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Good.
“We might not have signed up for all the elements of this mission, but we still have our original mission to carry out. We need to work with the Suevans, and we need to ensure Earth has everything they need before the Roth get there.”
“Aye-aye Captain,” they group says as one.
I nod at them, dismissing them from the impromptu meeting.
“Are you going to be staying with us?” Bex asks, coming to stand in front of me. “Or with your alien?”
“His name is Draz, and I’ll be staying with him.” My stomach tightens with delicious anticipation.
“What’s it like? Is it like that book I shared with you?” Her eyebrows wiggle mischievously, and for a second, I wonder what exactly went down between her and her alien husband.
“Er,” I say, trying to figure out what to say.
“Did he touch you with his tail?” she whispers, gri
Deep crimson blush heats my chest and cheeks, and I bite my lip at the memory.
“I knew it!” Her fist pumps through the air. “Lucky.”
“Bex,” I say, exasperated.
“Sorry, that was inappropriate, huh? Insubordinate?” She laughs.
“I think we’re past insubordination at this point.” My voice softens. “It was good. He’s a good man.”
Bex clasps her hands to her chest. “Sounds kinky. And romantic.” A wistful sigh tears out of her. “Say, you wouldn’t mind translating for me and Dergoz, would you?”
“I wouldn’t, but I’m not sure either of us are going to have much time to do that.”
“Right. Right, of course not. I’ll work with Tati and Carmen on the translator issue. And the other aliens, too.” She shrugs offhandedly, her easy acceptance only sparking my curiosity more.
I take a deep breath and let some of my officer façade slip. “So there’s been no word of Gen? None at all?”
Bex’s face turns grim, and she gnaws her lower lip, her hands on her hips. “No. Nothing. Though it was the same for you, and then you show up here, safe and sound.” She shrugs. “Well, other than your run-in with toxic snails… is that what you said? Please tell me you didn’t eat a snail.”
I make a choking sound, the mere thought of chomping on one of those things making my stomach turn. “No. I didn’t try to eat one.”
“Phew. There’s hope for you yet, Captain Jacks.” She winks up at me, then frowns again. “You’re worried about Gen?”
“She’s tough,” I say, unwilling to voice the fact that yes, I am very concerned about my best friend and first officer.
“She is. And you know what? She has a Suevan with her. She’ll be okay. I bet he’s super invested in keeping her alive, right?” She wiggles her eyebrows a little, but it lacks her normal verve. Her arms cross, and she hugs them to herself.
“You all right?” I ask, tilting my head.
“Yeah,” she says brightly. “Why wouldn’t I be? I have an unwilling alien husband and a whole new planet, and if I ever return home, I’ll be murdered. What’s not to be happy about?”
Right.
“Unwilling?” I squint at her.
“You know what I mean,” she says, making a shooing gesture with her hand.
I really, really don’t, but I can tell Bex isn’t about to say anything else on the subject.
“What about you?” she asks, furrowing her brow. “Are you okay?”
I shouldn’t answer honestly, not as her commanding officer. But we’re not Federation anymore, not really, and it might just give her some hope.
“I am,” I say. “I really am. I’m worried about Gen and you all, and the Roth, of course, but I’m good. Really good.”
“Good,” she says, sounding abnormally listless. “That’s good.”
“Gen’s probably bossing around her Suevan and being her usual hardcore self. Even a prince won’t be able to handle her.” I say, and smile to myself.
“Wait, wait, wait.” Bex holds up a hand, and Michelle sidles closer, her eyes wide. “Did you say prince? Gen is married to a Suevan prince.” She snorts, covering her face with her hands. “What the fuck?” she yells, the sound muffled by her palms.
“Oh. Yeah.” I shoot Michelle a look, my eyebrows furrowed in consternation.
Michelle sighs and jerks her head, indicating we should move away from Bex.
“What happened?” I ask her, glancing back at Bex, who’s muttering to herself and wandering off to the table full of food.
“She was into her alien.” Michelle’s nostrils flare. “I think she thought it was going to be like one of her books… you know the ones.”
I nod, trying to act like it wasn’t like that for me, not at all. “Uh-huh.”
“I think she’s just disappointed that it didn’t turn out like that for her. Add Gen marrying an alien prince, and it’s probably too much.”
“Honestly, there doesn’t seem to be that big of a difference between the prince and the warlords.”
“What do you mean?” Michelle says, and Bex creeps back over, her eyes wide.
“The warlords… we all married warlords, except for Bex.”
“Warlords,” Michelle echoes. “And they all live…here. In this city?”
Trust my intel specialist to point out a problem I hadn’t even thought of. My throat bobs as I swallow, and her eyes narrow.
“No… This is Draz’s territory.” And mine, I almost say, but I don’t want to, er, alienate them.
“What’s going to happen when they need to leave to go back to their territories?” Michelle asks, her eyes calculating.
I blow out a breath. “We can cross that bridge when we come to it,” I say. “For now, let’s focus on communication and getting that tech to the Federation. No one is leaving here until we’re sure we can keep Earth out of Roth control. Yes?”
“Yes ma’am,” Michelle says, all those years of Federation training pulling the response from her instantly.
“What if we want to leave?” Bex asks, and I swing my gaze to her. “I mean, are you even our CO now? What’s the chain of command?”
“She’s our Captain,” Michelle snaps. “That’s the chain of command. We came here for a mission, and that mission isn’t complete.”
“Aye-aye,” Bex says limply.
I raise one eyebrow, and she snaps off a salute.
“I’ll talk to Draz about what happens if you want to leave with your warlords,” I relent. Uneasy, I turn the idea over in my head. Draz reassured me that he, at least, wouldn’t force the issue of our arranged marriage. But what if he’s the only one who feels that way—what if a Suevan forces the issue and takes one of my crew?
Bex is waiting for an answer, her eyes narrowing.
“Do you have reason to believe one of the Suevans is pla
Michelle shrugs one shoulder. “Nothing concrete.”
Fuck. I don’t like the sound of that. “Which one?”
“It’s more than one.”
I run a hand through my hair. It’s drying in loose waves around my shoulders, and I’m so unused to it being down that it throws me for a momentary loop.
“Will it set off an internal conflict if you and your warlord don’t allow the other Suevans to take us?” Michelle asks, her fingers pulling at the gauzy fabric of her loose pants.
“We didn’t have a lot of time to discuss alien politics or what happens next. I was too concerned with making sure you were all physically safe and dealing with the Roth kidnapping.”
“Don’t forget your poison snails.” Michelle’s tone is light, but her lips are pressed thin, belying her worry.
“Yeah,” I cringe, my hands fingering the rough patch of still-healing skin. “That, too. Let’s take it one day at a time.”
Michelle blinks, and I know her ridiculously overpowered brain is sorting through a million possible scenarios. “I’ll try to dig up anything I can on politics and precedent.”
How she’s pla
Bex nods, unhappy but not mutinous.
Thank God.
I do not want to deal with mutiny. I need them focused and working towards protecting Earth.
Even if Earth and the Federation did fuck us over. And in Gen’s case, fucked us over royally.