Page 2 of There's an Elf in My Cockpit

I scoffed while touching the family sigil dangling over my left cheek. Right, as if my family cared where I was anyway. I was this close to getting kicked out already when they found out what I’d gotten myself into this time; they’d disown me.

Despite those thoughts, my Caratan chain jingled merrily as I walked, the sound familiar and soothing. I’d worn that chain from my nose ring to the ring in my left earlobe since I’d turned of age and like any Elrohirian worth her salt, I hadn’t taken it off since. It told everyone who cared to look who you were and where you belonged in the fabric of our culture. Being without it was like being naked, whether my family liked me or not. It told me what my place was in this big universe, and that was soothing but it wasn’t soothing enough to ease my ragged, frayed nerves.

Touching my thumb to my com, it dialed the only contact programmed into the device. The cheerful voice that greeted me was that of the female agent that had placed me here, on this resort planet. All my contact had been through her and her stoic partner. I liked Merila, she was emphatic and kind, she told me this wasn’t my fault, and I wanted to believe that was true.

“What’s up, Vi?’ she asked, “Settling in? How’s the job so far?” She rushed on, sounding apologetic, “I know it’s a little awkward, that whole get up, but think of it this way. He’ll never expect you to dress like that, won’t he?” She was right about that, in fact, if my ex saw me in what I was wearing now, he’d have a conniption. It made me grin to think about; yeah he’d hate this dress.

Decked out in a green, formfitting little number, the flirty skirt was pleated and no longer than mid-thigh. With a belt weighted down with pouches at the waist, I had no need for a purse or pockets. Not that the skin-tight fabric had any place to hide pockets. The long sleeves were supposed to make it modest but I didn’t think it came across that way. Not to mention the ludicrous stockings I had to wear but at least I got to keep my own comfy pointed boots.

“It’s my first day, I’m still trying to locate the port… You know how I am with directions,” I said to Merila. I was supposed to be the errand girl for the resort, doing the odds-and-ends jobs, fetching things for customers and such. My first order of business today was to deliver a bag of packages to the mail shuttle at the port. Since this was such a small place, and the weather so lovely, I’d opted to walk but I’d somehow ended up on the boardwalk by the beach when I should have taken the road into town.

They promised me this was only temporary and I certainly hoped so. I didn’t think I could live with the stress of him being out there, looking for me, while doing this menial job I had no head for. I’d spent the past three days since I got here trying to familiarize myself with the darn place and I still had no clue.

Then I spotted a shuttle off in the distance, coming in for a landing. Yes, that’s where the port was! I just needed to go that way. With renewed purpose, I broke out into a jog, my boots clomping along on the fancy wood boardwalk. A few twists and turns and I found myself in the center of the small, picturesque town, where holo signs floated above ornate metal posts.

There were a few people out and about here, shopkeepers opening up, the first early risers wandering about as they looked for a good breakfast spot. It didn’t make me feel less exposed, in my resort-colored clothing I felt like I stuck out like a sore thumb. I’d memorized as much as I could of the information available, but I was pretty sure that the first question aimed my way would have me freeze up; angering a customer. I was not the right person for anything retail related, I’d clam up first, and then I’d snap angrily because I sucked at reining in my temper.

Clenching my fingers tightly around the drawstrings of the bag of packages I was lugging over my shoulder, I tried my hardest to look business-like. If you appeared to be heading somewhere with purpose, they’d leave you alone. That was my theory at least. I had already made it almost all the way to the port area, which was a beautifully landscaped stretch of land with large lush fields to land ships on.

Cresting the slight rise, I took in the handful of small ships parked on the grass. Which one was it? They all looked like good possibilities. It was supposed to be a shuttle that would take this sack up to a bigger ship in orbit that was due to leave in an hour. I counted four shuttles that fit the bill but for the life of me, I couldn’t remember the name of the ship I was supposed to deliver these packages to. I knew it was something Cara, but what?

Scanning the ships there for their call signs, I noticed a male leaving one of the shuttles. He walked with purpose, chin held high, his wide shoulders obvious even at this distance. He was too far away for me to tell exactly what species he was though he did look a little like an Elrohirian, only he had a wild mane of brown hair on his head. My species only came in pale and pastel, nothing that striking.

I walked past him with my chin up, making sure I didn’t make any eye contact. The last thing I needed was some big stranger thinking I was lost. I didn’t need any male attention, that’s what had landed me in this mess in the first place. Fake it till you make it, I just needed to let that male think I knew what I was doing so he’d leave me alone. Once he was out of the way, I could go around and look at all the shuttles to make sure I picked the right one.

My course was meant to take me past his ship and to the one next over but as I got closer my eyes landed on the trader’s common painted on the side. Caratoa. That was it! Caratoa had to be right. What were the odds of there being two ships with a name starting like that? Forgetting all about the male, I hurried to his ship to see where I was supposed to leave those packages.

It didn’t open at my approach, did I have to alert the pilot of my presence? When I waved my hand over the panel next to the hatch it took a long time, but it did respond, hissing when it started to lower. Feeling like there were eyes on me, I dodged inside as soon as it had lowered far enough. My nerves made me look back just as I entered and I realized the male had paused, standing on the green grass while watching me. Yikes, so I had caught his eye. Was he curious why I wanted to enter his ride? He was just a guest arriving, wasn’t he?

I pushed his presence firmly from my mind so I could focus on my job, I couldn’t screw it up like I normally did, I had to toe the line. Even if I had to admit that he was very virile and masculine, most Elrohirian males were not quite that broad in the shoulder. He had to be something else, but what? I wasn’t sure.

Searching the interior of the vessel I had a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach. Where was the pilot? This vessel was empty unless someone was hiding in the head but I seriously doubted that. To make absolutely sure there was no one here, I walked all the way into the cockpit, dropping my sack of packages at my feet. I couldn’t read the script on the controls here, it wasn’t traders’ common. If no one was here, was this even the right place? Had I already managed to screw this up?

The scuff of a boot on metal alerted me to a presence behind me, I spun on my heels, heart racing. I expected it to be my ex, I had been on high alert for him for weeks now, but it was the male from the landing strip. He had stepped into the shuttle behind me, blocking my way out, his wide shoulders filling up the open doorway.

“Hello,” he said, his voice a deep bass that was fitting for his huge chest. A beard covered the lower half of his face, his eyes a soft blue. They didn’t glow, which made them look like the fathomless depths of Mardaran Lake on whose shores I’d grown up.

I felt frozen in place, unsure what to do and the fact that I was now trapped? It made me want to claw my way out of here, something I knew I shouldn’t be doing. My voice sounded much sharper than I meant when I responded, “Hi, this is the mail carrier vessel is it not? Are you the pilot?” Maybe that was it, maybe I hadn’t messed it up, but that hope was dashed immediately when he shook his head.

The smile he offered was warm and friendly, his teeth white and blunt, the canine surprisingly small. “Sorry sweetheart, you’ve got the wrong ship. Why don’t I help you find the one you need?” He stepped back and gestured a big, calloused hand at the exit. He had barely created space for me to pass him, I’d have to brush along his body to get out. My skin broke out in a gazillion goosebumps just thinking about that.

Picking up the sack, I slung it back over one shoulder and headed his way. To my surprise, he backed up a little more when I got closer, stepping outside to make space for me. That was far more gentlemanly than I was used to and surprising considering his hairy beard and rugged appearance. If I had seen him in town, or at one of the major ports he would have pinged on my radar as a mercenary or bounty hunter. Not too far off from the previous crowd I’d hung out with actually.

Just beyond the hatch, I scanned the remaining vessels but I wasn’t sure which one I needed at all. Now I doubted I even needed a ship with a name starting with Cara. I wasn’t just bad with directions, I was bad with remembering directions of any kind, as well. My father used to despair that I’d ever do as I was told, it was the biggest reason I was the outcast of the family.

“What’s the name of the ship?” the male drawled from just behind me. A shiver shot down my spine and my toes curled in my favorite pair of pointy boots. I was done with men, it had landed me in trouble far too often, I wasn’t going to let a sexy voice and a pair of wide shoulders turn my head.

“I’ll find it on my own, thanks,” I said sharply and I heaved the sack a little higher and pointed myself at the nearest possibility. Behind me, I heard a smothered noise, and I turned my head to look over my shoulder, catching the male shaking his head.

“It’s not that one, I can tell you that,” he said with amusement, “That one belongs to the big starliner that arrived yesterday. Try that one,” he pointed with a finger at a vessel much further away. It did indeed look like a good option, damn it.

A whistling noise saved me from having to thank the stranger, yanking my attention in the direction of the resort town. A group of teenagers from various races was jogging onto the landing strip. Interestingly, my companion responded to the approaching youths by whistling back by sticking two fingers in his mouth. He also waved one of his arms around.

While he was distracted I made my escape, slipping away over the grass without saying thank you; a little too embarrassed to be polite. Screw that, it wasn’t like I would see this male ever again. He was here to pick up these kids and then he’d be gone again, and as soon as this case made it to trial and I said my piece I’d be out of here too. I wasn’t going to stay stuck on this planet forever. No way, I’d go crazy if I had to run stupid errands for the rest of my life.

I’d only made it three steps when he called out after me, “Hey wait up, I’ll walk you.” He was at my side in a moment, smoothly wresting the heavy sack with packages from me, and slinging it over his own shoulder. He made that thing look small and light, and the way he held that bag did interesting things to his shirt, tightening it just right over his chest.

I yanked my eyes away from him, up at the sky, and instantly froze in my tracks. A shuttle was coming for a landing, the shape sleek and silver. It was a shape I was all too familiar with, and it could only be a shuttle that belonged to one ship. It had been custom-built specifically for him at the famous shipyard Strewn, the design fitting some of his specifications. His pride and joy, nobody but the best pilots were allowed the touch the controls beside him. That ship could only mean my fucking ex had found me.

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