AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“They have the gratitude of beings everywhere.” The captain’s Valkyrie amended her male’s statement.
“And tell them their sacrifice will never be forgotten.” Captain’s expression was solemn.
Cyborgs never forgot…anything or anyone. And they valued bravery.
The Cancris on Drift’s female’s team would live forever in the cyborg databases.
It was a small solace, but it was not nothing.
“Contact us if you require additional assistance.” Captain ended the communication.
The image on the main viewscreen reverted to that of the rock formation situated directly in front of the modified freighter.
“Come, my female.” Drift reached out and lifted his little human out of her chair. He set her on his lap, wrapped his arms around her, and drew her close to his body armor-clad chest.
“There’s no saving them.” The sadness surrounding his female’s words pulled at his soul. “I’m their leader, and they’ll die and I might live. That’s not right.”
“They’ll die.” Nothing could stop that fate from coming for them. The beings on her team would lose their lives. That was 99.9999 percent certain. “By recruiting them for our mission, you’re ensuring their deaths have purpose. It will have honor. They’ll defeat the Invaders.” He wielded her word for the Humanoid Alliance. “And they’ll save others of their kind. And my brethren will ensure their sacrifice is never forgotten.”
“That was kind of your captain,” she murmured against his body armor-covered chest.
“That wasn’t kindness from my captain.” He wouldn’t have her process that untruth. “It was respect. Cyborgs everywhere will revere your team. Forever.” He kissed the top of her head. “The stories of their courage, of their sacrifice, will be relayed to all offspring, to all genetic matches throughout the universe for all eternity.”
“They deserve to be revered.” His female sniffled. “They’re so fuckin’ brave.”
The Cancris on their team were like their leader in that way. Drift’s chest expanded with pride. His female was fearless.
“I expected to die with them.” Her confession was barely audible. “They expected that. And I know I should die with them. But I can’t. I selfishly want to live. I want more planet rotations with you.”
“You’ll have endless planet rotations with me.” He made her that vow. Nothing would damage her. He would protect her with his lifespan. “And dying needlessly with your team would accomplish nothing positive. It won’t lessen their sacrifice. It won’t bring them back to life. All it’ll do is decrease the number of beings left in this universe to remember them. It will reduce the number of beings telling their stories by two.”
It would be reduced by two because he would die with his female. There was no him without her.
She was his genetic match, his future, his everything. He wouldn’t survive her death.
“My brain agrees with you.” His female sighed. “My heart is ravaged by guilt.”
“I process that.” Unable to project how else to ease her emotional damage, he held her. And he rubbed her flight suit-covered back, running his palms up and down, up and down her form.
She was soft and warm against him. Her scent filled his lungs. Their connection hummed in the air. What she felt, he now sensed. No additional words were needed.
Her sadness weighed upon him.
If he could, he would rev the modified freighter’s engines and fly with his female, far and fast from the hurt and the sorrow waiting for them on Cancri B.
But they had a mission to complete, a universe to save, and a destiny to fulfil.
“We’re both where we’re supposed to be.” He rested his chin on the top of her head.
They had to remain on the planet and fight for their future, their happiness, their forever.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Before sunrise on the planet rotation of the Plan’s activation, Roshini harvested the last batch of herbs she’d ever deliver to Luam. Drift assisted her with that task.
They moved amongst the plants, chattering and working. Every few moments, her cyborg would wander by her and sweep his hand over her cloth-covered lower back. He seemed to sense when her mood turned dark and she needed that uplifting physical contact.
Roshini spotted movement in the vegetation. As she approached that area on the plot, the lizard who had now claimed the cave as his home popped his head out from between the green leaves.
