see what he's up to."
Aaren looked troubled and muttered, "I don't think following Travis is a good idea. And weren't we going to the Denobian system?"
Isabela remembered he had been opposed to that too to begin with, but compared to going after the Alliance Commander, blowing up another command centre probably seemed like a sensible plan.
Their Captain shrugged the question off, and answered simply, "It will still be there."
Meeting Isabela's gaze, she saw the question in his eyes. He hoped he was making the right decision. She didn't know why it seemed so important to find out why Travis wasn't chasing after them with his usual ferocity and all the might of the Alliance, but whenever someone started acting this atypical, they could bet the stolen ship on it being important. She nodded and set in the course.
*****
Travis realized the enemy he'd been hunting for so long was now following them instead of the other way around, but he neither mentioned it nor gave it much thought. He was responding to a burning inner need, giving Patricia an overview of how the computer worked, and of how to fly. She didn't seem interested, was hardly even listening, but he was relentless.
It seemed logical to him. If something happened to him, she'd stand a better chance if she at least had an idea of how to operate a ship, and even though it was a lot to take in for someone from her planet, they had time. For now. He couldn't understand how she could seem so bored with it.
Normally, a voice inside him would have been sounding alarms, saying that teaching a prisoner about Alliance technology was the worst idea of his life and would surely end with disaster, but the voice wasn't there anymore, and he didn't miss it one bit. His commander's voice had disappeared too, and those were memories he could happily do without. Instead, he felt urgency. Every hour brought them closer to being called back to Central, and he would have to think of somewhere to hide her before that happened. Thinking back, he had probably been brooding over that problem for a long time. He just hadn't been able to confess it to himself.
*****
It had been a long day that moved quickly into night, and Patricia was exhausted. She still didn't want to return to her depressing little room. After their frugal evening meal, she curled up in his lap on the bridge, wrapping her arms around him and leaning her head against him, wondering how she could have been so afraid of him when they first met.
She was trying not to see the world through rose colored glasses, but being held and cared for felt so good. He was sure making an effort, and someone who had been through so much deserved to be loved, didn't he?
Travis moved a little, and she realized he was trying to reach a control without disturbing her. "I'm in your way."
He smiled and rested his head lightly against hers. "Yes, but I wouldn't worry about it."
Meanwhile, the computer had decided their twenty-five-hour day had come to its end. It was dimming the lights, and she asked shyly, "Can I stay with you tonight?"
He answered quietly, "Yes," and remembered a moment too late to add, "Dear." It sounded a little funny, and she smiled.
The day was taking its toll and she was drifting off to sleep. When Travis spoke, his voice seemed to come from the other side of the world, and his words didn't make any sense to her. "This is so strange."
Lifting her head, she watched him through her lashes, and when he didn't offer an explanation, she had to ask, "What?"
"Being close to another person, voluntarily. Without violence."
Her eyes popped completely open and she thought this was definitely more interesting than sleeping. "Don't tell me you've never..."
The computer rarely made itself heard, but now the metallic voice echoed between them. "Physical punishment is highly held as a form of control and a display of strength. I would have recommended..."
Travis and Patricia spoke simultaneously. She yelped,
Aaren looked troubled and muttered, "I don't think following Travis is a good idea. And weren't we going to the Denobian system?"
Isabela remembered he had been opposed to that too to begin with, but compared to going after the Alliance Commander, blowing up another command centre probably seemed like a sensible plan.
Their Captain shrugged the question off, and answered simply, "It will still be there."
Meeting Isabela's gaze, she saw the question in his eyes. He hoped he was making the right decision. She didn't know why it seemed so important to find out why Travis wasn't chasing after them with his usual ferocity and all the might of the Alliance, but whenever someone started acting this atypical, they could bet the stolen ship on it being important. She nodded and set in the course.
*****
Travis realized the enemy he'd been hunting for so long was now following them instead of the other way around, but he neither mentioned it nor gave it much thought. He was responding to a burning inner need, giving Patricia an overview of how the computer worked, and of how to fly. She didn't seem interested, was hardly even listening, but he was relentless.
It seemed logical to him. If something happened to him, she'd stand a better chance if she at least had an idea of how to operate a ship, and even though it was a lot to take in for someone from her planet, they had time. For now. He couldn't understand how she could seem so bored with it.
Normally, a voice inside him would have been sounding alarms, saying that teaching a prisoner about Alliance technology was the worst idea of his life and would surely end with disaster, but the voice wasn't there anymore, and he didn't miss it one bit. His commander's voice had disappeared too, and those were memories he could happily do without. Instead, he felt urgency. Every hour brought them closer to being called back to Central, and he would have to think of somewhere to hide her before that happened. Thinking back, he had probably been brooding over that problem for a long time. He just hadn't been able to confess it to himself.
*****
It had been a long day that moved quickly into night, and Patricia was exhausted. She still didn't want to return to her depressing little room. After their frugal evening meal, she curled up in his lap on the bridge, wrapping her arms around him and leaning her head against him, wondering how she could have been so afraid of him when they first met.
She was trying not to see the world through rose colored glasses, but being held and cared for felt so good. He was sure making an effort, and someone who had been through so much deserved to be loved, didn't he?
Travis moved a little, and she realized he was trying to reach a control without disturbing her. "I'm in your way."
He smiled and rested his head lightly against hers. "Yes, but I wouldn't worry about it."
Meanwhile, the computer had decided their twenty-five-hour day had come to its end. It was dimming the lights, and she asked shyly, "Can I stay with you tonight?"
He answered quietly, "Yes," and remembered a moment too late to add, "Dear." It sounded a little funny, and she smiled.
The day was taking its toll and she was drifting off to sleep. When Travis spoke, his voice seemed to come from the other side of the world, and his words didn't make any sense to her. "This is so strange."
Lifting her head, she watched him through her lashes, and when he didn't offer an explanation, she had to ask, "What?"
"Being close to another person, voluntarily. Without violence."
Her eyes popped completely open and she thought this was definitely more interesting than sleeping. "Don't tell me you've never..."
The computer rarely made itself heard, but now the metallic voice echoed between them. "Physical punishment is highly held as a form of control and a display of strength. I would have recommended..."
Travis and Patricia spoke simultaneously. She yelped,
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