Dykan kept quiet for a moment, then nodded.
“Okay, as you wish. You drive a hard bargain, but I have no choice. We have a small transporter we can use to fly to your ship. We will be arriving soon.”
“I can hardly wait, Makaen.”
Then the viewscreen went black.
“Transmission ended,” Selvin said.
Kat blew out air. “Thank the gods this is over. That Zzjitzzeën is a helluva creep.”
“Don’t be too relieved just yet,” Dykan said, still stroking her arm. “Now you are going to meet that creep up close and personal.”
“Together with all his creepy friends,” Kat added.
“If you have changed your mind—”
“No, Dykan,” she interrupted him, “I haven’t. And certainly not now. If you go up there without me, they’ll surely know something is wrong and kill you on the spot. So, let’s go.”
Kat jumped off his lap, pulled her dress down, then pulled it up again to cover her boobs while holding the bottom part in place, and marched to the doors.
“The last one on the transporter is a rotten egg,” she called out over her shoulder, giving Dykan and Selvin a daring smile.
“Rotten egg?” Dykan looked questioningly at Selvin, his ridges raised.
Selvin shrugged. “Don’t ask me. It must be an Earth thing.”
Chapter 16
Sly pushed a small flat square into Dykan’s hand.
“Recap. This is what I call a sly key, and it was created by yours truly. With it I can open a backdoor to the Zzjitzzeën ship’s computer and turn off the ship’s security from here. Just stick it somewhere near a control panel, preferably a panel on the bridge, so it’s closest to the computer. The device is magnetic and will stick to any metal surface. It will send a message to my datapad as soon as it makes contact with the computer, and then I can do my thing.”
Dykan squinted, scrutinizing the square in his palm.
“How long will you need to access the computer once this is placed?”
“Not very long. But it may take us a while to find the best spot to breach the Zzjitzzeën ship and make a hole with the laser. Until we are on board, it’s best if they don’t notice the key, or us flying toward them. We wouldn’t want to spoil the surprise, now would we?”
“Got it!”
Dykan cautiously tucked the device away in a hidden pouch on the inside of his jacket and walked over to the transporter. Kat stood in the opening, talking to her brother and cousin.
“Just to be clear”—Dykan pointed to Lirid and Mitha—“no matter what happens, you two are staying on this ship. I don’t want amateurs running around when the fighting starts. It could endanger not only your lives but also Kat’s, my crew’s and mine. Do you understand?”
Lirid and Mitha nodded silently.
Dykan moved closer to Lirid, whispering in his ear. “If I find out you took even one tiny step aboard the Zzjitzzeën ship, I will shoot you out of an airlock. And even your sister’s beautiful begging eyes won’t stop me from doing so this time. Have I made myself clear?”
Dykan put a hand on Lirid’s shoulder, giving it a hard squeeze.
“Crystal,” Lirid croaked, grimacing faintly.
“Perfect, then that’s settled.”
Dykan pivoted on his toes and turned to his crew.
“Good luck, Captain. May the Great Goddess light your path.” Selvin bowed his head and clenched his fist to his chest. So did Sly, Boda and Kadaen.
“Good luck to you too,” he replied, showing his crew the same respect by bowing his head and putting his fist to his chest. Then he turned and followed Kat into the shuttle.
“Are you ready?” he asked when they lifted off, with Kat sitting in the chair next to him at the helm.
Kat licked her lips nervously. “Yes. We can do this.” She put her hand on his knee.
Dykan took her hand in his and gave Kat’s fingers a reassuring squeeze as he lifted her hand to his mouth, placing a kiss on her palm.
“Yes, we most certainly can.”
“So, what’s the plan?” Kat asked when they had left the freighter behind them and were floating in the darkness of space. “I distract the creeps and you place the device?”
“No. You got us on the Zzjitzzeën ship, so your job is done. You”—he pointed his claw at her—“are not going to do anything anymore. As long as we are on that ship, you are staying close to me. Within arm’s reach. Doing nothing. At all.”
Kat’s brow furrowed and she gave him an incredulous stare.
“I know that in the field of badassery I’m a mere amateur, but if me just standing there looking pretty is your strategy, Captain, then I need to tell you it sucks. Big-time.”
“And why is that, female?” he asked, unmoved.
“Well, duh. The Zzjitzzeëns don’t trust us—and in this case rightfully so, but whatever. They’re going to keep their eyes on you, scrutinizing your every move. If you try to plant that device while they’re breathing in your neck, there’s a good chance they’ll catch you with your pants down.”
Dykan’s expression turned from stoic to confused.
“Why would I have my pants down near Zzjitzzeëns?”
Kat sighed. “It’s just a saying. It means they’ll catch you in the act. And then it’s game over for us.”
Dykan stared at the Zzjitzzeën ship as it got closer, his face once more a blank slate.
“You need me to distract the bad guys, Dykan.”
“And how are you’re planning to distract them?” he asked in a low voice.
Kat’s mouth fell open and she blinked. Was this a serious question? She looked like a freaking porn star. Did he really need her to spell it out for him?
“Um…Well, I thought of riding a unicycle on a rope and juggling chainsaws while making balloon animals and humming the circus song,” she replied, cocking up an eyebrow.
Dykan jerked his head toward her.
“You are going to do what?”
She sighed again. Clearly sarcasm was wasted on Makaen.
“I’m dressed like a Playboy bunny in July. How do you think I’m going to distract them? With my feminine assets, of course.”
“I don’t like it,” he said grimly. “Not at all. I don’t want them near you.”
“You don’t have to like it. Hell, I don’t like it, but I want us all to get out of this alive and preferably in one piece. If that means I have to flirt with aliens that are so ugly not even their mothers can look at them too long without throwing up in their mouths, so be it. I’m taking one for the team. So, take that alpha male attitude down a notch, mister, because I’m going to do this and there’s nothing you can say or do that will change my mind.”
Dykan turned his head back, the muscles in his jaw tightening. “You stubborn human female. I knew I should have left you on my ship.”
“Well, it’s too late now.” Kat grinned smugly. “I’m here with you, and I’m going to create the best diversion you’ve ever seen. We’re a team here, Dykan. We both have to use the skills we’re gifted with. You use your stealthy ninja movements to plant that computer hacky thingy, and I’ll use this”—she moved her hands up and down her body—“to make sure all their eyes are on me when you do so. End of discussion.”