by A. C. Ellas
Tsaraina blinked and pulled back. “Is that safe?”
“It will land in the bay beside us. The flyers know what they’re doing.”
“Oh, of course.” Tsaraina shook her head, self-amusement in her scent. “How silly of me.”
The shuttle landed a couple minutes later, clearly visible through the screen—Yeri doubted it was a window. They watched and waited for the air to be pumped back into the landing bay. It didn’t take long. Once atmospheric integrity was assured, the shuttle lowered its ramp, and the bay airlock indicator light changed from the left side to the right. Supposedly, the lights were red and green, a meaningless distinction to him and his fellow Rovania.
Mark stepped up beside him, on the side away from Tsaraina. “That’s our shuttle?” Impatience was oozing from him, along with a wild longing.
Yeri glanced up at him. The black man had been a friend for many years, and he was looking forward to seeing Mark reunited with Loki. “Yes, it is.”
“Then, what are we waiting for?”
Yeri shrugged a shoulder. “Nothing, Mark.” He didn’t bother mentioning that there wasn’t a rush, the shuttle wouldn’t depart for another standard hour yet. Mark knew that already, he just didn’t care. Sure enough, Mark palmed the landing-bay hatch and marched in a moment later. Yeri watched, bemusedly, as Mark marched up to the shuttle, spoke to the flyer now standing beside the ramp, and then marched right up into it.
Tsaraina giggled. “Shall we follow him?”
“Not just yet,” Yeri replied. He turned to the others, sweeping the assemblage with his gaze. Nearly sixty pairs of eyes met his. “Through the hatch by twos, please. No need to rush the shuttle and overwhelm the flyer. They’re unstable at the best of times as it is.”
They obeyed him, of course. They paired off with no fuss and no more than a few murmured words. The first pair went through, both females. There were five more male Rovania joining the crew besides himself, two of whom were brand new lieutenants fresh from the academy, as he was, but they had gone through the full traditional curriculum. They had both done remarkably well. There were more Rovania in their class, heading to other ships and even more Rovania in the classes behind theirs.
They represented the hope of his race for the future, but he feared they wouldn’t be accepted. No matter what Angel believed, that was a major reason why he was going out there—to prove that a Rovani could serve as a senior officer and do well. If he could do it, others would follow. The pairs were passing into the landing bay at an acceptable rate. Not so fast that they’d overwhelm the flyer, not so slowly that they’d run out of time and have to scramble. There was nobody else waiting for this shuttle. It had been dispatched on a special run just to bring them aboard. It wasn’t one of the Dark Star’s regular shuttles but a special transport owned by the station used to move large numbers of people from place to place.
Yeri and Tsaraina were the last two to slip through the hatch and approach the shuttle. The flyer was still standing beside the ramp, his face expressionless and his scent disgruntled. Yeri inclined his head. “Chief Hyugen, do we have permission to board?”
The flyer’s expression softened, ever so slightly, and his scent changed to something closer to acceptance. “Yes, Commander. Permission to board is granted.”
“Thank you, Chief. I appreciate you making this special run for us.”
The flyer almost smiled. “Just doing my duty, sir.”
“We’re the last of us, Chief. Carry on.” Yeri padded up the ramp into the shuttle. The first two seats on the left had been kept empty.
Yeri gave Driaftirri, one of the new lieutenants, a nod for holding those seats for him. The Siamese-coated Vakarzo-line youth grinned at him and winked.
Yeri sat down and immediately helped Tsaraina with her safety harness. Then, he dealt with his own. The flight shouldn’t be too bad—no atmosphere.
The flight was short and painless. The viewscreen worked, too. Dark Star grew larger and larger on the screen. He was truly a massive ship, a full ten kilometers in length from bow to stern, but he had the same basic shape of all jump ships—an elongated cylinder with three forward-facing spars jutting from the stern like the fletching of an arrow. They reached the open, cavernous landing bay, and Yeri shook his head at the size of it. The bay was easily large enough to park a frigate inside.
“Big ship,” Mark murmured from the other side of the aisle.
“Our ship now,” Tsaraina replied, her tone and scent smugly pleased. “The best ship.”
Yeri could sense the agreement from the others, and he smiled. “Exit the same way we came in, please, by pairs.”
Once the ramp was lowered, they began to file out. Mark, Yeri, and Tsaraina went first, but Yeri paused at the foot of the ramp and supervised the disembarkation. At a short distance stood two crewmen with data scanners, ready to log the arrival of the new crew into the system. They must have been warned because their scents didn’t change as more and more Rovania descended the ramp.
Yeri was pleased, his people quickly noticed the crewmen and approached in pairs to offer the data cubes containing their orders. He watched as they were sorted and sent into the ship to find their berths—all on D deck, where the quartermaster had supposedly expanded the Rovania crew accommodations. The females all had various duty assignments, mostly in support systems because that’s what they’d chosen.
A stirring at the hatch drew Yeri’s attention. To his surprise, Captain Steele was entering the landing bay with another officer at his side. Yeri focused on the second man and nodded to himself. The man was the ship’s current XO, the officer he was set to replace. Commander—no, Captain Cortez would soon be assuming command of his own ship. Steele and Cortez skirted the line and walked over to him.
“Commander Nathizo,” Steele said in greeting.
Yeri turned toward him and saluted. “Captain Steele. I am reporting for duty.”
“This is Captain Cortez. He needs to brief you for proper turnover of duties.”
Captain Cortez was an older man, still fighting fit, with an easy smile and a scent Yeri found attractive. He liked men who were sure of themselves. That self-confidence added a special something to their scent that Yeri found very appealing. Captain Steele had self-confidence, but he was clearly a sexual submissive, and Yeri preferred dominant humans in bed. Not that he’d refuse Steele should the man make a pass at him, but he wouldn’t initiate an encounter or try to seduce the man.
Yeri saluted again. “Captain Cortez. I am ready to take report.”
“At ease, Commander,” Cortez said dryly.
There was an edge to his voice, Yeri noticed. He relaxed but remained alert as he studied the man.
“Let’s go someplace quieter. Come with me.” Cortez motioned for him to follow, so Yeri did so. “You’ll have private quarters, and since the captain sleeps in the Astrogator’s chambers, you’ll be responsible for keeping order on Officer Row. Some of the lieutenants are... rather young.”
Cortez took him down a level, to subdeck A, and showed him the bullet-car system. He handed over the codes to make full use of it, and once they were at the appropriate stop, they went back up. There were a series of offices around the bridge, which was officially named Command Center but never called that. One of those offices was now Yeri’s. They went in, sat down, and Cortez proceeded to give him a detailed briefing on the ship, the crew, and his new duties.
* * * *
“Loki,” called a soft, deep, utterly familiar and wonderful voice.
He turned, convinced his heart was playing tricks on him, but no. It really was him. Mark stood there, his gentle mavro giant, patently real, solid. A moment later he flung himself into the man’s arms, so overwhelmed with emotion that words escaped him.
Mark wrapped his arms about him and just held him. Human arms had never felt so good. He buried his face in Mark’s jacket, knowing and not caring that he’d scent-lock. Mark was his human. His human had returne
d to him, and all was now right with his world. He felt the slightest of pangs for Jeff, but he had Mark back. He wouldn’t give Mark up, not for anything. Never again. He’d work out something with Jeff. Somehow.
* * * *
It was much later when Cortez showed Yeri to his spacious quarters. He had a sitting room, a bedroom with a private bath, even a small kitchen and dining area. The quarters were bare and looked unlived in. Cortez admitted they’d just been cleaned after his belongings had been transferred to his new ship, the Silver Eagle. He was expected there as soon as he’d been officially relieved here.
Yeri got the hint. “Captain, you stand relieved. Thank you for your report.”
“My pleasure, Commander. Good luck, not that you’ll need it. I’m sure you’ll do well.” Cortez flipped him a salute and strode out of the quarters that were no longer his. Yeri set his bouzouki case on the couch and walked into the bedroom. He set his duffels on the bed then headed out himself. He needed to report to the captain.
He found Captain Steele on the bridge. It amused him that the door scanners already recognized his handprint and let him in without any trouble. He reached the captain’s chair and waited but not for long.
“Commander Nathizo, welcome aboard.” Steele smiled as he spoke, the sincerity was obvious and oddly gratifying.
“Captain Steele, I am reporting for duty. It’s a pleasure to be here.” Yeri smiled back, but most of his attention was on the rest of the people on the bridge. The awe and fear his nose detected told him that they knew who he was.
“After you introduce yourself to the Astrogator, consider yourself at liberty for the rest of the day. Please join us for mess at nineteen-hundred hours, and your duty will commence at oh-six-hundred tomorrow.”
“Thank you, Captain. I will see you at dinner.”
“Very well. Dismissed.” Steele turned his attention away.
Yeri saluted before he turned and padded back off the bridge. He ignored the sensation of many gazes locked on his back. Over time, he was sure the crew would relax around him. At least, he hoped they would eventually relax around him.
He went back down to subdeck A and managed to figure out the system with a minimum of fuss. The bullet car quickly delivered him to the platform nearest the Astrogator’s chambers. He went back up, padded down a long hallway then placed his palm on the scanner attached to the only door in sight, midway down the cross corridor that linked the two main passageways through the length of the ship.
The door opened. “Please, come in,” said a quiet male voice.
Chapter Seventeen
Yeri stepped into the Astrogator’s chambers. He quickly located Cai and studied the man. He recognized him from the scent that had overlaid the captain’s. Here, then, was the dominant partner of that pairing. Cai smelled delicious to him. Health, dominance, and self-confidence in abundance. He could also smell Cai’s excitement, happiness... and lust.
He chose not to acknowledge that, not yet anyhow. He saluted. “Astrogator Cai, I am Commander Nathizo, reporting for duty as Dark Star’s executive officer.”
“Welcome to Dark Star, Commander,” Cai replied formally. He gestured to a seating area. “Please, have a seat.”
That was not part of the ritual, but Yeri wasn’t precisely surprised that Cai hadn’t just dismissed him and sent him on his way. He padded to the indicated couch and sat on the edge of the cushion, wishing he could opt for the floor instead but not wanting to push his luck. He was already planning on having most of the furniture in his new quarters removed.
Cai sat across from him, studied him briefly and frowned a little. “You aren’t comfortable?”
Yeri could smell his concern. He shrugged a shoulder. “It’s nothing.”
“Please, be honest with me,” Cai countered. “I know you’re not comfortable, so something is bothering you, and it’s not nothing to me.”
“I was raised to believe that sitting on human furniture is a whipping offense,” Yeri said quietly. “My mind knows better, but my gut doesn’t agree. Furniture continues to make me... uncomfortable.”
“Oh.” The shock and pity in Cai’s scent set Yeri on edge. He hated being pitied. “Were you ever actually whipped for sitting on furniture?”
Yeri considered his reply. His instinct was to lie, but why? What was the point of lying to a telepath more powerful than he himself was? Cai wanted to be a friend and friends deserved honestly. “Yes. More than once. I’ve been told that I was a particularly bold, stubborn child. I recall enough whippings for various offenses that I’m certain I gave my handlers a hard time.” He offered a brief smile. “I was even named for my boldness. Yeraki was not what they planned to name me. The word means hawk—one of the Breedmasters quipped that I was as bold as a hawk and the rest took that for my name.”
“If you’d be more comfortable on the floor,” Cai offered, “it wouldn’t bother me.”
Yeri shook his head. “I’m stronger than my gut, but thank you.”
“You are stubborn,” Cai noted with a hint of amusement. “Would you like something to drink?”
“Do you have coffee?”
“Always,” Cai confirmed gravely. “Cream or sugar?”
“Just cream.”
* * * *
Cai went to get the coffee himself. He could have had an adjunct do it, but he needed a moment to regain his composure. He’d thought he was used to the Rovania, he’d thought he’d come to terms with their upbringing, but he hadn’t really. None of the young Rovania they had aboard were anything like Yeri. The darkness in Yeri’s gaze when he spoke of whippings wasn’t feigned. Unlike the exuberant youths he was familiar with, Yeri had been sold at auction. He’d been a slave for decades... and it did show. His ability to hold eye contact was astonishing, but many things were astonishing about this particular Rovani.
He poured two mugs of coffee, adding sugar to his, and a generous dollop of cream to both. He stirred the mugs then picked them up and carried them back into the front room. Yeri was still on the edge of the couch, but he was studying the only piece of decoration on the walls—the ancient shield Nick had given him.
“Here’s the coffee.” He set Yeri’s mug down before him.
“Thank you,” Yeri murmured. He didn’t pick up the mug immediately. After a moment, he said, “I do recall that you have an interest in history, but I wouldn’t have expected to find a Spartan hoplite shield here.”
“It was a gift,” Cai replied. He couldn’t help grinning, though. “If you know anyone who has the spear and sword that would complete the set...”
Yeri chuckled. “I’ll make some inquiries. It would be nice to see the full set there. Do you want the armor, also?” He picked up the mug and took a small sip.
Cai bit his lip to keep from laughing at Yeri’s expression. He knew they couldn’t help it, taste and scent were linked senses, and the Rovania were over-endowed in the olfactory area, but their reaction to the taste of things was an endless source of amusement. To cover his urge to laugh, he said, “The armor would be a nice bonus, but I’d rather have the weapons.”
The look Yeri gave him told him plainly that the Rovani wasn’t fooled, but he said nothing. He took another sip of coffee almost pointedly.
“What does it taste like to you?” Cai wondered aloud. He’d asked before, but the younger Rovania had been at a loss to explain it. How could a difference in the senses be explained when there was no common basis for comparison? Dry scientific statements of greater or lesser ability didn’t give one a visceral feel for how differing sense apparatuses worked.
“Do you really want to know?” Yeri countered. There was a hint of challenge in his voice. “I can show you.”
Cai set his mug down. “You can? How?” He stared at Yeri hopefully, waiting for his response. He really did want to know and not just for his own curiosity. Yeri’s mental shields thinned, and he felt the softest of touches as Yeri reached for him psionically. Cai bro
ught his own shields down enough to make the contact happen, he also strengthened the link when he discovered Yeri’s difficulty in holding it. He quickly determined the problem—humans were just outside Yeri’s telepathic range, enough so that he could only contact other telepaths, and that barely.
“Close your eyes, Cai. This will be disorienting enough for you.”
“I’ve sense shared before,” Cai said, but he closed his eyes as requested then sort of reached for Yeri. The Rovani let him in but held his consciousness apart. The first thing he became aware of was sound. The muted ebb and flow of the air exchangers was perfectly audible. So was the steady lub-dup of his heart and the inhalations and exhalations of his breathing. It amazed him that the Rovania could hear that acutely, but it was barely ever mentioned by them.
Yeri opened his eyes. The world looked completely different. Colors were muted, pastel shades of yellow, green and blue that barely tinted the objects around them. Cai was stunned to see what a human—himself—looked like to Rovani eyes. Faint tints of yellow and green where he expected cream. The lack of red, he realized, and resisted opening his own eyes. It was a good thing he resisted because Yeri inhaled deeply.
The smells were overwhelming. Everything had an odor, richly patterned and detailed. Yeri could smell the wood of the table, the oil used to polish it. He could not only smell the coffee, but also the difference in the two mugs, one with sugar and one without. Cai’s scent—human, healthy, dominant, and intoxicatingly attractive. He could smell Nick on him and knew by scent alone how long it had been since they’d had sex. He could even smell Hector on him, the scent of baby uniquely distinct. The six, each had their own scent, and Yeri’s nose cataloged all of it effortlessly.
Yeri picked up the mug, the heat of the ceramic almost too much to handle. He took a sip, and Cai groaned as the flavor overwhelmed his senses. Every molecule of the coffee’s flavor introduced itself to his tongue like an orgasmic explosion in his mouth. He swallowed, and the heat went all the way down to his belly, warming his core.
