Chapter 2
CHAPTER TWO
“I’m going to the bathroom,” Starblade announced, standing abruptly and hightailing it to the pub’s gender-neutral facilities.
Cowardice was not in his nature, but Starblade needed a moment to calm himself and try to think straight.
So much had changed in such a short time that he hadn’t fully sorted out his thoughts and feelings on the matter.
For so long, he’d resisted Vardox’s advances—allowing himself to give in to his sexual desires but always holding back his heart.
But no matter how much Starblade tried to deny it, he was forced to face the truth.
When Vardox fought that Blood Duel to the death to save him, Starblade had been overwhelmed with fear the entire time, his heart pounding painfully in his chest. And when Vardox was injured, something inside him broke and the dam around his heart burst. Ever since, Starblade had been terribly confused about how to navigate the new dynamic of their relationship.
Deep breathing and meditation were required at this moment, and once he believed he had himself under control again, he exited the restroom and began to make his way back to where Vardox was waiting.
The crowd was even thicker than before, and Starblade struggled to forge a path through them. After pushing his way forward, he finally spotted Vardox a few hundred yards away. But the man seated next to him left Starblade frozen in his tracks.
He was handsome, with bronze skin and long coppery hair. The pointed tips of his ears and the visible fangs in his mouth identified him as a Tranathian—a species well known for their seductive allure.
And right now, he was making a very evident play for Vardox. Damn and blast!
Simmering fury rose in Starblade as he strode forward.
—The Tentacular Tales of Captain Starblade, Ch. 170
River
Docking at an intergalactic space station is by far one of the coolest things I’ve ever experienced, and quite frankly, I’m now worried that no Christmas Eve will ever be able to live up to, let alone top, this one.
I’m vibrating with so much excitement that my energy levels are about the equivalent of having downed about three super-charged energy drinks back-to-back. Sure, I try to rein myself in a little bit, but who are we kidding? That’s probably going to be a failed effort.
“Oh, my freaking gods,” I squeal as I stare out the window of our suite and clutch Kai’s arm. “Gene Roddenberry would be so envious right about now.”
He snickers. “How does the real thing compare to your beloved Star Trek?”
I consider this. “Hmm. I haven’t been able to blink yet because I’m trying to take it all in, so give me a hot minute on that one. Let’s just say it so far surpasses even my wildest dreams. And believe me, my dreams are epically cool.”
He leans down and kisses my forehead with a fond look in his eyes. “Indeed, I know that very well, my love. It’s one of the many things I adore about you.”
I preen at his words. “Damn straight. I’m fucking fabulous.” I lean into his side, and he wraps an arm and a tentacle around me.
“You know what I’m looking forward to?” he asks.
“What?”
“Being able to have my tentacles out and touch you with them whenever and wherever I want.”
My eyes widen in realization. “OMG, you’re right. You can have your tentacles all over me the whole time we’re here.”
Kai gives me a slow, devastatingly sexy grin that makes me want to drag him back to our suite’s bathroom for a quickie.
The tub in there is rather tempting… but I also don’t want to be the one to break it in when it’s basically part of Nirblob’s future sex pad.
I can’t do him dirty like that. I’m a solid and loyal friend.
“That’s right, and I’m going to take full advantage of it,” he purrs.
Not gonna lie, I shiver with anticipation. This is going to be the most out-of-this-world—pun intended—experience of my life.
Nirblob chooses that moment to open the door and glide into the room on his roller skates, Lord Vardox-inspired cloak billowing around him. “We have successfully docked at the station. Let’s go, our fun times await.”
He doesn’t have to tell me twice! I’ve been ready and waiting for the last thirty minutes.
Naturally, I’m the first in our tiny line as we get off the ship and enter the screening area of the intergalactic space station’s docking bay.
I can’t stop myself from staring slack-jawed at the equivalent of an intergalactic parking garage for spaceships.
It’s freaking massive compared to our Valley of Fire Base on Earth.
At least a dozen other vessels of varying size are also in the docking bay, and all manner of alien species mill around, some of them clearly guests at the station while others sport some kind of a holographic lanyard that seems to indicate they are employees.
“How is your neural translator holding up?” Kai whispers to me.
“So far, so good,” I say as I hear messages coming over a loudspeaker, not unlike an airport.
Nirblob nods. “At most space stations, all announcements and formal information is presented in Intergalactic Standard One, the most common language across several galaxies. I am fluent in it as well, but there are other versions too. Intergalactic Standard Four, for instance, I find quite tricky and must use my neural translator for.”
I stare at him wide-eyed. “How many languages do you know or speak?”
He tilts his enormous head to the side, considering. “I can speak six but understand, at an intermediate level, ten more.”
“Holy fucking hell,” I whisper. Nirblob is next-level mega genius!
I whistle. “That’s really impressive, my friend.”
He waves a tiny, gloved hand dismissively.
“At one time in my youth, I thought I might like to be an intergalactic ambassador, so I took it upon myself to study a variety of different cultures and languages. It was enjoyable, but then I discovered the delightful popular culture and fascinating stories of Earthlings, and all of my attention was instantly diverted.” He shakes his head.
“That’s when I found my true calling, which led me to you and Team ANAL.
Now I couldn’t be happier!” He holds his arms out wide, gesturing toward the large docking bay.
“Look where we’re at, heading to Tentacular Tales Con for several days of fun, fan-filled shenanigans.
What more could a Zelitine like me want? ”
I grin at him. “Maybe you’ll find your very own Captain Starblade cosplay partner? You never know. I’ve found that romance is often in the air at fan conventions. When nerds get together to geek out about their most beloved franchises, it can lead to passion beyond just the fannish variety.”
“May your words make it so. But for now, I must say my farewells. I’m scheduled to meet up with a group of my online forum friends. Enjoy your honeymoon!”
Nirblob practically kicks his heels up as he glides off on his roller skates, accompanied by some kind of hover luggage transport device carrying several bags and a large chest containing who knows what.
All he told me was that his costumes for the cosplay contest and the ball required him to bring a lot of equipment with him.
I’m not sure what he has planned, but I hope the Force is with him.
And that he doesn’t get us kicked out of Tentacular Tales Con.
“Alone at last,” Kai says, wrapping his arms around me.
I chuckle. “Hey. Nirblob has actually been super chill. He gave us a lot of alone time last night, most of which, I’m kind of embarrassed to say, we spent sleeping.” I fake a mock wistful gaze into the distance. “Has the spark between us dried up already?”
One of Kai’s tentacles tickles my rib, and I giggle.
“You’re trouble,” he growls.
I waggle my eyebrows. “Honey, I’m the kind of trouble you can’t get enough of.”
“Exactly.”
We hurry to the automated screening area, where our Alliance credentials fast-track us through the checkpoints, and once we get out of the docking area, we enter a vast network of corridors.
“This place is massive,” I marvel. If I thought the docking bay was big, this is so much more intense. It’s essentially a floating megacity among the stars—just like on Deep Space Nine!
“This is a pretty popular intergalactic port of call, so to speak,” Kai says, seeming to read my thoughts, “even though it’s more remote than others I’ve visited.
In general, it’s usually guaranteed that any space station is going to be fairly busy at all times.
They’re critical travel destinations or stopping points for travelers to refuel and restock food, water, and other critical items. Many also deliver or pick up cargo of various kinds, and others are here, like us, to vacation at one of the fine hotels or resorts most stations have. ”
One of Kai’s tentacles wraps around my hand. “I don’t want to lose you in the crowd. Stick close,” he says as he leads the way.
It’s kind of like having one of those child leashes on me. But as usual, Kai is thinking ahead and really damn smart—that’s my boo—because I am basically the equivalent of a starry-eyed hick staring in open-mouthed amazement at everyone and everything I see as he drags me through the crowds.
It’s like Star Trek: The Next Generation and Deep Space Nine got together their casts of extras and had them hang out here.
Our sci-fi films and television shows from Earth aren’t far off the mark in terms of imagining other species.
There is a higher percentage who are not bipedal, resembling more exotic multi-legged animals if looking for an equivalent on Earth, and a disturbing number are far more insect-like than I’m personally comfortable with, but I’m also very aware of my position here.
I’m trying not to judge anyone or anything I see from a biased, human-centric lens and instead going into this whole experience with an open mind and open heart. I want to enjoy every second of it.