On a Rogue Planet Read online

  “We need to ID these mercs,” Mal said.

  Xander frowned. “Yes. But so far I’ve been unsuccessful. I’ve searched all my databases and haven’t found anything that matches.”

  “Maybe I should have a try,” said a feminine voice.

  Xander stilled, his gaze raking the room. “Who is that?”

  “BEll,” Lala said as she sauntered into the room. “She’s like your sister.”

  Xander’s frown deepened. “What?”

  “She’s our bio-comp,” Mal said. “A Biocomputerized Entity Mach II.”

  “You have a computer with biological components? They don’t exist.”

  “Dathan won her…it’s a long story. BEll, meet Xander Saros. Xander, BEll.”

  “A pleasure,” drawled BEll. “General Xander Saros of Centax. Age, thirty-three standard years. Most promising candidate in the Centax Security program. You far outstripped your fellow trainees and had the exceptional ability to accept every enhancement and implant given to you. Bit of a dubious ability, if you ask me. Three years ago, they made you head of CenSec Field Operations. One year ago, they made you head of Centax Security and promoted you to the rank of general. You’re known to be a cool customer, an emotionless, lethal killer, and brilliant strategist. Did I leave anything out?”

  Xander was quiet for a moment. “I don’t think so.”

  Dathan was right. Xander wasn’t just a CenSec, he was Centax Security. “BEll, we need to identify the mercs who stole the Antikythera.”

  “I can check my databases.” As they spoke, the blue surface of the table flickered and changed. An image of the ancient, encrusted Antikythera appeared. “Can you provide any visuals?”

  “I can upload images.” Xander pressed a hand to the table.

  “Uploading now,” BEll said.

  Malin turned her attention to the image of the mechanism. It wasn’t beautiful but it sure as hell was compelling. So ancient, a testament to human ingenuity. A precursor to so many things to come. Her gaze slid to Xander.

  He leaned forward over the table. “The mercenaries are big. Many close to seven feet tall. Athletic. Skin covered in a distinctive, cat-like pattern, various hair colors. They are well-versed in hand-to-hand combat. They are equipped with weapons that can disrupt Centaxian enhancements.”

  Images flickered onto the screen.

  “Fricking giants,” Dathan muttered.

  Mal felt her stomach do an uncomfortable turn, memories of her recent tangle threatening. Like the giant she’d fought, they were all huge, with bulging arms. Most had shaved heads. But what stood out the most was the striped pattern on their skin. “It looks like the pelt of a large cat.”

  Xander nodded. “They have fangs as well.”

  Another image appeared, and in this one, the man’s large canines were distinguishable.

  “Shapeshifters?” Eos asked.

  “Not that I saw.”

  “Nothing in my primary databases. Running secondary searches,” BEll said.

  “Like I said, I checked all the Centaxian records. Nothing came up for these people.”

  “I’ve got something.” BEll’s voice was smug. “Just a small reference.”

  Mal was eager to hear and knew the computer liked to grandstand. “Spit it out, BEll.”

  “They appear to be an engineered species called the Rahl.”

  “Engineered?” Mal winced. Her thoughts were on her new cousin-in-law, Ria. She’d been the victim of a regeneration program and was now also part of an engineered species.

  “They were created in military labs as a kind of super-soldier. Whole bunch of DNA mixed together. Of course, they were bred as fighters. Their aggression levels are off the charts.”

  “Let me guess,” Nik said. “They got away from their masters.”

  “Yep. Slaughtered them. Took over the planet.”

  “What planet and where is it?” Xander demanded.

  “Even cyborgs should have some manners,” BEll huffed.

  “Where. Is. It?” His tone was lethal.

  “Please, BEll,” Mal added.

  “Fine. It’s a planet called Rhage in the Remington system.”

  Dathan was frowning. “Rhage? Rhage? That rings a bell.” He straightened so suddenly Mal started. “Shit…the pit-fighting world.”

  “Come again?” Eos asked.

  Dathan ran a hand over his face. “Now I know. It’s a pit-fighting world. It isn’t mentioned in polite circles. The quadrant’s best underground fighters go there and fight in giant pits. To the death.”

  Mal grimaced. “That’s horrible.”

  “They can make a lot of money and apparently business is brisk.”

  “I don’t care what they do,” Xander said. “I just want to find where they’re holding the Antikythera.”

  “They don’t welcome visitors. Only fighters.”

  “So, I’ll go in as a fighter.”

  “Look CenSec, you came to us for help. We need to plan—”

  “I just suggested the plan. I go in as a fighter.”

  “We can’t go in half-cocked—”

  Mal slammed her palms on the holo-table. “Stop it!”

  Both men went quiet.

  “What else do you know about Rhage?” she asked.

  “They bet heavily on the fights. Each fighter is expected to put up a lot of money and…”

  “And?” she prompted.

  “A woman.”

  “What?” This from Eos. “They bet women?”

  “Scum,” Nik said darkly.

  “I’ve found another record,” BEll chimed in. “There are no female Rahl.”

  Xander was scowling. “I don’t recall seeing any female mercenaries.”

  “They mate with females of other species but only have male offspring,” BEll added. “That’s why women are valuable prizes to them.”

  Eos cleared her throat. “I could go with Xander—”

  “No.” Dathan’s voice was low and deadly quiet. “You’ve already been auctioned once. I won’t have you up for a bet.”

  Mal saw Eos shiver and knew she still had nightmares from the time she’d been kidnapped by slavers in the Devil’s Nebula. Luckily, Dathan had rescued her.

  “I’m sure Ria would be happy to go in,” Niklas suggested. “We’d have to wait for her and Zayn to get back.”

  “We can’t wreck their honeymoon.” Mal knew those two deserved their happy ending. They’d both been through too much for them to call them back ahead of schedule. Her thoughts flickered briefly to Traxan and the smoke rising above Haxx. Whatever crazy fascination Mal felt for Xander, it didn’t stop her wanting, needing, to help Centax.

  She sucked in a deep breath. “I’ll do it.”

  Chapter Seven

  “No.”

  “No way!”

  Dathan’s heated refusal rolled off Malin. But Xander’s quietly whispered word sent shivers down her spine. She turned slowly to look at him. His eyes were glowing green.

  “You want the Antikythera back, right?” she said.

  “Yes. But you will not set foot on Rhage.”

  “It’s the best option.” She tilted her head. “Besides, what do you care, anyway?”

  “Mal, I know you’ve helped with a few hunts before, but this is a bit beyond a simple hunt,” Niklas said.

  He wasn’t protesting outright, just using logic and facts to try and get to her. Classic, Nik.

  “I want to help Centax. I’ve visited there many times and I like it. I consider Traxan from the salvage yard a friend. Besides, if I can do anything to help Centax’s women, I will.”

  With the sound of gum popping, Lala strolled forward. “Well, girl, I think you’ll need to borrow some stuff from my wardrobe because according to those images, coveralls or cargo pants are not going to cut it.”

  Mal spun and saw the new images BEll had displayed. Her throat went dry.

  They looked like images captured by people’s personal Syncs. Candid. Not all in focus.
A huge crowd gathered around a sunken pit. In the center of the pit were two fighters stripped to the waist with muscles bulging, one with blood smeared over his ridged abdomen.

  But it was the women who caught her attention.

  They were wearing…very little.

  Filmy fabrics and microscopic skirts. A few were naked except for beaten-gold metal jewelry wrapped around their necks, biceps and wrists. Skin. Skin and more skin. And from the looks of them, most of the women were happy to show their wares and cheer on the brawling fighters.

  Mal closed her eyes for a second. What had she just agreed to do?

  She could pull out, just head down to the hangar and get back to work stripping apart her engines.

  When she opened her eyes, Xander was in front of her. She hadn’t heard him move.

  “I won’t let you do this.”

  Anger shot through her like a supernova. “You don’t get to make that decision. This is a Phoenix treasure hunt now.” She saw that muscle in his jaw working again.

  He drew in a deep breath, his chest rising and falling.

  “You’ll have to go in solo. They don’t let spectators or entourage on-planet without prior arrangement.” Dathan didn’t sound happy about it. “We’ll monitor you from the ship.”

  “Cool. I’m up for a trip,” Lala said.

  “You’re not coming. You’ll be here. Doing your schoolwork with BEll watching over you.”

  Lala wrinkled her nose. “Come on, Dathan. I could help.”

  He stared her down.

  With a put-upon sigh, she subsided. “Fine. Fine. I’ll stay here.”

  “And I’m going to have Sel drop by and check on you.”

  Lala opened her mouth to complain but closed it again. “Sel’s not bad.”

  Mal rolled her eyes. Sel was a shop owner from Souk. He also dealt in gray market weapons. He and the teenaged bomb maker got on like a starship on fire. They’d probably swap explosive formulas or something.

  Niklas stood. “I’ll get the Infinitas fueled.”

  Lala grinned. “Man, Zayn is going to be pissed you’re taking his ship out without him.”

  A former Strike Wing fighter pilot, Zayn was protective of his ship. Still, he was on his honeymoon and Mal suspected even the Infinitas came a distant second to his new wife.

  Dathan followed his brother. “I’ll make sure all the other supplies we need are on ship.” He glanced at Xander. “Eos can help you find whatever clothing you need. We have a few boxes of…” he waved his hand.

  “Disguises,” Eos added helpfully. “Everything from assassin’s robes to…well, CenSec uniforms. And we’ll have to come up with something to hide your implants.”

  He gave her a terse nod, but then he was looking at Malin again. In a way that made her certain there was plenty of emotion under his implants. She felt a swirl of reaction in her belly. Why, oh why, did she have to be attracted to inappropriate men? From charming salvage dealers who were scum of the galaxy to an emotionally-stunted cyborg completely dedicated to his planet.

  “Lala, come on.” Mal waved a hand. “I need to see your wardrobe.” Stars help her.

  As she left the room, Mal felt the weight of that green-gold gaze on her back.

  ***

  The gentle hum of starship engines was almost soothing beneath Xander’s feet.

  But he didn’t feel soothed.

  He stood with his arms crossed over his chest, his gaze on the stream of stars outside the cockpit window. The Phoenix brothers’ salvage ship was, not surprisingly, very modified and much faster than any salvage ship he’d ever seen.

  They were only hours away from Rhage.

  He’d spent the last few hours in a cabin with Eos and Niklas Phoenix, having them share everything they knew about the pit-fighting world and perfecting his disguise.

  He was no longer a clean-cut CenSec.

  He was a down-and-dirty pit fighter.

  All he wore were well-worn black leather trousers that molded to him in a disturbing way. Not synth leather, but the real thing off some long-dead animal. His chest was bare and all he wore on top were chainmail sleeves that tied across his shoulder blades and hid his mechanical arm. Eos had spent over an hour creating temporary tattoos over all his implants, incorporating the silver into the design.

  Added to that, she’d shaved his hair.

  He ran a hand over it. It was very short and unlike anything he’d had before. CenSecs didn’t wear their hair too long or too short. It made him feel…naked. He wondered what Malin would make of it.

  Xander was pretty sure his CenSec team would not recognize him. His second-in-command, Xenia, who had somehow retained a good deal of emotion despite her heavy enhancements, would no doubt laugh at him.

  Behind him, down the corridor, he heard female voices. Arguing.

  “I can’t go out in public like this. I need trousers.”

  “Mal! Did you see any of those women on Rhage wearing trousers?” Lala cried.

  “Yes. That one tall one.”

  “She was a pit fighter.” Lala made a strangled noise. “Girl, you’re there to show skin and look beautiful.”

  “I’m not beautiful.”

  That made Xander frown. He thought Malin was extremely beautiful.

  “You are.” Eos entered the fray. “And you definitely look…eye-catching.” It sounded like she was trying to hide a laugh.

  “I look like a pleasure worker.” A disgruntled note in Malin’s voice. “You two go, let me…adjust to having my ass hanging out all over the place.”

  A snicker from Lala. “Come on, Eos. Let’s go tidy up your kick-ass makeup supplies.”

  Malin’s light footsteps got closer and Xander turned.

  And nearly swallowed his tongue.

  He knew Malin Phoenix wasn’t tall. She barely reached his collarbone. His sensors told him she was five feet, three inches tall.

  But right now, all he could see was a mile of slim leg.

  He started at the bottom and worked up. Black boots with high, high heels slicked up her calves to her knees. Then smooth skin was bared for all to see until it met a tiny black strip of sparkly fabric he assumed someone would generously call a skirt.

  Her midriff was bare, some sort of silver stone twinkling in her navel. Gauzy silver fabric was tied over her shoulders and breasts in a way that made a man think he could give it a tug and it would unravel, leaving her…

  Xander snapped his advanced filters into place and gritted his teeth.

  He forced his gaze to her face. She’d been heavy-handed with the makeup. Her eyes were smoky and dark, making their beautiful purple color stand out in her fine-boned face. Her lips were nebula-red. Someone, he guessed Lala, had tousled and styled Malin’s short hair in some sort of spiky design.

  “What do you think?”

  Malin’s nervous question snapped Xander back into reality.

  “You do look like a pleasure worker.”

  She winced. “Thanks. That fills me with confidence.”

  “I prefer you in your cargo pants.” And Xander realized he did. He particularly liked the way the pants hugged the line of her bottom.

  Something in her face softened.

  He continued, “You cannot go out looking like that.” Especially not a wild, rough, pit-fighting world where men fought for women and bartered them like possessions.

  Everything soft in her face fled. “Hey, tough guy.” She snapped her fingers. “I’m supposed to look like a pleasure worker. Besides, this outfit is way less revealing than most I’ve found on the vids. You know, naked seems to be popular.”

  Xander’s jaw tightened to the point of pain. He wasn’t having her naked. No way.

  Suddenly he realized Malin had gone silent. And was staring. At him. “Malin?”

  “You…you…” She shook herself. “You look…so different.”

  He couldn’t argue with her.

  Her gaze skimmed over him, lingering on his new temp tattoos over his chest. Xa
nder had an insane and completely unfamiliar urge to waste energy on the inefficient pastime of fidgeting.

  She moved closer, studying Eos’s artwork. So close he could feel her warm breath against his skin. Instantly, he felt his body respond.

  He’d never had so little control over himself in his life.

  Her hand moved, like she was going to trace the tattoos. Before it reached him, it dropped away.

  “Malin…you may touch me.” Even to Xander, his voice sounded strangled.

  “Why would I want to do that?” Her voice was tart.

  “Your hormone levels have increased and you appear to want to touch me. Earlier you wanted to kiss me.”

  Her eyes narrowed. “Are you completely clueless?”

  “No. I have very high intelligence coupled with advanced implants that—”

  “Xander. Shut up.” She was shaking her head. “Kissing. Touching. That’s not going to happen.”

  It really was better that they didn’t indulge this need. He had to focus on his mission.

  But with her standing there, all smooth, creamy skin and smoky eyes…he was unable to stop himself. “I want to kiss you.”

  She hissed in a breath. “Listen, tough guy, earlier you told everyone you don’t feel anything for me. That isn’t conducive to making a woman interested in kissing.”

  Xander processed that. “I’m sorry. I have no experience with dealing with women in a…personal way.”

  “Wait, what?” Her eyes widened. “Are you a virgin?”

  “No.”

  “But you said—”

  “As part of my CenSec training, I was required to have sexual intercourse with a female CenSec. To experience the act and catalogue the experience.”

  Malin’s mouth dropped open. “They make you have sex?”

  “Yes.”

  “Did you…did you enjoy it?”

  “That was not the purpose of the exercise. But parts of it were stimulating.”

  “Jesus.” Malin ran a hand through her hair. “Answer a question for me. Do you feel anything when you’re with me?”

  Xander told himself not to answer. To keep quiet. Not expose a weakness.

  But her purple eyes were irresistible.