Chapter Eight #3
Trin nodded. “I have tested it a bit, but since it’s a surprise for Margo, I thought we could go to the testing area and see what she can manage.”
Margo smiled. “There’s a pressie?”
Trin held up the box. “Yes, there is. Come with me so we don’t injure the base.”
Margo grinned and followed Trin. “A dangerous pressie?”
The other ladies were laughing and walking with them, and Aken-Var trailed behind.
Trin smirked. “Birun is meeting us there.”
Margo was getting excited. She hadn’t had a freely offered present in years.
She got the tutorial and aimed the metal tube away from the watchers. There were chunks of metal and wood on pilons around the space.
Trin backed up. “Ready when you are.”
Margo looked at the present, turned completely toward the targets, and hit the button.
There was a hum in her hand, and she swept the invisible blade through the first target.
It fell to the ground in two chunks, and Margo whooped and slashed and stabbed her way through the targets, taking the entire collection out in under a minute.
She was panting and turned off the tube.
“Trin, I am sweaty. Can I hug you?”
Trin laughed. “Sure.”
Margo walked over to the woman and bent to hug her. “Why did everyone shrink?”
Geri grinned and flung her arms wide. “C’mere, shorty.”
Margo looked up at her friend. “Aw, fuck. I forgot.”
The hug was warm, but Geri’s breasts hit her in the throat. “So, that’s awkward.”
Aken-Var smirked. “If embraces are on offer, I would love one.”
Margo looked at his expression. She shrugged. “Okay.”
She walked over to him and wrapped her arms around his torso, holding him tight. She felt her body align with his, and when his arms came around her, she smiled as he held her tight and rubbed his jaw against her hair.
He rumbled a purr out of his chest while he held her, and it shook her everywhere they touched.
Chloe said, “Aken-Var, you are manhandling my pilot. She’s under contract to me or, rather, Dytura until we say otherwise.”
Aken-Var didn’t move. “No. She’s mine.”
Margo patted his back. “No, I am under contract.”
He started a more intense rumble.
“Let go now, or I will fight myself free, and neither of us will like the result. I still have that weapon Trin made in my hand.”
He tensed and leaned back. “I need you.”
“You have other options. Less heavily armed options.” She smiled up at him and fluttered her lashes.
He paused.
“Well?”
“I am weighing my options.”
“If you are thinking the two hidden guys sneaking up behind me, they will fall right after you do.”
Aken-Var looked at her. “You knew they were there?”
“Twos hum a little. It gets louder when they go invisible.” She chuckled. “I also know that there is someone behind them, so I am not that worried.”
Birun’s voice rang out. “Aken-Var, you are not keeping to the spirit of our agreement for your visit.”
The man holding her winced and slowly released her. “You are correct, Honourable Birun. I lost my mind.”
Margo tapped his arm with the cylinder and walked over to Trin with the new weapon at her side. “It works great. No colours?”
“No, it was hard enough pulling in the projected length.”
Margo grinned. “I am not going to say anything.”
“Geri and the others already did. So, what changes would you like?”
“Well, another one and a practice mode. I don’t want to wreck the ship.”
“Oh. Cool. Gimmee, and wait a few minutes.” Trin grinned.
Margo relinquished the cylinder and turned to see Delia speaking to Aken-Var. When Margo looked back, Trin was gone.
Margo sighed and felt her stomach rumble. She looked at the ladies and asked, “Anyone want to coax food out of the machines with me?”
Geri nodded. “I am up for it. Let’s go.”
“Trin said wait a few minutes.”
“Fine. We will wait, but occupy yourself.”
“Flippy, flippy it will be.” Margo looked around the space, made a path in her mind, and then started doing front handsprings around the space. Every three was hands-free, and she just kept moving through the space until Trin returned.
Margo landed, dusted her hands off, and walked back toward the inventor. She smiled. “So, what’s the verdict, doc?”
Trin blinked. “Were you doing that the whole time I was gone?”
“Minus a minute or two. The fusion left me with a lot of extra energy that doesn’t seem to be dissipating, and the only reliable means of burning it off is a pain in the ass and looking like he wants to snag me and just haul me to his ship.”
Chloe wandered over. “I am stunned. Were you a cheerleader?”
“In my misspent youth. Just in high school.” Margo smiled. “How was my form?”
Geri nodded. “I now see how you managed to survive in the arena as long as you did.”
Margo grinned. “I made it hard to hit me.”
Trin waved to the box. “Here you go. The heir and a spare. The pink button is the trial button. It makes a beam that will scorch but not cut. Think first-degree burn.”
“Cool. Thank you.” Margo took the cylinders, hit the pink buttons, and walked toward the remains of the targets. She spun, stabbed, whirled, and jumped over the posts. When she turned them off and walked back to Trin, the scorch marks were on the posts, halfway between their tops and the bases.
Trin grinned. “That is spectacular. Can you try all of my stuff?”
She laughed. “I am only really good with blades.”
“Well, I have the finals getting ready for you and your trip to Orexi.”
Margo nodded. “We still doing that?”
Chloe grinned. “Damned straight.”
Skylar chuckled. “We are going to attend a party.”
Aken-Var walked up. “You are going to ignore me?”
Margo grinned. “That is the plan.”
He wrapped an arm around her ribs and pulled her back against him.
Margo looked up at him over her shoulder and remembered this position with her hands clawing at the walls. “Yes, Honourable Aken-Var?”
“This isn’t over. You will be my consort, and we will reside on Amtha.”
She shrugged. “But not yet. I am still under contract and was not removed from duty while I was incapacitated, so you missed your window, dumbass.”
His eyes flared red.
Chloe piped up. “She is my pilot, and I will have no other.”
He looked at her and growled. The kiss was sudden, and Margo was bent back, holding his neck as the kiss went on and on.
He straightened and let her go. “It isn’t over, Margo.”
“Uh-huh. Still a great kisser, Aken-Var. Have a nice flight.”
He flexed his hands, and she waved at him.
“Bye-bye.”
He nodded and walked toward Chloe. “Seed of Life, a word, please?”
Chloe grinned and walked with him down the hall. He was speaking to her, and Chloe was looking back at Margo.
Skylar smiled. “Don’t worry. Whatever he is saying, she’s going to figure out what’s best.”
“Well, she rebooted my reproductive system and extended my lifespan to match his, so she’s already cast her vote. Delia has also cast her vote, so I am hooped, but at this point, I am just having fun paying him back for the two days of screaming, pain, and panic.”
She watched as he and Chloe separated, and then the seed of life returned to them. Chloe grinned. “Do you want to know?”
“Yes. When are we leaving?”
“A few hours, and then we can get the ship calibrated for you.”
Trin grinned. “Excellent. Then the laser blades will be ready for you before you go.”
“Good. I have gotten addicted to the idea of them. Wait. Who had the idea for them?”
Everyone looked to the ghost in their midst. “Delia.”
They laughed and headed to the food court. Birun wrapped his arm around Trin’s waist as they walked back to the place where the ladies could eat and enjoy being with others of their species... mostly.
Trin showed them how many desserts Birun had programmed into the unit, and of course, they had to try them all. It was the perfect way to kill some time.