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  "The Raiders had a sleeper in the Citadel group. She was most likely the one who sealed the trap door so that we couldn't get away." Neva busied herself with confirming trajectories and verifying local-activity scans.

  "So, how did you get away?"

  "My skewed instincts. You know how that goes." She shrugged and turned her face away from the man she had loved on sight. Denying herself entrance to the Sector Guard had physically pained her. Her heart had known that he was the one for her, but her instincts had told her that the timing was wrong.

  There was no reason to let him see the tears that tracked down her cheeks.

  Chapter Three

  Their little trio of ships parted for a moment while they jumped and rejoined formation in the Morganti system.

  The women had all recovered and were more than a little nervous at the banging and cursing coming from the hold. During the flight, Neva had divided her time between the women in the galley and taking a turn at the helm.

  The relief that she felt at the sight of the first and greatest of the Sector Guard Bases was hard to conceal. Rising next to Morganti base was a thick tower surrounded by vast gardens. The Citadel outpost was new and catered to folk who aspired to work with the Sector Guard in some capacity. The women in the back of the Arrow were a selection of those. Their training would consist of gathering enough support skills to be of use to the growing number of Guardsmen outposts. This journey to Yski had been a crash course that would probably add a certain bonus to their resumes. Her collection of Citadel staffers would never lack for occupation in some of the more dangerous locales. They had already proven that they would not panic under pressure and that was the greatest test that support staff could pass.

  "This is the Arrow out of Station 13 requesting landing permission for myself, Winder Corren, five Citadel apprentices and one prisoner." Archer flipped toggles and sent the signal to the beacon guarding the outer reaches of the atmosphere.

  A female voice came through the com. "Archer, didn't you go to retrieve six women and the winder?"

  "Yes, but apparently, there was a slight hiccough involving the Raiders and a sleeper agent. Winder Corren can explain it, I am sure." He sent Neva a grin and she stuck her tongue out at him.

  The surprise on his face made her blush and she quickly looked out at the view screen toward Morganti.

  "Fine. Land at the base and we will take your prisoner into custody."

  Neva leaned forward and spoke. "Actually, Relay, the prisoner falls under the auspices of the Citadel. She broke their rules and falls Citadel justice."

  "Good point, Neva. Glad to hear from you. Archer, a group from the Citadel will greet you on the tarmac and take custody of your prisoner. I am very happy to have you here, Neva."

  "It's nice to be here again, Allie." Neva grinned, delighted to be back near another Terran.

  "Are you planning to stay for a while?"

  Neva sent a warning glance toward Archer. "I don't know. I think I may need to find another post. Yski seems to be fairly bare at this time."

  "I will make reservations for dinner."

  Neva grinned, "Good, I am rather hungry."

  "See you on the ground." The connection went silent.

  Her smiled faded when she noticed that Archer kept darting glances at her. "What?"

  "I forgot that you two are the same species."

  Neva grinned. She had very little in common with Relay aside from their planet of origin, but with the amount of Terrans in the Alliance, it was enough of a similarity to draw them together as pseudo family.

  She didn't say anything else to him, merely kept the flow of location information up to date as they landed on the tarmac outside Morganti base.

  Relay was waiting with a team of Citadel specialists and her headpiece gleamed in the afternoon light. Her bodysuit was glittering and Neva noted the addition of a sleeveless, floor-length robe that flowed around her. She looked like life in the Sector Guard agreed with her.

  Sighing with relief, Neva unbuckled her harness and smiled at the women in the galley. "I am happy to say, welcome back to Morganti. The Citadel staffers are waiting to take you home."

  Laughing with relief, the women unbuckled and followed her through the hall and to the cargo area where Sterla was ominously silent.

  Neva pounded the crate with her fist, "Wake up, we are home. Time to put your shoes on."

  A slight stirring inside calmed the flare of worry that had plagued her. She didn't want to kill Sterla. She just wanted the Raiders to learn that it was not okay to put sleepers in with Citadel personnel.

  She left the box and continued outside to give Relay her hug.

  The Citadel staff rushed to help and comfort her charges, while their security force stalked into the Arrow.

  "She's in the crate and she's kind of mad. Take care."

  Relay laughed as Neva approached and reached out to give her a hug. "Neva, you have engaged in a little adventure."

  Neva hugged Allie back. "It couldn't be helped. You know me and my instincts. I really didn't have a choice."

  "Are you going to invite Archer along for lunch?" Relay put Neva's arm in hers and walked her toward a skimmer.

  "No, I think he has had enough of me for the day. He can find his own lunch and I really need a break."

  "Fair enough. Come on then." Allie hopped onto the skimmer, waited until Neva had arranged herself behind her and took off for the small boomtown that was slowly growing to support both the Sector Guard Base and the Citadel outpost.

  Neva finally relaxed. Her run through the forest and time in the cave had left her grubby, irritated and exhausted. This little trip for lunch was exactly what she needed.

  "How is Carella doing with uh…baby?"

  She could feel Allie's laugh more than hear it. "The family is doing fine. Helen is almost ready to settle down and try to have kids as well."

  "Really? I have never thought of Pilot as wanting to settle down."

  "She had to wait until Commander was ready. Now that he has recorded most of his matches, he can settle in and wait for the Guardsmen to come to him. Gant has been working to design them a house near the base that will double as a consulting office."

  She parked the skimmer and Neva dismounted, shaking her robes straight and double checking the reels at her waist out of reflex.

  Allie grinned. "You still keep those with you?"

  "They were the best present I ever got. I hope that Mala got my thank you gift." Neva followed the base commander into the dimness of the restaurant.

  "Ask her yourself. She headed out here the moment that you entered the system."

  Allie wasn't kidding. Mala waved them over and greeted Neva with a hug. "I hear that you have been having an exciting life as a weaver."

  "You have no idea. Who knew that warps and wefts would be so dangerous." She smiled and took a seat at the table, rinsing her hands in the bowl brought to her by the serving staff. A bit of blood pinked the water, but she ignored it as she dried her hands.

  "So, Mala, how are the babies?"

  "Becoming more than even their nanny can handle. You would not believe the number of times that they have gotten into my workshop and crafted their own toys." Mala sighed and Allie grinned.

  "Invisibility and Mala's talent are devastating combinations. Those two little girls are going to be dangerous when they grow up." Allie grinned, looked into the distance with her lids at half-mast and then focussed on them again. "They boys are going for lunch as well. I will leave it to you to invite them to join us or not."

  Neva was going to answer, but Mala grabbed her hands and quiet warmth spread through the hooks in her fingertips. "You really did a number on these things."

  "Yes, but I didn't ruin your workmanship, Mala. They did a wonderful job." When Mala released her, Neva flexed her hands and noted the lack of stiffness and the new translucent effect on the hooks. It had taken her weeks to get used to the altered appearance of her fingers, but now, they l
ooked more normal than they had before. "What did you do?"

  Mala grinned and tore a breadstick apart. "I have been doing a lot of work with stealth technology. Making your hooks less noticeable is an experiment."

  "You did a good job on the Arrow as well as Archer's suit. I didn't see him until he spoke."

  The menus were holographic displays built into the table, so Neva made her selections while they talked.

  "That is the first stealth suit that I have managed to stabilize. It helps that his power doesn't need to be contained. I was able to put all of the wiring directly into the suit." Mala was on her fourth breadstick and she grinned as she looked at Neva. "I tell you, the fittings were rough. Isabi didn't want to leave me alone with him. He is really pretty, isn't he?"

  Neva ignored Allie's amused and innocent look and merely nodded. "Yes, he is, and he knows it. That is something I keep in mind when I talk to him."

  Allie's eyebrows rose in surprise. "That explains a little too much. He gets really bent out of shape when you are mentioned. Well, according to Haunt anyway."

  Mala grinned and Neva blushed. "I didn't know I was being mentioned."

  "Oh, you are his least favourite topic of conversation, so Haunt brings you up quite often." Allie grinned and leaned aside to allow the server to place her lunch in front of her.

  Mala got her standard cart and Neva received the fresh fruit and salad that she had been craving.

  Silence fell as they ate and it was ten minutes into their meal that the males arrived. Mala raised one hand and the men took over another table.

  Neva inclined her head gratefully. "That is a good trick. How long did it take you to teach that to Isabi?"

  "Not long. He is much smarter than he looks." Mala's wink acknowledged that her husband could probably hear her.

  "Effin would like to check your scans again, by the way." Allie was working her way through the Morganti version of macaroni and cheese.

  "Great. The webbing that Mala installed is fairly comfortable. I don't think that there will be a problem. I can go right after our lunch if you like."

  Mala leaned back and kept nibbling at a portion of her food. "Nope. We are going for a few treatments at the new spa in town. It takes the kinks out of your muscles in no time. Even Allie has loosened up enough to let them give her a rub down. She can debrief you while you are getting a treatment."

  Neva's heart leapt at the thought of a spa day with friends. "When can we go?"

  Mala grinned. "As soon as you finish eating. Get cracking."

  They laughed for a moment and then dove into their meals with the finish line holding the prize.

  Chapter Four

  "Oh, that is good." Neva's groan elicited a chuckle from her masseuse.

  "You are exceptionally tense. What do you do?"

  "Weaver's guild. Lots of restricted movements." A harsh grunt came from her as the woman's four hands all took a position and bore down.

  Allie was getting a manicure across the room. The entire facility was restricted to females, so privacy was not at a premium.

  The debriefing started as Neva's shoulders finally loosened enough for her attendant to move down her spine.

  Relay fired off the first question. "Neva, describe the events that led you to bring the Citadel staff off Yski."

  A tendon shifted and she gasped but began her tale. "Well, I was organizing the class after breakfast and we heard the siren. I led my group back into the workshop and into the escape hatch in the floor.

  "When we had prepped the room above and secured the entry, we found the exit was glued shut. I bored a hole in the door, had the girls enter the escape tunnel and I sealed the entryway as best I could and we headed for the exterior door.

  "I blew the door open and we ran for the caves in the foothills where we waited for the inevitable arrival of the Sector Guard. Archer arrived, helped us to his ship and after we were airborne, Sterla exposed herself as a Raider sleeper agent.

  "I subdued her and restrained her in the cargo area, then checked on the other ladies making them comfortable before taking my shift at the helm."

  Every statement was punctuated with a grunt, but by the time she finished, she was sore but limp. Her attendant covered her and placed a warm blanket over her to keep her relaxed.

  Mala was on the other bench getting worked on by another lavender-skinned woman with four arms.

  Neva smiled and sighed happily, warm and relaxed. "Where did this spa come from?"

  "We have staff on loan from the Yosh Resort and Spa. One of your people wed a Drai that owns the planet and he offered us a few spa specialists in return for some work I did on his wife's implants. She is an organizational specialist and has jacks that needed some alteration. So, now, the Sector Guard has a private vacation spot as well as a rotation of spa staff." Mala sighed happily as her grinning specialist worked her muscles.

  When her massage was complete, she was wrapped in a fluffy robe and shepherded to a chair for a facial.

  Happy hours passed as she was pampered and polished.

  Relay asked a few questions and filed the report and by the time they were all relaxed and pretty, their clothing was cleaned and ready for them.

  Neva had to admit that the fashion sense in the Sector Guard was impressive. "More of Kahlia's designs?"

  Allie smiled and brushed at her robes. "Yes, she has a flare for matching the pattern to the Guardsman."

  Mala smiled. "Her designs are working their way into most of my work. I am even incorporating them into the ships."

  They chatted on their way back to the skimmers and soon were back to Morganti base, Neva holding onto Allie as they flew over the landscape.

  The men were socializing on the tarmac, Mabi and Isala with them.

  "Who is the nanny?"

  "Ecrihar, the brother of Razer and Flame. He left his family and joined us, but since his talent isn't fully developed, the position of nanny was offered to him and he took it." Allie was chuckling as they dismounted.

  The young Kozu warrior didn't look awkward or embarrassed when Mabi ran to the edge of the tarmac and returned with a flower for him. He leaned forward, took the flower and gave the little girl a soft pat on the head.

  His features were attentive and protective even while he spoke with Isabi, Effin and Archer.

  It came to Neva in that instant that she had no idea what Archer's true name was. She had only ever been introduced to him as Archer.

  The girls came running when their mom walked across the tarmac and the moment that they saw Neva, they changed direction, climbing her like she was a tree.

  "Hello, shorties. How are you today?"

  Little baby kisses fell on her cheeks. They spoke as one. "Did you bring us presents?"

  "No, sweeties. I was rescued by Archer from nasty men and he brought me here. I didn't have time to make presents, but if you let me put you down, I can arrange something."

  The girls dropped like pinecones and stood waiting with wide eyes. One dark, the other fair, but both with their mother's midnight rainbow hair, they stood and waited with a patience beyond their ages.

  Neva reached for her depleted reels and pulled off a section of thread to chain it into a strand as quickly as she could. Once she had enough of a chain, she shaped it into a heart, imbued it with the characteristics of gold and snapped it in half. The girls jerked as she broke the heart but waited. Neva made some chains for each of them, attached each one to half the heart and gave the necklaces to them. "There you go."

  "Pretty."

  Isala took both pendants in her hand and concentrated. The hearts shifted and soon they were made of glittering gems. The toddler had her mother's talent and it was both impressive and frightening.

  Their nanny came over. "Come on, Isala. If you are going to do that sort of thing, you have to have something to eat. Hello, Winder Neva."

  "Hello, Nanny Ecrihar."

  "Call me, Ecri. The girls talk about you frequently. You have made quite a
n impression on them." He bowed to her and his beaded braids clashed and chimed as he moved.

  She smiled at the young male and in a moment, Archer was at her side. "Neva, may I have a word with you?"

  "Of course. Please excuse me, Ecri." She inclined her head and he grinned at her, with a quick wink as Archer wrapped his arm around her to pull her off to one side.

  As soon as they were clear of the others, Archer turned to face her. "What are you doing?"

  "Um, I was being introduced to a new member of Morganti Base. What are you doing?"

  His painfully handsome features frowned and he opened his mouth three times before he managed to state, "I am trying to convince you that you are to be my partner."

  She assessed his expression and to her astonishment, she read jealousy. This beautiful man was jealous that she had been speaking to the nanny of two children that were near and dear to her heart.

  Coming to a decision, she crossed her arms over her chest. "Fine. Convince me."

  She wasn't expecting the kiss, but when he caught her in his arms and pressed his mouth to hers, she fought to free her trapped arms and pushed him away. "That isn't convincing. That is pressing your advantage."

  She separated them by a foot and took another step back. "Relay has invited me to stay for a few days while I wait for the Weaver's Guild to get me an assignment. You have three days to come up with an argument for me to join the Sector Guard."

  She turned on her heel and walked past the astonished watchers and into the base. The moment she was inside and out of their view, she started to run. She ran past support staff and directly to the guestroom that she had been assigned. The door lit up as she approached and she stumbled right into it, her hand scrabbling at the biometric scanner until it opened.

  Inside her room, she stumbled into the bathroom and splashed her face, trying to cool her heated skin. She drew in a deep breath and held it while her flushed cheeks and dilated pupils showed her a reflection of an aroused human who was hanging onto self-control by a thread.

  Giving in to his kiss would have been easy, but she didn't want to be easy. She wanted to be his partner and if she rolled over every time he crooked his finger, it would be fun, but it wouldn't be equal.