- Ava -

The hangar bay on the Friendship was getting more and more busy as more tribes among the Acerex realized that the Earthlings were in fact the friends they claimed to be. Several tribes were now using some kinds of Earth tech, mostly thanks to Lily's efforts among some of the notoriously skeptical and xenophobic tribes.

Shuttles and cargo craft were coming and going, and the huge hall resonated with the sound of turbines spinning up or down, the cheerful warning sirens from craft landing on the deck or taking off and the chatter of the hundreds of people in there, both Earthlings and Acerex.

Ava couldn't see Xark'ion anywhere, and she set off towards a small group of Acerex warriors about to board a shuttle. Perhaps they had seen him.

But before she got to them, she saw movement from the corner of her eye. Someone was exiting from her own shuttle, the one they had used to go to Woor Five.

It was him.

She slowed down and made a turn so she was walking towards him. What would she say?

The paths intersected, and she stopped at a respectful distance.

“Xark'ion.”

He inclined his head slightly. “Diplomat Ava.”

No, this was ridiculous. She took a step closer and looked up at him, slightly stunned by the green eyes. Gods, the presence of this man ...

“Xark'ion, I-” Her voice cracked. Shit, how could he make her so nervous?

“I took the liberty of entering your craft,” Xark'ion said. “It crossed my mind that perhaps the sensors had detected things on Woor Five that would be less obvious to us at the time. I wanted to analyze the data stored in the shuttle's computers. I apologize for intruding into your shuttle. But in view of recent events, I'm sure I can't possibly make things worse than I already have. I considered the possible results worth my shocking intrusion. Of course I expect you to want me gone soonest. But I wanted to show you this.”

“No, Xark'ion. I apologize. I blamed you for the mission. But you did nothing wrong. I did. I'm sorry. Not for the mission. But for blaming you. It was totally unfair.”

He frowned, and she ached to touch that huge chest and feel the softness and the warmth and she safety around him.

“It seems to me that you had the situation entirely under control until I disgracefully caved under the pressure.”

She looked up at him. Was that what he thought? “You didn't cave! You protected me as best you could. That was why I needed you. But at the time, I ... misunderstood.”

“I caused you to drop the crystal. I intruded in your diplomatic conversation with the Solp at a crucial time. I shook one of them by the neck. I made them think that I was attacking you.”

His bass voice resonated from the various pieces of equipment in the hangar, and the nearby group of Acerex was beginning to show interest. 

“Yeah, maybe. Not really. But you had your reasons. Look, can we go somewhere else and talk about it? My quarters? Now?”

He looked at her for three heartbeats, piercing her with his laser eyes. But his face was less tense now. “Very well.”

She showed him the way, feeling small and dainty walking beside the huge warrior through the corridors of a ship that had been built to accommodate Earthlings, not seven feet tall warriors.

“Acerex,” he said when they entered her room and saw his planet outside the huge window. “It's rare to see it as a piece of decoration.”

“It's a beautiful planet,” Ava said. “It looks a lot like my planet, Earth. It makes me feel at home.”

“Really? Earth is similar to Acerex?”

“In many ways,” Ava said and went over to the kitchenette that only a few staterooms on the ship had. “You hungry? Not sure I have much to offer. But I know I need some coffee myself. Ever try it? Oh, and take a seat, please.”

Even here he had to keep his neck slightly bent to not hit the low ceiling. Headroom was always at a premium in spaceships.

“Is that one of the beverages with alcohol? I've heard Earthlings enjoy those.”

Ava inserted the coffee cartridge and a precious canister of non-recycled water into the machine and started it. “No, this has something else in it. Something that wakes you up. But you know, that's actually a good idea. Let's get drunk, a little. I have some tequila here. We'll mix it in. Coffee with a shot of booze is a classic.”

She rummaged around and got cups and the plastic bottle of Patron that Space Expansion would fine her for if they knew she had brought it here. Not because it was alcohol, but because bringing it out of Earth's gravity well and then taking it many light years away would have a cost of thousands of dollars in energy alone.

The coffee maker dinged that it was done, and Ava brought everything over to the coffee table on a tray. “This is a lesson in diplomacy. It is the Earth coffee ritual. It's very exotic and elaborate. First, place the cups on the table with the openings pointing up. That's crucial. Never the bottoms up! Remember that. If this was a half-decent household, you'd have a saucer too.”

Having Xark'ion so close, in her quarters, having made up with him, made her giddy and pretty silly. She knew it, but she liked it. She had nothing to lose with this man, so she might as well let loose and enjoy the moment. When was the last time she'd felt that way? She couldn't even remember.

“Now, pour in the coffee, making sure to pour for the guest first. Like so. No, wait. Don't take it yet. I have to ask you first. Would you like sugar? Milk? I don't have either, so don't say yes.”

Xark'ion had a bemused look on his face, but he nodded graciously. “No, thank you. I prefer it like this, I'm sure.”

“Great! Perfect. Have you done this before? So. Now the tequila. Shit, I didn't leave room for much. It's okay, we'll have another cup later. This is not usually a part of the coffee ritual. Mostly there's no booze. And a little for me ... there. Smell that? The alcohol evaporates fast, but there's still some left in the cup. I hope. Now, take the little spoon and – no, hold the other end. Exactly. Now put it into the coffee and stir. Slowly. Yes, like that. It's not strictly necessary since we don't have milk or sugar to mix in. But the ritual dictates it. I actually doesn't. I'm making it up. Now bring it to your mouth. No, wait. Blow on it first. Hufffff. Like that. It's supposed to cool it down, but it won't work. All part of the ritual. Now take a sip. Remember, it's hot. Just barely sip it. Not too much! Or you'll burn your tongue and you need that for later. I mean, to speak with. Not for– okay. Oooh yeah that's the stuff.”

She took a sip herself, leaned back and sighed in comfort, holding the cup in both hands and taking in the huge warrior sitting in her chair right across from her as he sipped his coffee in the dainty way she'd shown him.

Excitement was brewing in her. It was like a new start for them. This time, she was determined to do it better. Much better.

He put the cup down on the table. “It has a bitter flavor to it. Most pleasant. And the ritual – exquisitely performed. Truly you are a master of the art.”

She grinned. “You liar. Nobody likes coffee the first time. Or tequila.”

“Perhaps it depends on the circumstances in which one tastes it.”

“Could be. You may well be the first person ever to get your first taste of tequila and coffee in a spaceship in orbit around Acerex.”

“Conceivably it has more to do with the company one is in. As is the case with most activities.”

His gaze wandered quickly down the her chest, and Ava had to try not to blush.

That lust of his ...

“Okay,” she said. “Now you know the Earth secret. Coffee.”

“I'll remember it when I write my memoirs.”

“You better. Do Acerex write memoirs?”

“It's very rare. But it has been known to happen. More in the old days. Now, we're not as bookish as before.”

“I think you will be. I'll get you hooked on coffee. Coffee and books go together. Or tea and books. Booze and books, definitely. But don't get hooked on that. I have a whole bunch you can borrow. Books, I mean. Except you don't read English, duh. It's cool, I have audio books too. They're books that you can listen to. While you do other things. Like, you can be whooping some evil alien ass on a distant planet while you listen to Anne of Green Gables.”

“I fully intend to,” Xark'ion said, very seriously. “I hear it is a most warrior-like work. Also I will drink coffee simultaneously.”

“Yes! You only need one hand for your sword. The other for the mug. With a lid, maybe? You don't want to spill it.”

She poured more tequila for him and for herself, topping up their cups. Already she was feeling the warmth and the relaxation of the alcohol. If she drank much more, she might get touchy-feely with this man. And right now, she kind of wanted that.

He took another sip and looked around her high-tech quarters. “You are as alien as the Solp. And yet so much like us. It's hard to understand.”

“I know. The feeling is mutual, by the way. But it seems that our peoples can be friends. That doesn't mean you have to accept everything we do. Or vice versa. Like you wouldn't accept everything a friend does, even if you love them.”

He nodded slowly. “It is a thought that is not new to me. Certainly some of my friends do things that I don't approve of. Or understand. And yet I would always do my best for them. I would rather die than betray them in any way.”

He looked at her over the rim of the cup and Ava reached out to put her hand on his.

“I know you wouldn't, Xark'ion. I know. I put my life in your hands, and you took care of my safety, even though I took a big risk. I'm not sure how right I was about how harmless the Solp were. I should have listened more to you, and I should have taken it much slower. But it's okay. We'll find that damn king if it's the last thing we do. Would you consider going on another mission with me?”

It was the first time he's smiled at her, and the sight of it made her heart skip a beat.

“I would be honored to. And now that I have analyzed the data from your shuttle, I have some idea about where to go.”

He took out a pad and showed her.

“That's it,” Ava said and bounced to her feet. “You found it. That's the damn 'citadel up high'. You're a genius. Oh, I have to kiss you.”

She leaned in and gave him a little peck on the cheek, putting her hand on his chest at the same time. The tequila was doing its thing, and she felt both happy and liberated. And horny.

She glanced at his crotch, where there was definitely some twitching going on. He was feeling the same thing.

He casually put a large hand on the small of her back and pulled her closer, watching her carefully, plainly testing how far he could go. And if it was up to Ava, he could go really far. As far as he wanted.

“Was that also an Earth ritual?”

“Of course. It's kalled 'kiss and make up'.”

“That sounds like the ultimate diplomatic move. Very sophisticated. I should learn it better. Perhaps demonstrate once more?”