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“What?” Strike’s female leaned forward.
“Did I truly think the two of you were in the rented private chambers?” Her mom snorted. “I told him where else would you be? I had showed him that first recording you’d sent me. He saw the two of you there.”
Strike’s female swallowed hard. “Is he worried? I might be able to talk Talley into communicating with him, but you know how she is.”
“I know how they both are.” Her mom rolled her eyes. “Thank the Fates we don’t have that type of relationship. And no, Talley’s dad wasn’t worried. Which is very strange.” Her forehead furrowed much in the same way her daughter’s did when she was processing intensely. “He’s questioning your whereabouts, yet he isn’t worried the two of you…specifically Talley…are in trouble.”
“That is strange,” Strike’s female looked around her and then whispered. “Because if Talley wasn’t ill, she likely would be in trouble or causing it, at the very least.”
Her mom laughed. “That’s Talley.”
Strike’s female grinned.
“But back to Talley’s dad.” Her mom returned to that subject. “It’s almost like he thinks he knows where you are.”
“He does know where we are—we’re here.” Strike’s female shook her head.
“Exactly.” Her mom shook her head also. The handheld device on the horizontal support in front of her hummed. “I have to go.” She groaned. “There are more discussions over the defense funding. Certain beings don’t want it decreased. But send me a communication later this planet rotation. I want your insights on my speech for the sunrise event.” Her mom kissed her palm and touched the recording device. “I love you.”
“I love you, Mom.” His female kissed her palm and held it out also.
The communication ended. The image on the main viewscreen reverted to that of space. Powlus Zetus wasn’t yet visible. But it would be observable soon. They were quicky approaching the planet.
“I miss her.” His female wiped the wetness from her cheeks.
Strike scooped her out of her seat and set her on his lap, where she belonged. “Communicating with her every planet rotation isn’t sufficient?”
He sprinkled fast fervent kisses over her face. His nanocybotics should assist in repairing her.
“No.” His female sighed and snuggled into him. “But it will have to be enough. For now.” She gazed up at him. “I hate lying to her also. But that’s necessary to do. You heard her. You heard how busy she is and how much pressure she’s under.”
He also heard how much her mom relied on her insights. His clever female helped shape policy, yet he projected no one, other than her mom and himself, processed how important she was to Syndiculous 5.
The more Strike uncovered about his female’s responsibilities and her relationship with her mom the less confidence he had that she would want to relocate to the Dauntless or any other cyborg-controlled ship.
Their future would look different than the one he had planned for them.
“Telling my mom about the rescue mission would add to the pressure. No.” His female’s chin lifted. “We have to handle this ourselves. And we won’t say anything to my mom until after Talley and Tsadok are safe.”
“We can handle this ourselves.” He would reconfigure his plan for their future later.
Completing the mission while safeguarding his fragile little human was his priority now.
* * *
They neared their destination. Powlus Zetus became visible on the main viewscreen.
Strike enlarged the image so his female could see it.
“It’s so…green.” She stared up at the planet. “I thought it would be barren and dry and lifeless. We fought so many battles there.”
“They had much to fight for.” He reluctantly lifted her off his lap, stood, and then set her back down in the captain’s chair. “We have much to fight for also.”
He bent over and captured her lips, kissing her with all the passion, all the adoration in his big cyborg heart. She opened to him, and their tongues engaged, sliding, tumbling, touching.
Strike yearned to extend that fervent embrace forever.
That wasn’t possible. He straightened.
