Chapter Nine

There was a flash of black and we were standing on the bridge of the captured ship. I wrinkled my nose. The ship smelled of death. Blood and bits of flesh decorated the walls. Fighting an Askole using hyper-speed had to be scary. I mean, you can't fight what you can't see. If you were dumb enough to get in the way of their swords, you got hacked into itty-bitty pieces. I stepped over a finger and swatted at a flying insect. Ugh! There were bugs everywhere.

Jedrick settled in the captain's chair and pointed at the navigation console. "You are the pilot, Zadie."

The three Coletti warriors on the bridge shot Jedrick disbelieving looks.

"Yes, sir." Sliding into the pilot's chair, I fastened my battle harness, and typed in the coordinates for the Deltax Space Station. Sometimes my photographic memory really came in handy. "Ready to launch, sir."

"Take us out of orbit and go to warp one."

"Yes, sir." The horrified looks on the warriors' faces had me grinning like a loon. I pushed the propulsion lever and took us out of orbit.

All the Tabors gathered on the console and watched my every move.

"What do?" Orla asked.

"I'm flying the ship."

Kaia hopped on my nose and her eight eyes blinked at me. "Why?"

"So, all the people Crom's pirates captured can go home to their families." I placed her on my head.

"Home? Wanna go home," Bao cried.

I nodded. "As soon as we find your mother."

"Momma!"Ceri wailed. "Where momma?"

"Dunno, but we are looking for her."

"Where look?" Aiko asked.

"Everywhere and we'll keep searching until we find them."A warning light popped up on the console. Huh? The fusion reactor was overheating. How was that even possible? Frowning, I hit diagnostics and noticed someone had messed with the cooling coils. I shot Jedrick a withering glance and adjusted the coils. "Not funny."

"I needed to know how you would react if a serious problem occurred,"Jedrick responded.

"The same way you would. I'm drawing on your know-how."

Jedrick steepled his fingers. "I took down the weapons systems. Bring them back online."

With a quick tap of a finger, I did.

"Very good. The shields have failed, how do you fix them?"

Jedrick continued to drill me until Esme pounced on my hand. "Me hungry."

"Eat the bugs. There are plenty of them."

"It kay with big, scary?" Esme wanted to know.

I smirked. "Yes. Just save him a couple, he's hungry too."

Swoosh! The babies scampered this way and that. Their busy little tongues snagging the creepy crawlies.

The poor kids were starving. How long had they been prisoners?

"Mine!"Aiko spat web balls at a mosquito bug thingy.

The mosquito bug thingy ducked and a warrior got webbed to the wall. He tugged frantically at the sticky webbing.

"No. No. No. Bad babies!"

Jedrick jumped to his feet. "Concentrate on piloting the ship. I will handle them, Zadie."

"Whatever you do, don't scare them."

"I know how to handle Tabors." Smack! A web ball hit Jedrick in the head, and he bellowed, "Enough!"

The babies went totally nuts, squirting gooey webbing in every direction.

"Now you've done it,"I huffed.

When their frantic chirping finally stopped, I shook my head in disbelief. The bridge resembled a gigantic spider web.

Glued against the captain's chair, Jedrick growled menacingly as Bao dragged a squirming mosquito bug thingy across his face and webbed it to one of his warrior's braids.

"What are you doing Bao?"

"Feed him."Bao stuffed part of the bug in Jedrick's mouth.

My eyes widened in horror at the expression on Jedrick's face. "No! He wants you to eat the bug."

"Him does?"

"Yes. He knows how hungry you are."

"Kay." Bao chowed down.

Bug juice ran down Jedrick's chin.

If looks could kill, I'd be very dead.

Kaia shot web balls at a hairy insect with orbs dangling from long antennas.

The hairy bug dodged all of them.

Jedrick's warriors weren't so lucky. They ended up glued together.

Using my mother's command voice, I said sternly, "Stop it! Now!"

The babies scurried across the ceiling and dropped into my lap. "We sorry. He scary."

"I know he is, but so are you."

The Tabors puffed up proudly. "We bite, he dies."

"That's right."I petted them with my right hand. My left was glued to the console. "Since you're an expert in handling Tabors, how do we get rid of the webbing, Jedrick?"

Jedrick's tone was one of exasperation. "I have summoned Shrek."

"Shrek?"

"He is bringing the baby Pam."

Baby Pam? "What does it do?"

"It dissolves the webbing."

"We're gonna need a lot."

"I am aware," Jedrick snapped.

The console beeped at me. The space station was a thousand kilometers away. Could I dock the ship with one hand? Yeah, I could. I switched to impulse power.

Zarek and Shrek teleported onto the bridge and surveyed the mess.

"It's not the kids' fault. Jedrick bellowed at them,"I quickly interjected.

"You are the only female Jedrick does not frighten," Zarek replied, eyeing the mess grimly.

"That's because I kicked his ass twice."

The other warriors stared at me in disbelief, then shot Jedrick questioning looks.

Jedrick scowled. "Never underestimate small females."

"A little-known fact, but one you should take heed of," Zarek added. "My Detja is a very devious female."

"Free Zadie first," Jedrick instructed. "She needs to dock the ship."

Shrek sprayed my left hand and the thread-like silk just melted away.

"Wow! You could make a zillion credits off that stuff."

"Close your eyes."

I did and a cool mist enveloped me.

"It is safe to open your eyes,"Shrek advised.

I cautiously opened one eye. All the webbing on me, and the console was gone.

The kids swarmed Shrek. "Who you? What do?"

"Everyone off Uncle Shrek, he has to clean up the mess you made." The kid scurried back to my head.

"We sorry, Uncle Shrek,"the kids said in unison.

Shrek ran a gentle hand over them. "I know."

The console beeped urgently. I checked the incoming message. The port master wanted me to use berth two. I responded to his message, eased the ship onto the docking node and engaged the clamps. A green light appeared on the control panel. "We're docked."

"Good job, Zadie." Zarek handed me a candy bar.

"Thank you."

A rather grumpy Jedrick strode over to me and gave me a credit chip. "Take the Tabors to the marketplace. Several of the food stands will have mealie bugs and some even sell pizza."

"Pizza!"

"With pepperoni," Jedrick replied with a faint smile.

"Yay, let's go kids."

"Wait!" Jedrick stepped in front of us. "Keyan and Gael will escort you."

"I can take care of myself," I countered.

"Are you aware several mercenaries escaped?"

"No, sir."

"I thought not. You and the children are high-value targets. Do you wish to end up in a Rodan lab again?"

I wouldn't risk the kids and Jedrick knew that. "No, sir." I smiled at the young warriors. "Are we walking or teleporting?"

"Teleporting. I am called Keyan."He held out his left hand.

I took his hand, and said politely, "It is a pleasure to meet you."

"I am Gael."

I stared up at him. He was bigger than Jedrick and way too pretty. He was what my mother would call a lady's man.

"Watch them carefully, Keyan,"Zarek interjected.

Keyan and Gael clamped their right arm to his chest. "Yes, my lord."

"Do not do anything stupid, Zadie," Jedrick growled.

"Who, me?"

A muscle in Jedrick's jaw twitched.

"I promise I'll be good." I gave him my Debbie Sunshine smile.

Jedrick leaned down and whispered in my ear,"If you misbehave, you will get no chocolate for six months."

"Six months! Isn't that a bit extreme?" I whispered back.

"No. I want your word."

"On my honor as a Girl Scout, I give you, my word."

"You were never a Girl Scout," Jedrick countered.

"Are you sure about that?"

"I am." Jedrick gestured to Gael. "Watch them carefully."

"Yes, commander."

"We hungry," the babies cried.

There was a flash of black.