The Space Spoon novel Chapter 79

Tejeda ditched his personal guards when he took off with the shuttle. They weren’t his anyway. Shayla was piloting the craft as he took out a small device from his pocket. Smiling, he felt pleased with himself for stealing one of the holographic hubs. With the skilled individuals in his crew, he should be able to have a running system on the Space Spoon in no time. He even giggled, thinking of how much fun he would have.

The ship rose up into the air and flew away from the palace. The city lights blinked out, leaving only the stars.

“He’ll still come after me–after us,” Shayla said as the shuttle reached Beridian’s outer atmosphere.

“He won’t. I’ll make sure of it.” Tejeda put the device back into his pocket and turned to her. “Do you trust me?”

As she stared him in the eyes, she sighed forcefully. "I trust you, Tejeda, even though I have a hard time believing it myself because of your unusual nature. I trust you more than I've ever trusted anybody else."

Shayla gulped while Tejeda smirked. “Well, then this settles things nicely. I can’t have my second in command going about without trusting me, right?”

She gave him a sour look. "Don't act like you're the victim here. You don't make it easy for people to trust you. I don't even know why I do."

Tejeda laughed. "Come on, Shayla. I'm just trying to lighten up the mood. Can you never relax? I think you'll look even better with a smile."

Tejeda stepped out of his seat as the shuttle landed comfortably into the Space Spoon's hangar. "Let's get this show started. I have a few things to complete before I go for a well-deserved snooze." He took a step and then looked back at Shayla. "Oh, and one more thing, Shayla. Your world was delightful. Let's not go there again."

She nodded. "I agree."

Once out of the shuttle, E00’s voice came in. “Several ships are coming this way from the planet’s surface. They are in battle formation.”

“Evasive maneuvers S5!” Tejeda ordered.

E00’s voice wavered. “What’s that?”

“Who knows?” Tejeda shrugged. “I just invented the name. You go ahead and invent the actual thingy.”

"The scans show they only have energy weapons, so I’ll just absorb the damage. I'm going to think about evasive maneuvers later."

Tejeda looked at Shayla. “E00 can handle this. Come with me.”

He made his way along the passageways to Jackeye's quarters, with Shayla close behind him. He knocked before entering, even though he didn't wait for the invitation.

Seeing that Steffen wasn’t inside his world, Tejeda beamed. “I’m glad to see you’re up. Do you have what I asked of you?”

Tejeda placed the holographic device on the workbench in front of Hanga. “Take this, dismantle it, see what makes it tick. I want something similar on this ship. We need some R&R options.”

Hanga grabbed the thing and carefully inspected it. He seemed to be fascinated. Tejeda was already out the door when he lifted his head.

Not in any mood for talking, he left Hanga with his mouth open. Possibly he wanted more details, but Tejeda wasn’t up for that now. Once inside his office, he closed the door and plunged into his beloved seat.

“E00, any more enemies on the sensors?”

“No. I’ve thrown them off our tail.”

Tejeda swiped down, and the screen lit up. After he pressed a button, the image of his face showed up like in a mirror.

“Good! Then start recording. After I finish, send this message straight to King Gurst.”

Tejeda brushed his chestnut hair. Having it at shoulder length required higher maintenance than he was used to. But he wanted to look good in the video. Well, as good as he could wearing a dead man’s face. As he thought about this exact same thing, an idea came to him. He had no clue what to say up until this very instant. Tejeda coughed and started the recording. His chin held high with the elbows on the desk and fingers intertwined in front of the screen.

"King Gurst, I haven’t had the pleasure of formally presenting myself. My name is Tejeda Hajar, Colonel Tejeda Hajar. The face you see now is a dead man’s. King Astin is dead, and you now have the entire planet to yourself. Shayla doesn’t exist anymore, and you’ll never see her again. Enjoy the perks of owning Beridian, but know this. If I find out you’re sending anyone after Shayla or you blackmail her ever again, I’ll come after you. I change my face as often as you change your socks or your holograms. Next time a friend visits, they might be me. The next woman you invite into your bed, she might be me. Heck, it’s possible that the next time you look into the mirror, you might be me."