Lily went pale.
Khar behaved as though nothing were amiss.
Vegrun flushed orange, but his anger was not directed at Khar.
“That treacherous creature. Listen to me carefully. Never involve yourself with a Mokra female. They steal your gherr and crush it. I have realized that these beautiful but devious species are not for me. I desire a gentle partner now, like Iroxella.”
Khar nodded with grave wisdom.
“Sound advice, sir. I will remember it.”
Vegrun patted Khar’s shoulder with a damp tentacle.
“You are a good male, Khar. Not just strength, but intellect. I am sure you never struggle with females. Now I must go. And do not forget to refresh the pool.”
The moment he left, Khar and Lily looked at each other.
“No tentacle left dry?”
“No tentacle left dry.”
The excursion was a gift. Cycles in which Khar could draw closer to Lily. Never too much. A hand placed just so. A laugh earned. Nothing that might erode her trust.
Sometimes it was agony not to give himself away.
Still, he judged that he was close.
Even the minor disaster, a ruptured water line that soaked them both, only reinforced the truth. Khar wedged himself into a service crawlspace while used pool water dripped steadily onto him. Lily handed him tools and replacement parts from outside.
They both needed thorough showers afterward.
Khar emerged convinced that they made a perfect team.
Perhaps it was time to take the next step.
That illusion shattered the moment they docked and Horos appeared.
His target was obvious.
After escorting his employer and companion into a waiting luxury ground vehicle, Horos turned directly toward Lily, who stood beside Vitro.
“Lily. How wonderful to see you again. Are you busy?”
She glanced around, uneasy.
“Very.”
“It will not take long,” Horos said smoothly. “You are still new here. I thought this would be a good time for a formal performance evaluation. After that, you may return to your duties.”
Lily nodded, though reluctance was written all over her.
Khar moved immediately.
“Lily, your console is reporting a leak in your sector.”
They did not have assigned sectors. It was an obvious pretext.
Lily understood.
