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His smile widened. "I thought it appropriate to look presentable when representing the empire for this negotiation. We're already docked, and the meeting will start soon."
She blinked, glancing down at her rumpled clothing. "Oh geez, I guess I should try to clean up a little, too."
He inclined his head. "I will wait outside the airlock. Take a few moments to freshen up and join me when you're ready."
* * *
Vaarn leaned against the wall next to the airlock, arms crossed as he waited for Sadie to join him. He looked along the docking corridor, noting the differences between this station and his own.
Unlike the obsessively neat B'Kaar construction of Devan Station, Krantav Three had a more haphazard feel, with exposed ductwork snaking along the ceilings and panels missing here and there to reveal bundles of colored wire. It was a good fit for the nomadic nature of the different people who lived here. They were traders and others who didn't fit anywhere else and didn't care for empires or even authority. Given the nature of their negotiations, he could understand why they'd chosen to hold them here.
The airlock hatch cycled open and Sadie stepped through. He straightened, his breath catching in his throat. She wore the same clothes, but she'd done… something. The wrinkles in the fabric were all gone, and she looked fresh and bright. She was stunning. He had to curl his hands into fists to resist the urge to reach out and touch her again, to claim that beauty for himself.
Her eyes sparkled as she looked around, then she smiled at him. “This place looks so different from Devan. I can’t believe I'm on an actual alien space station!”
He cocked his head. "What do you mean? You've been living on the station for weeks now."
She laughed, the sound sending a pleasant tingle down his spine. "I know, but it doesn't feel alien to me. The architecture, the layout, it feels familiar in a way, just bigger and more high-tech than what I'm used to." She gestured around them. "This place though, it feels like I'm somewhere new. Somewhere I've never been before."
He considered her words. He supposed the utilitarian design of the station was similar in some ways to human structures, whereas the chaotic jumble of Krantav Three was utterly different.
"I imagine it's all a matter of perspective. Devan Station is a Latharian construct. The order, the layouts, they are no doubt familiar to you because of the shared heritage between the Lathar and Humanity." He glanced around again. "I must admit, this place feels alien even to me."
She nodded. "I never considered it that way." She touched his arm. "Was it difficult for you, coming to Earth? Is it very different from your home?"
He tensed at her touch, then forced himself to relax. She could touch him. Friends did that. Were they friends?
"A little," he said. "Humans are much more… chaotic than we are. It was challenging. But the mission was important, so I adapted."
He didn't add how meeting her had made that adaptation easier. His original plan had been to leave the station as soon as he'd been able, but now he'd opted to stick around.
"Well, I suppose we all have to adapt sometimes," she said, her expression growing serious. "Leaving Earth, going to the station… it wasn't easy for me. But being able to help would make a difference. Even if it's only helping get power components."
He studied her face and the emotions in her eyes—determination, anxiety, hope. On impulse, he reached out and squeezed her shoulder. "You have already made a difference. You and all the human females. Before you, we were facing our own demise, devoid of hope. Now, even for those of us who are unmated, knowing you are there is hope. Do not underestimate it."
She blinked at the contact, then gave him a small smile. “Thank you. That means a lot coming from you.”
He kept his hand on her shoulder for a moment, struck by how delicate she felt beneath his touch. When he let his hand drop, disappointment and a sense of loss filled him. “Come on. We should get going before the meeting starts without us.”
She nodded and fell into step beside him as they walked down the corridor. It became crowded the further they ventured and he rested a hand lightly on her back, steering her as she craned her neck, her eyes on stalks as she tried to look at everything all at once. He reveled in the opportunity to touch her, leaning as close as he dared to inhale her scent. She smelled clean and floral, like nothing else he’d ever smelled before and he had to bite back his growl. How was she unmated? Were all human males idiots to let such a treasure escape them?
"I didn't know there were so many types of aliens!" she said in an excited whisper. "I've never seen species like those before. What are they called?"
"That is a Logarnian," he leaned in to rumble by her ear. "They come from a high-gravity world, which is why they're so short and thick-set. And the one with the prehensile tail is an Iitian."
She nodded, delight on her face as they carried on. They walked by a panel set into the corridor wall and she stopped to watch the lights playing over the surface.
“It’s so beautiful,” she breathed, her eyes wide. "Is it a piece of artwork?"
He bit back a smile. "It’s part of the station automated power system."
"What?" She looked at it again. "But it looks like light art or something. It’s lovely."
He chuckled and gave her an out. "The station was designed by the Gerdaari. They like to combine aesthetics with every aspect of their lives. For them, the concepts of art and function are the same thing."
"So they made their automated systems beautiful on purpose?"
He nodded. "I believe the panel was selected for function, rather artistic intent but… well for us, it’s the same thing."
