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Chapter Thirty One With
her feet propped up on the co-pilot’s chair, and her battered blue jacket
draped across her torso, Meesahran dozes in the cockpit of the SkyDancer.
Her hair lying loosely about her shoulders and her chin resting against
her chest, she appears to be sleeping comfortably, but as soon as the first
footfall reaches the decking of the cockpit, she looks up at the visitor. “Oh,
I am so sorry, Meesahran, I did not wish to wake you.”
Xana begins to exit the cockpit. “Please
my friend, I have always been a light sleeper.
One of the side effects of the job.”
Meesahran takes her feet off of the co-pilot’s chair and swings the
aged jacket onto the back of her own chair.
“Please sit...” Waiting for her to take the seat next to her,
Meesahran stretches her arms up above her head, and to Xana it is as if Mees has
become a felinoid pet.
“So, what can I help you with, my Dear Friend?”
Mees says as she gives Xana the most warming smile. “Please,
Meesahran, there is no need to continue the formalities.
I realize that you do so to honor our traditions, but you and I are quite
familiar, and it is not necessary.”
Touching the, barely hidden, purplish scar upon her left shoulder, “If
not for you, I might not have survived that horrible kidnapping.” Mees
takes Xana’s hand in hers, “You have much more strength than you give
yourself credit for, Xana.
Much of the success from that mission is due to your own determination
and abilities.
I was only helpful to your recognizing them.”
Looking into Xana’s eyes, Mees can see that she understands and accepts
her words. A
small alarm sounds from the console and Meesahran quickly turns to shut it off.
“Well, you better be quick, ‘cause Jae’s going to be getting up to
take over in here in about fifteen minutes.” Xana
looks out the viewport into the nothingness of hyperspace, “That is actually
what I wished to speak with you about...”
Xana pauses for what seems like an eternity, hoping for something from
Meesahran, but when the woman beside her remains silent, she continues, “My
Dear Brother is quite un-fond of him.
Could you tell me why?” “What
makes you think that, Xana?” Meesahran is fishing now, trying to find out just
why Xaxan is so suspicious of Jae-Lee. “His
words and actions concerning Master Reklaw.
He gave me some very stern warnings regarding my dealings with Master
Reklaw when you first arrived on Commenor, and I also know that he assigned a
security detail to him while you were on the planet.
What does he fear from Master Reklaw?”
Xana is now facing Meesahran, who is staring back at her with a look of
pure amusement on her face. Exhaling
in a deep sigh, Meesahran begins, “Well, how do I put this? . .”
Taking in a deep breath Meesahran tries to conjure up the proper
explanation. “I
guess the easiest answer is that he’s afraid of you.” “Of,
me?! Meesahran, that makes no sense at all.”
Xana is quite confused by her friend’s answer. “That’s
easy, kid, he’s not blind.
For that matter, none of us are.”
Meesahran gives her a knowing wink: one that causes the blood to rush to
Xana’s cheeks.
“Look, you could be interested in the son of a Chandrillan noble
family, and he would find some reason to not like him.
I’m told that’s the way older brothers are everywhere in the galaxy.
And for Xaxan Tryashoenu, ruler over his own domain, galactic big-shot,
and tough guy, that probably goes about fives times as bad.” Xana
nods, “I suppose you are right, but it is almost as though he knows something
about Master Reklaw that frightens him.”
Meesahran begins to chuckle, “What is it, Meesahran?
Do you know something?”
Xana is quite upset by her friend’s amusement. “Oh,
it’s nothing really.” “Meesahran,
if you know something about this, I wish you would tell me what it is,
please.” Xana
has grown very angry. “All
right, all right already...
I may have said something that may or may not have given Xaxan the
impression that Jae is...
Well, maybe a little bit of a...”
Meesahran struggles with the right words. “Out
with it, Meesahran!” “Well,
I may have made Xaxan think that Jae is kind of a rogue, with girls in every
spaceport.” “WHAT?!”
Xana is completely flustered by her friend’s words. “Look,
it isn’t true.
I was just milking him for some info I needed and playing into his
suspicions seemed the best way to go.
I didn’t mean any harm by it, and that’s why we left Jae and Nija out
in orbit before we picked you up.
He has no idea that Jae is still traveling with us, so it’s cool.” “Meesahran
Tofallin, that is anything but ‘cool!’
You will set things straight with my brother at once.
How could you sully the reputation of such a good man in that manner?”
Xana is furious with her friend. “Look,
kid, I’ll straighten everything out once I finish this mission, but in the
meantime, things will stay as they are.
The less your brother has to deal with until this is resolved the better.
And worrying about you and Jae, not just having a thing for each other,
but being in the same ship for days on end, is not accomplishing that task.”
Meesahran realizes her words were a bit harsh, but they were necessary
none the same. Her
quiet begins to worry Meesahran, but then girl turns to her and says, “What do
you mean ‘a thing for EACH OTHER?’” Now
it is Meesahran’s turn to blush, but before she can say anything, the door to
the cockpit swings open and a sleepy Jae-Lee Reklaw stands in the doorway.
Rubbing his eyes and not actually seeing the cockpit’s inhabitants,
“All right Mees-.”
He then yawns deeply, “Time to switch ou-.”
Finally opening his eyes and seeing Xana in the co-pilot’s chair he
becomes flustered, “Oh, hey, sorry I didn’t know you weren’t alone.”
Jae begins to fasten his shirt and tuck it in, realizing his state of
undress. “Don’t
sweat it fly-boy, we were just getting ready to go haul your lazy carcass out of
the med-bay bunk so I could get some shut-eye.”
Meesahran and Xana rise from their seats and move to make way for the
utterly embarrassed Reklaw.
“She’s all yours, just don’t try to crash her while I sleep.
I want the chance to see you screw up in person.”
Meesahran gives him a knowing wink as they pass.
I’ll explain later, nerf-herder.
Creator: PtrsonsZOO (Jennifer)
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