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  "Yeah, Ecros is a good match for you. I'll tell you, it took some doing for him to convince Doc to put the implants in his brain to lock him in his feline form. It took even more for Alzor and Moira to sell him on the station above Endin. Might's wife, Echo in Time, saw what would be needed for Ecros to meet you in the optimal situation. Out of all of the scenarios she envisioned, this was by far the best and least bloody."

  Ashlin started laughing. "He set himself up to be murdered in the most horrific manner…to meet a woman?"

  "Not just any woman. The Kalorda are even fussier about mates than the standard Guardsman. He had to find a woman who matched him and if not, you would still save him and help him get back to the Guardian Echo."

  With her boots in place and a surprisingly good fit, she stood and walked over to rummage in the lav. She returned to Kaylee's side and sat as she brushed out her hair.

  "So, what you are telling me was that the whole rescue event was an audition not only for the Sector Guard but also for a position as Ecros's mate."

  "Pretty much."

  "That he had his brain spiked with electrodes and trusted me to remove them, all to start a courtship?"

  "Exactly."

  "He isn't ugly, quite the opposite. Why does he need to trap a mate?" She was genuinely perplexed by it.

  Kaylee rubbed the back of her neck. "He didn't need to trap one, but Kalorda men like women with a bit of fight in them. That includes women who can rescue a beast in need."

  Ashlin started to pursue that line of questioning, but her stomach rumbled alarmingly.

  "And that is our cue to get going. We will be lucky if they don't throttle us." Kaylee didn't look concerned as she got to her feet and led the way through the station to the dining hall.

  Dirven and Ecros were sitting at a table and rose as the ladies approached. "Welcome back. We were afraid you had gotten lost."

  Kaylee kissed Dirven in a most detailed manner and leaned back. "Wherever I go, I come back to you."

  "That's sweet, but you are still getting your own meal." Dirven turned her toward the buffet area and smacked her on the butt.

  "Insubordination to a superior officer. Failure to feed your wife…you are really racking up the negative points today." With a jerk of her head, the base commander escorted Ashlin to the food.

  Loading up took a while as Kaylee insisted on introducing her to every staff member. She smiled brightly and nodded while trying to remember the names of everyone she met.

  She returned to the table where Ecros waited and kept her smile screwed on her face. "That was fun. I am pretty sure that the female dispensing salad is from a race that used to eat Endins." She kept her smile on and the men and Kaylee laughed at her.

  Dirven inclined his head. "In the past, a few centuries back, the Groth may have eaten Endins but not since they suffered a massive bout of parasites and were forced to become vegetarians."

  "Ah, that sets my mind at ease. She seemed so nice otherwise." She dug into her dessert and then proceeded with her meal.

  Dirven laughed. "Do you always eat dessert first?"

  She waved lettuce from her salad on her fork. "I have been called out to hunt more missing children and livestock than I care to remember and it always happens at mealtimes. A lot of missed desserts happened with those rescues and I made up my mind years ago that I will never miss dessert again."

  Ecros looked at her as if she had just spoken the most profound words he had ever heard. Immediately, he grabbed his dessert and tucked in with a muttered, "I know a good idea when I hear it."

  Dirven and Kaylee laughed and grabbed their own desserts.

  They were sharing tales of the best desserts they ever had when two Guardsmen that she hadn't met entered the dining hall. Kaylee raised her arm and waved them over.

  Both the man and woman had the most startling, glowing eyes that Ashlin had ever seen and without a doubt, she knew she was in the presence of avatars.

  Chapter Six

  "Zenina-Balen, Rolland-Saru, this is our newest recruit, Ashlin also known as Hunter. She will be requesting a position on Balen Base when the facility is ready." Kaylee grinned as she made the introductions.

  "Pleased to meet you." She inclined her head and both glowing gazes focussed on her. She had the feeling that they were taking her measure, but their smiles were friendly.

  "We are glad to meet you. May we join you?"

  No one else answered, so Ashlin said, "Of course. Please."

  They grinned and got their food with economical movements.

  Ecros leaned in. "The etiquette is that when their eyes are glowing, they are greeted by both names and when not, simply their first names. The last name for each is the name of the celestial body that they host."

  "Thank you. I was wondering. I have heard the name Balen before but was unsure in how the planet could speak to anyone."

  Zenina-Balen sat next to her and smiled. "We get that question a lot from those who haven't dealt with a sentient planet before."

  "No avatars have ever set foot on Endin."

  The avatar smiled. "Not all planets have a mind within them. Just as not all planets have sentient species. It takes a special mind to take on a planet. Not all races have even one candidate suitable."

  Zenina-Balen ate her meal and they had a polite conversation about the base location down on the planet's surface.

  Rolland-Saru was the newer avatar. He had a charming smile behind his glowing eyes.

  "Pardon my rudeness, but what is Saru?"

  "The star that heats this system. Zenina is the product of the previous planet's avatar and that of my star. They lived, they loved, she died and Olaris is now working on Balen's surface to help with the preparations for the base."

  "So, the star shifted from one avatar to the next?"

  "Of course. We measure our lives in millions of years or more. We cannot die when our avatars die, but we mourn them and go on. Balen mourned for years before Zenina was born. Olaris and Saru kept the baby safe until she could survive off the station she was born on and they sent her to Balen to grow into her own."

  Zenina's eyes had faded to a normal shade. "And here I am. Call me Zen, Ashlin."

  "Zen then. Pleased to meet you." She extended her hand in greeting and the moment that the avatar made contact, her hand transformed into glossy midnight with stars under the skin. "Oh darn."

  Zenina looked down at the hand that released hers and blinked. "What was that?"

  "I am guessing you and your husband have larger-than-normal quantities of radiation."

  "We do, but it is all passive."

  "Apparently, enough to set off my talent. Don't worry, it will fade soon." Ashlin noticed a lot of folk in the dining hall turning to stare, so she took a deep breath and concentrated on shifting her body into its hunting configuration, sans tail.

  When her hand turned soft gold with long claws, she grinned. "It worked. Nice."

  Dirven and Ecros were watching her raptly, but Kaylee just smiled and kept eating.

  When dinner was over and Zenina got Ashlin's promise to see the surface as soon as she was able, the newest Sector Guard recruit was exhausted.

  She bid everyone good night and followed her own scent back to her rooms. Ecros had offered to accompany her, but she had not wanted him to stop his conversation with Rolland.

  Bone-deep exhaustion was running in her veins and her room was a welcome haven from the constant barrage of the new and dangerous.

  She took a shower and lay down in the comfortable bedding. Her brain whirled with everything that had occurred since the night before the hunt. She was ticking through every bizarre event when sleep overcame her and bore her under.

  Ashlin woke pressed up against something warm and purring. "Ecros, this is really a little much."

  The huge, rough tongue licked her from collarbone to cheek in one swipe. He continued to purr.

  The bed was barely big enough for the both of them. His transformed body was clos
e to eight feet in length and she couldn't hazard a guess as to his weight, the mattress was dipping alarmingly.

  "I am awake, now shoo." She tugged the fabric of the sheet up higher, but it was stuck under his weight. Grumbling, she flipped out from under the bedding and went into the lav for another quick shower and the call of nature.

  When she emerged, he was in his other form but still lounging on her bed. "Fixer is waiting for you in Haunt's office."

  She nodded and tugged on her uniform. "I will head right out. Are you coming with me?"

  "If I recall correctly, the fitting can get fairly invasive. I will gather a tray from the dining hall and bring you a breakfast, then go for a workout. The exercise centre here is the only one I have been to that can withstand talented strength."

  He smiled brilliantly as he watched her naked skin disappear under the constriction of the fabric.

  "Do you have a problem with my undressed state?"

  He shifted slightly and she noticed a bulge beneath his suit. She stifled a snicker as she pulled on her boots. Their attraction was undeniable, but until he acted on it, she wasn't going to make the first move.

  "No. I have simply never met a woman who was so confident in her body."

  She chuckled. "When you can change your shape and no one on your planet was ever interested in you to begin with, you lose the modesty that everyone says you should have. The Endin engage in public nudity in the baths and after a while, I got used to the stares." She sent her mind toward him to gauge his true reaction to her, but the moment he sensed her touch, something peculiar happened.

  "Your body is worth staring at." He stood and approached her, then stopped in his tracks. "What are you doing?"

  She tried to tug her mind free. "I am stuck."

  "What do you mean stuck?"

  "I mean, my mind is hooked to yours. Oops, nope, there it goes." With relief, her probe snapped back into her own mind.

  "That is the second time you have touched my mind. How are you doing that?" His earlier intensity faded as curiosity rose in his gaze.

  "Apparently, it is a Wyoran trait. My mind seeks another one to link to, but I use the momentary clarity to sense the boundaries of my environment. I don't understand why my mind keeps clinging to yours." She rubbed her forehead and smiled. "Haunt's office you say?"

  "Yes, but this isn't the end of this conversation. I want to learn more about how your mind works." He reached for her and gave her a quick hug.

  She leaned up and nuzzled his neck, inhaling the scent that was Ecros alone. When she leaned back, he released her slowly.

  "Why do you do that?" He kept an arm around her as they approached the door.

  "Because I like to. I can use your scent to block all of the dozens of folk on this station. I can remember your scent all day and it relaxes me. Is that enough reason?"

  His foolish grin was all the answer she needed.

  With Haunt's scent throughout the station, it took Ashlin an extra five minutes to find her office. A few of the trails had led into walls and Ashlin had simply grimaced and ploughed on to the next trail.

  Arriving at the base commander's office, she knocked gently.

  A woman with brilliant dark rainbow hair opened the door and smiled widely. "Hunter, please come in. You can call me Fixer or Mala."

  "Ashlin, please."

  "Ashlin then. Now, Kaylee has told me that you have a shape that has quite the abrasive surface. Can I see it?" Mala's eager and pleasant face was calming.

  There was a small dais on the floor in the room and Ashlin stepped onto it as it was the only uninterrupted space in the room. She didn't need to worry about slicing anyone by accident.

  "This may take a moment." She sent her mind out, touched a number of Guards and staffers, then enjoyed the vastness of space. The moment her senses touched space, she could feel her body shift.

  Mala was standing directly in front of her and she grinned. "Now comes the fun part. I am going to overlay your uniform with metals and crystals. Let me know if you are going to shift back."

  "I might not have much warning. Unless I keep contact with space or something radioactive, I don't know how long I can hold it."

  "Fair enough." Mala got to work, placing plates of metal on Ashlin's chest and asking her to try shredding it with her crystalline hand.

  It took nineteen swatches before Mala had success and grinned. "Okay, you can be the normal you again now."

  With relief, she let her body shift back to its normal form. "What metal worked?"

  Mala chuckled. "You are lucky that Balen is supporting this station and footing the bill for the base. You have to be coated in diamond."

  "Wow. Is that expensive?" She bit her lip. Life on Endin hadn't exactly given her a healthy credit balance.

  "Not really, it will just take a lot of material. I will send for a mineral selection, or we could go to the surface with Balen's permission and get our hands on the materials there. But, either we will haul along three days of food just for one meal for me, or the minerals can be shipped up here and the kitchen will have to keep a steady supply of snacks coming in for me."

  Haunt appeared from within the wall.

  "Have you been in there the whole time?"

  "Yes. I thought to give you the illusion of privacy. Mala, what do you need?"

  Ashlin stood on the dais and watched Mala rattle off a list that even surprised Kaylee. She shrugged and pressed a button on her uniform, passing the request to Zenina-Balen.

  "We will head down to the surface immediately. There is a cavern of crystals that should contain many if not all of the items." The voice was coming from Haunt's collarbone.

  "Excellent. Thank you." Haunt turned back to the women in her office, "There. All done."

  Trying to be polite, Ashlin called out before Haunt's hand left her tab. "Thank you, Zen."

  A chuckle came through the speaker. "You are welcome, Ashlin."

  Mala was fiddling with the details of the uniform and under her hands, the colour shifted from matte black to a deep gold camouflage.

  "Wow, how do you do that?"

  Mala grinned, "Well, it all starts with a sandwich…"

  Chapter Seven

  Zenina and Rolland returned within seven hours. By which point, Ashlin had found an intriguing scent. There was a library on the station and it contained actual books.

  Each language had its own section and a mass translation was available at the central unit, so while she wanted to read the actual books, she made do with the digital translations.

  The fairy tales that she had heard Kaylee and Ecros mention were fascinating. They examined human behaviour in an exaggerated manner and ended with a morality tale. Some ended happily and others ended violently. The story of Red Riding Hood was amusing until the wolf was gutted and the grandmother was released by the woodsman.

  Ashlin had to admit that she had been cheering for the wolf. Hunting was in her blood. The only thing stopping her from gutting her prey was the social stigma of murdering the soft and fluffy.

  She raised her head when Ecros entered the library. She could smell him from across the room. "You might want to shower after your workout next time."

  His skin darkened in a blush. "Sorry."

  She laughed and met his gaze. "It doesn't bother me, I kind of like it. It just might be a little much for the other folks on the station."

  "Mala said she had called you and you didn't answer, so I came looking for you."

  "Oh, sorry, I wanted to finish the book of fairy tales before I returned."

  He grinned. "I have it on my data pad. You can read it later. Come on and get suited up."

  She sighed and turned off the display. "Fine. But I am already suited up, I need to get armoured."

  She got to her feet and joined him, leading the way back to Haunt's office.

  "We aren't going to Kaylee's office. We are heading to shuttle bay six." Ecros took her by the arm and led her down a hall that smelled of metal and
mechanical fluids.

  Mala and Kaylee were waiting with Zenina and Rolland. Mala waved them over. "Ecros, we need your help here, I need your talent to shatter some of these crystals."

  He nodded and entered the shuttle, bringing out a chunk of glittering rock.

  "Is that diamond?" Ashlin was surprised. It seemed fairly innocuous. It was clear and about the size of her head.

  Ecros held it between his hands and concentrated. The other four moved away, but when the rock shattered, she winced as tiny particles went flying.

  "What did you just do?"

  "Harmonic resonance. I found the stress points in the rock and it blew."

  Mala was moving around the space and vacuuming up the dust with a small handheld unit. She was whistling and the moment she was done, she approached Ashlin. "Now, just hold still. This may take a while."

  As Mala worked on her, Ashlin stood with her arms and legs apart. "So, Ecros, your talent is…"

  "Sonic vibrations via my hands or paws while I am in my other form. Hence the name, Rumble."

  A shadow on the far side of the shuttle bay moved and shifted into a man in a Sector Guard uniform. "Mala, when did you last eat?"

  "It's been a while, sweetie."

  Just as the man turned to the door, a parade of carts laden with food came through the hallway.

  Mala stopped in her process of coating Ashlin with diamond dust and replenished her stores. When she returned, she ran her hands over the suit and blended the dust into the fibre of the suit.

  It took over three hours from start to finish, but when Mala finally sat on her ass, she said. "Okay, it will take me a while to make a replacement suit, but you have a working suit for assignments for now."

  The dark man helped Mala to her feet with a smile. "That is a gorgeous design. Did you give her the accessories?"

  "Oh hell. I completely forgot."

  The dark man shoved Mala toward Ecros and walked to one of the sleek shuttles in the bay. He darted inside and then emerged with several belts, all of which had a number of pockets and nodules on them.

  Mala was leaning lightly on Ecros and she lifted the first belt. It had leg straps for stabilisation. "This is your flight belt. If you end up floating in space, for whatever reason, you can use this to manoeuvre your way to a ship or safety.