Chapter 37

Sophie

Sitting cross-legged in the big pilot chair, five different screens, each broken into four different camera POVs were spread before her, Sophie's eyes and hands moved quickly across the controls as she guided the combot fleet.

She didn't know what angle Serval was chasing on this story, but she didn't care about breaking his cover. If he wanted to get captured, if that was some part of a grand plan, he should have told her that before leaving so she wouldn't worry when it happened.

As it was, when she had Lucky fly over the market and spotted him in the distance falling to the ground, she acted immediately. The fleet all rushed out of the landing pod and snuck into the large hatch that opened allowing a group of big, scary looking aliens to grab her mate, his friend, and his mate and drag them inside.

She watched as Korvii came back around and struggled, needing to be restrained twice. But Serval didn't move. Even when they harshly yanked his olules back and locked them up. Whatever they hit him with, it acted fast and hard.

But they were so focused on their three new captives, they didn't see the army of combots she had floating in the corners overhead.

As Hela was separated for questioning, Sophie was sending her little combots floating off along the corners of the high ceilings. She found the control room. She broke things in the control room. She caused chaos and trouble. So far, she'd lost six combots – four to her own attempts at destruction, two to being caught and broken. But she still had more.

And now that the authorities were storming the facility, capturing those who hadn't managed to escape and recovering the trafficked people and sleeping animals in pods, she was capturing everything. Getting it all on video.

She kept Lucky with Serval. So that she always had an eye on him. Korvii and Hela stayed with him, the three of them supervising everything. She couldn't communicate with them verbally, but when Hela suggested doing their report now, Sophie bobbed Lucky up and down.

Serval looked uncertain. Which made her smirk. He clearly knew that he was in trouble. He wasn't going to make that suggestion himself. But he had gotten himself in trouble to chase this story, he might as well get what he paid for.

She brought three of the combots around and set them up in front of each person. They separated just enough that they couldn't be overheard on each other's camera. Sophie monitored as all three of them immediately shifted into their on-screen persona – professional and formal and emotionless. Despite the large cut on Korvii's forehead, the bruises on Hela's face and neck, the long, inflamed scrapes on Serval's olules, they presented their stories like they hadn't been involved.

But of course they were, and the B-roll footage of the three of them being captured, Serval and Korvii in shackles, and Hela fighting a whole group, was going to be great behind their calm voices as they described their roles and what brought them there.

Sophie was annoyed with Serval, but she would not deny him this once-in-a-lifetime chance to be such a big part of his story. That was going to get them extra views alone. The fact that all three of them came together in an impromptu collab would be even better. She was not going to miss a single second of it.

But she was also not giving any footage to him until he apologized.

She was supportive, not a doormat.

The three of them remained planetside until it got dark. They finished their segments; she got more footage of the peacekeepers. Korvii did an interview with the contact Sophie had commed for him while Serval did one with another officer as he turned over all the contents of the prince's combot to him.

Sophie was pretty sure that was illegally obtained evidence. Or at least it would have been on Earth, she thought. But laws in space were different, and Serval handing over his illegally gotten info was apparently just fine.

She needed to learn alien laws. But she put a pin in that thought as she got more B-roll of the three of them being given first aid. More great footage.

Then, to her surprise, the three of them were put on one big landing shuttle. She watched it happen, confused until Serval asked her to bring the fleet inside. He had grabbed their case from the landing pod she had sent down, but he wasn't taking the pod back.

"They're going to search the landings pods," Serval explained to her through Lucky as the combots all came flying in to return to their case. "Including ours. They're going to want to try to track down their owners. We can get ours back, but it will be awhile. We'll be out of the way and more comfortable if we come back up to my ship."

"We're going to have a sleepover!" Korvii announced, throwing his arm around Serval, beaming at her through Lucky as the door shut behind them. They were going to be flown by a peacekeeper pilot, so they only had to sit back and relax.

"Get off me!" Serval grumbled, leading to the two boys wrestling.

"Do you have any food on board?" Hela asked, leaning into frame. She smiled. "I can't wait to meet you, Sophie!"

Sophie couldn't stop herself from grinning. They were silly. With the combot fleet all returned, only Lucky left to float around, she got to her feet and went to start the synthesizer. It had been hours since Serval left. No doubt, they'd all be hungry. She also peaked into the second room, making sure that it was still set up since Serval moved out.

After that was done, she returned to the bridge and sat cross-legged on the chair again, sitting back and waiting.

The landing shuttle moved pretty fast. It wasn't long before she felt it connecting to their ship. The entry rooms connected together, allowing people aboard their ship to walk into hers. It was quick and easy and one of the benefits of everything in Coalition space being Standardized. The ships were of such different designs, but they could still communicate – both physically and electronically.

She turned the seat towards the door, folded her hands in her lap, fixed her face into an impassive expression, and waited.

She was glad he was alright, and she was happy to help with his career, but that didn't mean she suddenly forgot what he had said.

She didn't have to wait long.

The door into the bridge slid open. Serval rushed through, Korvii and Hela at his back.

"Sophie!" Korvii beamed, walking past Serval who came up short.

Sophie gave him a smile as he stopped in front of her.

"You're even lovelier in person," he declared grandly.

"Nice to meet you both," she smiled at them without standing. "I have the synthesizer warmed up and your bed is ready in the guest room."

"Oh, thank you!" Korvii beamed excitedly. "You're amazing, Sophie. And those tricks with the combots? You have to teach me how you did that. You're too good for Serval."

She chuckled. "You're sweet. You two go relax."

"Thank you," Hela said, taking Korvii by the arm, her gaze darting between her and Serval, obviously sensing something was up. "We'll take you up on that hospitality. We'll reconvene after we have a chance to rest, and we can get some work done then."

"I look forward to it," Sophie promised, waving them off.

Korvii chuckled, clapping Serval on the shoulder. "I'll admit that your female won this time. But Hela will come back next time and beat her!"

Serval sent him a short grin that didn't reach his eyes and nodded once. Korvii laughed, oblivious, as Hela sent Sophie a soft smile before leading him out.

The door slid shut behind them with a solid thunk.

The silence that remained in their wake was loud.

Serval hadn't moved since he came inside. The space between them seemed like a large canyon, echoing with the last words he'd left her with.

Sophie said nothing. Her smile was gone. She stared at him, waiting.

He grimaced, patting his fist against his thigh awkwardly. He licked his lips, took a deep breath, squared his shoulders, and faced her directly.

"First," he started, voice firm and steady, "allow me to apologize."

Sophie said nothing, but she blinked. That was good enough for him to continue.

"I'm sorry. The way I spoke to you was unacceptable. I was being rash and angry, and I let myself say things I didn't mean."

Sophie cocked a single brow. He took a step forward.

"I wasn't thinking." He shook his head. "No, more than that. I was reacting emotionally. After seeing how… how carelessly you acted towards that visruthi male, I was afraid of what might happen if you were to be in an even more dangerous situation."

"I'm not careless," she finally spoke, and he winced at the coldness in her tone. "You think I don't know the difference between a seedy bar and an illegal market? You really think I would have gone down there dressed all sexy and taunted people openly after you told me what it's like?"

He said nothing, but his eyes tightened, confirming he did, indeed, think exactly that. "I shouldn't have said what I did."

"No, you shouldn't."

"But I thought you'd insist, and I cannot put you in danger."

Sophie let out a quick sigh of aggravation, unfolding her legs but crossing them primly at the ankle as she grabbed the arms of the chair.

"Serval, do you know why I taunted that male? Why I thought it was okay?"

He smiled softly. "Because you're a fierce female who fears nothing."

She had to fight not to smirk. It was a good answer. But not the right one.

"I did it because I felt safe."

He cocked his head curiously.

She sighed again, softer and more resigned. "I felt safe, Serval. Because you were there."

He flinched like she had struck him.

"I felt safe because I knew if I needed you, you would be right there to protect me. If I knew that blowing a smoke ring at him was an invitation, I wouldn't have done it. But I knew that even if something went wrong, you had my back. Just like I knew you wouldn't let me smoke anything too dangerous, so I didn't insist on the gold stuff. And how I know you'll take care of me, so I don't fight you when you suggest something. I might tease you about it, I might be playful, but if you tell me I'm better off not having or doing something, I'll listen."

Serval's head was hung in shame. "I know that. I just… couldn't risk you down there. If you really wanted the gold smoke, I would have let you try it."

She smiled. Just a bit. "I know you would have. And I know, if I did, you would have made sure I did it safely."

"Of course."

She pushed herself to her feet and crossed the room. Coming to a halt in front of him. She had her arms crossed over her chest as she looked up at him.

"You hurt me, Serval."

He winced but didn't look away from her. He faced what he did head on. Guilty, but acknowledging the reality of it. "I know. I'm sorry. I was thoughtless."

"You were stupid."

"I was also that," he smiled, weak and wan. "I think your show is strange, but wonderful. I love that it exists for no other purpose than to bring a bit of sweetness and joy into the world. And maybe my content is more serious, but it's not more valuable. The stories I cover will be forgotten when the next big event rolls around. Your videos are going to be a source of joy for years to come, and the way you introduce Earth to the universe will do more for more people than I can ever hope to compete with. And that's what I really believe to be true."

She shook her head, grinning. "Okay. I accept your apology already. You don't have to pile it on so thick."

"I mean it," he insisted, grabbing for her hands, gently uncrossing her arms so he could hold them. "I think we both do something important. We do it so differently, through the same medium, with very different results. And I'm sorry if I ever made you feel, for even a moment, that wasn't true."

Sophie melted, stepping into his arms, relaxing against his chest as he embraced her. The bright sting of his olules stroking her face made her shiver as he kissed the top of her head.