“And after that? Are they going to send you out on another mission? Would I be able to go with you, or will that be it for us?”
He shook his head slowly, not wanting to think about it.
“Let’s deal with that question when the time comes.”
Chapter Twelve
Davidian Station was huge. Bigger than anything Giselle had seen before, and she’d done a fair amount of traveling in her life. It looked like a small moon orbiting the remote planet. In fact, it had once been a moon, according to Jerred. Hundreds of years of building and hollowing out its core had riddled it with tunnels and rooms; now it was little more than a shell for Saurellian military operations.
These were Jerred’s people, the men who dared challenge the might of the Empire.
It was a bit intimidating.
“We’ll be leaving this ship here,” Jerred said quietly as they docked in of many hangars. “They’ll need to go over it carefully for the information encrypted in the databanks, and to make sure Josiah didn’t leave any nasty little surprises on board. I’ll requisition another ship for my leave and we can take it wherever we want.”
She nodded, trying not to think about what would happen after that leave was over. It was pointless.
“How long will we be here?” she asked quietly.
“Hopefully not too long,” he said. “I’ll take three or four days to debrief and write up my reports. After that I’ll be free.”
“Will we be staying on the station?”
“Yes,” he replied with a smile. “This may surprise you, but I actually have an apartment here. It’s my home, at least as much as a home as I have. It may be a military station, but millions of people live here. You’ll find that there are hundreds of things to do in your free time. You’ll want to be careful, though. There aren’t many women, and those who are here are generally life mated. I’ll make sure you have an escort if you want to go out and I can’t be with you.”
“How dangerous is it?”
“Well, I don’t think any of them would deliberately hurt you,” he said slowly. “But Saurellian men tend to lose perspective sometimes when it comes to women. It’s better to be careful.”
When they left the ship an hour later she understood what he meant. All around here were tall, dark men with hungry eyes. Surprisingly, not all of them were Saurellians, and she cocked one brow at Jerred in question.
“Most of the maintenance functions are performed by off-worlders,” he explained.
“Why is that? Are Saurellians too good to do their own dirty work?” she asked jokingly.
He shook his head and grinned at her. “No, unmated Saurellian males tend to be unreliable in such positions,” he said softly. “Unless a Saurellian finds a mate, he tends to be a bit wild. Most of us won’t live past forty standard years. We need jobs where we can work off our aggression.”
“Like fighting?”
“Well, before the war most of us were mercenaries in the Empire,” Jerred said softly. “It was good work. And it gave us an edge when our people called us back to fight the war against the Empire.”
“So, did all of your people come back?” she asked softly.
His gaze grew distant for a moment, and then he shook his head. “No,” he said softly. “Quite a few didn’t come back.”
“Did they stay and work for the Empire?”
“Some of them did,” he said softly. He didn’t seem to want to talk any further, so she stayed silent. There was a lot more going on here than she cared to understand.
She’d never been interested in politics, and it sounded like Saurellian politics were more confusing than most.
He guided her across the large hangar toward a low arch marked with a green sign.
“This is a transit station,” he said, nodding toward it. “You can catch a pod to anywhere on the station here. You can also catch a train along the main lines. Most of the time the trains are the best way to go, but I wouldn’t want you taking one alone.
Pods are more private, but they’re more expensive. You’ll need a credit account, too. I’ll get one set up on your name.”
She opened her mouth to protest, and then realized how foolish that was. She had no money of her own—she was utterly dependent on him.
They stood in the station for several moments, waiting for the right train to arrive.
Every few seconds a new one would slip into place, and men would get on and off.
Many of them carried blasters, and she noted those who were armed were primarily Saurellian. Their faces were dark and brooding, and a memory of Jerred as she’d first met him popped into her brain. He seemed so different now, so much lighter and happier.
She liked him better that way.
Everywhere she turned, men watched her. She noticed one or two other women in the crowd, but they all seemed untouchable somehow, as if there was an invisible aura of protection over them. She noticed that the men watched them with just as much hunger, but they didn’t do it openly. These women were Saurellian. Tall, dark-haired goddesses with ivory skin and light green eyes. She stepped closer to Jerred, and he wrapped a protective arm around her.
“I don’t like this station,” she whispered softly. “I don’t feel safe here.”
“You’ll be safe with me,” he said, giving her a gentle squeeze. All around her, men stared with speculation in their eyes, stripping her mentally and laying her out before them. One caught her eye, and walked up to them slowly.
“Jerred,” he said in greeting, his expression cool.
“Xander,” Jerred replied, nodding his head. Giselle waited for an introduction, but one didn’t come. It was just as well, he decided. Xander didn’t seem like a particularly nice man. His cold eyes swept over her, taking in everything about her person in a way that seemed somehow dirty. She shivered.
“I’ve never known you to have a pet,” Xander said to Jerred, his tone conversational. “How long do you plan to keep her?”
Jerred bristled beside her. His tone of voice, though, was casual as he replied. “I can’t imagine you would be interested in the details,” he said lightly. “I’m certainly not interested in sharing them—or her—with you. You’d do well to stay away from me while I’m here.”
A flash of intense anger, even rage, blazed in Xander’s eyes, and he flushed a deep red. Giselle held her breath, terrified he might attack. She could feel an answering tension in Jerred, and he pushed her behind him. A loose ring of watchers had gathered around the three of them, their grins feral and menacing. Without thinking, she spoke.
“I don’t feel very well,” she said softly. All eyes turned to her, and some of the hostility left their gazes. Deciding to play it for all she was worth, she spoke again.
“Please, can’t we go to your apartment and rest?” she asked, turning to give Jerred a liquid look of concern. “There are so many people here, I really don’t feel well…”
She allowed herself to sway on her feet, clutching Jerred’s arm for support. It provoked a protective instinct, not only in Jerred but also in the men around her.
Xander nodded his head tightly and backed away, and the ring of observers broke apart. Jerred took her arm and walked her toward one of the pods.
“We’ll skip the train for now,” he said. He helped her into the small vehicle, and she sat down gratefully. He knelt beside her, searching her face. “How sick are you?” he asked.
“Not sick at all,” she replied tartly. “I’m annoyed. You and that Xander were going to fight, weren’t you? Why? Are you enemies?”
“No,” Jerred said softly, a slightly confused expression coming across his face.