Page 31 of Lorran
“Not evil, just a butthead,” Wyn told her reflection.
She ran a disposable towelette over her face, hands, and arms. It left behind a silky moisturizer with a pleasant fruity scent. She felt clean. Even her clothes felt clean, if rumpled.
Taking a deep breath, she prepared to face her alien again.
Who was arguing with the other one. Lorran and Mylomon stood in the front of the ship, looking like they were about to lock horns. Both men looked as if they refused to back down.
“We cannot bring your female with us,” Mylomon said.
“I will not leave her alone,” Lorran retorted.
Wyn softened at his words.
“Which is why we should have returned her to theJudgment,” he added, completely erasing any soft feelings she had.
Wyn felt compelled to give him a piece of her mind, but the view on the front screen derailed her thoughts.
“What is that?” she asked.
Lorran
A badly damaged ship listed to one side, which told Lorran power to the stabilizers had failed. If the ship had minimal power, he’d be surprised. Scorch marks littered the hull. A research vessel had minimal weaponry but adequate defenses. Whatever attack happened swiftly knocked out the shielding, then followed with brutal force to destroy the ship and the crew inside.
Swift and brutal. This was no random encounter with a smuggler or pirate vessel.
“That isSRV-P11,” Mylomon answered.
“The source of the distress signal,” Lorran added, because spouting off ship registry numbers told his female nothing. He might not know as much as he thought about females, but he knew that much.
“It looks…dead,” Wyn said. She stood behind the navigator’s chair, her hand gripping the seat.
Free from the queue, her hair tumbled around her shoulders, and the black of the screen framed her figure. Her garments were a bright slash of color in the otherwise dull monotony of the shuttle.
She looked like she belonged. He even fancied he could see the stars reflected in her eyes, even if it was the shuttle’s lighting.
His actions had been an error. He saw that now. Where he should begin to repair her damaged trust, he could not say, but he knew in his bones that leaving her alone on the shuttle was a mistake. Bringing her with them ontoSRV-P11would be a distraction, but if she stayed behind, his mind would be elsewhere.
“If she accompanies us or if she stays behind, she will be a distraction,” Lorran said to Mylomon. “The female comes with us.”
“Wow, I’m standing right here,” Wyn said.
Lorran continued, pressing his argument. “If we leave the female alone, she could tamper with the shuttle. Who knows what damage she could inadvertently cause?”
“Still right here.”
Mylomon glanced up at the ceiling, as if searching for a way out of their argument. He gave a long sigh. “After the bridge is attached, I will go first. You and your female will join me only if I deem the situation secure.”
“Understood.”
“And she wears armor. Not whatever that…is.” Mylomon waved a hand at Wyn.
“A cardigan? Listen, I know I’m not exactly fashionable, wearing the same clothes for more than a day now. I’d love to put on a party dress.”
“And I’d love to see you in a party dress,” Lorran said, letting warmth heat his voice.
Wyn rolled her eyes, proceeding to ignore his flirtation. “Do you have armor that will fit me? I’m not the smallest person, but I’m not Mahdfel-sized either.”
“I believe we can accommodate you.” From the storage racks, he pulled out a set of armor for himself and another set in the smallest size.
