2. Chapter Two

1week, 2 hours, 44 minutes EST remaining As soon as they left her lab, Mari clasped Crey's hand, towing him to her room.

"You know of the feud between our races?" He adjusted his grasp of her hand, so his finger was against the pulse on her wrist again.

"Yes. Everyone knows. Nobody knows why. I assume your races have a history?"

Their races' home-planets were in close proximity. Thalaris and Gaiia were only a system apart. Their races even looked a lot alike. In a dim light, without seeing the marks on a Thalarin's neck, they could be mistaken for each other. The high cheekbones and sculpted facial features matched. Instead of being hues of green, Thalarins were a dull gray. Their coloring contributed to Mari's opinion that they resembled moving statues. The intractability and coldness of their expressions enhanced that impression. On their necks, the marks of no-longer-functioning gills were visible. Thalaris had once been a waterworld. Even the two race's languages sounded enough alike that they understood each other, without a translation.

Had familiarity bred contempt? No one knew. The universe was only aware of their mutual loathing, which burnt hot with the fire of a thousand suns.

"It is more than a history. They are responsible for the intended genocide of my people."

She stopped. "Genocide?"

"The disease." He nodded at the corridor. "We must go."

"Yes, okay." She resumed walking. "But, keep talking." They reached her quarters. Mari opened the door, dragging her "intended" in. Once the door had slid shut behind him, she unclasped their hands, reluctantly, and hurried to pack a bag.

"Using a Gaiian-specific biotoxin, Thalarins poisoned the water on our planet and at outposts. Hired mercenaries used drones to burrow down and inject the toxin." Crey touched one of her assigned pillows, poking it with a finger. "It was exceptionally transmissible, contaminating every surface it came in contact with and, eventually, developed into the disease that your father's discovery cured. This bioweapon killed about two-thirds of our population on Gaiia and our colonies."

Wow. She kept packing, but it was difficult. Thalarins had done that.

"We have since treated all our water sources; though, we will never again use the aquifer which originally contained the toxin. Gaiia was closed to outsiders. Those who infiltrated on behalf of the Thalarins were hunted and executed. As we are an affluent race, we could have other races searching for a cure as we hunted." He paused. "Then, your father discovered the diastratorphium, and he refused the reward we had posted."

"My father liked puzzles and helping people." Her father was brilliant, but, more than that, he was a good person and a great father. Mari had, occasionally, felt guilty that she didn't tell everyone of their connection and what he had done. "He also preferred anonymity." It was a way she consoled that guilt.

"His name was rarely mentioned due to that. It seems the All Father enabled his wish for anonymity. There have been changes since then in our medical research. At the time, our resilient nature proved to be part of our downfall. We did not have the advancements in this type of medical science that other races do. We have since seen the wisdom in funding that research."

"Does the Allegiance know the Thalarins did this?"

"It is known by some they set the disease in motion; however, we did not reveal the method or provide them with proof."

"Why not?" The information would make everyone furious on their behalves. She was furious. "The Allegiance could have punished them."

"Attaining our vengeance is not the charge of the Allegiance. Additionally, those confined to their home-planet, such as the women and the children, are blameless in this and should not suffer for their sake. Many live cruelly oppressed on Thalaris. To take part in that would make us no better than them."

"But the universe should know how potentially dangerous they are, especially since I've heard Thalarin carriers are showing up all over." She wouldn't add that she had "just" heard about the carriers.

"There is already extensive proof of their potential. The Thalarins annihilated the Brfinians long before they targeted my people."

"Brfinians?"

"They once inhabited the saltlands of Gethora."

In everything she'd read, Gethora was considered a dead world, inhabitant-wise. The salt mined there was exceptionally valuable. She'd assumed the planet had always been uninhabited, much like Casa, since the Thalarins were the ones mining it.

"Thalarins murdered them?" Mari threw more items into the bag.

"Yes. The Brfinians were a warring native tribe—land-bound. They were many generations from advanced machinery, let alone space travel. They considered Gethora's salt mines to be sacred. However, Thalarins create their fuel cells from their salt. Rather than strike an accord to purchase salt, the Thalarins acidically-bombed the planet's surface, destroying all their crops. The Allegiance had not yet begun protecting land-bound cultures or preventing the extinction of lifeforms. They did not guard the rights of dwarf planets and moons as they do today, principally. The Brfinians were gone within a few Earthen months."

"That's horrible. No one in nearby systems tried to stop them?"

"Communication was not ideal in the early days of the Allegiance. Their extermination was discovered afterward when the Thalarins boasted of their act. The Allegiance's Enforcer squads were not a widespread force. A reprisal may have destroyed the newly-formed Allegiance's framework." His expression was pragmatic as he added, "Plus, Brfinians were gone."

"I guess I can understand that. It's still horrible." She threw every bit of clothing she came across into the bag. She'd find a use for whatever she packed. As long as Mari had a few of the one-piece, all-purpose suits everyone wore, she should be fine.

Mari stared into her bag.

Or she could wear something else—clothes that weren't so functional. No. No time for worrying about what to wear. This desire to be fashionable was ridiculous. She was in danger for crying out loud. Mari hurried to the cleansing room and added several hygiene and medicinal products.

"Yes. It was a practical solution in the Thalarins' minds," Crey said. "That is where they differ from our race. We are aggressive, but fair, and we do not prey on those weaker, without provocation. It is as the Greater Beings wanted. Thalarin males revel in serving the Dark One. It could be said that extinction would be kinder to those of their own race, such as the women living on Thalaris, whom they subjugate and subvert." His mood was sinking fast. Crey nearly kicked her left mag boot charger as he began pacing.

Mari tried to change the tone…lighten the mood. "On Old Earth and among the devout of the colony Zione, the evil figure who rules their hell was known as the devil or Satan."

Crey paused, diverted. "What do these devouts call the people of those races? The Satans, in particular, are a peaceful tree-dwelling nation."

"They try not to think about it, I believe." Moving into the main living space, Mari opened her "emergency storage" box of granola bars and dumped the contents into her bag. "I'm ready."

He examined her. "May I have permission to touch your waist and entire right arm? It may be imperative to secure your safety given the upcoming attack."

Permission? Odd. "Yes. You can touch whatever." Mari met him at the door.

"I will continue to ask." He clasped her hand. "You gave consent earlier when we did the Earthen handshake." Crey's expression suggested he believed she might revoke her permission.

"You still have it. Also, I trust you with my entire right arm and my waist." They should possibly have a conversation about this once they were safe.

Taking the packed bag from her, Crey pulled Mari from her quarters and set a quick pace straight through the ship.

"Why did the Thalarins go after your race?" she asked as they reached the cargo hold. "No one else would dare piss off a whole lot of Gaiians."

"This is true. It is why they did not meet us in battle, and, instead, defiled our waters. As the Thalarins grew more populous, the Prime Allegiance recognized they would need to protect the dwarf planets and moons in the universe to prevent another incident like Gethora. They decided, since Gaiians had trade agreements with an extensive amount of races, we should take a more substantial role in designing and implementing this guardianship. At the time, we had many mated couples and were thriving. As the mate bond subdues the aggression within us, these mated couples interacted with greater diplomacy and devised better strategies for expansion of the Gaiian empire. Our force and influence were so absolute that none defied us."

Though this had occurred before her birth, she'd known the Gaiian race, when more populous, had established a commanding presence in "running" the universe. After the disease spread, they were busy with their own race, and that was that. She had not known the mate bond affected them so drastically, but Crey was definitely less intense than every other Gaiian she'd encountered.

Crey continued, "The implied supposition was that, as the most powerful race in the universe, we would, additionally, help the Allegiance deal with the second most powerful race in exchange for favorable trade laws."

"The Thalarins?"

"Yes. We had handled them previously when they had overreached. Then, the Thalarins, likely in league with corrupt forces within the Allegiance itself, decided we needed to be suppressed. The bioweapon was deployed. My people died in vast numbers. In particular, we lost a substantial amount of mated Gaiians. We withdrew to rebuild our population."

"Mated Gaiians are that different?" she asked as they disembarked on the gangplank.

Crey sent her a look. "We are driven by our warrior nature. We contend aggressively for what we need, and we keep it, at any cost. This outpost is Gaiian, and we will defend Bogarta to the death. Among the unmated, this is our primary focus—the drive to acquire for our clans and to defend our possessions, people, and way of life. After the bond, our minds are able to conceive of much broader goals."

Crey carved a path through the scurrying crowds and bots on Bogarta's streets. There were several methods of travel through the city, such as the moving platforms, which ran on fixed paths, or the hoverbikes, which only Gaiians used in Bogarta. Most Gaiians seemed to prefer stalking everywhere.

The streets were busy. They passed several shop owners dragging their wares inside the salt-clay buildings. People were also headed toward their ships in the port, but their pace was almost leisurely.

In another town, panic would be rampant on the streets if an attack was imminent. In Bogarta, traders calmly pulled in carts and crates, and some drew down metal doors to protect their shop front. That was it. Hells, there were people inside buildings casually chatting with others, waiting this incursion out, as if it was nothing.

Crey strode on, stopping only to snarl at a fellow Gaiian when his cart of purple crystals crossed their path.

The Gaiian ducked his head and murmured in their language before hurrying off.

"Was he mated?" she asked when they were out of earshot.

Crey glanced over his shoulder. "Canah? No. He does not deserve to be blessed with a mate. His greed outpaces his subtlety. I cannot believe he brought his famton stock through here. He will be dirked in an alley, possibly by his clan, if he does not reconsider his actions."

That was famton? During her apprenticeship, Mari was tested after every shore excursion for famton-use. When joining with the exploratory ship, she'd been warned that close quarters prevented anyone from successfully hiding a famton habit, and she would be dismissed if this was a problem. "He wasn't aggressive, so I assumed he was mated."

"He would not dare with me, and you are worth more to our race than a ship full of famton."

Before she could ask for an explanation, Crey abruptly twisted, grabbed her waist, and tossed Mari onto a nearby roof. It was all she could do to suppress a squeak when she landed on the thick shingles. Crey handed her the pack he'd been carrying and drew a sword from a back sheath under his tunic. The blade and handle were a muted black the color of shadow. Crey walked around with a sword sheathed on his back?

Opposite her roof seat, four figures exited a dark alley. Their black cloaks shrouded tall and muscular forms that could be any number of races, even Gaiian. As one, they threw their hoods off.

Mari gasped.

Thalarins. Four Thalarins were on the streets of Bogarta.

Up above the Thalarins, on a roof opposite Mari, another Gaiian appeared. Good. Crey would have backup.

Crey nodded at the Gaiian woman across the way. "It is not necessary, Anee."

She turned and left, disappearing as quickly as she'd appeared.

He was sending help away?

Crey was below her, facing the Thalarins. Alone.

Mari looked around her. Where was a bloody used stick when you needed it?

Tapping behind his ear, Crey said in a com, "Nathe, I will need an additional three shifts." He paused, listening. "I will handle this myself. Just a delay." Crey ended the com and turned his attention to her. "All is well, Mari. You may trust me with your safety."

The four Thalarins stalked forward. They were Crey's size and likely armed to the teeth. He was outnumbered.

"I do trust you." He had this. If he didn't, she would jump on top of the Thalarins and beat them to death with her fists. But, he had this.

This wasn't the first time Mari had seen Thalarins; although, the previous times certainly hadn't been in Bogarta. After hearing more about their history, Mari wanted to throat-punch each and every one of them. Bogarta brought out her violent side. These rat bastards had attempted to kill Crey's entire race, and, now, they were threatening him. Grr.

The words, which they were saying as they approached, must have been insults if Crey's stiff posture was anything to go by.

As the group surrounded Crey in a half-circle, the leading Thalarin said something and gestured at Mari. Were they planning to kill her or take her captive? It didn't matter, because Crey wouldn't let them.

Mari took a deep breath. It would be fine. Crey would get them out of this. He would. He was confident they'd be leaving shortly when he'd commed that Nathe person.

Crey snarled back at the leader and, without further discussion, lopped off the man's head with his sword.

Mari covered her mouth with her hands, smothering her shocked cry.

The remaining Thalarins were as stunned as she was. Unmoving, they watched their leader's body fall to the ground. His black blood spread like an oil spill across the salty ground.

Crey took advantage of their wonder to lop off another head.

Mari squeaked in surprise and, okay, horror—a lot of horror. There were two damn heads on the ground, and, now, another slumped body.

The remaining Thalarins reached for weapons while backing up. Crey was faster. With his left hand, Crey drew a blaster and shot them both through where Mari assumed their hearts were. Their bodies fell. Thud. Thud. Four Thalarins—all dead—in the middle of a Bogartan street. The vast quantity of blood from their bodies pooled together before being absorbed by Casa's salt.

Leaning down, Crey wiped his blade on the lead Thalarin's cloak before sheathing the sword. Flipping the headless corpse over to search, he uncovered a compact blaster. He examined the weapon briefly before pocketing it. He was impressively efficient and indifferent when looting the dead. That was probably a necessary skill learned in Bogarta. Crey also didn't step in the pool of blood—that was her goal. She would act nonchalant about decapitated corpses and not step in blood.

After scavenging a few more items, he turned around.

Mari pasted on her "I'm totally cool with all this because I'm a badass" expression.

"That took less time than expected." Putting his hands at her waist, Crey brought her down from the roof. He took her bag from her unresisting fingers. "They did not have their weapons in hand. Fools. Why they thought they would get a fistfight in Bogarta is confounding."

"There's an Old Earth saying, ‘Never bring a knife to a blasterfight,' which seems appropriate here." She was handling this amazingly well—staggeringly well. Four nearby corpses were bleeding out, but she wasn't panicking. Hells no. She was badassing, with her badass self.

"They did not have their weapons out when I had a blade in hand. That is both arrogant and stookt." He clasped Mari's hand, drawing her forward. As they continued rushing toward their destination, Crey showed her the blaster he'd taken from the corpse. "I noticed you did not bring a blaster. This will fit your hands better than anything I have in my ship. They have highly-advanced weaponry and smaller hands than Gaiians."

Mari cast a glance over her shoulder. People of all races were emerging from buildings to pick through the corpses' belongings. Bogarta was so Bogarta at times.

"They had small hands?" When they'd been threatening Crey, they hadn't looked small.

"Very small. The size of Gaiian children's hands," he assured her.

Hmm. Admittedly, she hadn't seen many Gaiian children on the streets of Bogarta. They could have enormous hands.

As if sensing her doubt, Crey added vehemently, "They are deficient in many ways when compared to Gaiians, despite slight superficial similarities. They are small in all ways."

Mari snorted, bringing a quick smile to Crey's face, and, hells, he was even more irresistible when he did that.

Crey tapped a button on the side of the blaster. "Push this to unlock the safety. It will take a moment to charge. You have fired a blaster?"

Mari nodded emphatically. "Not all lifeforms encountered when exploring on planets are friendly. But I have only ever killed beings with a sentience classification under 3."

Well, other than Pilfers. Apparently.

But nobody liked Pilfers!

"Sentience does not vastly impact what it will take to kill them; therefore, this deficit will not hinder your aim." Crey handed her the blaster. "Head shots are best if you are unsure of other vulnerabilities."

"Good to know." What else did one say to this? Mari tucked the blaster into one of her suit's side pockets which had easy access. Her clothing did have a lot of pockets, and that was okay. That was fine. She was dressed fine.

Crey turned into an alley, headed toward an unassuming stone doorway. He slapped a hand on the stone beside the door, which registered his biosignature. This was another instance of understated advanced technology in the port.

The outpost's buildings were typically made with compressed salt or rusted salvage from ships. It wasn't until someone stepped through a doorway that they saw more advanced and occasionally illegal technology. Even Casa's biodomes looked dull on the exterior. The domes were enclosed with frosted glass because the light from the nearby-reflected salt plains was too intense with the two suns factored in.

"Where are we going?" They were in the middle of the city, but he'd said they were going off-planet.

"To my ship," Crey said as the door opened. Casting a glance behind them, he pulled her into the murky light beyond the door.

It was a good thing she trusted him.

His intended was stoic. Other than a squeaky noise when he had killed those blighted Thalarins, Mari had been quiet and handled it. She also had not balked at accepting the dead man's blaster. Not that Crey was testing her in any way. If he had been testing her, she had exceeded any expectations he might have had.

Every aspect of her exceeded his expectations—her mind, her tenacity, and, of course, her physical form. Mari's diminutive hands were callused by the effects of her job, yet they still felt as soft as flower petals in his hand. Her skin was pleasurable to touch. Her entire form aroused his senses, but it appealed to his spirit too. Crey wanted intimacy, but he also desired to protect her.

Crey nearly groaned as his body warmed with arousal. This new form his aggression had taken—lust—could be controlled with Crey's awakened mate-gentled side, if he stopped thinking about his Earthen's body.

They arrived at the caged platforms, and he motioned her inside.

"There is more underneath Bogarta than I realized," Mari said.

After receiving their destination, the platform skimmed alongside the walkway rapidly. Taking a platform made grasping Mari's hand unnecessary, but he was gratified she did not immediately release his hand.

"We're going deeper underground." Excitement was evident in her voice. "The air is chilled and tastes like the spray of the oceans from my homeworld, Lacidasia."

"Yes. My ship is docked inside a former aquifer. My home is carved into the compacted salt and overlooks an aquifer." He would show her when they returned. If she accepted the mate bond, it would be her home also. That thought brought warmth to his chest.

Her hand briefly squeezed his tighter in anticipation, increasing that warmth inside him. "I never imagined all this was down here. I had wondered where all your residences are because I've seen more Gaiians than buildings. Bogarta is a big place, but nearly every building is a business."

As if Gaiians would live in the wind-blasted, miniscule buildings aboveground, or let the visitors in Bogarta know that ornate dwellings filled with the Gaiians' acquired wealth were below the planet's surface.

They passed by an open area overlooking one of their aquifers.

"It's beautiful." Mari's awed expression pleased him. "Where does the light come from?"

The aquifer's water, which was surrounded by sharp crystallized salt, was well lit, despite the lack of structure-supplied luminescence.

"Casa's salt has a unique crystalline structure that reflects light from the surface as deep as several floors." His current dwelling required only light during Casa's dark hours, even at the fourth level below the surface.

"The light makes the salt surrounding the aquifers shine like Earthen diamonds."

"Would you like a diamond made from Casa salt? They are very sought-after; however, I have many." Crey faced her.

Mari's eyes were the exact color of the aquifer, a crystalline blue. Her eyes shone brighter than any diamond, as her excitement made his Earthen's features more compelling.

Mari shook her head. "What would I do with a diamond?"

Her words gave him a moment's apprehension. What could he offer to a woman who did not value the items his accumulated wealth could provide?

He was Gaiian. He would find a way to make her eyes sparkle like the nearby aquifer for him.

They rounded the corner and entered the underground port. The aquifer it was in had dried up long before his people had colonized Casa, but the compacted salt left behind was as strong as any metal found in the universe.

Mari gasped. "I can't believe all of this was below the surface. It's like an entire other city."

Essentially this was true, and it was twice as large as what was above the surface.

"Whose ships are these?" Mari asked.

"They belong to members of my clan and Nathe's clan." Other clans in Bogarta had separate ports.

"Which one is yours?"

Crey pointed at his ships, opposite them in the port. "Those three, with the green tint to the metal."

The platform stopped, and they returned to the walkway.

"You have three ships? Why would one person have three spaceships?"

"They serve different purposes." He had used each one for a different reason this orbit. Also, changing ships occasionally prevented his enemies from associating a single ship or energy signature with him. It was logical for him to have three ships. He needed three ships. Also, he really enjoyed having three ships. "We will take the closest one to the stairs. It is the fastest, and a single person can control both navigation and defense. I am assuming you do not know how to fly a ship?"

"Fly? No. I'm hoping, as a captain, that you do. I dig in dirt and study plant life. Just before we docked, I was pressing moss and fertilizer into a biome for a rare fern. I was also singing to the fern. Plants enjoy being sung to."

He would enjoy hearing her singing to plants.

"So, you're an okay pilot?" Mari raised her eyebrows.

"I am the most skilled pilot of your acquaintance. I can guarantee this." Somewhere in the universe, there may be someone more skilled than him—plausibly.

"Oh good." She breathed out an exaggerated huff of relief. "Had me worried there, Crey."

He smiled. Crey had never smiled this much. "I have told you I will protect you, and I am prepared to do so. That includes this partly-unanticipated departure from Casa."

"Only partly-unanticipated?"

"I prepared for six hundred and twenty-three obstructions to our courtship. This was one such plan, as was the entire planet detonating from a subterranean explosion. Should that have occurred, we would be forced to steal your captain's exploratory ship. That vessel's hull was rated high for the type of particle impact you might expect from Casa. I checked beforehand. It was not an ideal solution. The ship's control board is difficult to navigate single-handedly, but few exploratory-class vessels were designed to be piloted by a single individual."

"I'm sorry, but did you just say that you were prepared for the planet to explode?"

"Yes." It would have been remiss of him not to prepare for all scenarios.

"Oh. No wonder you took getting attacked just now in stride. If you prepare for a planet exploding, that's nothing."

"Being attacked on Bogarta's streets is not uncommon." It was essentially "nothing." Not being attacked during a light-cycle left Crey feeling incomplete, as if he had been forgotten by the rough city itself.

The more Mari spoke of the outpost, though, the greater Crey's certainty grew that she felt a connection. Mari's belief that Bogarta was safe must be an indication she felt a form of the mate bond. Bogarta was proudly ranked in the top ten most dangerous places in the universe by the Allegiance.

Admittedly, Bogarta's designation for being perilous had been weighing on his mind since they had met. There were far safer locations for his mate to reside. Joining her ship had seemed ideal. However, with the Thalarins' aggressive incursion into the Gaiian's domain, his Earthen might not be safe on the exploratory ship either. Crey swore under his breath.

While being mated to Mari had many advantages for him, it could not be said that she would be as fortuitous should she accept the bond. His Earthen did not value material objects, and she would be hunted by his enemies. Possibly forever.

Perhaps he should convert a room in his ship into a lab. Mari could continue her work, which she needed for her happiness. He would consider this possibility when formulating plans.

Crey's databand pinged, just as they were descending the stairs to the docking floor. "We have less than two shifts to exit Bogarta's shield."

Mari jumped the last three stairs and ran toward the ship, tugging him behind her. "C'mon, hurry, Crey." She amused him greatly at times.

Arriving at the ship, Crey pressed his hand against the ship's hull, registering his biosignature. He had purposefully chosen a ship with a forward entrance located in the bridge. Quick exits from various planets were a frequent occurrence among his race. After entering, they rushed across the bridge and fastened into their seats.

"I can take instructions if you give them," Mari said as she was buckling the various harnesses.

"That is, uh, good to know." Crey squeezed his hand into a fist before mentally banishing the feeling of her wonderfully-soft skin. He needed to concentrate, but she was making it difficult with comments such as that.

"I meant pertaining to this instrument panel." She cast him a glance.

Crey engaged the thrusters, warming them. "You were solely referring to that?" He retracted the docking gear, detaching from the port, as he activated the thrusters.

"Basically. I'm very stubborn, even if I don't look like it."

Crey swiveled and reached above him, activating the bay doors, before returning his hands to the controls. The ship began its ascent. The autopilot could do this, but Crey preferred greater control when possible, especially as evasive maneuvers were likely in their future.

He answered an incoming com from Nathe on the ship's system. "Yes."

"We have incoming,"Nathe said. "I would not take a direct route."

"What does that mean?" Mari asked.

Nathe paused before addressing Mari. "Greetings, uh, Doctor, I am your intended's clansmate, Nathe."

"Hello, Nathe. Call me Mari please. Will these incoming ships be landing or firing on Bogarta? All my crewmates are in town."

"We are currently sending a strong message to the approaching Thalarins, courtesy of your intended's credits. Additionally, the city's shield is robust and our artillery towers have advanced targeting systems."

Nearby in the port, several clansmates rushed to their ships. Their eagerness to protect the city was personal now. Bonding to Mari had changed the way he saw many things.

"I am taking my shield break." Crey increased speed the moment he cleared the port's bay while also activating their cloaking.

"Cutting it close,"Nathe noted.

Indeed, the shield was shutting as he slipped through the low exit to cruise along the saltlands. "It is more exciting that way."

Mari shook her head. "As if the rest of this was totally normal."

Crey and Nathe remained silent. It was not abnormal.

"Oh my dark stars, this is normal?" Mari's eyes widened at this.

"It is not completely unheard of. Though, typically, those attacking are not Thalarin. That and why they are attacking is unusual."Nathe was speaking less abruptly. His speech was different—changed.

"Are you well?" Crey asked him.

"I have found your intended's captain. Going on the ship will not be a problem. Logistics of my future onboard that ship might be interesting."

Hmm.

"What does that mean?" Mari was looking between Crey and the com speaker on the control board.

"I will definitely make certain your captain and her crew are safe,"Nathe said, "…especially your captain, for the foreseeable future. I have your soon-to-be mate to thank for that."

"I am not paying you to guard the Beagle for the rest of your existence." Excellent. This new development was amusing and a source of shared elation. His clansmate had bonded. Additionally, Nathe would protect the exploratory vessel, allowing Crey to focus on Mari.

"Considering the Earthen captain's first response was to punch me in the face when she assumed I was being overprotective; I would say that I am the one who will be paying for the rest of my life."Nathe's speech had been affected by his clear mind to a greater extent than Crey's own. Nathe was considered "light-hearted" among Gaiians, and that may have factored into this change.

"I would present it to her more positively than that," Crey advised. He cut the com line. He and his clansmate would soon be engaged in fighting the enemy and needed to concentrate. "I have told everyone not to refer to you by name if there is a chance they may be overheard or their messages intercepted."

"Oh." Her response was disappointed. Interesting. Though, he had enjoyed her use of his shortened name, so perhaps that was not entirely surprising.

An alert began pinging as two indistinct shapes in the planet's lower atmosphere changed their path and skimmed the saltlands in the wake of his ship. Due to his advanced operating system, his monitoring was already breaking through the incoming ships' cloaking.

Crey's cloaking was superior, but the activation of both the ship's shield and cloaking left behind an energy signature. Additionally, moving objects were difficult to cloak effectively. He could have activated both systems while in the hangar, but he wanted to deal with those hunting his ship immediately. Even if the Thalarins had not seen the flash of his energy signature, they still would have sent ships in this direction, assuming Crey might take this path. It was a strategic conclusion, and Thalarins had not had such great success in annihilating his people through incompetence.

From the readings he was receiving, fifteen ships were preparing to fire on the city's shield—thinking, foolishly, they had the element of surprise. Half Bogarta's trade was clandestine. In an unlikely scenario where the clans had not recorded their approach, the smugglers who frequented the port also had sophisticated monitoring technology and would have reacted, forewarning them.

Crey's ship-linked monitoring alerted him five clansmates had left the underground docks. With Thalarins, Nathe would keep the bounty strictly to Gaiians. Between those ships and the turrets, that would be enough of a reprisal.

In the distance, ground artillery fired upon the incoming ships. The city's shield would repulse single point intrusions and large objects—missiles and the ships themselves, but if any of them were destroyed above the city, smaller pieces would pass through. It was the nature of shields.

Proximity warnings flashed on his control panel as the ships following them advanced, drawing Crey's attention to their own battle.

"We have Thalarin ships following us," Crey warned Mari. "It is nothing my ship's defenses cannot handle." He cleared his throat. "If anything should happen to me…"

"Nothing will happen to you. It can't. I won't allow it." She pointed at him, determinedly. "Don't jinx it." Mari twisted in the seat, searching around her. "Where's all your damn wood to knock on?"

"Wood?"

"Never mind. Just don't jinx it."

"I will endeavor not to." He would study "jinxing" later. "However, you should know who I am, and why this attack is occurring."

She swallowed. "Go on."

Crey made swift adjustments on the control panel, while steering with one hand. The utter serenity of his features, as if they weren't being pursued by enemy ships, soothed the butterflies in her stomach. Crey pushed several buttons and slammed a lever forward. "I am not a typical Gaiian."

"Crey, I have never thought that," she said, relaxing further.

He glanced at her briefly, almost smiling. "You are aware that all Gaiian outposts and our home-planet are run by clans?"

Mari nodded.

"I am what is called a first son. Do you know what this is?"

"You're one of the clans' leaders?" The captain had needed that approval from a "first son" to get through the shield.

"Yes. Each clan of a significant size or influence has a first child representing them. After the disease ravaged our population, some clans joined larger clans or lacked either the wealth or power to have a first child of Gaiia. My clan, while diminished in size, is exceptionally wealthy."

"The captain mentioned that."

"When?" Crey frowned.

"As we were completing docking. It was when she said you would be coming aboard as a crewmate."

The frown dissolved. "Yes. Each outpost or stronghold has a ruling first child in place who can make decisions on behalf of all the clans. I am that individual for Bogarta. I am not only a first son of Bogarta, I am the first son."

Whoa. She was with the first son of Bogarta. "Did you grant our ship entry that first time six months ago?"

"I did. The mate bond had already begun to affect me; though, I did not recognize it as such. I was in my residence when the tower commed me to approve landing of an Earthen exploratory ship. I considered having someone bring whatever was required to your ship in orbit. I anticipated…"

"Having to deal with a lot of corpses?"

"Yes. Instead, I approved it and, then, I was drawn to the planet's surface. I intended to observe this exploratory crew who had dared port in Bogarta. That is when I found you—in an alley fight. It was…unusual." He quickly added, "I mean, bonding to you was unusual."

"I figured as much. I'd guessed an alley fight was same old same old for Bogarta when I found a stick to use that was already bloody."

"Same old same old?"

"Normal."

"I see." His expression indicated he was storing the expression in his memory.

It was sweet that he had not only learned English for her, but his study of her language was ongoing. Most guys she'd dated would have ignored portions of her conversation they didn't understand. He was actively trying to learn. He probably wouldn't even complain if she talked about her work, as her last boyfriend had. She'd kicked that boyfriend to the curb after he'd interrupted her explanation about why she'd earned a prestigious award to say, "Stop it, Mar. You know I don't care about that plant shit." Nope. Done. Gone.

Returning to the present, Mari asked, "So, what determines someone's rank as a first child? Birth order?"

"Not entirely. Rank is based upon what you can do for the Gaiian people, but this may be based on birth order. Prior to my father's death, he was a first son. I took his place. An older sibling may have been considered first, unless I was more skilled or had formed a mate bond. There are many variables that determine a ranking within a clan."

"But your ranking among Gaiians is why the Thalarins are attacking?"

"In part. Though, it is not solely my ranking among Gaiians. Two orbits ago, I took the Allegiance's piloting captain's exam after hearing the testing was quite difficult. Without any formal training, I passed easily. I am a wealthy first son, a captain, and I have formed a mate bond with a respected Earthen."

His words made her cheeks flush with heat. She was a "respected Earthen." She was making a name for herself in botany, but no one had referred to her as a "respected Earthen" before.

"The mate bond has cleared my mind, and I have already looked beyond Bogarta and begun to influence Allegiance legislation. I have learned a phrase in my study of English: ‘the tide has turned.'" He glanced her way.

"I am familiar with it."

"That has occurred and not in an insignificant way. I did not tell other Gaiians that you are the daughter of the botanist who saved my people. I wanted us to have peace this interval. They know you as an Earthen doctor of botany, and that is enough to earn their respect."

Aw, that was so nice. "When they find out, what will happen?"

"Among more superstitious races, it would already be seen as a sign that I have formed an alliance with an intelligent Earthen, but your historical significance is noteworthy. However, Gaiians are not superstitious."

"Of course not," she agreed, outwardly. They must be slightly superstitious if he recognized this.

"Your ancestral heritage would grant me additional influence and be indicative of Gaiians returning to prominence. I am more diplomatic, influential, and powerful than a first child of Gaiia has been in many orbits—possibly since the Prime Allegiance's formation."

"Diplomatic?" He had ordered Clorto off the ship.

"Yes. Those in government do what I wish after I have shown them it is preferable to do so."

"Ah, yes, if that is your definition of diplomacy, I can see that." That might have been Captain Ockler's definition too.

Crey nodded, as if this was the sole definition. "Additionally, Bogarta is viewed as the most powerful Gaiian stronghold, more so than even those on Gaiia. Before we met and prior to me passing the captain's exam, I was considered sixth in place to be the next All Ruler—typically called the All Father or All Mother. That position is only held by someone who is mated, therefore I was not eligible. If you accept the mate bond, I will be."

Whoa. That was… Whoa.

He examined a screen beside him before leaning to punch a button in front of her.

She didn't remind him she could take direction, as that had veered into dangerous territory last time.

A blast sounded as the ship surged forward. Mari gripped the chair's armrests. Was that a hit on the ship's shield? Had they been hit? Crey wasn't panicking.

"That was a poorly-executed strategy," Crey said calmly.

A loud explosion occurred behind them—the sound transmitted through the viewscreen.

Mari spun around, as if she could see through the distant hull's end. "What was that?"

Crey activated a smaller screen, which appeared beside Mari and displayed the rear view from the ship.

Through a billowing haze from a ship's smoking remains on the salt, the outline of another vessel appeared. The remaining ship's image was a glitching haze, but the fuzzy ship displaced the smoke, which wrapped around the ship and flowed after it. Whoa.

"You blew up a ship following us?"

Crey had just blown up a ship!

"Yes. There is an infinitesimal break in a ship's shield when firing a missile, which is a vulnerability." He shook his head. "That blood-plagued rot took a shot unlikely to do damage. He fired on our cargo hold for retht's sake and from too great a distance. The missile glanced off our shield before exploding, rather than penetrating. My missile took the break in his shield that his provided." He shot her a considering look. "How do you feel emotionally about the information I have given you regarding my status?"

"Overwhelmed."

"Do you need a deceitful bar?"

"A deceitful…?" Mari followed his gaze to her backpack. "Oh, my granola bars. No. But, you're saying you may be next in line to rule your people?"

"Yes. Though our All Father is in excellent health, and I have no desire to do so. However, the possibilities presented by our union and my status are enough that Thalarins, aided by a corrupt faction within the Allegiance, and all our other enemies would prefer we do not form this bond, or, rather, that we do not exist. It would be viewed as a ‘sign'—by more superstitious races." It was cute he continued to reiterate this, thus proving they were, in fact, superstitious.

"A corrupt faction within the Allegiance?"

"Yes. It has been growing for quite some time. The clans are currently assessing the spread of this faction, its impact, and what it will take to remove it, as well as ascertaining our allies."

Corruption within a government was not uncommon, but this sounded like more than that. Then again, she hadn't known all he'd told her about the Thalarins, and, admittedly, the existence of a corrupt faction within the Allegiance was easier to believe. "If you have been working on this for six months, why are the Thalarins only attacking now?"

"I was able to keep your name out of the data-docs until two intervals ago. You were listed as ‘Earthen female.' Two intervals ago, it was necessary to include your name. Since then, we have been busy taking down bounties on your name and hiding your whereabouts."

That was…terrifying. Mari was badass, but, now, she was also "bounty-hunting worthy" levels of badass. She hadn't ever wanted to be that badass. "On the flight here, we had ships flanking the Beagle."

"Gaiian Hunters."

Gaiian Hunters were elite warriors for their people. Wow. They'd been protected by Gaiian Hunters. That spoke to how seriously Crey took her welfare. "Is Nathe a Hunter?"

"He is not designated as such. His primary role is as a first son of Bogarta, but he is as highly-skilled as a Hunter. In my absence, he would have been the first son of Bogarta."

"But, he will be with the exploratory ship instead?"

"Yes. I told him you would wish that."

"I would. I do." This was a lot. Maybe she did need a granola bar. She turned her attention to the rear-display viewscreen.

A Thalarin ship was closing in on them.

"Why does the image of the ship itself keep flickering?" she asked.

"He is staying cloaked, as are we; however, ships' systems are constantly running diagnostics, using what the sensors are picking up, and cloaking becomes less effective in motion. My ship's system has been filling in our enemy's cloaking signature as it deciphers the data from imaging breaks caused by motion. That is a fleet vessel, and it uses a viewscreen as we do." He motioned at the ship's viewscreen, which, currently, looked like a window, revealing the landscape of the planet ahead.

Unlike view-windows, this screen displayed a composite image gathered from the monitors on the front of the ship. While Mari hadn't spent much time on the exploratory ship's bridge, she'd traveled extensively with her parents. Ships able to travel significant distances in space needed a dense metal hull surrounding the forward section, shielding the bridge.

"Viewscreens have advantages and disadvantages in regards to an enemy's cloaking," Crey continued. "Initially, our enemy's cloaking blinds sensors, which would not happen through a view-window. This would account for us seeing less on a viewscreen than through a fighter's view-window."

So, if Mari had been looking out her lab's window, she would see a blurred shape following them as the cloaking couldn't keep up with motion. She'd noticed that—somewhat, but no one had ever explained it to her.

Even as he was talking, Crey was constantly changing settings and making adjustments. "As our sensors decode the signature, it will essentially uncloak a vessel completely; whereas, through a window, you would continue to see a blurred object. Currently, our enemy is likewise breaking through my cloaking, though not as effectively."

The cloaking completely disintegrated from the Thalarin ship. The image of the ship was now detailed. Though, aside from the sharp angles, the gray ship was very utilitarian in design. She wouldn't call it boring—the prominent weaponry visible prevented that, but they'd get no "style points" from her.

"There," he said. "My ship has decoded his cloaking signature. If we were in a fighter class, those ships have a thick view-window rather than a viewscreen, and the ship sensors are less advanced. A fighter's monitoring capabilities might allow us to target a ship, but we would not visually see details of that ship."

"But, you said your ship's monitoring is better than theirs," she gestured at the other ship, "even if we're both fleet-class ships. Does that mean they might not know this is your ship?"

"Not explicitly, but I believe they strongly suspect it is, as this was their purpose in attacking. It would be difficult for them to destroy us within the outpost. They needed us to go beyond the shield. If I did not have you with me, I would not be leaving Bogarta. However, I cannot adequately defend the city and protect you. This is the wiser tactic for us."

"Personally, I appreciate a strategic retreat."

"I prefer the term ‘course alteration' to ‘retreat.'" His expression was so adorably sincere.

Uh huh. Sure he did. Shocker.

Mari was concentrating so closely on the smaller screen that, when Crey's ship plunged toward the ground, her stomach dropped, and she grabbed the armrests. The crevice. Mari sucked in a breath. She'd seen it from space, but never been in Casa's great jagged crevice. They'd exited the port on the side of Bogarta opposite the planet's many greenhouse biodomes—she assumed to prevent damaging them. Then, they'd been gliding along the planet's surface for quite a while. The crevice cut through the salt like a lightning bolt, streaking across the planet. It was Casa's singular natural feature.

The Thalarin ship dropped into the crevice behind them.

Hells.

"How infinitesimal was the break in the other ship's shield that you sent your missile through?" she asked.

"The Earthen time equivalent would be in microseconds. I can do the conversion later if you wish."

"No, that's fine." She licked her lips. "But, that's why I'm important and why a Thalarin ship is chasing us? Being mated makes you more powerful among your people, and I'm the key to unlocking your potential?" A growing concern gnawed at her that she was important for all the wrong reasons, in her opinion.

"You are important to the Thalarins because I value you, Mari, and I would give my life for you." Crey sent her a serious look to convey the solemnity of his convictions.

Her heart warmed and beat faster.

"Additionally, the Thalarins would love for me to be dead, as they are a blighted race who get off on destruction."

Mari smiled. "Get off" was in English.

Crey jerked the wheel sideways, slamming her against the cushions on the chair.

Ow. She should be concentrating her attention straight ahead and not on the diminishing ship trailing them. She might've braced better for that change in direction. At least they were escaping from their enemies. Yay!

Crey punched several buttons in a row before flipping a million levers. The ship stopped, flinging her forward.

What the hells? Mari brushed her hair back from her face. What was happening?

Their ship dropped into a depression in the crevice, which was the same size as their ship. This was not deep enough to hide them completely. Wait, was that the cloaking he'd turned off?

"Crey?" Mari clutched the armrests. The enemy ship, which they'd nearly outrun, was coming fast. They'd almost gotten away. "Did you just uncloak the ship?"

"Yes. They had not deciphered enough of my cloaking signature."

"Well, that's, um…." She had no way to finish her sentence that didn't sound alarmed and mistrustful.

Crey's attention turned to her, as if he'd suddenly registered her anxiety. Which he should—it was practically a palpable thing. She trusted him. She did. But, Mari would also like to not die.

He was a captain. Crey should be captaining them out of there.

Crey reached toward her, clearly intending to pat her left arm in comfort, but stopped just shy of touching her.

"You have my permission to touch that arm!" If ever there was a time for comforting, it was now. They were seconds from being caught by a violent enemy bent on killing her. They'd been escaping. Why couldn't they just run, without facing their enemies? Other than that wasn't the Gaiian way of handling conflict.

Crey rubbed her arm. "Do not be anxious, chère." He relaxed in his chair as the ship shot past them.

How was Crey so relaxed? They weren't well hidden, and they were uncloaked. Oh no! The Thalarin ship had detected them. They'd slowed to turn around and attack. They were coming.

Oh hells, this was it. Would they capture her or just blow them up?

Crey was both patting and rubbing her arm, as if he was attempting to find the most calming combination. It was not soothing enough. Nothing could be.

The Thalarin ship reversed direction. The crevice's walls caught both wings, spinning the ship directly into the ground. It exploded, and pieces shot everywhere.

Mari jumped, despite Crey's patting touch on her upper arm.

"I never grow weary of that," Crey said, straightening.

Mari sat up too, exhaling a loud breath. Okay then. He'd done that before. Of course he'd done that before. Crey was from Bogarta. This was probably all mundane, aside from him acquiring a proposed mate and dragging her through the experience.

Mari could handle this. She was a badass xenobotanist.

Their ship rose from the crevice, and Crey set a course in a vertical trajectory as he pushed the buttons to recloak them.

"Was that Gaiian?" Mari tucked strands of her hair behind her ears. She'd pulled her long hair into a clasp, but it kept getting loose. The loose spirals often had a mind of their own.

Crey looked at her with his eyebrows raised. He simultaneously did a dozen things on the control panel while still giving her his attention. He was just so damn capable, and that was sexy.

"Earlier, you called me ‘chère.'" She'd liked it. It sounded sexy. "Was that Gaiian?"

"No. Chère is from your Earthen language French, a romance language. I grew bored with what your people call ‘terms of endearment' in English. Therefore, I memorized several alternatives. Your people refer to a mate often in food terms. Is this due to your lascivious nature or does your race simply lack originality?"

"Food terms?"

He switched to English, saying, "Cutie pie. Honey bun. Sugar lips. Also, ‘sweet' this and ‘sweet' that. There are other examples in your Earthen languages. Food seems integral to how you think of your mates. How much time do Earthens spend tasting their mates, and should I plan accordingly?"

Mari choked on nothing.

Crey patted her left arm. He watched her closely before nodding. "You are turning my favorite color. I will plan accordingly."

Mari opened her mouth to contradict him, but, then, shut it. Hells, maybe he should. That could prove interesting. It'd be like scientific research. Mari was always willing to experiment in the name of science.