Page 50 of Star Champion

As he predicted, she turned toward Ore’s Head, the club Nico had leased and now spent much of his time. The gaudy glow of those blasted Earth-dwellers’ medical tent but not the tent itself was visible behind the buildings. But other than that, being back in the noisy, bustling neighborhood of arcades was unchanged from last week. It brought thoughts of the first night here with Skeet and Xirri, the anticipation so rich, and then the reality of Sea Kestrel’s talent being far better than he could have imagined.

Not to mention the reality of the woman herself. She was, in a word, incredible.

“Kes!”

She froze at the sound of the name, her spread hand on the club’s front door. She spun around as he jogged to a halt in front of her. “I would like a word with you.” At her bewildered nod, he took her by the upper arm and ushered her inside. He steered her through the pounding blare of thump music and a restless early evening crowd, wishing he could grasp her by the hand instead. But he must remain cognizant of the fact that everyone except Nico thought she was a male.

He found a nook in an area of fewer bodies if not less noise. Wedged inside, they were alone. Her skin gleamed from exertion, her questioning, wide-open eyes caressing every inch of his face, her lips parted—only because she was eager to hear his excuse for being here, not because she anticipated the taste of his. Yet, the proximity of her soft mouth made his heartbeat stumble.

“I erred,” was all he would allow himself to say—or evento think. This plan, to work as he intended, required precise execution. Reckless romantic feelings had no part in it. “You’ll play as a male, but with one difference. This time I’ll know your secret. That’s how we’ll make it work…the only way it can work.”

“You were so against females playing,” she ventured.

“I never saw one play! More than that, I’ve never seen anyone who plays like you—male or female. I’ll be damned if I allow bias to deter me from seeing you reach your potential. Bias ruled my actions too many times in the past. I’ve learned my lesson.” He kept his voice very low in the dark corner where they were crushed close. Her scent muddled his thoughts. He wanted to drink it in, to drink in all of her, but such longings threatened to distract him from business and turn this encounter into something far more personal.

He summoned every bit of discipline that his upbringing and bajha had given him to continue his proposal, his tone brusque. “I’m not naïve enough to believe a female player will be greeted without controversy. Nor am I stupid enough to let someone with your talent get away. As for the religious aspects of females practicing bajha…it will take some delving into the Treatise of Trade to see what guidance it offers, specifically. But, I’ll bear the responsibility of the research. All of that said, are you willing to give this another try?”

“Aye. What do ya think? I’m gonna win us that Galactic Cup.” Her earnest expression made his chest ache. “Where will I train—the main team arena?”

“No.” Great Mother, no. Throwing her into the lusty clutches of his pros was not something he wanted to think about. It was still the preseason. He would figure it out. He was making this up as he went along, and did not like it, being a habitual plotter and planner. He felt most comfortable knowing what was next and preferred deciding how he would negotiate a matter in advance. In this, however, he had gone off the charts. All he knew was that he did not want to lose Sea Kestrel. “I’ll find a facility that allows us—you—some privacy.”

They were standing even closer now to keep their whispered conversation from reaching prying ears. Her rapid pulse throbbed in her neck, visible above the collar of her bajha suit. A lock of hair had flopped onto her forehead; the urge to smooth it aside was powerful. He imagined his fingertips brushing across her forehead, the pad of his thumb tracing the swell of her cheekbone…Damnation. He wanted to kiss her, to feel her yield to him. To lose himself in her.

“Above all…” He cleared his throat to disguise his hoarseness. “You’re a pro, and I’m your coach. No matter what insanity may have gotten us to this point, we must respect that relationship.”

He saw comprehension wash over her face and, faintly, disappointment. Then, as she nodded, a defiant glimmer sparked in her gemlike hazel eyes. Or had he imagined it?

He hoped so. Otherwise, they were going to be in trouble.

CHAPTER16

“First,we will see to your fittings with the tailor, then practice with your new sens-sword. Lunch afterward, followed by technique analysis of Teams Dar and Lesok this afternoon.” As Prince Klark set out the day’s schedule, striding at his usual pace, Jemm slowed, reluctant to tear her gaze from the bank of windows inside the training annex overlooking a breathtaking view of a forested valley. The air on planet Chéyasenn was so fragrant with moist earth and thriving plant life that she drank it in as much as breathed it. No wonder the world had been chosen as the team’s home base. Millions of trees went on endlessly, hill after covered hill until they ended in a blue-green blur on the horizon, where two huge pastel crescents dominated the sky—plump, sleepy cousins to Barésh’s feverish, always-in-motion moons. To the west, a compact city gleamed—Chéyasenn City. Its white and silver buildings were manmade spires amongst nature’s spires: the trees. Somewhere hidden in the forest there was the sprawling main training center for Team Eireya.

“Jemm,” he said as they walked. “No dawdling. We have much to do today.”

“I’m sightseeing. If ya didn’t want me looking, then ya should not have chosen such a beautiful place to train.”

He cast her a long look. They arrived on Chéyasenn that morning after many demanding days traveling onChéya’sResoluteto a transfer station, where they picked up the starspeeder that Prince Klark himself had piloted here. Each day’s schedule had been packed full from dawn until she collapsed onto her bed each night. The pace did not look to be easing anytime soon. Since landing at the training annex, Prince Klark had kept her on the move. The man was on a mission.

She was the mission.

Casting one last hungry glance at the scenery, she pivoted to tread after him in soft boots on the polished wood-plank floor. During their travels, he had made sure to supply her with a selection of comfortable and loose men’s shirts and pants. If he was put off by her wearing men’s clothing, he did not show it. In fact, the more her feminine form was disguised, the more relieved he appeared. She was his secret, and he wanted to keep it that way. “Do ya get to explore much while you’re here? I think I see hiking paths.”

“No, I have not had the chance to dally when here. But since much of the world is a wildlife sanctuary, I’m sure many who stay at the retreat center take advantage of the grounds.”

“Retreat center. So, this isn’t technically a training annex.”

“We will use it as such. But no, it’s an Eireyan warrior retreat center.” He waved a hand at unfamiliar runes carved into a towering stone fortress of a fireplace, the focal point of a cavernous space that seemed to pay homage to masculinity with its rugged furnishings, muted colors, and soaring walls constructed of whole logs. Each log was wider than she was tall. She could not imagine any living thing could grow so big. “There’s the warrior’s code, in case you forget it,” he said dryly. He read the giant words to her, “Fealty, fidelity, family.”

“Is that written in Eireyan?”

“It is. Basic will always remain the official language of the Trade Federation, as it facilitates trade between worlds that use individual dialects. We highbornVashalso learn Siennan, the language of the B’kah clan. However, Eireyan, my clan’s ancient tongue, is cherished, but rarely used anymore.”

His family had their own language. It was another reminder that he was part of something much larger than she was. Whereas her family history went only as far back as the great-grandfather who came to Barésh from off-world and got her great-grandmother pregnant. A story that was vague at best. But anyone who might be able to clear up the details was dead.

“Kind of ironic, me training for bajha in a virtual warriors’ hub. Considering females aren’t allowed to be warriors, or play bajha.”

“Thus the reason I brought you here—to hide Team Eireya’s secret weapon in plain sight.” He used the cozy tone of a coconspirator, but with a defined distance between them that had not wavered since leaving Barésh. She could hardly believe he was the same man who had pulled her in the only private space they could find in that club, standing so close together they were almost embracing. Almost kissing. “Now, come. We have much to do.”

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