They all stared at her with theirmouths gaping open, not knowing what to make of her disguise. Herright cheek had violet, hot pink and chartreuse horizontal stripesthat continued into her hair, which was dyed to match, and she wore ajewel-studded, form-fitting violet flight suit and heeled boots, dyedto match her face stripes.
Their surprise allowed her togather her wits and her years of training kicked in. “What is themeaning of this?” she demanded. “You have no right to pull myship aboard!”
“Save your complaints for ourcommanding officer,” the Hinto soldier said, clasping her elbow.
“Don’t touch me! Where isyour commanding officer? I’ve got a few things I’d like to say tohim!”
The man smirked at her brazenbehavior. “Right this way, honey.”
“Don’t patronize me! The nameis Felicia Alenzata. My father is President Alenzata, the leader ofplanet Alenzata. He’ll be furious when he finds out you’vedetained me.” Thank God, she thought, that the president was afriend of the Coalition and knew she was flying disguised as hisdaughter. He’d back up her story if contacted.
“Come this way, daddy’sgirl.” Four soldiers escorted Toemeka through the starship. As theywent, she took mental note of the ship layout. They passed through alarge, noisy landing bay and brought her before an officerdistinguished by his crisp gray uniform with rows of gold militarypins across his chest. He looked to be in his early thirties and hadan open, friendly face. The officer finished his conversation with amechanic, then turned toward his men. His eyes widened in surpriseupon seeing Toemeka among them.
Before he could say anything, shelaunched into him. “Are you the miserable beast responsible forpulling my ship aboard?”
“Yes, I —”
“What’s the big idea? Youhave no right to detain me. I demand you let me go immediately. Myfather President Alenzata will have your head for this!”
The officer’s mouth curled upin a one-sided half-smile. “Let’s see your ID.”
“Let’s see your ID first. Whoare you?”
One of the soldiers snickered andthe officer shot him a sharp look. The man immediately stood atattention with a serious expression. The officer said, “Young lady,I don’t think you realize the gravity of your position. We’re awarship on a military expedition.”
“So what?” Toemeka snapped.“Am I supposed to care?”
“Search her for papers.”
“Lay one hand on me and yourmiserable life is over!” she said, pulling out her ID card. “Hereit is. You’ll find everything in order. I’m Felicia Alenzata, myfather rules planet Alenzata. He’s a powerful man and when he findsout you’ve held me up, he’ll have you fried alive!”
“Run her ID card through thecomputer,” the officer said, handing the card to a technician. Hisattention returned to Toemeka. “Where were you headed?”
“It’s none of your business.”
“Felicia, I’m losing mypatience. There are a lot of ways to make people talk.”
“Isn’t there some protocol .. . some rules of space conduct you have to follow?” Toemekastammered, uneasily glancing around at the tall soldiers surroundingher. “I mean, don’t citizens have some rights?”
“Not on Samrat Condor’sships.”
“This is Samrat Condor’sship? Father has a truce agreement with him. You can’t hold me.”
“We haven’t even establishedyour identity yet. What were you doing in this area of the galaxy?”
“I was on a joyride and ran lowon fuel, so I jumped to the nearest fuel station.”
“A joyride! What is that?” Hefrowned, then glanced at a pilot who’d come up to speak with him.It was obvious he wanted to deal with more important things than her.
“You know, just out for fun.Father bought me a fabulous new ship. You want to see it? It’sgreat. It handles beautifully and it’s really fast. Say, I’ll beglad to take you for a ride if you like.”
“No, that won’t benecessary.”
Toemeka looked at the endlessrows of fighters in the bay. “This is quite a ship you’ve gothere and what a jazzy computer.” She reached toward the nearestcomputer keyboard.
“Don’t touch anything.” Headdressed the technician. “Did you clear her yet? We have a war tofight.”
“What war?” Toemeka asked,feeling her scalp tingle.
“It’s nothing you need toworry about.”
“No one ever tells meanything,” Toemeka pouted.
“She’s clear,” thetechnician said, handing her back her ID card. “Doesn’t look likethere’s any point in detaining her. In fact, it could cause troublewith her father. He is a very powerful man and does have a truce withSamrat Condor.”
“I told you,” Toemeka said.“Now can I go?”
“Yes, you’ve been cleared.Take her back to her ship,” the officer said to the tall soldierwho’d brought her.
Another officer lumbered over,dragging his gigantic tail. “Why let her go?” he said through amic hanging around his neck. He was of a reptilian species and hislong tongue flicked out of his scaly face as he talked. “We couldput her to some use.”
Toemeka’s heart stopped,knowing this officer would be hard to deal with. He wouldn’t haveany sympathy for a female human.
“She’s just a kid. There’sno reason to hold her,” the human officer replied.
“She doesn’t look like she’sin the juvenile stage of development.” He stared at her breasts.“She looks like she’s reached full sexual maturity.”
“Human females develop breastsbefore their full age of maturity,” the human office snapped.
Uncomfortable, Toemeka crossedher arms over her breasts.
“Immature or not, I still thinkwe should keep her for our amusement.” His long tongue lashed outand licked her cheek.
She recoiled backwards and wipedthe saliva off.
“You have no right to challengemy decision. I’m letting her go. This war has nothing to do withher and it will only cause trouble. She’s President Alenzata’sdaughter.”
Toemeka sensed she was better offnot saying anything. She hoped the human officer was the higherranking of the two men. A small crowd had gathered around them and itwas becoming more of a power struggle between two officers than abouther.
“She should be taken in forquestioning. It’s standard procedure,” the reptilian officersaid.
Toemeka held her breath. If theysearched her more thoroughly, they’d find the matrix crystal and itwould be all over. They’d torture her for information. Worse shewasn’t carrying a standard Coalition-issued suicide pill—Michiohad heatedly objected to that.
The human officer studied her andshe let him see the genuine fear in her eyes. “I’ll takeresponsibility for
