CHAPTER ELEVEN
Mia clenched her fists in victory. "Starry!"
"How are the other teams doing?" Arek asked, lifting his head.
"Hmm," the AI said. "I am not at liberty to divulge that information, sorry."
Mia's eyes met Arek's in mutual irritation.
"Also," Deuce said, "It is nearly time for your second interviews. Who would like to go first?"
Wait, holovid cameras, now? Mia shot out of her chair. "You can be first."
"Thanks," Arek said dryly.
"No problem." Mia hurried into her sleep cubby and shut the hatch behind her. She might have to wear this flight suit—black was so not her color—but she could at least apply some cosmetics and fix her hair a bit.
Arek faced the Egglantian reporter in the holovid, ignoring the tiny holocams hovering before him. They'd placed him in the captain's chair, with the controls and the windshield behind him. The reporter simpered at him from the holovid, batting her ridiculous lashes as if flirting with him in a bar. He gave her nothing in return, waiting expressionlessly.
"Greetings, Prince D'Arek," the Egg crooned. "Captain of Team Starry Night."
"Greetings," Arek returned.
"As all of our audience know, prince, you are waiting for the report of today's challenge, and how your competitors fared."
"Yes."
"Well...," the female said coyly. "It is a good thing you are a military man, and used to such tragic news. Today, the Race lost two more teams. Of course, that is less competition for you..."
"On the contrary," he said. "I am very sorry to hear of the loss of beings who assumed they were in a light-hearted civilian competition, and instead found themselves in a battle for their lives."
"Indeed," the reporter said, with a moue of sympathy as false as the cosmetics applied to her pale lavender visage. "Such tragedy. Which you and your teammate narrowly escaped yourselves, true? We all know of the rampaging beast you faced on Am-ghyr. As a commander of warriors, was it terrifying for you, or just another day on the battlefield?"
Arek gave her a look he usually reserved for enemies who dared to taunt him before battle. "When I lead my warriors into battle, I ascertain they are well-trained and armed to face any foe. It is difficult to draw a comparison between that and sending civilians against 'rampaging beasts' armed only with small lasers and faulty intel."
And the Octiron directors could do with that piece of honesty what they wished.
The Egglantian widened her beady eyes theatrically. "Why, Prince, it seems your... hostility has only deepened in the course of the Race. Tell us, does this have anything to do with your race teammate? In your first interview, you were not happy to be paired with a Tygean."
And here, on a platter was his chance to repair the damage he'd done in that first interview. Of course, he hadn't known then why he was really here, but now that he did...time to execute damage control.
"You're correct. I was initially unhappy with my assigned teammate," Arek said. "However, as a military man, I've learned that dangerous situations reveal a being's true character. In the first challenge, my teammate, although a civilian, showed courage and tenacity, far beyond what I expected. She has earned my deepest respect."
He looked to the hovering holocams. "I also wish to take this opportunity to extend my sincere apologies to the Tygean people for my thoughtless remarks about their character. One would think that as an Aurelian, I would be wary of judging a people by rumor. I won't do so again."
The reporter eyed him speculatively. "Hmm, it seems your teammate has indeed had an impact on you, Prince. Perhaps you'll share more about your new closeness? How did the two of you celebrate your miraculous win today?"
Arek raised his brows at her. "We had an ale together, to celebrate our safe return to our ship. Is that what you had in mind?"
Not that there was much to share, other than his strong wish to haul the little Tygress into his arms and kiss her until she purred... and let him do much, much more to her lithe, sweet body. But if this reporter thought he was going to share his private urges with her and the inter-galactic audience, she was rezzed.
Satisfied that she looked her best possible, Mia moved to open the cubby. The hatch did not budge. Mia tugged at the handles, alarm rising.
"Deuce," she said. "Deuce! I'm shut in here. Let me out."
"Sorry, Tygress, no can do. The interviews are confidential, you know."
With a sigh, she sank onto the edge of the narrow airbed. "Com, bring up current audiobook." But other than a crackle of white noise in her ear, nothing happened.
"Deuce!" her voice was frankly a whine, but she did not care. Whenever life came at her with claws out, Mia could always lose herself at least for a time in a good story. She had just begun a romantic suspense by her favorite author, and the hero had just become aware that he was being stalked by a female assassin—one he'd believed long dead. If she had to sit in this tiny cubby by herself, she should at least be able to enjoy a story.
"Sorry, Tygress," the AI said again. "Your com data feed has been pre-empted by Octiron."
"What?" Ice trailed down her neck. "They've preempted my data? That's..." that was illegal, she was fairly certain.
"Hmm. Do you wish me to take your remarks to the Race administration?"
"Yes, I do," she snapped. "And I'll have something to say to the authorities, as well."
Although which authorities that might be, she wasn't sure, not here in Paragon Galaxy. She was certain, however, that a new fear had joined the one that Octiron clearly deemed appropriate a level of violence that Mia had not expected. Now it seemed they were isolating the Race contestants in every possible way.
Unless she could send a message during her Race interview. One that audiences back in her galaxy would see. And her parents, and Tryon.
Then she thought about her mother seeing such a message, and worrying about her daughter, millions of miles away and out of reach. Mia winced. No, she would wait and see what happened.
At the first chance, she would share with Arek that their own comlink feeds were blocked. She trusted him more than she did Octiron. After all, earlier today on Am-Ghyr, Octiron hadn't cared if she lived or died, but Arek had. He'd kept his head, and he'd saved both himself and her from death by trampling or a fall into that canyon.
In fact, she owed him more than the half-hearted words she'd given him earlier. She owed him a huge, heart-felt thanks. And she'd given him that, as soon as that idiot AI let her out of this sleep cubby.
Popping off the bed, she took the two steps to the hatch and pounded on it with her fist, several times.
The hatch flew open to reveal her partner facing her with a familiar look on his face. The one that said she had once again made him wonder about her mental acuity.
Mia flushed. "I was locked in."
He looked to the hatch, and back to her. "You sure?"
"Uh, yes, I'm sure. Ask Deuce."
"Captain, if you'll proceed to your cubby," the AI said as if on cue, "It is time for your team-mate's confidential interview."
"See? They'll lock you in too," she hissed.
Arek face hardened, and he gave Mia an indecipherable look. Then he sauntered toward her, slowly, passing so close he brushed against her. "Call if you need me. And stay cool, Tygress."
Mia looked after him as he disappeared into his sleep cubby. The hatch slid shut after him. What had he meant by his remark? What horrible news or questions were waiting for her? And further, how would he get out even if she did call for him? Unless he had some kind of psi powers he had not divulged. And she didn't think he was part Indigon—she always got a sort of feeling around the intuit-empathic beings with deep blue eyes. A part of her Tyger senses.
"Ms Jag?" Deuce said. "If you'll proceed to your navigation station, we'll begin your interview."
Mia faced the holocam, sitting up with her shoulders back, chin high, her face as blank as she could manage. Ready, she hoped, for anything.
As the holovid sprang up of the Egglantian reporter in the Octiron studio, Mia's shoulders tightened further as she saw the way the Egg was smirking.
"Greetings, Mia Jag, Team Starry Night," the reporter crooned.
Mia nodded, smiling at the holocams.
The reporter poised herself, reminding Mia of a rotund little felinoid about to spring at her prey. "I'm afraid we have some bad news to share. Two of the other teams did not make it through the first challenge. What is your reaction to that? Please share with our viewers."
Oh, no. Oh, goddess. No wonder Arek had been concerned about her reaction to the interview. Mia closed her eyes hard, struggling to draw in a breath and let it out again. But her breath caught, and tears pressed sharply at the back of her eyes. She pressed two fingers to her quivering lips, looking to the reporters and then the cameras.
"I...I can't—" she began. She swallowed hard and blinked. "It's horrible! Tragic—I'm so very sorry for them. Which teams?"
"Teams StarDust and SunSpot."
Mia shook her head, unable to remember which beings had been on the two teams. The holocams hovered before her. She wanted to spring from her chair and claw them from the air. They were like 'squitoes in a Pangaean rainforest, greedy to feed—only instead of blood, they wanted tears.
She took a shaky breath and looked to the reporter. "The loss of these contestants is a terrible tragedy, not only for their families, but for all of us in the Race. Will Octiron be calling off the Race now?"
The Egglantian's gaze sharpened. "Call off the race? And why should they do that?"
Mia stared at her. "Why? Because three teams, which means six beings altogether, have died!"
The Egg tipped her head. "Yes, this is very sad. Very sad. However, the Great Space Race is an enormous endeavor, one which involves many, many beings. Surely you would not wish to endanger the livelihoods of all the supporting staff?"
Oh, well done, Mia thought sardonically. How was she to answer no, without looking like a total bitch?
"Of course not," she said somberly. "And since Octiron is so concerned about their employees, I'm sure they will also look after the contestants' bereaved, who've lost their loved ones, possibly even their providers, won't they?"
The Egg hmmed and gave Mia a sugary sweet smile. "I'm sure they will. Now let's talk about your own challenge. Hardly the 'mouse' you were expecting, correct, Tygress?"
Mia raised a brow in gesture she'd seen her mother use on rude acquaintances. "No, but then, the creature wasn't expecting to die, either. Such a shame to see a wild beast perish unnecessarily... just for sport." At least, she was fairly certain none of the locals would miss it, but there were bound to be some wildlife lovers in the vast viewing audience.
"And tell us, how are you getting along with your teammate? I'm sure I don't need to remind viewers that your initial opinion of the prince was not very complimentary."
At least Mia was prepared in part for this question. She'd watched enough seasons of reality shows to know that cat-fights among teammates made great holovision. And she couldn't control what Arek said about her, but she could rise above her own, earlier snark.
"I did have a somewhat negative opinion of my team-mate when we met," she admitted. "But I always find it amazing how our impressions change once we truly get to know another being."
"So you have gotten to know your teammate better?" the interviewer asked, smirking coyly. "How much better, exactly?"
Mia's fingertips prickled, and she rubbed them gently on the top of her thighs. "Better in the sense that when one has faced danger, and been saved from it by another being, one learns what that other being is capable of. Courage, honor, ingenuity. That kind of thing."
Raising her brows delicately, she stared at the other female.
The Egg, however, had an extremely thick shell. "So you feel great gratitude for Prince A'Renoq, hmm? I'm sure we'd all like to know how you showed this gratitude."
Mia smiled as the Egg rolled right into her paws. "You know, I truly haven't done so yet. So let me take this opportunity, if I may." She looked into the hovering holocams, and smiled. "Commander A'Renoq, I know you won't see this for several days. But today, you saved my life. And you did it in a way that demonstrated that for you, it was simply what you do, as an officer and a member of your people's military. So today, you earned my respect, and my gratitude for using your courage and skills to help us both survive a deadly situation. Thank you."
Then she lifted her hand and gracefully flipped her hair back over one shoulder, and sat back with the air of a woman who had said the most important thing she had to say, and the rest would be somewhat inconsequential.
Fortunately, the reporter seemed to agree. She asked a few more questions about Mia's hopes for the remainder of the race and what she would do if she won. Mia replied that she most wanted to stay alive and if she won, she would donate a large portion of the proceeds to charity.
As soon as the hololink broke, Mia rose, her jaw set. "Commander A'Renoq?" she called. "My interview is finished, if you'd like to join me in the cabin."
Arek's cubby hatch immediately slid open, and he appeared in the opening. So either he had avoided being locked in, or Deuce had let him out.
But instead of coming out, he tipped his head and stepped back inside the small room. Mia didn't hesitate, but went to him. Slipping past him into his cubby, she waited only until the hatch had closed before opening her mouth to speak.
He raised his hand, a finger to her lips, his skin warm and calloused. She stilled, watching as he lifted a small device in his free hand. He pressed a button and the air filled with a strange, low hum. He lifted his hand away from her face, and Mia's lips felt strangely bereft.
"What is that?" she asked, her voice hushed.
"A scrambler. If they attempt to listen in, they'll hear only white noise."
"Octiron," she breathed, and he nodded.
"They locked me in," she told him. "And they've blocked my data feed. I couldn't even read an audiobook. That's just—it's wrong!"
He nodded, his gaze hard as green fireglass. "I agree. Listen, we can't stay in here too long, Deuce can over-ride the locks. Just... stay alert. This whole thing is much deeper and darker than any of the contestants were led to believe. Two other teams perished today."
"I know. The reporter told me on camera—for the effect, I'm certain. I wonder how they died?"
"I don't know. But nearly all the other contestants are civilians, like you. If their challenges were as dangerous as ours..." he shook his head.
"You're right—and that means we may lose more teams," she said. "Especially if the next challenges are as dangerous as this one was." She shuddered.
Arek took her shoulders in his hands. "Mia—do you want out?"
She stared up at him. "What do you mean—out of the Race? How could we even do that? We can't link our people, and goddess only knows what the law enforcement is in this galaxy."
"Do not breathe a word out of this room, but I have... a method of communicating with my people. If you wish, we can get you to safety, and I'll carry on."
She opened her mouth and then closed it. "I don't know what to say. If you'd asked me a few hours ago, I would've said, of course I want out. But now... I'm so angry at Octiron, and I—I want to get the better of them, if it's the last thing I do."
He gave her shoulders a squeeze, and smiled down at her, his gaze warm in a way that made her insides melt into goo. She also wanted to stay, and fight by his side for triumph over Octiron and over circumstances.
"Somehow I thought you'd say that. Mia, I'm a warrior. And unlike you, the others in this Race aren't fierce little cats with more courage than some warriors I've known. You and I will get through this."
She smiled back, because what female wouldn't? But her smile faded as she remembered her terror, and how he'd been forced to take charge. "But, Arek, are you sure? You don't mind having me for a partner?"
He gave her a look. "I answered that earlier, Tygress. You and I are a team."
"We're a team," she repeated. And when his gaze dropped to her lips, they parted, and she leaned forward into his grasp, the melting feeling intensifying into prickles of sheer breathless need.