undressed, get dry and get to bed. I will fly us out of here to the next station. We are due on Brekari in three days. Time to get in some relaxation, Vikki."
Vinni lifted her with his hands on her arms and shooed her to the back of the shuttle.
She stripped off her sodden suit and walked into the gel shower. She turned the heat up on the gel and got doused with the liquid, letting the heat warm her as she spread it over her from head to toe an instant before it hardened and shattered, taking surface bacteria with it.
A light vacuuming later and she felt moderately better. She faced the mirror in the small lav and smiled slightly at her pink hair. It was one of Vinni's best colour jobs. Even after the gel, it still had curl and wave in it. It made her blue eyes wide and bright, a startling contrast to how she felt.
The weight of Nother's mind was tremendous. Her relief at being disconnected from him was rippling through her thoughts. Sighing, she left the lav and crawled onto her bunk, strapping herself down for takeoff.
Vinni took off smoothly, the shuttle barely shuddering under his control. The dexterity and strength that it took to control the old shuttle was what made him so popular on the stations. Under the uniform, he was ripped. He never lacked for male companionship, which was something Vikki could not say for herself.
The stations held groomers and restaurants, so she focused on pleasing herself without looking for a companion. The few times she had tried, she had been unsuccessful once they heard she was on the waiting list for a Drai mate.
It was on every document she signed, every cursory check of her credentials.
Sighing, Vikki snuggled down into the sheets and blanket of her bunk and rested while Vinni did the flying. It was going to be a long day and they had a station to get to.
She had to wait out an avatar hangover and sleep was the best medicine for it. It was time to dream of dragons.
Chapter Two
In a baggy ship suit, Vikki relieved Vinni ten hours after they left Nother. He fell into his own bunk with a groan she could hear from the cockpit.
She gave a delicate burp and swallowed the last of her breakfast for the second time. Her system was never quite right after a mental connection, but it would acclimate again.
She was three hours into her flight shift when the com chirped. There was no scheduled communication, so she was unsure of what was going on.
"This is the Dead Pigeon, connection acknowledged."
"Specialist Markham? Oh thank the twelve gods." The voice was unfamiliar, but the mention of twelve gods narrowed down the possible races dramatically.
"Yes, this is Specialist Markham. Who am I addressing?"
"Oh, my apologies. I am Communications Liaison Heffer. I am calling from Geviil."
That got her attention. Her supposed mate was located on Geviil.
"What can I do for you? This is a priority channel, so I assume that it is a matter of urgency."
Silence crackled in the cockpit and Vikki leaned forward, straining to hear the next message.
"We need you here. Immediately. The Drai is in danger and he won't wake up. He doesn't believe you are near."
"That is impossible. I was told that our mating compatibility is confirmed." Vikki scrubbed her hand through her tousled curls.
"It is, was. From what I have been able to glean, he doesn't think you are real. He thinks we have tricked him. I don't understand why, but we need you here to talk to him."
Vikki groaned. "And because of my talent for speaking to large, sleeping minds, planets and the like…"
"We believe that you can wake him."
She sighed. "Get the Alliance to change my orders and have them send it to me on the priority channel and I will redirect my shuttle to Geviil. At this distance, I should be there within a day."
"Thank you, Specialist Markham. I will. Immediately. Thank you." Heffer's voice was so clear with relief that in Vikki's mind's eye, she could almost see a Geviilan bowing.
Less than an hour later, the
Vinni lifted her with his hands on her arms and shooed her to the back of the shuttle.
She stripped off her sodden suit and walked into the gel shower. She turned the heat up on the gel and got doused with the liquid, letting the heat warm her as she spread it over her from head to toe an instant before it hardened and shattered, taking surface bacteria with it.
A light vacuuming later and she felt moderately better. She faced the mirror in the small lav and smiled slightly at her pink hair. It was one of Vinni's best colour jobs. Even after the gel, it still had curl and wave in it. It made her blue eyes wide and bright, a startling contrast to how she felt.
The weight of Nother's mind was tremendous. Her relief at being disconnected from him was rippling through her thoughts. Sighing, she left the lav and crawled onto her bunk, strapping herself down for takeoff.
Vinni took off smoothly, the shuttle barely shuddering under his control. The dexterity and strength that it took to control the old shuttle was what made him so popular on the stations. Under the uniform, he was ripped. He never lacked for male companionship, which was something Vikki could not say for herself.
The stations held groomers and restaurants, so she focused on pleasing herself without looking for a companion. The few times she had tried, she had been unsuccessful once they heard she was on the waiting list for a Drai mate.
It was on every document she signed, every cursory check of her credentials.
Sighing, Vikki snuggled down into the sheets and blanket of her bunk and rested while Vinni did the flying. It was going to be a long day and they had a station to get to.
She had to wait out an avatar hangover and sleep was the best medicine for it. It was time to dream of dragons.
Chapter Two
In a baggy ship suit, Vikki relieved Vinni ten hours after they left Nother. He fell into his own bunk with a groan she could hear from the cockpit.
She gave a delicate burp and swallowed the last of her breakfast for the second time. Her system was never quite right after a mental connection, but it would acclimate again.
She was three hours into her flight shift when the com chirped. There was no scheduled communication, so she was unsure of what was going on.
"This is the Dead Pigeon, connection acknowledged."
"Specialist Markham? Oh thank the twelve gods." The voice was unfamiliar, but the mention of twelve gods narrowed down the possible races dramatically.
"Yes, this is Specialist Markham. Who am I addressing?"
"Oh, my apologies. I am Communications Liaison Heffer. I am calling from Geviil."
That got her attention. Her supposed mate was located on Geviil.
"What can I do for you? This is a priority channel, so I assume that it is a matter of urgency."
Silence crackled in the cockpit and Vikki leaned forward, straining to hear the next message.
"We need you here. Immediately. The Drai is in danger and he won't wake up. He doesn't believe you are near."
"That is impossible. I was told that our mating compatibility is confirmed." Vikki scrubbed her hand through her tousled curls.
"It is, was. From what I have been able to glean, he doesn't think you are real. He thinks we have tricked him. I don't understand why, but we need you here to talk to him."
Vikki groaned. "And because of my talent for speaking to large, sleeping minds, planets and the like…"
"We believe that you can wake him."
She sighed. "Get the Alliance to change my orders and have them send it to me on the priority channel and I will redirect my shuttle to Geviil. At this distance, I should be there within a day."
"Thank you, Specialist Markham. I will. Immediately. Thank you." Heffer's voice was so clear with relief that in Vikki's mind's eye, she could almost see a Geviilan bowing.
Less than an hour later, the
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