Page 68 of Meteor Storm

Her eyes snapped back up toward mine, not missing my point. I watched her throat bob nervously, the pulse on the side of her neck beating with fervor, and all I wanted to do was feel it against my lips.

“Do you not want to be alone with me?”

I clenched my teeth, trapping the words I wanted to say lest they come out wrong. I wasn’t entirely sure how humans worked. As for monrians, taking a partner was near unheard of unless it was a psychological arrangement. An emotional bond that boosted morale. Physical attachment was frowned upon. It was distracting and reserved for designated leave with people who were easily forgotten. Fleeting pleasure was necessary and even then, it was monitored. Connections that could compromise missions were not permitted.

“Penny,” I whispered. “When we get to Tallian space, I will likely be taken into custody. Sunhai will be handed over to an embassy and you will probably go with her. Humans and valerians are allied. It would be better if they dealt with you.”

“Dealt with me?”

“That may have been the wrong way to say that.”

“No, I get it.” There was no anger in her voice. No disappointment. Just a flat, unreadable expression that hit me harder than a slap to the face would. She nodded and stepped around me, heading for the exit. “Thanks for the little session. I was getting a little bored. I’m going to find Sunhai.”

“I was ordered to look after you.”

“I’m good for now.”

I watched her walk away like she was late for a meeting and disappear into the hall. My body ached to chase after her, but perhaps this was the way I was going to keep my feelings in check. By pushing her away. By erecting walls she could not get through. Walls that used to be there before but were now rubble of their former selves. Reconditioning would help to strengthen them again, but I was unsure when that would come or even if it would. All I had to do was last until then.

My next sleep cycle was a restless one. I found myself staring up at the ceiling of my small chamber, unable to organize the hurricane of thoughts plaguing my mind.

I scrubbed my face with frustration. Falling to sleep in a timely manner and getting the best of whatever rest we were afforded was a monrian ability we all grew up honing.

But growing up, I didn’t know Penny. I never knew someone could bleed through the cracks in my armor like she could. I recalled her story about her sister. About her determination and her failure, both things I had felt very deeply in the past. She was a protector on Earth, I could tell. I couldn’t help wanting to be her protector in space.

I had avoided crossing paths with her for another two sleep cycles and filled my time with training, meditation, and researching the current state of monrian affairs. I’d been away longer than I suspected and was somewhat surprised to see how much had happened in my absence. Yuros had also allowed me access to the unit logs so I might search for ships in need of additional crew. I regretted the fact that my unit and many more perished in Ursa, but death was a large part of our lifestyle. If I was pardoned and allowed to remain active, I would need to find a suitable vessel to take residence on.

It was all quite tedious considering I’d been with the Haak almost my whole life and it was due to arrangements, not by my own choice.

“Do not think on it too hard,” Yuros said, entering the records room behind me. “I’m confident many units will be fighting over a soldier with your experience. And you may very well be placed somewhere deemed suitable by the council.”

I stepped away from the glowing panel of endless records, swiping a hand across the holographic contents to turn and face Yaros.

“I’d like to be prepared,” I said. “The current conflicts are a bit different than I remember.”

“Yes, the valerians have sent a message or two regarding the gek’tal. Seems tensions are rising fast.”

“The valerians have never conscripted monrian forces in the past. They’re too proud.”

“Apparently, one of them has taken a human mate, which means their spirits are lifting. Their two races are quite compatible, from what reports say. I don’t have the details yet, but information is trickling in. If they get protective of humans, they might swallow that pride and we might be making a jump to another quadrant soon to form an outpost colony.”

I stilled myself, but inside, the mention of a human and a valerian coupling had piqued my interest.

“You can continue getting yourself caught up tomorrow,” Yuros said. “Let us head into the common room and talk more over a meal.”

I walked beside Yuros through the ship. It was a large vessel. It seemed new and well-maintained, comparatively speaking. The Haak was an ancient ship with thick walls, worn floors, and outdated systems, but it was a beast of a ship. One that had served us well until its last days.

When we came to the common room, more than a few crew members were taking their meals and sat scattered about, some in hushed conversation and others in silent solitude. But my eyes drifted past each one of them and noticed Sunhai and Penny sitting in a corner at a small, round table, each with empty bowls in front of them. I did my best not to let my eyes linger as I headed for the distribution table. On it were a few remaining bowls of what many monrians had come to call “great stew.” It was a savory dish. A blend of many things our bodies needed to function as well as an abundance of vitamins and minerals. It was dense and easy to digest and suitable for long voyages.

I was lucky to have a taste for it where other men did not.

“I have spoken in depth with Inquisitor Naan about your situation,” he said as we took a seat at one of the central tables, right in view of Penny and Sunhai.

I began to wonder why she was still on the crew section of the ship when she and Sunhai had been provided almost an entire wing to themselves.

“And?” I asked.

“And, she is curious to see the human.”