Chapter 27
Cyra breatheda sigh of relief when they were granted landing authorization on Arbotriz. She hadn’t been to this planet previously, but her hasty research told her that it was primarily females living on the planet. There was supposedly a strong agricultural industry and the majority of the population lived in tightly packed communities. She’d asked Dez what he knew about the planet and he’d just chuckled and said it was safe, but she should see it for herself and he wanted to witness her first reaction. She couldn’t understand what would be so odd about the planets or the inhabitants that he would expect a reaction. She’d been plenty of places and seen all matter of beings. She wasn’t going to be surprised by some odd-looking humanoids. Obviously, they spoke Galaxian, the universal language, so they couldn’t be that odd. Could they?
After disembarking, she admitted Dez was right—she was a little shocked. She hadn’t seen a population with wings before. At least, not wings that didn’t seem to function for anything. They were small and translucent and looked delicate enough that they could rip if they were breathed on too heavily. Apparently, one of the original NOAH exploratory shuttles that landed there found the most advanced species to be an insect—a bee population. Whichever NOAH team had come to Arbotriz galactic centuries ago must have been amazingly talented. The humanoids looked similar to walking bees. Would their social structure be similar too? Cyra wanted to meet the locals, but she needed her ship fixed and refueled before anything else happened.
“Blaize, will you to get eyes on this failure and figure out what it’s going to take to get it fixed as soon as possible? I need to know the cost of any required repair.”
“Rhysa, please investigate what ER Bridges are available to take us closer to Kolben with less fuel.”
“You hate worm holes, Captain,” she argued.
“We may not have another option.”
Rhysa spun in her chair. “I’ll see what I can do.”
“Dez?” Dez had come to the deck after they landed. What did he want?
“My queen, I would like to see if I can secure a contract for your ship to help with expenses. My knowledge of this planet indicates that males are highly valued and I may have more success talking to potential customers than the rest of the crew.”
“You know about this planet?”
“I studied many of the inhabited NOAH planets in neighboring galaxies as part of my basic education. Didn’t you?”
They must have covered those topics on the days her mother kept her home from school to help with the babies. “Not that I recall.”
“I will provide you any information you require, my queen.”
“If you think you can have more success without us than fine, go. But I’d rather you go with Blaize or Rhysa.”
“I will do better as an unattached male. They have no way of knowing I’m already mated.”
“You aren’t already mated.”
“I would hate to say you are wrong, Captain.” He lowered his eyelids along with his voice, “But, my status is mated. Although my mate denies me.”
“I’m not denying you. I’m just not your mate.” Because if she was?—
“As you say, my queen.”
“Ugh! Go see if you can find a contract.” She shooed him away.
Dez leaned forward and kissed her lips quickly but pulled back before she could react. Kissing her in front of her crew left her embarrassed and speechless.
“Wow. I don’t know why you’re arguing with him over the mate thing, Captain. I would have already given him the full inspection and launch test.” Rhysa wiggled her eyebrows over her bright pink eyes. “Twice.”
“I’m not concerned with what you would do in my place in regards to Dez. I’m concerned about how we’re getting to Kolben.”
“On it.”
Cyra needed time in the water chamber. Her ship had been vandalized. Her cargo was insisting he was her mate. Her navigator couldn’t open her mouth without a disagreement falling from her lips, and she was stuck on some backwoods bee planet that barely had a landing pad large enough to accommodate The Treasure. She needed to drown her sorrows in salt water.
Dez took a small shuttle from the spaceport to the business center. He passed through rich farmland that seemed to be growing a huge variety of crops. The crops weren’t huge, but were well on their way to producing. It must be late spring, at least on this side of the planet. As they approached the center of activity, the similarities and distinct differences from his own home planet became obvious. There were tall buildings, but they were packed closely together instead of spread out with tunnels. Instead of just green vegetation growing naturally around the structures, it seemed to be a riot of color. The closer they got, the more colors he could distinguish. There were flowers everywhere in every shade.
The shuttle stopped, and he stepped off, trying not to walk around with his mouth open as he looked at the wild complexes. Flowering vines and bushes planted at every level camouflaged the edges of every structure. Businesses occupied the lowest levels. Above that there were hexagon shaped rooms—apartments, houses—he wasn’t sure what to call them. Every space appeared to have an outdoor balcony. The balconies were filled to overflowing with the pots that supported all the plants. The balconies themselves were of every color, either paint or something organic he couldn’t tell. No two buildings or balconies were alike. The lack of symmetry and open space unsettled him. He took a moment to look his fill and then, determined to help his mate, focused on the surrounding businesses.
A crowded beverage bar offered local squeezed produce. Dez wandered past a clothing boutique, displaying beautiful clothes for females in the window. He would love to buy Cyra one of the gauzy dresses in a rainbow of watercolored dyes. She would rather he support her ship with his credits. But she wouldn’t allow him to do that either. She would be unhappy if he bought her something so completely impractical. She was under too much pressure to appreciate a luxury. He would find a way to ease her stress soon.
He came upon a market that sold a variety of produce most of which he’d never seen nor heard of before—exactly what he’d been seeking. Inside, he asked to speak to the owner. Fortune smiled on him. The female that emerged from the backroom undressed him with her eyes and licked her lips upon first glance. He lifted his chest, tightened his abs, tilted his head ever so slightly as he eyed her up and down and gave a slight smile. Her wings fluttered.
Perfect.
Dez left a long while later with a very profitable contract to deliver goods to Kolben and a deposit on the first shipment. The owner had been trying to break into new markets, and one message exchange with a contact she had in the Kolben Mining Company—the same that had purchased his own contract—secured the deal. Cyra would be pleased. Perhaps he could ask for a reward. He deserved one for flirting so shamelessly when he had no desire for anyone but his queen.
Dez finally found Cyra floating in the water chamber. She was completely submerged, completely relaxed, and completely naked. Her green hair fanned out behind her, light as downy feathers, and glistening like silk. His fingers twitched with the desire to run through the beautiful strands. Her delicate gills at the side of her long, slender neck flitted in and out on an invisible tide. Her toned legs languidly kicked up and down. He could almost imagine them coming around his hips, tugging him to her as she pressed her sweet body to his, owning him. Slowly she rose, rolled and lifted her head from the watery gel. He focused on her eyes, expecting her to be angry that he was there while she was unclothed.
“You’re back.” She inspected him as he’d just done to her with no hint of concern about her state of undress.
He widened his stance. “I secured a contract.”
“What?” She bounded out the tank, nearly dry as the gel reacted to the air. “How did you do that? For what? Tell me.”
Dez smiled. “I’ll give you all the details at last-meal, my queen.”
“Captain.”
“That, too.”
Cyra’s comm clanged. An emergency hail. Dez tensed as she darted over the device, pulling on a dressing gown. “Veda?”
The doctor’s voice came through the speaker. “There’s a problem with on of the dogs, Queen. I could use some extra hands and my scanner.”
“I’ll be there in a moment,” Dez answered before darting out of the water chamber and racing to the med lab. He prayed that the dog would be okay for her sake and Cyra’s.
“It’s in this cabinet.” Cyra reached past him to open the small door.
Dez retrieved the unit, grateful he hadn’t had to search. They ran together to the kennels. Veda knelt by Queen’s side. She reached for the scanner. “Get some blankets, Cyr.”
Cyra didn’t balk at being ordered around by her friend. Dez petted Queen’s head as Veda ran the scanner over the dog. Cyra returned with a stack of blankets and towels, breathing so hard her gills fluttered. She was so beautiful, she took Dez’s breath.
“I’m pretty sure Queen is in labor.”
“What?” Dez’s attention went to the doctor. “How is it possible?”
Veda lifted an eyebrow. “Are you really asking me where babies come from?”
Dez’s cheeks heated. “No, but the dogs were in separate kennels. They haven’t been left alone. She didn’t show signs of being in heat.”
“It’s possible she was pregnant when we did the intake. I didn’t get a blood sample, and I wasn’t looking for pregnancy. If she’s like most canines, she likely had just been bred when we got her. It’s been about sixty cycles.”
“What do we do?” Cyra asked, the panic thick in her voice.
“Wait.” Veda took some of the stack from Cyra’s arms. “Make her comfortable and wait for nature to take its course. Her body knows what to do.”
Dez freed the rest of the load from Cyra’s arms. He arranged a soft nest for the panting dog while ignoring the warning growls. Queen immediately dragged the various items, pawing them, circling before laying down. Dez petted her. “You’ll be fine girl.”
“It’s going to be several hours before things get interesting. We might as well give her some space.” Veda stood up with the scanner in her hand.
“I should prep last-meal,” Dez said.
“Call me when it’s ready. I’ll stay here.” Cyra shifted one of the folded blankets and sat down. “Keep an eye on things and do some research.” She held up her comm.
“I’m going to take a power nap, then.” Veda moved toward the exit.
“Use the ship system to page me if you need me, my queen.”
Cyra nodded, already refocused on her screen.
Later, the crew gathered for the meal in the galley. There had been no change in Queen’s condition, but Veda planned to eat quickly and take the next shift.
“What about this contract you got, Dez?” Cyra asked.
All eyes turned to him. He explained what he’d been able to negotiate, but as good as his news was, it was tempered by the costs of the repairs and the replacement fuel.
“And we’ll need to upgrade the refrigeration cells in the cargo bay, I think.” Veda winced and shot a quick glance at Cyra. “They were fine for the relatively short trip between Din’Gale and Cassan. But Kolben…”
“It’ll be worth it if we can make a little profit and the delivery goes well. We could get additional contracts. Dez said this vendor has a ton of overage, she even opened juice bars, but still they have to toss so much. And Kolben will pay a fortune. Maybe we could even expand the refrigerated cells.” Blaize took a breath.
Dez swallowed his laugh when Cyra jumped in before Blaize could continue. “I agree. We should take the contract for this shipment. We’ll run the number before deciding any future business.”
His mate. So smart, so practical. So resistant to being his. Time wasn’t on his side, but she would be. No matter what he had to do to convince her. She would recognize him as hers before she left him forever.
Dez cleared the remaining items from the table as the crew left.
“Let me help.” Cyra wiped down the table. Everyone had already cleared their places. There wasn’t that much to do. “I want to check on Queen with you.”
“Veda would have called us if anything was happening.” At that moment, Cyra’s comm chimed. A note from Veda. It’s time.
They rushed down the hallway, Cyra clung to Dez’s hand. “If anything goes wrong?—”
“It won’t. Queens know what to do. They always come out okay.” Dez smile when Cyra glanced at him.
Veda had a towel in her hand but Queen seemed to be in charge, licking the newly born puppy clean. “It’s a girl.”
Dez and Cyra stopped a respectful distance away from the new mother. Cyra asked, “Is there another one coming?”
“We’ll know in a few minutes, but this species typically only has one, maybe two according to the journals I found,” Veda answered, her eyes never leaving the animal. Twenty minutes later, the afterbirth expelled, Veda confirmed there would only be one and that both dogs were healthy. The puppy was already nursing.
Cyra slid down the wall and sat. “What am I going to do with a thuringy puppy?”
“What do you mean?” Veda asked.
“It’s not part of the contract and a puppy is of no use to the mining company. They purchased guard dogs. Fully trained guard doges.”
“For now, the only thing to worry about is giving her a name.” Dez sat by his queen. “Anything come to mind?”
She turned her wide-eyed gaze to him. “Princess?”
Dez laughed. “Perfect, my queen. I will see to her care and training. There is no rush to decide what should be done with the little one.”
“Captain,” she responded in a shell-shocked tone.
Dez let it go unanswered. She was that too. But first and foremost, Cyra was his queen.