movement of the ship. Regan slid out of bed, making short work of showering and pulling on her clothes. The others were in the control room, watching the view port. They looked tense.
“Morning, short stuff,” Warren said and Mea smiled vaguely in her direction, but most of their attention was elsewhere.
“What’s going on?” Through the port Regan saw a blue and green planet looming closer. It looked a lot like Old Earth, except that it was larger and had three moons.
“We’re almost home, but it seems Uncle Mike has decided we need an escort,” Mea answered and pointed at the viewscreen in time for Regan to see two small ships flash by. They turned and matched course and speed on either side of the
Starfire.
“Why?”
“He’s a little angry with me,” Mea murmured in a casual tone, but her lovely face hardened in a way that made Regan’s stomach flip unpleasantly.
Regan gulped. She wanted to ask a million questions.
What does he know? Did they find out about Stone? Is everything going to be okay?
But the presence of the android kept her silent. After all the work Mea did to change Warren’s memory, she didn’t want to be the one to blow it.
The
Starfire
slowed and angled for entry into the atmosphere, the two little ships still flanking. Regan was almost dancing with pent up tension by the time they settled on a landing pad.
Mea powered the ship down and took a deep breath. “Let the games begin,” she said softly.
Warren sent her a sharp look. “He’s not going to punish you for taking down a rogue. He can’t! This garbage with the escort and him yelling at you for hours is just for show. He’s got to play boss for the Coalition.”
With an affectionate smile, she ruffled his hair and stood. “Hold down the fort and don’t let those techies push you or Ema around. You have rights, too, you know. If they get frisky with you, just tell ‘em to stick their probes where the sun don’t shine. Got me?”
“Yeah, I got it.” He shook his head with a smirk as they left the control room.
There were a number of official-looking people already standing on the ramp when the hatch opened, and Regan looked up at Mea in alarm. The woman seemed serene, but Regan slipped a hand in hers anyway for reassurance and received a gentle squeeze.
“Ah, Belata. Home sweet home.”
Stepping out onto the ramp, Mea lifted her face to the morning sunshine and closed her eyes, a blissful smile on her lovely features. Regan turned her own face up when she felt warmth like gentle fingers on her skin. It had been a long time since she’d been planet-side. The sun felt good, an unexpected welcome in this foreign place. In spite of the situation, her lips turned up at the corners in an unconscious imitation of the woman next to her.
“Hunter Brin, we have orders to bring you directly and without delay to Chief Conley.”
Mea ignored them, looking around at their surroundings with a deep sigh and a smile. Then she stepped forward at an unhurried pace, still holding Regan’s hand.
The officials parted before them, except one who reached for Regan, face expressionless. “I’ll take the girl to—”
Stone struck like lightning over Regan’s shoulder and grabbed the man’s wrist. “Hands off.”
The man jerked out of his grip and straightened, face hard and angry. “I don’t know who you think you are, mister—”
“Oh, I wouldn’t do that, son,” Mea drawled, and Regan glanced over at her to see a dark smile move across her lips.
The man ignored her, staring at Stone. Regan felt her chest tighten with alarm, reading the aggression and challenge in the official’s stance.
With an impatient hiss, Mea pulled Regan out of the way and slid between the two adversaries, eyes narrowing on the official. “Let me put this in words you can understand. Until he says otherwise, this man’s my partner. He deserves the same respect you would give to any hunter. But if that means nothing, and you’re determined
“Morning, short stuff,” Warren said and Mea smiled vaguely in her direction, but most of their attention was elsewhere.
“What’s going on?” Through the port Regan saw a blue and green planet looming closer. It looked a lot like Old Earth, except that it was larger and had three moons.
“We’re almost home, but it seems Uncle Mike has decided we need an escort,” Mea answered and pointed at the viewscreen in time for Regan to see two small ships flash by. They turned and matched course and speed on either side of the
Starfire.
“Why?”
“He’s a little angry with me,” Mea murmured in a casual tone, but her lovely face hardened in a way that made Regan’s stomach flip unpleasantly.
Regan gulped. She wanted to ask a million questions.
What does he know? Did they find out about Stone? Is everything going to be okay?
But the presence of the android kept her silent. After all the work Mea did to change Warren’s memory, she didn’t want to be the one to blow it.
The
Starfire
slowed and angled for entry into the atmosphere, the two little ships still flanking. Regan was almost dancing with pent up tension by the time they settled on a landing pad.
Mea powered the ship down and took a deep breath. “Let the games begin,” she said softly.
Warren sent her a sharp look. “He’s not going to punish you for taking down a rogue. He can’t! This garbage with the escort and him yelling at you for hours is just for show. He’s got to play boss for the Coalition.”
With an affectionate smile, she ruffled his hair and stood. “Hold down the fort and don’t let those techies push you or Ema around. You have rights, too, you know. If they get frisky with you, just tell ‘em to stick their probes where the sun don’t shine. Got me?”
“Yeah, I got it.” He shook his head with a smirk as they left the control room.
There were a number of official-looking people already standing on the ramp when the hatch opened, and Regan looked up at Mea in alarm. The woman seemed serene, but Regan slipped a hand in hers anyway for reassurance and received a gentle squeeze.
“Ah, Belata. Home sweet home.”
Stepping out onto the ramp, Mea lifted her face to the morning sunshine and closed her eyes, a blissful smile on her lovely features. Regan turned her own face up when she felt warmth like gentle fingers on her skin. It had been a long time since she’d been planet-side. The sun felt good, an unexpected welcome in this foreign place. In spite of the situation, her lips turned up at the corners in an unconscious imitation of the woman next to her.
“Hunter Brin, we have orders to bring you directly and without delay to Chief Conley.”
Mea ignored them, looking around at their surroundings with a deep sigh and a smile. Then she stepped forward at an unhurried pace, still holding Regan’s hand.
The officials parted before them, except one who reached for Regan, face expressionless. “I’ll take the girl to—”
Stone struck like lightning over Regan’s shoulder and grabbed the man’s wrist. “Hands off.”
The man jerked out of his grip and straightened, face hard and angry. “I don’t know who you think you are, mister—”
“Oh, I wouldn’t do that, son,” Mea drawled, and Regan glanced over at her to see a dark smile move across her lips.
The man ignored her, staring at Stone. Regan felt her chest tighten with alarm, reading the aggression and challenge in the official’s stance.
With an impatient hiss, Mea pulled Regan out of the way and slid between the two adversaries, eyes narrowing on the official. “Let me put this in words you can understand. Until he says otherwise, this man’s my partner. He deserves the same respect you would give to any hunter. But if that means nothing, and you’re determined
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