The Virgin’s Cyborg by Candice Gilmer

12

Eleanor banged on the computer terminal again because she couldn't get it to do anything.

And tried not to think about how annoyed she was that Jedriek took off and left her there to do busy work. And she had no doubt this little scanning thing she'd been told to do was just something to keep her occupied while he went out and found the bad guys.

Or whoever was on the planet, looking for them.

The Terran military.

The Charro.

At least the door was heavy and firmly sealed. That gave her some comfort. Because being alone was not her favorite thing. Her mind wandered to who was behind this. Though really, she didn't have to think too far about it. There was no doubt that her father had orchestrated all of this. She had no proof other than her strange dream.

And tiny tidbits of things he'd said back at the palace, but it didn't matter.

She knew he was doing this.

Why, she wasn't sure.

Just that he was manipulating this whole thing for his own gain. Likely to take control of the Sol system and, well, she wasn't sure what he would do with the Rhimodian people. In most cases, when a system joined the Terran Empire, their people became more of the Terran Empire population. Their cultures were enveloped in the Terran Empire.

However, with the cyborgs, who was to say what would happen. That was where the actual question resided. He hated them so much, she doubted that the Emperor would want them as a part of the Terran Empire.

What he would do, Eleanor could only speculate. But she didn't want to.

Her feelings for the cybernetic humanoids were tainted.

Strongly.

Because of Jedriek.

Beyond the fact that he was an incredible lover, he was her protector, and she believed that no matter what, he would be there for her. Always protecting her. Whether she asked for protection or not. He was significant to her. She might consider marrying him if the situation was different.

Or perhaps, when their people aren't at war.

She glanced back at the door, wondering where he was out there. Was he safe? Had he found something? She hoped he'd be back quickly, that an animal or something settling had caused the noise that sent him out of here, but he hadn't come back right away.

Had he been injured? Would he need help?

"Stop," she told herself. "He's strong. And he's fine. He has to be."

She forced herself to focus on her screen. She'd almost cracked this coding. She might be able to come up with some way to figure out how many people were on this moon, at least. If it could help him stay safe, she needed to figure out how to get through the interference the eclipse caused with their systems. Maybe find a way to go around it? Possibly work with the eclipse's effect rather than against it.

She didn't know. She was just trying to think of an avenue she hadn't tried yet.

Because she didn't want anything to happen to Jedriek. He needed to be home soon.

Home.

This wasn't their home.

It wasn't hers, nor was it his.

This was a medical bay on a base in the middle of a moon.

"Get it together, Eleanor," she told herself. "Doesn't matter that you would marry him..."

She stopped.

She would, too. That was what was interesting about it. She would marry him. Her people needed something beautiful and optimistic after all the war.

They needed this. They needed peace.

Might be a good sign of peace--to marry in a formal Terran ceremony--a Rhimodian.

She could see herself making that sacrifice. Though honestly, was it a sacrifice?

If the groom was Jedriek, of course not.

She brushed off the thoughts. They were silly and childish. She was a grown woman who had to get through this situation before she did anything else. Fantasizing about the future with Jedriek was a silly waste of time.

"Besides, I am a princess. I cannot possibly consider being bound to a Rhimodian soldier!" she said, just as the door's seal popped open.

She turned, blade in her hand, and ready to defend herself as best she could.

Jedriek.

Beat up, but he was there.

And he stared at her, a strange expression on his otherwise strong face.

Was he upset?

She took a step toward him to say something.

"Eleanor!" cried out Veta.

The woman pushed past Jedriek and ran to her. "You're fine."

Eleanor nodded. She'd never been so happy to see her bodyguard in her life. Hell, she'd never been so excited to see anyone in her life. Tears welled up in her eyes. A part of her didn't actually think she'd see anyone again.

Still lingering in the doorway were Jedriek and another cyborg.

"I'm fine," Eleanor said. "Thanks to Jedriek. And you're okay?"

"I am. Wrathin," she gestured over her shoulder. "Has been helping me find the others. Freya is back on Sol-3, and Bianca is back on the ship. We have to get her back to Sol-3." She released the hug, and her posture shifted to business.

"Why? What's wrong with Bianca?"

"When we crashed here, she fell."

"You crashed?" Eleanor gasped. "Is she okay? Will she be all right?"

Veta nodded. "She will be. She's injured, though, and we need to get her more medical treatment."

"You don't have a ship?" Jedriek asked the other cyborg, Wrathin.

"There are shuttles here, aren't there?" Wrathin said.

"There should be a few clicks to the north, where the current base is," Jedriek said.

While they worked out the geography of the ship's location and where the nearest shuttles were, Eleanor put her hand on Veta's arm.

"Have you found Caoimhe? Is my sister okay?"

She looked down. "No. We haven't."

Eleanor felt the words like a hot knife to her chest.

"We're not done looking," Veta said. "But we need to get you and Bianca back to Sol-3 so that you both can rest and be protected. The stars are getting thick with Terran ships."

"It is an invasion army," Wrathin said.

Eleanor looked him up and down. Not as big as Jedriek, but it was apparent, just from the way the two stood, that they had a common unit connection.

Jedriek was cuter.

"And how do you know?" Eleanor asked. Though she was pretty sure she knew the answer.

"The numbers do not lie," he said.

Eleanor believed him.

"Is Sol-3 safe?" Jedriek asked.

"When we left a few hours ago, it was," Veta said.

"They've instigated Protocol 7," Wrathin said. He glanced at something on his gauntlet. "We are short on time."

Jedriek didn't move. He didn't act like he heard the words, but he did. Eleanor saw his eyes shift slightly, the light from them changing then going back to their usual white tone.

Whatever Protocol 7 was, it was big. Eleanor knew from the way the two of them looked at one another.

"What is Protocol 7?" Veta asked.

"Everything on Sol-3 is locked down. Shielding goes up, and nothing goes in or out."

"For how long?" Eleanor asked.

"As long as necessary."

She glanced at Veta.

"A siege," Veta said.

"We should move. Gather whatever you have," Wrathin said.

Jedriek glanced at Eleanor. "Did you make any progress on that scanner?"

She shrugged. "Some."

Veta glanced at Eleanor. "You were, uh, trying to scan things?"

"I never said I was very good," Eleanor said.

Veta raised her eyebrow and smiled.

Jedriek came over to the terminal and downloaded the data and progress she'd made. "What was that for?" he asked softly to her.

"I am not the most skilled at programming. I usually let others do it for me."

"Ahh," he said. "I am sure there is something helpful here."

She doubted it, but it was cute how he encouraged her.

* * *

"Well, this is awkward."Eleanor climbed down into the crash site. She had been stunned when they reached the ship. The fact that it wasn't a pancake in the sand impressed her, but in the most macabre way. The entire back end was sticking up, and the front was half-buried in the sand. Everything was on a tilted angle, and as she entered, she almost fell forward.

Wrathin caught her and helped her down the rest of the way.

Jedriek had continued on toward the ships. His plan was to get a vessel ready, so they could get back to Sol-3.

Eleanor climbed in the broken ship with Wrathin's help, and she had to see the woman who'd raised her.

As soon as she saw Bianca, the only mother she remembered, Eleanor ran.

"My girl," Bianca said.

Bianca held out her hand but did not get up. She was pale, and a sheen of sweat was on her brow.

Eleanor knelt next to her. "Are you okay? What happened?"

"I slammed into the front window," Bianca said, her voice raspy and her breath labored. "I'm better than I was, but I'm not ready to take on an army." She smiled and patted Eleanor's face. "And you? Are you well?"

"Fine," Eleanor said. "Better, seeing you."

It was a lie. Eleanor's gut wrenched seeing Bianca hurt so severely.

Tears welled in her eyes. She'd already lost one mother and had no memory of her. She couldn't lose another one.

"Shh," Bianca whispered. "I will be fine. Once these nanites start doing their thing, I'll be right as rain."

"Yeah, they'll get you fixed soon."

Eleanor understood why they needed to get her to a medical facility as soon as possible. They had to see what kind of damage had been done and help her. She didn't see any blood, but that didn't mean she wasn't severely hurt.

The cyborg that sat with her stayed on her other side, watching, but he did seem to respect her need to talk to Eleanor.

Wrathin walked to the cyborg next to her. "Harbin, we have to--"

Harbin nodded.

Veta joined them.

"What are they plotting," Bianca asked.

"Most likely how to get you out of here and to a new ship."

She nodded. "I'm going to have to move."

"Yes, you probably are."

Veta glanced at Wrathin. "Maybe not."

Eleanor turned to her. "What are you talking about?"

Veta smiled. "I have an idea." She grabbed one of the packs that had been stowed in the escape pods.

* * *

"I cannot believeyou're pushing me on a bed." Bianca wrapped her arms around herself. The desert was cold. The sun hid behind the eclipse and kept the light low as they traveled. There was a breeze, but it wasn't harsh. Just enough to occasionally make the sand swirl. She had a blanket around her, but it probably wasn't enough protection from the elements, but it was the best they had.

Getting her to proper medical care would be the best course of action.

"There's a first time for everything," Eleanor said. She walked next to the bed and reached over to touch her hand. Bianca squeezed her hand back. It was hard to be sure if she was getting stronger or not. Eleanor wanted to think that her grip was better.

It had exhausted her, attempting to get her out of the crashed ship and situated so that Harbin would be able to push her on the repulsor bed.

They were under a time constraint, and they needed to get to the ships. Hopefully, Jedriek had found a vessel and had it prepared for them. She was sad he wasn't with her, but he was doing his part. They had an objective and a goal.

And she trusted the others. Bianca and Veta trusted these other Rhimodians, so Eleanor felt comfortable trusting them as well.

She glanced at Bianca again, a brush of guilt running over her. In a way, this was her fault. Eleanor had encouraged Caoimhe to pursue the peace talks. If anything happened to Bianca, then it would be both sisters who lose. Bianca was the only mother they still had.

Harbin touched Bianca's shoulder, an intimate touch. At least it looked that way to Eleanor. She glanced at him, then back at Bianca, who touched his hand with hers.

"Bianca," She glanced back at Harbin. "Is this, the uh---"

"Shh," she said and smiled.

Even not feeling well, the sparkle was in her eyes, and Eleanor knew it had to be the same boy who'd been making her smile before the trip.

Though one look at Harbin, and he wasn't a boy, by any stretch. Like the rest of the cyborgs, he was sizable. At least a head taller than even Veta, who was the tallest girl in their group. Both Wrathin and Harbin were about the same size, and they both were strong. Whether it was the metal gauntlets and the enhancements or just their size that made them large, they were huge compared to Terran men.

Or any humanoid, honestly.

She also realized that Jedriek was huge, even for a Rhimodian.

Much bigger.

Her cheeks got hot, just thinking about all the parts of Jedriek that were bigger. Because all his pieces were larger. And he used them well."

"We met before," Harbin said, jarring Eleanor out of her thoughts. "When she came to look over everything."

"Oh, I see," Eleanor said, patting her cheeks if that would make the blushing go away. "How fortunate you helped rescue her."

"Fortunate." He guided the repulsor bed ahead. The tech was part of the survival gear that Veta had packed in all their bags. Just in case of an emergency. It was the best option they could find to transport her with the least stress on her physical form.

Bianca grabbed her hand. "Princess Eleanor, are you well?"

Veta paused and looked back.

"You're flushed," Bianca said. "Are you needing help?"

"Do not worry about me," Eleanor said. "You need your rest, don't fret about me. I am fine." She patted her face.

"Are you okay?" Veta asked, coming over to her. "Need water?"

"No. I. No. I'm fine," she said, biting her lip.

"Eleanor?" Bianca said. "Maybe you should have some water. You look, well, you look--"

Veta's eyebrow went up. "Are you well?" She handed her a water pod.

Eleanor accepted. "Truly, I am fine. I just, my mind wandered, that's all." She downed the water to convince the others that she was okay. Though really, even in the cool air, she was starting to feel a little flushed. Maybe she did need a drink.

How did Jedriek do that to her just by thinking of him?

"Perhaps to a very large Rhimodian?" Veta asked quietly.

Eleanor's cheeks got hot again.

Veta nodded, a smile on her face then glanced at Bianca. "She's fine."

"Are you certain?" Bianca asked. "I can make room. She can ride on this with me if she's not--"

"It's a crush," Veta said. "She has a crush on her Rhimodian."

Eleanor could only imagine how red her face was from the embarrassment. Both Harbin and Wrathin glanced at her. Wrathin chuckled, and Harbin covered his face, though she could see he was laughing behind his hand.

"Oh," Bianca said. "Well, then, my dear. Please. Stay in your fantasies. They're most likely much better than this." She glanced back at Harbin. "At least this is warm."

"It is not that warm," Eleanor said.

"Far warmer than the ice-covered world I crashed on," Bianca said. "Fortunately, Harbin here was able to keep me warm and safe."

"Thank you, Harbin, for caring for her."

He nodded and didn't say much else.

Eleanor looked out onto the landscape. She needed to focus on where they were, not on Jedriek. Sand on the ground, mountains all around, they were in very angry terrain. Indecisive. Giant dunes of sand rolled like waves on an ocean to her left, though much bigger than any she'd encountered. To her right? Rock and mountainous terrain. They were walking the line right down the middle of it. Wrathin had been convinced it would be the easiest considering Bianca's state.

The walk was reasonably level, the terrain was sandy, but not a horrible walk. Walking in the sand was much more physically taxing than Eleanor had expected. After all this was over, she was taking a hot bath and soaking her feet.

Wrathin and Veta were in front of her, and Bianca was next to her, with Harbin pushing Bianca. Eleanor would attempt to pick up her pace some, just to get closer to their destination. However, she had no idea where it was--she was trusting Wrathin for that information.

"How much further to the station?" Eleanor asked.

"Over the rise there," Wrathin said.

"Good, I think I am about ready to rest," she said, though the last part was more to herself. The walking was exhausting. Unfortunately, they had not been able to find a transport closer. She and Jedriek had not located any ships that could fly since it was an antiquated location from their mining efforts.

Veta was looking around as they walked, and she glanced back at Eleanor. "We're not resting. We're close. We're going to keep moving."

Eleanor stared at the bodyguard. Veta never missed anything. "I didn't say I wanted to take a rest."

"Then what did you say?" Veta snapped.

Something wasn't right. Veta was provolking a fight.

"That I was ready to rest. Not that we should--" Eleanor screamed.

Blaster fire streaked across the landscape, and Veta threw Eleanor to the ground, landing on top of her.

"Stay down," Veta said and pulled out a blaster.

"What's going on?"

"Attackers on that north ridge," Veta said. She aimed her blaster into the distance toward the firing.

Minimal cover to protect Bianca, so Harbin and Wrathin took up positions around her.

"What do you see?" Veta called out.

"Four on the far ridge."

"What kind of weapon was that to hit this far away?" Harbin said.

"Sniper rifle of some kind," Veta said. "With the right attachments, anything can make a long-distance shot."

"We're going to have to move," Harbin said. "Get out of the open as quick as possible."

Veta shifted and climbed off of Eleanor. "When they say so, you run with everything you have."

Veta shifted back and forth and fired a few shots. As did Wrathin.

"On my mark," Veta said.

"Execute," Wrathin and Harbin said.

"Two. One. Mark!"

They all ran in the general direction they'd been heading before. Up ahead, there were rocks for cover. Something that would help them.

Streaking across the sky flew two Terran Fighters.

"Oh no," Eleanor said. Whoever it was could wipe them out and take down the entire peace treaty with one shot!

She ran harder. The rocky outcroppings were their only hope to avoid being killed.

Harbin was in the lead, with Bianca, Wrathin, and Veta kept to the rear, leaving Eleanor in the middle.

The Terran crafts spun and came back toward them.

Firing.

"Run faster," Veta yelled. "Those fighters weren't designed to hit people on the ground. Their targeting isn't precise enough."

"That sounds like a design flaw," Eleanor said.

"Not the time, Princess," Veta said. "Move!"

So Eleanor ran harder than she'd ever run before.

Explosions blew up all around them. The sand and rock blasted everywhere, so the air burned like smoke and soot and sand. And shrapnel. Eleanor felt every piece hitting her like little bitty bullets. Coughs burned in her chest, but she didn't dare stop for them.

Harbin careened around a corner and shoved Bianca into the protection of the rocks. He came out firing at the ships and toward the location to the north, where the initial shots came in.

A new ship engine echoed.

Another ship that Eleanor recognized without looking.

A Terran transport shuttle.

For a second, she felt relief because a Terran transport shuttle would have been her people coming. A week ago, she would have been thrilled to hear that particular engine sound. Today, however, the sound only meant more attackers.

More people coming with intent to kill her and the rest of the Ambassadors for peace.

She really wanted to tear into her father.

The Terran transport got closer.

And it started firing too, a similar sound in the blasts as the fighters.

The transport turned.

And fired on one of the fighters.

From the ground, Eleanor looked at the pilot of the vessel.

It was Jedriek!

He fired more on the fighters, sent them on the run, and brought the vessel down, the hatch opening before hitting the ground.

Eleanor ran for the transport, as did the others.

Wrathin was the first aboard. Blaster fire was everywhere.

Veta pushed Eleanor onto the ramp. Wrathin grabbed her and yanked her aboard, almost throwing her back into the ship.

She stumbled and fell. It took her a second to orient herself, and when she did, she saw Bianca's repulsor bed glide inside and Harbin right behind her. Then Veta was aboard, and as soon as she entered, she slammed the hatch shut.

Eleanor turned to Bianca. "Are you okay?"

Bianca nodded. "Are you? You were airborne for a moment there," She said with a smile.

"I'm fine," Eleanor said, and she headed toward the cockpit.

Jedriek already had the ship moving up and heading toward space.

She ran in, and headed straight for the chair, and hugged around him. He patted her arm.

"You are safe," she said.

"As are you," he replied, and he rubbed his cheek against hers. "Are the others well?"

"They're fine," she said. "We need to get Bianca to a medical facility soon, though. She needs to be looked at."

"I will get you there," Jedriek said.