Salvaged Destiny

Lynn Rae

Blush
Sensuality Level: This is a sensual romance (may have explicit love scenes, but
not erotic in frequency or type).

Delphine
Browen knows what it takes to survive on the rough agricultural planet of
Sayre. She helps with her family’s recycling business, prospects for minerals
in the Outlands and keeps clear of corrupt officials.

When
a handsome security officer recruits her for a secret mission, she’s
suspicious. But it’s his allure that worries her the most—Lazlo Casta makes her
feel things she finds hard to ignore. Things that involve getting up close and
far more personal than a simple salvage operation.

Lazlo
wants to impress his boss and prove to himself he can handle a clandestine
assignment. After meeting Del, he’s certain she’s the woman for the job. He
vows to keep their interactions professional, even though his thoughts often
stray to sharing activities that involve horizontal surfaces.

Retrieving
the weapons brings risk and unexpected danger. Can Lazlo must protect Del while
they explore the chemistry sparking between them?

A Blush®
futuristic
sci-fi romance
from Ellora’s Cave

As the old cart jiggled and joggled over the dusty terrain as
if it were having a seizure, Delphine Browen just grinned and tried not to bite
her tongue with each out-of-synch vibration. The green fields were just visible
in the distance, a beautiful contrast to the burgundy rocks of the Outlands. Catching
sight of them meant she was about an hour away from a hot shower, clean clothes
and something good to eat.

And she had found some wonderful things. Several grams of
red tektites, a wonderful striated spinel and some big chunks of dark-green and
cream-banded verspar tourmaline filled the sample cases in the back of her
cart, all carefully wrapped in well-worn rags. The satisfaction of a successful
treasure hunt filled her with pleasure.

The thought of adding to her bank account filled her with
relief.

The humid air started to smell of growing things the closer
she got to the port and left behind the musty fungal scent of her native Sayre.
A haze of moisture and pollen hovered above the fields filled with wheat, rice,
orchards and vegetables. Tapping her datpad to send out a ping signaling she
was on her way home, Delphine concentrated on her driving rather than
speculating on how many marks she might have made with her haul. She maneuvered
her cart from the rough track she’d been on to the pavement heading toward the
settlement and then increased the cart’s velocity, grateful for the smooth
surface. The cart also seemed to appreciate it; the propeller smoothed and
quieted and all of the components squeaked a lot less.

With a squawk and a hiss, her dilapidated datpad woke and
Delphine answered with a firm tap of her finger. The datpad was old and it
seemed to take a lot of pressure on the sensors for it to notice her.

“Del, pet, where are you?” her father called out and she
smiled, pleased to hear him.

“Pa, you have my ping. Just look on the map.”

“Now you know those glo maps are hard on my old eyes.”

“I’m on the Long Road, about forty minutes from the fields.”
She took a deep breath and felt lighter just knowing how close she was.

“Excellent. Will you be coming over for dinner?”

“No, Dee Dee and I are going out later.”

“Fine, I’ll tell your mother. Also, Juli isn’t feeling well.
Could you cover for her tomorrow?”

“What’s her assignment for that day?”

“Biologics. Pickup and drop-off.”

Del considered this. Collecting waste vegetable materials
from restaurants and delivering them to swineherds and the composters was a
relatively pleasant task. It was infinitely preferable to sorting through
office trash in the hot warehouse or draining hydraulics from scrapped loaders.
Even pig barns smelled better than rancid lubricants on a hot day. And she had
been gone for two days, not contributing to the family business at all and
pursuing her own interests.

“I can do it, Pa. What time to start?”

“Sleep in—you must be tired after your roving. Start at
nine.”

“That I can do, Pa.” Del grinned to herself, pleased to be
helpful.

“Thanks, pet. Ping your ma when you’re home safe for the
night.”

“Will do.”

“Did you find some good stuff?” her father asked. He sounded
a little envious. He’d taught her everything she knew about exploring the wild
areas of Sayre and they’d worked as a team for a decade before he’d had to
stick closer to home.

“Yeah, I surely did. A bunch of variegated tourmaline and
some big tektites are the best things. After I get it cleaned up and organized
I’ll show you.”

“That sounds good. See you later.”

Del signed off and started to think about what she would
need to do tomorrow. Then she wondered what Dee Dee had planned for that
evening. Her little sister missed her and Del knew that spending time with her
tonight would mean a lot to both of them. She just hoped it wouldn’t involve
loud music and chatting with men. She was too exhausted for such wastes of
time. She would have preferred to retreat to her little place, scrub and sort
minerals, and drink a glass of illegal whiskey.

* * * * *

Lazlo waited outside Major Sekar’s office, trying not to
look as nervous as he felt— and trying not to become entangled in Lieutenant
Dugal’s large and menacing palm tree. Neither task was easy to accomplish. He
was tall but the palm dwarfed him and this was the first formal meeting he
would be having with his commander after the recent disaster at the dock. He’d
been in charge of a hostage situation and it had ended badly. Lazlo sighed with
regret. If only he’d said something different, if only he’d made a grab for the
stunner.

Lazlo considered sitting down and trying to relax as he
waited for his summons but the available chair looked small and uncomfortable
and it was located directly under the palm. The major’s assistant, Lieutenant
Dugal, was pointedly ignoring him.
Best just to stay standing at near
attention and be ready to respond to whatever might happen next. And not start
to pace.

The inner office door opened and Major Sekar beckoned him to
enter. Lazlo walked in and waited to sit until his commander indicated a chair.
The room was austerely bare other than large displays showing real-time views
of the port. The only spot of color was a clear cylinder filled with liquid and
a soft-looking green ball resting at the bottom directly underneath a full-spectrum
light along one edge of his commander’s nearly bare desk. They both sat quietly
for a moment. Major Sekar’s dark, sharp eyes studied him with no expression on
his face. Lazlo realized he was probably going to be demoted or transferred
again. Galaxies blessed he hadn’t brought much with him when he’d moved to
Sayre, so the packing wouldn’t take too long.

“Lieutenant, I first want to congratulate you on how well
you handled the psilo investigation. You had everything wrapped up in record
time and with minimal expense,” the major said quietly as he rested his hands
on the desktop.

“Thank you, sir.” Lazlo felt dizzy with relief.

“I’m placing a letter of commendation in your record.” The major
rumbled as he glanced over Lazlo’s shoulder at the wall monitors and frowned. Lazlo
couldn’t turn his head to look at what had caught his commander’s attention. A
riot? An assault? Or just an overturned pallet of avocados?

“Thank you, sir.”

“And I would like to give you a few days off.”

“Thank you, sir.”

“But I can’t.” His commander snapped his gaze back to Lazlo.

Lazlo swallowed, unsure of what the major was talking about.
Of course, he didn’t actually need the time off—he loved what he was doing. But
perhaps he was going to be reassigned back to patrol. He knew the port was
short on experienced officers and there had been an uptick in crime lately.

“Of course, sir. I’ll happily serve wherever I’m needed.”

“I know. But something has come to us that I need you to
take on and resolve with the same speed and initiative that you showed in your
previous assignment.”

Lazlo waited, completely at a loss. There hadn’t been any
rumors floating around the station and his friends around security had merely
wanted to chat with him about an upcoming concert rather than any unusual
assignments in the works. Major Sekar glanced at a display and then hit a
button on his desk.

“We just received an order from the system governor, direct
from the Congressional military committee, that we need to find something here
on Sayre. Something that has been misplaced for over eighty years.” His
commander leaned back in his chair and his severe features tightened as he
contemplated something amiss in his jurisdiction.

“Apparently, when the military was the sole owner and
occupant of the planet, they used some experimental equipment here, most of
which was of course disposed of properly. However, some things never were
recovered and after an extensive search of old records at headquarters,
Congress needs them back. According to the orders I just sent you, several
pieces of equipment left here back then contained rare elements in their
circuitry that are now even more uncommon after the loss of the mines on 42-AR.
The theory is they are still stashed in a storage facility in the Outlands.”

Lazlo remembered reading the news reports on how geologic
instability had made working the mines on that planet too dangerous, even for
bots. The return rate had dropped to less than one percent and no matter the
enormous subsidies the government offered, no private company could turn a
profit on 42-AR anymore.

“So we have to find them and return them to their absentminded
owners so that new and improved weapons can be made and we can all rest that
much easier at night,” Major Sekar concluded. Lazlo watched his commander,
unsure if he was making a joke. He decided not to smile and risk being wrong. Rubbing
a large hand over his bare head, his commander relaxed a bit and leaned back in
his chair. “I would take on the search myself with Citizen Kidd’s assistance,
but her injuries prevent that.”

Guilt rushed in him again. Injuries to Bara Kidd that he had
triggered when he had confronted her captor and former friend at the docks. “Sir,
about that. I want to apologize again for what happened—”

“Why? You didn’t do anything wrong. You followed procedures
correctly and reacted in a very effective manner. I don’t blame you for what
happened and Citizen Kidd certainly does not. In fact, she has pestered me to
invite you to dinner so she can thank you for all of your help.”

“Really?” Another wave of dizzy relief filled Lazlo and he
realized that he hadn’t been taking deep breaths the whole time he’d been in
the office. Inhaling to the bottom of his lungs, he waited for whatever would
come next.

“Yes. So back to our current issue. Since I’m not able to
take on the task, much as the idea of spending some time hiking in the back of
beyond with Citizen Kidd appeals to me, I would like you to find these items.
Citizen Kidd knows a great deal about the history of the port and the records
that might be useful in the search. She has formulated some search parameters
for you while she has been recuperating, which kept her occupied. Of course,
she is quite skeptical that the military has any accurate idea of what they
used to own eighty years ago, but that’s an informationist for you. She has
also recommended two possible guides for you to approach for assistance. This
is nothing to attempt on your own. The uncharted areas of this planet are quite
forbidding,” Major Sekar warned him with a stern look.

Lazlo nodded, already starting to wonder how in the galaxy
he was going to accomplish this. Uncharted? Then how in the galaxy did anyone
know where something might have been stored for the last eight decades? He was
starting to appreciate Citizen Kidd’s skepticism. Since he’d never ventured
much beyond the port itself aside from some visits to the hot springs with
friends, Lazlo had no firsthand knowledge of how dangerous the unsettled areas
of Sayre might be.

“She knows both of these individuals and since I’m new here,
I’m going to simply pass along her information and you can decide who to hire. The
man, Avo Kirk, has had a few minor convictions for disturbing the peace and
failure to pay debts. The woman, Delphine Browen, has a clean record. The terms
you reach are at your discretion. If you can get one of them to volunteer, all
the better for my mid-year budget. If you need to pay, we can only authorize a
reward upon delivery of the weapons, not for wages for the time it might take
to find them. The maximum amount we could pay is included with the data I have
sent you. Of course, if you can negotiate a smaller amount, the budget will
thank you and I will as well. We’d like this wrapped up by the end of the
month. Any questions?”

“No sir, at least none until I’ve read the orders.”

“Very good. Reach me today if you have any questions. You
start tomorrow. And also, do not mention this to anyone outside this room,
other than whomever you contract as your guide. And your guide must abide by a nondisclosure
agreement as well. That’s included too. Communicate with me by a secure channel
and give me a report every day. Keep in mind that you will be intruding on
Sheriff Harata’s jurisdiction and he is unlikely to be cooperative with our
efforts, so keep your distance and keep a low profile. The last thing we need
is any excuse for him to posture and fume.”

“Yes sir. Thank you.”

“Do you have some good hiking boots?” The question came out
of nowhere and Lazlo had to take a moment to think. “You can’t go out there
without proper footgear.”

“Yes sir. I do have some, from my tactical training rotation
on WG-87.” And that had been a torturous posting—cold, windy and a mess hall
that seemed incapable of serving food at anything other than room temperature.

Major Sekar watched him again, calm and neutral as usual. “Very
good. I will have Citizen Kidd contact you about that dinner. I won’t have a
moment’s peace until she has it scheduled.”

“Yes sir. I’m sure that whenever she would like to host, I
will be able to attend.”

“That’s the right attitude, Lieutenant. Maintain that and
the partner in your life will be pleased with you.” His commander’s eyes
glinted with something that might have been close to amusement in another man,
but with the major it was hard to tell.

Feeling as if he’d missed something, Lazlo rose and shook
the major’s hand and left the office. He paused in the reception area once the
door had closed and looked at the silent Lieutenant Dugal with some confusion. He
remembered meeting Citizen Kidd once at the Officer’s Club. She’d been sitting
with the major, but he hadn’t realized that they knew each other that well. And
of course the next time he had seen her, stunners had been used and she had
suffered severe injuries while he watched. He’d just assumed that the major was
uninterested in women or men or anything other than law enforcement and
regulations.