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Kaia thought it all through as she downed the box of cold fries on the couch, following that up with a generous shot of H2O.
No… Her experience with the alien substance was not standard. She just had to decide what that meant, and how she could use it to her advantage.
* * *
When Kaia asked for a meeting with Mare Halena, she wasn’t expecting to be invited to her private cabins. It wasn’t Kaia’s preferred location—the things she wanted to talk about weren’t personal, and her request had made that clear. Was Kaia not deemed worthy of being seen in a dedicated meeting space? But maybe it was a good opportunity. If Kaia was to get Loran invited ontoColossal, she’d need to start buildingsomelevel of trust with the woman who ran the place.
“Kaia.” Mare Halena rose from her seat when Kaia entered. “I was pleased to receive your request.”
“Thanks.” Alina had helped her pick suitable clothes for the meeting, yet Kaia still felt too casual in the presence of the cabin and its inhabitant. Mare Halena fit into the decor like she was part of it. Her structured synthleather blouse blended with the black walls and sharp lines of the minimalist gray furniture. The gold buttons on her shirt were the only flash of color in the space.
Kaia had put on a cotton sheath dress, long sleeves and a hemline draping to her knees, covering most of the marks Mare Halena’s son had left on her. Yet even though the dress was constructed from heavy fabric, it still felt too sloppy compared to the rigidity of her surroundings.
“I’d offer you hydration, but I’m afraid I have a critical meeting in ten minutes. We'll have to walk and talk. Come.”
Kaia suppressed her frown until Mare Halena’s back was to her, leading her into a blood passage unlocked by a quick press of the palm.
It was obvious now. Mare Halena was blowing her off.
Whatever approach Kaia had prepared before coming was now scattered all over her brain as she fell in step with the commander and tried to pick up the pieces of her plan.
“Yes. It’s about—”
“Spousal responsibilities. Your note said as much. What about them?”
Kaia gritted her teeth. “I’ve appreciated the training you’ve arranged for me for the last month and a half, and it’s made one thing clear: this expedition stuff is a huge deal.”
“I’m so glad you figured that out,” Mare Halena said wryly.
Shit. I have no idea how to do this.
“Well, I realized I’m just dead weight around here, and… okay, I was skeptical about finding New Earth before, but the lessons have shown me that it’s… well, I think it’s possible. And I want to help.”
Mare Halena ushered Kaia through another door, this one opening to a public corridor. “How nice. Right now, the best assistance you can provide is to keep my son happy and satisfied.”
She paused, facing Kaia for the first time. “I don’t say it to offend, Kaia. Orion has been away fromColossalfor a long time. He’s only seen one expedition in his lifetime. And he’s getting… antsy. What he needs right now is something to keep him busy. And God knows he doesn’t seem interested in any of the other women on this colony. My son does not form attachments easily. But he does form obsessions. You can be that for him.”
How bad would punching her be, really? The last time they met, Mare Halena seemed almost nice.
Thisisher being nice, Kaia realized. Mare Halena wasn’t trying to insult her; she was just being practical.
But why was Orion’s mother trying to get him out of the way of the expedition? She was the one who forced him back toColossal… She’d been pulling him into meetings on a daily basis until the man looked like he wanted to claw his eyes out. Now she was telling Kaia to be a distraction.
As if reading her mind, Mare Halena deemed it appropriate to elaborate. “I’m busy keeping this ship alive with the little time I have left here, Kaia. Orion does not understand the gravity of this situation or the importance of this journey. I don’t have time to babysit. But you have all the time in the world.”
Oh, if only she knew.
It wasn’t the additional responsibility—or relationship-building access—Kaia had hoped for. But it was something she could use.
* * *
“Hey,” Kaia began in his suite over lunch that afternoon. “How’s your handover prep going?”
Orion’s chewing slowed as he considered her. “Why do you ask?”
Kaia made a show of looking uncomfortable. She was no actress, but she’d gotten so used to being uneasy around this man that she could play that part quite well.
“I met with your mother, hoping to get more involved with the expedition. To help, you know. Maybe we’d also get some info about why she picked this galaxy. These planets, like you said.”
