Temple (Shattered Stars #17)

Chapter One

S age lined up the farm vehicle and kept it on the straight path. Her team was down one event, and this was the last chance for them to catch up.

Harvest games were fun. She had been on Effenar for four years, working her way through the agricultural teams, and this was the first year she had been on a competition team for the harvest festival.

She drove the swather down the row and checked the weight of the collector bins behind her as the gathering unit loaded in the dry grain.

Sage saw the end of the path, and there was only one pass left.

She swung out of her track and did a wide left across the start of the next row, swung around, got back on the grain that her manoeuvre had missed in her original lane, and the slow loop caught everything.

Back in the final lane, she controlled the harvester and saw her team cheering her on.

After a few minutes, she cleared the row and brought her collectors to the weigh station.

She locked the bins into the stations, uncoupled them, and drove the unit away, putting it in the harvester charging station.

Once finished, she returned to the judging area.

She wasn t the first to finish, but she did have the cleanest run.

She joined her team, and they waited with their red tunics obvious. Members of five different species patted her as they waited for the numbers to come in from the harvesting.

Ninya whispered, How did you learn that?

My dad didn t like waste. He cut a triple wide swath to start and then used the space to turn in.

Smart. The-oh look-the scores!

Sage looked and watched the numbers climb on her harvest. She held her breath as the glyphs climbed high, and then they stopped. The other teams were now together, and everyone was watching the red team s numbers climb with scores for competency, skill, and speed.

Vorisikino crossed all of his fingers, which brought the total to forty. It was disturbing and impressive at the same time. Come on.

Their numbers rattled to a halt, and then they waited. Only Team Red knew what their numbers were.

Occoran muttered, Good numbers. His slate-coloured hide didn t denote excitement.

Sage nodded. I hope so.

They waited as all numbers were tallied.

The announcer said, In fourth place, orange team! In third place, yellow team! In second place, green team! And for the first time, in first place, red team!

Sage grinned as her team members stood with quiet dignity. Sage whispered to Occoran and asked, So, what do we win?

He looked at her and burst out laughing.

Sage sat with the red team on cushions on the floor. The Hmrain and his consort were sharing a meal, and apparently, eating in the presence of the overseer was part of their win. If a Hmrain knew who you were and they liked you, benefits would come your way.

The rest of the space was filled with ministers, heads of state, and guild leaders.

They enjoyed the food, all grown locally, and then the dancing started. Thoreval nodded to his consort, and she smiled and stood to dance for the crowd.

Sage watched the woman move and cocked her head. It wasn t particularly graceful or interesting. It was a mechanical action. The female wasn t having fun, and it showed.

The musicians kept playing, and eventually, the woman went to curl up against Overseer Thoreval. He told everyone that they could join the party and dance if they cared to.

Vorisikino got up and held one of his four hands out to her. Come, Sage, let s demonstrate grace.

Sage took his hand, and he pulled her to the floor, dancing and spinning with joy. It had been a tense few days, and the relief that it was over filled every inch of her.

He held her against him, and they swayed before separating into formal court dances. When she was thirsty, she nodded, and he stopped. They returned to their table and sat to rehydrate.

Vor said, You are an excellent dancer.

As are you.

May I be your sex partner this evening?

She had been about to drink and shook her head. I am not compatible with the species here. It is one of the reasons I took this assignment. All the colour shifting and pheromones are lost on me.

The mating links?

I don t have the receptive pads. Sorry.

He sighed and stroked her cheek. Pity. You are very soft and slick. Your sweat has sex pheromones through and through. It s dizzying.

Oh. Sorry. I didn t get a chance to shower today before the harvester competition.

If I can t experience it at close range, I do thank you for the dancing.

She smiled. I thank you as well; it was-

Labourer, come with me. The consort was next to her with a curl to her lip.

Sage pointed at her chest. Me?

Yes, creature. You.

Sage got up and followed the woman in fluttering silk to the Hmrain, who was talking with one of his ministers. The overseer turned his attention to Sage. Ah, there you are. Labourer, you are being elevated to harvest work on the southern continent.

Sage bowed. Thank you, Overseer.

What species are you?

Sage paused. Terran. Urther. Of a dead world, Overseer. It was the most polite way she could say it. Species one thousand sixty-four.

Huh. Can you teach my companion to dance? You move very enticingly.

Sage paused. I decline with gratitude that you asked, Overseer. Dancing is not something I can teach.

Where did you learn?

The Education Station refined my movements. She kept her head down. It was another language to learn.

He chuckled. Yes, I can see that. Missal, you need to practice more. I will get you some vids.

The companion nodded, Of course, Overseer Thoreval.

Sage waited.

What is your sensual rating, Terran?

Sage paused and took a few hundred points off her rating. My mechanical aptitude is four hundred, but standard sensuality is around one-sixty.

Missal inhaled sharply.

The overseer stood and walked to Sage, lifting her head with a finger under her chin. Fuck, Hmrain are huge. Out of all the species she had run into, the Hmrain were on her avoid list.

He eased her head back until he was meeting her gaze. So, if I look up your file, those are the numbers I will find?

I don t know, Overseer. I wasn t told what my numbers were. I was simply sent here as a species prototype for you.

Why aren t you my companion?

What?

I sent for Missal because I needed sexual relief, but if you are a one-sixty, you qualify for companion class.

I wasn t aware. I was sent to assist in agriculture, not animal husbandry. Sex is not a high concern. I decided to become a farmer, not a companion.

That is an interesting thought process. Sit. Tell me about your world. It is dead, you say? He led her to his table and put her in Missal s spot. Not great.

Asteroid impact. I was removed from the surface in the first transport.

Ah, so they had not properly classified your species.

I would not know. I didn t have access to a terminal once I arrived here.

How long have you been here?

I have been here three and a half years. She smiled. This is my first time making it to the competition.

You farmed on your world?

No, but my father and many generations did. When I was asked my interests, it was natural to reach back into my own genes.

He smiled. What do you look forward to most?

Getting back to the equipment and making it do what I want it to. I am not Hmrain. I can t just order everyone to do my bidding.

He chuckled. It is a perk.

She smiled, and to her surprise, she enjoyed talking with Thoreval for the rest of the night.

Sage headed back to her quarters alone. She walked through the alleys and could see her building when a rush of feet caught her attention, and she was caught from behind with an arm around her neck.

The grip lifted her, and she squeaked and clawed at the arm, but a hypo hissed, and the night got fuzzy and disappeared.

Her mouth was dry, and she pushed herself to a sitting position. The soft throbbing under her could only mean one thing. She was on a spacecraft.

The room she was in was tiny. She was still wearing her work suit and smelled. Based on pungency, she had been out for over a day.

Sage got up on weak legs and found the lav with the gel shower. Better than nothing. She found a clothing refreshing unit and stripped off, putting her underwear and the suit in the unit. At least it was a guestroom. Prisons didn t let you do in-room laundry.

Why the hell am I in space again? I hate space, she muttered and walked into the shower, slicking up with gel and then triggering the solar flash that got into all her crevices with her arms out and feet wide.

When she vacuumed off the powder left behind by this particular gel, she walked out and checked the timer on the clothing refresher. Ten more minutes.

Sage sat on the bed and looked around. Nothing. There was nothing in the room that would tell her why she was there. She would wait until she was dressed before she tried to figure out if she was a prisoner or just a guest who hadn t booked travel.

She got up when the timer announced her clothing was ready and put on her underwear and clean suit. She slipped into the socks and boots then turned to the door and tried to open it.

It took some fiddling, but the door hissed open, and she stepped out into an empty hall.

She turned toward the more distant juncture in the halls and looked back to memorize the room number. Sixty-nine. Heh.

She kept one hand on the wall and occasionally stopped to lean.

It was on one of her leanings that someone walked the hall at the end of her path. It was a male who was green and scaled. He rushed toward her and lifted her, walking calmly in the same direction she was headed.

You should not have woken.

She snorted. I am contrary that way.

He carried her into Medical and set her down on a bed. Doc. She woke up.

A man made of rough skin and horns approached and examined her. Hm. How long until we are at the Temple?

Two days.

He nodded and said, We didn t put in food for you, miss. Out you go.

Another hypo was jabbed into her thigh, and she thrashed around for a moment before it put her under. Fuck.

She still didn t know why she was there.

Sage jolted and breathed in the scent of antiseptic and human sweat. Damn. She needed a shower again. The glowing casing that she found herself in looked like a repair tube, but she had never woken up in one before.

Um, hello?

The scaled doctor, who reminded her of a rhino with acne, stood next to a woman with elaborate dark pink hair, silvery skin, and silks and jewellery that put her firmly in an elevated social class.

The woman looked at her and smiled. So, you are awake. I hear you wish to become a companion.

No. I wish to be a farmer. I don t know why I am here. She looked to the doctor. How long was I out?

He looked nervous. The regen unit resuscitated you two days ago. We have been travelling for twelve days to this rendezvous.

Sage was limp but determined as she swung her legs out of the med bed. So, Madam, why are you here?

Well, you are blunt. Lady Missal observed that you have the making of a possible companion.

What did she get for scouting me?

One hundred thousand credits.

Right. Now, here is the question I have. Did the overseer authorize my removal from his world? I had just been given a position as an agricultural minister. My bond was paid, so Missal had only one reason to volunteer me.

The companion paled. You... were not of a menial position?

I had just been on the winning team for the harvest festival. Everyone on that world knows what I look like, and I was literally the only one of my kind on the whole planet.

Oh. Oh no. The woman paled.

Well, being here won t help me. This is a circuit transport. It won t get me home.

The woman was a minty green, but she nodded. Come with me. My shuttle is waiting.

Sage checked that she was wearing med clothing and followed.

She walked behind the woman with her hands loosely clutching each elbow, and they made it through the ship and to the shuttle in a few minutes.

Sage sat in the seat she was directed to as the companion went to speak with her pilot. There was a slight shudder as the shuttle was released, and then the lady was sitting across from her, holding a tablet. Her expression was pained. Did you have a lover who was jealous or who wanted you trained?

No, but Lady Missal and her overseer were interested in me.

He and I stayed up late into the night discussing fertilizer, but I don t think he would have done this.

Missal had issues with my conversation with him, and I might have indicated that dancing was not her forte. The overseer wanted me to teach her.

The other woman winced. That might do it. So, you can dance?

Yes. It was taught at the Education Station. I am the child of a dead world, so I didn t stand on dignity.

May I get your information so I can look up your records?

Certainly. My weak points were etiquette and looking interested in what the other person was saying.

The companion smirked. That is always the hardest. She got a canny look. What is your compatibility rating?

Do you want the actual number or the one I gave to the overseer?

Actual, please.

Okay. Three hundred eighty-six.

The companion s tablet slid to the floor.

Madam? Are you all right?

Three-

Hundred eighty-six. That was a few years ago, and I was rather tense. Can you tell me why I woke up in a repair unit?

What? Oh, yes. You had a massive allergy to the sedative. They had to resuscitate you. You died a few times.

Oh. Shit. Well, that would explain why I feel like I was flattened. She bent and handed the tablet back to the companion.

So, you have sexual experience?

With my own species, yes. None of the species at my bond world are compatible with me. Well, there s one, but I avoided him.

The companion s eyes widened. The overseer.

Yeah. He s charming enough but not my type. He looked like hard-muscled cotton candy. His skin was swirled with blue and pink in soft pastels. Something about him didn t sit right as a lover.

Oh. My. Right. Well, we will train you and then put your contract up for bid. Despite the illegal nature of your acquisition, you now belong to the Temple of Companions.

Oh. Hooray. What is my bond?

Your contract determines that.

Sage had tried to get around that by getting the official operative to give a lowball number. The lower the number, the faster she could earn it out. She just wanted to get back to her farming. That was the only thing that kept her going, and she wasn t going to drop it to become a fancy whore.