The Iriduan’s Mate by Susan Trombley

Thirty-One

Shulgi groaned as he rolled over onto his side from his back, his entire body filled with agony.

“You should take it easy,” a familiar female voice said. “You’re not completely healed.”

He pushed himself up on what felt to be an operating table, groaning again as the movement of his muscles caused more shooting pain. He opened his eyes to glare at Luna, who stood beside the table, holding a portable Lusian healing device.

“I thought those things worked faster,” he said with a pained grunt as she passed it over one of the wounds in his arm.

“You were almost dead when I retrieved you from the guards intent on disposing of you,” she answered calmly. “In fact, several of your vital organs had been nearly destroyed. There was a lot of damage to repair, and even we aren’t miracle workers.” She lifted her dark gaze to meet his eyes, grinning broadly. “Though we like to pretend we are.”

He ran a shaking hand through his hair, wincing as his fingers encountered tangles and bloodstained matting. “How did I even survive at all. Namerian’s thugs pumped me full of rounds.”

Luna chuckled, shaking her head. “Those nanites your Iriduan friend developed are something else. Quite impressive.” She regarded him with a penetrating stare. “And that’s coming from a species that considers ourselves the most technologically advanced. Perhaps we still have much to learn.”

Shulgi huffed. “The nanites weren’t created by any friend of mine,” he muttered. “Besides, I thought the ones inside me had been destroyed after they cured me.”

Luna shrugged one shoulder in a very un-Lusian-like gesture. “They were only dormant. They reactivated when your body was in mortal peril to mitigate the worst of the damage and keep you alive long enough for them to begin the healing process. I’ve managed to speed it up some, but you’ve been unconscious for several day cycles.”

Shulgi stiffened at her words. “Day cycles? Where’s Molly?” He struggled to stand, nudging aside the medical device Luna passed over his chest now. “I need to see her.” He had to make sure Namerian kept his word that he wouldn’t kill Molly.

At Luna’s frown, his stomach dipped. “Luna, what happened to Molly?” he growled, his hands clenching into fists as he thought of what he would do to Namerian when he got ahold of him.

“Namerian knows,” she said. “You must find him and make him tell you. I don’t have that information and the entire column is on alert after Ma’Nah’s takeover of the under-tier, so I’ve had trouble finding anyone on the inside of either the dreg or Zaska’s old crew to give it to me. Thus far, I only know the women that were taken captive remain alive, because Ma’Nah reassured its off-world stakeholders that they didn’t kill any innocents.”

Shulgi pushed off the table to stand, swaying for a moment as his head spun. Luna’s hand on his arm steadied him.

“I have to find Namerian,” he said with a deep snarl. “I will make him suffer before I kill him, but before he breathes his last, he will tell me where Molly is.”

“There’s one other thing we need you to do, Shulgi,” Luna said in a careful tone.

He glanced around the small, nondescript room they were in as she persistently passed the device over his wounds, barely seeing his surroundings as his mind focused on Molly. He feared what danger she might be in right now.

“I owe you my life already. You need only ask.”

“You might have to kill innocents,” Luna said slowly.

Shulgi met her eyes, feeling the soft touch of her mind probing at his.

“I know you don’t like doing that, Shulgi Amanat.”

“I will do whatever it takes to repay my debt to you, Luna, and to get Molly back.”

She dipped her chin in a small nod. “In that case, we need you to destroy Ma’Nah and all its labs. I know you will want to evacuate the workers first, but you must be certain none of them take any of the nanite samples with them.”

Shulgi closed his eyes, drawing in a deep breath that expanded his healing lungs painfully. “I understand. I’ll do what it takes to stop the spread of the nanites.”

“Namerian is back at Ma’Nah.” Luna finally deactivated her device, then pushed a button on it that caused it to fold up and disappear in a flash of light. “You can kill two birds with one stone. Get Molly’s location out of him, then blow up the factory.”

He cocked his head curiously as he studied her face, noting that it seemed to have taken on a softer and rounder appearance since he’d last seen her. “That was a very human expression, Luna. I’m surprised to hear it coming from a Lusian.”

She lifted her chin, her thin lips tilting in a slight smirk. “I’m full of surprises. Now, we should probably get you armored up. We can’t afford any more delays.”

His body still ached, but he wouldn’t let pain stop him from finding Namerian, killing him, then rescuing Molly. Once he had her back in his arms, he would never let her go again. He’d been wrong to put any duty before the woman he loved. If he had just taken Molly from this place as soon as he’d realized what she meant to him, she wouldn’t have been put in the danger she was now likely facing.

Luna provided him with a suit of armor and a rifle. Though they both were well made and of decent quality, neither were Iriduan made. Nor had the Lusians made them. Roz and crew had not yet arrived on Za’Kluth, though Luna assured him they were on their way, but they wanted to make another stop first. According to Luna, Roz felt Shulgi was capable enough of handling the mess he’d created himself.

Shulgi donned his armor and performed a check of his weapon, disappointed that it wasn’t a multi-function rifle, as Iriduans were the only ones who’d been able to manufacture those properly. The rifle would serve its purpose. Especially when he called in assistance.

He bid Luna farewell and promised he would keep the cure from escaping this world in the hands of those eager to use it to resurrect the worst of the Iriduan species. As he strode out of the small dwelling tucked into the back alley between a grocer and a drug den, he activated his wrist com. Within seconds the person he contacted responded, opening an encrypted communication line.

“Are you still interested in the job?” Shulgi said as soon as the other person identified themselves.

“Is it finally time for mayhem?” the rebel Iriduan named Urbarra asked.

Shulgi’s helmet hid his grim smile. “It’s time for chaos. Bring Tiamat’s kiss to the dreg, my old friend.”

Urbarra chuckled. “I thought you’d never ask.”