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“Saw that,” Korvii nodded, crossing his arms, one of his three eyes twitching. “I’ll admit, it’s hard for me to give you the victory, but just this once, I’ve got to admit that you beat me.”
Serval hesitated, feeling oddly like he missed a step and nearly fell. That wasn’t the response he expected. “Well…er, thank you.”
“I mean, it’s true. I couldn’t even go. I had something more important to do.” Korvii smirked, three eyes sparkling. “And I couldn’t wait to show you! Do it, vi adassi!”
The camera turned and Serval suddenly found himself looking at another domini. She was a tall, muscular, beautiful female with long, braided hair, wearing a lovely, pink dress that had changed the color of her skin to match. She smirked, one fang glistening, as her tail whipped into view. She held out her arms, as though commanding him to behold her glory.
“Isn’t she beautiful?” Korvii asked from behind the camera, sounding boisterous and excited as always, but also strangely tender and loving. Serval realized what was happening before he said it. “This is Hela. Vi adassi. My mate. Isn’t she perfect? Strong. Fast. Stunning. That’s where I’ve been. I had to claim my female and mate her properly. So, really, overall, I think I won again, don’t you?”
His loud, grating laughter made Serval’s teeth clench.
He had a mate. Which meant he had-
“She’s going to be helping me.” Korvii stepped back in front of the camera, putting his arm around his mate’s shoulders, their tails twining together. “With the two of us working together, we’ll be able to cover twice as much and interview twice as many people as you. You better enjoy that victory, Serval, it’s going to be your last one!”
“You better believe it,” Hela declared, tossing her head with a wicked smirk. “Korvii and I are going to make you regret ever getting into journalism in the first place.”
“I hear there’s some political unrest going on over on Hov Awee. Those tricksy bird people are up to something, and Hela and I are going to get the story. If you move fast, you might be able to get there just in time to watch us upload our new, dual person segment. Later, loser!”
Laughing, Korvii ended the comm before Serval could respond. He growled, annoyed, fists tightening against the arms of his chair. He hadn’t heard anything about unrest over on Hov Awee. The farasie were a largely peaceful and nonviolent people, even under duress. Anything that had them up in arms could only be a story of the juiciest variety. Maybe he could-
Another incoming message cut off his thoughts. Nox’s name flashed across the screen, and he connected the voice comm immediately – he never saw his boss’ face.
“You off planet now?”
“Yeah. Probably going to head off to Hov Awee. I hear there’s some unrest there to investigate.”
“Forget it. I already have someone else headed there. I need you for something else.”
“Oh?” Serval perked up. If Nox had an even better story to chase, then he would be able to shove that in Korvii’s ugly face. Proof that he didn’t need a mate to help him. He was still the best, even when the odds were stacked against him.
“Yeah. A Carvadolian princess is celebrating her fourth birthday in Coalition space.”
Serval’s eye twitched. “Are you joking me right now?”
“It’s a very big story. Carvadolian princesses aren’t that common, you know. And it’s setting up to be one of the rare few peaceful relationship building interactions between the Carvadolians and the Coalition. It’s a good story.”
“It’s a fluff story.”
“Serval-”
“Why, by the rest of the great sleeping spirits, are you sending me on a fluff story? Anyone can cover that useless harai. Why are you sending me?”
“Because Coalition law requires that I give my employees a certain amount of time off, and you’ve been running from battlefield to battlefield for so long, I’m about to get into trouble.”
Serval’s eye twitched again. “That’s my choice.”
“And it’s my license. You’re either taking a vacation, or a fluff story. Or I’m going to comm Korvii and send him to get me your next story just to piss you off.”
“You soggy, fetid, allava hovonai, uri uwi akawee!”
“Love you, too. So, what’s it going to be? Time off, or cover the little princess’ party?”
Serval’s thumb bounced rapidly, a sign of his inner agitation. A vacation meant probably going home – something he was long overdue for, really. But it also meant dealing with his family and their constant questions about when he’d give up this job and finally come back home to settle. Something he’d rather die than do. Going home was suffocating.
But the princess’ party sounded absolutely dull and horribly boring. There was a chance, of course, that the Carvadolians would start trouble, or cause some kind of insult, but he doubted it. They were stuffy and proper, to an annoying degree. Even if they weren’t, the likelihood of them putting one of their princesses at risk was so low, they would hurt themselves before letting anything bad happen to her.
Whatever he chose, he’d be doing, essentially, nothing. The only question was how bored or aggravated he was going to be by the end.
