surprise, Rae tossed her head back and guffawed. Feeling discouraged by her mirth, Kellen opened her mouth to take back what she had said.
“Brilliant,” Rae said. “Now, anyone looking at you wouldn’t have any reservations. But they would certainly wonder how you could instantly fall in love with me. It’s the best explanation we have, though, so we’ll go along with it. Love at first sight it is.” She checked the chronometer and motioned toward the door. “We better go.”
Feeling light-headed, Kellen followed the commodore onto the bridge where Lieutenant Commander Todd was getting ready to leave. As she leaned against the bulkhead by the elevator, she tried to find her bearings while the two senior officers spoke briefly to each other. She had never been anything but honest with Armeo. How was she supposed to pull off such a blatant lie?
*
Rae would rather have faced any armada of space vessels in combat than stand in front of Armeo with Kellen.
“Did the mission go well, Commodore?” he asked, sounding interested. “The kids in school talked about it.”
“It did. In fact, it went very well.”
“I heard a lot of people were wounded. Did anybody die?” He looked concerned.
Rae gestured for all of them to sit down in the living room. Armeo sat on the couch beneath the porthole, and Kellen started to join him, but caught herself and took a seat next to Rae on the other couch.
“Some of the Onotharians were killed,” Rae said. “They lost one of their ships.”
“The Onotharians.” Armeo seemed lost in thought, then said, “I don’t want anybody to die, but I wish they would leave everybody alone. They shouldn’t be on Gantharat, for instance. And I bet they’d take over more worlds if they had a chance.”
Impressed with the boy’s compassion and insight, Rae responded, “You seem to dislike the Onotharians a lot, but you’re half Onotharian yourself.”
“My grandfather was a colonel in the Onotharian occupation, and my father was a starship pilot in the Onotharian fleet, but I don’t feel Onotharian. And at times I’ve almost wished I weren’t. The kids in my old school used to tease me for being a hybrid.”
Rae felt Kellen flinch next to her. “What did you do about that?” she asked.
Armeo seemed to consider his answer, tilting his head. “I told them we don’t choose our parents, but if I could have, I wouldn’t change a thing.”
Rae smiled at the young man, delighted with his keen mind. Clearing her throat, she glanced at Kellen. “We, your guardian and I, have some news for you. You may find it a bit sudden and startling even…”
“Are we going back to Gantharat?” Armeo did indeed look startled. “Oh, please, Commodore Jacelon, don’t make us leave the station.”
“You don’t want to go home?”
“If things could be just like before, but they can’t, can they? Those men will always be after us, and they want to throw Kellen in prison and kill her.” His lips trembled, and Rae had to remind herself he was actually younger than he looked.
“Well, you don’t have to worry, Armeo, because you’re not going back to Gantharat. You and Kellen are going to stay here with me.”
The boy seemed baffled. “You mean here?” He looked around the spacious quarters.
“Yes. When Kellen joined me on the mission last night, we had a judge perform a ceremony.” Rae dug deep for much-needed courage. “Kellen is my partner now. We’re married.”
Armeo’s jaw sagged. “Married?” His eyes grew wide, and he turned sharply to Kellen. “Is this true?”
“Yes, it is. Rae and I were married on the Ajax . Apart from the witnesses, you’re the first to know.” Kellen squeezed Rae’s hand between them on the couch as she told the white lie.
“But why? Why would you marry someone you hardly know?”
“I fell in love with Rae the moment I saw her,” Kellen said in such an effortless manner Rae felt as if her heart took a detour to her mouth before
“Brilliant,” Rae said. “Now, anyone looking at you wouldn’t have any reservations. But they would certainly wonder how you could instantly fall in love with me. It’s the best explanation we have, though, so we’ll go along with it. Love at first sight it is.” She checked the chronometer and motioned toward the door. “We better go.”
Feeling light-headed, Kellen followed the commodore onto the bridge where Lieutenant Commander Todd was getting ready to leave. As she leaned against the bulkhead by the elevator, she tried to find her bearings while the two senior officers spoke briefly to each other. She had never been anything but honest with Armeo. How was she supposed to pull off such a blatant lie?
*
Rae would rather have faced any armada of space vessels in combat than stand in front of Armeo with Kellen.
“Did the mission go well, Commodore?” he asked, sounding interested. “The kids in school talked about it.”
“It did. In fact, it went very well.”
“I heard a lot of people were wounded. Did anybody die?” He looked concerned.
Rae gestured for all of them to sit down in the living room. Armeo sat on the couch beneath the porthole, and Kellen started to join him, but caught herself and took a seat next to Rae on the other couch.
“Some of the Onotharians were killed,” Rae said. “They lost one of their ships.”
“The Onotharians.” Armeo seemed lost in thought, then said, “I don’t want anybody to die, but I wish they would leave everybody alone. They shouldn’t be on Gantharat, for instance. And I bet they’d take over more worlds if they had a chance.”
Impressed with the boy’s compassion and insight, Rae responded, “You seem to dislike the Onotharians a lot, but you’re half Onotharian yourself.”
“My grandfather was a colonel in the Onotharian occupation, and my father was a starship pilot in the Onotharian fleet, but I don’t feel Onotharian. And at times I’ve almost wished I weren’t. The kids in my old school used to tease me for being a hybrid.”
Rae felt Kellen flinch next to her. “What did you do about that?” she asked.
Armeo seemed to consider his answer, tilting his head. “I told them we don’t choose our parents, but if I could have, I wouldn’t change a thing.”
Rae smiled at the young man, delighted with his keen mind. Clearing her throat, she glanced at Kellen. “We, your guardian and I, have some news for you. You may find it a bit sudden and startling even…”
“Are we going back to Gantharat?” Armeo did indeed look startled. “Oh, please, Commodore Jacelon, don’t make us leave the station.”
“You don’t want to go home?”
“If things could be just like before, but they can’t, can they? Those men will always be after us, and they want to throw Kellen in prison and kill her.” His lips trembled, and Rae had to remind herself he was actually younger than he looked.
“Well, you don’t have to worry, Armeo, because you’re not going back to Gantharat. You and Kellen are going to stay here with me.”
The boy seemed baffled. “You mean here?” He looked around the spacious quarters.
“Yes. When Kellen joined me on the mission last night, we had a judge perform a ceremony.” Rae dug deep for much-needed courage. “Kellen is my partner now. We’re married.”
Armeo’s jaw sagged. “Married?” His eyes grew wide, and he turned sharply to Kellen. “Is this true?”
“Yes, it is. Rae and I were married on the Ajax . Apart from the witnesses, you’re the first to know.” Kellen squeezed Rae’s hand between them on the couch as she told the white lie.
“But why? Why would you marry someone you hardly know?”
“I fell in love with Rae the moment I saw her,” Kellen said in such an effortless manner Rae felt as if her heart took a detour to her mouth before
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