Page 67 of Stealing Jia

Zarek appeared on the main view screen. “Where are Trayon and Sariel?”

“They’re on deck four chasing Lilkee,” I answered.

His eyes widened and poof! He disappeared.

“We hungry,” the evil twins cried.

Pepe gave me his sad puppy dog eyes.

“You too, huh?”

“Yes Momma.”

Lunch had been a while ago and I was feeling a bit peckish myself.“The bridge is yours,”I told the navigations officer and headed for the mess hall.

“We want mealie bugs,”the evil twins shouted.

Pepe cried, “A hamburger.”

Adoz chirped.

“He wants Bahmi fish,” Chiara translated. “I would like a small bowl of Decapod.”

“Bloos. Bloos,” Cason chortled.

“You’ve got it. But I expect all of you to be on your best behavior. No food fights. No webbing blood worms to any surface.”I pointed at the evil twins.“Got it?”

“Yes, Momma Jia,”they said in unison.

To my utter amazement, the twins were well-behaved, and Cason didn’t dump his blood worms all over the floor. Progress. Of course, I’d have to start teaching him how to eat at the table. First thing I needed to do was get him a baby seat.

“Lilkee is still on the loose,” Trayon advised.

“You, my dad, Sariel and Zarek are the best hunters in the galaxy. How is she eluding you?”

“She is wearing a cloaking device.”

“Oh. Was it stolen from the Farins too?”

“It was.”

“Good hunting.”I set my glass of Merlot and pasta on the table. Before I could take a bite, Lilkee burst into the mess hall. “Web her,” I told the twins.

Splat! Splat! Splat! Splat!

Presto! Lilkee was glued to the wall. “Release me! Now. You filthy primitives. You have no right to hold me.”

“Oh, but I do. You’ve broken about a zillion laws and are aiding and abetting our sworn enemy, the Rodan. That’s called treason.”

“I am the Empress. I can do as I wish.”

“Empress of what? That broken-down ship?”

“My Legionnaires will destroy you,”Lilkee screeched.

“What Legionnaires you didn’t kill off with that crazy dance ritual, you gave to the Rodan as lab rats. Did you forget that? I mean, why would they fight for you now?”

“They would die for me.”

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