by L. Fergus
“I do want them,” Kita said softly. She stuck her face in the black flowers. A tingle went up her spine as she felt the petals touch her skin and the aroma enter her nose. She sighed. “They even smell right.” She pushed herself up to her feet with her wings and dried herself with a flash of flame.
“I thought you said you told her where to jump and what to do with them,” Rabbit snarled.
“I did,” said Kita. “I told her to hang onto them until I could accept them privately.”
“I thought you hated her!”
“I never said I hated her. Well, I might have, but she understands why. Overall, I like her.” Kita smiled over Rabbit to Cotton.
The Verisom wore a fancy black and white sarong, with laced edges, embroidery, and intricate beadwork. A very complex black and white eye shadow design showed every time she blinked. Her claws were painted black. The insides of her ears were also colored black, and a black bow was tied to the top of her unadorned ear. A necklace of white and black swirled stones mixed with diamonds and onyx sat on the ruff around her neck.
“Wow,” Kita whispered. “I feel so totally underdressed for wherever we’re going.”
“Wait! You’re going to go somewhere with this…this thing?” Rabbit demanded.
“I thought you said you were done with her,” said Lacy.
“I never said that,” Kita snapped. “Come in.” Kita guiding Cotton around Rabbit. “I, ah, Thanks for these.”
“I’m glad you like them enough to dive to the floor for them,” said Cotton with a twinkle in her eye.
“Well, they, ah, did come from you and you said they were hard to get, and I wasn’t about to waste them, and they’re so beautiful and…”
“Kita, babe, take a breath before you pass out,” said Case.
“I, ah, did I say thanks?”
Cotton smiled. “At least three times.”
“She’s not taking them!” Rabbit yelled, yanking the vase from Kita’s hand and spiking it on the floor. “You’re not wanted here, you murderous, backstabbing, nasty Easter bunny from hell. Get out!”
Tears welled up in Kita’s eyes. “I’m sorry,” she whispered to Cotton. She frantically looked for something to put the flowers in.
“No, you’re not,” Rabbit snapped at her. She smashed her boot down on the flowers.
Kita’s mouth hung open as big, silent tears traced down her cheeks. “No,” she whispered. She fell to her knees picking up the smashed flowers.
“What is the matter with you, human?” Cotton snarled at Rabbit, ready to strike.
“I’m sorry. So, sorry,” Kita said, standing up with the broken flowers to Cotton’s angry face. Her face collapsed as she made three phase jumps and vanished into her room.
“Wait,” Cotton called, taking two steps to catch Kita. “I’m not mad at you.” She turned to face Rabbit. The girl stood, arms folded, glaring at the Verisom.
Hawke and Case jumped to their feet to keep them separate. Case dragged Rabbit, swearing, off to her quarters. Hawke positioned himself between Cotton and the sleeping area, without physically touching her.
“You going after her will only be making things worse. Best you let Case handle her,” he suggested. “She’s the most level-headed gal we’ve got.”
Lacy gave him a dirty look.
“And what about Kita?” said Cotton.
Hawke looked over his shoulder at Lacy, who shook her head. He spotted Sarge. “Hey, fluffy, your girl needs you.”
The cat looked up and searched for Kita. He plodded down the hallway with Hawke following. He opened the door enough to let the cat in and winced at the volume from inside.
“Yeah, you might want to come back. She doesn’t sound so good,” Hawke said, returning to Cotton.
“I calmed her last time.”
“Last time?”
“In the communications room. I left before she awoke. We didn’t wish to be caught together like that.”
“I’m surprised you didn’t kill her over that.”
“I’m not worried about Kita and Snowy. Snowy isn’t interested in partnering again.”
Hawke laughed. “And you are? I thought this was just a good time.”
“It is fun. Sometimes, other things come out of a good time.”
“Wait until the ex wants back in.”
The volume from Rabbit’s room increased.
“You did it on purpose!” cried Case.
“I did not,” shrieked Rabbit.
Hawke grinned. “Oh, this is when it gets good.”
“You did too. You don’t like her choosing that bunny over you. And you wanted to punish her for it.”
“I did not. I smashed them so she’d go away.”
“You smashed them to punish Kita. You saw her face. You saw how she acted and how much she loved those flowers. She dove to the ground to save them. She even picked up the destroyed remains to keep. You don’t give a damn if that six-foot good luck charm is here or not. You wanted to make Kita cry like she made you cry.”
“I do not. I want that thing gone. She’s toxic and is just going to mess with Kita’s head like she already has.”
“If Kita wants to spend time with that backstabbing, manipulative bitch, that’s her choice as long as it doesn’t hurt us,” yelled Case.
“That thing is going to mess us all up and get us killed. I’m not allowing that to happen. I was chosen by her sister to guard her. You weren’t. I get to choose who’s good for her and who isn’t.”
“Are you listening to yourself? You’re not her parent or guardian. If anything, it’s the other way around.”
“I’ll do my duty if it kills me!”
“You can’t protect Kita from this. It’s her heart. If she wants it broken, that’s her choice. Same as it was for you. You chose not to tell her, and you’re punishing her for your cowardice.”
“I am not a coward!” screeched Rabbit.
“Yes, you are until you grow a pair and admit it to yourself and to her. You do that and have a sliver of a chance, or you drop it from now until forever.”
“I don’t have to admit anything. I did nothing wrong!”
Rabbit stormed back into the common area. “What are you looking at?” she yelled at everyone in the room.
“I hope you’re not addressing me in such a tone,” said Cotton.
“Go take your stupid, sparkly Easter bunny princess crown and shove it up your diamond crapping ass!” Rabbit screamed as she crashed on the couch. She turned on the screen and cranked the volume.
Case appeared and went to Kita’s room. The volume in the common area dropped.
“Hey!” Rabbit snarled. “Who did that?”
“I did,” said Raph. “I can’t think with it up so loud.”
“Tough, you don’t get a choice,” Rabbit snapped as she hit the sound control.
Hawke snatched the device from her hand. “That’s enough. Be pissed off all you want, but not in here. Go take it to the training room.”
Rabbit huffed. “I don’t need to train. It’s your tired, old ass that needs it.”
“Keep talking, little girl. I may not want to bail your ass out when you need it. If you don’t want to use your energy wisely, go to the bar and get wasted instead.”
“I don’t have to listen to you. I—” Rabbit choked in midsentence.
Kita entered the room with Case smiling by her side. “I hope this is ok,” she whispered.
She wore a variation of the traditional qipao. The double slited skirt came to just above her knees. The sleeveless high collared top was made of black silk and trimmed in white. She wore black tights and boots with a three-inch heel. Her nails were black, tipped with white. She’d wrapped her hair with black and white ribbon into two balls on the top of her head. From the balls, the rest of her hair and ribbon fell down her back. White highlights punctuated her makeup.
Hawke gulped. “Holy hell, honey. What happened to you?”
“Damn,” Lacy gasped.
/> Cross and Raph exchanged questioning looks.
“You’re seriously getting dressed up for this bucktoothed drama whore?” Rabbit cried.
Kita slapped Rabbit lightly. “There are plenty of words that can describe her and me, but that is not one of them. Never use it to describe anyone in my company again,” she said in a soft, measured voice.
She took Cotton’s hand and graciously bowed over it. “Forgive me, Your Highness. She knows not what she does.”
Cotton hesitated as her expression changed from shock to regal. “Apology accepted, Vicereine.” She motioned for Kita to stand. “Come, beautiful bird. I’ve booked us a private table in the senior officers’ lounge.”
Kita smiled. “That sounds wonderful.” She took Cotton’s arm.
Cotton smiled, opened the door, and led Kita out.
“You…you little brat,” Case snapped at Rabbit. “Do you know what she just did?”
“She made a fool of herself.”
“She just took responsibility for your tantrum. She just told royalty that your behavior is her fault. This means if they have a falling out, and Cotton wants to twist a dagger in Kita’s back, she now has a legitimate means of doing so. You just sold Kita to Cotton. Great way to protect her.”
“Huh, what? How do you know they weren’t just fooling around?”
“Come here, Political Bureau Captain,” Case said in an American Southern accent. She pointed to a spot in front of her.
“What game are you playing?”
“Come now, sugar. A woman of my rank in society does not play games. I expect a young captain, who means as much to me as an ant, to obey me when I tell her to.”
Rabbit looked at the others. Everyone looked perplexed, except for Lacy and Auggy. “I don’t have to do what you tell me to.”
“Darling, what I say, goes. This isn’t your little Political Bureau, where you can dress up and scare people like it’s Halloween. For you see, Case isn’t my last name. It’s just short for Casey, which is my first. My last name is actually Bush, darling. Does that help jog your memory?”
Rabbit’s mouth open and closed several times. “You…You…You…You…mean you…you…you…are the…the…”
“I am part of the Emperor’s immediate family. She’s my, oh, how do you say, great grandmother. You might say we’re on a first-name basis. So, I know a thing or two about social protocols and how people like Kita and Cotton think. Because regardless of what you think, people like the three of us, and I’m sure you know who ‘us’ is, are very different than you.
“You see, mayfly, we are born into this. No amount of money or political power can get you in. And if you do shove your nose into our business, sugarplum, we’ll smash you flatter than a June bug, and then just for grins, make you eat your own guts right off the floor. So, you’d best be remembering your place, creampie. Do we have an understanding?”
“Why…Why…Why are you here and not…not…on Earth?”
“Because I hate that accent,” Case said returning to normal. “I was a heavy party girl. I hung out with all the big names on Earth, and I went at it hard. About the time I was sixty, a new girl burst on the scene from Neptune, Jane Gjord. The girl had it all—looks, money, and well-connected parents. She could go anywhere I could. I wasn’t about to have some young bitch muscling in on my turf. So, I took her on. That girl had a carnal appetite like none I’ve ever seen. For a time, she dictated fashion from Neptune, if you can believe it. Then, like that, she vanished fifty years ago. By that time, I was a wreck. I spent a year in rehab and then went back to it. My father issued me an ultimatum: either I straighten up, or he’d cut me off. I pushed the line, and he followed through. Being a daddy’s girl, that’s hard to accept. My so-called ‘friends’ turned me out. After five years of bouncing around, I begged my father to pay for me to become a pilot. He did, as long as I checked in. I’ve been running freighters for years and was one of the first to jump an FTL.”
Rabbit gulped. “So, aren’t they watching you?”
“Not closely. They’ve acted twice in all my years as a pilot to save me. Once, from a rape and battery in the belt, and pulling me, Auggy, Lacy, and a few others from a freighter hit by a rogue meteoroid.”
Hawke smiled. “What do you think they’re thinking about you and big bird?”
“I haven’t even thought about it. My guess is they think Kita kidnapped me because they think she knows who I am.”
“We are so screwed,” Rabbit said at last.
“Don’t be worried, lassy. We be well beyond even the Emperor’s reach,” said Auggy.
“We’re better off worrying about whose reach we’re in,” said Hawke.
“Diamocks don’t seem like a bad sort, just military mad,” said Lacy.
“Kita seems to have a very stable relationship with them,” said Case.
“And those damn bunnies?” said Hawke.
Case shrugged. “We’ll either have a great ally with them or sworn enemies. We’d better hope the power couple stays stable.”
“Which means you need to calm yourself, lass,” said Auggy to Rabbit.
“But…”
“You’re not the one for her,” Raph said, causing everyone to turn. “The protagonist never goes for the one they should. In the end, it’s either: change the rebel, loving and losing, or switch to the right one for them if the right one’s still there, and in rare storylines they end up alone. If you want to be the right one, you have to be there for her, even when it hurts. After an epiphany of some sort, they’ll see their error and change to what’s right for them.”
“And what are the odds Kita sticks with the mean, nasty bitch she fell for in the beginning?” said Lacy.
“I’ve never read a book that ended like that.”
“This is real life, kid,” said Hawke. “People don’t change like that.”
“Well, as much fun as this is, this old man needs to get some rack time,” said Auggy as he left.
“That sounds like a good idea, people,” said Hawke. “I suggest we all get some rest. Come on, Cross. Time to hit the racks.”
“Coming, Sarge,” Cross said, getting up from the table. “Good luck, Captain.”
Rabbit groaned. “If my job couldn’t have gotten any worse. Besides helping a Political Bureau fugitive, I’m aiding the kidnapping of a member of the Emperor’s family. How am I supposed to keep you both safe?” Jupiter came and head-butted her toward the hallway. “Wouldn’t you rather wait with Sarge?” she said. The cat pushed her toward her room. “Ok, fine. Goodnight,” said Rabbit. “And please don’t die.”
Case smirked. “I won’t. The rest of you should get some sleep.”
Lacy yawned as she was already at the door.
“Come on, Raph,” Case ordered.
“Let me finish…” the teenager pleaded.
“If I do that we’ll be here for three more cycles,” she said, gently taking him by the hand and ushering him to the door.
“What about you?”
“I need some alone time.”
Kita opened the door to her quarters, humming merrily to herself. The lights turned on automatically for her. She took a deep breath and giggled quietly. She hadn’t felt this good since escaping Angelica.
“Sounds like you had an enjoyable date,” Case said from a chair on the far side of the room, facing away from Kita.
“What are you doing awake?” said Kita. “You should have been asleep four hours ago, not that I’m telling you what to do.”
Case spun around, holding up a panel. “Just some light reading on the upgrades the dogs did to Dallas.”
Kita smiled playfully. “Light reading?”
“It’s incredible. Generations ahead of our most advanced stuff.”
“Well, try and get some sleep. The next cycle starts in six hours.”
“What about you?” said Case. “Are you going to sleep?”
“No. I’m going to get changed and return to the bridge. Like you, I have
light reading to do.”
“Do you ever sleep?”
“About every two weeks or so for almost a cycle.”
“Wow, that must be nice and incredibly lonely.”
Kita shrugged. “When I lived with the other Angels it wasn’t a problem. Right now, it’s helpful. I have extra hours to learn all I can.”
“Speaking of learning all I can, how was your date tonight? You look stunning. I’ve never seen a look like that.”
Kita’s cheeks heated up. “Thank you. It’s a modified version of the traditional female dress for members of the Assassin’s Guild.”
“Assassin's Guild? Another interesting story, I'm sure." Case smiled, giving Kita a look that said she wanted to know more later. "That’s impressive needlework. I can’t believe those bodysuits can make something like that. Can I see the back?”
“It took four suits to do this,” said Kita as she turned around.
“I love the hair. What’s with the jewel and rosette in the corners?”
“It’s a symbol that represents two of my loves. I wish I knew their names.” Kita turned back around. “The snow leopard and the bird are for my other two.”
“Snowy is the leopard?”
Kita nodded.
“So details,” Case ordered.
“Nothing overwhelming. A light dinner, conversation, we sat and watched the stars, drinks, and a quick kiss goodnight.”
“No five-hour romp?”
“No. Things are turning more serious. We know how good the other is in bed. We’re deciding if we’re truly compatible or just combustible.”
“Wow, that’s fast.”
“Maybe I just want to know before she stops being a passenger aboard my ship.”
“I hope she feels the same way.”
“She does. I was really surprised when she said she was interested in me beyond someone to play games with.”
“I’ve never had the opportunity to fall in love.”
“Why not?”
Case pulled a chair over next to hers. “Come, sit. I’ve got something to tell you that might explain it all.”
Kita took the chair warily. The woman’s sudden change in tone and demeanor worried her. She sat down, crossed her legs as she leaned back, and opened her wings to a relaxed position. “I hope you’re not going to tell me you want to go home. I don’t know if I can get Dallas close enough without endangering my ship.”
