Chapter 6 #2
It was true, it would be at least three marks before they finished attaching the shipping containers to the ship’s undercarriage.
Although his ship hadn’t originally been designed to carry cargo, someone had retrofitted container brackets and added extra boosters.
He’d been assured all the work had been done well, but he still half expected to be unable to leave the dock!
“Tell me about why you travel so much,” he said before taking his next bite.
Her brow wrinkled slightly, and the corners of her mouth turned down briefly. “I don’t want to talk about that right now.”
That answer made him even more curious and worried for her. Was she doing something she thought of as distasteful? Did she think he’d look down on her?
“I’d never judge someone for their profession,” he said.
“That’s sweet,” she said. “Let’s talk about where we’re going. Why are we taking supplies to Misorm?”
“My sister is there,” he said. “She sent me a message asking if I could do this for her. She’s never asked me for anything, so this is important.”
The corners of her mouth turned back up and her brow smoothed. He liked this expression much more.
“Family is important,” she said. “Misorm isn’t part of the Talin Empire, is it? I thought it was Leemron.”
“No one owns the planet. There’s a treaty between my empire, the Leemron Collective, and the Hoquin Republic of Planets allowing all scientists of all three species to study the unique ecology there.
My sister is a botanist and stationed there for several rotations.
There’s limited access, and I think she might be having a difficult time getting anyone to deliver a shipment to her because she’s doing independent research and not working for a government agency. ”
“Where is this planet?” she asked, then widened her eyes when he named the sector. “Wow, she must be really committed to her work to go to such a remote location. And you’re a good brother to help her.”
Her comment made him think about his childhood. “She was a dedicated and kind sister when we were growing up in the cresh.”
“What’s a cresh?” she asked. “Is that a type of school?”
“In a way,” he said, then took another bite before answering.
“It’s not efficient for our parents to raise children, so we are raised in a cresh with highly trained and skilled staff.
When we reach the adultlette stage, we leave the cresh and join our family to decide what career we will pursue.
Although my family favors academics, I decided to join the military.
My sister followed our aunt's influence and became a botanist.”
“Wait, you mean you don’t live with your family growing up?” Han said, sounding outraged. “Your mom gives birth to you and then shoves you in a cresh? You don’t even get to go home for holidays?”
“We don’t give birth,” he answered. He didn’t understand why she was so upset over something so normal. “The parents contribute genetic material, and the cresh grows the children in artificial wombs. My parents were dutiful and visited my sister and I every solar.”
“Solar,” she murmured. “That’s a year, right?”
“I believe so,” he said.
Her eyes were wide and her mouth was doing that turned-down thing again, but even worse than earlier. “That’s so sad.”
“No, no, it wasn’t,” he rushed to assure her. He hated it when her face looked like that! “I had a good childhood. I was given all the advantages of growing up at a highly acclaimed cresh, and my sister, who is much smarter than I, was there to help guide me if I faltered.”
“At least you had your sister there,” Han said, as if that was the only redeeming thing about his childhood. Considering the level of importance humans put on relationships, especially Han, he could see how growing up in a cresh might seem inhumane to her.
“Yes, she’s an exceptional Talin,” he agreed.
“What happens if you don’t get these supplies to her?” Han asked.
“She’ll probably have to abandon her research,” he said. “I’m sure she could find something to study that our empire would fund, but Misorm is important to her.”
“It’s a passion project,” Han murmured. “And you’re willing to risk everything to make sure she gets to do it.”
He wasn’t comfortable with the way she worded his mission. For a moment, it was almost like she knew he was risking his freedom by delivering this cargo. Unsure what to say, he shoved food in his mouth and watched her.
Human faces were so expressive, but he wasn’t well versed in all the different meanings. It seemed like she was going through several emotions he couldn’t name until her face settled on one he could interpret: determination.
“We’ll get the supplies to your sister,” she said, smacking her hand down on the table. “I know I can make that happen at least.”
“Thank you?” he said, unsure how a single human could help him when an entire empire was on the hunt for him, but he found her determination gratifying anyway.
“Don’t thank me yet,” she said, her eyes going wide as she saw something over his shoulder. He started to turn his head to see what she was looking at, but she grabbed his face and held him still.
“What are you…” His words faded as she put her face close to his.
“Shhh,” she said. “The local broker is here. The only table open is in the far corner, so we have a chance of sneaking out once he sits down.”
He was so entranced by her closeness and hands on his face that her words didn’t register. Her hands were on his scent glands, causing all kinds of pleasurable sensations. Oil started leaking out of them, coating her palms.
Her nostrils flared, her eyes focusing back on him. “God, you smell so damn good.”
Moving one hand, she rubbed her cheek against his, spreading his oil onto her face. She did the same thing to his other side. His hands found her hips and pulled her onto his lap. It was awkward because there wasn’t much room, but she didn’t protest.
She moved her mouth across his cheek until she was against his lips. He’d seen vids of humans lip pressing each other as a sign of affection, but would she do that to him?
The answer came a submark later when she pressed her lips harder against his. He opened his mouth and her tongue slid in.
He’d never experienced something so erotic in his life. Blood rushed to his groin, and his mating shaft got uncomfortably stiff inside his mating pouch.
Han moaned and pressed her body close to his, her fingers rubbing more oil out of his scent glands. Needy but unsure, he pressed his tongue to hers, elated when she stroked him. She was nothing but softness.
Every coherent thought left his head. The patrons around them disappeared, and he couldn’t hear anything past the roaring in his ears.
“Hey, stop that!”
At Nelsha’s stern words, Han gasped and pulled away from him. “Sorry, Nelsha.”
Dazed, Zeph looked up at the displeased Ugarian hovering over their table. For the first time in his life, he was unable to form a single word.
Unlike him, Nelsha wasn’t having any issues speaking!
“A Talin? Han, you’ve had marriage offers from at least two different families, and you’re here nooking with a Talin? They don’t even like having sex with each other; he can’t possibly be interested in you.”
Han grinned up at Nelsha, “Zeph is special.”
Nelsha didn’t look convinced. “Special?”
Han jutted her chin in a direction behind him. “Special enough that I need to get him out of here without Kilso seeing him.”
Zeph’s brain finally started working again. He resisted the urge to look around him for this Kilso person. They must be the broker. Zeph knew his government probably sent out a collection reward on him, but he never thought they’d go this far out or use a third party.
He should’ve known better. He hadn’t just stolen property, he’d foiled a major military strike. That came with far more severe charges than simple theft. If they’d sent his information to bounty brokers, no station in this sector would be safe. Including this one.
Getting off this station suddenly got much more complicated.