Crusher?
She could swear she saw Ka’Cit stiffen.
“The engines are out. Have them fixed, at least enough to get us to the surface.”
The Torian glanced her way before his eyes darted back to Ka’Cit. “Th-that will be m-many credits…f-far more than this model is worth…”
“Just fix it.” Ka’Cit’s growl of annoyance made the alien shiver and even when she stepped forward to stand beside Ka’Cit the alien’s sole focus remained on the man by her side.
“Y-yes. Anything you want, Crusher,” he said before he began to hurry away.
“Torian.”
At Ka’Cit’s voice, the alien paused mid-motion. “Y-yes?”
“Does this station have food…drink?”
“Y-yes. In the main lounge. You and your…”
“My mate,” Ka’Cit growled and the alien’s four eyes widened.
“Your mate?” The words came out with some surprise but as if remembering himself, the alien hurried to continue. “Er, right, you and your mate are welcome.”
Ka’Cit placed a hand at her back then and began guiding her through from the bay toward a large set of double metal doors.
She couldn’t help but look behind them as they walked and more than once she spotted the head of an alien or two dodging behind some of the ships parked there.
Were they hiding?
As soon as they went through the double doors, Ka’Cit pushed a button in the wall and the floor began moving upward.
It was a lift.
“Why did the alien seem so…wary of you?”
Again, she was sure Ka’Cit stiffened.
“That, ta’ii, is a long story.”
The lift opened to chatter that suddenly died as they stepped into the room.
What in the Wild West…?
Nia kept her head low, but it didn’t stop her from stealing a few glances from underneath her cloak.
Every single alien in the room was dressed in similar outfits, a faded sort of green tunic, and all of them were dead silent—frozen in time.
Some had their drinks in hand, some were in the middle of chewing, but they all shared one thing: a pin could drop and it would be heard in the silence.
Ka’Cit didn’t seem to notice or, he didn’t mind. His hand was still at her back and he guided her forward.
Up front, there was a large counter with a stocky alien who had more arms than she could count pouring drinks.
When they reached the counter, the tension didn’t cease.
As a matter of fact, it seemed as if the bartender was also frozen, his eyes on Ka’Cit.
They stopped by the counter and Ka’Cit studied the bartender. Nia found herself glancing from one to the other, trying to figure out what the hell was happening, but she knew better than to open her mouth.
Something was going on here that was bigger than her.
“Two galaxy quas.” Ka’Cit didn’t even speak loudly but with the silence in the room, his voice carried.
As soon as the words left his mouth though, it was as if the room collectively sighed and the chatter picked up as if it hadn’t stopped.
Nia glanced up at the man by her side, one eyebrow lifting a little.
She wanted to ask him what the hell was going on but maybe she’d do that later.
“Two galaxy quas.” The bartender placed the drinks in front of them and hurried off.
Nia looked at the bottle before her.
It was fizzing like a carbonated drink on steroids.
She was very aware of Ka’Cit watching her as she grasped it and looked at it, turning it around in her hand.
“It is good,” he said.
It looked like it was ready to erode her teeth more like, but she gave him a brave smile and put the drink to her head.
The taste surprised her. It was almost too sweet and the carbonated part of it popped on her tongue.
But she was so thirsty—she hadn’t drunk anything since leaving the Sanctuary—so she took another swig.
The fizz felt like it went up her nose and she had to shake her head a bit to get rid of the sensation.
She was sure Ka’Cit snickered underneath his mask. “Like it?”
She couldn’t answer, she was too busy taking another swig, but she nodded instead.
“Here, take mine too.” He slid his bottle toward her before leaning forward against the counter.
For the next few moments, he leaned on the counter and watched her consume the drink.
He seemed completely at ease, but she could still feel the tension at her back.
Nia took a few more gulps and allowed her gaze to move over the room without making it obvious she was checking the place out.
Apart from the weird silence that had greeted them when they first entered, this bar, if she could call it that, wasn’t that bad.
The walls were the color of mahogany and drab. Apart from a small circular window on one wall, there were no other wall decorations.
There were several tables in the small lounge made of the same material and color as the walls and the stools looked like barrels that matched the same color.
Ka’Cit was right. Apart from her, there didn’t seem to be any other females within the room.
At least, no aliens were present that she could confidently identify as being female. It felt as if she was in an alien truck stop filled with a host of drivers who transported the cargo from Hudo III galaxy wide.
They were talking together, sharing jokes, but she noticed one thing: despite the chatter, they all seemed to be glancing in her and Ka’Cit’s direction every now and then.
“They seem…uncomfortable,” she whispered loud enough for Ka’Cit to hear and he grunted.
“They should be.”
Nia took another gulp of the drink and allowed herself to enjoy the feel of the fluid going down her throat.
Despite the sideways glances in their direction, she had to admit that the chatter in the background was almost comforting.
If she closed her eyes, she could imagine she was somewhere on Earth in a regular bar.
But they were on a job. They still had to get that package.
They? Funny how she’d now included herself on that.
“Um, Crusher?” The small voice barely caught her attention and she had to pull her gaze from the room to
