Askavor’s voice in my head was a welcome distraction.
“He is here,” the spider told me, pulling up the ship’s schematics, and highlighting a path to the right cabin. “Tek and the others will clear a path, but you must enter first.”
I had to enter first? Couldn’t any of the vespis change to human form?
“What do you think your Mack is going to do to the first humanoid form he doesn’t recognize?”
Ah. Bug had a point—which earned me a slap upside the head… from four sets of hands.
Goddamnit!
“What was that for?”
“Our allies are called vespis, although they will tolerate ‘wasp’. Bugs are a non-sentient, sap-sucking pestilence that must be destroyed wherever they are found.”
Well, at least Askavor could be bothered explaining.
“Should not have had to. You need to show more respect.”
“Shut up, Rohan.”
Honestly, the last thing I needed was a fourteen-year-old telling me off.
“Fifteen!”
‘Not yet, you aren’t.”
We hit the edge of the hangar, and Tovy grabbed me by the back of the collar to stop me charging out into the corridor.
“Let Askavor check, first.”
Oh, sure. Let the spider check for the other spiders.
“Shut it!” and that was a chorus of Tovy, Rohan, and Tens—Tens who, I realized, was sounding a lot stronger than the last time we spoke.
“No arach around.”
“Don’t the three of you have something better to do?”
“Not until you come cut me loose.”
“Mack first.”
“Yeah, I get that, just don’t be too long, okay?”
It was as vulnerable as I’d ever heard him.
“That’s a given.”
I got the impression he’d settled back into my implant—and that if someone had given him a bag of peanuts, he might have enjoyed the show. Typical.
“Don’t write me off, yet. I’ve got a whole ship to recode.” He paused. “What’s with the spider, anyway?”
And I knew he’d spotted what Askavor was, wondered why he hadn’t run screaming for the stars, or tried to take him out.
“We can’t all be you, Cutter. Besides, I trust your judgement. If he ain’t dead yet, you got a reason.”
Well, that was sweet of him. I was just about to reply, when Tovy grabbed my shirt collar, and guided me out into the hall. It made me envious of everyone who could do the implant thing, and still remain aware of what was going on around them.
We hurried out into the hall, Askavor scuttling as fast as his eight legs would take him, and me fast-trotting to keep up, with Tovy buzzing along behind like he was out for a stroll through the park. If it hadn’t been for Askavor leading the way, I’d have been lost… until I found the first arach body lying headless in the hallway.
After that, it would have been an easy matter to follow the path the vespis had taken. There were six more bodies leading up the corridor to Mack’s quarters, and the wasp-folk were finalizing the battle with another three.
“Get the door, Cutter.”
Like I needed Tek to tell me what to do.
But getting the door involved going back into the ship’s systems, and I didn’t know what would be waiting for me.
“We’re here,” Rohan said, and I heard Cascade’s wuff of agreeance.
Before I could say anything, Askavor spoke across me.
“You will guard the link,” he said. “I will run interference for her. Here.”
I felt him open a new link in my head, and knelt down on the floor. The last thing I really wanted was to fall over just when I might be able to get Mack out of the shit he was in.
“Just get the door unlocked, Cutter.” Tens’ voice was like a slap in the face, but it got me where I needed to go.
I stopped hesitating on the edge of the link Askavor had created, and headed into the ship’s systems. Fortunately, this time I didn’t have very far to go. Askavor had accessed the system closest the door, and the controls were easy to find, despite the winding tangle of dark code surrounding them. I had that sucker open in seconds, and was back out and in control of my body shortly after.
Just in time, too, because, as I got to my feet, Mack hit the doorway.
“Mack!”
The sound of my voice made him pause, as he charged towards Askavor.
“Mack. Stop!” Again, he hesitated, his head snapping around as he looked for the source of my voice.
I watched his mouth drop open in surprise when he saw me, and then his gaze found the Blazers hanging from my shoulders, and travelled to the blades strapped to my waist.
“Any of those for me?” he asked, taking in the vespis warriors arrayed to block the corridor, and Tovy hovering at my back. I pointed at my keeper.
“Let the medic patch you, first.”
Mack moved to stand near me, and jerked his chin towards the weaver.
“Who is that?”
“That is the weaver, Askavor. He’s my tech support. We need him to clear the arach coding from the systems.”
I could tell from the look on Mack’s face that he didn’t like it, but it would do for now.
“When we get out of this, you and I are going to talk about the company you keep.”
Sure thing, Mack.
“And your attitude.”
“We are psi,” Tek cut across him. “We are the Vespis of K’Kavor. We are here to help.”
“Which one of you said that?”
Tek raised a foreleg, cradling his Blazer in the other, and not taking his eyes from the corridor he was guarding.
“Let my medic help you before any more come.”
It wasn’t exactly a request, but Mack took it that way. He looked at where Tovy was standing, took in his packs, and moved in front of the wasp.
“I need two stims and a shot of adrenaline.”
Tovy bent his head, flicking an antenna, before reaching out to touch the injury at Mack’s throat.
“You need blood.”
Mack shook his head.
“I’ll take blood after my people are safe.”
“You
