Warhawk's Sacrifice - Ch. 19 - The Ol' Switcheroo - Alpha (Patreon)

As Seb pushed the cart of gear toward their new vessel, he gawked at its design. The exterior was sleek and aerodynamic. Its shape was like an inverted teardrop with a sharp pointed bow and wide stern. Long rows of tinted exterior windows ran down the length of the craft, accenting the white paint.

“Quickly, everyone,” Zara said, clapping. “Time is of the essence.”

Seb followed behind everyone. He couldn’t help but think that they looked like a big family on vacation. They all matched in their skinsleeves. Their only defining features were their heads sticking up above their collars.

She led the crew onto a suspended elevator underneath the ship. When they all gathered on it, she hit a projected button and it rose. Seb expected it to stop and leave them in the cargo bay, but to his surprise, it ascended higher.

The elevator’s walls were made of transparent glass, allowing them to see through the interior of the ship. They passed the large cargo bay. The white painted walls and empty space made it feel larger than that of the Amnesty. Metal ladders and covered railing led to a lone door with Engine Bay written on it.

With a short chime, the cabin stopped on the next floor. The doors opened up to reveal a long hallway. It was beautifully furnished with black tile floors edged in dark brown wood. It accented the shine of the silver walls.

A dozen doors extended down the length of the ship, leading to their own private quarters. The rooms were as big as Seb’s captain room, each with their own king sized bed, built in hidden closets, and private bathroom. The large black windows gave each room and nearly floor to ceiling one-way view out to the exterior of the ship.

Much like the Amnesty, the far end opened up to a kitchen and a common room. The kitchen and dining space recessed into the floor. It was more open, fitting a full length table that could seat twelve. The latest instant cook machines and beverage makers sat on top of the cabinets.

The common area had gaming systems, projection televisions, and an assortment of comfortable furniture. But the pinnacle of the space was that the point of the common room was entirely transparent with the same black glass as the bedrooms, making it an excellent observation deck as well.

“Wow, this ship is amazing!” Iris shouted.

“It’s all right,” Seb said, trying not to let his jealousy get the better of him.

“We need beds like these in our ship,” Nalla said.

“And these closets,” Vi added.

Seb huffed. “We won’t be doing any modifications to the Amnesty for a while. I just put her back together.”

As everyone raced to claim their room, Zara clapped her hands and shouted. “Okay everyone, please make sure to pick your rooms and unpack your gear. Stow it away in the ship and get things settled quickly. We’ll be taking off in the next few minutes.”

“Seb, can you and Mischa help with Syn’s box?” Eni asked.

“Yeah, sure thing,” the captain said.

He and Mischa lowered the hovercart and grabbed the metal handles of the box. They both grunted as they lifted it up and slid it into one of the free rooms.

“Should we let her out?” Mischa asked.

Without answering, Seb twisted his lips before unclasping the box. Syn sat curled up in a ball. She looked up at him with her glowing, synthetic eyes and smiled.

“Hey Syn, we’re going to keep you in here for a while longer,” Seb said. “At least until we’re ready to leave Mahad. I don’t want to take any chances of someone spotting you on the ship and asking questions.”

“A wise decision, Captain,” Syn said. “I shall wait until you come back for me.”

“Are you going to be okay in there? Need anything?”

“I’m fine. Thank you for asking.”

“Okay, we’ll see you in a bit.”

After Seb closed the box, he and Mischa helped the others unload the rest of the crates. They stacked the hovercarts near the door before heading to the kitchen.

As everyone grabbed snacks and beverages, a masculine voice that sounded like it had too much spit in its mouth spoke over the ship’s loudspeakers. “This is Captain Grupe. It is my pleasure to welcome you aboard the Temptation. Our destination is the Gran Amberscale Resort in Kitsmouth Bay. Our estimated flight time is a little less than two and a half hours. As we prepare for takeoff, please remain seated and enjoy the flight. Should you need anything, please use a nearby terminal and a stewardess will be right with you.”

“They’re really playing this up, aren’t they?” Seb asked, glancing over at the princess.

“I’m paying them for a performance and expect to get my credit's worth,” Zara said with a smug grin.

Everyone gathered in the common area. They sat on the couches, waiting in anticipation for the ship to ascend. Seb hopped up and down, noticing the couches were comfier than his. He grumbled as the captain made one more call over the intercom before the ship’s lower thrusters burst onto the ground. To Seb’s annoyance, the ride was smooth compared to the Amnesty. He barely felt any structural vibrations at all.

Yeah, but let’s see Merovingian build a ship the size of mine around a dreadnought sized gauss weapon, he thought.

Once the ship reached its cruising altitude, Captain Grupe echoed back over the intercom. “Passengers of the Temptation, this is your captain speaking. We’ve reached a cruising altitude of thirty-two thousand feet. Feel free to walk about the ship, grab a drink, and enjoy the ride.”

As Seb sipped on his beverage, he felt someone press his shoulder. When he looked up, Roja stood over him, pointing down the hall.

“You, uh, want to have that chat now?” she asked.

“Yeah, sure,” Seb said before pushing himself up.

The pair walked to Roja’s claimed room. As Seb sat on the edge of the bed, Roja shut the door before joining him. She leaned forward on her knees, staring off into the distance. Her eyes darted back and forth and long canines pinched her lip.

Assuming she didn’t know where to begin, Seb asked, “So, what did you want to discuss?”

Roja leaned back and forced a smile. “Well, first I wanted to thank you.”

“Thank me?” Seb asked, cocking a brow. “For what?”

“For saving me. You could have left me on that backwater planet. I would have died and had no one to blame but myself. But you didn’t. You took me in. Healed me.” Roja smirked. “Well, as best as you could, anyway. But I don’t understand why?”

“Why did I save you?” Seb asked.

“Yeah. Up until that point, I’d been pursuing you as a bounty. I had this… almost uncontrollable desire to bring you in. How would you have known that once I awoke, I wouldn’t have come for you again?”

Seb thought for a moment. He wanted to be careful about what he said, given Nalla’s previous comments about her lack of memory and episodes. “To answer your question, I honestly don’t know. I didn’t know you wouldn’t try to fight me. It was a risk, and I took it. I guess I felt like I owed you one. When you grabbed Benioff, it seemed like you were helping me.”

Roja shrugged. “I’m not even sure if that’s what I was doing. Benioff threatened to kill me and you. I think it was more about my self preservation and belief that if I dropped his soldiers, I could still take you with me to claim the bounty.”

“And do you still feel that way?”

Roja smiled warmly and shook her head. “No. And I think the only reason is thanks to your crew. Nalla told me I had or have a control chip inside of me. That she and Eni managed to disable it. Because of that, it’s why I have such a hard time doing practically anything. Even something as simple as taking a drink, I have to concentrate before I do it.”

“I can’t imagine how that must feel. But you seem to be managing well”

“I am getting used to it. But it’s still frustrating. Then there’s the amnesia. I can’t even remember who I am.” Roja looked up at Seb with wavering eyes. “Do you know what it’s like? To not feel like the skin you’re wearing is your own? To feel like a passenger in your own body. Not knowing who you truly are?”

Before Seb could answer, Roja clenched her fist and scowled. “Whoever did this to me is going to pay.”

Seb reached out and placed his hand on hers. “Whatever you need. You know Nalla and I will help.”

Roja jumped to her feet and paced back and forth. “That’s the thing… I want to say thank you, but I keep asking why. I can tell there’s something there. Every time I look at you, there are feelings that come up. Intense feelings. Like we have history. But I can’t remember a damned thing.”

When Seb didn’t immediately respond, Roja sat next to him and gripped his thigh with her clawed hands, her voice full of desperation. “Tell me. Tell me why I have feelings for you. Why do I feel like we had something before? What don’t I know about us?”

Seb let out a heavy sigh. “Roja… I can’t.”

“W-Why can’t you?”

“It’s not good for your health. Nalla said—”

“Fuck what Nalla said,” Roja shouted before tugging on Seb’s arm. “I need this.”

Seb squinted and leaned away. “Are you sure this isn’t from the rescue?”

“No. This is from before. Something deep down. I felt it every time I looked at you. Even when I was hunting you. And the more I saw you, the more those feelings came through. But every time the chip suppressed them. Without it, it’s… constant.”

“I don’t know…”

Roja’s pointed ears folded down as she begged, “Please, Seb.”

“Fine… but you have to promise. If you feel bad at all, you have to tell me and we stop.”

She sat up and smiled. “Okay, I promise. So were we a thing?”

“No,” Seb said, shaking his head. “I honestly don’t know why you feel that way. We weren’t a couple.”

All the emotion left Roja’s face. “No. That can’t be true.”

“It is.”

“Were we friends? Fuck buddies?”

Seb chuckled. “I don’t know if I’d call us that. And no. We’ve never slept together.”

“But that doesn’t make sense. I feel this closeness to you. This burning attraction. There has to be a reason.”

Seb shrugged. “I can't explain why. We flirted a bit, but we didn’t know each other that long.”

Roja pinched her lips. “Start from the beginning. I remember when we were on Benioff’s ship. You said we met on some frozen world, right?”

“Are you sure you want to go back through this? Last time you started screaming with a headache.”

“That was when I had the control chip. I’m better now. I can take it. Don’t worry about me.”

Seb let out a sigh and nodded. “All right. We met on Inoi 3. I’d just crash landed in an ejection pod. We met on a ship you stole named the Andalusian. You were there with Nalla and a printaghast named Toros. The ship needed repairs. I offered to help with a ticket off the ship. While I fixed the ship, you and Toros took a bounty to kill a man who I landed with. There was some animosity there, but while I kinda blamed you, it was just a matter of circumstance. I fixed the ship, and we took off. We had a brief run in with pirates. After escaping them, you offered me a spot on your crew, which I accepted. We landed at Pyrus Station and you, Toros, and Nalla were arrested. From that point forward, I don’t know what happened to you.”

“That’s it?”

“That’s it. We knew each other for only a few days. Like I said, there was nothing between us except for maybe a bit of flirting.”

Roja deflated and hung her head. “It doesn’t make sense. That doesn’t explain why I feel this way.”

Seb reached over and placed his hand on her shoulder. “Hey, don’t think about it too hard. It doesn’t matter all that much, does it? If anything, it’s super flattering.”

Roja rolled her eyes and grinned. “Of course you would say that.”

After the two shared a laugh, the huntress asked, “Can I ask you something?”

“Of course.”

“What did I look like when you first met me? Did I look different?”

Seb felt a little uneasy about telling her the truth, but felt it would be wrong to lie. “You did.”

“How?”

“Well, you didn’t have your animalistic features. No cat ears, tale, or long canines. Your eyes were brown instead of green. No sharp nails. And your brown hair was just brown. It didn’t have this red shimmer to it.”

Roja let out a heavy sigh. “Just as I thought. Whoever did this to me turned me into a monster.”

“No!” Seb shouted, holding out his hands. “You’re not a monster at all. You’re beautiful.”

“But you just said—”

“Sure, you look different, but all of those things enhance your beauty. You were beautiful before and you’re beautiful now.”

Roja’s tail flapped behind her. “You really think so?”

“One hundred percent. I’d never lie to you about something like that.”

The huntress punched him in the arm. “You better not lie to me, period.”

“Fair enough,” Seb chuckled, rubbing his arm.

After the two shared a smile, a knock came from the door.

“Yeah?” Seb asked.

“It’s Nalla. I just wanted to check to make sure you two were okay.”

“Yeah, we’re good,” Roja said. “We’re just about finished.”

“Okay, sorry for bugging you. Let me know if you need anything.”

Roja leaned in and whispered. “Do you think she thought we were fooling around?”

Seb burst into laughter. “Nah. I think she’s just worried about you.”

“Yeah, I know. She’s a sweetheart. She’s taken great care of me. Something that I won’t forget.”

“She’s been with you longer than me. You should try talking to her about it.”

“I have, but she’s just skittish, given my… episodes, as she likes to call them.”

“Can you blame her?”

Roja shook her head. “Not at all. They freak me out just as much as her. I can see the sadness in her eyes when she doesn’t know what to do.”

“She just wants you to feel better. We both do.”

“I know. It’s just been difficult. I went from being some kind of thief to some kind of machine super soldier bounty hunter. And I don’t even know how. Someone did this to me. Whoever my employer was.

“You should talk with Eni. I bet she can trace some of that communication back to whoever it was. They could have answers about who did this to you.”

“You think so?”

“She’s the best hacker I know.”

Roja slowly nodded. “Yeah. I’ll do that. The only thing is I don’t even know what I’m supposed to be doing.”

An answer blurted from Seb’s chest without a thought or concern. “What would you say to sticking around for a while?”

“What?” Roja asked, leaning back. “You want me to stay?”

“I’d need to talk it over with the crew, but I think it would be good for you. Nalla can help with your recovery. Eni could help track things down for you. She and Syn could probably help you with the chip now that all their time isn’t consumed with the codex. They’re both super smart. I’m sure they can figure it out.”

“But what would I do? I have no money. I can’t pay to stay like Zara.”

“We can figure out the logistics for everything later.”

“But I would feel like I’m free loading. You and Nalla have already done so much for me already.”

“You’ve got all those enhancements, right? With how much trouble we get in, having another blaster at our side is a good thing.”

“I can shoot. But I’m not sure how good I would be in active combat. I haven’t really pushed my limits to see what I could do. Nalla has me taking things slow.”

“So, take things slow. I’m not trying to pressure you one way or another. I’m just providing some options, so you don’t feel like you’re taking advantage of us.”

Roja swiped her hair around her ear. “I appreciate that.”

Seb leaned to the side and cocked his brow. “So… is that a yes?”

Roja looked down before straightening with a wide grin. “Yeah, I think it is.”

“Good,” Seb said, tapping Roja’s thigh. “We should probably head out and check—”

Before Seb could move to the door, Roja pounced on him. She pinned his shoulders to the bed staring at him with her vertically slit eyes. A loud purr emanated from her as her tail swayed.

“Uh… Roja, are we good?” Seb asked, in a mixture of nerves and arousal.

“Before we go, I need to make myself clear,” Roja began. “I don’t want to cause any riffs amongst you and your crew. But these… feelings are boiling inside of me. When I look at you, my skin tingles, and my heart throbs.” She leaned down and took a deep sniff of his neck. “Your smell is so fucking intoxicating. I just want to rub my face in it.”

“Okay…”

“So… if you find yourself alone with an empty bed, you’re interested in some late night fun, maybe you could help me out. Perhaps I just need to get… whatever this is… out of my system. Until then, I will attempt to keep myself under control.”

“Like you’re doing right now?” Seb asked with a sly grin.

“Oh trust me. This is restraint. Now… if you were to just say the word…” Roja leaned forward and whispered in Seb’s ear. “I’d fuck you so hard your grandkids would walk with a limp.”

The huntress dragged her tongue along his cheek before stepping off of him. She held out a hand and helped him up to his feet.

“I’ll keep that in mind,” Seb said with a wink.

When the pair exited the room, they joined the rest of the crew in the viewing room. They all watched as the sprawling city faded to harsh sands. Rolling dunes continued until they reached the deep green water. By the time they reached the resort, trees that looked like a combination between a cactus and palm trees coated the coast line.

Captain Grupe called to everyone to be seated as they circled the resort. Three twenty story buildings sat in a U-shape, separated by private pools with bars. The brush was cleared, giving way to landing platforms. Private roads twisted around, allowing for small personal craft to shuttle the departures and arrivals.

After the ship landed, everyone stood waiting for their replacements. The anticipation hung heavy in the air. When the cabin returned, it revealed a crew of medium-sized sepix all wearing skinsleeves. They all had different colored scales of varying shades of red and green. The largest one led the others and approached Seb and Zara.

“I hope the flight was enjoyable,” the man said.

“It was, thank you,” Zara said before extending her hand toward Seb. “Captain Grupe, this is Captain Warhawk.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you,” Captain Grupe said, nodding.

“You as well,” Seb said, reciprocating the gesture. “I take it you’re going to be me for the next week?”

When the other captain spoke again, his voice was already sounding more like him. “That’s the plan. Myself and my team will make sure we do our best to mimic your expressions, speech, and look.”

“That’s a neat trick.”

“That’s what we’re known for,” Captain Grupe said, now sounding indistinguishable from him. Seb found it unsettling. He already had enough of his plate as is. There being a copy flying around the galaxy wrecking havoc was not something he needed. He maintained his fake smile.

“So, what do we need to do?” Seb asked.

“Exactly what we’re doing. A short conversation to start just so we can get your speech patterns down. Then finally—” Captain Grupe extended his hand. “—a simple touch.”

When Seb touched the man’s hand, Captain Grupe’s head inflated like a balloon. A stretching sound of rubber filled the room as his body morphed. The scales smoothed and shifted to a pale color. Small stalks of dark hair grew along his body. After nearly a minute, the transformation completed.

Seb leaned forward, gawking at the man’s transformation. It was like looking in a mirror.

“Damn, I look good,” Seb smirked.

“Yeah, you do,” Captain Grupe responded with a sly smile.

“This is so weird.”

“I can’t tell who is who,” Eni said.

“Me neither,” Vi added.

When Seb looked around the room, there were pairs of everyone. All the zerandians had transformed into who they stood in front of. The room was filled with gasps and wide eyes of disbelief. While Seb thought he could tell which were the copies, overtime the line blurred into indistinguishable. A sense of relief washed over him.

This may actually work, he thought. Seb glanced up at Zara. “So what now?”

“Now we gather all the empty boxes and leave you with the ship.” Zara said. “I will take Grupe’s crew into the resort. I’d recommend staying here for a few minutes after we depart. You don’t want to make it seem like you’re in a hurry.”

“Don’t worry, this isn’t our first smuggling run, or did you forget all the jobs you sent us on?”

Zara smirked. “I did not.”

Seb looked down at his doppelganger. “How’s the ship’s fuel?”

“The resort’s mechanics topped us off when we landed,” Captain Grupe said. “We put in a brand new floridium rod before we arrived. It should be good to go.”

“Sounds good.”

Captain Grupe reached inside a pocket on his skinsleeve and pulled out a data shard. “Here are the ship’s ID codes and ignition key.”

“Thanks,” Seb said, grabbing it. “Is there anything else that’s needed?”

“I think we’re good. We just need to swap clothes. Then you and your crew can help point out which boxes we’re taking.”

“You heard him,” Seb shouted to the group. “Let’s get it done.”

After everyone separated in their own private rooms and swapped outfits, Seb and his crew marched through each room and pointed out which boxes should be taken. As a final order of business, he let Syn out of her box and introduced her to the crew. With everything stacked and sorted on the ship’s elevator, Seb stood in front of the door, preventing it from closing.

“Thanks again for doing this,” he whispered.

Zara leaned forward near his ear. “I think you owe me another dinner. A real one this time.”

Seb smiled and nodded. “I can do that.”

Zara’s eyes softened, and her hand reached for his. “Be careful.”

“You too. If there are any issues at all, just call.”

A smug smile crested the princess’s lips. “There won’t be from my end. I made sure of that.”

“Then we’ll call if there are any issues.”

After Zara blew him a kiss, Seb stepped back, allowing the glass doors to close. She hit one of the projected buttons and the elevator descended below.

“Looks like we’re on our own now,” Vi said.

“Is this risk truly worth it?” Nalla asked, rubbing her tail. “We just got our freedom from running, yet here we are putting ourselves in harm's way.”

“We weren’t free,” Eni said. “We were on house arrest.”

“It’s still better than always having to look over your shoulder.”

Seb turned around just as Eni pointed her finger up at Nalla, her serious tone silenced the room. “Everything we’ve seen thus far has told us the threat of the Songless is real and worse than anything happening today. We’re talking galactic-wide genocide. An apocalyptic scenario. The worst of the worst.”

“It’s not like we have a choice at this point,” Seb said. “Everything is already in motion. We’re too far ahead to turn back now.”

Nalla nodded with an uneasy smile. “I know. I’m sorry for bringing this up.”

Seb reached out and rubbed the pink-eyed beauty’s shoulder. “Don’t be. Your voice is just as equal as everyone else.”

“If this threat is as real as everyone says it is, then we’re doing the right thing.”

“It may take us time, but I promise we’ll get to a point where we can take a minute to breathe.”

After Nalla nodded, Seb turned around at the sound of the elevator returning to his level. When the doors opened, he stepped inside and hovered his finger over the button. “Looks like they’re finished unloading. Vi, Syn, I’ll need you up in the cockpit with me. Anyone else is free to come checkout the cockpit as well.”

The entire crew gathered on the elevator and Seb hit the button labeled crew quarters and cockpit. When the doors opened up on the floor above them, it was structured much like the floor below them. The long hall had eight rooms down the length of it, all matching the same aesthetic. However, instead of the large kitchen and open viewing room, a single closed metal door stood closed between them and the cockpit.

Seb ran into the door, expecting it to open as he approached. When it didn’t, he pulled out the data shard the captain gave him and waved it in front of the projected security lock. A chime echoed before the door wistfully opened.

The room exuded the same clean and white aesthetic that sprawled throughout the ship. Two curved projection platforms sat in front of two different pairs of chairs. A captain’s chair sat behind the pilot and copilot's seat. The seats were egg-shaped with plush black interiors. The front viewport curved in a half moon shape around the entire room. Reinforced beams crossed throughout it.

Seb and Vi took the front stations while everyone else grabbed a free chair.

“Ugh… fuck,” Seb groaned, after plopping down. “Why do they do this?”

“I have no idea,” Vi huffed in agreement. “People who build ships like this are out of their mind. I bet all the pilot does is just enter commands to the autopilot.”

“And close,” Seb said, before shutting the blast doors over the front viewport. “That should give us a bit of privacy.”

“What’s the matter?” Iris asked from behind.

“It’s all hologram controlled,” Seb said, after inserting the data shard. The central menu projected a light blue menu in front of him and Vi. The pair frantically worked to review the ship’s systems.

“What’s wrong with that?”

“It’s just a pain in the ass. Instead of having a button to press on the console, I’m going to have to flip through thirty menus to pull up what I want, I bet.”

“And you can’t feel the control of the ship,” Vi said. “If we run into combat, it’s almost all reactionary. Might as well, just plug Syn in and have her fly the ship.”

“I’m happy to do that,” the virtual intelligence said, grabbing onto the back of their seats.

Vi let out a heavy sigh. “Well, let me just perform the takeoff and landing procedures, at least. That way, I’ll feel like I’m actually contributing.”

Seb pointed down in between them. “Syn, have a seat and lean up against here. I’m going to plug you into the ship’s main computer. Just temporarily disable their systems and run your own. I trust your navigation over this half-assed one that they have in here.”

“Absolutely, Captain,” Syn said, spinning into her seat. “It makes me happy to hear you say that.”

The two shared a smile before he pulled the data cable out from the ship’s console and plugged it into one of Syn’s ports. He watched the menus on the screen flash between selections as the virtual intelligence worked her magic.

“Also, make sure to give us and everyone on the crew full access to the ship. I want Eni running comms like normal. Have everyone else working weapons.”

“I have full control over the Temptation’s systems, Captain. The system’s navigation is currently in standby. Unfortunately, the Temptation is without any offensive armaments. However, it comes with a robust defensive cloaking system.”

Seb shook his head. “Of course it does. The rich and famous have to be able to move around with no one knowing. I guess that helps us a bit.”

“It’s better than nothing,” Vi said, shrugging.

“Agreed.” After taking a few minutes to become comfortable with the ship’s systems, Seb glanced over at Vi. “Everything looks great on my side. We’ve got full fuel and a full floridium rod, just as Grupe said.”

“Nothing I can’t handle. I’m ready whenever you are.”

Seb spun in his chair and looked back at his crew. Their eyes glistened with anticipation and determination. “All right. Is everyone ready to go?”

“I’m ready!” Iris said.

“Comms are good,” Eni added.

When everyone else nodded, Seb pointed to his pilot. “Okay, Vi. Let’s go find us a lost nakai communication station.”