Chapter 34 - Cyprus

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  The Shadari ship shook as it flew through space like it was held together by glue and a couple of rusty bolts, but it was fast and really their only means of travel. Thankfully Recli had insisted on towing it to Kleth’altho.

  It was almost as if he knew what was going about to happen. She felt black fury at the thought of her ship lying in ruins, it had been a gift from Giantis, and she had taken special care to ensure it didn’t obtain any scratches over the course of her adventures.

  So much for that.

  She stared at the back of Recli’s horned head, there was so much going on inside his mind that she was unaware of. Yesterday he had insisted they go to Kleth’altho in search of Kyrin, the crippled junkie.

  There was a strange urgency about his demand, as if he knew the Hokkonians would show up. Even before the HWND commander broke through the atmosphere, he had insisted they hide.

  Somehow, he had predicted everything.

  Now, his actions begged the question, why Kyrin? What was it about the woman that Recli wanted? It certainly didn’t seem like he was pleased that she was on board. Not that she could blame him. Kyrin’s presence was barely tolerable.

  Cyprus winced as Kyrin wailed in her ear, “He killed them! They were kind people, and he killed him!”

  “I know honey, I know…” Cyprus murmured, trying her best to comfort through minimal contact.

  Kyrin’s scabbed skin looked dirty, and she didn’t’ want to touch it.

  “They didn’t do anything wrong; they were just protecting their home…” Her voice became muffled as she buried her face in Cyprus’ chest.

  Cyprus turned her face away and gingerly patted the girl on the head. What in Drom’s name was Kyrin doing on this ship. She shot another nervous glance at Recli, she wanted to ask his intentions, but the lizard wasn’t in the right mood.

  She wasn’t sure if he was even in the right state of mind to be flying a ship.

  He had practically kicked the door down and almost left without them. There was a glassy look in his eyes when he had screamed at them to get on.

  After stumbling into his navigation chair, a fit of insane laughter shook him so hard Cyprus thought he was having a seizure. Since then, he hadn’t spoken a word and hunched over the navigational controls clutching his injured stomach.

  The monster was starting to lose it, she had noticed before, but it had never been this bad. There was something else going on.

  Kyrin’s sobbing ceased and the lack of sound pulled Cyprus from her thoughts. She glanced down to see an ugly, contorted look of fury on Kyrin’s face.

  “I’ll kill him, every last one of them, he took him from me…” She started to shake, and her eyes glossed. “He took him from me- him… he took… Jericho.”

  Cyprus carefully pried herself from the girl’s grasp and shuffled a few feet away on the padded bench. She watched the girl’s eyes shift in and out of focus and noted the trembling in her hands and legs.

  “Kyrin?” No response, her sobs now nothing but incoherent grunts.

  “She reeks” Recli hissed, gripping his snout, and sending a murderous glare back at them, “what sickness have you brought a board my ship!”

  Cyprus jumped in surprise at the sound of his voice and shot him a bewildered look. Did he already forget that it was his idea to bring her? She was the only reason they had even travelled to the god forsaken planet!

  Of course, Cyprus kept her mouth shut and leaned forward to sniff Kyrin’s breath. The sickly-sweet smell of rotting fruit caused her to recoil. “She’s not sick, It’s torpe withdrawal.”

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  “Will she live?”

  Cyprus shrugged, “I have no idea.”

  “Make sure she survives, take her to the cargo hold and keep an eye on her. It’s your head if she doesn’t make it.” Recli snarled.

  Cyprus looked at him aghast, “my head? She’s a junkie!”

  Recli swiveled in the chair, and his voice dropped to a decibel that made her heart skip a beat, “Right now she’s more important to me than you are.”

  His words struck her like a punch to the gut, and she staggered backward. He had looked at her as if he didn’t recognize her, as if she was a meal.

  Cyprus dragged Kyrin down the hallway and into the cargo hold at the back of the ship. The lighting was terrible, and it smelled like mold, but it was far enough from Recli that it felt safe. She laid Kyrin down behind some old boxes, sighed, and crossed her arms. The last thing she wanted to worry about was the well-being of some drug addict, but there was little she could do about it now.

  She ran a hand through her unkempt ponytail, it felt greasy and frizzled. A testament to the long days she had put in since meeting Recli. When was the last time she took a shower or had a nap? She longed to go back to Terminus 14 and get some much needed shut eye.

  If only she had the choice. She was trapped on this ship now, and if Recli wanted to, he could take her anywhere in the Star System. The HWNDs took away her only chance at freedom with the destruction of her ship.

  With no other option, she made her way back to the cockpit. The shaky movements of Recli’s ship made it that difficult and a couple of times she found herself thrown into the filthy walls. The Shadari were powerful and possessed technology that rivaled the Hokkonians. Yet they lived in squalor, and their ships looked like they were fresh out of a scrapyard.

  She made it back to the cockpit in one piece and carefully sat down on the passenger bench.

  Recli didn’t turn around, “What did you do with her?”

  “I did as you said and put her in the cargo hold.”

  The Shadari took a moment to sniff the air, and then shrugged, “As long as I can’t smell her, you believe she’ll survive?”

  All Cyprus could do was shrug, “I don’t have any medical supplies to give her, I’m sure a dose of Torpe would help, but I don’t touch that shit.”

  “Perhaps there will be supplies on Reloculan, we’ll be there within the hour.” He tasted the air with a forked tongue.

  “Reloculan?” Cyprus furrowed her brow, and her heartbeat quickened, “We had discussed you dropping me off at the Union Station orbiting Ordan, we need to get that undamaged HWND back to the Union-"

  “Change of plans, the Hokkonian ship that was intercepted earlier was successfully captured, along with two pilots.”

  Cyprus' eyes widened, she knew the lizard had called for some assistance once they learned his position had been compromised, but it seemed obvious that they had failed once Arthros had landed. Eagerness replaced her apprehension. “Another HWND might offer enough data for the engineers on Titulon to properly replicate and reproduce our own Mechs.”

  Recli bared his fangs in a twisted smile, “You may have the HWND, in return I want the Pilot.” The Shadari’s clawed hand flexed, and an evil light glinted in his yellow eye, “the human one.”

  Cyprus paused. A human pilot? No, the Hokkonians would never. “Are you talking about a slave?”

  Recli shook his head, “he’s wearing a pilot uniform. Eighth Division.”

  The same division as Arthros. Now that she was thinking about it, Kyrin had recognized the Hokkonian, in fact, she knew him by name.

  What is it that she's been babbling about? Arthros took someone from her?

  A pit grew in her stomach as the realization dawned on her. Recli was using Kyrin to get to Jericho? Why would Recli care about a random human in the first place? Was this whole situation a product of the Shadari’s deteriorating sanity, or did the human pose a legitimate threat?

  Her head was swimming with questions, and the only thing she was truly sure of was Kyrin’s vulnerability. She would do her best to protect the young woman. Whatever Recli had planned, she would make sure Kyrin was okay.

  At least she hoped. She crept back into the cargo bay, careful to walk quietly so she wouldn’t draw attention from Recli.

  “Cyprus.” A voice groaned out.

  Kyrin was sitting up right, holding her head in two hands. Her skin was a pale yellow, and the smell of rotting fruit filled the entire cargo bay.

  “I’m here, how are you feeling.”

  The girl whimpered into her hands, “like I want to die.”

  You might get that wish, Cyprus thought bitterly as she knelt beside her. “What can you tell me about Jericho?”

  “How do you know that name.” Her voice was hoarse.

  Cyprus grabbed her hand and squeezed, “Because you told me- It’s all you’ve been talking about.”

  A viscous tear formed in the corner of her eyes, “he’s special.”

  “Special enough to pilot a HWND?”

  Kyrin slowly nodded, “Apparently.”

  It didn’t’ seem possible. How could a human pilot a HWND? A better question would be why the Hokkonians were okay with letting him. Unless they weren’t… unless Arthros had done it in secrecy. If that was the case, did other humans have the same potential?

  A sudden thought began to bloom, “Kyrin, what would you do to bring him back?”

  “I would do anything.” Her voice was raw with desperation.

  Despite the wretched situation Cyprus had found her self in, she smiled as an idea started to form.

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