Via's nervous smile blossomed into a wide grin. "Tor? Deity no. Lately Tor's been a pussycat. But," she continued, "There is something. Do you mind if I ask you a personal question?"
Jirik shrugged again. "Not at all. But I reserve the right to not answer it."
The grin flared again. "Agreed. As you mentioned, we've been meeting in your cabin and talking for some time now. How come you haven't made a move on me?"
Jirik grinned. "What's the matter? Am I hurting your self esteem?" Her grin grew even wider, and Jirik continued, "To answer your question, two reasons. First, I have a strict rule about pressing my attentions on crewmembers. I refuse to have any crewmember feel pressured because I'm the Captain. Second, I didn't want to start a triangle situation. No love is more intense or passionate than puppy love, and Tor is head over heels. I just didn't want to promote additional conflict with all that we already have on our plates; spooks, pirates, terrorists. I didn't want to add a love triangle."
Via shook her head, and her slanted, somehow feline eyes narrowed. "It won't wash, Skipper. Captains have relationships with crewmembers of the same or opposite sex all the time. Unless it gets out of hand, it doesn't have to affect crew discipline. As for Tor, since you talked to him, I've been doing my best to let him down gently. I think he's into the 'Mooning Over The Lost Love' phase now. I don't think it'd make any difference if we had a relationship. Or are you looking for a way out?"
Jirik flushed. "I guess I'm old-fashioned," he growled. "Maybe it's my military background. I'm not looking for a way out. I think that you're the most desirable woman that it has been my good fortune to meet in a very long time. And, don't dismiss Tor so easily. He still follows you around like a pet. If you think he's over it, you're sadly mistaken!"
Via shrugged. "Perhaps." She rose gracefully to her feet. "Well, I'm sorry I bothered you, Captain." The gleaming grin had been replaced by a smile that was obviously forced. She started toward the cabin door.
"Wait, Dammit!" Jirik cried, leaping to his feet. "Hell, I'm no good at this kind of stuff!" He flushed and shifted uncomfortably. "Damn it, I've had female crewmen before, but I've never gotten involved with them." His flush deepened "And now, I find myself attracted to the most exciting woman I've ever met, and I go and make her feel that I'm rejecting her! I'm sorry, Via," he continued, "I'm an emotional klutz. Now you know why I've never signed a cohabitation contract." He slumped back onto the bunk.
Via's spectacular smile was back in full force. "Oh, you're not so bad; just a bit stuffy. But at least you treat me like a woman, and not some cute little doll or toy." She sat back down. "Now," she said in a businesslike tone, "Let's stop talking about why we shouldn't, and start talking about how we can do it without breaking Tor's heart. That is," she continued with a meaningful glance, "unless you can think of something more entertaining to pass the time!"
Jirik blushed scarlet as she rose from the chair and moved next to him on the bunk, but he eagerly reached to enfold her in his arms. Their kiss was long and passionate.
"Finally!" Via murmured. "For a while there, I thought I was going to have to rape you!"
"Not likely!" He muttered, his hands cupping her small breasts. She stepped back and quickly peeled off her tunic, then stepped out of her trousers. She was exotic perfection in miniature, and the light constantly shifting on her golden fur only enhanced her beauty. The red hair of her head did, in fact, grow about halfway down her back, but Jirik noted that all of it below her neck had been trimmed closely. He found that she fit very nicely on his lap, and her soft roundness was perfect for cuddling.
Several hours later, she stirred and rose gently from Jirik's side. Naked, she padded into the tiny 'fresher. When she returned and began gathering her scattered clothing, Jirik awoke. Lying quietly, he watched her lithe body admiringly as she moved about the cabin, her rounded hips and smallish breasts swaying with her movements. Her beautiful fur reflected the cabin's lighting into a constantly-shifting shimmer. When she began to don the clothing, however, he sat up abruptly.
"I wish that you didn't have to cover that gorgeous body," he commented with an exaggerated leer.
She flashed that incredible grin. "Why, thank you, kind sir," she replied in a kittenish tone. She assumed a pin-up pose. "Don't tell me you're still horny?" she asked throatily, "Maybe you're just a dirty old man after all!"
"Deity, the woman's insatiable!" Jirik commented in a wondering tone. "No," he continued, "You can get dressed; but only if you'll promise to let me take some vids of you later. You're the most spectacular and exotic woman that I've ever seen."
White teeth flashed again, but Via continued dressing. Jirik also got dressed, and the two sat down to seriously discuss their new relationship's effect on the rest of the crew.
The next "day," Jirik sought out Bran. He related the events of the night before, and told Bran that Via would be moving into his cabin. He flushed scarlet throughout the account, his words awkward and stumbling.
"Hell, Captain," Bran enthused as Jirik stumbled to silence, "I think it's wonderful! She's a remarkable woman. Congratulations!" A wide grin split his florid face.
Jirik studied Bran's face, as though looking for resentment or sarcasm. "Uh, well, thanks, Bran. I can't imagine what a woman like her sees in a hairy old spacer like me, but I'm not about to argue with it. Uh . . . What I wanted to talk to you about is Tor. Do you have any suggestions on how to handle him?"
Bran sobered. "I'm afraid that he's going to be a problem, Captain. How much of a problem, I just don't know. He's talked to me about his crush several times. You must understand; you're his hero; he idolizes you. But Via is the woman of his dreams. Intellectually, he realizes that his love has no future. Emotionally, though, it's going to be very hard for him to deal with. Let me try to handle it first. If you try to talk to him, I'm afraid that it may just make matters worse."
"I hate to do this to the kid," Jirik replied guiltily. "I feel like a real sonofabitch. But Via, well, I can't explain it, but I've never felt so alive, so happy, and yet so guilty. I need your help, Bran. I don't want the kid to feel that I've betrayed him."
Bran snorted derisively. "You haven't betrayed anyone! You deserve every moment of happiness that you can wring out of this relationship. I'll handle Tor. You and Via grab all the joy that you can from each other!"
Jirik's concern over Tor's reaction to his affair with Via receded into the background as they approached the next stop.
Evidently, word had preceded them, for when they emerged, plague beacon activated, there were no ships in the vicinity, but three picket boats were spaced at intervals near their likely emergence point.
Mere seconds after their emergence, the comm came to life. "Plague ship K'laakriith, This is System Traffic Control. Do you read?"
Via activated her comm. "This is K'laakriith. You appear to have been expecting us. Have you been apprised of our situation?"
The image in the comm screen nodded. "We have been told that you are K'jinnth, which is confirmed by your ident beacon, and that your medical problems are confined to nonhumans only. Is that correct?"
It was Via's turn to nod. "Yes, sir. All the nonhumans aboard are ill. I and the other human crewman aboard are attempting to return to K'jinnth to obtain treatment for the K'jinnth crewmen. We ask only that we be permitted to recalibrate and jump as quickly as possible."
The other man paused. "We have a xenobiologist available who is familiar with K'jinnthian physiology. Could he be of assistance over the comm?"
"I thank you, sir," Via replied, "But before he became ill, my Captain ordered me to forego human assistance. I'm afraid that he is a bit xenophobic – feels that no non-K'jinnth could be trusted to treat him or the other K'jinnth crewmen." As a frown appeared on the man's face, Via continued. "I apologize most humbly, sir. Believe me, I would like nothing better than for a human to cure them, so I could shut off this damned plague beacon. But, if I attempt any treatment under the direction of your xenobiologist, my Captain would have me ejected from the airlock. And, by K'jinnth standards, he would be entitled to do so. Please, sir, I'm already risking my life jumping around the galaxy in a ship with its plague beacon running. Plague ships have been blasted before. Please don't compound my risk by making me attempt treatment which I have been ordered not to undertake."