she snapped angrily. "I don't understand you at all."
He frowned. "Understand me? I thought you knew me so well. Between us, I'm not the one who needs to be understood." He came to stand very close to her, searching her face, looking for someone he once knew. "What's happened to you? There isn't a soft spot left on you. You used to have a sense of humor. Where did that go? Don't expect me to stand in line with your squad pals. You of all people know me better than that."
"You left a long time ago. Things change. People change. Even if you haven't."
"I don't believe that," he said more softly. "You're in there somewhere, Red." He lifted his hand as if to touch her face but then placed it on her shoulder instead. "What did they do to you? Does this come from living in barracks for too long, marching up and down in front of Air Command brass for a few years? What happened to you on Bellac?"
She regarded him silently, aware of his hand, as deeply affected by his presence as she had been so many years ago. She could feel the warmth of his spirit as clearly as she could feel the warmth of his body only a handspan from her own. A flood of memories poured into her mind, letting her relive a few weeks of happy moments in just a few seconds. Why was it that, every time they touched, even by accident, she was instantly transported six years into the past when they could do little but touch each other?
She pulled away and forced a perky note into her voice. "Nothing happened. I'm a Union soldier and you'd better remember that. It's all there is." She dropped onto the lounger. "I’m too tired to argue with you. You're a better arguer than I am, anyway."
"Tired? You just got up a couple of hours ago."
"All that gravity, I guess. Or the weather down there."
"You look awfully pale. Do you hurt anywhere?"
She shook her head. “Just the sting I got on the freighter."
"Sting?"
She pointed at her neck. "Sting. Bite. Whatever it was that the thing in the box gave me."
He stared at her, stunned. “And you didn’t think to mention that earlier?"
She frowned. "What did you think it was?"
"It looks like someone took a stunner to you, nothing more." He crouched and pulled the bandage from her skin to peer at it closely. "Yes, I can see the hole now. I thought it was a blister or something that had broken. What were you thinking? That thing lived in a water ash soup, Nova. Didn't you think it might be poisonous, too?"
"Not much I can do about it way out here, can I? I really don’t love the idea of finding some clinic run by rebels. I'll be fine till I get to the base on Magra." She stood up, but too quickly. He caught her when she swayed on her feet as a wave of dizziness robbed her of her balance. He lowered her back down onto the lounger.
"We’re changing course for Targon," he said. "They’ve got the best xenobiology labs in the sector."
"You know if we go to Targon I'll have to make some sort of report on you, if they haven't identified you already. And tell them about the guns."
"Ah, so that is your scheme! Very clever, Lieutenant."
"I'm serious, Seth."
He shrugged. "I can't think of any way to get you there faster. We'll lose another day if we go to Magra first."
She looked up at him, blinking tiredly. "You'd do that? Go into Targon? For me?"
"Let's try some air. I don't know if it's such a great idea for you to sleep so much." He went into the cargo hold and returned with a small oxygen bottle.
She let him fasten a mask over her mouth and nose and then curled up in a corner of the lounger. "Just a little nap," she said. "Wake me for the jump."
Chapter Five
Nova was glad when the orange ball that was Targon appeared on their screens. This sponge-like planet riddled with subterranean, water-filled cave systems served as the military hub of Trans-Targon and the largest base in the sector. There was no reason to settle on the bland, inhospitable surface; those who needed to live nearby chose Odar, a not-too distant
He frowned. "Understand me? I thought you knew me so well. Between us, I'm not the one who needs to be understood." He came to stand very close to her, searching her face, looking for someone he once knew. "What's happened to you? There isn't a soft spot left on you. You used to have a sense of humor. Where did that go? Don't expect me to stand in line with your squad pals. You of all people know me better than that."
"You left a long time ago. Things change. People change. Even if you haven't."
"I don't believe that," he said more softly. "You're in there somewhere, Red." He lifted his hand as if to touch her face but then placed it on her shoulder instead. "What did they do to you? Does this come from living in barracks for too long, marching up and down in front of Air Command brass for a few years? What happened to you on Bellac?"
She regarded him silently, aware of his hand, as deeply affected by his presence as she had been so many years ago. She could feel the warmth of his spirit as clearly as she could feel the warmth of his body only a handspan from her own. A flood of memories poured into her mind, letting her relive a few weeks of happy moments in just a few seconds. Why was it that, every time they touched, even by accident, she was instantly transported six years into the past when they could do little but touch each other?
She pulled away and forced a perky note into her voice. "Nothing happened. I'm a Union soldier and you'd better remember that. It's all there is." She dropped onto the lounger. "I’m too tired to argue with you. You're a better arguer than I am, anyway."
"Tired? You just got up a couple of hours ago."
"All that gravity, I guess. Or the weather down there."
"You look awfully pale. Do you hurt anywhere?"
She shook her head. “Just the sting I got on the freighter."
"Sting?"
She pointed at her neck. "Sting. Bite. Whatever it was that the thing in the box gave me."
He stared at her, stunned. “And you didn’t think to mention that earlier?"
She frowned. "What did you think it was?"
"It looks like someone took a stunner to you, nothing more." He crouched and pulled the bandage from her skin to peer at it closely. "Yes, I can see the hole now. I thought it was a blister or something that had broken. What were you thinking? That thing lived in a water ash soup, Nova. Didn't you think it might be poisonous, too?"
"Not much I can do about it way out here, can I? I really don’t love the idea of finding some clinic run by rebels. I'll be fine till I get to the base on Magra." She stood up, but too quickly. He caught her when she swayed on her feet as a wave of dizziness robbed her of her balance. He lowered her back down onto the lounger.
"We’re changing course for Targon," he said. "They’ve got the best xenobiology labs in the sector."
"You know if we go to Targon I'll have to make some sort of report on you, if they haven't identified you already. And tell them about the guns."
"Ah, so that is your scheme! Very clever, Lieutenant."
"I'm serious, Seth."
He shrugged. "I can't think of any way to get you there faster. We'll lose another day if we go to Magra first."
She looked up at him, blinking tiredly. "You'd do that? Go into Targon? For me?"
"Let's try some air. I don't know if it's such a great idea for you to sleep so much." He went into the cargo hold and returned with a small oxygen bottle.
She let him fasten a mask over her mouth and nose and then curled up in a corner of the lounger. "Just a little nap," she said. "Wake me for the jump."
Chapter Five
Nova was glad when the orange ball that was Targon appeared on their screens. This sponge-like planet riddled with subterranean, water-filled cave systems served as the military hub of Trans-Targon and the largest base in the sector. There was no reason to settle on the bland, inhospitable surface; those who needed to live nearby chose Odar, a not-too distant
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