

Before she could comprehend the idiocy of her actions, a loud bang resonated through the ship's entrance and a pain erupted across her side, causing her to collapse across his chest. At the same time, Blaine hoisted himself up off the bottom step, despite her deadweight, and trained his sidearm on the pirate. Without pausing to think, Blaine buried a round in the man's head, making sure his movement didn't hurt Bit again.

The small girl groaned as she rolled off of his chest.

"You okay?" Blaine asked.

"Yeah. I thought these vests were supposed to protect you."

"You're not dead," he said as he sat up and spun her around until he could see her back.

With gentle hands, he helped her remove the stiff vest. The bullet had grazed across her side, the Kevlar effectively protecting her flesh, though it had still left a large, dark bruise.

"Can you feel your toes?" he asked.

She wiggled her bare toes.

"Let me get your arm wrapped," she said before turning back to face him.

"It's fine."

"Blaine, don't be a dumbass!" she snapped as they heard another cascade of shots from the lowest level.

Like she had with Randal, she took Blaine's knife from its sheath on his hip and sliced his t-shirt open. With his help, she got it off and wrapped his arm in it, tying it tight enough that he grimaced. Bit tried not to notice how attractive he looked without a shirt, even with the blood and sweat spreading across his chest.

"Go back and stay with Randal," he ordered as he climbed to his feet.

"Like hell, I will!"

Blaine glared down at her, fire dancing in his blue eyes. "Then stay behind me."

He turned and began making his way down the steps, his gun at the ready. Bit copied him, staying a step or two behind him.

They reached the turn in the lowest staircase and Blaine stopped. Bit couldn't see beyond him, but she suspected he was just being cautious.

According to what she had seen, there were at least three more down in the engineering level.

Blaine began moving again, finally reaching the bottom of the stairs. He checked the hallway to the left, then the right, before motioning her to the infirmary door. She hopped down behind him, flipped the door open, and scanned the room from corner to corner.

"Clear," she said, just as she had seen in the few movies she had watched.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Blaine smirk as he inched toward the open door of engineering. From within, they heard the shouts of men.

"Come out or we kill you," one of the pirates ordered.

Bit slipped up to the other side of the door, grasped the handle of the door, and waited for Blaine's cue. On his nod, she flung the door open and jumped around the door just behind Blaine. He was already firing at the backs of the three men. Bit didn't stop to think as she raised her weapon and shot at the man in the far corner, hitting him in the neck, the rest of her bullets striking the far wall.

In seconds it was over and the others were emerging from their hiding places. Blaine holstered his weapon and turned to look around the room. Bit copied him.

"Anyone hurt?" he asked, noting the way Reese and Nathyn were kicking the weapons away from the bodies.

The three engineers stayed near their hiding places, visibly shaken.

"Next time I give you an order, you follow it," he snapped, taking her completely by surprise. "Is that clear?"

Bit swallowed the lump in her throat and nodded. Before she could do more, Blaine grabbed the collar of her vest, dragged her to his chest, and pressed his lips to hers. Bit was too surprised to do more than let her mouth move mechanically against his warm lips. She felt an excited tingle run up her spine, making the muscles between her legs clench.

Long before she was ready to release him, he let go of the vest and stepped away from her.

"Nathyn, stay here. Reese, come with me. We need to blow the hatch of the other ship," ordered Blaine before grabbing his communicator. "All pirates down."

The two men left, running up the steps to deal with the hatch.

Bit spotted Oden staring at her, his face flicking from shock to anger and back again. She knew her cheeks were burning with embarrassment, both for having been berated and for having been kissed.

"So," Oden said from, his position on the other side of the room. "Guess I lost."

# Chapter Twelve

Bit stared at Oden. She didn't know what to say to him in return. She didn't even know how she felt about the kiss. Her body was plenty happy with it, but her emotions were another story entirely. How, though, could she explain all this to Oden, especially with three grumpy engineers looking on and three dead bodies proclaiming the horrors they had just experienced?

In an effort to avoid any more eye contact, Bit looked down at the bodies of the pirates. There were a few more bleeding out near the airlock... and their new security measures.

Bit frowned, looking back up at Oden, her embarrassment completely forgotten.

"What?" Oden asked as he saw the change in her emotions play out on her face.

Bit felt her eyes grow wide as a frightening idea began to take shape in her mind. Without answering his question, she turned for the door and bolted. Bit heard the pounding of boots behind her silent, bare feet. At least Oden had followed her. No doubt the others were staying in engineering in case the pirates weren't actually dead, much less to begin any repairs needed.

Based on the way the ship grumbled, she had no doubt there were many needed repairs.

Bit reached the living level, noting Blaine and Reese working on the airlock. The men glanced up at their noisy appearance.

"What?" Blaine demanded as Bit whipped around the railing of the staircase and raced up toward the bridge level.

"I don't know," panted Oden. "She just took off."

"Reese, get that damn ship unhooked!" ordered Blaine as he scrambled to his feet and followed.

All this took place as Bit ran up the last flight of steps, past Randal who still sat near the door ready to defend the bridge, and reached the door to the bridge, still locked.

"Captain?" she called.

Bit pressed her ear against the door, listening for anything unusual. Blaine had already reported that all the pirates were down. Why was the door still locked?

"What is it, Bit?" Blaine demanded, grabbing her shoulder and pulling her away from the locked door.

"Do you know what the device was that should have prevented them from docking?"

"It was a low-grade, directional blast that was supposed to cripple their coupling hooks if they got within one meter."

"And who knew about it?"

"We all did," Oden said.

"No, I mean the specifics. Why didn't it work? Who put it together?"

"The captain, David, Randal, and I were the only ones who knew the specifics. I'm the one who installed it."

"I saw Dav..."

A loud bang came from within, cutting off her explanation.

Blaine and Oden both pushed her away as they pounded against the door.

"Captain!" they called in unison.

"Stand back," ordered Blaine as he un-holstered his gun.

"That won't bust that lock," said Oden as Blaine squeezed off two rounds into the door handle.

The flechettes bullets did little more than bite into the metal of the door.

From within they heard the sound of a scuffle, another rapid firing of a weapon, and a muffled cry of pain.

"Captain?" Oden called, uselessly banging his shoulder into the sturdy door.

A second later, the door creaked open. Jack stood on the other side, a handgun gripped in his fingers, while the hand pressed against a seeping wound on the outside of his shoulder. Calen was just scrambling back into the pilot's chair, his own blood flowing down the side of his face from where a bullet had nearly taken his life. David lay on the floor, three bullet holes visible in his chest in a tight formation that would have made Blaine and Randal proud.

Jack stepped back, letting them all into the bridge.

Without asking, Bit took the knife out of Blaine's sheath and went to work on Jack's arm, just as Randal had instructed. When she had his arm wrapped in the remains of his sleeve, she moved to Calen. Oden met her at the pilot's seat, taking over for Calen. Oden handed her a kerchief, which she pressed against Calen's head.

"Never thought David would be the jealous type," Jack said, more to himself than those looking at the mess. "How did you know something was wrong?"

"It was Bit," explained Blaine as he toed David's gun away from his limp hand. "She just started running for the door."

"It didn't make sense," Bit said from her place beside Calen. "You all seemed so certain that this device would work, and yet you never said what it was. It seemed the only explanation was that someone was working with the pirates."

Jack nodded. "Turns out David wanted the company. Thought me too young to take over."

"Why wait 'til now?" asked Calen.

"David always was wily. He waited for the right opportunity. It just took longer than he was expecting. I always thought he had been happy to come to the company, to leave Earth."

"You couldn't have known," Bit said before she could stop herself.

"Nice of you to say, but not true."

The communicator crackled, making them all jump.

"The ship is disconnected," announced Reese.

"Oden?" Jack asked, turning to the pilot who had taken the controls from Calen.

"Yes, it's detached. Maneuverability returning."

"Get us the hell out of here," Jack ordered before grabbing the communicator. "Reese, release the remaining bombs, set the timer for three minutes."

They each waited, their breaths unconsciously held. Slowly the minutes ticked by as Oden pushed the ship to its battered limit. Right on cue, the small bombs blew, shaking the freighter and its inhabitants. Bit stumbled against Calen, who willingly wrapped his arms around her waist. Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted Blaine and Oden eyeing Calen's hands.

_What a disaster,_ she thought before looking up at the displays.

"They're not following," Oden suddenly announced. "Four miles and growing."

The group let out a collective sigh. Bit carefully released herself from Calen's grip.

"Let's get to Mars," Jack said with a tired sigh.

Thank you for reading this fun story of adventure and romance.

Whether you enjoyed it or not, please consider writing an honest review

to better help future customers make an informed decision.

To continue reading the adventure of the Lenore and her crew,

check out Broken and Hunted.

Or continue reading for a sneak peek.

Follow Charissa Dufour at

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# Works by Charissa Dufour

The Series that Just Plain Sucks

Life Sucks (Prequel short story)

Sucked In (Book 1)

Sucked Away (Book 2)

That Sucked (Book 3)

Or purchase in a box set:

The Series that Just Plain Sucks: The Complete Series (Books 1-3)

Suck It Up (A little something extra. Can be read at any time in the series)

The Dothan Chronicles

Bought (Prequel short story)

Torn (Book 1)

Lost (Book 2)

Alone (Book 3)

Or purchase in a box set:

The Dothan Chronicles: The Complete Trilogy (Books 1-3)

The Void Series

Cornered Magic (Book 1)

Misguided Allies (Book 2)

Balanced Chaos (Book 3)

Sinful Redemption (Book 4)

Hostile Takeover (Book 5) coming April 12, 2018

The Echoes of Sol Series

Trust and Treachery (Book 1)

Broken and Hunted (Book 2)

Profit and Peril (Book 3)

Mayhem and Mutiny (Book 4)

Lost and Found (Book 5)

Heart and Sol (Book 6)

Untitled book 7 coming Summer 2018

# Sneak Peek of Broken and Hunted
Chapter One

Bit stood on the bridge of the Lenore staring out at the small planet, certain her jaw was grazing the floor. She closed her mouth and swallowed to moisten her dry throat. All her fears and uncertainties came rushing back. Despite all the bad stuff that had happened, the few weeks she had spent on the cargo ship traveling from Earth to Mars had done much to build her confidence. Now, though, as she looked down on the foreign planet, she couldn't remember what it felt like to be brave.

"Quite a sight," murmured Oden, the ship's second pilot, from his seat behind the console.

To her disgust, Bit jumped at Oden's quiet statement.

She glanced at him, taking in his relaxed posture and the intensity of his gaze. Oden was a rather odd man to look at. He had cultural tattoos running up his neck and round studs in his ears, as well as a piercing in his lower lip. He wore his short hair in a mohawk, but without all the trappings, his face was soft, almost babyish.

Bit gave the pilot a silent nod and went back to staring at their destination. They were still hours away from the planet. From their distance, Bit could see the space station orbiting the planet and the port used by bulky freighters and sleek, new military ships alike—to her amazement, her initial thought upon looking down on the first planet to be settled by humans was how small it appeared.

"Penny for your thoughts?" Oden asked after a few minutes of silence.

"Not sure they're worth that much," Bit mumbled, more to herself, before turning to Oden. "I guess I just thought it would be bigger."

Oden chuckled. "We're still a long way out. Probably won't dock 'till morning. But it is quite a bit smaller than Earth. Really only about half the size."

"Oh."

"Disappointed?"

Bit shrugged, unsure how she felt about the planet and many other topics, none of which she wanted to discuss with the pilot. He was just one of the many men on board the freighter who had shown interest in her since she came to the ship after being won in a lucky hand of poker by Calen, the ship's first pilot.

That was how life went for an indentured servant. If the owner of your debt decided they were done with you, they could sell your debt on to someone else, or they could lose it in a hand of poker to a complete stranger. That was how Bit ended up on the Lenore working for a freighter captain named Jack—Calen's older brother.

"ETA?" Jack asked in his no-nonsense voice as he entered the bridge.

Bit glanced up at him and scuttled to the corner, even though she knew he wouldn't mind her presence. Bit couldn't explain why she was suddenly so nervous again, but she was. Perhaps it was the prospect of leaving the ship in the next day or two, or maybe it was the haggard expressions on all the crew's faces.

The journey from Earth hadn't been an easy one.

Word of their precious cargo—a small case of animal embryos destined to be introduced into the Mars ecosystem by being sold to the extremely wealthy—had reached the ears of fortune hunters better known as pirates. Half the long journey had been spent fending off the attacks of enemy vessels or preparing for the next attack. They had even lost two of the new security team, hired for just such an eventuality, and most of those still alive were hurt. Even Bit was covered in dark bruises from when the gravity plating had acted up during the last attack.

All this, combined with her unknown future, left Bit in a state of constant panic.

"I expect to dock with the Ward Port in about thirteen hours," Oden said after a quick glance at his many screens.

Jack nodded. "Excellent. I'll brief the crew when Calen relieves you."

Oden nodded. "He should be here any minute now."

The two pilots took turns at the helm, one working during the day, the other at night. Oden had been the lucky one to get the day shift.

Jack turned and smiled at Bit. Bit tried to smile back, but her eyes glanced down to the white bandage peeking out from under Jack's gray t-shirt. Jack had been shot, the bullet grazing his shoulder, by his own uncle—the crew member who had disabled their defenses, allowing the enemy to dock and board the Lenore.

"You okay, Bit?" Jack asked.

She nodded, not trusting her voice.

Jack eyed her, seeing the lie for what it was. Thankfully, he chose not to press the subject. When he turned away, she let out a long sigh.

Truth was, she didn't have a damn clue what was wrong with her, and she wasn't about to spill it all out to her new captain. Up until a week ago, she would have gone to Oden with her issues, but that was before Blaine, one of the security team members, had kissed her right in front of half the crew. Oden wasn't thrilled with this sudden development, along with half the other men on the ship not to mention Bit; she wasn't exactly jumping for joy herself. And Blaine knew it.

What a disaster, she thought to herself as she watched Jack and Oden discuss the docking procedures that wouldn't be needed until the next morning.

The fact was she liked Blaine, a lot more than she was willing to admit, but she had a plan and it didn't include romance. Now all she had to do was remember the plan the next time Blaine got in a kissing mood. Bit rolled her eyes, the sarcastic expression fully directed at her own weakness.

Her sister had been lured into a romantic relationship with one of their owners. The result was a deadly pregnancy. Now the child was off god-knows-where working off half its mother's debt, while Bit carried the other half, along with her own debt. Bit knew she would never be able to work off the entirety of her debt, or more accurately her father's debt, but someday, somehow, she would find a way to escape this life and find her sister's child.

She just had to stay focused, and that meant not falling into the same trap as her sister.

"What'd I miss?" Calen asked from the doorway as he sauntered in, winking at Bit.

Bit forced a smile to her lips and tried to inch her way toward the door.

"Nothing much," Jack replied. "We'll dock in the morning. I'm going to brief the crew on the holiday layover now that you're here to relieve Oden. I doubt you need to hear my lecture on being wise during the holiday."

"Not with you and Ma watching my every step," said Calen with a knowing smirk.

"Exactly. C'mon, Oden. You too, Bit," Jack added just as Bit reached the threshold of the bridge. "Call the crew down to the mess for me, Calen."

Calen nodded and snatched up the communicator. "All crew to the mess hall."

Bit cursed silently in her mind as she waited for the captain in the doorway. She didn't want to join the eleven men who would be crowding into the mess hall to hear the captain's speech. Though she had slowly grown accustomed to their presence over the past month on the ship, the final week of their voyage had been stressful thanks to Blaine. Bit felt the muscles in the back of her neck tighten with a fresh wave of tension.

I'll never forgive him for this, she told herself resolutely.

Jack clapped a firm hand on her shoulder, as though he read in her eyes her desire to run, and led her down the metal stairs. Oden followed closely on their heels. Bit could practically feel his gaze on her back, causing a tingle to run up her spine.

They descended another set of stairs and entered the mess hall; most of the crew were already seated and waiting. Bit slipped into the last spot on a bench next to Forrest, the first assistant engineer for the ship. Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted Blaine sitting nearly as far away from her as he could get. She let out a long sigh, half in relief and half in a new form of tension coursing up her back.

Why does life have to be so damn complicated? It had been much simpler when she worked for a jerk who didn't let her outside except to run his errands. Then she didn't have any friends or anyone vying for her affections. Then again, she had also been completely alone.

"Alright, you lot," Jack said affectionately, waving for silence with his uninjured arm. "I know we're excited to be getting to Mars, especially after this rough journey, but settle down. We will be docking with Ward Port in just over twelve hours. All crew members will be needed as we unload the main cargo. Officially, we are slated to taxi down to the Olympus Mons Landing Platform at 1700 Thursday evening."

The captain was interrupted by a whoop of hollers from the crew, all except for Bit and Dirk, the chief engineer and the crankiest man Bit had ever met. Bit glanced around, wondering why the crew was so excited. Was it simply that they were excited to have survived the pirate attacks? Or were they always this happy to reach their destination after a long haul?

"Alright, alright," called Jack, his own smile growing as a few of the crew members threw high-fives around as though they had just won a football game. "I know you all are excited for Colony Day weekend, but you know the rules. Work first, play second.

"When we dock, we will still have the cargo to unload and sign over to the port authorities. Every crew member will have their part to play in this."

Bit began to fumble with her fingers, looking down at her broken, dirty nails. What will my job be? she wondered, having never been a part of an unloading.

"As you know, leave will be extended for the holiday weekend. We will reconvene at the landing platform Tuesday 0600."

The crew met the captain's statement with a chorus of boos, which he graciously smiled at. After a moment, he waved them silent again.

"Our wonderful engineering team has agreed to work over the holiday weekend to get the ship back up to one-hundred percent after the attacks, that way we can pick up with our next delivery after the holiday as if none of this happened. After much consideration, Randal and I have agreed the embryos will be staying on board the ship until Mars Genetics Consortium resumes regular business hours on Tuesday. As to the delivery of the embryos, you lot don't need to concern yourself with it. Now, any questions?"

To Bit's surprise, multiple hands shot up.

"Yes, Forrest?" Jack asked, pointing to the blond man sitting next to Bit.

"Where's Bit going for the weekend? She ain't got an apartment on Mars or family like the rest of us," he said, glancing around at the other members of the crew.

Suddenly all heads turned to the corner where Blaine sat, as though they expected the security officer to offer her a place with him. He resolutely looked to their captain and the many heads swiveled around to glance at Jack, almost in perfect unison. Bit stifled a groan as she felt her cheeks burn with a deep blush.

To her amazement, the crew began to offer their various residences before Jack could respond.

"She can stay with me and my brother," offered Vance, the ship's gentle giant of a steward who stood in the doorway to the galley, his great arms crossed over his wide chest.

"Not likely," grumbled Blaine from his corner.

"Wanna stay on the ship with us, Little Bit?" asked Forrest.

"Yeah!" exclaimed Jeremiah, the youngest of the ship's crew and the second engineering assistant.

"Excuse me?" growled Dirk.

"She ain't coming with me," said Nolan, the under steward who had tried to force himself on her a few weeks after she joined the crew.

Half the men rose from their seats and glared at him.

"You're not part of this discussion," announced Blaine into the silence.

"Bit is coming home with me and Calen," Jack announced, ending the discussion. "I wouldn't dream of sending the poor girl home with any of you scoundrels."

Bit glanced up at her captain. He had been trying to ease the tension caused by Nolan, but the jibe had done little to help. In an effort to come to his aid, she forced a chuckle past her lips.

"Always looking out for me," she said to Jack, and to her relief, the other crew members followed her example with their own laughter.

"That I am, Little Bit. Alright crew, go get some rest before we dock and the real work begins."

"Right, 'cause fighting off pirates ain't real work," mumbled Reese, one of the remaining security team members as he climbed out of his spot at the next table over.

The others laughed and rose from their seats. Bit got out of the way, tucking herself into the corner, half hidden by the high-tech dummy used for target practice by the security team.

"Do you want the security team to return to the ship with you on Tuesday and escort you to MGC?" asked Randal, the head of the security team.

"I don't think that will be necessary," Jack said with a smile on his face as he nodded to the few men still loitering in the mess hall in small clumps. "After all, we will be on Mars, not in the un-policed voids of space."

"True," admitted Randal as he adjusted the sling which supported his injured arm; he had been shot in the shoulder during the fray, "but we also know there is someone specifically after those embryos."

Jack clapped him on his good side. "Tell you what, we see anything even remotely suspicious during the weekend, I'll call you immediately, okay? I promise," Jack added when the head of his security team continued to stare at him.

"Fine," grumbled Randal before stomping out of the mess hall.

Jack rolled his eyes at the older man and left. Bit slipped out of her hiding place, for some reason feeling more relaxed now that the captain was nowhere in sight, and headed for the door.

"Bit," called a voice from the only remaining group.

Bit kept walking, hoping she could pretend she hadn't heard the call of her name. A firm hand wrapped around her arm, pulling her to a stop as she reached the bottom of the staircase.

"That how it is?" Blaine asked as he turned her to face him. "You just ignoring me now?"

"I didn't hear you," she lied.

"Right. Real mature."

"What is it you want?"

"We need to talk."

"About?" Bit asked, knowing perfectly well what he wanted to talk about.

"You know what we need to talk about," replied Blaine with a long sigh. "We kissed, dammit."

"No. You kissed me... in front of half the crew. You want to talk about it, why don't you go talk about it with half the crew."

Blaine rolled his eyes at her, annoyance clearly visible on his features. "Look, I'm sorry I didn't wait until we were alone. That doesn't change how we feel."

"We?" she asked, pouring shock and consternation into her voice. She had to convince him that he had made a mistake in kissing her. "There is no 'we' here. There is just you in this."

Bit jerked her sore arm out of his grasp and raced up the stairs, her bare feet pattering painfully against the grating of the steps. She reached the living quarters level and dashed into the small closet under the next flight of stairs that had been turned into her room. It was rather barren, with a small table, a footlocker, and a hammock. Even her sparse supply of clothing was the result of the crew giving her this and that from their own wardrobes. She ran around the ship in oversized t-shirts and shorts that reached halfway down her shins. They didn't even try giving her shoes or socks.

Bit collapsed on her hammock and threw the blanket over her head.

Forget the vow I made to my dead sister! Why would anyone be interested in her? She was a charity case—the lost puppy they had found in the gutter and brought home to give scraps off the dinner table. Whatever interest Blaine had in her, it wasn't romantic. It was philanthropic at best.

She pulled her knees up to her chest, feeling thoroughly sorry for herself and stared at the blank wall until she finally drifted off to sleep.

Chapter Two

Jack woke with a start and glanced around his dark quarters. He had been dreaming about a girl, but now that he was awake and faced with the realities of the day before him, he couldn't remember any of the details. He glanced over at the little clock resting on his desk. His alarm wouldn't be going off for another few minutes.

What woke me up? he wondered. Then he heard it again—the sound of the engines slowing.

Jack flung his legs out from under the blankets and stood up in one quick motion. The floor was cold to his bare feet and he quickly worked to dress. Once safely encased in his official company uniform—something he only wore when the ship was reaching a port—he exited his room, dropping his bag, mostly full of dirty clothes, by the hatch. Before running down to the mess hall, he spotted Bit standing outside the small closet they had turned into her private room.

Once again he was struck by her startling blue eyes, framed by blonde hair matted into long dreadlocks. As usual, she wore a slightly frightened expression. Like the rest of the crew, Jack felt an urge to wipe the fear from her face, but he knew the demons she needed to face weren't on the Lenore. Her fear would pass in time, especially if they could go a few weeks without being attacked by pirates. The longer she went feeling safe, the better her outlook on life would become. He gave her a big smile, forcing down his need to come to her rescue. His anger at her past treatment would only make her more afraid.

"Once you're done packing you can put your bag here with everyone else's."

Strangely, Bit blushed crimson. "I don't have a bag."

"Oh! ... Um..." Jack glanced around, suddenly realizing her predicament. "Let me find something for you."

Jack dashed back into his cabin and scrounged around in his various drawers, finally tearing the pillowcase off his pillow out of desperation.

"I know it's not much," he said upon reappearing in the central corridor, "but it will get the job done."

He tossed it to her before descending the steps on his way to the mess hall.

"Thanks," he heard her call in a subdued voice.

Jack waved back at her and jogged into the mess hall, grabbing a quick breakfast before he was needed on the bridge. By the sound emanating from the engines, they would be beginning docking procedures in the next few minutes. Jack grabbed a plate, piled food onto it, and slid into a seat. He noticed Blaine across the table from him, glaring down at his food.

"That's a sour look for so early in the day," Jack said to the security officer.

Blaine grunted before taking another bite.

Technically speaking, Blaine didn't answer to Jack. He was part of Randal's security team and not part of Jack's crew. Any of Jack's crew would have known better than to respond like that to him. Jack let it slide, but considered taking the matter to Randal.

Just another example of why a woman on board is trouble, Jack thought to himself as he shoveled more food into his mouth.

"Is that any way to speak to your captain?" Randal asked from the doorway.

Blaine looked up at his commander, a grimace spreading across his features. He turned to Jack. "Sorry, sir. Just a little upset."

Jack nodded. "Just remember, Blaine, some of what she's dealing with we can't even see, much less understand."

Blaine stared at him. Jack could see the other man consider a polite lie before dismissing it. "Thank you, sir. I'll try to remember that."

Jack nodded again before rising and dumping his cleared plate into the tub with soapy water. "I'll be on the bridge if you need me."

"Right behind you, Cap," Oden said as he dashed down the steps and charged into the mess hall, actively buttoning up his official crimson pilot's jacket.

Jack rolled his eyes. His crew was getting extremely negligent, and he couldn't decide if it was the prospect of Colony Day or Bit's presence or both that caused the sudden decline in discipline. Jack made a mental note to come down hard on the entire crew, Bit included when they began their next run. Speaking of Bit, he needed to assign her a specific job on the ship. Having a defined job would help her find stability in her new life.

As he expected, she was outside her room, placing her pathetic-looking pillowcase next to the growing pile of luggage near the hatch.

"Bit, I have a favor to ask you, and I confess it's not a very pleasant one."

"What can I do for you, sir?" she asked, her expression unchanged from when he first saw her upon waking.

"Well, we need to box up Derek's personal possessions so that I can take them to his family when we are next on Earth, and we need the XO's cabin cleaned for whoever I hire on. Would you mind doing that for me? Don't worry, I won't normally ask you to clean house... I just..."

"It's fine, sir," she said, cutting him off before he could ramble on too long.

Jack gave her another smile and patted her on the shoulder. She winced, ducking slightly.

"Have you let someone look at those bruises?" he demanded, reaching out to do the job himself.

She took a step back. "They're fine, sir."

Jack pulled his hand back, realizing his mistake. "Okay, but my girlfriend on Mars is a nurse. I want you to let her check you over when we get to the surface. Agreed?"

She hesitated a moment before nodding.

"Good. Now, you can get empty boxes from Vance. Oh. On second thought, why don't you let me do that?"

"I can do it, sir."

"No, you shouldn't have to," he said as he spotted Oden jogging up the stairs behind her, the last sausage link of his breakfast still in his hand, another bite of food being chewed.

"I can do it, sir," she insisted, drawing his attention back to their conversation.

Jack felt a smile tug on his lips, which he forced back. Vance's assistant had attacked her, but even that wouldn't stop her from doing the job he had asked of her.

"Okay, but just so you know, Nolan is off this ship for good once we land. He's lost his job because of what he did to you."

Bit swallowed before nodding. "Yes, sir."

"Thank you again for helping me with this. If you have any questions, I'll be on the bridge."

"Yes, sir."

Jack stopped himself at the last second from patting her on the shoulder again before jogging up the stairs. He entered the bridge feeling guilty for assigning her the task of boxing up his own uncle's belongings, but it had to be done before they all left for the surface.

"Captain," said Oden upon his entrance, "I was just going to call for you."

"Sorry. Got hung up. Where are we at?"

"Just beginning docking procedures. Word from Ward Port is they have us at dock fifty-two, around on the far side. I'm adjusting navigation now."

Jack nodded, watching his pilot work. Like any freighter captain, Jack could pilot his ship, but he had nothing on Calen and Oden. They were gods compared to his meager attempts, and Oden had especially earned his keep on this journey. If the bank account allowed for it, he would have been writing Oden a large bonus check for the work he had done at the helm. Oden's maneuvers had saved the main cargo from destruction and most of the crew from death at the hands of pirates. Sadly, two of the security team had died while flying the ship's small defensive skiffs. As it was, Jack would have to replace the skiffs and put a pretty penny into the repairs on the Lenore. There was no money to be spent on bonus checks.

If he wasn't careful, he was going to lose Oden to the government. He knew for a fact Oden had been approached by at least one government head-hunter as the various militaries scrambled to expand into space along with the merchant marines and the pirates. So far Oden had turned them down, but Jack couldn't fathom why the talented pilot had chosen to stay on with his motley crew flying an out-of-date cargo freighter.

Jack let out a quiet sigh and turned his attention back on the displays.

A sudden wave of static washed over the comm., followed by a gruff voice.

"This is Ward Port, calling the Lenore Freighter designation 2517. Come in 2517."

Oden snatched up the comm. and squeezed the hand-held mouthpiece. "This is Lenore Freighter 2517. Go ahead."

"Change of plans, Freighter 2517. Change course for dock thirteen."

Oden glanced up at Jack, a frown pulling his brows together before he squeezed the comm. and spoke into the receiver. "Understood. Rerouting to dock thirteen."

The pilot went to work adjusting his course while Jack examined the display showing the schematics for the enormous port orbiting Mars. It would take them at least half an hour to navigate to dock thirteen. With this change, they would need to race through unloading the cargo to make their flight down to the surface, but they would make it.

Oden guided the ship around the labyrinth of docks with expert ease and began the careful approach into dock thirteen when the comm. hissed again.

"This is Ward Port, calling the Lenore Freighter designation 2517. Come in 2517."

"Are you kidding me?" Oden grumbled as he reached for the comm. unit. "This is the Lenore Freighter 2517. Go ahead."

"Sorry for the inconvenience, but we need you to reroute to dock sixty-nine."

Jack cursed under his breath. "What is this all about?" he asked no one in particular before reaching for this comm. unit. "This is Captain Jack Macleef of the Lenore Freighter 2517. Is there a problem?"

"No problem, Captain. Just a little issue here in the office. We'll have you sorted out in no time. If you can just tell your pilot to reroute to dock sixty-nine."

"And this will be our last reroute?" asked Jack, his voice coming out in a growl.

There was a long pause before the comm. clicked again. "Yes, sir. Dock sixty-nine."

Jack tossed the comm. back onto the controls of his battered freighter, nearly striking Oden. "Better do what he says."

Oden paused to examine the schematics before pointing out the port in question. It was at the far end of the docks, as far away from his buyer's port as he could get and equally as far away from the port-to-land transportation dock. Jack took a deep breath, trying to will away the stress building in his shoulders and neck.

What was happening? This was supposed to be a smooth day.

Oden went to work adjusting the navigation once again, his brow creased with the stress of a third bypass maneuver. Beads of sweat formed around his hairline and began to roll down his neck into the collar of his official Macleef Cargo uniform. Like Jack, the crew only wore their official uniforms when they arrived at port and, occasionally, when they left one.

Jack turned away. He didn't want to watch his pilot suffer under the strain of having to do a job three times over thanks to the ineptitude of the dock manager. Jack frowned again, the beginnings of a headache plaguing him. It didn't make sense. Ward Port was one of the best in the galaxy. He had never seen any port make a ship reroute three times over, much less the very best port.

The captain brushed his suspicions aside. He refused to be paranoid. They had made it to Mars where security, both private and public, abounded. No pirates or smugglers would dare try to do anything aboard Ward Port. Whatever was causing the re-routes had nothing to do with their previous pirate attacks or the embryos safely locked in cold-storage. He was sure of it.

"What's the word, Jack? Why haven't we docked?" Calen asked as he stumbled onto the bridge.

His hair was wet from a shower and he was still tucking in the shirt of his own uniform, his jacket slung over his arm. Dark circles lined his eyes from having stayed up all night manning the pilot's seat. Landing day was always hard on the pilot with the night shift, but Calen would live.

"While on board you will address me as Captain," Jack said, letting his frustration get the best of him.

Calen skidded to a stop, eyeing his brother and Oden. Out of the corner of his eye, Jack caught Oden giving Calen a minute nod.

"Of course, Captain. Sorry."

Jack jerked his head down. He hadn't needed to be so rough, but the truth was his crew was growing too careless around him. Who better to start with than his own brother? If Calen started showing him the proper respect and toeing the line the others would follow his example.

"The docks have been having some confusion as to where we will be docking. Oden is rerouting us, hopefully for the last time. Once we dock, we will need everyone on hand to unload the cargo as quickly as possible. As it is, I doubt we will make it to our transport in time."

"Damn," cursed Calen, his eyes still on the duroglass and the labyrinth of docks jutting out from the central hub of the port spread out before them.

"Please go warn the others and make sure they are ready to work the moment we are attached."

"Yes, sir," Calen replied, sounding as though he were in the military.

Jack cringed as he watched his brother march away. He didn't want to ruin the camaraderie of his crew. He would have to find the right balance, he just didn't know where that balance lay. Jack moved to the walkway outside the bridge and listened to the scurry of men as they obeyed Calen. At least Calen was spreading the "fear of God" throughout the crew.

"Captain?" came Oden's voice from within the bridge a moment later.

Jack scurried back onto the bridge. The ship was making its final approach to the dock space and Oden was earning his keep as he eased the antiquated machine into the narrow space. Dock sixty-nine was barely big enough for the freighter. It would be a challenge unloading the cargo in the tiny space around the freighter.

Oden switched on the primary thrusters before easing off the main engines. Jack adjusted his footing as the ship's speed decreased dramatically. The ship let out a ghastly groan as its speed dropped. Using the thrusters, Oden sidled the ship up against the dock, just under the enormous crane that would be used to unload the large cargo crates. As the ship leveled off, the docking arms snaked out and attached themselves to the ship, moving with the soft purr of modern technology.

Jack felt himself grind his teeth as he listened to the various groans and clicks of his ship adjusting to being stationary. The ancient freighter had been the pride of space back when his grandfather had commissioned it from an earth ship builder, some seventy-odd years ago. But in the ensuing years, newer, faster, and better technologies had outstripped the old Lenore until she was barely serviceable. When Dirk finally decided to retire, he doubted he would be able to get another Chief Engineer to work on her. No one wanted to work on antiques.

The truth was, she was so slow their small family business was having trouble competing with the faster freighters who could transport goods from the various locations around the galaxy in half the time it took them. The result was Jack was having to cut their prices to compete.

Jack glanced down at his pilot, suddenly aware that he had an audience. He hadn't told anyone that the company was struggling, and he wasn't about to start now.

"Good flying, Oden," he said, trying to look relaxed and calm. "Let's get this stuff unloaded so we can start our holiday."

Oden gave him a smile and turned back to the console to start the lengthy shut-down procedures.

"I'll be overseeing the unload. Call down if you need me," Jack said before leaving the bridge.

He hated leaving the pilot alone, but since he didn't have an XO, he had no choice. Jack felt another strain of stress wind its way up his back as he considered his dead second cousin, currently being stored in the ship's freezers. He needed a new XO but, like everything else, that would cost money.

"Captain," Vance called from the main hatch where he was depositing his luggage, a pad tucked under his arm.

"What's up?" Jack asked the head steward, his eyes drifting to where Nolan stood by the hatch, his own gear in hand.

Jack had no doubt the under steward was ready to get off the ship the moment the dock crew finished attaching the portal and sealing the airlock. Having been fired for his attack on Bit, he wasn't exactly welcome on board. Jack was equally ready to see him go. Vance glanced at the unwanted man before turning toward the stairs and guiding his captain away from the other man.

"Before we take off again after the holiday, I need to restock a few things, and I wanted to ask you about Nolan's replacement," Vance said as he tapped a few buttons on the pad, pulling up a long shopping list.

Jack scratched the back of his head, more stress settling in on his shoulders. The two men pressed themselves against the wall as two crew members raced down the steps and passed them at light speed. Jack grumbled to himself.

It's times like these that accidents happened, he thought, trying to turn his mind to what Vance was saying.

"Buy what you need, but try to keep it cheap," he replied. "As to a replacement, you think you could do without for a trip or two? Maybe Bit could help you out some. After all, unless something changes, we're down four crew members."

"You're not planning on replacing any of them?"

Jack glanced away as he shrugged.

"I see," Vance replied, his wise eyes boring into Jack.

"Keep this to yourself."

"Yes, sir."

"You're a good man, Vance," Jack said as he clapped Vance on the shoulder and returned to the airlock.

Jack found Bit emerging from the XO's quarters, two boxes in her arms, nearly blocking her line of sight. Nolan still stood by the hatch, eyeing her with disdain. Blaine was just appearing from the crew's quarters and came to her aid, taking the top box and setting it aside.

"This everything?" Jack asked.

"Yes, sir. Everything is cleared out, and I cleaned the room. I was just going to take the cleaning supplies down to Vance."

"Thank you, Bit."

"What can I do to help after?"

"Mind helping Vance down in the galley? Until you're properly trained, I don't want you trying to help unload cargo. Too dangerous, especially when we're in a hurry."

To his surprise, Bit flinched, much like she had on her first day aboard the Lenore.

"Yes, sir," she said in a soft whisper before ducking back into the cabin.

She emerged with the bucket of cleaning supplies and scurried down to the lower level where the galley and Vance waited.

"What's up with her?" Jack asked, eyeing the empty staircase.

"You think Mars has her freaked out?" Blaine suggested.

"Maybe. I'll see what Oden thinks when he's done shutting the ship down."

"Why him?"

"Whether you like it or not, Blaine, Oden gets her in a way you and I don't. You'd be wise to listen to him."

The glare on Blaine's face would have set a soldier's knees shaking. Jack smiled at his security officer before turning to the other men appearing.

In short order, Jack had his crew working to shift the crates along the dock to where his buyer's transport waited to load the crates down to the surface. It was a long, tedious job, especially with the small security team hovering as guards. Jack didn't want to have them just loitering, but their presence did more than just scare away potential threats. They showed his competition that he was in the big games, even if he wasn't.

Jack pushed his worries to the back of his mind and focused on the task at hand. His finances would just have to wait.

