“Yeah.” He cleared his throat. “Dr. Annur?Can you give us a minute?”
The Malaran hesitated. “The commander iswaiting. And I do not think he wants you two alone together.”
“It’s not romantic or anything,” Rempromised.
“Fifteen seconds,” Annur agreed finally, thenhe went back to the door and transferred onto the hovercraft.
“Rem . . .”
“Come on, Zia. Let me say it. You asked formy help and I turned you down. I just want you to know, I won’tever do that again.”
“You had a conflict,” she reminded him.
“Because I thought they’d be suspicious of mymotives if your brain got toasted? Because I’m a Stone? I meant itat the time, but it bothered me later. I don’t want that crapcoming between us, Zee. Not ever again.”
She smiled. “I meant the otherconflict—your promise to my grandfather you’d protect me. Hewould’ve haunted you forever if you had helped fry my brain cells.It’s fine,” she added sincerely. “The commander would havecourt-martialed you if you’d been part of this. But I did it on myown, and now he’s in your debt for alerting him—”
“Stone!” came an angry bark from theexternal speakers of the hovercraft. “Get out of that damned robotand bring the president’s niece with you. Now!”
Rem chuckled. “He doesn’t sound too grateful,does he? We’d better do what he says.”
“Wait.” She slipped her hands behind hishead. “Don’t you want to congratulate me?”
He flushed. “I promised Annur this wouldn’tbe romantic. But yeah. Congratulations, Miss Quito. Yourgrandfather would be proud of you. I wish I had a medal to putaround your neck, but since I don’t . . .” He leaned his head downand tasted her lips gently. Then he pulled her against himself andwhispered, “You feel so good.”
“So do you,” she told him, her heartpounding.
It was just like in the vid of the medalceremony, where Zia had seen him lean his head down toward her asif he were going to kiss her. She had reached up, but only to putthe Exemplar around his neck. This time was different. This time,she sifted her fingers through his thick, wavy hair. Then shelicked her lips in cautious anticipation.
He kissed her again, and now, his mouthwasn’t just curious—it was on a mission. Zia respondedbreathlessly, wrapping her arms around his neck, loving the factthat their date to Malara was officially beginning.
“Stone!” Commander Logan had entered thecolossus. “Get your ass into that hovercraft!”
Rem jumped away from Zia as though she were agrenade. “Yes, sir. Right away, sir.” He made eye contact with her,but only for a second, then he strode past the commander and exitedthe colossus.
“Have you lost your mind?” Logandemanded.
Zia wanted to give a scathing retort. Afterall, she had just piloted a giant mech! Who was he tocriticize her?
But all she could manage to say was, “Stopyelling at me. You’re so mean!” Then before he could react, shedarted past him for the safety of the hovercraft.
* * * *
The next twelve hours were a blur to Zia,between the pompous lectures and the mind grubbing attempts to makeher feel guilty—even though they were the ones whohad refused to consider that ninety-five might be a match. Andinterspersed with it all was the maudlin insistence that sheshouldn’t go to Malara even if she was a match, because itwould break the heart of every citizen, particularly her uncle, ifanything ever happened to her.
It might have been fun had Rem had beenallowed to stay so that she’d have someone to roll her eyes at. ButLogan had ordered the young lieutenant back to the hotel the momentthe hovercraft touched down. She envied Rem the chance to get adecent night’s sleep—something impossible at the Hacienda, givenher uncle’s tirades and the need to prepare for the launchceremony, which now carried even greater significance for the Quitoadministration.
The last thing you need is sleep anyway.You’re about to spend two weeks in suspension during the flight toMalara, she reminded herself as she dressed in the blue-grayflight suit she had chosen to wear to the ceremony. It was theworking uniform of a United States Air-Space pilot, and while heruncle had wanted her to wear dress whites for her induction intothe armed forces, she suspected Rem would already be in his flightsuit, and she wanted to set the tone right away.
They were a team. Not a “Quito” and a“Stone,” but two Earth pilots ready to help their Malaran alliesthe way Malara had helped Earth.
“What do you think?” she asked finally,turning to smile self-consciously at Jenni, who had been allowed tovisit for Zia’s final few minutes at the Hacienda. “Not exactlystylish, but at least it covers my legs and arms so the Malaranswon’t be offended by all my hairless skin.”
“I told you, I’m not speaking to you,” Jennireminded her from her seat on Zia’s bed. “Not until you promise tostay here where you belong. You’re not a pilot, Zee. You can dressup like one and play sky paddle like one, but that doesn’t changethe facts.”
“Jenn—”
“Don’t go.” Jenni’s tone grew desperate. “Idon’t care how guilty you feel, or what you think we owe Malara.It’s too dangerous there.”
“Ambassador Humber says they worship me. I’llbe perfectly safe.” Zia arched an eyebrow. “I want to look like apilot. So? Hair up? Braided? What do you think?”
“Loose, I guess.” Jenni managed a halfheartedsmile. “I can’t believe the president is letting you run off with ahot-body like Rem Stone.”
Zia laughed. “We’ll be asleep on thetransport, then plopped into the middle of a war. Plus, we’ll havea chaperone. Guess who it is? Commander Logan.”
“Ooo.” Jenni sat up straight. “A lovetriangle? You should have mentioned that earlier. It explainseverything.”
“Be quiet.” Zia laughed again. “I fell out oflove with him months ago, remember?”
“It’s so romantic. Your old love and your newone. What if they fight over you?”
Zia rolled her eyes and went back to brushingher hair.
“So?” Jenni asked suddenly. “Do you want meto come with you?”
Touched, Zia crossed to the bed and gave thegirl a hug. “You’re such a perfect best friend. But no. It’ssomething I need to do by myself.”
Jenni hugged her back. “Malara sounds sohideous. The air is filthy,
