Chapter 6

CHAPTER SIX

Three days later…

T his was the second raucous bar Maeve and her escorts Jake and Red had entered on the planet Pagettia Three tonight. The Valkyrie Revenge sat in orbit with Jayna and Owen in reserve as backup if anything untoward happened during the bar crawl. Theo, Emily and Tyrelle were in the control chamber, monitoring traffic in orbit and to and from the planet's surface, and the subaural comlink.

Operating on the assumption Gil had been successful in his plan to infiltrate a gang, and having garnered sufficient intel through a combination of Jake's resources and Maeve's contacts to know the hostages including Daveed Fleming had been moved to this planet, the next goal was to find the captain and combine resources. Maeve assured them Gil would be spending the evening in one bar or another with his new cronies, maintaining his cover. He hadn't been at the first one they'd hit but her hopes were high for the second place. There were more of course. Any world with a population of mercenaries and unsavory people like the terrorists was bound to have a plethora of establishments catering to their needs. Her intel indicated these two bars were the favorite watering holes for Arturo Main's gang members and he was the most likely candidate for accomplishing Daveed's transfer here.

All guesswork but as she stepped inside the smoky, noisy bar, Maeve knew Gil was close by. Jake directed her and Red to a table against the wall and sent Red to the bar to get them their first round of drinks. "He's here," Maeve said quietly to Jake while waiting for their feelgoods to be served. "I can sense him."

Leaning back in his chair as if he hadn't a care in the world, Jake surveyed the bar, which was huge. There were gaming tables in an alcove and even a dance floor, with a few couples moving in time to the loud music. Mostly there were tables and tables of men and women drinking and smoking illicit substances. Raised voices caught Maeve's attention and she watched in surprise as a fight broke out. Knives were flashing, women were catcalling and people were making bets as the opponents circled each other and one drew first blood.

"If the bouncers weren't about to break this up, I'd bet on the black-haired guy," Jake said casually.

Red arrived with the drinks just as the four huge bouncers used stunners on the combatants and dragged them outside the bar, apparently leaving the men in a heap in the street. Like ripples on a lake, the crowd dispersed, reverting to whatever they'd been doing before the brief excitement.

"I'll know to bet on the bouncers next time," Maeve said, taking her drink from Red with a nod.

Leaning over so his lips were right next to her ear, he whispered, "The captain's here. Don't look now but he's at a table in the rear, with a bunch of thugs." The words sped over the subaural com to Jake and their team above in orbit.

Raising his own feelgood bottle to his lips, Jake took a long pull and surveyed the room, his gaze not lingering on anyone in particular, and said, "Got him. Seems pretty comfortable." He slapped Maeve on the rear. "Why don't you go select some music for us, sweetheart? Something livelier than what's on the system currently?"

Since she was supposed to be their girlie as far as anyone watching was aware, Maeve wasn't the least bit upset. "Sure thing, boss," she said, leaning over to run one long finger over the edges of his ear and then kissing his neck. "You gonna dance with me?"

"Maybe later. If you're a good girl," Jake said.

Maeve left the table and headed for the music controller across the dance floor. Leaning on it provocatively she studied the song selections and ultimately fed the machine a few credits to play her choices next in its queue. She felt a warm presence at her back and an arm circled her waist.

"Want to dance?" The question was a breath of air on her ear and she turned into Gil's arms with a smile.

"I'll take a chance, soldier," she said, head tilted and eyebrows raised. "My current dates are duds. Think you can do better?"

He led her onto the dance floor and they melded together into a sizzling dance suited to the fast tempo the bar's AI was currently playing. Maeve leaned her head on his chest and allowed herself to go with the flow. This was nothing like their decorous dances at the human wedding a few years ago. This was all about pent-up longing and mutual need and desire. She ground her hips against his obvious arousal and Gil nuzzled her neck and kissed her. She swayed and spun through two songs following his lead as they stayed plastered together and then he grabbed her hand and said, "Come to my room with me?"

She surveyed him, taking note of his scruff, which she found sexy, and his general tough demeanor. "Oh seven hells yes, big boy. Let me say goodbye to my friends."

Gil tugged her away, toward the rear of the bar. "They'll figure it out, sweetheart. I don't want to kill anyone tonight before I get you in my bed."

With a giggle she waved in Jake and Red's general direction, stumbling a little as if drunk. Gil caught her and put his arm around her waist again as he guided her out a back door and into a dark alley. He caught her in a huge hug and captured her lips for a brutal kiss which left her breathless. "Lords of Space, I've missed you," he said, resting his forehead against hers. "I don't know what the seven hells you're doing her but I'm glad. I should be livid at the risk you're taking but?—"

Maeve rubbed her hand over the fastening of his trousers, where his cock pressed urgently against the clothing. "Happy to see me is a good thing."

He didn't say anything else but led her out of the alley and down the crowded street, ending up at a spacers' hotel a few blocks away. "It's not much but it's fairly clean," he said apologetically as they entered the lobby and headed for the stairs. "I've had a room here since we arrived."

"I'm not picky, as long as I'm with you."

They proceeded to the third floor and Gil took her to his room, which was at the far end of the corridor. He fumbled with the door for a moment and then drew her inside, flipping on the lights as he did so. They stared at each other and then Maeve took a step toward him and they were kissing again. Gil ran his hands over her backside, squeezing the red leather encased globes of her butt, and pressed her close to him. His erection pulsed and lengthened further against her body and her own panties grew damp. Gil picked her up so she locked her legs around his waist and continued feathering kisses along his chin as he carried her to the bed.

Leaning close as she toyed with the fastenings on his shirt, he said, "I've swept the room, no bugs, no ganglions, no vids. Are you on subaural com with Jake and Red?"

She nodded.

"Tell them to notice your absence, act pissed and leave the bar. The guys should return to their shuttle. I'll get you there shortly and we can talk." He kissed the tip of her nose and pulled back. "I didn't know if I'd ever see you again. I can't tell you how much I needed this, needed you."

Maeve gave him a mock slap on the bicep. "Same here. We got worried. I got worried."

"Tell me you didn't bring the Nebula Zephyr with you," he said in a serious voice. "I'm gonna be seriously upset if she's in orbit right now."

Having sent the subaural message to her team, she grinned up at him. "Only invited a few people I trust. We have our own ship up in orbit. You're not angry I hunted you down?"

"Are you doing okay?" Gil asked, scrutinizing her closely. "Your safety and well being is my top priority, which is why I wanted you to stay with the Nebula Zephyr so I could concentrate on finding my brother and not worry about you too. But I can't deny I need help now and there's no one I'd rather go into combat with than you."

"I've been working on what the Mellureans taught me," she said with confidence, vastly relieved he wasn't upset at what she'd chosen to do by coming to find him. "I can hold this form."

"Even if I make love to you? Because I'm not feeling gentle right now."

"Especially if you do." The heat and desire at her core were overwhelming. There was no way she was going to leave this room to rendezvous with Jake and Red before she was satisfied. The men could wait. Maeve unfastened Gil's pants and released his engorged shaft, which jutted toward her. Stroking it from root to tip with a firm grip, she licked the drop of precum and then ran her tongue along the big vein on the underside, making him groan and hold her tight.

"This isn't a good idea," Gil said, even as he was unfastening her tight red dress. "We should reunite with the guys and then get all of you off the planet as fast as possible." He helped her remove the dress, which she threw on the floor and then eyed her delicate lace lingerie with appreciation, fingering the edge of her black thong and swallowing hard.

Maeve placed her hands on either side of his face, her gaze locked onto his eyes. "I was so worried about you and I missed you, Gil Fleming. We're going to have this private reunion and then we can revert to being efficient planners of rescues and other operations. I need this with you right now."

He groaned. "I have so much to tell you but I only have one thing on my mind—you in person take away my ability to put any other thoughts together in a logical sequence. I love you, Maeve, and I've been going crazy without you all this time."

"We're here together now," she said impatiently. "And wasting precious time."

He kissed her again, his tongue exploring her mouth and taking possession, even while he unfastened the bra and tore the thong away from her body. Maeve broke off the kiss to strip him out of his clothing and they tumbled onto the mattress locked in a skin-to-skin embrace. She burned with desire for him and wasn't in the mood for lengthy foreplay. Not tonight. He said he couldn't do gentle right now? Well neither could she. It had been far too long since she last saw him and literally years since they'd been able to share a bed and quench their mutual passion. Dreams were better than nothing but having the actual man in her arms lit a fire within her core.

The head of his cock pushed against her folds and Maeve shifted her position to invite him inside.

Gil thrust hard, penetrating her fully, shaft stretching her in the best ways, almost to the point of pain but providing sensation of the best kind. Even though this was only her second time in bed with Gil, she trusted her instincts and the body she'd been given, and clenched her inner muscles to put pressure on him as he moved, drawing an exclamation of tortured delight from her lover. She relished being joined as one with the man she loved and wished she had all night to play and tease but the stakes were too high right now. Part of her consciousness focused on keeping her in the corporeal form despite the intense sensations Gil was causing as he drove in and out, but the rest of her mind was fully engaged in making love to her man and being loved in return. Nothing else she'd ever experienced in the human form surpassed the joy of having Gil in her arms. She could tell her climax was coming hard and fast and she whispered his name as the waves of pleasure overtook her. He plunged himself deep into her core, holding her so tightly it was hard to breathe, not that she cared, and said her name over and over, like an incantation inviting ecstasy. Body rigid, face set in an expression of pure carnal satisfaction, Gil found his release as well and she clung to him while he was locked in the throes of a powerful climax.

As she rubbed her hand over his back in small circles, enjoying the feel of his muscles under her hand, Maeve wondered idly if the Mellureans had made it possible for her to become pregnant. She and Gil hadn't used any protection tonight and she was glad. If there was any chance of having a child with him, she wanted that future. Something else to discuss with Lady V'terre next time she communicated. She supposed she'd have to stay in the corporeal form for the entire nine months but to have Gil's child, she'd gladly force herself to remain embodied. One thing she was finding the more time she spent as a human and with humans was that there was always a new goal, a new horizon, something else to strive for. Maeve found it refreshing after the limits of being an AI confined to one ship, even one as big and complex as the Nebule Zephyr.

"We'd better get back to business," Gil said reluctantly, rising and going to the tiny bathroom. He brought her a warm cloth to freshen up with, and began dressing as she did a quick cleanse. He handed her the red dress. "I like this by the way. Probably every guy in the damn bar liked this."

"I chose it to create an effect," she said, pleased at his reaction. "Jake and Red are at the shuttle. Are we joining them?"

"I think it would be easier to plan if we were all together but the Jlonngi run this town and the spaceport and the gang has surveillance vids everywhere." He sat on the bed to don his boots and rubbed his chin while he considered the next move.

"I've already infiltrated the AI running the spaceport," she said with smug satisfaction. "It's a rudimentary model. I've blurred, obfuscated or erased data from more sophisticated setups before. In fact, I already overwrote the details of my arrival with the guys tonight."

"Smart." His eyes sparkled and Maeve glowed at the praise. "If you can keep us from being seen on monitors, then I know a less traveled way to get to the spaceport from here. I've checked the place out pretty thoroughly while bar crawling with my gang of untrustworthy buddies."

Maeve caught at his sleeve. "You know Daveed is here?"

Swallowing hard, Gil met her eyes. "I was in the gang that brought him here. Ten other hostages as well. I'd rather save the details for when we're all together."

"How is he?" she asked as she rose and slid her feet into the high heels she'd worn for this evening's adventure.

"Banged up. Some pretty serious injuries but he's determined. We haven't been able to talk at all—too dangerous for us both—but he knows I'm here and he'll be ready for anything." Running a hand over his face, he considered his words and added, "I won't lie though, he's physically pretty weak. He's obviously been tortured."

Maeve gave him a soft kiss on the lips and then stepped back as Gil donned his weapons belt and checked his blaster in a practiced move.

"Ready?" he asked?

"As I'll ever be. I've told the guys we're on our way. I'll spare you Red's ribald comment."

As Gil led Maeve through the refuse strewn, smelly alleys of the city, he reflected on the astonishment he'd felt when he saw her come into the bar with Jake and Red. Not only had he missed her so badly the pain probably had eaten a hole in his gut, the two men were the answer to his unspoken prayer to the Lords of Space for help. He needed a break to get Daveed and himself out of this place alive and figured the odds were heavily stacked in favor of the two of them blowing themselves up and taking the Jlonngi to hell with them. Now, with a small crew of highly lethal operators watching his six, not to mention Maeve and her limitless capabilities, he allowed himself to hope this was no longer a suicide mission.

When they reached the spaceport and hurried across the deserted landing field, he approved of the trim shuttle waiting. The ramp was opening as they ran up to it and he allowed Maeve to precede him. Red was already closing the hatch again as Gil made it into the flyer and the engines vibrated with power as Jake lifted off.

He gave Red a quick warrior's hug, pounding him on the back as he did so. "Damn, it's good to see you."

"Good to see you too, captain," Red said. "I hear you've been up to no good out here on the rim of civilization."

"You can't imagine what an understatement you just uttered. I'm probably working my way up the Sectors' Ten Most Wanted List." Laughing in genuine amusement punched a hole in the stress he was under and to be with people around whom he didn't have to watch his back for a doublecross was a tonic for his anxiety over this entire operation. As he went forward to the cockpit to greet Jake, Gil felt the tension leaving his body. Maeve had rekindled his spirits and relieved a huge amount of his stress but knowing he had help now was a huge relief. He reminded himself he had to stay frosty and maintain his role as a member of the Main gang in good standing until the moment of escape arrived. Slipping up now after everything he'd done to get here would be inexcusable. He couldn't fail Daveed.

"Next time you decide to take off on a private jaunt across the damn Sectors," Jake said as he left the cockpit and came to say hello, "Talk to us first, okay, captain? Instead of making poor Maeve do all the hard selling to get us on board?"

Maeve, clinging to his arm as if she'd never let him go, exploded in amusement. "Seeing your faces when I sat in your office and told you who I was, was priceless."

"I still don't quite believe it," Red said. "But here we are."

"I hope there won't need to be a next time," Gil replied, "But I'm beyond grateful you came to help. I owe you and the others more than I can ever repay."

"Not a thing between old friends and shipmates like us," Jake said, shaking his head. "Of course we'll have your six. We'll be at the ship in two minutes so if you three want to sit and catch up on old times, I'll handle the flying. I've told the others we're coming and the team'll all be in the wardroom ready for a quick briefing and strategy session."

"Yeah, I'm on duty at dawn," Gil said. "I'll have to be on the planet well before then."

"No problem." Jake gave a salute and vanished inside the cockpit.

Gil took a seat and Maeve sat on his lap, cuddling close. He was startled for a second but relaxed into her affection. Right now he wasn't the captain of a ship and Jake, Red and the others weren't his subordinates. There was no need to maintain discipline. There were also no guarantees of success for this mad adventure he was on and he should soak up all the love Maeve wanted to give him because he was thirsty for her, for her caring and her devotion. He hoped she knew how much she meant to him but after glancing at Red, who was studiously watching something on his handheld, the words clogged his throat. Gil Fleming didn't display his emotions in front of others.

"I know," she whispered, leaning over to kiss him on the cheek.

She probably did, but he vowed to say the words out loud before they parted.

The flyer shuddered as Jake brought her into the landing bay on the ship. Maeve slid off his lap and smoothed her dress, although it clung to her curves like nothing he'd ever seen before. His cock pulsed in response and Gil had to close his eyes and will himself not to react to her right now. There was life or death business at hand.

Jake and Red escorted him into the ship and up two levels to the wardroom while Maeve trailed behind.

"Nice ship," Gil said appreciatively, eyeing his surroundings as he walked.

"I bought it," Maeve said. "It was the best fit for what we needed. Of course I've made modifications."

All three men laughed because she was notorious among the senior members of the Nebula Zephyr's crew for making modifications to the cruise ship as she unilaterally decided revisions were warranted. Maeve tossed her hair self-consciously and glared at them.

"I can see it was a good choice," Gil said, hoping to head off any heated response from Maeve to being teased. She probably wasn't used to anyone but himself teasing her and he'd always been careful what he said, remembering she wasn't human.

When he stepped into the wardroom, emotion threatened to overwhelm him again as he saw who was waiting for him there. "I don't have enough words to thank all of you for coming to help my brother and me," he managed to choke out.

"When Maeve asked, we all agreed to come," Jayna said quietly. "We don't leave our people behind. Besides I hate to miss a chance to deliver a good ass kicking to the enemy."

In the wake of her enthusiastic remark there were chuckles from the people at the table.

Instinctively Gil moved to take the chair at the head of the table, even though he belatedly realized Jake was in charge of the team and probably should have the seat of command. The Security Officer didn't say anything but sat in the chair to his right. He did take control of the meeting though and Gil acknowledged with a head tilt it was his place to do so. Midorri rubbed against his leg and Gil picked her up, staring into her huge eyes for a second. "The gang's all here," he said with a grin.

"She's good at placing ordnance in unexpected places," Owen reminded them. "And Tyrelle said she was adamant about coming with us. You'll note Moby had no such intentions."

The room was filled with laughter again. The much pampered ship's cat would be totally out of place on a combat mission. Midorri wriggled in Gil's hands and jumping lightly to the table, walking to Tyrelle and head butting her arm. Gil was puzzled to find the alien empath here as part of the strike team but he was sure she had her reasons and it certainly wasn't his place to second guess anything.

"All right, down to business," Jake said, rapping his knuckles on the table. "Captain, you first. Status on your brother?"

"He's here, pretty damaged from his time in captivity." Gil looked at Dr. Shane. "He's going to need time in the rejuve resonator when we get back."

She nodded. "I've maintained my contacts. We should be able to make it happen."

"Daveed is technically on active duty to this day," Gil reminded them. "Not that the damn Sectors has done much for him. As best I can figure from the intel I've gathered during my time on Arturo Main's gang, even when there were negotiations going on for his release, Baxtir, the leader of the Jlonngi, was bidding against the Sectors. He has some kind of personal vendetta against my brother and in the end the terrorists holding him decided it would be more advantageous for them to make Baxtir happy than to have a deal with the Sectors."

"The authorities need to come out here and clean up a few things," Owen said.

"No argument there but right now it's not our concern," Jake responded.

"There's another complication." Gil rubbed his forehead. "There are ten other hostages, three of them women." Ignoring the exclamations around the table, he continued. "The ladies are employees of a Nongovernmental Organization, who were doing educational outreach on a fringe planet. Not sure what the story is on the seven guys. A couple might be military, hard to tell. I obviously can't chitchat with them to find out. For now figure they'll be no help when we go to do the extraction. The terrorists trade hostages as currency out here and Baxtir wanted eleven people for this crazy ass spectacle he intends to stage. Public torture and executions, with my brother as the centerpiece. The man's made the Jlonngi into a powerful cult with a broad reach by doing this kind of thing and he intends to whip up the faithful even more. He's got the true believers thinking he's the second coming of a major historical religious figure from this world. I can't explain it all—maybe we need a psychiatrist or a historian or both, someone a hell of a lot smarter than me anyway—to unravel it. Baxtir may even believe the lies himself by now. But all of that malarkey is irrelevant to the mission, which is getting my brother the hell out of this mess."

"And the other hostages," Dr. Shane said. "Now we know about them."

"Right." Gil held up one hand and stared at each of them in turn before addressing his next remark to Maeve. "But I need all of you to know if the rescue goes south, Daveed and I are going to blow the place up and take those bastards to the seven hells with us. I've got a mini persona mine and I won't hesitate."

"Let's just make sure it doesn't come to that," Jake said calmly into the ensuing heavy silence. "Where is all this taking place? Where are the hostages being held?"

"And what's Baxtir's schedule for this extravaganza?" Red added.

"He's taken over an ancient temple he found in the jungle. Had the trees and brush cleared away and been refurbishing the place to some extent. Using it as his headquarters bolsters his claim to be this ancient leader reborn to lead the hordes. And as for a timeline, the ceremony is happening in three days," Gil told them. "Bad weather bought us a little extra time."

"Not a lot of time but that's probably a good thing," Jake said. "The longer we hang out here the more likelihood questions will be asked. We're not exactly prospecting for jobs or approaching any of the gangs for affiliation and that'll be noticed. Speaking of this temple, Maeve, can you show us the layout?"

Gil glanced at her in surprise and she said, "I found an obscure Archaeological Service report on this planet from a few hundred years ago. They did a preliminary map and hoped to explore more thoroughly but the funding was denied because there are absolutely no signs of Ancient Observer contact with this planet and any site without the AO element comes in way down on the priority list."

A hologram sprang up on the table and Gil recognized the facility with ease. "Not much has changed since this was taken." He left his chair and moved to point out various features. "Here's the ceremonial platform where Baxtir plans to conduct the executions. He's setting up seating for the crowds he expects. Here's his office and his quarters although from what I've heard, he actually lives in the penthouse of the best hotel in town and only goes out to the temple when there's a public event. The hostages are here and here." His audience was intent on his words, studying the buildings as he indicated the points of interest to them.

"Think we could seal off the prison wing with a few carefully placed gifts delivered by Midorri?" Jake directed the question at Red.

"I can rig up the appropriate firepower, no problem," his friend agreed promptly.

Midorri sat beside the hologram and chirruped her agreement, placing one paw on the area close to the cells.

"Then we hustle the hostages out the back through this tunnel here," Jake went on. "Make a run through the jungle to the nearest clearing big enough to take the flyer and extract everyone from there."

"I can fill in details about the number of guards, at least as of right now," Gil said. "Patrol patterns and so forth. Baxtir isn't expecting trouble. He seems pretty secure on this planet, surrounded by his minions and adherents. He kept Arturo's crew on, including me, as extra security, or so he's said, but I think really he wants all of us in the audience to be impressed by his machinations. Arturo isn't too happy about it but we're getting paid extra. I think he doesn't want to find himself a part of Baxtir's army, you know? He's not a zealot or even a sort of believer. It's all about the credits for Arturo. We were supposed to deliver the hostages, get paid and leave but it hasn't worked out as expected. I'd have jumped ship and stayed here if Arturo left."

"We'll do a recon run tomorrow night," Jake said. "I need to see this place for myself, good as the holo is. Can you hook Gil up with a subaural com, Maeve? Then we can finalize the plan and the timing with him afterward without risking him coming up here a second time."

"No problem," she said. "I've made them even more miniaturized than the ones we use on the Nebula Zephyr," she told Gil. "Virtually undetectable."

"I'll take your word for it—I'd never doubt your skills. And I'm grateful for them." He indicated the holo on the big table beside them. "This is amazingly helpful. I thought I was going to have to draw the place out for the team."

"A girl does what she can." Her smile was bright and she was obviously pleased with herself.

"I hate to say it but I need to get back to the planet so I can grab a few hours of shuteye and show up on time for my shift as a guard," Gil said. "Can one of you run me down there?"

Jake rose. "Taxi service is my job. Maeve, have you got us covered as far as the spaceport surveillance?"

She nodded. "I'll obscure the vids—it's an old system and prone to glitches." She added, "Even more so now I'm here to help it along. I'll ride in the flyer with the two of you so I can have a few more minutes with the captain."

The meeting broke up, Red and Owen going off to have a sidebar about the explosives, which Midorri would deliver at Owen's request. No one was sure how intelligent Midorri was but certain humans—and Maeve—communicated with her pretty effectively. Owen was proud of her and always claimed the alien pet was a lot smarter than anyone gave her credit for. Gil certainly believed it after several times Midorri had assisted in missions with her unique skills.

Maeve took his hand and they left the wardroom without further ado. Gil didn't want to spend time talking with the others right now. He needed to stay focused on his mission to rescue Daveed and didn't want distractions from talking about how the Nebula Zephyr was doing or anything else relating to his actual life. When they reached the flyer, Jake disappeared into the cockpit without another word and Gil and Maeve sat together toward the stern. She rested her head on his shoulder and her arm across his waist.

"I refuse to think of you making this a suicide mission," she said. "We're all here to help you now and I know we can save your brother and the others."

"What you did, assembling such a great team, buying the ship, getting yourselves here in time—I know it's what you do—organization and logistics—but I'm grateful and a little bit in awe." He rubbed her arm, enjoying the smooth silk of her skin under his rough palm. "You doing ok, being corporeal?"

"You're everything to me, Gil Fleming, so of course I've taken action. I should have come with you in the first place."

Remembering the things he'd had to do to work his way onto Main's team and reach the Jlonngi planet, Gil shook his head. "No, I couldn't have infiltrated the gang if you'd been with me. Trust me on this one."

"Honestly, I wasn't good enough at remaining in the human form six months ago either," she said. "I've been practicing every day while you were gone. To answer your question, I'm more used to being in this form than I was. I can keep myself stable so much more reliably than I could five years ago at the wedding. Although that was a beautiful night."

They needed to discuss their future together, if there was to be one after the rescue attempt was done, but now wasn't the time. Forestalling him, Maeve moved onto his lap and kissed him insistently. Gil gave in to her silent enticement and spent the remaining flight time to the planet in a heavy petting session which left him aching and frustrated as he scrambled out of the flyer and headed toward the edge of the landing field at a trot. Maeve had said she could deal with erasing the footage but he figured it was best to minimize the time he was visible. Jake took the flyer straight up into the starry sky and they were gone.

Gil headed for his hotel room, intending to take a shower, grab a few winks of sleep and report to his guard duty assignment at the temple complex a few minutes early. He was anxious to hear more from Jake after the reconnaissance of the area was completed but figured it wouldn't be until late in the next evening. He had to play his role as a bored mercenary for another two days and then he could let out all his frustrations and anger while he rescued Daveed and the others and his friends blew things up to distract the Jlonngi.