Scrapper. Book 1. Parts 1—3
«You crazy bitch…» Pher poked the unconscious woman in her shoulder.
She remained unmoving – an easy target to whatever revenge Pher could think of. His face still held the remnants of her beating, reminding him of the absolute savage of a woman, who stood up to his advances in the dining area earlier that day.
«Not so tough now, are you?» the man scratched his short beard, thinking about all the possibilities he had at the moment, while the ship’s captain was incapacitated.
He didn’t hear the rapid footsteps behind, but a few moments later someone grabbed the back of his shirt and jerked him back, throwing him into the other wall.
«Get the fuck away from her!» Hunter stepped towards his friend, who slowly started to remind him of an enemy.
Hunter knew Pher for a long time, and he was always hot-headed and rushed into things without thinking too much, but for the first time in all their friendship he exhibited a maddening disregard for basic respect towards others.
«You know, this is getting tiring, brother…» Pher forced himself up, growing angry at Hunter for getting between him and the woman more than once. «What is it with you and this whore, huh?»
Hunter bared his teeth and took two steps forward, shoving Pher into the wall once again:
«And what’s with you and this sudden lack of reason?» he growled. «Harassing the ship’s captain and now this?»
He gestured to Serena, who lay unconscious on the other side of the corridor.
«I did not do this!» Pher burst out with anger. «She was like this when I found her!»
«And I’m supposed to believe you after what happened in the dining area?»
«Maybe if you take your head out of your ass, you’ll finally realise that this bitch had it coming!»
Hunter landed a hard blow onto Pher’s jaw, throwing him aside, but Pher jumped back towards him, knocking the man off his feet. A fight broke out, as the two men rolled on the floor, throwing punches at each other, too riled up to stop.
The fight was fierce, and for a moment Hunter got distracted, as they approached Serena in their scuffle. He tried moving away, and Pher used it to his advantage, catching the man off-guard and landing a heavy punch to his face, finally drawing blood.
Not stopping, Pher landed a couple of more blows, before the third man arrived, catching him from behind in a choking grasp and pulling him away from the dazed man on the floor.
«The fuck’s wrong with you, Pher?» Cipher’s voice sounded low and raspy, as the man tried his best not to tighten his grip on his friend’s neck.
The blond man raised his hands, offering to stop the altercation, and Cipher growled, pushing him away – as far as he could from Hunter and Serena.
«Get the fuck back to your quarters and stay there!» Cipher growled. «If I see you outside today, you’ll be put in a prison cell for the rest of the trip – I’m sure Lyssa has those somewhere.»
Pher glanced to Hunter, spit to the floor and wiped the blood off his lip, before taking a few steps back, showing he didn’t want any more trouble than he was already in.
«Go!» Cipher screamed at the man and watched him chuckle and walk away.
When Pher disappeared behind the corner, Cipher growled again and stepped to Hunter, who was coughing up blood and trying to catch his breath on the floor. Taking a quick look at his face, Cipher offered the man his hand and helped him up to his feet.
He then kneeled next to Serena and leaned in, then checked her pulse and tried to figure out what happened. Seeing no injuries other than the bloodied knuckles, he surmised that the woman could have landed a few punches to Pher, before he knocked her out. Without thinking another moment, he picked the woman up onto his arms and exchanged glances with Hunter, who was still feeling his aching jaw.
«Infirmary, both of you. Now.» Cipher hissed at his friend.
Hunter dared not argue, following the angry man.
Once in the medical bay, Cipher lay Serena down onto the table, and the scanner began its work, searching for every injury she could have. A few moments later the woman was administered a shot of medicine and everything fell quiet.
Cipher sighed heavily and looked at Hunter, who watched the whole thing in silence.
«What the fuck happened there?» he growled to him.
Hunter winced, opening his mouth and feeling the jaw aching heavily.
«I came, when she was already unconscious.»
«That’s not what I meant. The fuck is wrong with you and Pher?»
«And you hadn’t noticed? After we left the Company he’s become a mad dog!» Hunter gritted his teeth. «Always looking for trouble, eager to start a fight… He’s had it for her since we’ve met! And he doesn’t take no for an answer.»
«If the morning beating didn’t help him understand she’s not interested, then she can give him another one.»
«Oh, and this looks like she gave him a beating?» Hunter gestured to Serena, who lay still on the table.
Cipher glanced at her and realised his mistake.
«Fuck.» he exhaled, becoming too tired to deal with all this mess. «The fuck did we get ourselves into?!»
Hunter sighed, not knowing the answer.
«We need to decide on the course and let others deal with whatever this…» Cipher waved to Serena. «…is!»
He didn’t wait for Hunter to reply and walked out, leaving the two all alone in the medical bay.
The man saw a stool standing by one of the tables and moved it up to where Serena lay resting. He watched her, thinking if she would ever be able to have a better life than this. A place she could settle, perhaps?
Chapter 7. Coward
Serena opened her eyes and found herself lying in the medical bay. Her thoughts were slow and whirling around her head, making her dizzy. She tried remembering what she was dreaming about, but her mind remained blank.
Slowly regaining her strength, she sat up, but froze as soon as she saw Hunter sitting on a stool with his head lying on his arms, curled up on the edge of the medical table, where Serena was now sitting.
She saw bruises on his face and suddenly thought if she was the cause of his injuries. This thought made her flinch and curl up, falling into guilt for hurting someone who did nothing to her. The woman slipped off the table and stepped towards the doors, but froze, feeling a warm, soft grasp on her wrist.
«Serena?» Hunter’s voice sounded raspy, tired and pained.
«I’m sorry.» she replied, unable to look him in the eyes.
«Why? You did nothing…»
«I hurt you.» Serena forced herself to turn and look at Hunter, almost immediately lowering her gaze.
He chuckled:
«This wasn’t your doing.»
She raised her eyes and saw him looking at her with a smile on his bruised face. The open smile and the soft gaze made the woman frown in confusion. She was sure it was her who beat him up in a fit of uncontrollable rage, blocking out the memory of it afterwards.
«I had a disagreement with Pher.» Hunter smiled wider.
Serena studied his broken lip and the bruises on his jaw, then the dark circle under his eye and remained silent, trying to grasp at what happened and why she didn’t remember how she got to the infirmary. She pushed through the mist of her mind, recalling the last thing she could remember.
She looked at her right fist, seeing her knuckles bruised, though they were supposed to be injured after she hit the wall several times. Frowning, she realised that she probably passed out shortly after that.
«Did you get into a fight with Pher?» Hunter watched her closely, his smile fading.
«No, I…» the woman looked up at the ceiling. «Lyssa?»
«Captain.» the short reply sounded cold and distant.
«I’m sorry.»
«No need to apologize, Captain.» Lyssa replied, adjusting her vocal tone to sound softer. «You were under stress and incapable of controlling your emotions. I am glad you are feeling better now. Though, I must admit, I do not admire the dent you have left on one of my interior walls.»
«I’m sorry, Lyssa. I’ll try my best not to do that again.»
«Apology accepted, Captain.» Lyssa fell silent for a moment. «I advise you to get some rest and have a meal. This would help you get back to full health faster. Hunter needs some sustenance as well, as you both have missed supper.»
Serena looked at Hunter, seeing him smiling again.
«Would you like to join me for some late night dinner?» the man asked.
She was startled at such a blatant invitation, which in some societies could be considered a full invitation for an intimate date. Swallowing her nervousness, Serena nodded, too afraid to say anything and show him that she was too flustered to answer properly.
They stayed silent on the way to the dining area, but as soon as they sat at the table, Hunter smiled at Serena and asked:
«Do you remember anything about your home?»
The woman looked at her cup, filled to the brim with red wine and thought for a moment, before answering:
«Very little. I remember… that Laithorians are a proud nation. We are born into a harsh environment and grow up, constantly training our bodies and minds to become strong and smart. I think, Lyssa can help with the details, as my memories are still a bit… scrambled.»
«Of course, Captain.» Lyssa’s voice sounded. «Laithorian Empire was forged in a bloody war between the four worlds that were initially colonised by the Terran people. Velutha became the strongest outpost due to the unique environment that allowed natural selection and genetic modification birth a human race that was stronger than the usual kind. The strong gravitational force influenced the Laithorian bone and muscle density, which made their bones capable of withstanding extreme blows. If Serena was at her full capabilities, her arm would not have broken so easily.»
«Thanks for reminding how frail I am right now…» Serena mumbled, silencing herself by taking a large sip of wine.
«I am sorry for indicating that, Captain. But it is crucial for Hunter’s understanding of your people.» Lyssa remarked. «The four planets, though forming an alliance, slowly came under rule of one of the families, residing on Velutha. This was caused by the sheer military presence, which is considered to be the greatest one in all of the human colonies and space empires of human descent. The military force of Veluthian families is often used by other human empires in wars and explorations of deep space. Lady Serena belongs to the most prominent family of her time, having an army exceeding any known in the known Universe. However, the Thara-Lyss family was forced into an altercation with the Bima-Liss family, second in the military presence of the six families of Velutha.»
«Tekkern Dorn Bima-Liss…» Serena remembered a name, which made her grasp the glass tighter.
«Correct, Captain. Tekkern, the firstborn son of Seloran Dorn Bima-Liss was supposed to form an alliance with your own family through marriage, essentially uniting the two houses into one.»
Hunter noticed how Serena gritted her teeth, obviously remembering more than Lyssa was saying.
«Serena?» the man called out, making the AI pause her story.
«Tekkern… and I…» the woman swallowed a lump that suddenly formed in her throat. «We were betrothed. We were supposed to get married, but when I came to our grand engagement party… the Bima-Liss betrayed us all. All of my family was poisoned by… a toxin of some kind, and this allowed the Bima-Liss to attack us and overpower us all.»
A few moments passed before Lyssa continued the story:
«The celebration of Serena and Tekkern’s engagement turned into a bloodbath, which resulted in heavy battles all throughout the lands of the two families. Within a few months, all members of both families were considered dead.»
Hunter watched Serena close her eyes and noticed her grip tightening even more. The glass cracked, and shattered in her palm, making her flinch and look at her hand in shock. The man calmly took her hand in his, checking the skin for any shards of glass, and after cleaning them off, looked up into Serena’s eyes. The pained expression on her face made him realise that the video file he saw of her getting onto her ship was of her escape from the massacre that resulted in war, leading to the demise of both families.
«The engagement party was supposed to be free from armour and weapons…» Serena said quietly, her grey eyes filled with a faint shadow of the terror she had witnessed on that day. «My family honoured this condition. The Bima-Liss didn’t. They came armed and ready for the fight.»
Hunter saw tears appearing in her eyes.
«We were outnumbered… poisoned… but we fought back. My family managed to eliminate most of the Bima-Liss traitors, when…» the woman flinched, looking away. «When I was shot… My father ordered me to get the ship and leave… I… ran. I left them. I’m… I’m a disgrace to my family name.»
She couldn’t hold her tears any longer, shedding them for all the dead she used to know.
«I’m a coward.» she whispered.
Hunter gently held her hand, feeling her trembling.
«You’re not a coward.» he said, watching her sitting frozen in place. «I saw how you reached the ship. That is not how a coward would be running.»
Serena closed her eyes, flooded by the memories of the terrifying pain from her left arm, which was vaporised during the battle. She felt her right leg twitch, reminding her of the second blow that rendered her barely moving.
«Captain.» Lyssa sounded stern. «Look at this.»
Serena looked up at the screen on one of the walls and saw herself crawling on the floor of the ship, two limbs missing, but growling and enraged, continuing her way towards a safe haven with a determination which wasn’t that of desperation, but of a silent promise to recover and come back and wreak havoc on all those who wronged her and her family.
Crying, Serena couldn’t look away from the gruesome path she took, pulling her body through the ship with just one arm and a leg, before reaching the infirmary and administering some painkillers, which allowed her to gather her strength again to crawl into one of the pods.
«A coward would have given up, Captain. You didn’t.» Lyssa’s words sounded so confident that Serena felt her tears flowing even harder. «And you left yourself a message before you were suspended in hibernation. A reminder…»
Serena suddenly froze, becoming even paler. She saw her own face – the face she saw in her dream last night, looking back at her through the mirror. But this time it was a screen, showing her recording a message:
«I’m leaving Velutha as per orders given by my superior. My father ordered me to live, and live I shall, leaving them to fight the war that was forced onto my family by traitorous actions of the Bima-Liss family. They attacked us like cowards, poisoning us during what was supposed to be a peace treaty between the two families. I will survive, even if this means my family dies in this war. I will survive and return to avenge the dead. I leave this promise for my future self. I know you might not remember much, but you will. I am executing an emergency protocol which will wipe my memories to allow me to survive in case my ship is captured while I will be suspended. Lyssa is instructed to keep me safe after revival and in case everything goes sideways, I will remain without any memory of who I am, so that none of the Bima-Liss hounds would find me. Once it will be safe I will receive my memories back and return to make the Bima-Liss pay. But for now… I need to regenerate. The toxin has inhibited my capabilities, so this might take a while until Lyssa cracks the toxin and helps me recover. I can do this… All I need is… to forget everything I ever was…»
The screen grew dark and Serena looked down, feeling a strange calmness washing over her. She wiped her tears and sat there, thinking if she was as strong as the woman in the message.
«See?» Hunter smiled. «That was not a coward. That was a soldier, following orders from her commander.»
Serena met his gaze feeling gratitude toward him for helping her deal with all the torment she had to go through, even though he barely knew her.
«Thank you.» she whispered to the man, seeing his smile grow wider at these words.
Chapter 8. Drifter
The ship drifted through space, lazily making its way through the stars. The destination was yet unknown, and both the captain and the three passengers seemed to not really bother about time slipping away, enjoying the comfort and respite of the amazing space vessel.
Serena found herself forming a new routine, spending some time in her quarters every morning working out to get back into shape, though Lyssa kept reminding that she should take it easy until her broken arm will heal. Ignoring the advice, Serena felt stronger with each passing day, which greatly influenced her mood, now becoming more stable and cheerful than before.
Though, her memories, returning in form of nightmares, still haunted her.
That night she returned to her quarters after sharing a meal with Hunter, as they formed a close friendship, and after taking a quick shower, the woman stayed in her bed, pondering on the possible future that lay ahead of her.
When she drifted to sleep, the ship was already silent, as the three men too went to bed, leaving the interior still and quiet.
Hunter slept calmly, relaxed after seeing the positive changes in Serena. He might not be admitting it to himself yet, but he fell for the woman. During the conversations they had and the memories they shared, he found her not only fascinating, but also intelligent and fun. And he was definitely happy to see her slowly coming to terms with the memories she got back, however harsh they really were.
«Hunter!» Lyssa’s voice shook the man out of his bed. «Hunter! I need you now!»
Startled at the rude awakening, Hunter wiped his face, still feeling dazed from the dream he was so suddenly brought out of.
«What the fuck, Lyssa?» he growled.
«I need your assistance right now!»
«Shit… what time is it?»
«Three in the morning.» the AI replied coldly. «Put some pants on and get your ass to the Captain’s Quarters now!»
Hunter froze in fear – did Pher do something stupid again? The man jumped up, quickly putting some clothes and boots on, and ran out, heading towards where Serena resided. The door opened for him without a glitch and he ran inside, looking around in search of the emergency Lyssa woke him up to.
But though he expected Serena and Pher engaged in a fight, he saw the woman sitting curled up in the corner and looking into the wall with an absent expression on her face. Hunter hurried to her, kneeling and trying to see if she was hurt.
Serena stayed unmoving, ignoring his presence.
«Serena?» Hunter called out, too afraid to touch her.
The woman didn’t reply, remaining silent and unresponsive. Hunter slowly leaned in, carefully placing his palm on her shoulder, and felt her flinch a little.
«Serena? What happened?» he asked her, his breath shaky. «Please, Serena… answer me?»
He noticed her slowly shaking her head and closing her eyes, pressing her forehead to the wall.
«Go away, Hunter…» she whispered.
«No!» in a sudden determination he growled, denying her the solitude she wanted. «No, I won’t leave you!»
Serena looked at him, her eyes filled with tears, and Hunter felt his heart sinking, seeing her shattered again. He sat down next to her, showing her that he won’t go away, even if she orders him to.
«I don’t know what happened, Serena…» he said to her. «But I feel like you are going through something that needs to be spoken about, and not bottled up. I’m here to listen, if you’re willing to talk.»
«I don’t know how to talk about it, Hunter.» her voice sounded pained, forced, as if she was on the verge of crying, barely holding the tears in.
The man watched her lips trembling, and did the only thing he thought could help – he reached his arm out and gently embraced her, pressing to his side. Serena let him move closer and her head fell to his shoulder, though this simple human contact made her eyes burst with tears.
Hunter didn’t speak, allowing her to shed all the tears, until she seemed to calm down, still allowing him to embrace her, gifting her warmth of his skin. He felt her sliding down onto his lap and almost flinched, when he realised she drifted into sleep, calmed by his presence and silent understanding. A smile crept to his lips, as he caressed her hair, offering her the respite she needed. Not long after he too joined her, falling asleep.
He woke up hours later, when Serena pushed herself up, flustered and embarrassed to have fallen prey to whatever breakdown she had last night. Hunter caught her wrist as she wanted to stand up, making her freeze and tense up, avoiding looking him in his eyes.
«Feeling better, Captain?» Hunter asked, trying hard to make his voice sound soft and kind, and not heavy with concern.
«Yes, I…» the woman looked away. «I’m sorry.»
«Stop apologising.» the man softly smiled at her. «I’m happy I could help you feel better, even though I didn’t do anything at all.»
Serena flinched and forced herself to meet his gaze:
«I’m apologising for showing you myself being weak.» she said, and Hunter felt her trembling again. «I was raised better than that.»
«You’re not weak, Serena.» the man caressed her wrist with his fingers, offering her a bit of comfort. «You’re just… human.»
«I’m…»
«I know who you are.» Hunter didn’t even let her speak. «You’re a woman, a warrior, who lived through so much torment, not every man can survive. You’re dealing with memories of the four years you spent under Captain Summers clashing with the memories of your home world. It’s only natural for you to feel unnerved and off your game.»
He rose, helping her up to her feet, but not allowing her to step away, holding her hands.
«If you ever feel broken again…» Hunter looked into her eyes. «Just tell me. I’ll be there for you. And I don’t care if it’s a conversation you need, or something else. If I can help, I’d be happy to.»
Serena lowered her gaze, suddenly remembering the warm embrace he offered her at night, and fought with herself, knowing that her family was never understanding of such things. Their distant and collected demeanour always showed her to be the same, hiding her emotions and affections.
The woman decided that it was time to allow someone into her life – even if this was just a friend. She stepped forward and – to Hunter’s surprise – embraced him, reaching for the same warmth he gifted her when she was feeling all alone and weak. The man didn’t pull back, answering her embrace and feeling her pressing against his chest.
«Thank you.» Serena whispered.
Chapter 9. Pit Stop
As Serena walked up to the captain’s seat, Lyssa showed a small trading station, located a little ways ahead.
«We are approaching Karaaln space station.» the AI reported. «If we are to continue our trip, I advise you to make a short stop to gather some supplies. While I will be taking care of that, you and your passengers can have a bit of fun on the station, if you wish.»
«Fun…» Serena sat down, pondering on the suggestion. «I don’t remember how to have fun.»
«Captain?» Cipher’s voice sounded behind and Serena glanced that way, seeing the man approaching. «I am sorry for eavesdropping, but I must admit, Lyssa makes a good point. We could all use a bit of a breather. Stretch our legs and, perhaps, purchase some booze your ship is unable to replicate?»
The woman watched him take a seat at the second pilot’s chair and wondered if this man ever worked on a station like that, as he seemed to be more acquainted with what could be bought there than she was.
«So you want to take a walk, huh?» Serena asked him, seeing his smile.
«Well… I mean, both Pher and Hunter seem to be a bit bored out of their minds on the ship. No offence.»
«None taken.»
«I’ve been here a few times, so I know where we can get some quality drinks and, maybe, sell some of the ingots we got.»
Serena took a few moments to think, then addressed her ship:
«Lyssa, why don’t you pry around a bit and if it’s safe, we’ll dock at the station for a bit of…» the woman met Cipher’s gaze. «Fun.»
The man’s smile grew wider:
«Now that’s what I’m talking about! I promise you, Captain, you won’t regret this!»