Leo runs her ship with precision and an attitude shaped by pain. Gathering an ambassador in stasis, she is surprised to find his ability to match her innermost desires, and he is surprised to find that she wants him in his own form and not the one she craves.
Ambassador Wikkio is a Beholder. Born to a race that can change to match any other species right down to venom or scales, he is an ideal representative for races who are skittish around strangers. Meeting Govern surprises him. He had not thought to meet the woman of his dreams when he woke from cold sleep and never had he imaged that he would enjoy his woman sharpening her wit on his hide.
The Gold Fairy brought them together, and now, she is determined to keep them that way.
The heavy bong woke her. The weight of the noise ran through her joints, and she staggered up with a groan. Sounds worked on her all too well. Her only pleasure when she was growing up had become her ship’s way of bossing her around. Music called her to eat, told her when to sleep and even spanked her when her behaviour was a little too surly.
Everyone thought she could govern bots and mechanicals, but the Gold Fairy was both her charge and her boss.
A quick solar shower, a check of the suit’s systems and a baseline for her pain rating and she was ready to eat and get back to work.
Music filled the ship as she ate, and the Dhemon music soothed her. They really had excellent composers away from earth. Even the Enjel music was agreeable, though the Azon stuff was a little bit too passionate for her. The Nyal composers were hit and miss. After her meal, she stretched, twisted and worked her body into something resembling supple before she stepped into her control station.
“Two more jumps and you will be chatting with your sister while I get a new passenger.”
Leo pulled them through the first jump, and the ship moved swiftly to the next jump point.
Dispatcher Nitza contacted her. “How are you doing, Govern?”
“Oh, can’t complain. What’s up, Nitza?”
“Your passenger. Ambassador Wikkio is in cold sleep on board the Blue Fairy. We need him brought aboard and hauled to Gah-tosh.”
“All right. What is he going for?”
“He is going to negotiate for a deep-system satellite to be located in their space, so we need this to go well.”
Govern knew where this was heading. “You want me to stow the attitude.”
“Please. You are to act as his bodyguard while he is travelling. He needs it. His appearance brings on either hostility or extreme affection.”
That was intriguing. “What causes that?”
Nitza laughed, “You are going to have to see it to understand it.”
With that cryptic statement, her dispatcher disconnected.
Govern grumbled, shifted her body slightly and leaned back in the supports that had been sculpted to hold her. She had spent far too much time in her life sitting. Flying while standing might be weird as a concept, but it was easier than she had anticipated.
“Okay, Gold. Here we go.” She pulled them through space and jumped to the system where Blue was waiting.
