The humanoid females trailed behind him.
Valor guarded their rear.
Patch was positioned at the back of their group. The J Model guided the sleeping support with the severely damaged female through the narrow spaces.
A gust of wind hit Malice as they approached the open door. He inhaled, running diagnostics on the air. The oxygen levels were sufficient for his fragile human female. There were no toxins that might damage her.
He stepped onto the ramp with her. A single sun shone over their heads, heating his body armor-clad shoulders. The sky was blue, clear of other vessels. Green vegetation swayed in the breeze.
“It’s beautiful.” His little medic smiled.
“It’s dangerous.” He looked around them.
A transport ship was parked nearby. Beings, all of them cyborg, lingered by the small vessel.
There were too many warriors, and he hadn’t met any of them, couldn’t project whether they were friends or foes. Malice stopped near the bottom of the ramp, clutching his female to his chest. He tilted his head back. “We could be attacked from too many different directions.”
“They could be friendly, cyborg.” His female reached up, touched his cheek.
He pressed his face against her palms, savoring her touch. “I can’t risk your safety.”
And he wasn’t the only being who was uneasy about the openness of the terrain.
To their right, in the distance, a large C Model also held a human female high against his form. That male didn’t trust his surroundings either.
“I don’t like this.” Malice emphasized his unhappiness with a growl.
“What is it?” Cadet turned, gazed at him. “Stars. It is safe, C Model. No one will damage you here.” Her gaze shifted to Malice’s female. “Tell your warrior it’s safe.”
“I trust my warrior’s judgment.” Illona lowered her hands, splaying her fingers over his body armor-covered chest.
His female trusted him. Malice stood straighter.
And she loved him, as he loved her.
“This is a cyborg-controlled and protected planet.” Cadet frowned. “You are safe here.”
“That C Model doesn’t agree with you.” Malice looked pointedly at the warrior in the distance. “He senses danger also.”
The male hadn’t set his human female down.
Cadet followed his line of sight and laughed. “The danger that C Model senses is you.” She shook her head. “I’ll introduce you to him. If I don’t do that, each of you will add even more defenses to the planet, seeking to safeguard it from the other.” She shifted her gaze. “The rest of you stay here. My dad has a low tolerance for strangers.”
“Dad.” The word was repeated by Illona and Valor.
“Malice?” The E Model stepped forward.
“Stay here and protect the humanoid females.” Malice reinforced Cadet’s command and added a task for his always-needing-to-be-needed friend to focus on. “I’ll call for you if I sense danger.”
“Fraggin’ hole. There’s no danger, C Model.” Cadet rolled her eyes, turned and strode toward the cyborg she’d called Dad and the human female he assumed was her mom.
Malice caught up to her, carrying his female snug against his form.
“They’re like us.” His little medic whispered that erroneous observation.
“She has yellow hair. You have black hair.” Malice pointed out that glaring difference. “She isn’t wearing a medic jacket and—”
“She’s human and he’s a C Model cyborg.” His female countered with a similarity.
“We C Models aren’t all the same.” Cadet’s tone was dry. “But you won’t process that when you meet my dad. He’s very much like your warrior…except he was damaged more severely. Verbal communication isn’t a skill set of his.”
“Verbal communication isn’t a skill set of Malice’s either.” His female’s smile relayed she didn’t view that as a deficiency.
Which was good because verbal communication wasn’t a skill set of his. Having been friends with a verbally adept E Model for 6.2659 human lifespans, Malice was fully cognizant of that fact.
“Don’t touch your weapons…or my mom…or me.” Cadet issued those unnecessary warnings as they neared the couple. “He’s as protective of his females as you are of yours.”
The C Model eyed Malice with palpable unease, hefted his female higher against his chest.
Malice did the same.
The two females smiled at each other, showing absolutely no caution.
They both fraggin’ needed protection. Malice rumbled with discontentment.
That sound was echoed by the other C Model.
“Dad, they’re friends.” Cadet rushed up to him, gave him and her mom a hug. “The C Model reminds me of you.” She lowered her voice. “He’s worried his female isn’t safe here.”
Malice could hear her clearly.
“Safe.” Her dad frowned.
“You tell him that.” Cadet stepped back. Her normally hard countenance was soft with love. “Dad, Mom, I’d like you to meet Malice and Medic Illona.” She waved at them. “They’ll be staying with us, here on Mercury Minor, for, I hope, a lifetime.”
“A medic.” Cadet’s mom clasped her hands together, her respect for his female’s role immediately earning her Malice’s appreciation. “What is it—my birthing planet rotation, Eir…daughter? I’ve been longing for a female medic for solar cycles.”
“I hope not to disappoint you.” Illona’s cheeks were tinged with pink pigment. Her eyes glowed.
His female was flattered by the attention.
Some of Malice’s unease dissipated.
“Ghost.” Her dad grunted what Malice assumed was his name. “Mine.” He looked at his female. “Ours.” He gestured to Cadet. His gaze shifted to Illona. “Ours.”
“Mine.” Malice corrected him. Illona belonged to him.
“Ours.” The C Model nodded. He held his female, Cadet’s mom, with one arm, swept the other around them. “Safe. Stay.”
“My dad designed most of the security systems for the planet.” Pride edged Cadet’s voice. “There’s no safer place in the universe for our kind.” Her lips lifted. “And that includes the Homeland, although the leader of the cyborg council arrogantly believes otherwise.”
“He might not be that bad when you get to know him, daughter.” Her mom pursed her lips. “You have to give him a chance.”
“Ours.” Her dad dipped his head again and sighed.
“I’ve given him enough chances.” Cadet crossed her arms over her chest. “Dad, show the C Model the security systems. Convince him it is safe for his female here.”
“And we’ll talk with his medic female.” Cadet’s mom wiggled much like Malice’s female was doing.
“Safe.” Cadet’s dad hesitated for a moment and released his female.
Fraggin’ hole. That meant Malice had to release his female also.
“Stay close to me, Medic.” He lowered her to her booted feet and bracketed her beautiful face with his palms. “And be careful.”