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"The luminetric tunnel is deployed," Behtu stands with his head cocked, his lips curving into a smug smirk as he taunts, "and that cube you call a spacecraft is ready for departure."
"That cube is highly advanced Thrushian tech." Qhix tries to hide the grin over his brother's ribbing.
"So advanced you needed saving from it," Behtu grunts. "Lizordian ships are equipped with a short-ranged escape pod for such events."
"Then it's a good thing Tasha kept me distracted so you could beat me to the Lizordian Galaxy Cruiser I had my eye on."
Behtu barks out a hard laugh. "Just like I beat you to the bounty on Warden Hyt's head."
"Rub it in, Behtu."
"Every chance I get, brother." Behtu's smile is bright with merriment, clearly enjoying the bantering. "I took the liberty of adding a fresh tile of rillium to your power converter, rebooting the engines, and engaging life support systems to your high-tech space cube."
"A thousand thanks." Qhix bows at the waist as you would to a king, his easy grin turning serious.
Behtu shifts his considerable weight on booted feet as if uncomfortable with the gesture and lightens the mood by holding up two fingers and wagging them in the air. "Just one thanks will suffice, though this makes two you owe me."
"How do you figure that?" Qhix snaps out of the homage he's paying his brother to scowl.
"I was one hand away from winning the pot in a game of rooht when you hailed me to help rescue Navik from the Wetokians, or has that slipped your mind?"
"You always cheat at that game."
"Like I said, I was one hand away from winning the pot."
Now it was Qhix's turn to wag a finger. "You know, someday the Fargarians are going to catch on that you're counting cards."
Behtu shrugs nonchalantly. "I very much doubt it. The Fargarians aren't that smart."
"Cocky to the last." Qhix chuckles, shaking his head.
"You know me all too well." Behtu bows with a sarcastic flourish. "Better be on your way, Qhix. Your Thrushian space cube is burning rillium."
"Until again." Qhix slaps a fist over his heart.
Behtu mimics Qhix's farewell. "Until again." Then he turns pale eyes on me that warm with his perusal. "It was a pleasure, Tasha. If ever I chance an encounter with a female as lovely as you, I will count myself a lucky Kaul. Though I very much doubt any could compare to your radiant charms."
Momentarily flustered over Behtu's roguish wink and wolfish smile, I drop my eyes to my feet, unable to hold his regal gaze. I stutter through my thanks and giggle like an idiot.
I glance up through my lashes to see an amused Behtu holding his palms up in surrender to a growling Qhix. "I was merely complimenting your mate. Calm your sivot, brother. I have no designs on your female."
There's a certain air of nobility that emanates from Behtu, a pride and dignity that can't be denied. Despite his confident grace, I sense the same ruthlessness and cunning as I do in Qhix. No doubt traits of a Star Maverick.
Qhix's growl tapers off, mollified by his brother's assurances. My heart quickens over Qhix's possessive nature toward me. It seems Kaul males are as devoted to their females as the Ziarians. It would be just like me to fall for the most dangerous male in the known Universe.
Not that I'm falling for Qhix, I remind myself.
Qhix guides me from the command deck to a large, circular hatch at the end of a long corridor. He swipes his hand over a flat panel embedded in the wall.
"Ready?" comes Behtu's disembodied voice.
"We're ready."
As soon as Qhix answers, the hatch breaks into three pieces and whirls apart, disappearing into the cavity of the surrounding wall. All that lies between us and Qhix's boxy spacecraft a fair distance away, is empty space.
"Oh, shit!" I stumble back, half expecting my lungs to rupture in the vacuum of space. "Are we just gonna float over?" I gasp. "How are we even able to breathe right now? Shouldn't we be frozen?"
"What?" Qhix snickers, looking at me as if I've lost my mind. "Float over? Is that supposed to be Earth humor, because I don't understand the joke." He wrinkles his nose in a boyish way that stutters my heart. "There's a luminetric tunnel attaching this ship to mine."
