In fact, it was hard not to feel jealous of her sometimes. Lana was aware that she herself would be considered classically beautiful, and Ali had told her during a medical checkup that she had well above average intelligence, reflexes, and eyesight. Still, compared to Belix she was an ignorant, unsophisticated, slow (in all senses of the word) little girl.
Well, at least she was taller. Although anyone who thought the Ishivi's size meant she was weak or helpless was in for a very unpleasant surprise.
After a few seconds of awkward silence, Lana belatedly realized her friend was expecting some response. “Um . . .”
Belix waved airily, blue eyes sparkling. “Never mind, this is just so exciting! If you were with anyone else I'd ask you to dish on the juicy details, but obviously that would be more than a little weird.”
Lana tried not to grimace in agreement at that. The elfin woman was technically Dax's mom, with Aiden. Although the situation was much more complicated than that, due to how the young man had been created. For one thing, Belix was in her late twenties, although she'd never said her exact age, while Dax appeared to be around 23 and in fact had only been alive for seven years, the first two comatose in a nutrient vat in accelerated growth.
That had been just one step in the process to make Dax an Ishivi Construct, a genetically modified human with DNA-encoded memories, his very genes coded with learned skills from the most expert people who'd ever lived in just about every conceivable field. He'd then been given intensive mental conditioning to make him mindlessly disciplined and obedient.
What had been done to him was wholly repugnant to Lana, although she fiercely loved him and the man he'd become in spite of his origin.
It was repugnant to her new boyfriend's dad as well, but Aiden hadn't been able to ignore the circumstances. Instead, he had largely chosen to ignore Dax altogether, or at least as much as possible. And where it wasn't, treat him almost like an android.
Lana did her best to hold back a scowl. Although that hadn't kept the captain from punching the young man in the face, when he found out he was capable of feeling love and affection. Something he still hadn't apologized for.
For that matter, Aiden had chosen to ignore Belix as well. At the time Dax had been created, the captain and the elfin woman had been lovers, from the sounds of it developing strong feelings for each other. Then Belix had started to create a Construct for him, without him knowing the full details of what the process entailed.
When Aiden finally learned the truth, that she'd turned their son into basically a genetically engineered slave, he'd acted as if she was a monster. Belix, hurt and with her pride wounded, (and she certainly had a lot of that to wound), had returned the favor.
Lana wasn't sure the two hated each other, but given how they avoided each other like virulent diseases and never wasted an opportunity to snipe at each other, they definitely something'd each other.
As for how Belix felt about Dax, she now acted ashamed of many aspects of Ishivi culture, and for what she'd done to the young man. With a little nudging she'd even been open to developing a relationship with her kind of son.
Although hardly a maternal one; at best she acted like a big sister, at worst treated Dax like a low class servant.
Although that might've changed now that he and Lana were in a relationship. Eager to talk about this unexpected event, one she apparently found absolutely delightful, the elfin woman pulled her towards one of the few spaces in the engine room suitable for sitting, settling her down and then hopping up to sit beside her. “Details don't matter, anyway. How are you doing? How do you feel about being with him?” Her icy blue eyes widened. “This was technically your first time, wasn't it? How are you doing?”
“You, um, asked me that last one twice,” Lana said, smiling weakly. Given how happy she was to finally be with Dax, she'd expected to be more excited about talking about their relationship. Maybe Belix's enthusiasm had just caught her by surprise. Or maybe, in spite of the friendship she'd developed with the elfin woman, given what she knew she still didn't entirely trust her.
Especially where Dax was concerned.
“That's because it's twice as important as everything else!” her friend said, hugging her again. “Oh Lana, I'm so happy for you! As long as this is a good thing.” She hesitated. “It's a good thing so far, right?”
Lana let herself finally have a genuine smile, thinking of the amazing night she'd just had with the man she was falling in love with. “Yes, it's a good thing.”
Chapter Two
Abominations
Chasing a miserable little pirate ship, or raiding a science facility?
Jian Dalar, formerly captain of the Vindicator, honestly wasn't sure which assignment was less appealing. One was more exciting, although it had also gotten him busted down to crewman, and whipped in front of the senior officers of this task force to boot. An agonizing, total humiliation he'd never forget.
Following which, oddly enough, he didn't care as much about the glory to come from taking out the Last Stand. That prestige would all go to Ralin Bresac now, anyway, since the woman had been promoted to captain in his place.
And it couldn't have happened to a bigger gaping sewage leak. Not that he was bitter.
In any case, Admiral Granoss had jumped at a chance to divert his task force from the humble, not to mention potentially embarrassing, task of hunting a single pirate ship. Part of that had been ordering the Vindicator and several other ships in their assault group to a few small tasks, in aid of the hush-hush war against HumanAssist Enterprises.
Apparently, the Movement-controlled Elson Robotics Initiative had finally gotten sick of being outclassed by their competition. Although the
