“One thing is for sure, I plan on finding out,” he murmured to his two furry companions.
Raia gently swiveled back and forth in the captain’s chair and moodily stared out into space. She wasn’t sure if the queasiness she experienced was from Hanine’s transporter or her intense physical reaction to General Behr De’Mar. If she was honest with herself, the queasiness started before she even used Hanine’s popper.
She tapped the rim of her cup with her finger and scowled. Nothing had prepared her for how to deal with a man like Behr. He was handsome with his dark wavy hair, smooth purple complexion, and rich brown eyes that were the color of that sweet stuff called chocolate that Aaron always liked to give her.
“For crying out loud, Raia! Since when do you think about a guy like that?” she muttered.
Over the years, there had been plenty of opportunities to mingle with the opposite sex if she had wanted. Thanks to Pi and Chummy, she had been spared from the jerks, as Ben and Aaron would call them, and thanks to Hanine and Evetta, she could handle the assholes of the galaxy. Still, she was surprised that the first thought in her head when she saw Behr hadn’t been on how she was going to get them out alive, but how damn hot he was.
With a muttered curse, she pulled up the communication panel and tapped in the encrypted password. Almost immediately, a cheery face appeared on the holographic screen. It was Ben and Evetta’s thirteen-year-old son, Bennie. She made a groaning sound like she was about to faint and fell back in her seat.
“What’s up, Rai-Rai?” Bennie greeted.
“I’m having a heart attack! I can’t believe you aren’t off playing a video game,” she replied with a good-natured grin.
Bennie made a face. “I’m grounded for a week,” he glumly replied.
Raia rubbed her hands together with glee and sat forward with an expectant expression. “What’d you do this time?” she asked.
Bennie grinned. “I took Dad’s skimmer out without telling him. I was doing good—” he said.
“Until…?” she pressed.
He held up his arm. Seeing the bone regenerator on it, she sat back and made a sympathetic face. This must have been the third time Bennie had broken his arm in the last four years.
“I hit a tree. Mom and Hanine might have to rebuild it,” he ruefully confessed.
“Ouch, that must have hurt. Speaking of your mom, is she there?” Raia inquired.
“Yeah, she just came in. Dad and Aaron are still out in the fields,” he said as he turned and called to his mom.
Seconds later, Evetta’s relieved face filled the screen. “Thank the Goddess you are alright,” she said.
Raia scoffed. “Of course I’m alright,” she retorted.
Evetta pursed her lips and gave her the same look that she gave Bennie when he was driving her crazy. Raia sighed. Ben and Evetta had become the parents she had lost. Evetta’s expression softened with concern.
“What’s wrong? Were you… too late to save Behr?” Evetta asked.
Raia shook her head. “No, I got him out. I had to use Hanine’s popper,” she confessed.
“Are you alright? Did the biometric changes Hanine added help with your reactions?” Evetta asked.
“Yeah, they helped a lot. I had a little nausea, but I tried the tea and Muza cream like you suggested and it went away,” Raia said.
“Something is bothering you. What is it?” Evetta asked.
Raia bit her lip. This was a conversation that she had avoided for several years and one that she wasn’t looking forward to having now. She shifted uncomfortably in her seat before she finally looked back up at Evetta.
“How did you figure out that Ben was—you know—the guy for you?” she blurted out.
Evetta looked puzzled for a moment before her eyes widened and her lips parted in surprise. A slightly darker shade of purple suffused Evetta’s cheeks, and she appeared to be a little unsure of what to say.
“The first time I saw Ben, I had just had a very traumatic altercation with a fellow crew member. Ben was playing his harmonica, and I was drawn to the sound. I’d never heard anything like it before—or seen anyone like him. I found him physically attractive, even though he was different from any other man I had ever met. But… it was more than that. I was fascinated by the way he treated me, talked to me…, and when he touched me—it was like my mind and body connected with him,” she said with a faraway look in her eyes.
“That is pretty awesome,” Raia softly replied.
Evetta blinked. “Why do you ask? Have you met someone?” she asked with an intense look that made Raia flush.
“No… at least… I’m not sure. It is too weird to talk about. Did it bother you… or Ben that you were different from each other?” she asked.
Evetta smiled and shook her head. “Do you mean because I am a Marastin Dow and he is human, or because our physical appearance is different from each other?” she asked.
“I don’t know—both, I guess,” Raia murmured.
“No. Ben didn’t have the prejudices against the Marastin Dow that many do, which helped. But, I don’t think it would have made much of a difference. There was something about him I couldn’t resist, and he felt the same way about me,” Evetta confessed.
“So, how were you sure Ben was the guy for you? Did you… like kiss him and see explosions?” Raia persisted in a frustrated voice.
Evetta laughed. “There might have been a few explosions when he kissed me. You’ll know when it happens, Raia,” she said with a confident smile.
“But… what if I feel something and… say hypothetically if there was someone… that the-the guy doesn’t?” Raia mumbled, fidgeting with her cup.
The smile faded from Evetta’s lips and was replaced with an expression of concern. “Have you dropped Behr at the rendezvous location yet?” she asked.
Raia shook her head. “There are too many Marastin Dow ships out at the moment. We are going to hang low for a few days and hope they leave. There’s a place near our location where we can hide. It should be safe,” she said.
“Whatever happens, Raia, don’t get caught. The Marastin Dow have no limits to their brutality and General Maradash’s form of cruelty is beyond anything we have ever witnessed before. No one—not even the Curizan, Sarafin, or Valdier—could save you, I fear,” Evetta cautioned.
“Hey, careful is my middle name. Besides, Pi will warn me if trouble is coming,” Raia said with confidence.
“I know you trust Pi, but it never hurts to be extra cautious,” Evetta insisted.
“I promise to be extra careful. I’ve seen firsthand what Maradash can do,” Raia replied.
“As much as we didn’t want you to do this, Raia, we are also very thankful and proud of you. You have given hope to the Marastin Dow who are fighting for a better way of life,” Evetta said.
Tears burned Raia’s eyes at the emotion in Evetta’s voice. Thanks to her extended family, she was aware of the Marastin Dow’s rebellion and the dangers to those who wanted a different way of life. She also knew how cruel those that didn’t want the change could be.
“I love you, Evetta. I’ll check in again in a few days,” she promised.