Lexin sat onboard his ship, the bugs his spies had planted on Preed's ship caught every word of their conversation. His mouth twisted in disgust.
"Sick." He mumbled, "Disgraceful that an Akrennian could ever love such a spiteful woman." He looked out the window and glared at the ship three down from him.
Voraag had been leaning against the wall picking his teeth with a metal pick. "So what if he loves a human?" He asked. "Won't interfere with our work, his feelings toward her don't matter."
The Akrennian abruptly stood and faced his spy, the Sleaker looked unimpressed. "Doesn't matter?" Lexin shouted. "He will be even more protective of her now. Who knows if he'll even let her off the ship?"
Voraag grinned, "He will. With a spirit like hers there is no way he could keep her locked up. Besides I've sent some men to ruffle his feathers in a manner of speaking." He laughed and pushed himself away from the wall. As he passed the Akrennian he patted him on the shoulder. "All will be well in the end. You'll have your woman by the end of the week."
His employer watched him closely. "Is that a promise Voraag?"
The Sleaker made his way to the door of the ship and then nodded, "Quite so Sir."
Voraag made his way to the port and walked among the humans. He felt slightly uncomfortable being the only Sleaker, and felt it even more out of place being the only alien being. Any other non-human was hidden from sight either in a ship or somewhere else. This drifter colony was impressive by his standards, not as run down as most of the others he had been to. He stopped and faced his target's ship, watching it closely for any movement within. When he noticed that other humans were watching him he continued on his way.
Preed watched a Sleaker fade slowly into the crowd of humans. How a Sleaker could even vanish into a crowd of humans was a mystery. He turned away and saw Gemini round the corner.
"What were you looking at Preed?" she asked.
He shook his head, "Nothing. Just watching the humans mill about like busy little bugs outside."
She shot him a chastising glance and looked out the window beside him, she didn't protest when he slid an arm around her waist and moved closer to her.
"Preed, I was wondering if I could visit my sister again. Its Christmas day and I would like to see her."
"Then we shall." Preed grinned and looked down at her. He loved the way her eyes lit up at his words.
Suddenly a knock on the door made his ears perk forward and he went to investigate. Korso stood on the other side of his door.
"Preed, thanks to this damn comet storm we'll be stuck here a whole week. I thought it'd be a good time to go over details about the run." He said.
Preed nodded and welcomed him in, "Yes, come in and we'll talk." As Korso walked in Gemini came around in her coat to leave with Preed. He looked back her, "Looks like we won't be going anywhere slave. Not today at least. Korso and I have business to attend to."
Gemini glared at the other human, "You again?"
He crossed his muscular arms, "A job has to be done Zardania. Where's your military spirit in responsibility?"
"Don't you dare tell me about military spirit! You asshole! If it wasn't for my God damned military spirit I would've evaced my family away from that fucking planet before they all died!" She raised her fists at the man standing across from her and as she spoke her voice rose and she stepped closer to him.
Preed had to intervene, "That will do Gemini," he said sternly.
She glared at Korso, who was looking at her with a vacant expression, and looked at Preed. "Can you re-adjust my collar and let me go on my own? I refuse to stand him!" She pointed at Korso.
"Don't worry kid." He taunted, "I aint too fond of you either. Trust me, listening to you nag and complain is the last thing I'd want to spend my time doing." He looked at Preed, "Yeah send her off on her own merry way huh Preed?"
Her master raised an eyebrow at the thought. He didn't like the Sleaker standing outside of his ship, watching them. But he had yet to see Lexin. And this was drifter colony, she would probably be safer here than anywhere else.
"Fine," he said, "Come here." She obediently walked forward to him and he messed with a dial on her collar. "There now you can go see her."
Gemini dipped her head at him and then bounded out the door and down the gangplank into the colony. Once she was gone Korso and Preed went to the bridge.
"Would you mind telling me what went on between you and Gemini?" Preed asked once they were seated at a table place on the bridge.
Korso sighed and scratched the back of his head. He rolled his eyes. "We went to the academy together and there was a lot of competiveness between us. She became a captain first out of the two of us and guess who was lucky enough to become her co-pilot?"
Preed grinned, "By any chance would it have been you?"
The human nodded, "Yeah. My ass got stuck with her and she loved it. Bitch." His remark made Preed's eye twitch, but the human didn't notice. "She just loved bossing me around and telling me what to do but it sure got on her nerves when I'd talk out against her in front of the crew. Being assigned as her co-pilot meant she couldn't dismiss me. She had to go to the Academy for that but they didn't do a damn thing." He laughed, "Damn did that piss her off. When our mission was over the Titan Project began. She wanted a position on the project so bad and I knew it. So I took advantage of it and we went head-to-head trying to get a spot on the Titan. I was friends with a leading mind on it, Sam Tucker. He was able to get me a spot." He laughed even harder. "Did that really get her goin."
Preed let him have his laugh at Gemini's expense.
"Anyways, in the end it didn't matter because Tucker took the Titan and disappeared. That's something else I wanted to talk to you about Preed." The human's laugh had disappeared from his eyes and was quickly replaced with a deadly look of complete seriousness.
"Are you saying that you want me to help you find the lost Titan?" Preed smiled slyly and his jaw trembled as he tried not to laugh. "You're crazy to think anyone could find it."
Korso shook his head, "Not the Titan. Sam's kid Cale. He was ten when the Drej blew up Earth he'd be about twelve or thirteen by now."
"And did you want my help in this before or after this run?" Preed asked.
"After of course. I'll need a year to lie low after the run and I suggest you do the same. After that I'll come back and we'll start lookin for the kid. If you'll help me that is."
"What's in it for me this time?"
"I'm still tryin to work that out." Korso grinned. "But that can wait. I'm here cos there are details I wanted to talk to you about getting these weapons to Delta 13. They're being blocked and we need to find a way onto the colony."
Preed nodded and they soon were deep in conversation about the run.