“So?” she probes. “Your favorite?”
“King Hilthor ofSaorowhas a tendency to arrest his people publicly for every little thing. His colony is orderly and obedient to the point that I hated going to his ship. He has lines everywhere for where he wants people to stand while they wait for food and transports. Everything is spotless.
“This is just after I met Blaize, who you now know. He’s a bit of a goofball and occasionally a very dark soul. He’s fromSaorow. So after a very uncomfortable month of guard duty on Hilthor’s ship, we teamed up with a few other Rogue crews, and threw Hilthor an automated party. Glitter cannons, confetti ribbons, and letunicas that would sing harmonious notes when the life support fans were running. Covered the Royal quarters. Watched videos of it going off on the fleet newsfeed.
“We set it up to puff every hour for a whole day. Guess how long it took them to find all the letunicas.”
Jovie chews a lip. “A month?”
“Two.”
She covers her mouth. “Those poor people.”
“We only did it in the Royal quarters. So the servants might have heard it during the day. But they got to sleep at night. It got so bad, I guess, that the king stayed in his private Luxcruiser.”
Jovie hangs on to me as we leave the place she calls a zoo and head to the formal dining area.
“So you don’t really just prank people. You get them back for being asses,” she says.
I keep her close as we enter the room. “The only Amphiran I’d never prank is my father.”
“Think he’ll figure you out?”
“I just know he’s vengeful enough to make life worse for everyone if someone messes with him. He ruins people’s lives until someone talks.” Tension grips my back just thinking about him. I roll my shoulders and push his memory away. “I don’t prank him because that’s better for the people ofTiatith.
“You sound like a kind prince. They would be lucky to have you instead of your father.” Her face lights up when she sees the large tank filled with colorful fish. “Wow, I’ve only seen them on a screen.”
“You haven’t seen creatures of your own world?” I ask, motioning to an open table next to the tank.
Jovie glances at me. “When and with what money?”
Watching her gawk at the fish and follow them, like she’s trying to say hi to each one, makes me want to give her all of the experiences she could ever dream of. “Anything you want, just name it. I’ll figure out how to make it happen.”
I may need to consider Elix’s line of work in private security.I’m certified with the feds, just not actively searching for work. But I might need to start now that I have no Rogue pay.
Jovie takes my hand, causing a soft flash of light that makes me smile.I found her after years of doubting myself while rejecting my father’s matches.
The validation is empowering. It would’ve been easy to just say yes and go with whoever he wanted me to bond with. But none of them wanted me either. And that was always the determining factor.
“Have you seen everything?” Jovie slumps in her seat. “Is any of this exciting to you?”
“Has anyone? The universe is infinite. So no. But I know who is in the Sol federation. And I’ve visited close to ninety percent of the solar systems. A few have dangerous space around them, like volatile nebulae, that we’re still learning to navigate. But yes, this is fun because it’s with you.”
17: Aurelius
Jovie listens to me like every word is gold. “I must be so boring compared to everything you’ve seen.”
“Not at all. You found an egg! And pulled some ninja shit on that ropes course.”
She bashfully laughs and shifts in her chair like she’s uncomfortable with the compliment.
“Why don’t you order some food and tell me more about your job?” I suggest.
Jovie quickly orders an entre on the tablet at the table, then pushes it toward me. “Trying to eat like the nurse said, but I just want to look around and enjoy not being covered in gear grease or igniter dust.” She waggles her head. “Sometimes it’s hydraulic fluid if there’s a leak in a line somewhere. Older models still use hydraulic positioning ram stabilizers.”
When Jovie pauses to stare at a passing fish, I order a Halthadorian appetizer platter and a large Lemon Charger.Sounds interesting.
“What all can you repair?” I ask.
