Neutral Space(19)

“A Kelsairan cargo ship with a 65 square meter hold. We took an inventory.” I handed over the pad. Dex eyed over the list.

“Yes, see not much of real value. Some weapons and food, oh medical supplies. Well, maybe. What you want friend?”

“We need another ship to get home and some money for our baby.”

Dex scratched his chin. “What kind ship?”

“Something to get us to the Navea system before our child is born,” I told him.

“When?” He scanned the inventory again.

“Two, three weeks tops.” I looked to Kheda who rubbed her fake belly.

“You cut close,” Dex complained. “I have small telaithan cruiser big bed for wife.” I looked to Kheda who was not only a whiz with ships but knew what could get into Kelsairan space. She nodded. Dex went to his desk and found his handheld inventory and pulled up the list. He ran some kind of search and handed me the list. “You pick one item here to sell when you get home worth good money all.”

“I said money, Dex. I’m no merchant.”

“Dex has no money all in trade.” I took the list and handed it to Kheda hoping she could figure out what to trade. Dex looked at me.

“She has a head for business. I’m just the pilot.” Kheda looked up at me and smiled then looked back to the list. Dex tried to see what she was looking at but had no luck.

Kheda got to the end of the list “Ah, here we go the Ceron ale.”

“But,” Dex started.

“It was on your list.” Kheda countered.

Dex looked to me “This contingent on everything in cargo hold as listed on your inventory.”

“Agreed, right down to the last bandage.” I offered him my hand, and he accepted. “We just need to get our personal things and meet you at dock 12 in a half hour.” Dex nodded.

“You mind?” he asked Kheda. She nodded, and he rubbed her fake belly. “Two? Good fortune.” He looked to me. I merely smiled in reply.

The trade went off without a hitch, and the new ship was smaller. It had better living quarters though. The bedroom could actually be called that, and the bathroom was larger with a sink shower and toilet. There was a little kitchen with a food replicator. It was broken, but Kheda said she could fix it. The case of ceron ale sat on the table waiting for us like a prize the bottles were dusty, but Kheda said that was a good thing. I let her settle in while I went to prepare to leave.

Once we were on a heading to kelsair, I found her again meditating on the bed. Something seemed to be bothering her today. She’d changed into the pink Kelsairan shirt, and black pants and her body was back to normal. She opened her eyes finally “Are we headed to Kelsair?”

“We are, and no one is following.”

“Good; you rest since you’ve been up the longest.” She said calmly.

“Kheda, is there something you wanted to tell me?”

“Not right now; you rest.” She got up and left.

I put on the new pants she bought me. Then lay in bed thinking I was crazy for letting her take me to Kelsair, of all places. I assured myself everything would be fine. I still didn’t know why we were going there, but she promised to tell me. Maybe that’s what was bothering her. I fell asleep finally and dreamed they were taking us back to Kras. I woke up in a cold sweat hours later. I got out of bed and rushed to find Kheda. She stared at me when I ran into the little kitchen like a boy longing for his mother. But I was so relieved to see her I didn’t really care. What they were doing to her in my dream was far worse than what they were doing to me.

Kheda went to the replicator and made me a cup of coffee without my asking. I sat down at the table, and she brought it over. I savored the taste my first cup of coffee in eight months, and it was exactly what I needed. She glanced at the monitor as she sat down. She’d rerouted some of the controls here while she worked.

“Jackson, there are things I must tell you, and I fear what you will say to me. I only ask that you listen to me openly and believe me when I say I never meant to hurt you.”

I looked at her she hadn’t hurt me at least not yet. I took a big swig of coffee bracing myself for what she would say. “Go on.”

“Our meeting was not an accident.” I nearly choked on my coffee. “The Kelsairan army had been scanning planets in the neutral territories for soldiers alone on planets. My ship was packed and ready for months as I waited for someone to land and was never far from me should the opportunity arise.”

“Special Ops,” I commented, and she nodded “So I was a mission.”

“Not you specifically. The target had to be male and an officer. You just happened to be the first to fit the criteria. I’m sorry.”

“So what was your mission?”

“To gain your trust, then you were to be found and captured. I was to be sent to prison, and we would escape.”

“Sounds like you’re on task to me.” I was getting angrier by the minute.

“I’m not, Jackson. I was supposed to feed you information on a false attack on the Sirus system and show you our troop movements all in hopes of luring the human army into a major ambush.”

“Who’s to say you won’t?” I got up from the table and went to the bedroom. I shut the door. I couldn’t look at her. I could hear her come after me and talk through the door.