by JC Cassels
Gena laughed. “She’s not in a hurry to die, Tese,” she said. “She just wants to get laid.”
The other two women joined in the laughter.
“She’s not the only one,” Tese said, her green eyes dancing with mischief. She dropped into the navigator’s chair behind Bo. “Do you remember that delicious hunk of man Marissa brought with her to the D’or Choh a couple of years ago?”
Gena frowned and shook her head. “No, I missed all the excitement.”
Tese buckled her g-locks and tossed her long, brown hair, subtly streaked with pink, over her creamy shoulder with a well-manicured hand.
“Chase Fossey,” she said with a sigh. “What a tall, beautiful man he is.” She held her arms out. “His shoulders are this wide.” Using her hands, she continued demonstrating his measurements. “He’s got arms like this. I swear the man could throw me around like I weighed nothing. His hands…”
Gena shook her head. “What House does he belong to?”
Tese tapped Bo on the shoulder. “I don’t know,” she said. “Marissa? What’s his House?”
“Barron Clan,” Bo said without hesitation. “I’ll claim him as one of mine.”
Gena gasped. “What do you mean, you’ll claim him? You don’t mean to tell me that Aunt Misou allowed Tese to entertain someone who wasn’t at least a noble!”
Bo shot Gena a sidelong look in time to catch her conspiratorial wink. Of her two favorite Kiara cousins, Gena was the least concerned with rank and title, but it didn’t stop her from engaging in her favorite pastime of baiting Tese. Bo grinned and shook her head.
“Chase is a good man,” she said. “He’s got more nobility in him than most I’ve met. If anyone wants to say anything against him, they have to deal with me.”
Gena’s eyes twinkled with amusement. “Then why haven’t you contracted with him?”
Bo chuckled. “Because his brother is just about more than I can handle, thank you very much.”
“He’s Blade Devon’s brother? Well, that explains it. Aunt Misou must secretly be a fan.”
“Blade Devon.” Tese sighed. “Now, there’s a man.”
Gena bristled. “What are you talking about? You haven’t met him yet, either.”
“I’ve seen his holofeatures,” Tese said defensively. “I’m sure that gorgeous body isn’t all special effects and holocam angles.” Reaching forward, she tapped Bo’s shoulder again. “Come on, Marissa…dish on him. Is he as gorgeous in real life as he is in holofeatures?”
With a laugh, Bo cut her speed and adjusted her approach. “No, Tese,” she said. “He’s short, fat and bald.”
“I’ll bet his feet stink too,” Gena said.
Tese leaned back in a huff and folded her arms across her chest. “Oh, you two are awful.”
Bo eyed her approach and muttered a curse in Gallic, her native language.
“That didn’t sound ladylike,” Gena said.
“What’s wrong?”
Bo shrugged, her lips twisted in dismay. “Oh, they’ve got me on the wrong approach to buzz the crowd. There’s no way I could do it and claim it was unintentional.”
“There’s still that short, bald guy waiting for you on the ground,” Gena said with an impish grin.
Bo nodded. “There is that,” she agreed. “Looks like I’ll have to surprise him.”
Peering out the forward screens, Bo glanced down at her readouts to verify her approach. The landmarks were unmistakable. A few degrees to port, and laid out in neat rows, colorful temporary structures stood out in sharp contrast against the sand. For most of the Catarrh year, this stretch of desert by the shore remained isolated and uninhabited; a lonely, forbidding place with little to recommend it. During the endurance rally, by contrast, a vast temporary city sprang out of the creamy white sand.
Those who applied for it early enough received permission to land small spacecraft on the wide, flat plain just over the dunes from the camp. Catarrh officials gave priority to entrants with an impressive pedigree. The Kiara D’or Choh carried as much weight as any noble title, and more than most. Rank did have its privileges.
As the city grew larger in the forward screens, the organization became easier to make out. Tents and temporary structures of all kinds were sorted by crews, teams, and sponsors. The common tents were located in the center while the sanitary services were placed at key points downwind of the camp.
Bo didn’t even have to circle to find the space her brother had reserved for her.
The women fell silent as Bo brought the ship in and gently lowered it to rest on its landing gear among the diplomatic yachts. Once safely on the ground, Gena and Tese left to put the finishing touches on their respective appearances while Bo shut down her ship’s engines.
“Commander?”
“Yes, Sundance.”
“Shall I monitor local law enforcement and military channels while you are groundside?”
Bo’s lips quirked in a small smile. “That’s not a bad idea, Sundance,” she said.
“If I receive any indication that you have been identified, I will notify you immediately and prepare for liftoff.”
Leaning back in her seat, Bo laced her fingers together across her abdomen and studied the flashing lights on the control panel. “You know, Sundance, I have to admit that when Edge first proposed a sentient shipboard computer, I wasn’t sure it was a good idea. But you’ve impressed me. I think you’re spoiling me a little.”
“Please explain ‘spoiling,’ Commander.”
Popping her g-locks, she turned in her seat and reached for her shoes. “Spoiling means that you are performing in such a manner as to create high expectations that no humanoid crew could hope to measure up to.”
“Understood.”
Bo leaned down and slipped the shoes on her feet. “That’s a good thing, Sundance,” she said. “I’m paying you a compliment.”
“Understood, Commander,” Sundance said. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
Bo rose gingerly, accustoming herself to the shoes before walking in them. She smoothed the wrinkles from the gauzy blue fabric that wrapped around her waist in a filmy skirt.
At Aunt Misou’s urging she had adopted the archaic wardrobe of the traditional Kiara mistress. Underneath the filmy skirt, she wore a pair of shimmersilk trousers that covered her from hips to ankles. A jeweled belt hung around her waist, anchoring the skirt in place while its long train gathered in pleats at the small of her back. An elaborately embroidered top left her midriff and arms bare. A long scarf, heavily embroidered and studded with gemstones draped around Bo’s shoulders. An expertly wrought metal comb tucked into her hair would hold the scarf in place over her head and three trailing jeweled clasps would hold her veil in place.
Blade Devon was a public figure. The organizers of the Catarrh Endurance Rally expected him to make himself available to the media for holos and interviews. The gaudy display provided Bo with an excellent way to appear in public with him without fear of being recognized. Still, the time and effort it took to transform herself into Marissa Kiara, Companion to Nobility, had limited their public engagements. If Tese and Gena hadn’t wanted to come see the rally, Bo would never have been able to manage the transformation on her own.
“I don’t know when I’ll be back, Sundance,” she said. “I’ll let you know what the plans are.”
“Understood, Commander. Have a good time.”
Bo smiled. “Thank you. I will.”
Once the three women had gathered their belongings and adjusted Bo’s veil so that only her amber eyes showed, they left the ship and caught the ground shuttle for the rally gates. Tese’s lively chatter and Gena’s sharp wit kept Bo laughing. Bo enjoyed the novelty of having her Kiara cousins along. It was as close to normal as she had ever known. As the Ostra Child, the successor to Mondhuic rule, she hadn’t been allowed the gaiety most young girls experienced.
In her cousins’ company, Bo felt assured that no one would look an
y closer at her, despite the veil. Tall, willowy Tese and curvaceous Gena attracted more than their fair share of attention. Three Kiara Joy Babes together could hardly fail to draw admiring stares. Far from being mere Skyhoppers, Kiara were Companions to nobility and Sovrans.
Bo’s own mother, Marissa, had been her father’s companion before he married her. It was rare that the child of a Kiara became titular nobility in their own right. Sometimes, when Blade’s public life kept them apart, she wished she were no more than the Kiara mistress she pretended to be. For a little while, her pleasant fiction could be true.
The shuttle hissed to a stop. Stepping lightly, the three women climbed down onto the soft sand. Bo settled her blue silk bag, a gift from Blade, on her hip. Though she had a few weapons secreted on her person, her palm blaster nestled in a hidden pocket in the side of the bag. Just knowing it was close by gave her a measure of comfort.
Flanked by Tese and Gena, Bo made her way to the gate. At their approach, a rumpled man who appeared to be in his thirties rose from a rickety stool and stepped out of his booth into the sunlight. He eyed them with a speculative gleam. His icy eyes glittered and roamed over the three women in an insulting manner. A leer split his lips and he wiped at his mouth with the back of his hand.
“Now where do you three think you’re going?” he demanded. “There’s no camp followers allowed.”
Gena and Tese exchanged a wary look.
Bo lifted her chin slightly and stepped forward. “My name is Marissa Kiara,” she said in the carefully modulated tones of a Joy Babe that Aunt Misou had drilled into her. “We are with the Pintubo Racing team as guests of Blade Devon.”
“You’re not on the list,” he said, not bothering to look.
Bo stared at him a long moment, her gaze dipped to the data pad he’d left sitting on the stool before returning to him. “Perhaps if you would consult the list you would see that you are in error.”
He licked his lips and his stare raked her. “Honey, you’re not the first Joy Babes trying to get in here to screw Blade Devon and you ain’t gonna be the last.” He moved so close she could smell his body odor. “But I’ll tell you like I told the last ones to try it: if you want your shot at him, you’re gonna have to give me a reason to let you in, understand?”
His grimy hand reached for Bo’s breast. Before he could touch her, she moved. Grabbing his fingers, she broke two. Using them as leverage, she bent his wrist back at an unnatural angle and kicked his legs out from under him. He dropped to the ground with a shout. Bo stepped on his neck to keep him down. She held out her hand to Tese.
“May I borrow your com-set?” she asked casually, as if she hadn’t just maimed a man.
Tese and Gena blinked stupidly at her a moment before Tese recovered herself and placed her com-set in Bo’s hand.
Bo smiled behind her veil. “Thank you.” With one hand she deftly flicked open the com-set and keyed the code for Sundance. “You see, I understand you very well,” she told the whimpering man on the ground. “What you don’t seem to understand is that I don’t like strangers touching me without permission. I’m under contract to Blade Devon and I’m afraid if you want me to give you a reason, you’re going to have to take it up with him. He’s not big on sharing his toys with grimy little boys who don’t play nice.”
“How may I direct your call?” Sundance asked.
“Patch me through to Chase, please,” Bo said.
“One moment.”
Bo didn’t have long to wait before Chase’s mellow baritone came over the com-set. “Hello?”
“Chase, it’s Marissa,” Bo said. “I’m stuck here at the gate with a rude little man who seems to have mistaken me for a Skyhopper. Is Blade available to deal with this?”
The gate guard whimpered loudly.
“Hush!” Gena told him, kicking him in the ribs.
He grunted and quieted.
Chase sighed. “I’m on my way.”
Bo smiled. “Thank you.”
“Marissa? Don’t hurt him before I get there.”
“Too late.”
With a flick of her wrist, Bo ended the call and handed the com-set back to Tese.
They didn’t have long to wait before Chase emerged from the crowd, only slightly out of breath from having run the whole way. His blue eyes took in the guard on the ground and he broke into a grin, showing a pair of dimples. Tall, broad, blond and ruggedly handsome, Chase Fossey was enough to set any female’s heart aflutter.
“Looks like you’ve got it handled,” Chase said bracing his hands on his hips. “What, exactly, do you expect me to do about this?”
Bo batted her eyelashes innocently at him. “Don’t we need credentials to get in?”
“We?” Chase looked up, for the first time noticing that Bo wasn’t alone. He visibly brightened. “Tese!”
Chase held out his arms in invitation and met Tese halfway, catching her up in a warm embrace. “It’s so good to see you again. Did you come all this way to see me?”
Tese laughed as he released her. “I did.” She lowered her chin and peered up at him in a practiced move. “I’ve been looking for a reason to spend some more time with you.” She held out her hand to Gena. “My cousin Gena didn’t believe me when I told her how handsome you were. I had to prove I wasn’t lying.”
Chase waved her compliments away and held out his hand to Gena. “It’s nice to meet you, Gena.”
Bo cleared her throat loudly. “Chase? If you don’t mind, I’d like a hug too, and this man is going to need some medical attention soon.”
“Sorry.” Chase knelt down beside the guard. “You still conscious?” He waited for the man’s pained nod before he went on. “You’re doing better than the last guy who made her mad. The nice lady who’s got you pinned to the ground is Marissa Kiara and she’s my brother’s Companion. She’s on the list as a guest of Pintubo Racing and you should have credentials for her and these other two lovely ladies. Do you want to check on that before you go to the medic?”
“Yes.”
Chase patted him on the head. “Good boy.” He rose and grinned at Bo. “Let him up Marissa. He’ll behave himself now.”
“He’d better,” Bo said. With one last judicious squeeze of his mangled hand, she released him and stepped back.
Glaring at her, the guard scrambled to his feet with Chase’s help. Keeping a wary eye on her, he consulted the data pad. His face reddened when he found Bo’s alias there.
Folding his arms across his chest in a gesture that was very much like Blade’s, Chase leaned a shoulder against the booth. “So what did this one do?” Chase watched him fumble through the stack of credentials for the ones reserved for Bo and her guests.
Bo shrugged. “I don’t like being grabbed.”
Chuckling, Chase rolled his eyes and shook his head. “Honestly, I don’t know why Dev taught you all that hand-to-hand stuff. Seems like all you ever do is go around picking fights.”
Without a word, the guard held out three passes, offering them to Chase.
“Don’t feel bad about being beaten up by a Joy Babe,” Chase said, taking the passes from his good hand. “She was trained by an IC Predator.”
Bo smiled but said nothing. She had been trained by an IC Predator, but not the one Chase thought. Her uncle Royce had taught her everything she knew.
Gena and Tese giggled and held out their hands for credentials. Once everyone was official, Chase’s arms went around Bo in a fierce hug that lifted her off her feet. He kissed her noisily on the cheek.
“I know somebody who is going to be very happy to see you.”
Chase set her on her feet and offered his arm to her. Bo slipped her arm through his and glanced back at her cousins. Tese and Gena linked arms and followed close behind, their heads bent together, whispering. With her free hand, Tese mimed fondling and squeezing Chase’s backside. Gena laughed and looked up at Bo, her eyes twinkling with impish glee.
“Today is publicity day,” Chase said, oblivious
to the silliness behind him. “Dev was in the middle of a series of interviews when you called. You cut it pretty close, you know. The race starts first thing in the morning. He’s going to be in the wilderness for the next twenty-four days.”
Bo shrugged, returning her attention to him. “If I’d come any sooner, he’d have been too busy to have anything to do with me.”
“You know that’s not true…”
“Yes it is,” Bo said. “I’m not exactly a priority when he’s working.”
Chase sighed, and nodded reluctantly. He covered her hand with his own and gave it a reassuring squeeze. “You know he loves you, Marissa.”
It was Bo’s turn to sigh. “I know.”
“No…he really does love you.”
She smiled up at him and hugged his arm. “I know, Chase.”
Chase lifted his eyebrows and leaned closer to her. “Do you know that I love you?”
Bo nodded with mock seriousness. “I know. I love you, too.”
“Good.” A slow, tender smile touched his lips. “About your cousins,” he said, lowering his voice to a whisper.
“They love me, too.”
“No,” Chase shook his head. “I mean, I’m sure they do but…”
“But what?”
“If Tese is here to see me…is it business or pleasure?”
He glanced back over his shoulder. Catching his eye, Tese stopped her lascivious pantomime and smiled at him with wide-eyed innocence. Gena burst into laughter. Chase’s brow gathered in concern.
“Is money going to have to change hands?” He went on. “I don’t think I can afford a Kiara.”
Bo bit back her smile. “I don’t think they’re working,” she said. “This is a holiday for them.”
“Them?” He looked at Bo in surprise. “Are they…are they both here for…me?”
Bo pursed her lips, battling her humor. She lifted her eyebrows and gave him a non-committal shrug.
“Seriously?”
“You made quite an impression on Tese,” Bo said.
She glanced askance at her cousins, who had fully entered the game with increasingly suggestive gestures, drawing amused looks from people as they passed. Bo coughed behind her hand to hide her laughter. It was a moment before she could speak normally.
