The conversation dragged on until his head hurt, and Haze thought he would rather burrow a spoon through the middle of his own head. Haze felt his patience, already threatened by lack of sleep, eek away until there was none left.

Haze leaned forward and tapped the table for emphasis. “You all need to stop being wusses. Start being men.”

That shut them up. They turned to stare at him.

Fyn’s mouth started flapping before he could make the sound come out. …As it so often did.

“We go back,” Haze continued, before the First Officer could start in. “End of story.”

“Haze,” the captain warned.

“Sorry, cap’n.” Haze ducked his head in acknowledgement, almost meaning it. Captain Vren was one of the few people Haze could honestly respect taking orders from. Not that he followed them completely, but more closely than he did other people’s nonsense.

“You know it’s true though. I didn’t come on this mission to sit scared at some frasken rock with no goods in it.” He felt the frustration seep out of him. “It’s breaking my back for no payoff.”

The captain leaned back. “Haze, it’s not that simple.”

“It is.” He hazarded a guess: “Even Molly knows it is. Seban, you know it.” Oz wouldn’t make eye contact, just stared at his mate, which tweaked Haze even more.

“Oz, just ‘cause you’re getting some doesn’t mean we don’t still have a mission.”

Oz stood up, his fists clenched.

“Let’s go, little man,” Haze said.

“Haze, that’s enough.” The captain’s irritation was plain. “The next step is writing you up.”

“Sir.”

Haze had said his piece anyway. The captain would make the right call. Everyone except Oz must know it was inevitable.

“Xain and Fyn?” the captain asked.

Fyn looked at Haze with open dislike and shook his head no.

Xain nodded though. “Sorry, man,” Xain said to Oz. Dissension in the ranks.

“I get a vote though too, right?” Molly asked. “Since I’m here as well.”

The captain turned to look at her. “It’s not really a vote, traditionally, but it does help to know where everyone stands.”

“I think you should go.” Molly turned to Oz. “Your people need the mineral.” She reached up to grab Oz’s hand where it was resting on her chair.

Oz’s tail thwacked his chair in annoyance.

Someone was going to get punished tonight, Haze thought with a grin.

The captain nodded his head. “Thank you, Molly. Seban?”

“Yours,” he said, refusing to cast his weight to either side.

Haze grunted. Figures.

“Good, let’s adjourn for now. I think we’ve talked this out as much as we can. It’s a risk to thwart the Mahdfel directives and head back toward Suhlik territory when we know it’s now in their hunting grounds. I’ll let you know my decision at 08:00 tonight.”

Haze’s wrist started beeping then: loud, annoying, and commanding.

He held it up confused. “Oz, what have you done to the comm?”

“Huh.” Oz stared at the beeping bracelet for a moment more. “Captain, I think Haze, here, has been matched.”

Haze cocked his head to the side. “What now? I thought we took care of that…?” Weren’t they supposed to be on the exemption list due to their highly secretive mining operations which potentially involved dangerous, covert excursions to Suhlik-bordering areas of space?

The captain glanced at his first officer, Fyn. “Unfortunately, talks have stalled out on that one, so yes, it’s possible.”

Fyn’s dad was on the Vargys council and wanted some grand-spawn to continue his part of the Mahdfel line. Therefore, the old man was continuing to ignore the crew’s requests to keep women off the ship.

Haze felt a deep chuckle come out until he was guffawing. “Time to get me some.”

Suddenly, the little human female was scrambling up beside her mate. “No, no, no,” Molly objected. “There’s no way you can let Haze go meet her.” She waved her hand at Haze like a bitty bird.

Seban broke in at the same time. “Captain, I think perhaps Haze would not be the most diplomatic choice to…”

In these situations, it was best to act. Besides, the noise from his band was growing annoying. Haze stood up to head toward the teleport. “I’ll be…”

“Haze, wait a moment,” the captain broke in. “It’s off to The Pit for you. We need more level-heads to speak to the girl when she first arrives. I’m sure she’ll be frightened and out of sorts.”

“But Oz got to meet his woman,” Haze protested.

“As the captain said,” Fyn interrupted. “Level heads.”

“Well, that’s not—”

“Oz, Xain, why don’t you keep Haze occupied in The Pit, while Seban and Molly go say hello to our guest.”

Xain stood up next to Oz. “Fyn, you’ll need to release the hold and send them the code.”

“Got it.”

Haze let himself be corralled to The Pit. He felt himself get hard just thinking about what might be whisking it’s way to him now and adjusted his pants. Looks like there’d be moans coming from his quarters soon and not just of the self-induced type.

“Who’s first?” he asked once they’d reached The Pit. A little distraction wouldn’t hurt. It’s not like it took much to take these ones down.

In response, both men took their stances.

Haze flared his eyes and bared his teeth. It would be a battle then. Bring it.

Both men launched at him at once. Time slowed down as Haze lost himself to the fight.

His mind roared. They would be wiping vanquished pieces from the floor for months to come.