Page 49 of Stealing the Star Stone
The woman squealed.“No one’s going to believe we rescuedtheEli Thorne.”She cleared her throat, fluffed her hair, and gave Nova a seductive look.“We’ll come up behind you as a deterrent.Can you confirm your destination?”
“Lethara,” Nova said.
The woman jerked back.“But it’s overrun with Lord Orien’s xeno-archeologists.”Her face scrunched up like she’d touched an unknown jelly-like substance.“They don’t take too kindly to station-sec interference.”
“Yes,” Nova said, “well, let’s hope we don’t cross paths with them.I’m hoping to find suitable locations for my next movie.It will determine how I develop the character.Doing my part for my fans, y’know,” she drawled.
The woman fanned herself.“Oh, yeah, how sweet of you.Are you filming this?”she hissed to someone on the side.
“It’s a surprise, of course,” Nova went on, giving the woman a wink.“I need to reach Lethara before the paparazzi do, y’know, to get settled.Then the press can have their field day.”
“We’ll keep your secret, Mr.Thorne,” the man crooned.
“Oh, call me Eli,” Nova said.
“It’ll be in the news the moment this call ends,” Thorne whispered.“And I don’t say ‘y’know’ all the time.”
Nova huffed, then cleared her throat.“Any chance you can escort us to Lethara?We’re trusting the navigational system to know where it is.”
The woman hesitated, tapped something before her, then grinned.“Yes, we can certainly do that for you,Eli.”
“You two are amazing,” Nova gushed.“I’m so happy you stumbled upon me.”
“Us,” Thorne hissed.
“Confirming pirates are withdrawing,” the woman said.“We’ll loop around you to lead the way, and make sure there are no more pesky delays.”
“You have my eternal thanks.And should we ever meet in person, I’d like to invite the two of you to dinner.”
The woman giggled.“Why, thank you, Eli.”The screen blanked.
“Computer, abort the escape route and follow that station-sec,” Nova said.
“That was a little thick,” Thorne said, coming to stand behind Nova.
“We need all the help we can get.Besides, what’s a dinner with fans?”
“They’ll want sex.They always do.”He slumped against a panel.“Asking for an escort was genius, by the way.Is it wrong of me to be happy it’s pirates and not Orien?”
She smiled.“Not at all.With that kind of riffraff, we know what to expect.Orien’s as slippery as they get.”
“We’re armed and ready.So far, so good.”
She stood for a stretch.“We need to find the cave and fast.Once the paparazzi gets wind of this, Orien will know, too.”Since he’d packed away the tea, she’d settle for a coffee.Not her favorite, but it would do.
While cradling the hot cup to her chest, she went through the panels, browsing what was stacked inside.“The usual, and that’s a theodolite.I’d say to pack it, but I don’t know how to use it.A source of light would be great.Did you find a flint, matches, a lighter?”
“Got a solar-powered torch.”He laughed.“If we get to charge it first.”
“I suppose if we fired the blaster at dry kindling, it might light it.”
“I doubt it.”His brow furrowed.“Let me search again.It’s not much of an expedition if we can’t start a fire.You think we’ll need to?”
“I want to plan for it, just in case.I don’t know what’s on that moon.If the fire only serves as a deterrent for the local wildlife, it would be good to have.”She headed into the bathroom to pee—again—and splashed water on her face.Dark stubble had formed along her jaw.She scratched it, finding it semi-itched.“How many times a week do you shave?”
“Once.”He popped his head through the door she’d forgotten to shut.“I could get the follicles removed, but if I have a role needing a beard, I’d have to sit for hours in the make-up chair.”
“Whatisyour next role?”
