Free End of the Line by Bianca D'Arc Page B

guy—this angry guy—flipped her
switches in all the right ways.
    He grabbed something as he went,
nearly tearing the piece of equipment out of a tech’s hands. It had
to be magnetic because it clamped onto her canopy the moment he
stopped and touched the device to her hull. He held something on a
wire up to his mouth and suddenly his voice boomed through the
internal speakers in her canopy.
    “ Stop playing games and
come out of there now or I’ll have you cut out.”
    Lisbet sighed. She would have to open
the hatch sooner or later. She admitted to herself that she was
scared. These jit’suku were all huge and everyone she could see so
far was male. She had no idea what they had in mind for her, but
she wasn’t looking forward to finding out. Still, she couldn’t hide
in here forever. The time had come to take her punishment. Whatever
that would be.
    Releasing the hatch, the canopy popped
with a hiss of equalizing air. Whirring gears indicated the hatch
was rolling up and back the way it had been designed to do and as
it cleared, she got her first good look at the glowering man with
the captain’s insignia on his uniform.
    Oh, boy. The captain himself had come
down to get her. No wonder the crew had all jumped at his entrance.
Lisbet wondered what she’d done to rate the captain’s
attention.
    Pushing herself out of the seat, she
stood within the canopy. She should have been taller than anyone on
the deck a foot or more below her, but she hadn’t counted on these
giant jit’suku.
    The captain’s eyes met hers and time
stood still for a breathless moment.
    His eyes were dark. The dark of space
with a hint of golden brown that made them warm. They would have
been inviting in another setting. As it was, she could see the
flare of gold in his gaze as his expression tightened.
    He held out one impatient hand and she
took it before she could think better of it. He assisted her in the
big step over the canopy lip and down onto the deck of the cruiser.
She was truly in enemy territory now. Goddess help her.

Chapter Two
     
    Val couldn’t believe what he was
seeing as the small human female stepped out of the damaged
cockpit. He’d almost killed her and the guilt and anger ate at him.
What were these humans that they sent their women into
battle?
    Barbaric. That’s what it
was.
    Women were to be protected and
revered. Not shot at and nearly killed in combat.
    Val shuddered to think of the stain
he’d almost incurred on his soul. Killing a woman in battle was
considered one of the most horrific sins among jit’suku warriors.
It would have cost him his commission, had it been discovered, at
the very least.
    As it was, his men were as horrified
as he was. This strange woman had almost cost them all a grave
price to their honor and their souls.
    “ Have you nothing to say
for yourself, woman?” Val demanded. He was so incensed that he
wasn’t thinking clearly. And he’d yet to let go of the female’s
soft hand.
    As soon as he realized that, he
dropped her fragile hand as if it burned him.
    Her head cocked at an angle that he
sensed meant trouble, though he’d seldom run afoul of a difficult
female. Those few left in his family were all quite well behaved
and if they ruled the home with an iron fist, they also filled it
with love. He had been lucky with the matriarchs in his
clan.
    “ As I told you before, I’m
Lieutenant Lisbet Duncan of Earth. Beyond that, I have nothing to
say.”
    Val felt his temper rise and knew he
must not lose his cool any further in front of his men. He had
things to say to this female that were best said in private. If he
was going to blow a gasket, better that the whole flight deck
didn’t witness it.
    Val grabbed the female’s hand again
and tugged her—trying not to use too much force—along with him as
he exited the hangar. Mercifully, she followed without too much
trouble. She probably had a hard time keeping up with his fast pace
and longer steps, but he was in no mood to