Page 61 of Clan and Command

Kila’s esteem didn’t fade. “What an amazing performance. I almost believed you were turning on the fleet myself. Bringing up the Bi’is threat to the Empire was a nice touch.”

“Sincerity is best achieved with a dose of the truth. I need a drink. And a shower. I feel filthy after dealing with thatgurluck.”

“How about dinner? I think the chief will join us if we ask nicely.”

Piras didn’t miss the scent of interest coming from his companion. His show of authority had excited Kila. Would a show of surrender have the same effect?

Licking his lips in anticipation, Piras asked, “Are you capable of doing anything nicely?”

Kila laughed, his eyes going dark and the smell of arousal getting stronger. “That depends on how well my boy behaves for me.” He grabbed Piras and made him succumb to a harsh kiss before letting him go and shoving him towards the door. “Let’s go find Lokmi.”

Chapter18

Lokmi seemed delighted to go down to Kalquor with the other two men for dinner. Piras was glad for the Imdiko’s upbeat company, because he couldn’t shake the low feeling talking to Sitrel had brought on. Kila had also become morose after his burst of admiration for how Piras had handled the situation.

The atmosphere of the restaurant Piras chose for their outing couldn’t have been more pleasant. It extended from the seaside cliffs by way of a wooden pier so that they and other diners were surrounded on three sides by the ocean. Under the scattered stars and three of Kalquor’s moons, with the quiet splashes of waves against pilings, the setting was serene and inviting. The food was as good as the scenery, with piles of succulent ekpra fish, ytor, and sturnek shells prepared in myriad ways. If it came from the sea and could be cooked, it was on the menu.

Despite all that, Piras couldn’t rouse from his dark mood, and he noted Kila seemed to be feeling the same way. He felt sorry for Lokmi, who struggled to keep conversation going with lighthearted stories and jokes. The Imdiko’s his efforts met little success, though Piras tried to chuckle on cue.

Halfway through the meal, Lokmi looked from one man to the other and sighed. “Look, I’m a bundle of fun. I know that for a fact. You two are making me doubt myself, though.”

That got a ghost of a smile out of Kila. Piras snickered for real at the Imdiko. “We’re not the best of company tonight, are we? It’s not been a great day.”

“I know as the lowly chief engineer I don’t need to have all the information you do. Maybe it’s stuff you feel better about me not hearing. However, if you want to share, go right ahead. Or tell me to shut up already.”

“Sorry, Chief. It’s nothing that can be spoken here. We’ll bring you in on the details later.” Piras patted his shoulder in apology.

Kila added, “There is one thing you should be aware of. We are coming to the part where we should be prepared for anything. Consider yourself warned.”

Piras rolled his eyes at the drama. Lokmi caught the look and whispered in a cautious tone, “Okay, Captain. I’ll forego sleep in the interest of readiness.” He peered at the other diners with narrow-eyed suspicion, hunching his shoulders in a distrustful manner.

Piras laughed at the Imdiko’s silliness. “We’ll try to relax. Kila’s right though; we may not get many more opportunities to do so.”

Loosening up was easier said than done. Kila had earlier told Piras that he’d gotten no information from his connections concerning the current location of the enemy fleet that was supposed to be heading for Laro. No one had given a sign about when the attack would commence. It could come at any moment.

Piras was brought out of his reverie by Lokmi snapping his fingers under his nose. “Less thinking, more eating and talking,” the engineer told him.

Piras gave him a level stare. Lokmi’s statement had sounded too much like a command for his liking. “Don’t pull any Dramok shit with me in public, Chief. Out here, I can out-Dramok any man, any time.” He thought of how he’d put Sitrel in his place and smiled.

Lokmi eyed him without the first sign of being impressed. “Is that a challenge?”

Kila scowled at them. “Someone shove a blade into my heart now. I am not in the mood to contend with either of your bossy personalities. Don’t make me watch you two play overlord with each other.”

“Shut up, Nobek,” Piras and Lokmi chorused. They looked at each other in surprise before bursting out laughing. Their guffaws were so loud that several other diners looked at them before returning to their meals.

Kila shook his head. “And to think if all goes well, I’ll be shipping out with the two of you.”

“How will you ever manage?” Lokmi teased.

“Outside the fleet, there are no drinking restrictions. To cope, I plan to kiss alcohol rationing goodbye.”

Piras snorted. “You can stick with rationing and like it. In fact, we may very well be better off dry for the duration.”

Kila made a face that pretended heartbreak, though Piras was sure he’d been kidding about getting drunk. “Hardass,” the Nobek complained.

“You’d better believe it. But I’ll be nice elsewhere.” He winked.

Lokmi’s lecherous pleasure was obvious. “That’s a decent trade-off. I’ll take a nice Dramok over booze any time.”

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