Page 64 of Star Champion

Watching the craft pivot so steeply over the forest, she felt her insides jump. It was the same kind of giddy rush she felt when he kissed her. “I love this,” she breathed. “I love flying.”

“I also love to fly. When the season is over, we’ll have more time to polish your pilot skills. In the meantime, hold on.”

Before she had the chance to ponder enjoying any part of the offseason with Klark, she asked, “Hold on to what—?

Klark leveled the wings and pulled back on the stick. Jemm’s hands instinctively snatched the armrests. “First, we need a little more altitude.” All she saw in front of her was blue sky. Then he leveled the speeder. “We’re going to roll now,” he informed her, then did exactly that, offering thrills as masterfully in the air as he did when they were in bed.

As the speeder rotated in a full circle, trees took the place of the sky; then the world righted itself, all at Klark’s command.

“I want to do that!” she exclaimed.

“This is not the same as learning to swim in the pool, fearless one. But why not?”

Her heart jumped. She didn’t expect him to give her the chance. But then why wouldn’t he? This was the same man who had cleared his mind of a long-held bias about females and bajha after seeing what she could do in the ring. His ability to adapt, to take opportunity and run with it, was one of his more endearing qualities.

She listened intently to his brief instructions, then followed them—a little side pressure on the stick to get them rolling, then more pressure, holding the stick all the way to one side as the speeder flipped, side over side. She righted the craft with a bouncing jolt.

They whooped at her achievement. “Again,” she said, then laughed. “By the dome, I sound like Button when I swing her around by the ankles.”

She practiced a few more rolls before Klark finally said, “We had better head for the valley before it gets too late.” He banked the speeder toward a broad, deep valley in the endless sea of trees.

The entire uninhabited side of the planet was designated as a nature preserve. Aiming the speeder at a narrow strip in a clearing, he landed. The speeder quickly rolled to a stop.

The speeder’s canopy motored up, allowing fresh air to flood in. As the whine of the craft’s engine faded, the silence all around them intensified. It seemed to press on her eardrums like pressure.

For a moment, they did nothing but sit and listen. “Such peace and quiet,” she said in a hushed tone.

“It’s the trees,” he said as if equally awed. “They create a silence all their own.”

Occasional bird song shattered the stillness as they gathered their day packs. From the horizon, a distant thunderstorm rumbled. It was easy to imagine that the conversations of the staff at the retreat center or the din in Chéyasenn City many hundreds of standard clicks away would be audible, too, if she listened hard enough; it was that quiet.

Klark armed himself with a pistol, and they both attached knives to their belts. Swinging their packs over their shoulders, they headed toward the cover of the forest. The scent of thriving green life intoxicated her. “Are there many predators on this side of the planet?” she asked, checking for her blade as they left the clearing.

“Not many. But a few bajha players do go missing every year—”

“Lying cog.” She pushed at him, and he laughed as he looped his arm around her waist to draw her close.

Side by side they hiked along a dirt path. “No, nothing large enough to hunt humans,” he explained. “The planet is carefully managed. The landing strip is kept cleared, year-round. The hiking paths are maintained. Invasive species—both plant and animal—are dealt with. But, when out in the wild, it’s always smart to be ready for anything.”

“I know. ‘Never be complacent. Be vigilant in all things.’ The Vedla view of the galaxy is rubbing off on me.”

That generated another laugh, this one as surprised as it was delighted. “I don’t think I want you to become too Vedla.”

“No?” She moved in front of him, curling her fingers behind his neck as she pressed the length of her body against his.

“No,” he replied. His hands landed on her back, the caress tender but possessive. “I’m Vedla enough for the two of us. Besides, I very much like the Baréshti in you.” He pulled her into a lazy, lingering kiss that warmed her from head to toes.

Somehow, his hands ended up on her backside, stroking and kneading, lifting her to his hardening length. If he kept that up, in another moment, they would be turning the forest floor into a makeshift bed.

He must have arrived at the same conclusion. “Refrain from distracting us, Jemm,” he joked, his golden eyes darker as he moved her to arm’s length. “We can’t dally for too long.”

“Aye. I know. Skeet flies in later.” Klark had scheduled a dinner meeting with her and the team captain to get her prepped for an upcoming press conference, the first of several planned via vid feed from the retreat center.

“But first, let’s enjoy this.” He laced his warm fingers with hers to lead her deeper into the forest.

The farther they traveled, the dimmer it became—a greenish dusk that somehow existed in daytime. With it came a much heavier stillness. “It’s like being in nature’s bajha ring,” she whispered.

“That’s what I have heard from others who have been here,” he whispered back.

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