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Xu’s nostrils flared. He was perilously close to losing control, something he hadn’t done since he was a raw youth.  For Crystal Graei, losing control could be deadly.

His body, however, didn’t care what his mind said.  Neve’s scent filled the lift, her own mixed arousal and fear along with West’s cleanser.  Nothing was guaranteed to push his particular buttons like that combination.  The acrid musk of fear – a slight uneasiness, a wariness of him – was not so strong that the stink overpowered her arousal. The territorial threat of West’s scent slicked another layer of aggression over Xu’s lust.

It was fortunate that the majority of crew on the Mercy were human, and that he was not among his own kind.  The cracks in his control would be entirely too evident to Graei, especially of his own class.  Humans, fortunately, were astonishingly oblivious.

He needed a release, some way to bleed off some of the tension, but there was neither opportunity nor means for doing so. The next few hours required a delicate and precise balancing act.  Any mistake would be catastrophic.  At best, a mistake would result in the deaths of millions of New Juneau colonists. At worst, the Mercy could be captured, the crew slaughtered, the colonists allowed to die, and the ship and her contents giving the pirates the means to hold entire planets hostage.  The risks were enormous, and success hinged on Neve’s skill and focus.

He would not, could not, endanger millions for his own pleasure and pride.

He bit his tongue, hard enough to draw blood. The bitter mineral tang flooded his mouth, overpowering her more delicate scent. It was a desperate maneuver that was only partially successful. He’d sell his birthright for a few minutes to take the edge off.

The lift doors opened and Xu gestured for Neve to lead the way.  She’d been silent since leaving the command conference room, and she continued that silence. She was doing her best to ignore him, trying to convince him she wasn’t interested.  She had no way of knowing that her own body betrayed her to Xu’s heightened senses. Only his own barriers kept him from pursuing her. At least, from pursuing her directly.

It occurred to him that the station suits would provide another layer of distance between Neve and himself.  It irritated him how much relief the thought brought him. His own shaky control disturbed him more than anything Neve could do. She shook him down to his foundations. Xu drew a shallow breath, forcing himself to shunt his hunger for her to one side. There were much more important things to deal with just now.

Information buzzed through his complink, keeping him apprised of the situation in the remainder of the ship. Medical proceeded with the shut down, sliding crew members into stasis as they were released from their posts and returned to their bunks.  Only a skeleton crew would be aware through the change over, though Engineering and Security would maintain a full complement through the switch. The shuttle bay had been locked down and secured, along with Decks 28 and 29, the entertainment and health decks.  Within an hour all non-essential personnel would be in stasis and systems would shut off life support with the exception of the biotech garden areas on decks 24 and 25, which would maintain enough support to sustain the crops.

By the time Neve palmed the access plate for main propulsion, Xu knew the status of every deck. She finally broke her silence, but to talk to her complink, not to him.

“Lieutenant Yrtl.  Ah. No, Lieutenant Commander Enchev will not be resuming his duties at this time.”  She stalked into the propulsion bay, the lines of her body betraying her irritation and anxiety. “Yes, Lieutenant. I don’t want discussion, Lieutenant. You know the procedure. Make sure it is followed.”

She clicked off, shaking her head.

“Problem, Commander?”

Her shoulders hunched.  She answered without looking at him, swinging under a plasma converter coil.  “No, sir.  Lieutenant Yrtl will follow orders.”

Xu swung through behind her, his more limber Graei body doing what might be difficult for a human male of the same size. He’d once had a partner tell him he would be hard to beat in a limbo contest.  He’d had to look that up, and had only marveled at the strange games humans employed to entertain themselves.

“I’m sure he will.”

Neve headed straight for Lieutenant Reese. Reese had always struck Xu as a steady, even-tempered sort that performed well under pressure.

He looked up from the console to greet Neve. He dropped the stylus in his hand as he snapped to attention at the site of his first officer. Everyone in engineering froze, then followed suit, springing into crisp salutes.

Xu always found it secretly amusing, the way people dropped everything, as if he would throw them in the brig if they weren’t fast enough to salute. Nothing on his face, however, showed his dark humor at the discomfiture of the crew.  Instead, he returned the salute.  “As you were,” he said easily.

A quick look showed engineering personnel busily preparing for the shut down, already in station suits.  He nodded acknowledgment to the few people he knew personally before stepping into the stiff legs of his own station suit.  He pulled up the cross braces and shrugged into the sleeves.  He didn’t bother to seal the suit or flip the head piece up, since life support was still normal.  The one piece construction was designed to minimize the possibility of leakage in a minimal support environment, but not to be as contained as a true space suit. It made them lighter and more agile, allowing the crew to continue normal activities while the ship powered down.

The complink pinged in his ear. The tone had him answering immediately. “Captain.”

Neve’s head swung around, her eyes narrowed.  Ah. Neve was definitely shaken by the problems with her command.  She’d dealt with them, but she was still on unsteady ground.  He could use that, he would use that, to push her and to give himself a tiny measure of relief.

Neve quickly took stock of the room’s occupants. Captain Tril Hruk from Medical, Commander Nigel Clary from Navigation and Lt. Commander Shawn Ellery from Operations all stood at stiff attention facing Captain Fielding. Enchev, the only other officer she’d expected to see, was absent. None of the men acknowledged her with more than a glance and a slight nod.

As Xu entered behind her, she sectioned him off into a remote segment of her brain and strove to dull her awareness of him. The feat wasn’t too difficult. She figured her inexplicable, inappropriate fear of/attraction to the Graei officer couldn’t be as bad as whatever had put the marble-hard expression on her captain’s face.

“Captain Fielding,” Neve said by way of greeting and reporting for service. She took up a post next to the British navigation officer.

Tania Fielding pinned her with a narrow look. “Commander.”

The room fell into silence. Tania directed her attention past Neve’s shoulder, presumably making eye contact with Xu. Neve slid a glance sideways. Nigel Clary wore a blank expression, attentive but betraying nothing. Neve wasn’t sure whether he knew what was going on and possessed an excellent neutral face or whether he was a bewildered as she. Past him, Tril Hruk was even harder to read. Even if he hadn’t stood so much taller than she that she couldn’t see his face from her position, she would have had difficulty because the body language and facial tells of his race had not been among her cross-species studies.

Fortunately–or maybe unfortunately–Shawn Ellery wasn’t hiding anything behind blank eyes. His tight jaw and flushed complexion told her that whatever had happened, it was bad…and he was responsible.

The captain cleared her throat. “I’ve summoned you all because we have a situation. Commander Scholen?”

Neve sensed Xu move. He didn’t come into her line of sight, but he was undeniably there, present and alert behind her. The thick fall of her dredlocks, normally a comforting shield between her shoulder blades and unseen regard, provided no protection. Her shoulders tensed before he even spoke.

“It appears we are currently targets of a pirate crew,” Xu said.

Neve’s breath caught. She swiveled on her heel and met his eyes, her instinct to avoid him overridden by the demands of the situation. “We won’t be able to evade capture–not without full engine power.”

Xu inclined his head a fraction. “Under peak circumstances, evasion would be possible.” He looked away to include the others. “However, one among you decided to withhold intelligence about enemy pursuit and instead notified Galactic Services. As Commander Steesk has reported, the Mercy is in a crippled state.”

Clary muttered something beneath his breath, then said, “We must reverse the engines and restore power.”

Neve closed her eyes briefly. “Mercy’s power structure is founded upon more than a switch. I can’t flip something back to the ‘on’ position. Systems are shutting down. There’s a sequence involved in reducing power and a sequence involved in restoring it.”

“What is the timeline?” The question came from the half-grey Hruk.

Neve lifted her lashes and tilted her head back to address the tall alien. “Another hour before full system reduction. Three for the upgrade installation. After that, an hour to restore power and verify all systems are functional and accepting the upgrade without any glitches.”

Ellery cursed viciously. “Five hours.”

“What is Galactic Services’ ETA?” The clipped question came from Tania.

Ellery flinched. “At last communication, close to that.”

“Two hours of vulnerability if we restore power immediately instead of implementing the upgrades,” Clary said. “That is the only logical course of action.”

A low vibration of sound slid around the room before Hruk said, “That is not an ethical course of action. The success of our mission hinges upon reaching New Juneau, which we cannot do in time without the engine upgrade.”

“The success of our mission,” Clary replied, “hinges upon a live and functional crew. If pirates overcome us, we will have neither upgraded engines nor a crew to staff the ship.”

Neve tuned them out. She bit her bottom lip and stared at the toes of her boots, running through a few calculations and alternate courses. The power structure was a significantly complex work of machinery on a vessel the size of the Mercy, but the medical ship’s size worked in the other direction too. She’d served on vessels with arrangements that featured engine upon engine, tiered and piggy-backed together in order to provide stability and the occasional emergency boost. The whole reason an upgrade was necessary at this point was the Mercy lacked that capacity for extra boost in case of an emergency. In case of a scenario like the one they currently faced.

“What do we have to work with besides the engine?” Neve asked, interrupting Ellery mid-sentence. She directed the question to Clary, who frowned at her.

“For propulsion?”

Neve nodded. “What’s around us? Between us and New Juneau? Big things with sizable gravity wells. The problem right now, even if we did have full power, is we don’t have capacity for charged bursts of speed. Can we manufacturer a boost, or several, externally?”

“We are already on a course that most efficiently utilizes any outside sources we can legally make use of,” Clary said.

Neve moistened her lips. “What about the illegal sources?”

“I don’t believe–”

“Answer the question,” Xu interrupted.

Tania shifted her stance. She leaned against the table at her back and crossed her ankles, a contemplative set to her mouth. “I’m curious about the illegal sources as well.”

“If the Mercy is on a power down-swing,” Neve ventured, “she cannot be deliberately entering restricted gravitational zones. One could argue that any lines crossed are done so by forces beyond our control.”

“Since without the engines, we don’t have any active control,” Ellery finished.

“Clary, if you reconfigure our current course with the power that remains, can you direct us onto a path that would provide enough trajectory to propel Mercy in the right direction, but without a predictable pattern? And,” Tania added, a wry twist to the word, “with enough speed that we stand a chance at evasion through a combination of erratic navigation and unpredictable bursts of energy?”

The head of navigation pinched the bridge of his nose. “I’m not certain I could sustain such a tactic for five hours.”

Neve steeled herself against the whispers of her good sense. “Could you stretch it to three hours?”

“You cannot delay the upgrade,” Hruk objected.

“She’s not proposing a delay.” That observation came from Xu. And by his tone, he wasn’t happy with what she was proposing.

Neve glanced in his direction to find him staring at her. “No,” she said slowly, “Not a delay.”

Xu narrowed his eyes. “If you had believed a faster upgrade possible, you would have planned for it.”

“There’s a certain degree of risk,” she allowed. “But our circumstances have changed.”

“I could manage two hours from right now. Possibly three, but we’re already losing power,” Clary said.

Tania broke in. “Clary, we need as much time as we can borrow. Go.”

Clary nodded once and exited hastily.

Xu stiffened and met Tania’s eyes. “Captain, I strongly advise against this course of action. Every aspect of it is a gamble.”

“I’ve taken your objection under advisement and concluded that our situation calls for a bit of risk and talent. If Commander Steesk believes she can implement the upgrade on a reduced time line, I am willing to back her knowledge, experience and talent.” The captain straightened and looked to Hruk. “I need an immediate count of how many of the crew can be supported with minimal life support.”

Life support systems and other tactical strategies were beyond Neve’s realm of expertise or concern. She edged toward the door. “Captain?”

Tania nodded. “Go. Medical will deliver station suits within the quarter hour.”

“Thanks.” Neve passed her palm over the identilock and left the room.

“Include one for me,” Xu growled from too close behind her.

After leaving the lounge, Neve fled to the engine deck where sound surrounded her and white noise vibrated through her feet to her ears, muffling the erratic thump of her pulse. Steadfastly refusing to give her brain permission to look back and denying her body leave to react to what her eyes had seen, she threw herself into the gears and bolts that made Mercy run. Uniformed members of the crew worked at their stations, monitoring performance reports and attending to minor repairs as necessary. They looked up as she passed but none stopped her or questioned her presence.

By the time she reached the third sub-level, Lieutenant Dhaji Reese and Lt. Commander Mari Ekehardt were already waiting. Both officers stood at attention when she cleared the stairs.

“Lieutenant, Lieutenant Commander.” She pitched her voice to carry through the engine’s drone. “The timeliness of the propulsion upgrade has become critical. I’ve alerted Captain Fielding that we will begin the process immediately. The timeline should span five hours provided we encounter minimal problems. Without the hyper-drive engines, we will have limited life support and mobility since the plasma plant will be carrying the load. It’s going to be crucial that systems are restored as quickly as possible but not so quickly that we make a mistake. You were both briefed on the installation process?”

Ekehardt nodded more quickly than Reese, a sign of her quick habit of agreeing first and asking for details later. “Lieutenant Enchev–”

“Lieutenant Enchev will not be assisting,” Neve said, aborting Ekehardt’s statement. Reese’s features remained expressionless as she delivered the announcement. Ekehardt, however, betrayed her surprise with raised eyebrows. As if to counter the telltale reaction, she pressed her lips together in a tight line. Neve ignored their reactions. “Without Lieutenant Enchev, we are divided into three instead of four. I will supervise–”

Her complink chimed. Neve froze. She rarely hesitated with responses to communication, but she would be lying if she didn’t admit to some reluctance as she touched the device. “Steesk speaking.”

“Commander.” His voice purred in her ear, audible even past the noise of the engines. Neve clenched her teeth together and waited, not trusting herself to speak and certain Xu Scholen had not contacted her solely to remind her of her rank. A beat later, he said, “Your presence is required in the command conference room.”

She balked even less frequently than she hesitated, which made for an instance of record-breaking reticence. “Commander Scholen, I am apprising engineering of the upgrade sequence–”

“Delegate.”

Ekehardt and Reese moved several yards away, their heads together as they began to divide tasks amongst themselves.

“Sir–”

“Immediately, Commander.” He interrupted her protest, his words pitched low and…intimate?

Unsettled, she actively resisted a pressing urge to close her eyes and sink into the sound of his voice. Not the time. Never the time. Not with him. She shook her head sharply and tried again. “But–”

“Some things can be avoided,” he said, the words heavy with meaning she must be imparting upon them herself. “This is not one of those things.”

“Yes–I mean, no.” Horribly unprofessional questions cycled through her mind. She balked at every one before it had time to fully manifest. Her fingertip poised over her earpiece. She should end the communication. He’d issued his order. She’d acknowledged it, offered her refusal, and been denied an out. Something held her back. A tingling awareness at the base of her spine, half-dread and half…no. She swallowed, unwilling to go there.

A moment later, she heard what might have been a quiet, aborted curse, followed by, “Your respiratory signs are erratic, Commander.”

“They are?” Damn. She hadn’t meant to respond. Neve gave in and closed her eyes. She drew a deep breath and for the first time felt the tightness of her chest. So maybe her respiratory signs were erratic.

The dark, silky quality left his voice as if it’d never been there. “Do you need medical attention?”

Neve breathed through three counts, each inhale and exhale deliberately slow, before she could confidently reply in the negative.

“If you are well for duty, Captain Fielding is expecting you immediately.”

The summons came from the captain. At once, overwhelming senses of relief and foolishness crashed over her. Neve balled her free hand into a fist. “Yes, sir.”

She thought she heard a sound like a growl but before her imagination had a chance to grab hold, she ended the call.

Yes, sir. The two small words raised goosebumps down the center of her back. Despite the strong grip she held on her wayward brain, her mind’s eye slipped back a beat and touched upon the tableau she’d witnessed in the pleasure lounge. Valerie had probably spoken more than her share of yes-sirs before Commander Scholen spent in her eager mouth.

Except…he hadn’t spent, had he?

Shaking her head deliberately, she banished the memory of his naked, gleaming flesh before it could manifest as an image in her mind. The last thing she needed to do was remember anything about him.

Once she regained control of her lungs, she rejoined Reese and Ekehardt. “Circumstances currently make us two instead of three. Ekehardt, you will monitor the primary and secondary fuel pumps. Reese, you will monitor the tertiary backups. Insist upon regular updates from the mechanics and if anything strikes either of you as out of the ordinary, notify me immediately. Do you have any questions?”

Both replied in the negative. Leaving them to their stations, Neve headed for the lift and the command deck. She jogged toward the conference room. She caught West’s eye as she rounded a corner. He broke away from conversation with a technician and fell into step beside her.

“You took Enchev off duty,” West said.

She scowled. “I didn’t have a choice.”

“I didn’t say you did.”

West had no trouble keeping pace with her. Neve almost wished he’d fall behind…or that she had a few minutes to make use of his reliable skill at getting her off. When the conference room came into view, she stopped and swiveled to face him. “Do you have plans with anyone after your shift?”

He raised an eyebrow. “Do you need me to cancel them?”

“I–”

The sound of a door opening alerted her but didn’t prepare her. “Commander Steesk.”

Neve bit off her words, aware of every muscle in her back clenching into a tense knot as her commanding officer’s accented tones interrupted her reply to West.

West glanced past her shoulder. He inclined his head. “Commander Scholen.”

“Right away, sir,” she said without turning.

“No. I don’t have any plans, Neve,” the doctor said evenly, as if he didn’t care that Xu stood behind them listening. “Come find me when you want me.”

She jerked a short nod and turned, avoiding Xu’s eyes as she approached. She would have angled past him into the conference room, but the door had closed behind him and he stood with his hand over the lock, preventing her from entering on her own.

He bent his head, too close to hers. “Did you decide your…condition…required medical attention after all, Commander?”

Heat crept over her ears. She stared at the door. “No, sir.”

“Ah, I see. Given your lack of medical emergency, I will upload a current definition of ‘immediately’ to your updates queue. You may report back to me on the subject when your next detail commences.”

She clenched her jaw. “Yes, sir.”

“Commander.”

Focus on the door. Do not look at him. “Yes, sir?”

“I expect you will look at me when I speak to you or you reply.”

Her lungs seized. She couldn’t. Before he could push the issue or say anything else, before she could change her mind, she covered his hand with hers and pressed down on the identilock, forcing his palm to the reader. She jerked her hand back as soon as the door engaged, but not soon enough. His heat may as well have been branded on her skin. Before the door had fully opened, she darted into the conference room.

She wanted a drink. Or two. Maybe three.

What she didn’t want was to be sitting across this meeting table from Shawn Ellery while he told her how badly he’d fucked up.

Tania fought to keep her face blank as Ellery searched her features. She knew he was searching for any reaction, something he could use to justify his stupidity. She wasn’t going to give it to him. He’d screwed up in a major way by bucking the protocol and not reporting the information he had when he received it. Granted, she understood that his reticence wasn’t technically insubordination, but it was definitely poor judgment. And, in this case, it put her ship and her crew in danger.

Ellery pressed his lips together, his nostrils flaring.

Tania remained impassive. While she wasn’t up to Xu’s standards, she was better than most, and she’d been working on her technique. Nothing like a Crystal Graei as an executive officer to help you perfect the art of blank face.  Still, she was going to have to do something if he didn’t get here soon.

The conference room entry hissed open.  Xu entered, ignoring Ellery completely.

Tania watched him take up a post at the corner of the table, ramrod straight and inhumanly beautiful. Xu was rarely less than perfectly turned out when on duty, but right now his uniform was just slightly off – the seams not perfectly straight, the edge of one sleeve tucked under. His smooth, dark skin was more blue than usual, and the tips of his ears curled back on themselves instead of standing upright. Hmmm.

“I apologize for any delay. I came as quickly as possible.”

Tania raised a brow at him. She’d paged him only moments before, and the locator had placed him in the Pleasure Lounge. She had the impression he had been…busy. Between the slightly mussed uniform and his physical characteristics, she was surprised the line of his uniform pants wasn’t ruined.

“I appreciate your prompt attendance, Commander.”  She had a sudden and inappropriate desire to grin. Given the seriousness of the situation, she needed his stoicism – and her own. Her amusement retreated at the thought of what a mess Ellery had created.

Xu dipped his head in acknowledgment and Tania turned her attention back to Ellery.

“Lt. Commander Ellery has information which severely impacts the security of this ship and crew. Though he has been in possession of this information for nearly a day, he has only seen fit to share it with me in the last hour.”  She sent Ellery a pointed glance. “Please, bring Commander Scholen up to speed.”

A muscle in Ellery’s cheek twitched, but he nodded stiffly.

“Yesterday morning I received a comfile from a contact indicating that there was possible pirate activity along our projected route. Since I had no independent confirmation or any other similar reports, I set it aside. Around mid-morning, I began getting similar reports from other contacts. It seemed pretty solid at that point that there was pirate activity, and seemed very localized and specific.”

“Did you include this information in your evening briefing to the Captain?” Xu’s tone was flat, his face blank. Tania admired that. She knew he was pissed. He knew very well that hadn’t been in the intelligence briefing, since it was her practice to send a copy to Xu when she received it. Unlike Ellery, Tania was a believer in sharing information.

Ellery ran his tongue over his teeth. “No, I -”

“Standard protocol is to notify the Captain of any potential threat.”

“Yes, but -”

“When were you going to mention this?”

Swallowing hard enough to be audible, Ellery down. “I wasn’t.”

Tania raised her eyebrows. “You weren’t?”

“I intended to gather enough information to turn over to Galactic Services to allow them to do the cleanup. They already have a cruiser en route.”

“I see,” Xu said, crossing his arms over his chest. “You notified Galactic Services but not Captain Fielding.”

He had the grace to look abashed at Xu’s statement, but Tania’s temper started to rise. She wasn’t sure which made her more furious: that he’d bypassed the chain of command completely and gone to Galactic Services or that he’d ignored protocol and left her in the dark.

She forced herself to breathe deeply and control the anger. Anger wouldn’t help her crew. Anger wouldn’t save lives.

“So, when the news feeds started running the story of a species-blind immunochem being manufactured onboard, you didn’t think that might increase the likelihood of Mercy being a target?”  Tania moved to the opposite end of the conference table from Xu. The move put Ellery between them, having to split his attention to keep track of both of them. It was petty of her, but it gave her some satisfaction to see his discomfort. Which of them should he watch? Xu was more physically threatening, but Tania was the superior officer.

“The news feeds explained the increase in activity.  But we don’t have a species-blind immunochem. Do we?” His gaze moved rapidly back and forth between her and Xu.

“And you think I would tell you if we did? At this point? I think not.” Tania was pleased with the cold delivery. “It’s a moot point in any case. The pirates – hell, everyone- think we have it. We’re a target regardless of the truth. And because you withheld this information, we’re about to be sitting ducks. If we’d had this information, we would have moved the upgrades up and had them done well ahead of running the gauntlet of pirates. As it is, we’re screwed. The lives of not only this crew, but the entire population of New Juneau are in jeopardy because of your poor judgment in this matter and your desire to grab some glory by turning informant for Galactic Services.  If we wait to make the upgrades, we won’t make New Juneau in time to avert population decimation by plague. In order to do the upgrades, we have to run silent, thereby becoming a fat, unprotected target for pirates. If they get us, not only is the crew in jeopardy, but New Juneau is, again, screwed. Congratulations.”

Silence stretched again as Ellery stared at his hands.  Tania was a veteran of these games, and she wasn’t going to let him win this time either. She was both his superior officer and completely right, and she wasn’t going to give him the upper hand.

Finally, after what seemed like hours but was probably only a few minutes, Ellery looked up.  Even before he spoke, she knew he would bend.

“I don’t have a good reason.  I thought I had it under control, I thought I’d be able to present you with a fait accompli.”

Tania quirked an eyebrow.  “So, instead of following protocol, you elected to withhold important intelligence on the grounds that you believed you could make yourself look good?”

He flinched, dropping his eyes again. “That’s not–”  He cleared his throat and started over.  “That’s not what I meant to do.”

“What did you intend, Commander?”

His eyes met hers. He looked miserable, guilt and horror mixing in his expression.  It was coming home to him how bad the situation he had created could be.

“I’m used to working independently, to working with a smaller crew where I know everything.  I made a miscalculation based on knowledge I had, and I bet that we had more time than we do.”

That got her attention.  She glanced at Xu. He inclined his head briefly, indicating he didn’t have any more clue than she did.

“What information?”

Ellery glanced at Xu and back to Tania.  “Engineering told me we wouldn’t be doing the upgrade until we arrived at New Juneau. I was told we would make the window without the upgrade. Something about risk of leakage and portdocks being safer for propulsion upgrades than being underway. I didn’t expect us to go on lockdown and prep for running silent for the upgrades.”

Tania bit the insides of her cheeks to keep from screaming curses. Her breathing hitched as her rage exploded. Oh, she knew where that came from, and it wasn’t the head of engineering. Damn Enchev.

She threw a furious look at Xu, who shook his head.  She didn’t know what that meant, but it didn’t matter. He might not realize where that misinformation came from, but she did.

“Commander Scholen, get Commander Steesk in here.”  Her voice was hard, even to her own ears. This was a screw up of epic proportions. She could only pray they found some acceptable option. People were going to die.It was just a question now of trying to minimize the damage.

Xu held Kevin’s gaze a little longer. “Good. Tell her to play with her breasts. Be sure she is watching those watching her.”

Kevin nodded, his lips brushing Xu’s with the movement and sending little pinpricks of heat along Xu’s skin, before turning back to face Valerie.

“Are your eyes open, Valerie?” Kevin’s voice was stern, at odds with his still trembling body. The contrast stoked Xu’s arousal even further.

“Y-yes.” Her voice quivered with arousal and uncertainty. Never before in a public scene had Xu allowed another player to give her orders. Xu found that tiny note of fear insanely erotic. It was that tendency his kind had to fight. The adrenaline spike that came with fear was an aphrodisiac to Crystal Graei. The fine line between apprehension and true terror was a delicate balancing act, and it was only one reason Graei control was imperative.

Kevin’s tremors eased. “Play with your tits. Watch them all look at you while you get your pretty little nipples all hard for me.”

Xu felt an unwilling surge of pride. Kevin either had experience dominating someone like Valerie or he had exceptional instincts. Since Xu didn’t think a trained dominant would have misread Valerie and entered this little charade, he’d bet credits it was instinctive.

Watching over Kevin’s shoulder, Xu’s gaze followed Valerie’s hands as they lifted from the table to her breasts. Though she was a small woman, her breasts were generous, with large nipples only a few shades darker than her creamy skin.

Xu put his mouth against Kevin’s ear.  His own sensitive ears brushed against Kevin’s skull, forcing him to control a shudder of pleasure.  “I want her to get herself off.  You need to tell her what to do.  She needs to hear the words from you.”

Kevin nodded his head slightly, the movement rubbing his short hair along the sensitive ridge of Xu’s ear.  Xu closed his eyes briefly, moving his hands further up Kevin’s legs so his fingers framed Kevin’s arousal without actually touching him.

Kevin’s breath caught, and he swallowed hard.

“Keep watching the crowd, Valerie,” Kevin instructed. “Slide your hands down between your legs.”

Valerie complied, her fingers dancing lightly across her own skin on the way to her mound.  She rested her hands on the bare flesh, waiting.  Her nipples stood in hard points, rising and falling rapidly with her breathing.

“Good.  Now open your pussy. I want to see you.”

Xu allowed himself a tiny smile against Kevin’s ear.  This was better than giving the orders himself.  Kevin’s instincts were so good Xu would get his show and the added bonus of manipulating Kevin in the bargain.  It was the stuff his fantasies were made of.

Valerie used both hands to spread her labia, revealing the delicate pink folds of her most intimate flesh.  Her small clit barely peeked from under its protective hood and the moisture of her arousal shone in the bright lights.

Air hissed through Kevin’s teeth.  “Yeah, that’s it.” His voice was hoarse and the muscles of his hips twitched under Xu’s hands. “Now play with your clit. I want you wet and slick.”

Xu closed one hand around the base of Kevin’s cock. Kevin jumped; he would have fallen if Xu’s free hand hadn’t clamped him in place.

Slowly, Xu began to pump his fist over Kevin’s erection. Kevin squirmed against him, his ass grinding against Xu’s distended crotch in an unintended caress.

“Talk to her,” Xu directed quietly.

Kevin cleared his throat again, and began talking. As he directed Valerie, Xu worked Kevin’s erection.  His hair flared slightly from his body, the energy charge created by the sexual arousal around him lifting the strands away from his head. The nerves along Xu’s scalp prickled and sang, nudging his own response.

Xu knew Valerie was nearing climax; he could tell by the change in the rhythm of her breathing, the way it became ragged, audible to Xu’s sensitive hearing even over Kevin’s harsh exhalations. Concentrating on the younger man’s body, Xu focused on the contrast of slick precome soaked skin and hair-roughened thighs, enjoying the smooth slide of Kevin’s hard flesh through his fist. Altering his stroke slightly, Xu ran the tip of his thumb along the underside of Kevin’s cock, catching the sweet spot where head and shaft merged with every stroke.

Kevin moaned. Xu watched over his shoulder as Valerie bucked on the table.

“Come,” Xu commanded. It could have been directed at either of them, and they both responded.

Valerie’s thighs jerked and her body heaved as her climax took over her.  Her hips arched from the table and spasms rolled through her. A high-pitched, keening wail cut through the conversation in the lounge and people turned to watch Valerie coming on the table.

Kevin’s neck arched and his hips ground back into Xu. His orgasm seemed to climb from his balls up his shaft, a long pulsing contraction followed by his involuntary thrusting into Xu’s hand. Xu could feel the tension in his body as he fought not to thrust, as he fought the orgasm.

Xu shuddered at the fight in Kevin’s body. Hot seed spurted over Xu’s hand, tangible proof of his control over Kevin’s sexual response. This. This was what he wanted. Bending the younger man to his will, making him enjoy things he never thought he wanted. Kevin was so perfect for this.

Long moments later, Valerie’s cries subsided and her body relaxed on the table. Kevin slumped forward, his shoulders hunched.

Xu would have given much in that moment to be able to see Kevin’s face, to see what thoughts were going through his head. Since that wasn’t possible, and because his own arousal was still unsated, he moved his hand down to cup Kevin’s testicles. Kevin stirred, moving a bit on Xu’s lap.

Xu put his mouth to Kevin’s ear again.  “That’s two orgasms so far.  You’re going to owe me more.” Kevin’s muffled sound could have been alarm or interest, or perhaps some mixture of the two. Xu licked his earlobe. “I hope you were paying attention, because you are going to use your mouth to give her the next orgasm. And then I’ll let you fuck her. Just think, you’ll be balls deep in that sweet little pussy you want so much. And all it costs you is giving me what I want.”

Kevin turned his head until his eyes met Xu’s. Kevin’s pupils were huge and his skin smelled of adrenaline. Xu breathed deeply, enjoying the heady cocktail of sexual satisfaction and fear.  It had been too long, and Xu wanted this very badly. He played a delicate game, balancing Kevin’s wants with his fears. Part of the challenge lay in walking that tightrope.

Triumph shivered along his skin as Kevin nodded slowly, facing forward again.

When he began to slide from Xu’s lap, Xu pinned him across the hips with one arm, holding him in place. “Lean forward. Put your hands on her for balance.”

A shudder wracked Kevin’s lean form.  He stretched his arms, laying his hands alongside Valerie’s limp wrists.

“Valerie,” Xu said quietly, breaking into her relaxed state.  “Move your hands up to your breasts. Give me a show.”

Slowly, her movements a bit jerky, Valerie cupped her breasts. An easy satisfaction softened the hard edge of victory and mellowed Xu’s arousal.

Truthfully, he’d all but lost interest in Valerie for now. He liked her well enough, but in this moment she was a tool to use to pry Kevin open. He shifted his gaze to Kevin, bridging the space between couch and table with his arms.

Xu placed his free palm in the center of Kevin’s back, pushing him firmly down and forward, widening his own knees as he did so. The position put Kevin entirely in his control. Kevin hung suspended, his thighs braced by Xu’s, but his ass and body supported only by the band of Xu’s forearm. The tension in Kevin’s back gave away his discomfiture at the position, at the way it opened his ass completely and left his scrotum and penis vulnerable. Which, of course, had been the point of putting Kevin in this position in the first place.

Kevin’s rigid spine ran a straight furrow that bisected his lean back. Xu brushed his fingers along that furrow – up, down, up, down – in long sweeping motions. Kevin began to relax, shifting his focus from his precarious position to the woman spread out before him. Xu closed his eyes, enjoying the small movements of Kevin’s body as he settled in to pleasure Valerie.

Valerie gasped, a ragged exhalation that told Xu, along with the play of muscle under his hand, that Kevin had begun. Concentrating on the feel of Kevin and the sounds the couple made, Xu submerged himself in the warm energy of their rising arousal. The ebb and flow was oddly soothing, moving in a slowly heightening tide.

Judging the timing, Xu began to let his fingers venture farther with each stroke down Kevin’s spine. Kevin, engrossed in the soft wetness of Valerie, barely twitched at Xu’s first touch on his tailbone. Opening his eyes to watch, Xu moved along the sensitive groove between Kevin’s buttocks.

Valerie’s energy rose a notch, indicating that she’d moved into the final climb toward orgasm. She moaned, her body arching off the table. Xu slid his thumb over Kevin’s puckered rear entrance, pressing slightly.

Kevin jerked, his head coming up.

Valerie moaned a protest, high pitched and demanding.

“None of that,” Kevin said harshly. “You’ll come when I’m ready for you to come.”

With a little whimper, Valerie subsided. Xu could feel the spike in her energy that signaled how much she liked Kevin’s tone. His pulse sped. Kevin was already more sure of himself, more sure of what Valerie needed. Which made mastering him more interesting. Xu pressed harder with his thumb, sinking the smooth pad slightly into his body.  He didn’t push all the way in, just enough to be firmly in place. Kevin shuddered, but slowly lowered himself back to Valerie’s waiting body.

Flushed and shaking, Kevin returned to pleasuring Valerie. Xu allowed a bit of energy to leak through his thumb, feeding it into the nerve-rich flesh.

Kevin’s cock twitched against Xu’s arm, rising. With each pulse of energy, Kevin’s cock lengthened. Xu timed the energy surges to coincide with Valerie’s thrusting hips. Kevin’s back arched, forcing his ass upwards, asking silently for more pressure.

Again, triumph flared brightly in Xu’s core, stoking his arousal.  He rewarded Kevin with more pressure, the tip of his thumb barely breaching the entrance.  Kevin groaned against Valerie as Xu began to work his thumb across the sensitive ring of flesh.

Kevin’s erection nudged at Xu’s arm, jerking upwards with every inward stroke of Xu’s thumb. He was thick and hard now, fully aroused and ready for more.

“Suck her,” Xu ordered, suddenly impatient to watch Kevin fuck the small blonde. Or, more accurately, impatient for the junior officer to come again. Every orgasm gave Xu more leverage, more time to bend and mold him. Xu shivered, heat prickling along his skin.

Kevin must have obliged, because Valerie’s moans suddenly became a wail. Xu pushed an inch of his thumb into Kevin’s tight hole, pushing energy with it. The energy ran through Kevin and into Valerie, flinging her over the edge of orgasm. She shrieked in surprise, her body jerking against Kevin’s hands.

Kevin didn’t lift his head until Valerie’s paroxysms subsided. He started to sit up, but froze when he realized Xu’s thumb was nearly entirely inside him.

If he’d been in his quarters, Xu would have smiled. With this many observers, he contented himself with running his tongue over his sharp teeth.

“Sit up, Kevin.  Valerie, you stay still.”

Kevin moved his hands to brace them on the edge of the table in front of Valerie’s thighs. Slowly, he pushed himself back to sitting.

Xu moved his thighs closer together, giving Kevin more of a platform, before shifting his arm from across Kevin’s hips. He grasped Kevin’s hardened cock and gave it a single squeezing stroke as he slowly slid his thumb free. Kevin’s dick jumped in his hand and Xu pressed his lips to Kevin’s shoulder. Open-mouthed, he pressed his teeth into the muscle, hard enough to leave tiny indentations, but not enough to break the skin. Again, the erection in his hand jumped. With a last rub on the sensitive head, Xu released him.

“Stand up.”

A long moment passed before the direction sank in and Kevin got shakily to his feet.

“Go to the other side of the table. Stand at her head.”

Kevin obeyed, walking around Valerie’s splayed body.

Xu reached for a sanitizing wipe, meeting Kevin’s eyes as he used the wipe to clean his thumb. Kevin swiped his tongue over his lips, wetting them. Xu’s breath hitched at the tiny sign of nerves. Yeah, having that mouth around his cock was going to be good. Very good.

He dropped the wipe into the reclamation bin before reaching for the front of his uniform. He freed his cock, enjoying how Kevin’s eyes dropped and widened. Xu was little more than average for his race, but that was more than enough by human measure. His sexual organ had a marble smooth shaft the same color as the rest of his skin, a deep blue-gray, but with his energy running close to the surface, it seemed to glow. The pronounced head of his cock was lined with hardened ridges of flesh that radiated out from the center.

Still watching Kevin, Xu gripped the base of his shaft and pumped. This was more for show than for pleasure, so he made the strokes long and slow, pressing his tongue to the point of one tooth to keep from smiling at the way Kevin followed every move, his cock twitching.

“Sit up, Valerie.”

She struggled for a moment, unhooking her legs from the corners of the table and forcing herself upright. She sat on the edge of the table facing Xu, her head straight ahead, eyes downcast. And her pussy wet and gleaming.

“Good. Now, Valerie, you told me you reserved the right to refuse a partner. If you don’t refuse, I’m going to let Kevin fuck you. What is your choice?”

Valerie lifted one shaking hand to tuck her hair behind her ear. “I-I have no objection to Kevin.”

Xu looked up to see the flare of pleasure on Kevin’s face.

“Good. Hands and knees, face me.”  He waited. After a moment, she was in position. “Very nice. Go to your elbows, put your knees further apart.  Nice. Arch your back, show him that pretty pussy.”

Kevin didn’t move his gaze from the wet pink flesh in front of him. His hand had dropped to his cock and he was stroking himself absently while he watched her present herself to him.

“Go on, Kevin. She’s all yours. Take her.”

A shudder shook him as Kevin stepped up to Valerie.  From his vantage point, he couldn’t see what Kevin did, but given the flex of his arm muscles and Valerie’s gasp, he’d bet money Kevin had run the head of his cock over her entrance, gathering moisture.

Xu pressed his tongue to a tooth, rotating his hand on his own stiffened flesh.

Kevin’s hands came up and gripped Valerie’s hips, holding her while he pressed into her. Slowly. Finally, fully seated within her, he stilled.

Valerie whimpered, pushing backwards to try to get him to move. Xu rolled his head on his neck, allowing his hair to brush over his ears in a light caress. Kevin was a find, and Xu was pleased with his luck at his discovery.

Kevin slid out, then back, giving Valerie measured, calculating thrusts. When Valerie tried to hurry him, Kevin slapped her ass lightly and then gripped her hips to hold them immobile.

Xu let out a breath, entranced by the absorbed look on Kevin’s face. Kevin looked as if he had been given a precious gift he was intent on savoring.  And for a while, that’s exactly what he did.  He took his time, using the slow drag of his body to arouse Valerie.

Almost imperceptibly, Kevin began increasing the pace, building speed and force. Xu swiped his thumb over the ridges on the head of his cock and shuddered at the stinging heat.

Valerie began panting, her hips flexing under Kevin’s hands.

Now Kevin moved fast and hard, slamming into her. His fingers dug in, yanking Valerie back into his thrusts. Valerie’s soft sounds of pleasure drifted in the air around them.

The hairs on the backs of Xu’s arms stood up as the energy between Kevin and Valerie changed. Kevin was close, but Valerie wasn’t quite there. If he wanted them to come together, he needed to force Valerie over the edge.

He pushed himself up from the couch, standing in front of Valerie. His eyes met Kevin’s. Along with the swollen pupils indicating his impending climax, Kevin’s eyes reflected his understanding. He already owed Xu for Valerie’s first two climaxes as well as his own. The tally was about to rise.

Valerie moaned as Kevin hit some pleasure spot inside her.

Xu lifted her chin, turning her face up to his erection. The dark length glowed softly, like stone lit from within, and stood in harsh contrast to the soft, pale oval of Valerie’s face. Xu enjoyed the difference, his dark against her light, his hardness against her softness. His power against her vulnerability. Her reddened lips parted, but she kept her eyes downcast, her eyelashes a fringe of shadow on her cheeks.

Using his fingers and thumb, he urged her jaw open and fed his cock into her mouth. Kevin’s heavy thrusting pushed her forward in little surges, urging her to swallow him.

Kevin’s fast breathing and the crackle of energy told Xu how close he was to orgasm. Xu began a slow thrusting, his cock leaking energy into the sensitive tissues of her mouth and throat. His arousal pulsed through him, tempting him to move faster, harder. He pushed back the urge. These two had more orgasms to go before Xu called it a night.

Valerie shuddered, her lips tightening around his thickness. Her tongue curled over the smooth head of his penis, probing the sensitive ridges. He shifted his hands, winding one hand into her hair. Xu allowed more energy to leak, nudging the small human closer to orgasm.  Her back and hips tightened, her toes curled.  Xu kept a steady rhythm, using his energy to sensitize her every nerve. She moaned around his hard cock and Xu allowed his eyes to drift closed.

Kevin’s thrusts became faster, harder, more erratic as he sped toward climax. Xu flashed energy along his hands and sex, driving Valerie to orgasm. She convulsed between the two men, her mouth clamping onto Xu’s erection.

A tiny flutter, a change in the energy of the room, had Xu opening his eyes. Wine-dark eyes met his across the space of the common area. Neve.

Heat flashed through him, and he barely kept himself from erupting into Valerie’s eager mouth. Gritting his teeth, he dragged himself back from the edge of orgasm, unwilling to let his body take control.  He watched, jaw clenched, as she whirled away.

Before his imagination could get out of control, Neve faced off with Enchev. It was only when Neve confronted him that Xu even noticed the other officer, a sign of how far she pushed him. His breathing hitched. Whatever she was saying to Enchev wasn’t going down well. Enchev looked ready to explode and when Neve turned to march off, he took a half step after her before turning and storming off into one of the privacy booths.

Her irritation put an extra little jiggle in her ass. She had a galaxy-class ass, shown off in the ship’s uniform coveralls. He’d love to put his hands, his tongue, his cock on that ass. In that ass.

His control slipped and energy flashed over Valerie to Kevin, causing Valerie to shudder and go slack.  Kevin’s climax hit hard, harder than it should have given his earlier orgasm.  A rasping groan tore itself from Kevin’s throat and Neve looked back over her shoulder.  Xu wrenched himself free of Valerie’s lips, his cock cartanite hard and clearly unrelieved. He wanted her to know he hadn’t come. In some indefinable way, it was important that she know he hadn’t been the source of that climactic noise.

Neve’s eyes flared wide before she turned back to the door and hurried out.

Xu’s flesh bucked in protest, wanting nothing more than to bend her over one of the couches and take her with no more finesse than a raw Soil youth. She brought out his most primitive drives.  He turned back to Kevin and Valerie.

Suddenly, he wasn’t content to let Kevin lead. The manipulation had, for once, lost its appeal. Instead, he wanted to use them both. Use their warmth, their heat, their human responsiveness to drown his response to Neve. His face froze into harsh lines, his course set. He bent to scoop the pile of clothes from the floor. He needed a privacy booth for what he had in mind. His cock pulsed in anticipation.  He rarely gave himself any leeway, but if he didn’t take the edge off, his control might slip further, and that was unacceptable.

He’d barely straightened when his complink chimed in his ear.

Fuck.

Xu closed his eyes, forcing himself under control. He dropped the clothes onto the couch and tucked himself into his uniform. The line of his uniform distorted over his hardened cock, but there was little he could do about that for now.

Off duty, he knew only one person would call him in, and then only in an emergency.  He activated the complink. “Yes, Captain?”

Relief, at least some measure of it, eased the invisible tension from Xu’s shoulders. He’d updated the Captain and gotten her agreement not to interfere prematurely in the situation with Enchev. The Captain, however, had cut Neve’s window in half by putting the ship on stasis alert.

Still, Neve had six hours, which was plenty of time. It was also enough time for Xu to bleed off some of the sexual frustration Neve induced. He had a few hours before the Pleasure Lounge and other recreation areas began powering down, and he intended to use them.

He spread his arms along the back of the low couch and surveyed the lounge. Along the interior walls were privacy booths. The area along the hull wall was dotted with small tables and conversational groupings of furniture, constituting what Xu thought of as the spectator gallery. The middle of the large room, where he now reclined, was sunken below the level of the floor and boasted a variety of couches, chairs, benches and low tables. This was center stage.

Though he often preferred privacy, the throbbing in his veins demanded quick satisfaction. The need to control his partner and demonstrate that control to others beat at him.

Fortunately, he’d played this game often enough that nearly everyone on board knew the rules.

He allowed a small smile for the tiny blonde kneeling before him. He’d partnered with her before and her sense of adventure and sure self-understanding worked well with Xu’s more dominant style. “What are my rules, Valerie?”

He posed the question more for the benefit of the young man kneeling beside her than for Valerie herself. Xu hadn’t partnered with Kevin before, and Valerie’s answer would help Kevin understand the dynamic.

“To respect my own limits, to speak up if I am uncomfortable, to do as you ask, and to please you.”

“Very good, Valerie. What are your limits today?”

Color stained her cheeks, emphasizing the delicate lines of her face. “No elimination, no blood,  no bruises visible while in uniform. I reserve the right to refuse a partner in a respectful manner, and no anal play.”

Xu tipped his head to the side. The long hair tucked behind his ear slipped free to fall across his face. The tug of the heavy lock pricked over his scalp. Valerie usually enjoyed anal play, and her new limit concerned him, though neither his face nor his voice revealed that concern. “You are well?”

The color spread from her cheeks to stain her entire face. “Yes, sir.”

Interested, he considered pressing the matter, but his own need for release goaded him onward. He shifted his attention to the dark-haired young man before him.

“Ensign Robards, do you understand the rules?”

Surprise showed briefly on the other man’s face. Whether from being called by name when they had not been introduced or from the unexpected question wasn’t certain.

“Yes, sir.”

“Do you agree to the rules? You are new to the Mercy. If you would prefer to wait, the invitation to join me will remain open.”

He didn’t hesitate. “I agree to the rules, sir.”

Interesting. The young navigation officer certainly seemed to know what he wanted. “What are your limits, Kevin?”

By using his first name, Xu deliberately moved from professional to personal interest.

Kevin cleared his throat. “No elimination, no permanent damage, no sexual contact with any male excepting you. Sir.”

Definitely interesting.

“Very well.”

Xu settled back, a glance taking in the curious gazes of their audience.

“Kevin, bring that table over here. Place it a meter in front of me.”

“Yes, sir.” He moved quickly to fulfill Xu’s instructions. He was lean and graceful, not tall, but spare.

With the table situated, Xu studied his partners. Unlike other Graei of his class, he did consider them partners, not playthings to be used and discarded. The fundamental difference had drawn ridicule and incurred unease at Court. Where the attentions of most Crystal Graei left their lower-ranking playthings cringing, Xu’s partners had blossomed. Indeed, his partners liked him too well. His royal relatives became concerned about his ability to engender loyalty in the lower classes. After all, the rabble far outnumbered the Royal.

With an imperceptible shake, he pulled himself from his pointless memories to concentrate on the present.

“Thank you. Now, I want both of you naked.”

He deliberately left it open, not commanding them to his will. While he was sure of Valerie, Kevin was still unknown. This gave Xu an opportunity to judge his response.

Valerie skinned out of her uniform in a fast, practiced move. She’d put her body on display more than once in this arena and had no hesitation. Her small, compact body with its feminine curves and dips bumped Xu’s arousal up a notch. Her full, rounded breasts rested against her narrow ribcage, the pale nipples already beginning to firm. The trimmed hair on her mound matched the pale blonde on her head, nearly disappearing against her skin. Pretty.

Kevin followed after a brief hesitation, releasing the tabs on his uniform with more deliberation than eagerness.

Xu’s impression of spareness played out in the narrow span of Kevin’s shoulders and the lean, furred muscle of his chest. The line of hair arrowing down his flat belly flared into a thick patch of dark hair at his groin, framing his uncut penis. Evidently his family hadn’t held to the old Earth tradition of circumcision. Even soft, he held the promise of an impressive erection.

“Kneel.” He waited until they were on the floor. “Knees apart, hands behind your back. Chin up, eyes down.”

Sitting back, he admired them for a moment, allowing his anticipation to build. Valerie’s breasts thrust out, her nipples tightened to little points. The pink of her feminine folds peeked from the concealing outer lips, teasing him with a preview of her secrets.

Kevin’s cock stirred under Xu’s regard, twitching and lengthening.

“Very nice.”

Xu scooted one booted foot forward. Using the reinforced toe, he carefully parted Valerie’s labia. Her chest rose and fell with her increased breathing, but she remained still. He pressed the hard synskin into her, wedging her clitoris between the boot and her pubic bone. Her shoulders jerked before a fine trembling spread over her, but she didn’t break her posture.

After a long moment, he pulled his foot back, gratified to see the subtle shine of moisture on the smooth black surface. He’d need to clean the boots, but that was of little consequence.

Xu cut his eyes over to Kevin. Though he was trying not to show it, Kevin’s eyes were on Valerie’s pouty labia. Xu wondered whether Kevin was interested in Valerie and thought this was the best way to jumpstart a sexual relationship with her. If so, he misjudged Valerie. She would be more hesitant now, knowing Xu had mastered him.

Unless…

“Valerie, on the table. Face me, legs apart. I want that pretty little pussy wide open for me.”

Still keeping her eyes downcast, she rose and perched on the table. In a move that demonstrated her flexibility as much as her willingness to follow his direction, she hooked her knees over the corners of the table, her thighs running in a line with the edge of the table. Her hands rested flat on the surface. The posture thrust her breasts up like an offering.

Xu’s cock surged, the sight of her open and waiting stoking his arousal. Her intimate flesh was a deep pink, the delicate sheen and prominent ridge of her clit revealing her interest.

“Beautiful,” Xu praised. His voice was steady, almost detached. Though he found her attractive, enjoyed playing with her, Valerie didn’t engage him emotionally, so he needed little enough effort to control his responses.

With slow deliberation, Xu slid his arms off the back of the couch and leaned forward, elbows on knees. The move swung his hair forward, rubbing it against the tips of his ears in a subtle caress that sped his heartbeat.

“Kevin.”

“Yes, sir?”

A smile threatened at Kevin’s quick response.

“Stand up. That’s it. Come over here and turn around. I want you to look at Valerie.”

Kevin’s breathing accelerated at the sight of Valerie spread like a banquet.

Oh, this was too good. The head of Xu’s cock throbbed against his uniform. The complex manipulation of pulling strings excited him as much or more than the sex, and these two provided a wealth of opportunity. If Xu read Kevin correctly, and he was rarely wrong when reading humans, Kevin tended toward dominant and had strongly heterosexual tendencies. To have him offer himself was a special treat. Kevin seemed to be fighting his natural inclinations to participate in this little scene, and that gave Xu more ammunition than he expected. The thought was enough to have his mouth watering.

Xu brought his knees together, leaning back a bit. Kevin, staring mutely at Valerie, seemed to have lost track of the fact that Xu was seated behind him. His hands fisted beside his hips, and Xu decided to intervene before Kevin did something he’d have to curb.

Gently, Xu placed his hands on Kevin’s bare hips. The light touch caused the younger man to flinch. He began to turn his head to look over his shoulder at Xu, but caught himself in time. With obvious effort, he relaxed his muscles under Xu’s hands.

“Sit,” Xu directed, already guiding Kevin’s hips.

Moving stiffly, Kevin gingerly perched his bare buttocks on Xu’s knees. His back was ramrod straight: he’d tensed again. Xu ran his hand up the stiff line of Kevin’s spine, leaking energy from his fingertips. It was a peculiar talent of the Crystal Graei to be able to read the sexual energy around others and to manipulate their own. Most humans felt this energy in radiating warmth, but Xu’s perfect control allowed him to create pulses and waves of heat and electricity for his partners. Here, the simple warmth was enough.

Kevin relaxed in increments, letting Xu’s thighs take his weight. Xu slid his hips up until Kevin’s ass cradled the ridge of Xu’s erection. Kevin flinched again, but relaxed almost immediately. He was learning.

Leaning in close, Xu pitched his voice not to carry past Kevin’s ear. “Tell her to lean back. I want her head to hang over the back edge of the table so she is looking at the audience.”

Kevin started to turn his head, but stopped when Xu’s lips brushed the lobe of his ear.

The ensign cleared his throat and squared his shoulders. “Lean back. Lay flat and tip your head over the edge.”

The junior officer’s voice was clear and directive. Definitely more comfortable in the pilot’s seat.

Xu rested his hands on the tops of Kevin’s thighs, holding him in place. Slowly, inexorably, Xu spread his legs, opening Kevin’s at the same time. Kevin’s audible gulp as his cock and balls were exposed had Xu itching to move things faster. He controlled the impulse ruthlessly.

“Valerie needs to be dominated. If you play sub too well, she won’t have you.”

Now Kevin’s head did swing around. Their noses bumped, their lips no more than a millimeter apart. Kevin’s fast, shallow breaths caressed Xu’s lips, the clean toothpaste flavor coating his tongue.

“I can give you what you want, but you have to agree to my terms. She can’t see you from that position, she doesn’t know what I’m doing to you. I could fuck you in the ass right here and she’d never know it. As far as she knows, I’m letting you lead.”

Kevin shuddered in his arms. “What do you want?”

Xu allowed himself a smile. Perfect. His cock strained against his uniform.

“For every orgasm tonight – yours and hers – you owe me a suck and a fuck, to be collected whenever I want.”

Kevin’s pupils dilated wildly. His shoulders twitched and the muscles in his thighs and back tensed up. He started to lick his lips, but froze immediately. The tip of his tongue just touched the center of Xu’s lower lip. Xu parted his lips, allowing his hotter-than-human breath to wash over the nerves of Kevin’s tongue.

“I’ll make you like it. In return, I’ll guarantee you at least one night alone with Valerie.”

Kevin blinked and finally pulled his tongue back into his mouth. He was shaking in Xu’s arms.

“Yes.”

Xu kept the triumph off his face and out of his voice. “Yes you agree to my terms?”

“Yes.” The word was little more than a sigh against Xu’s lips, but it was enough.

“Buggerfuck.”

Cav looked up from the console to see Ellery run a hand over his close-cropped brown hair.  Shawn Ellery was the epitome of cool under fire. When he broke out the compound curses, things were not good. “What’s the problem?”

“I just received the order to start preparing for power down for the engine swap. Six hours.”

Cav’s spine went ramrod straight.  “Fuck.  Didn’t you talk to the Captain?”

Ellery ran his hand over his head again, his eyes dodging hers. Double fuck. He hadn’t.

Conscious of the crew members watching her, she chose her words carefully. “Commander, you have to tell her.”

His nostrils flared, but Cav refused to drop her gaze.  He knew she was right or he wouldn’t be so pissed.  He should have told the Captain as soon as he found out.  As far as Cav could tell, Ellery’s ego and need for control had convinced him to take a gamble on the arrival of the escort ship, banking on playing hero.  Now he was out of time and out of line, and he knew it.  Fortunately, though Ellery might be a bit of a glory hound, he wasn’t an asshole. She waited for him to come to that conclusion himself.

His breath hissed out between clenched teeth. “I know. I know I fucked this up. Shit.”

Ellery’s head fell back and he stared at the ceiling as if expecting a miracle to appear.  Cav kept her silence, knowing anything she said wouldn’t help.  She glanced out of the corner of her eye, caught Dex Hiroshitu’s gaze.  She flicked her eyes back toward Ellery.

She saw Dex release a long breath.  He didn’t want to say anything either.  Well, hell. They couldn’t just let Ellery stand there all day. Every passing minute cut off options.  Bracing herself, Cav took a deep breath.

Ellery’s head nodded forward.  He pinned her with a glare.  “No. I know. I’m going. Fuck.”

He turned on his heel and stalked out of Ops.

Cav turned to face Dex.  Dex wiped the back of his hand across his mouth.  They both knew the shit was about to hit the fan.

*******

Tania rolled her shoulders. This was shaping up to be a bad day. Dealing with the politics of command never got easier, and she was more aware than most of Enchev’s issues. In fact, she wouldn’t be surprised if Steesk didn’t have any idea what was driving Enchev to resist the obviously necessary upgrades. Still, understanding didn’t excuse his insubordination.

Her complink beeped again. She bit off a weary curse. What now?

“Go ahead.”  Her voice didn’t sound as resigned as she felt. Kudos to her.

“Captain, you should tune in the news feed.” The slightly sibilant voice of her Communications Officer did nothing to allay her burgeoning headache. “There are reports from Drekne that a team of New Juneau scientists believe they manufactured a species-blind shield against plague. They’re reporting that it’s being synthesized aboard the Mercy, which is en route.”

Tania shot to standing. “What?” She queued up the news feed on her media wall. There it was, leading all the feeds. She didn’t know any curse words bad enough for this. “Thank you for alerting me, Shizha.”

“My honor, Captain.”

She had no sooner clicked off the complink than it went off again. What the hell?

“Go ahead.”  Now she was more annoyed than resigned. She needed to figure out how to stem the complete disaster that loomed in front of them because of this media leak.

“Captain, I need to see you.”

She rolled her eyes.  Ellery never asked. He skated the line of outright obnoxious in favor of slightly grating, but today she just didn’t have the time or energy to play nice with him. “I’m busy, Commander.”  She skimmed through the levels of feeds. The story popped on all the feeds, and media hounds had already started plotting their route on holo-grids. Nice of them to draw a map for the pirates. How the hell was she going to deal with this mess? “How important is this?”

A slight hesitation clued her in. Please, no. When Ellery stopped to think, she could count on it being bad.

“I believe it is of utmost importance and urgency, Captain.”

Tania closed her eyes.  Very bad. “In the bridge briefing room in five, Commander.”

“Yes, Captain.”

That sealed it. She needed a drink, but it looked like she wasn’t going to get one yet.

Neve stared after the executive officer. She’d had little opportunity for one on one contact with him, as they frequented different sectors of the Mercy and served different shifts. When he did have occasion to be involved in her business, he issued communication via complink or ensign messenger. She wasn’t sure she enjoyed the experience of standing face to face with him, no other distractions present. Staring was unprofessional and Xu Scholen commanded a visual awareness she hadn’t been able to shake since their first meeting. Worse, shortly after the perfunctory introductions Tania had performed upon Neve’s assignment to the Mercy, Neve had indulged her curiosity and taken a closer look at Graei culture. She’d also promptly locked the door on that curiosity. Xu Scholen’s world was a world of sexual excess and intrigue, so dark it left her feeling uneasy just reading about it.

The same unease simmered in her stomach now. She should not harbor such strange fascination for the man. Her immediate supervisor. More than that: a prominent figure among the shadow-enshrouded Graei royal caste. If she didn’t have the buffer of professional relations to shield her–if she had encountered the dark-skinned aristocrat at a space station bazaar or pleasure dock–she would have ducked her head, shied away, and prayed for invisibility. Graei notice was not notice she wanted…in a professional capacity or otherwise.

Seeking distraction from her brief meeting with Xu, and in the interest of granting Enchev a fair chance to set the upgrade course in motion, she gathered herself and left the meeting room. The previous shift’s reports were queued in her docket. By the time she examined the data for activity that would require closer attention, Enchev would have either followed her orders or decided to stand for the consequences. On the way to her station, she retrieved the complink from her pocket and tucked it back into her ear, hoping for good news.

Procedure made time crawl. Neve stared at compiled data until her vision blurred, yet her complink did not emit a sound beyond the ordinary functions of speed and location updates. When she could delay no longer without bouncing out of the time frame she gave Xu, she completed her log and left her station. West wouldn’t return to duty until the next shift change so she acquired coordinates on Rosa Munoz, a researcher who directly assisted the officer in charge of medical operations. Rosa was also a friend.

Moments later she joined Rosa in the research lab. Members of the lab crew greeted her as she passed and returned to their work, transferring biological samples to plague chambers, experimenting with the numbers to figure out how far they could stretch the Mercy’s supply of immuno-chem should New Juneau’s situation prove dire. Neve didn’t stop to ask how the numbers added up. She needed to keep her head out of details and her focus on the larger scenario. She was tempted to beg a shot of something on the sly, however, just to take the edge off the throbbing headache she’d developed courtesy of said larger scenario.

Rosa was deep in examination of test results when Neve reached her station. The other woman glanced up with a puzzled tilt to her mouth. “Neve. You’re far afield.”

“I’m a little all over the place.” Neve smiled wryly. “How are you?”

“Frustrated. Some new-gen pseudo-genius from Drekne has blabbed to inter-galactic media that a small team of New Juneau scientists believe they manufactured a species-blind shield against plague.” She waved her hand at the silent vid to her right and breathed a disgusted huff. “Now you tell me. What will news like that accomplish?”

Neve scrubbed her eyes. The throb behind them tripped and doubled in intensity. “Terrorists must have doubled their forces and increased their timeline. Decreasing ours.”

“Tripled.” Rosa sighed. “It’s a fucking mess, a hole full of shit and New Juneau’s own citizens just dug it a little deeper.”

Lacking words to lessen the severity of the situation, Neve laced her fingers at the back of her neck and turned to survey the calm, efficient crew working beyond Rosa’s station. “Have you seen Enchev?”

“Not for a while. He’s not scheduled, is he? I keep putting in to work opposite shifts. He’s always coming in for system monitoring when I’m deep into a study.”

“So you’re not on schedule for systems black out.” If Enchev had followed her orders to begin systems shut down, he would have already notified medical.

Rosa stood from her chair, the labs abandoned. “Not that I’m aware of. Should I inform Captain Hruk?”

“Yes, thank you.” Neve released a slow breath. “We will be proceeding on an expedited timeline. I’m sure you’ll receive specific orders shortly. Consider this your chance to get a head start. I’ll need a report of systems you cannot do without as soon as you have them available.”

“Shall I report to Enchev?”

Neve hesitated. She’d phrased her communication deliberately, attempting to be circumspect about Enchev’s insubordination. Rosa’s question left little room for avoidance, however. She shook her head reluctantly. “No. Directly to me.”

Rosa’s eyes widened and her mouth pinched. Realization wrote itself across her features. “I’ll be in contact, then. Until I receive notice to do otherwise.”

By the time Neve exited the medical bay, Rosa had her personnel in motion. Neve left the other woman speaking with the tall, thin silhouette presented by Captain Tril Hruk and made haste through the flurry of activity in medical. She roused Lieutenant Dhaji Reese and Lt. Commander Mari Ekehardt from their breaks and debriefed both engineers on the situation, granting them the same advance warning she’d allowed Rosa.

Immediately after, she found a quiet corridor and touched the complink at her ear. “Captain Fielding, this is Commander Steesk. Permission to brief you immediately.”

The captain replied without delay. “Permission granted.”

Neve grimaced at the terse, tense tone, but pressed on. “Systems are now in place and prepared for the propulsion upgrade you’ve requested. I have alerted medical to allow for advance preparation and await your approval to finalize life support reductions. Additionally, I need to officially notify you of Lieutenant Grigori Enchev’s refusal to obey direct orders regarding this project. I am relieving him of his post effective immediately.”

The pause that followed her delivery set Neve on edge. She flattened her shoulders against the wall at her back and closed her eyes.

Shortly, Tania responded. “Thank you for the update. Stand by for further orders regarding system reduction. I will await a written report of the incident with Lieutenant Enchev and your presence will be required at any resultant disciplinary hearings.”

“Certainly, Captain.”

She held her breath until enough time passed that she was positive no other missives would follow, then forced herself from the corridor and requested Enchev’s coordinates. She reached him in time to watch him slip into the relaxation lounge. Her stress levels spiked, anger rising to burn her cheeks, and she followed him.

Even before her eyes adjusted to the change in lighting between the bright, sanitary corridor and the dim, suggestive lounge, she knew she’d made a mistake. Still, she could delay no longer in relieving Enchev of his duties. He bypassed the bar and arrowed toward the intimacy area. Neve swallowed her reluctance and followed him. The sound of the door whooshing shut thrust her from neutral territory into naked territory. Her stomach clenched. A woman’s throaty moan hung in the air and tickled Neve’s ears. Her focus locked immediately upon the trio of people displayed in the middle of the common area. One man, bare-limbed and gleaming with perspiration, gripped a nude woman’s hips and pulled her buttocks high. His penis shoved home hard and the woman moaned again…but this time, the sound was muffled by a thick, gleaming length of flesh that pulled Neve’s gaze straight to her superior officer.

Xu held the woman’s head still, her hair wrapped around his fist. Neve grabbed him in a glance: his features feral, the odd point of his ears flattened back into his pale hair, his lips a thin line that bared his teeth. His throat worked as he dragged the woman deeper onto his cock. Neve’s jaw loosened, a complete relaxation of muscle–physiological response to the scene–as if her mouth were preparing to accept the same thick length.

He opened his eyes and met hers–dark to nearly white in an instant, the same change she had witnessed during their earlier meeting. Heat flushed from Neve’s hairline to her knees and she twisted away from the tableau with a jerk, thoughts scattered and fragmented. The earthy green of Enchev’s uniform only half-grounded her, insufficient anchor to drag her completely away from Xu’s display.

She must have made a sound, for Enchev stopped short of the door he was about to enter and turned toward her. Neve latched onto the opportunity and hurried to intercept him. Speaking in low, strangled tones, she said, “Commander, given your refusal to follow my directives regarding the propulsion upgrade, you are relieved of your responsibilities until further notice.”

Enchev’s eyes narrowed. He straightened to stiff attention and glanced past her shoulder toward Xu’s threesome. Before he could open his mouth to speak, Neve spun on her heel and bolted for the exit. A hoarse, masculine groan hit the base of her spine and she looked back before she could stop herself, dark curiosity winding its way around her head.

Not Xu. His male partner stiffened and arched, a tremor working its way down his body. Neve closed her eyes and hurried through the door, running from the question in her mind: What did he look like when he came?

Atmosphere: Primarily Nitrogen, Oxygen, Argon

Cosmological information: Three moons (Cavi is largest, rock moon, minimal atmosphere; Marin is the middle moon, an irregular captured iron asteroid with minimal atmosphere; Arniel is smallest, rock moon with weak hydrogen/carbon/sulfur atmosphere; no life exists on the moons). Solar system consists of four recognized planets, three planetoids, and a large asteroid field. Cosmic events are occasional and Graei employs a planetary shield and secondary diversion array.

Environment: Restricted water environments though there is significant water, much of the water is bound as ice at the polar caps, which extend over much of the planet’s surface. Life-supporting environments are restricted to the equatorial regions where temperatures often allow for liquid-state water. Graei sustains two primary ecosystems: tundra and ice habitats and subterranean equatorial temperate habitats. There are extensive cavern systems created when the planet was younger and hotter and less water was bound in ice. Above ground weather prone to significant ice storms. Weather below ground is temperate and mild, water seeps from surface and there is little significant precipitation.

Life: Graei supports a limited number of species, both vegetative and animal. Plant species are quite seasonal above ground. Subterranean plants flourish due to the unique sodium crystal nature of much of the surface of the planet. Since sodium crystals allow light to penetrate, subterranean photosynthesis has created a haven for life underground. Above ground animal species are primarily lower order, the single apex predator above ground is the xeran (for more information, see resources section). The variety of lifeforms below ground is significantly more varied, though limited by the environment. Graei control advanced technology. The less evolved velan are capable of utilizing basic technology but have not, as yet, contributed any innovation. Graei are extremely long-lived. Visitors should focus on below-ground visitation with a guide, as the maze of subterranean tunnels can be extremely confusing to extraterrestrial visitors.

Government: Planetary empire ruled by hereditary monarchy with hierarchical social and political system. Ruling monarch has total control over all gubernatorial appointments, both on- and off-planet.

Points of interest: Graei has a Royal Archive and a Royal Museum, but access is extremely limited. The Royal Archive is reputed to contain one of the most extensive collections of pre-Galactic Council interplanetary information in the Galaxy. The Royal City houses a significant number of diversionary sites, including mixed-race brothels and extensive commercial venues.

Other information: The convoluted social/political structure requires significant study if visitor wishes to understand the complexities of the system. The basic information necessary for visitors is as follows: There are three classes of graei, as well as the slave class of velan. The Crystal are the upper level aristocracy, which is almost universally hereditary. On very rare occasions, the ruling monarch may elevate someone from another class to the level of Crystal, but these individuals are rarely included in social networking. The Stone are the merchant and business class of graei, and the Soil are the working class of graei. Graei does still institute debt slavery, so it is imperative that the visitor to Graei understand his or her obligations lest he or she find themselves in debt slavery. Graei is well-known for its brothels and gambling hells. High Crystal balls are reputed to include sexual activities, but this cannot be confirmed as non-Crystal are not included in these events.

Excerpt from New Juneau:

Location: S7, Betel Four, Cygnus Gamma

Atmosphere: Oxygen, Nitrogen, Carbon

Cosmological information: New Juneau is the seventh named moon of Argon (see entry), a gas giant. Solar system consists of five recognized planets and a single debris field. Because of Argon’s very active planetoid belt and surrounding debris, cosmic collision is a regular threat. New Juneau employs a planetary shield and secondary diversion array.

Environment: Significant liquid water. Temperate climate over much of surface. Occasional storms but generally mild weather. Polar regions slightly cooler, possible frozen precipitation. Primary native ecosystems are mixed forest and grassland. Much grassland has been converted to farmland.

Life: New Juneau supports lush and extensive vegetative life and a number of small lower-order animal species. Apex predators are small and of little threat to visitors. There are no native species with mastery of technology. Human and Greyvan colonists possess advanced technology.

Government: The colonial government is completely independent of both Earth and Greyvan. Farming communities form collective cooperative representative governments, each of which send representatives to the Planetary Council, which is responsible for all extra-terrestrial dealings. Any trade or defense agreements must be validated by a majority of the collectives.

Points of interest: New Juneau’s Tower Forest is renowned for its massive trees.

Other information: Because New Juneau is primarily a farming colony, only the capital city of Drekne has significant amenities for the traveler. New Juneau provides over 6% of the perishable trade food items for the Galaxy and nearly 10% of the kahvi crop.

Xu Scholen stepped out of the lift into the corridor. Taking a deep breath, he walked toward the systems bay. His ears twitched at the droning hum of the engines overlaid with the quiet hiss of the backup systems. A quick check of his complink told him Commander Steesk was in TWR. Why she was there, he didn’t know, since they didn’t have any target world reps on board.

His ears also twitched at the thought of his upcoming meeting. Not only was Neve Steesk Chief Engineer, she was also his Chief Fantasy. With her oddly tinted hair bound in myriad tiny braids and secured at her nape, he wanted nothing more than to spend hours unraveling it: combing it through his fingers, winding it around his arms, draping it over his skin. She definitely aroused more than a professional interest. Given the Fleet Command attitude toward sex, he wouldn’t normally bother to dampen that interest, but this was a delicate situation.

His fascination with Neve ran deep. He wanted her under his control, sexually. Too bad she wasn’t ready for that sort of relationship.

Xu licked his lips, imagining the pleasure of training her, drawing her out to her limits. She wouldn’t roll over, it wasn’t in her nature. No, she’d fight him, and the challenge would be in bending her to his will without breaking her. There was nothing sexier than a smart, strong woman who submitted willingly.

But, he was her immediate superior. He wanted her too much to trust that his pursuit wouldn’t bleed into professional areas, and that was unacceptable. Not only because it could undermine her authority, but also because such a violation of trust disrespected both Neve and the chain of command. Xu had nothing but his honor left. He wasn’t giving it up. But that didn’t mean he couldn’t try to figure out how to have his Neve and eat her, too.

Problem solving was a special talent of his, and he could think of fewer tasks more rewarding than solving his Neve dilemma.

For now, though, the main entry to systems loomed before him. He placed his palm on the identilock and waited as the door opened. The hiss of displaced air tweaked his sensitive hearing. His hearing had proven one of the main drawbacks to shipboard life.

The man at the nearest control board nodded to him. “Sir.”

Xu returned the nod. “Petty Officer Jukes.”

The man’s eyes widened, evidently startled that Xu remembered his name. Xu knew nearly all the crew’s names. Those he didn’t know, he hadn’t met, and he was working on those using the personnel files.

The ceraglass floors in every area of engineering glowed eerily white. Designed to show the slightest leak or debris, the vast expanse of brightness always left Xu with a vague headache and a strong desire for enclosed, intimate spaces. Preferably with someone to help rid him of the headache.

Aft Systems peeled off from main engineering behind the emergency plasma converters. The twisting streamers of color cast eerie shadows over everything in the area, including the people working under them. Given his current errand, the hive of activity around the converters reassured him. Though he didn’t stop, Xu acknowledged the formal greetings of those he passed. Another thing different from Court at home. The Royal Court functioned on a strict hierarchy, and while those on the lower echelons might lick and scrape to gain the attention of the higher ranks, the higher ranks at Court could and would smash them back with a smile for no reason other than pure malice. Here the chain of command might reign supreme, but that didn’t mean it ruled alone. Galactic Services encouraged strong personal connections among service members. His own desire for the more expansive socialization and strong sense of honor had been two of the main factors in his decision to join Galactic Services.

Xu liked control, but he tempered it with honor. Graei was descending into madness because the ruling class – his family and their ilk – didn’t temper their excess with anything. Not honor, not wisdom, not even control. It would take civil war to balance the scales, and Xu wanted no part of that. So he’d joined the Galactic Service.

Shaking his head at his own musings, Xu turned down the corridor toward TWR. The identilock scanned his palm again, and Xu stepped through. Once the door closed behind him, the drone of the plasma converters muted and the ever present hum of the engines emerged again. No wonder he so rarely came to engineering.

Lt. Commander Enchev nearly plowed into him. Checking himself at the last second, Enchev stepped backward, nearly losing his balance as he popped to attention.

“Sir!”

“As you were, Commander,” Xu said smoothly, studying the young man. He was angry, the heightened color at the collar of his uniform seeping up toward his locked jaw. His hazel eyes fairly shot sparks. Xu could easily guess who had angered him. Enchev hesitated, clearly debating discussing whatever bothered him. Xu didn’t have much patience with circumventing the chain of command for the simple reason of arrogance, and that’s what he read in Enchev.

To forestall any possible comment from Enchev, Xu stepped around him without another word, continuing down the corridor. He was halfway to the TWR when he finally heard the corridor doors open. Stubborn little shit.

He barely waited for the doors to open before stepping into the meeting room. The media screens were muted, tuned into the news feeds. Neve stood stiffly at the end of the conference table.

“Commander Scholen.”

Xu controlled a betraying twitch at the nearly imperceptible huskiness in her voice. He’d been hardened in the harshest of crucibles to read people, and he’d made a point of learning Neve. Her fatigue and distress showed in the strain around her eyes. “Commander Steesk.”

He walked the length of the table toward her.  He might tell himself it was to reduce the formality of the coming exchange, but he knew it was just as much for the simple pleasure of being near her, of basking in the scent of her skin.

His deep breath was so subtly done she would not notice. Perhaps another Graei would see the slight stiffening of his nostrils, but no human would catch it.

Her adulterated scent washed over him and a hot wave of jealousy followed. Only decades of training saved him from emotional outburst. Rage and despair twisted inside him, battering at the shields instilled through years of agony. Silently, imperceptibly, he stroked the roof of his mouth with his tongue. It was a focus mechanism he’d perfected at Court, enabling him to master himself. He forced back his desire to drag her straight to the nearest lightbath and scrub the stench of the other man from her skin.

It wasn’t that she’d lain with another – he was not so monogamous as that. No, it was that another man had put his scent on her. Not the scent of sex or temporary passion, but the more territorial smell of personal grooming. The Graei marked those under their aegis with the scent of their house. Developing a personal scent was one of the first things a young Graei did to separate themselves from their elders. When fighting for dominance in Court, the victor would subjugate the defeated, taking them in body and stripping them of their scent to replace it with their own. To smell another man’s scent on Neve triggered an atavistic response that nearly overcame his control.

Hanging on by the barest of margins, Xu stepped back. Though confusion crossed her face, he concentrated on controlling his roiling emotions. He forced his attention to duty. He had a job to do. He needed to focus on the task at hand. Another deep breath, this time clear of all but his own scent, helped leash his response.

Finally confident of his ability to speak without betraying himself, he lifted his eyes to hers. “Commander,” he began.  He needed to proceed carefully, and his precarious grip on his emotions was not helping.  Any misstep here could seriously damage any possible chance to pursue his desires with Neve just as easily as it could damage his career.  He walked a fine line between his duty and his inclination to be easier with Neve. “The Captain would like an update on the status of the propulsion upgrade.”

Neve met his eyes steadily before nodding. She knew very well that Tania could have simply contacted her on the complink if that’s all she wanted. Xu’s presence was a prod to action. “We will be powering down all systems and migrating to the reserve power grid within twelve hours.”

“The Captain would prefer a more expedited time table.”

The twitch at the corner of her eye was nearly imperceptible. Nearly. “I need twelve hours to ensure all systems migrate properly.”

Stone-faced, Xu studied her.  Under normal circumstances, a migration should take no longer than six standard hours.  In an emergency it could be accomplished in half that. Twelve hours was beyond excessive.

“That is significantly longer than expected, Commander. Especially given the time elapsed since the new propulsion system came aboard.”

Neve closed her eyes briefly. “It is longer than usual, but I would prefer to be sure there are no problems with the migration.”

He had a good idea what the problem was, but unless she brought it up, he was tied by the chain of command. Enchev was hers to deal with.  “There is a difficulty?”

Neve ran her tongue over her teeth.

Xu’s libido spiked at the sight of her pink tongue sliding over the smooth white surface. Already edgy from the emotional storm he’d barely averted so recently, he failed to properly control his reaction. Heat flared through him and the thin membrane that formed his second eyelid flashed across the dark pools of his eyes, turning them nearly white.

Neve noticed, her breath catching in her throat. He didn’t know if she understood the significance of his slip, but she clearly reacted to his arousal. He wasn’t in any condition to explore her response, though.  Grabbing the ragged edge of his control, he jerked himself into line, forcing his arousal down. A long moment later, his eyes returned to their normal state.

He needed to leave before he lost control completely. He had little protection from her effect on him in the best of circumstances, and these circumstances were rapidly deteriorating.

“Maybe,” she finally answered him. “But it’s nothing I can’t handle, and I would prefer to deal with it myself.”

Xu’s amusement at her rather pugnacious response helped push back the heat and solidify his control. Her doggedness appealed to him. He was certain now that Enchev was stalling the installation, and that Neve had already begun dealing with the issue. Otherwise, why would Enchev have been so angry? His inclination was to allow her leeway, but his first responsibility was to the mission, his second to the command. Personal preferences barely registered on the priority list.

“I will relay your preferences to the Captain,” Xu allowed. That put the decision with Tania rather than himself, and hat was the best he could do.

Understanding, Neve inclined her head. “Thank you, Commander Scholen.”

His control slipped a bit at the bared line of her throat. He needed to leave. The scent had begun to cross the space between them. He gave her a curt nod. “As you were, then, Commander,” he said, turning on his heel to leave.

It was as close to fleeing as he’d been in over a century.