Free Branded By Kesh by Lee-Ann Wallace Page B

the room.
    “Bask, do it,” Tor’Arr instructed their pilot.
    Kesh didn’t want to imagine the damage that was being done to the ship as the scream of metal and deep groans came from the vessel. He braced himself against the console and watched the multitude of flashing lights that appeared on his screen. Hull breaches appeared on decks seven through nine where the Delarians ship had been anchored to theirs. He pressed the screen, touching places on the image of the ship, setting up containment fields to stop the leak of oxygen out of the ship.
    “Set up containment fields,” Tor’Arr instructed.
    “Already on it,” he replied.
    He hoped there weren’t too many crew in those areas, since good men had already been lost in the fighting. If there were any survivors in those areas, they would be dead within minutes. No species on board the ship could survive without oxygen.
    “Hoss, fire when ready. Let’s blow these mother fuckers out of space,” Tor’Arr told the lieutenant at the weapons station.
    Kesh watched dispassionately as Hoss fired on the Delarian’s ship. Explosions followed each impact, pieces of their ship hurtling into space. He felt nothing for the men who would die as he watched the damage they did to the Delarian’s ship.
    Bask and Hoss worked in tandem, their actions synchronised as they flew the ship around the Delarians and systematically crippled them, turning their ship into a smoking hunk of twisted metal. Small explosions could be seen around the ship along with pieces of debris and bodies floating off into space.
    “Get us out of here, Bask. If they can follow us after that, we deserve whatever they dish out to us,” Tor’Arr said.
    Kesh had a feeling they hadn’t seen the end of the Delarians, but they were a long way from home and the help they would need to get their ship flying again. That was if they could get the damaged ship flying again. Sometimes it was better to cut your losses and start again.
    Tor’Arr stood from his chair, weapon in hand.
    “Now to rid the ship of whatever is left of these bastards and get to Tarnee,” he said.
     

Chapter Nine
     
     
    The medical bay wasn’t my idea of a fun place to spend my time. Luckily, I’d been unconscious when most of the injured crew had been brought in. The place was packed, with stretcher beds lining every inch of spare wall. You could barely move around there were so many of them.
    I knew from the conversations I’d overheard that they had lost a sizeable number of crew. It was a harsh reality check to the kind of life I’d live if I were to stay with Kesh.
    They were pirates, and they were in fights all the time. Could I live that kind of life? Could I live not knowing when the next time would be that I might get hurt, or Kesh might get hurt?
    I’d been awake when they’d finally dragged him down to medical to get his arm looked at. I’d seen the ugly wound and felt deeply worried when Manik the ships medic had told Kesh he might lose the use of his arm because he’d waited so long.
    My initial reaction was to shout at him and demand to know what he’d been thinking. My strong reaction showed me that I already had significant feelings for Kesh. If I stayed with him, if I allowed myself to fall in love with him and I lost him to a fight, how much more would it hurt than if I walked away now?
    The brands on the back of my hands still burned, but with the pain medication Manik had given me for my wounds, it was a manageable pain. I looked down at them, tracing the swirling lines with my eyes. Could I walk away from Kesh knowing we were meant to be together? Knowing I was the woman for him and he apparently was the man the Universe had deemed mine?
    If I stayed with him, I would have to give up everything I’d always thought I wanted, and I’d be separated from my family. I didn’t know if I could be what Kesh wanted me to be. I didn’t know if I could walk away from the life I’d always seen myself having. It