I woke up in the green waiting room chairs of Jennifer's clinic with one hell of a kink in my neck. Across the room, Karun, broody Dragon Prince, was sleeping soundly. The first sun was just starting to breach the western horizon. Going to the windows, I peeked out at the street.

“Ragal will have removed the bodies.” His voice was sleepy, and I felt more than heard the scratchy rumbling of it. I turned back, and he was staring at me, unblinking.

“Right.” I dazzled him with my wit.

“Do you wish me to escort you to your housing unit before our meeting with your superior?” As appealing as a soak in my refresher pod sounded, I knew this wasn't the time for vanity or relaxation.

“No, I'll just use the washroom and clean up quickly. We need to catch Sergeant Johnson before he leaves for morning rounds of the sector.” Despite the recent downturn in crime in the sector, the militia trained everyday and the Sergeant maintained the higher standards of readiness and preparation we had developed over the last few years.

“Agreed. Let us be swift about this.” He grimaced.

Walking back into the depths of the clinic, I felt his silver gaze on me and my body responded. If my hips swayed a little more than usual, that was no fault of mine.

* * *

After smoothing my hair back into a neat braid and using the clinic's bacterium ionizer on my very lovely morning breath, I poked my head into Jennifer's office to let her know we were heading out. Prince Zaruv was sleeping heavily on the couch and looking a little worse for the wear, so she motioned to meet me in the hall.

“You guys heading over to Lee's?” She yawned. Didn't she know that was contagious?

“Yep, dragon-boy seems thrilled about it too.”

“Dragon-boy, huh?” She grinned.

“Sorry, no disrespect.” I eyed her bunk buddy. “You guys do any sleeping back here?” I returned, earning a brief smile from Jen.

“It's complicated.”

“Ah, gotcha. Well, for what it's worth, I think you'd make beautiful little baby dragons,” I quipped. “Sorry, I'm an ass. Do you need anything before we head out?”

She pinched the bridge of her nose against an apparent headache. “I sent EE messages to my patients who were supposed to come in today. None of them were urgent, so the only person coming by will be Mikey.”

Mike Jones was a cute ten-year-old sprout who ran odd jobs around town to help out his family. His dad had been a member of my unit until he was killed in a pulsor fight with weapons smugglers. Like so many residents in and around the Outpost, the Jones family had seen their share of tragedy. All the more reason to get this Infernian mess under control.

“I've got some stuff I can put together in the kitchenette, so we'll all sit tight until you and Karun get back from seeing Lee.”

“Okay, we'll head over to the Hub. EE me if there is a sign of trouble again,” I added, referencing the electroencephalum chips that were the primary form of communication on Vaxivia.

EE chips only worked over relatively short distances, but they allowed us to condense a thought sequence into audiovisual clips that could be transferred from one chip wearer to another, so long as they were within the proscribed range. They were great except that you couldn't block another chipholder, and bad pickup lines and creeps who wanted to show off their 'hardware' or 'dick-clips' were an irritating nuisance.

* * *

We silently headed down the still cold road together, carefully scanning our surroundings. It had been at least six hours, and I wasn't sure how long alien demons took to regroup, but I didn't want to be caught off guard with just us two, especially since I hadn't charged my pulsor since the evening before.

I led Karun to my fugecraft, and after a quick DNA scan, the machine rumbled to life.

“Militia Hub is in the northwest quadrant,” I said as I hopped on. “On foot, it'll take us half the day or more. I suppose you could fly yourself, dragon boy, but as we approach the Hub, it'll trigger the defense systems.”

I glanced at him teasingly. His expression was determined and difficult to read. In the light of first dawn, his hair almost glowed against his mossy green skin, setting off the liquid silver of his eyes.

He stepped forward, and my heart rate jumped a little as he climbed on the seat, his thighs straddling my hips from behind and his hands on the grips of the console in front of me. Either Dragselians ran warmer than humans or my body was a little too aware of his, because the heat where our bodies met felt like it was going to melt my clothes right off.

His voice rolled warmly across my skin. “I prefer Karun.”

Not trusting myself to respond evenly, I hit the accelerator and took off toward the second dawn.

* * *

Half an hour later, we were nearing airspace over the Hub. I EEed passcode HAL-97 to the security blocker and we entered. We approached the small grey building, and a militia member opened a window for visual inspection. EE was disengaged while in the fortified magnetic fields of the Hub.

“Sergeant Andromeda Titania, level three, requesting permission for entry,” I said a little formally, mostly for the benefit of the man behind me.

“Hey! How's it?” Petty Officer Kang said, opening the passage. “You're not on the schedule today, Andie.”

“I know, but we need to see Johnson,” I said, following his eyes to Karun. “There was an attack last night in town. It's urgent.”

Kang stepped aside, granting us entry then quickly patting down Karun, who didn't seem to love the process.

Inside the Hub, we took an elevator down fifteen levels to the fortified underground levels housing the training facilities, munitions armory, and mess hall. Walking past offices, mostly empty at this hour, we reached a steel door that secured the leadership offices.

Kang spoke into a small microphone then breathed into the bio resonance scanner, and we passed through into an antechamber with Kang staying behind.

PFC Zach Hardin approached us, a big hulk of a guy I'd known forever. “Andromeda the lovely. What's up, hon?” he winked at me. He was an easygoing guy for whom flirting was like breathing.

He lifted his brows suggestively. “And who is the boy toy?”

Karun stiffened and I quickly cut in, “He's the victim of a coordinated attack last night outside the Free Clinic. I need to see Johnson ASAP. TriScurra was involved.”

“Well shit. I'll be right back—wait here,” he said as he hurried down the hall to another chamber.

I looked back at Karun. “We're a little casual here, sorry. Being out here, we don't interact with dignitaries much, but this is our home and we do what needs to be done to keep it safe.”

“An honorable sentiment,” he said, and then gestured to where Zach had gone. “You are very familiar with him?” he asked, shifting uneasily.

“Zach?” I laughed at the suggestive implication. “Yeah, we're like family. We're not exactly on Enceladus here. Everyone knows everyone. Most folks keep to themselves to some extent, given how many of them have skeletons in their closet. Still, Vaxivia can be a rough place if you don't have friends. It pays to know your neighbors here.”

Zach called to us from down the hall, “Johnson's ready for you!”

We walked into Master Sergeant Lee Johnson's office and Zach closed the door. Johnson was a big, somewhat brutal looking man with dark hair and darker features.

“Master Sergeant, thanks for seeing us. Allow me to introduce Dragselian Prince Karun,” I said as Karun bowed deeply.

“Dragselian?” Johnson asked, looking more than a little surprised. “I'm very familiar with your culture, but I don't understand. What are you doing here, on Vaxivia? And what does this have to do with the TriScurra attack last night?”

“Actually, it was more of an Infernian attack. The TriScurra were there as hired henchmen,” Karun supplied.

Johnson's face hardened and intensified. “Infernians? Start from the beginning and tell me everything.”

Fifteen minutes later, Johnson and Hardin were up to speed.

Johnson had settled into a high-backed swivel chair behind his steel desk. “Hardin, send out an EE to everyone in the valley. We have three Infernian demons. Folks need to be advised that they can change form and blend in, they are armed, and they are highly dangerous. No one is to engage. They are to EE the Hub immediately. Additionally, call in all reserves ASAP. This is Code One. I want patrols covering the sector day and night.”

Zach hurried out of the room, and Johnson stood, pacing. “I know from personal history how dangerous Infernians can be, and I'm not foolish enough to think you or I can handle this threat alone. What is your plan and how can we help?”

“I appreciate your willingness to assist us, as will my brothers, Master Sergeant.” Karun's bearing was impossibly regal. He stood so correctly and so impossibly collected.

“When we crashed, my brothers and I were separated from our space vessel. Our primary objective right now is to find it. On board, we have weapons technology that would make putting down these Infernians far easier.

“However, two of my brothers are injured. If I were in their position, this is would be the time to strike again, hard. Thanks to the swift actions of Sergeant Titania,” he said, his eyes lingering on me a moment longer than I expected, “we were victorious last night, but just barely.”

Johnson turned to me and brusquely nodded. “Good work, Andie. Orion would be proud.” The mention of my brother hit me like a hard punch in the gut. Swallowing, I just nodded and turned away.

“I'd like to help you, Prince Karun, but I also need my men out patrolling in case the Infernians try to attack any of our people.”

“Master Sergeant, I'd like to request permission to act as a security liaison to Prince Karun and his brothers. I've already fought beside them. I'm a part of it now, and I'd like to see this through,” I added, avoiding Karun's eyes.

“Permission granted. Thank you for volunteering, Andie. Not a lot of people would choose to face an Infernian twice.” After a moment of pensive silence, he turned back to Karun. “So here is what I can do . . .”

In addition to the armaments, Johnson was sending Hardin back with us to meet with Zaruv and the others to work on formulating battle strategies for another attack.

Hardin returned, and Johnson briefed him on the plan. Both Johnson and Karun seemed satisfied with these next steps. Leaving Johnson's office, Hardin escorted Karun to the armory where we picked up the pulsors and electron charges Johnson had promised.

As we reached my fugecraft again and Hardin prepared to follow us on his hovercraft, Karun turned back to me, his expression serious.

“I have not been myself of late, but please know that . . .” He paused, searching for the words. “I appreciate your assistance. You don't know me or my brothers, and yet you have put yourself on the line.”

“It's what I do. I'm crazy, I guess,” I said, joking and moving to get back on the vehicle.

He caught me by the arm and turned me back to face him, his grip bringing my senses to life. “Thank you.”

For a moment, both of us were frozen by the electricity between us. His hand slid down my arm, slowly, so exquisitely slowly. My eyes dropped to the firm, inviting lines of his lips. Instinctively, I licked my own.

“Hey, get it on later, you two!” Hardin joked as he flew past us in the direction of Jennifer's clinic.

Flustered, we both shook off the moment.

Trying to ease the awkwardness, I climbed back on the fugecraft and teased, “Come on, dragon-boy. This time, you get to drive. That is, if you know how.”

Smiling slightly, he took the front position. “I have been told my skills are not insubstantial.”

Heart racing, I held tight against his broad, muscular form as we sped away.