AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Zevon started to leave and then paused and smiled at Ansley. “Good luck on your first mission. I’ve heard nothing but good things about you.” He was obviously trying to ease the tension between him and Ansley.
She produced a tight smile and said, “Thank you, sir,” but her gaze remained watchful. “Are you sure we can trust him?” Ansley whispered, long minutes after Zevon had departed.
“Zevon has enemies, but most of them resent the changes he’s making, not the male himself,” Jobek explained as they made their way to their quarters. “I have yet to meet anyone who was betrayed by him. He is a strong and honorable leader. There is no reason to worry that the mission is anything other than he described.”
“A simple extraction of an operative,” she repeated.
“Exactly,” Jobek concluded.
“Well, I trust the two of you,” Ansley said. “If you trust Zevon, I’ll chill out.”
Her human expressions never failed to amuse Tandor. They were part of what made her unique.
“Hopefully, Aito is available,” Jobek said as they reached their rooms a short time later. Aito and Jobek had formed a friendly, though intense rivalry during their school years. So Jobek was surprised and pleased to find his old friend at the Citadel. They hadn’t had a lot of time to spend with each other, but Jobek was looking forward to catching up.
“That’s a great idea,” Tandor encouraged. “He’s familiar with Torretian tech, so we can take our ship.”
“What’s the advantage of taking your ship?” Ansley wanted to know.
“Most of Zevon’s ships were built by the Altorians. Their ships are faster and more maneuverable. But Torretian ships, which is what ours is, have better covert shields.”
“And stealth is more important than speed on this mission,” she realized.
“Exactly.”
Aito was available and immediately agreed to take the mission. He said he’d go prepare the ship.
Tandor, Ansley, and Jobek changed into casual civilian garments so they could pass for tourists.
When they were gliding through hyperspace a short time later, Tandor printed a simple meal. The triad needed to rest and restore their energy and they only had a few hours to do so. They offered to share the meal with Aito, but he assured them that he’d already eaten.
“I’m too hyped up to sleep,” Jobek said as they recycled what little remained of their food. “Besides, Aito and I have questions to ask and stories to tell. You two must rest. I can feel how fatigued you are.”
Tandor wasn’t capable of arguing. All of the energy he’d fed their mate had drained him completely and he was fighting to keep his eyes open. He guided Ansley to the back row of seats and showed her how to trigger the recline mechanism. Jobek sat next to Aito in the front of the ship and soon the two were laughing and joking like old friends again.
“Wake me up before we get there, please.” She paused for a wide yawn. “Coming out of hyperspace and seeing the planets hanging there is still thrilling for me.”
“I would never miss the opportunity to thrill you, mate,” Tandor promised then wiggled his eyebrows.
She smiled at him then blew a kiss. “Thank you for indulging me today. I know it really wiped you out.”
“The only way to truly learn is to do. I am your source. It is my job to fill you full of energy.”
“As well as other things,” she whispered then closed her eyes.
Tandor surrendered to exhaustion a millisecond after his eyelids lowered. His sleep was dreamless and deep. When he returned to wakefulness, Ansley was in the front of the ship talking softly with Aito and Jobek. Tandor could sense that time had passed, but he had no idea how much.
“What time is it?” Tandor asked as he returned his seat to the upright position. “How long was I out?”
“It’s not quite nine,” Jobek informed. “You were out for about six hours, but we’re slightly ahead of schedule.”
“You should have awakened me so you could get some rest.”
Jobek waved away his concern. “Just sitting here chatting is restful, and training is harder on you and Ansley. My job is largely muscle memory. You either have energy or you don’t. It’s impossible for you to fake it.”
“You might want to sit down,” Aito cautioned. “We’re about to drop out of hyperspace.”
Tandor slipped onto the seat beside Ansley and watched her react to the view. Pyron was directly ahead of them, the Citadel barely visible in the distance. Of the four planets in this star system, Pyron looked the most like Earth. The land masses were shaped differently and the oceans were a lighter blue. Still the basic configuration of the two worlds was similar.
