Amanda flipped her black braid over her shoulder as she looked down at the small planet through the large window. She smiled excited about getting home. She'd been at school for several months and missed her home back on Earth.
"Miss Caster, come on your shuttle is waiting for you," said the young woman who served as Amanda's servant.
Amanda spun around her uniform skirt twisting around her knees. She smiled at the younger woman. "It's wonderful isn't it Sarah?" she asked. "I love coming home to Earth!"
Amanda grabbed her small bag and headed down the corridor toward the shuttle that would take her home. She didn't try to think about how the house would be empty of anyone but the servants and how her father had nothing to do with her because she was part Anglican. He had been betrayed when he'd found out, her mother hadn't told him what she really was.
Political reasons had prevented him from divorcing Amanda's mother; instead he just stopped coming home. He never had anything to do with his daughter. Amanda had done everything she could think of to gain his love and respect. She dyed her hair black hiding her luscious purple locks. She'd been lucky that she had been born with his green eyes. She spent hours at the saloon getting a tan so she wasn't as pale as the Anglicans. Nothing had helped so she really stopped trying, except for the hair. She liked the black hair.
"Indeed, ma'am" said Sarah slightly bored.
Suddenly the ship rocked as if a meteor had slammed it. Amanda sprawled to the ground landing hard on her bag. Grunting she looked over at Sarah who seemed okay. The ship's sirens began blaring loudly.
Amanda got to her feet quickly and took off down the corridor toward the bridge. Halfway there she ran into one of the crewmen. He gripped her arm tight. "I have to insist you go back to your quarters," he said.
Amanda jerked her arm away and glared at him. "What is going on!" she demanded as the ship rocked again.
"I can't tell you, miss," he said grabbing her arm again and dragging her back toward her quarters.
"This ship is under attack isn't it? Someone is attacking us," she said looking at him refusing to move.
The crewman nodded. "Yes ma'am and the captain has ordered that all non-crew member stay in their quarters until we've vanquished the pirates."
Amanda nodded. "I understand," she said taking herself back to her quarters sitting down to wait. She tapped her foot against the floor nervously. She hated waiting. She looked over at Sarah and smiled.
"No, ma'am! He said we have to stay here!" she cried.
"You stay! I want to see what's going on," Amanda said.
She got up and pushed open the door. Peeking around the corner, she saw no one and slipped out. Quietly and quickly she made her way to the dining hall and the large window there where she'd be able to see everything. Turning the corner, she ran into a solid wall of a man.
"Oomph" she said stumbling backwards. She looked up at the man and froze. He was beautiful standing over her 5'7" almost half a foot if not more. His dark blue hair was ragged and pulled back half-hazardly in a ponytail at the nape of his neck. His eyes were a light pale silver color and looked at her slightly amused. He was broad and she knew he was solid.
He smiled slightly and steadied her with one of his massive hands. "Hello," he said his voice rich looking her over. His eyes suddenly turned very serious and Amanda knew she was in trouble. Before she could say anything that man had is arm around her and had his gun in her side.
"Make one sound and you die here," he said his voice hot in her ear. The feeling made her shiver with longing.
The man pulled a communicator from his waist and turned it on. "Captain, I've found the girl. I'm on my way back," he said changing the grip on her to encompass her wrists.
"Very well," came a man's voice from the other end.
The stranger's eyes turned back to her. "I know you're not stupid, so do exactly as I say and I won't be forced to kill you. Understand?" he asked.
Amanda nodded unable to keep her gaze from his beautiful eyes. "I'll be good," she said weakly, knowing it was just a lie to placate him until she could figure a way to get free.
The man smiled at her his eyes telling her he didn't believe her, but didn't have much of a choice. "Good," he said dragging her toward the shuttle area, where he had left his shuttle. Amanda followed after him her eyes wandering over his body wondering what it looked like under the clothes that he wore. She chided herself. Here Anglican pirates were kidnapping her and all she could worry about was the man's body.
Twenty minutes later found her and the blue haired man aboard his ship and well away from Earth. She sat stiffly in a chair being looked at by three Anglicans. One being the man who found her.
"She certainly is a looker," said her blue-haired hunk.
"Yes, and she's out ticket to the biggest score we've ever had. Lance Caster will pay out the ass to have his daughter back safe," said the man she had designated Captain. He was the tallest of the three with short cut green hair and dark grey eyes.
Amanda looked at him a moment before giggling. All three men looked at her surprised.
"Why are you laughing little girl?" asked Captain.
Amanda grinned and looked at him. "My father despises me. He wouldn't pay a cent to have me back. He'll play it off as not bending to terrorists and be sad that he had to sacrifice his daughter and that he knows that I know that he loves me but he just won't bend," she said looking him straight in the eye her grin fading.
Captain leaned back in his chair and looked at her a moment. "How do I know you're telling the truth and this isn't a plan to get free?" he asked.
"Everyone knows about my father's feelings about Anglicans," she said standing up. "Well, my mother forgot to mention a few things to him when they were married. The least of which was that she was a full-blooded Anglican. I'm half."
