Chapter 5

Krestar's tail twitched as he left the cabin, reluctant to leave the precious, desirable female, but her safety and that of her child depended on repairing the ship as quickly as possible. He returned to the control room and initiated the diagnostics program. Information about the ship's systems started to scroll across his screens and his gut twisted as he saw the extent of the damage. Life support was still fully functional, but the navigation and communication systems had suffered extensive damage and the engines were running on backup power. He growled softly, his tail thumping the floor in frustration.

"Computer, estimate time to repair navigation and communication systems," he barked, his voice low and rough.

The computer's calm tones replied, "Estimated repair time for the navigation system: three hours and twenty-nine minutes, Commander."

"And the communication systems?"

"The external relay will need to be replaced."

Fuck. That type of repair could not be performed in space, and without his comms he had no way to communicate with another Patrol ship. More damage reports continued to roll in, and his grip on the console tightened. The extent of the damage was daunting, to say the least. If he had been by himself, it would simply have been annoying but with Lauren and her child on board… He had to get them to safety, no matter what it took.

The intensity of his reaction to her shocked him. He'd always been taught that a Cire male could only mate with a Cire female - it was one of the reasons the loss of all of their females to the plague had been so devastating. Every female he'd encountered since leaving Ciresia had only reinforced that belief. No matter how attractive, they had not appealed to him. They had never felt right, never smelled right, and his body had not reacted to them.

But I reacted to Lauren.

When their eyes had met for the first time a shock of what felt like recognition jolted his entire system. The knowledge was equal parts satisfying and disturbing. His honor demanded that he protect any female, but with her sweet, intoxicating scent filling his senses, his entire body ached with unaccustomed desire. To finally feel that longing after so long… His cock stirred again, just at the memory of those lush curves and her impossibly soft skin beneath his hand. When her small fingers had grasped his tail he'd almost disgraced himself.

She needs my help, not my lust, he told himself sternly. He had to focus on the job at hand, not on thoughts of those dark eyes and the delicate curve of her neck.

The console beeped, demanding his attention, and he forced himself to concentrate on the repairs. But as he worked thoughts of her continued to run through his head, probing this unsettling connection. What was it about her that had sparked this response?

He knew nothing about her, or indeed her species, let alone where she was from. He assumed that she had been held captive on the Vedeckian ship, which meant that she had most probably been taken from her home planet. The fact that she was with child argued that she had a mate waiting for her there, in which case his duty would require him to return her. The thought made his chest ache but he couldn't let that stop him. His honor and his duty were all he had left.

The diagnostics finished running, leaving an extensive list of repairs. Many of them were minor, but with the communication systems down, the lack of power in the engines was the most critical. Leaving the automated repair program running, he descended to the engine room. The door slid open with a hiss, the space still filled with the smell of burned wiring and streaks of soot marring the usually neat space.

He was not a mechanic but he had enough knowledge to troubleshoot issues and perform basic repairs. Despite the extent of the damage he set to work, determined to restore full power to the ship.

Two hours later he was tired, dirty, and frustrated. Impulse power was working - to an extent - but he wasn't sure how long it would last. As he'd feared, any further repairs could not be performed while they were in space. As soon as the navigation systems came back online, he would have to try and find a location where he could land and make the repairs - a quest that might prove difficult under the circumstances. Although it hadn't been his primary concern, he didn't recall any habitable planets in the vicinity.

Still searching his memory, he returned to the main level, then hesitated outside the sanitary facility. It was connected to his cabin as well and he didn't wish to disturb Lauren, but he desperately needed to remove the soot from his skin as well as the harsh, lingering smell of smoke.

Deciding the walls should be adequately sound-proofed, he slipped inside, quickly stripping off his dirty uniform. As the hot water washed away the pungent odor, a hint of Lauren's sweetness replaced it. He could easily picture her in his bed, her pretty face relaxed in sleep. If only he could join her, just to hold her in his arms and feel her soft curves against his body…

He swore under his breath as his cock responded to the image, blood filling it so quickly he felt dizzy. For a moment he was tempted, his hand closing around his aching shaft, but immediately realized that any climax achieved in such a fashion would be more frustrating than satisfying. He sighed and turned the water to cold but even the icy blast was only partially successful and he was still semi-erect when he dried off.

Sternly ignoring his lingering arousal, he tossed his dirty uniform into the laundry receptacle and pulled on a training outfit - the only clothing accessible outside his cabin. Under normal circumstances he performed a series of exercises to maintain his strength and skills each day. Assuming he could get the ship back on track, he looked forward to the prospect. Perhaps the exertion would be enough to relieve the persistent, nagging ache in his cock.

Repairs first, he told himself and returned to the control room, sternly resisting the urge to peep into his cabin and check on Lauren.

Three hours later he sat back with a tired sigh, rubbing his eyes. The navigation system was back online, barely, but his first survey had not proved promising. With the current limited engine capacity, any habitable planets were weeks away, assuming the engines held out that long.

The knowledge gnawed at him. He hadn't been able to save his own people, but by Granthar he was determined to save Lauren and her child.

He studied the view screen again, gradually widening his search through the debris-littered asteroid belt, and finally spotted a faint blip at the edge of the screen. The database indicated that it was an old space station, abandoned during the Red Death. There was no guarantee that it was still intact but it was relatively close and it seemed like the best option.

He entered a course correction, gritting his teeth as the engines groaned in protest. Please hold together, he prayed. Just a little longer.

To his relief, the ship settled into the new course, moving slowly but steadily towards the space station. He could only hope that it would prove to be intact once they arrived.

There were additional repairs he could make in the meantime but he found his thoughts drifting back to Lauren, wondering if he should make sure she was resting comfortably. His tail twitched approvingly, but before he could decide, the door to the control room slid aside and she entered.

She looked sleepy, vulnerable - and utterly desirable. His cock surged against his training shorts but he did his best to ignore it as she gave him a tentative smile.

"How long was I asleep?"

"Almost five hours. Do you feel better now? Please sit down."

She waved an impatient hand as she lowered herself into the co-pilot's chair.

"Yes, but that's not important. Did you find any sign of Felicity's escape pod?"

"I am afraid not. I have managed to get the navigation system back online, but the comms are still down, as are the long-range sensors." He gestured to the console, his tail twitching with frustration. "And the engines are not functioning at optimal levels."

"What does that mean?" she asked, frowning.

"It means that I need to find a safe place to make repairs but it is… difficult with limited engine capacity. I have located an abandoned space station." He hesitated, then decided she deserved the full truth. "I cannot guarantee it is still intact but it appears to be the best option. The journey will take a day, or perhaps two." He hoped.

Her eyes closed momentarily, a brief flash of despair crossing her face.

"And there is nothing we can do until then to find her?"

He wanted to reassure her but his honor would not permit him to lie to her. He shook his head.

"I cannot make the necessary repairs without access to the exterior of the ship."

"I see. And if the space station isn't intact?"

"Then we will head to the nearest inhabitable planet. You do not need to worry," he added hastily. "Life support systems are fully functional and we have plenty of supplies."

Those bright, dark eyes studied him for a moment before she sighed.

"Why do I suspect that the fact that you felt the need to mention that means it won't be a short journey?"

"It will not be," he admitted reluctantly. "It could be a week or more, depending on the engine capacity."

Her hand caressed the ripe mound of her stomach as she gave him a fierce, determined glare.

"In that case, you'd better start learning about human anatomy. You're going to have to help me when the baby comes."