“Did it work?” Jolie blinked at me, this time with eyes so dark they were almost black.
“Yes,” I said, biting back a smile at the transformation.
She frowned at me suspiciously and spun in a slow circle until spotting a piece of slick metal further down the alley that gave off a fuzzy, distorted reflection.
Jolie trod toward, stopping with a startled squeak when her reflection came into view.
“Holy shit!”
“You said a bad word, MeMe,” Lilibet’s disembodied voice came from the vicinity of Jolie’s shoulders, tinged with gentle reproach.
“I know I did, honey, but....” Jolie sputtered, staring at her massive, fur-covered reflection. “Holy shit! I look like one of those... those....”
“Kerzak,” I supplied, this time not bothering to suppress my satisfied grin. “I chose the ruse on purpose. No one usually wants to mess with a Kerzak.”
“I wonder why,” Jolie snorted in a voice that told me she knew all too well about the Kerzak and their fearsome reputation.
“We look like the teddy bear you made for me,” Lilibet chimed with innocent delight, but her voice grew wistful. “I left it on my bed, MeMe.”
“I’m sorry, honey,” Jolie murmured. I could hear the heartbreak reflected in her tone.
“Once we get aboard theEden,I’ll get you another teddy bear,” I offered, although I had no clue why a youngling would want a toy that looked like a Kerzak.
“Promise?” Lilibet’s voice wavered with fragile hope.
“I promise.” I would get the youngling all the teddy bears she wanted and pretty much anything else, I suspected. I felt myself wrapping tighter around her little finger with each passing moment.
“Lilibet, you have to hold on tight and be very quiet, okay?” Jolie’s voice was stern but not scolding, carrying the patient authority that reminded me of my own mother.
“Yes, MeMe.”
Lilibet had charmed me completely. She was adorable, but remarkably well-behaved for one so young. I suspected that being reared in a Kwado harem had given her survival skills few younglings had to master. She called Jolie‘MeMe’—motherin the Naniloa language—probably the only mother she’d ever known. I couldn’t fathom how difficult it must have been for Jolie to care for Lilibet in the harem, and that fact only made me respect her more.
I glanced toward the mouth of the alley, assessing our route. The throng of citizens had waned somewhat, but the main thoroughfare still bustled with activity.
I raised my arm, which triggered the comm unit encircling my wrist. “Merkit?”
“Yes, Captain,” Merkit’s crisp voice came through immediately, always prompt and professional. He would make an excellent captain someday.
“We have a new mission—a special request from King Vraxxan. We leave within the hour. Recall everyone from shore leave immediately.” I glanced at Jolie, waiting for her reaction to my small lie, but she only gave a slow, understanding nod in response. I suspected she would go along with any ruse to keep Lilibet safe.
“Yes, Captain,” Merkit replied without hesitation.
We navigated the corridors back to theEdenwithout incident, though I remained hyperaware of every glance cast our way. The disguise worked flawlessly. Citizens instinctively stepped aside when they spotted Jolie’s Kerzak form, eyes quickly averting from what they perceived as a danger. Even the scattered Kwado and Wojonik patrols we encountered gave us a wide berth, hands unconsciously drifting toward their weapons with wary readiness.
I kept my own scales deliberately shifted, the ones along my left arm and shoulder turned to deep obsidian—a visual warning. While Vraxxan had outlawed the shifting of scales, the knowledge that a shifted Zarpazian was lethal remained deeply embedded in galactic consciousness. There was no way forcasual observers to know that my abilities were limited, and I used that uncertainty to our advantage.
When we finally reached the docking bay, I gestured toward the far end where theEdenwaited like a sleeping leviathan. The ship stretched nearly 800 meters from bow to stern, the primary hull sculpted to resemble a massive deep-sea predator frozen in perpetual hunt. The pronounced “snout” of the forward section housed an intimidating array of weapons systems and sensor clusters, the dark apertures like the eyes of some ancient beast. Razor-sharp spikes protruded from strategic points along the hull. Not mere decoration, but functional housing for shield generators and point-defense systems designed to shred incoming missiles and repel boarding attempts.
“It’s big, MeMe,” Lilibet whispered in awe, her small voice carrying clearly despite the Kerzak disguise.
Even through the fearsome mask of fur and fangs, I could see relief flood Jolie’s posture as she took in the sight of the ship. I hoped she would feel safe aboard.
Once we crossed the threshold into the cargo bay, I immediately sealed the ramp behind us, unwilling to risk any unwanted followers. Most of my crew used the aft entrance, which required DNA verification for access—a security measure that had saved us more than once.
Safe within theEden, I reached into Jolie’s cloak pocket and retrieved the cuddwisg device, my fingers finding the deactivation switch. The air around them rippled, and the imposing figure of the dark-furred Kerzak dissolved, revealing Jolie and Lilibet in their true forms.
Under the harsh illumination of the cargo bay’s lighting arrays, I noticed details that the alley’s shadows had hidden. Purple smudges darkened the delicate skin beneath Jolie’s eyes, a testament to her constant vigilance. Lilibet, despite herenthusiasm, swayed slightly in Jolie’s arms, her bright green eyes dulled with bone-deep exhaustion.
