Chapter Five
S age sat facing the com. So, Bailey says I will be back home in forty-eight hours.
Matron grinned. Have her bring you to the station for a drop .
She says her ship can make it through the shielding. It s a tech shuttle from Bellen.
Matron blinked. And it s hers?
Yes, Matron.
Then, your little friend is very wealthy. What does her suit look like?
It is body armour with a neckpiece that becomes a helmet and electric charges in her fists.
Matron blinked. Oh, my .
Bailey came in and sat next to Sage. I was a Symo enforcer and courier until the twit sniffed me outside of the suit and got a fixation.
I got to Bellen, talked with Nebel s consort, and they gave me a ship to do runs for their specific tech orders.
I had just delivered a new com for Zell when I ran into Sage. She looks depressed, Matron.
Matron sighed and nodded. We have therapists who work in cases where the client was difficult or neglectful. They are standing by for your arrival. Thank you for rescuing a daughter of the Temple.
It was my pleasure. She s been teaching me to play Tekka.
The matron chuckled. If you believe you have the insulation to make it to us, I will prepare the local hangar, and you can stay in one of our guesthouses.
We will send you a signal when we are in orbit, and when you authorize our landing, your daughter will be on her way.
Matron smiled. Thank you, Courier Bailey.
Sage smiled. See you soon.
She signed off on the com and sat back. I am going home.
I am glad that you feel connected to somewhere. Bailey smiled.
You don t?
Bailey shrugged and got up. No. My home is gone. The price for a new one is too high.
Symo is offering you a home.
A home, a palace, an army, a family, and jewels to cover me from head to toe. That is what a Hmrain does when he s looking for a consort.
Sage followed her. That sounds like a full package. Why are you running?
It s forever. There is no escape clause for a hundred years or sooner if I give him a child. I had forever. I had til death us do part, and it did. Death parted us. I have watched death come for someone I loved, and when he was gone, it was forever. Bailey was assembling components for tea.
Sage nodded. I get it. I really do. I was separated from my people during the panic, and I didn t see my fianc until we were on the station, and he had his arm around a woman who was looking up at him with worship.
They were a pair bond and sent to be planet fillers.
He never wanted kids with me, but with her, it was all he could imagine.
What did he say?
Nothing. He saw me, got pale, vomited, and I just kept walking with my class. Sage sighed. My forever was a promise that was given to another woman.
Bailey brought the tray over to the table. So, we both have issues.
Sage nodded. I guess. I am sorry that your husband died.
I am sorry your fianc didn t search hard enough. Can you teach me to make tea?
Sure. If you are like me, it should be caustic by the end of practice tomorrow.
Bailey chuckled. I am very good at following orders when I want to.
Sage looked at the materials and nodded. Right. Let s begin then. Do you have cookies?
Oh, honey. You have no idea what I have. Tea first, then I get the cookies.
They carried their cups of tea to an area that required three types of scans to get through.
Oh, what s in here?
Bailey smiled as the door whooshed open, and they stepped into an airlock. Come on. One more.
She stepped forward, and the door closed behind her. The far door opened, and weirdly familiar scents hit her. Sage moved forward slowly and then faster. Oh, my god. It smells like a greenhouse.
It is a greenhouse. Smart panels provide the light, and I keep the cycles going with stops to the stations for water.
Is that...
Bailey chuckled. It is. Coffee. Cacao pods. They are ready for implantation to any suitable world with a Terran on it.
Where did you get them?
I stole them. Sort of. I was sent on a mission to collect them and bring them to a colony, and it was when I was close that I realized it was Symo s outer colony.
So, Nebel conspired with Symo to get me there.
Mero agreed to provide the plant samples, and when I realized it was Symo s world, I offered to drop the cargo at the station, but they insisted on a full drop.
I told them to fuck off and made a run for it.
Sage was already in the greenery, touching the slippery leaves and looking up at the pods growing high in the hold. I think I could live here. They are for Symo s collection?
The original plants are, but I have been harvesting seeds. We have enough to try to grow plants on hundreds of worlds. Come this way. She walked through the rows and rows of plants to a familiar set of bushes. Green tea. I am sure there is another name, but I just nurture things; I don t name them.
Wait. You grew all of these?
Sure. I can cut and start plants over and over. Take the seeds and make them sprout. I just don t trust any planet owned by a Hmrain or occupied by one.
Sage smiled. Can I sleep in here?
Sure. I do sometimes. It feels like napping in Costa Rica.
Sage turned slowly. How much is all of this worth?
Less than either of us. About four million standard credits.
Wait. What? Sage jolted. What do you mean?
Well, you are consort class with proven contact with a Hmrain. That puts you around ten million. Don t accept a contract with a Hmrain or descendant for less.
How much are you worth?
Bailey chuckled. I am priceless, but on the open market, I am five million.
Who is the most expensive Terran so far?
That would be Lily. Nebel s consort. Her contract was twenty million. She has a lot of body mods, and Nebel made her her own set of wings. She can fly unaided with her prosthetics.
Wow.
Yeah. She s fun and sweet. She gave me shelter when I first ran and convinced Nebel to give me the ship. I do not want to imagine how she did it. That s between them.
So, you know about a lot of Hmrain and consorts?
The Terran ones, yes. Why? Did you want a story time?
Sage blushed. Could you? If I have to negotiate for myself, I want to know what I am up against.
Okay. So, slumber party in here tonight. I have some glow pads and camp beds.
You also said you had cookies?
Bailey grinned and headed for storage containers on the wall. She opened one a crack, got two packets out and said, Chocolate chip or Oreo?
How? Sage grabbed the Oreos with wonder.
Oh, I like to bake, so once I get things to taste right, I put them in preserving packs and store them. Bailey smiled. Have as many as you like. I have more.
Sage grinned, opened the packet, took her first cookie, and popped it in her mouth. She moaned happily and then smiled. Can we be friends?
Sugar beet, we already are. Let the slumber party begin! She laughed, and the evening of fun and story time was underway.
* * * *
S ymo stepped foot onto Zell s station and checked the roster. He was less than eight hours behind her.
His com notified him, and he smiled, I am on my way to meet you, brother.
He found the command deck and saw the cringing in the officers. He tutted. What is happening here?
Zell growled. They let my companion get away.
Symo cocked his head. She was still under contract and ran? That isn t likely.
Zell paused and mumbled, Her contract ended this morning.
Ah. So, she was free to leave.
Zell shouted, No!
Symo sighed and took his brother by the arm. Come on, ancient one. We will discuss how this went down.
They walked to a caf , and the clientele cleared out. The staff stood attentively and a safe distance away.
Symo looked to his elder and smiled. So, your consort got away.
Not consort. Companion, Zell muttered. Another female got her off the station before I could do anything.
Taller than her by a bit? Wearing body armour with stun gloves?
Zell blinked. Yes. Do you know her?
She s my consort-to-be. She s been running for months, but I am getting closer. It is fun. A tale to tell our children.
Zell paused. Wait. Terran. Kethen s breeder is a Terran.
His mate. Don t say it otherwise. These women survived the end of their world. They lost everything. Didn t your companion tell you stories?
Of course not. She was there for service, not for chatter. I got what I needed and returned to negotiations.
Symo blinked. Seriously? You didn t get to know her?
She was primed for sex, didn t require soothing beforehand, so why talk to her?
So, you used her for personal advancement and then walked away. I am surprised she stayed for the duration of her contract. That must have taken nerves of iron. Symo paused. Show me your contract.
Zell frowned and spoke to a few ministers before a display came up. Symo read it and murmured, You are lucky that she stayed. She didn t have to. She could have left the moment you woke and presented yourself.
Zell scowled. What?
Yeah, it says that maintenance of you would be turned over to the more appropriate Zellic.
So, she remained until the month was over to make sure that there was no reason for your people to call her back.
She was assured you had other food sources.
Symo smiled. So, since she was just a wet hole with energy output, you can go home and find the same.
Zell growled. No. She had no right to leave.
She had every right. She held to her contract. Did you give her anything that wasn t returned? A token, some property, anything outside the contract?
Zell scowled. No.
What did she talk about when you were in bed together, after you had sated yourself.
I told you. I left.
Symo stared at the elder Hmrain in front of him. You didn t hold her?
I held her down when needed.
Symo couldn t help himself. He punched Zell in the face.
Zell sat and rubbed his jaw. What was that about?
Symo relaxed. Did you, by any chance, find the energy output decreasing over time?
Yes. Was she getting tired?
She was putting energy out and getting nothing but food and water in return.
She was receiving no emotional stimulation.
When you are with a consort-rated Terran, the smallest kiss can give you a jolt of power.
If you take that power and don t reinforce the effort it takes to create it, they begin to fail.
They grow cold. None have died yet because the Hmrain in question pulls his head out of his ass, but you seem to want to wear your ass as a hat.
Your speech is strange.
I have a number of Terrans on my colony, and they have a particular turn of phrase. What you were doing was sending your Terran into a state of mind that may have ended in her leaping off that tower you are so proud of.
Zell went quiet. What?
They are hypersocial. That includes sexual relationships. They are defenseless during gestation and birth, so they need a partner they can depend on.
She wasn t pregnant. I never gave her semen.
So, by her species standards, you never completed and, therefore, were just engaged in a physical exercise using her body.
She completed frequently.
And when she didn t, did you leave her alone or move her around until she gave you what you wanted?
Zell paused. The second.
Symo sighed. I really want to punch you again.
That was all my previous companion wanted. She wanted me to keep the contact brief. I fed and left.
You do know that no two women are the same, right? I have been to your world and met your people. They are stuck-up and ice-cold. I am amazed you have any population expansion at all.
Zell sat back. We pay breeding bonuses and import a lot of other compatible species for population maintenance. He paused. I am beginning to see the issue.
My people are cuddling and coupling at every opportunity.
Their strong mate bonds are reinforced by touch.
It has filled me with envy for some time.
Then, I met Bailey while she was transporting equipment for the new Terrans I adopted.
My senses sang, my heart thudded, and I wanted nothing more than to hold her next to me into the ages.
What happened?
She used the stun gloves, kicked me in the groin, and ran back to her ship before I could explain.
He chuckled. I may have grabbed her and kissed her, swearing to shower her with jewels and care for her forever.
To quote the humans, I came on a little strong.
He sighed. It spooked her, and she ran, and she had the equipment to go very far, very fast. I have been pursuing her since, with small visits to my home to keep my people calm.
Why does she run?
Well, the first portion is that she struck me with stun gloves and kicked me in the groin. The second regards her personal history, and that I will not share with you. I got it from the Education Station. If you want to know about your Terran, I would start there.
Zell frowned, and Symo walked him through it.
He paused when he needed to put his companion s name in.
His face fell, and he typed in the first name.
Sage. He could not answer points of interest, and brown hair and brown eyes didn t narrow down the eleven records with that name.
He had to look at images of gaunt women with terrifying scars and bruising.
When something was familiar about one woman, he accessed her file.
Farmer. The woman was a farmer. No relatives.
One social connection was listed, and when he accessed it, he saw a male listed as Norman Albert.
Details displayed him as her ex-fianc . He was currently listed in a pair bond with another Terran survivor. He had been in a pair bond with Sage.
Zell blinked. He had rejected Sage. Oh, no.
Symo sipped at a cup of tea. What did you find out?
She was rejected by her mate.
Ah, well, as long as her next partner was attentive and caring, that shouldn t have a lasting effect.
Zell glared at him. Shut the fuck up. How do we find them?
Symo chuckled. You want to come along on my trip?
My warship has been readied. I am sure we can catch up. Now, where are they?
Symo looked at him. Where do women who have no home, no family, no world of their own go?
Zell was stumped.
Your lady is a companion. She went back to the Temple. It is the only place she knows she will be welcomed.
Zell got up and flexed his wings. Let s go.
Symo nodded. Don t go without me. I want to attach my vessel to yours. I don t want to pay the fees for leaving it here.
Fine. Be quick.
Symo laughed and headed to his ship.
One hour later, they were in pursuit.