What Happens in Orbit Pt. 11

[What-]

[Don't. I already know.] He sat in a chair, waving a hand at Mar. [Most of the crew, save for Missions 10 and 12, don't know what we were doing. They just know that Cora, the human, might be dangerous.]

Another crewmate tried to cut in. [Then why-]

Mar growled, silencing him.

Tai continued. [The Foshar sponsored missions to convert genetically similar species, to fix our population issues. Nobody considered the risks of turning another species' female into one of ours, forcing her to go into heat, then locking her up with no relief for that condition. How many of us know what happens when you do that to one of ours?]

Della shuddered, clearly dealing with an unpleasant memory. [Everything makes sense, now.]

[Oh, you to-] Erie started to speak, but Leo slapped him, hard, across the back of his head. [Shut up, shut up.]

Tai gave them a stern look before turning to Mar. [Now, Mar?]

"Damn it, Cora," Mar muttered under his breath. She heard him clearly. "Sorry."

He shook his head. [How many of you know that Tor and I have a bounty on our heads?]

Everyone in the room waved a hand in the air. [Oh. Well- I don't know why I asked. That's our whole thing. Anyway. Our mission's expedition leader overdosed Cora on the formula, leading to some, ah, events.] He seemed hesitant to continue.

[We don't have time for this.] Tai stood. [There are eggs. They abandoned their mission because their expedition leader was told to dispose of them.]

[Why the fuck didn't you just tell us that to begin with?] Erie gestured at Mar, displeased. [You know how many of us are from colonies.]

[What do you mean, us? You're not from a colony.]

Leo was swatting at Erie, trying to quiet him, but Erie continued. [Yes I am, and so is Leo. Our ears look like shit for a reason. I cut them myself.]

Someone gagged, loudly. [Oh, that's gross, Erie.]

Della threw his hands in the air. [We don't have time for this! What are we doing? What's the plan?]

[We could hide her. And the eggs.]

[Yes, but where?]

Cora noted that nobody mentioned the infant clinging to her back, hidden in her hair.

The captain raised a hand to silence them before pointing at Mar, Della, Tai, and two others. [Follow me.]

He began walking briskly to the back of the ship. Tor turned to her, pulling her gently toward the kitchen. "Let's get some food, Cora."

Cora didn't want to eat. Neither did Mar or Tai, judging by their reaction to Tor offering them food moments later. Della strode in after them, sitting down with a bowl.

"What was that about?"

Mar sighed, slumping against her. Tai gave him a sympathetic look before looking to Cora. "We have a plan and he doesn't like it."

[I don't like her being bait,] he mumbled into her shoulder.

"You don't like me being what?" Cora bristled. She noted that all of them were now heavily armed. Slung over Della's shoulder was the rifle he'd greeted her with. It made a heavy thunk against the table as he leaned over his bowl. [Stop that. I'm already stressed enough. Don't stress her, too.]

The was a tiny snuffling noise from her left shoulder as Mel made an appearance. Cora used her fork to stir through her food, looking for something she hadn't tried yet. Tai told her that she'd have to wait a few cycles to give her meat, but anything else was fine. Cora found one of the potato-like vegetables and cut a slice out of it before handing it carefully to Mel.

"Wait a damn minute." Cora straightened up, dropping her fork back into her bowl. Everyone looked up at her. "Why are we only worrying about me? Tor, Mar, they're looking for you two!"

Della glanced around uncertainly, waiting for someone to translate.

"We have a plan," Mar echoed, his face still pressed against her.

"And that plan is?"

Tai leaned over to Della, finally realizing that he needed help. [She wants to know what the plan is.]

[The plan is nobody dies.] He reached across the table, poking her in the arm. [Stop worrying.]

Cora gave him a sour look. Nobody dies was far too vague for her.

[Eat, Cora. You need to eat.] Della gestured at her bowl.

Cora responded with a petulant huff, picking up her fork and passing another piece of food to Mel.

Cora hated this plan. She hated it with every fiber of her being.

Tor had picked up Mel, holding her carefully in his second set of arms. Then, motioning at the others, he bolted out of the kitchen. Cora lunged after him, only to find the doorway blocked by Mar and Tai.

"Cora. Cora, calm down. You trust Tor, right?"

She eyed the second door behind her, just as a clang echoed through the ship.

"Sit down, please. She's safe. You're safe."

Words failed her, adrenaline burning just under her skin. Somehow, she managed to sit back down.

Footsteps echoed from the main room and shadows loomed in the doorway. Cora heard the captain speak. [In here.]

What happened to hiding?

Della leaned against the counter, his rifle laying behind him, seemingly out of reach.

Cora really hated this plan.

[Thank you.]

Her stomach turned as two figures entered the kitchen. They were the same shape as all the Roshak around her, but were a light gray with dark eyes, and no hair. They were both Mar's height, but were thin, with another set of eyes below their main pair. The strangest difference was their noses. Cora had always thought that Roshak noses vaguely resembled those of cats. These guys had noses that were identical to humans. I don't like that.

Each of them had a weapon strapped to their sides, belted around dark red vests with close-fitting sleeves.

The one on the left spoke first. [Ah. There's the human.]

The other spoke next. [Where is the other fugitive, the one called Tor?]

Mar shifted in his seat. [He's... dead. There was a difference of opinion.]

They looked at each other and scoffed. [Typical. Well, no matter. We aren't here for you. We certainly don't do your queen's dirty work.]

[What are you here for, then?] He spoke carefully, keeping his tone polite.

Cora looked over at Tai and Della, who were equally calm, save for the pure hatred in their eyes.

[To collect the human, of course. I'm surprised that it's even still alive. None of you have the resources to take care of one.]

Mar nodded, his hands clasped in his lap. [Right.] How is he so calm?

[And the three eggs, where are those?]

Slowly, Mar stood. [I'll go get them. We weren't expecting you so suddenly.]

Cora heard a whisper from behind her. By the time she turned around, Leo was going back into the storage room. Della's expression had gone perfectly blank and Tai was nowhere to be seen.

[I'm so grateful for your cooperation, Mar. We hate using violence unless absolutely necessary.]

They allowed Mar to walk around them. When he returned, he was carrying the wrong crate. A lid was clamped on it. [Of course,] he replied, his voice flat. He placed it in front of them.

What the FUCK is the plan?

Mar nodded to Cora, gesturing at her. Stomach in knots, she stood, walking stiffly through the doorway. The two Foshar walked behind her, one carrying the crate. I trust them. I trust them. There's no way they'd just take Mel and pass me off.

She rounded the corner, listening to their talons click against the ground in unison. Yeah. There's no way. She couldn't hear any other footsteps. Bile rose in her throat as the airlock came into view. Where is everybody? Cora slowed as she approached the airlock, unsure.

From behind her came two soft clicks, then a resounding crack. In that same moment, something splattered against her back. The crate hit the ground with a hollow thud.

Cora turned to find the two Foshar collapsing, now headless. Mar and Della were standing just behind them, guns still held aloft. Vaporized blood hung in the air, slowly drifting to the ground. She refused to look down, but she could see more than enough of the carnage in her periphery. Fuck.

Her voice cracked repeatedly as her stomach contents went on strike. "Hey Mar, I got a new word for you." Not gonna throw up, not gonna throw up.

He lowered his gun, putting it away.

"Viscera. Do you know what that is?"

He shook his head.

"I'll give you a hint. I'm covered in it!" She held out her arms.

The airlock slid open, and Cora dropped into a crouch, only to see Tai entering, dragging two more Foshar bodies behind him. "Oh. Hey, Tai." The smell in the air was revolting, and her sneaker slipped on a chunk of something as she stood back up.

He glowered at Mar and Della. [You idiots, you did it right in front of her?]

[We did it behind her,] Della corrected. He picked up one of the corpses by the back of its shirt, dragging it after Tai. [Then why is she covered in Foshar?]

Mar sighed, his expression bleak. "Cora, let us get this taken care of, then I'll help you get cleaned up, okay?"

Cora thought back to their conversation on Amola's ship. I'm not afraid of him, I just- That was a lot.

"Okay." She tried to sound upbeat, but ended up gagging. "Fuck."

Mar met her outside the shower room a few moments later, his hands and shirt smeared with purple. Cora's brain still hadn't registered that blood was no longer red. She opened the door, taking his hand and pulling him inside before closing the door behind them. He was avoiding her gaze.

"Mar?"

"Hm?"

Cora wrapped her arms around him, her head barely reaching his chest. "It's okay." He sighed.

She peeled off her shirt, grimacing at it. "But maybe next time, give me a little warning?"

"The entire point of the plan was for it to be unexpected."

"Unexpected for who? Look, I'm happy I'm not on their ship, but you gave me no warning that you were going to pretend to pass me off to them! That was horrible!"

He looked up at her, alarmed. "You- Did you really think I would do that? That I would let that happen to you?"

Cora could tell he was hurt. But she couldn't forget that, for a split second, she wasn't sure.

It was all too much.

As Mar turned on the water, she sunk to the floor.

"Cora?"

She didn't respond, hiding her face in her arms.

There was a knock on the door. When nobody answered, Tor opened it a crack, peering in.

"Oh, there you two are."

He slid the door open the rest of the way, stepping in before shutting it behind him. Mel clung to one of his arms, resting in the crook of his elbow. Mar knelt next to Cora, looking particularly lost.

[What did you do?]

Cora sat up, still shivering as she felt tiny hands on her arm. Mel was heaving her way up to her shoulder, making tiny grunts of effort. "Oh, honey," Cora whispered, scooping her up and holding her gently against her chest.

Mar was explaining their plan to Tor, who interrupted him. [You didn't tell her any of this before you did it, did you?]

He shook his head.

Tor sighed deeply, clasping his hands together. [The only reason I'm not punching you right now, is that she's already upset. Just know that.]

[Why? She had to know that we wouldn't do anything like that to her, not after everything we've been through.]

[She's not a Hunter, dumbass. Next time, tell her.]

Back in the main room, the captain called another meeting. Cora didn't want to be there. She just wanted to sleep. Still, she sat on the couch by Della, letting him hold Mel as she slumped against him.

[We're approaching Port 5,] he started, sounding particularly indifferent. [We'll be splitting the crew. Whoever wants to go with the human will be one, and the rest will be with me.]

Someone spoke up. [We won't be working with the Foshar anymore?]

The captain gave him a long, sour look. [Are you seriously asking that?] After a pause, he sighed. [No. We won't. We just killed several of them and stripped their ship for parts.]

[They didn't even pay us for our last contract,] Tai called out, leaning against the far wall.

[That's right. Stick to the lower levels. Whoever is coming with me, we've got scavenger work lined up.]

Erie shuddered. [Where is the other group going?]

The captain looked to Mar, who was clearly unprepared for this question. [We'll be looking for work and finding a ship.]

Erie made a face. Clearly, this wasn't ideal, either. He turned to Leo, murmuring a question. Leo swatted at him, pointing at Cora, who was now asleep in Della's lap.

A massive jolt knocked Cora onto the floor. "Wha-" It sounded like they'd docked at a spaceport.

Mar briskly walked by, carrying what looked like a piece of steel beam. "Cora, we need to move fast."

She straightened up, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. "Of course. Uh, where to?" Judging by the crates rapidly piling up by the airlock, she'd heard their plan correctly. Ah. I should pack. To her surprise, their room was already empty.

Jesus, things move fast around here. She turned just as Tor walked up behind her. "Oh, sorry. Are we leaving already?"

He nodded, looking around the room. "We have to move fast. Come on." He handed her a familiar bundle of fabric. Cora unfolded it, wrapping the cloak Amola made around her shoulders.