Katie wasn’t able to drag Zakota back to the Falcon 8 until he’d landed the damaged shuttle, used the other one to pick up Hierax, and spent ages talking with him about the necessary repairs. It wasn’t until Hierax’s two young engineering assistants had come over to help with the shuttle that Zakota had been willing to leave. The fact that he’d started wobbling while he stood may have helped convince him that checking into sickbay wasn’t a bad idea.

Halfway through the airlock tube, which had been reconnected so people could come and go between the fire falcon and the warship again, he wobbled once more, having to brace himself against it for a second.

Katie maneuvered herself under his arm and lifted it across her shoulders.

“I think I should lie down soon,” Zakota said, accepting her help, though he seemed reluctant to lean much of his weight on her.

“Exactly what I had in mind,” Katie said, wrapping her free arm around his waist. “An hour ago. When your nonexistent hair was trying to stand up.”

“I’m certain I assured you that I do have some hair.”

“Yes, I saw you checking on the three on your chest.”

“There are more than three,” he said as they walked into the cargo bay.

“Four?”

“A large, manly number of hairs.”

“Five, gotcha.”

Zakota shook his head. “I have no trouble believing you’re a pilot back on your home world.”

“Because of the deft flying I did today?”

“Because you’re a smartass, and I’ve yet to know a pilot who wasn’t.”

“You really know how to charm women, don’t you?” Katie patted him on the side to let him know she was joking.

She much preferred men who traded jokes with her to men who hit on her by saying stupid things about her hair or her eyes. She also liked men who had hard bodies under their uniforms, and from her current position, she could tell Zakota did. Not that there’d been much of a question from the lean lines of his face and the thick muscled forearms on display when his sleeves were rolled up. She wouldn’t mind seeing him with his shirt off, and hoped Dr. Tala included that in her exam. While Katie watched.

She still thought Zakota was weird, but he was also… she wasn’t sure. She couldn’t deny that her body responded to his touch, even inadvertent touches, and she felt hyperaware of the heat of his side against hers right now, of the appealing weight of his arm around her shoulders, of the masculine scent of him lingering in her nostrils. She imagined him pulling her into a ladder well, trapping her between the rungs and his body, and kissing her hard as he shoved his hands under her clothes to rub and caress her receptive flesh.

They turned sedately around a corner, and Katie blushed at her wayward mind. Clearly, it had been too long since she’d had sex, and she needed to blow off some steam.

But it wasn’t just the physical that she was starting to imagine with Zakota. Her insides had warmed when he’d said he would see what he could do in regard to her getting a chance at the helm on the Falcon 8’s bridge. Even before that, he’d been willing to take her over to the shuttle to run the simulator without demanding anything in return. She’d known guys who would have taken advantage of the situation and tried to finagle sex out of her in exchange for favors. But he wasn’t like that. He helped his family, and there was no question that he was honorable.

“Of course I don’t,” Zakota said after a thoughtful pause. “If I did, I wouldn’t need to carve talismans that are blessed by the god Qat to help attract women.”

“Are you carrying one of those talismans now?”

“No, I sold them all. These teeth are supposed to be lucky in battle.” Zakota pulled out the thong of pointy teeth that had fallen under his fatigue jacket. “They’re probably the reason I didn’t die when the helm exploded today.”

“Undoubtedly.” Katie glanced at his face. “Do you believe in that stuff? Gods? And blessings? I know you said your father was a shaman, but you seem like a modern space-going man, and…”

She shrugged. She didn’t want to insult him, but she’d gotten the impression from the rest of the men, at least the Dethocoleans, that most of them were atheists or agnostics and mostly mentioned their gods out of habit rather than because they were truly praying to them.

“I believe there’s more out there than men see or understand,” Zakota said, “and it’s easier for my sanity to believe someone is watching out for us as a species. And watching out for my family back home. When I left… Well, I need to believe that.”

“I see.”

So he did believe. She’d always been skeptical that anyone was watching out for her. But she vowed to be careful and not go out of her way to offend him or belittle his religion. Honestly, it wouldn’t have occurred to her to do so if he’d believed in God. Somehow the idea of multiple gods always seemed like something from mythology rather than anything real. But that was surely her cultural prejudice showing.

They reached sickbay, and the door slid open. Katie extricated herself from Zakota, though she wouldn’t have if they could have easily maneuvered through the doorway as a pair. Walking arm-in-arm—or arm-around-waist—with him had not been unpleasant.

Her ladder fantasy flashed into her mind again, and she snorted to herself. All right, it had been more than not unpleasant.

Voices greeted them as they entered sickbay, and she had to stop, lest she run into someone’s back.

Captain Sagitta. He turned, saw them, and stepped out of the way.

He didn’t appear injured, but maybe he had come down to check on those who were. The exam tables and beds were filled with men sitting or lying down. Dr. Tala and the medical robots were all working on patients.

“Maybe I should just lie down in my cabin,” Zakota said.

“No.” Katie gripped his arm. “You’re staying.”

Tala looked over at them.

“A console blew up in his face,” Katie said, “and he flew ten feet, and I think he was unconscious for a while.”

“A few seconds,” Zakota said, “that’s it.”

“Long enough for me to blow up the ship pestering us.”

“Which was a few seconds, right?” Zakota smiled at her.

“For you to blow it up?” Sagitta’s eyes narrowed as he looked at Katie.

Er. That was right. Zakota hadn’t gotten permission to take her over to the warship, show her the shuttle, or let her pilot the shuttle.

“Someone had to,” Katie said, “after Zakota was knocked out.”

She lifted her chin and tried to hold his eyes, but the captain had one of those if-you-spout-any-nonsense-I’ll-have-you-flogged kind of gazes, and it was hard not to squirm under it.

“She’s a pilot on her home world,” Zakota said, shifting to stand slightly in front of Katie and draw the captain’s attention away. “She’s been itching for a chance to fly a spaceship.”

“I am aware of that,” Sagitta said coolly. “This is not the time for flying lessons.”

“I just let her use the flight simulator on the Zi’i shuttle. And she did really good. She made it all the way to the end. And then she flew us over to the station smoothly—with me standing right beside her and watching, of course.” Zakota hesitated, and Katie wondered if he would mention the freighter and the unorthodox landing in the bay. “And then, she was there to take over when I got knocked out, just like she said. And she blew up the ship firing on us.”

Katie warmed under his defense, though if anything, Sagitta seemed to grow cooler. “Orion was on the shuttle. He’s a pilot. A trained and certified pilot.”

“Not trained on a Zi’i shuttle, sir,” Zakota said sturdily.

Katie was surprised he was standing up to his captain, though she wished she’d kept her trap shut so that he wouldn’t need to.

Would he be punished over this? She’d wanted to fly—she’d been dying to fly—but she hadn’t wanted to get him in trouble. She’d been selfish, she realized, not to think about that before. She should have considered that it would be a possibility when she’d gone behind the captain’s back to ask Zakota directly.

“An hour on a flight simulator hardly qualifies her as trained,” Sagitta said. “What if—”

“If you’re going to argue, do it somewhere else,” Tala snapped, not looking up from the nasty blistered burns she was patching on a man’s bared arm. “There are injured people here who need rest.”

Sagitta’s eyes flared briefly as he jerked his head around to look at her, and Katie shifted uneasily from foot to foot, afraid she’d be the reason for an argument between them as well as Zakota getting in trouble.

But Tala completely ignored his indignant look. After a second, the captain got his emotions under control—or he at least hid them better.

“Are you certified to fly?” Katie asked, trying to keep her tone innocent and curious rather than accusatory, though she would very much like to catch Sagitta being hypocritical.

“Yes,” he said, giving her a flat look.

Oops. She should have kept her mouth shut.

“See the doctor when she has time for you, Zakota,” Sagitta said, “but don’t dawdle. We’re leaving the system as soon as Hierax says both ships are fit for battle.”

“Battle, sir? Does that mean we’re sure the Zi’i are in Dethocolean space?”

“They’re there,” Sagitta said grimly. “I just got done questioning the prisoner. His people were paid to delay us. Several people were, apparently. He didn’t know anything about the freighter, but he was part of a two-person team. It sounds like whoever set the explosives in the shuttle bay got away. Station Security is looking for him now.”

“Station Security couldn’t find their dicks in the dark,” Zakota said.

Sagitta looked at Katie, then frowned at Zakota, as if to suggest such language wasn’t appropriate. As if Katie hadn’t heard much, much worse. Before she was eight.

“I know what dicks are,” Katie offered. “We have them on Earth too.”

Dr. Tala must have been between patients because she looked over as she washed her hands, smirking at Katie. Or maybe that smirk was for Sagitta. He did gaze back at her with a what-am-I-supposed-to-do-with-you-Gaian-women look.

“Any other useful intel, sir?” Zakota asked.

Sagitta’s lips thinned. “Not from the prisoner, but I talked to a contact on the station who confirmed that the Zi’i warships sailed through the Ios System. Nobody tried to stop them. The station dwellers held their collective breath as the fleet sailed past. And then something else came out of the far gate and passed them by, too, heading to Dethocoles. He said it looked like a disassembled station or something similar, the pieces small enough to fly through the gate. The caravan was escorted by four more warships.”

“A station? Are the Zi’i planning to set up camp in your system?”

Katie imagined a huge space station with weapons being built by the gate to shoot at anybody who came through, before they even knew what was going on.

“Our contact didn’t know. Apparently, nobody’s come out of the Dethocoles gate for a full day, which does not bode well for us. It’s usually a busy gate.”

Katie watched the men’s faces, the grim concern in both of their eyes. Was it possible it was too late to help?

“Zakota,” Sagitta said, “see to it that the remaining Gaian women are taken to the station before Hierax finishes up. We don’t need to worry about civilian casualties. This is not going to be an easy battle.”

“Er, all of the women?” Zakota glanced at Tala.

“All of them. Eridanus will have to finish here.”

“What?” Dr. Tala dropped her towel. “I thought I was your chief surgeon now.”

“You are.”

“You’re going into battle. People will be injured. Hell, people were injured here, floating outside a space station.” Tala flung an arm toward the wall, though sickbay was in the center of the ship, and there weren’t any portholes offering a view of the station.

“Injuries are likely,” Sagitta said, “but you’re not military. You’re not trained for—”

“That’s bullshit, and you know it.” Tala pointed a finger at his chest. “We’ve been through all kinds of stupid battles and craziness since I got here, and I’ve done a good job keeping your people alive. I know I have.”

“I’m not disputing that.” Sagitta looked around and saw all the people pretending not to watch the argument. “Your office,” he said tightly, and jerked his head toward it.

“Was that an order?” she asked as he strode toward the doorway. “Without a please or a thank you? You know how I feel about that.”

Without looking back, Sagitta disappeared into the office, the door sliding shut behind him.

Tala propped her fist on her waist, glared at the door, then looked at Katie. “How long do you think he’ll stay in there by himself if I don’t follow him in?”

“I don’t know him well enough to guess how much he enjoys his alone time,” Katie said.

Tala looked around the sickbay at the observers, sighed, and walked to the office.

Katie had the feeling she would have kept Sagitta waiting a lot longer if they had been alone. She probably hadn’t wanted to question his authority in front of his men. Though she looked like she might chew him a new one once they were behind closed doors.

“We could use a doctor if we’re going into battle,” Zakota said, rubbing his shaven head. Actually, it wasn’t quite so shaven anymore. It must have been a day or two since he’d had time to visit a razor, for black fuzz was growing.

“And an extra pilot,” Katie said.

“I understand his point of view. We’re all… We knew the risks when we signed on. We get paid to risk our lives. You women, you never asked to be here. If you were to be killed in our battle, he wouldn’t forgive himself. Neither would I.”

“Look, I know the deal. I was in the military once too. This is your battle, but wouldn’t my people be in danger if the Zi’i took over your system?”

“Possibly. At some future date. But they’re not going to take over our system.” His dark eyes blazed with conviction. “And after we defeat their furry asses, I’ll come back to the station, even if I have to cash in on all my leave, and I’ll give you piloting lessons on any ship you want.”

Katie sighed, but she had to admit that she couldn’t blame the captain for not wanting civilians on his ship as they went into battle. And if she was honest with herself, she might admit that the trained helmsmen on this ship were more experienced with their vessels and better prepared to fly them. It wasn’t as if those Zi’i shuttlecraft would be trotted out in combat. She’d been lucky they hadn’t been annihilated in that skirmish outside the station.

The door to Tala’s office opened. Katie expected one or both of its occupants to storm out in a huff.

Instead, she got a glimpse of Sagitta and Tala standing together, her leaning against his chest, and him resting his chin on her head. They broke the embrace, and Tala walked out with tears filming her eyes. She didn’t let them fall, however. She gave a couple of commands to the ship’s AI, who was currently communicating via one of the medical robots, then walked toward the exit where Katie and Zakota still stood.

“I need to get a couple of things,” Tala said, meeting their eyes, “and I’ll head over to the warship. I’ve never been to the shuttle bay, so I’ll need someone to give me directions.”

Zakota nodded. “We’ll be there to escort you.”

“Good.”

As Tala headed out the door, she and Sagitta shared long looks, and Katie was surprised to see a glint of moisture in his eyes too.

Then she was gone, and his face closed up, impossible to read.

“Make sure Orion and Miss Juanita are taken over too,” Sagitta told Zakota as he walked out.

“Yes, sir.”

Katie sighed again. Even though she reluctantly agreed with the logic of his decision, she wasn’t looking forward to twiddling her thumbs on the station while the Star Guardians went off to battle.