Page 21 of Right Next Door
Intercepting subspace messages wasn’t impossible, though it was difficult. It was much easier to just disrupt a sent message, to make sure it’s intended recipient never got it. However, actually interfering to read the message was very difficult.
Tsok, however, dealt in the kind of sensitive information that the extra layer of security to prevent even that was necessary.
Today was the final tenday checkup on Misty. Every tendays, for at least six tendays – subject to more if the domini or ratchi embassy was concerned – they sent both of them a message to confirm that she was still happy and healthy. It was a safety precaution.
Tsok didn't know the full story, but apparently, a human had been taken against her will or held against her will or something. He wasn’t told the details, but she had apparently been in some danger, and it required an entirely new system to be set up to protect them further.
Of course, this wasn’t perfect either. He would just have to pretend to be nice for six tendays to satisfy the check inrequirements, then turn wicked if he wanted after he knew that no one was going to be looking after her anymore.
It was imperfect. He knew, eventually, inevitably, the system would fail somehow, and a human female would find herself captured, hurt, or even killed.
This was exactly why he’d once voted against them joining the Coalition. He knew that no system, no matter how close to perfect, could protect them all.
Of course, they weren’t any better off having no protection. That was why he changed his vote. Human females were too delicate, their labor and birth too dangerous, for them to be unprotected. He dutifully answered the message inquiring about her without complaint. Misty would have one as well. As far as he knew, she had answered all of hers thus far. If she hadn’t, someone would have shown up by now to check on her in person.
Tsok took that to mean he was doing well. That his mate was happy.
After that business, he started on his official work.
As the char, he was the voice of his people on the intergalactic stage. He worked with many of the kreecharma ambassadors throughout Coalition space, with many other chars on other planets. Of course, the position they filled weren’t always called char. They all had different names, different titles, roles, and scope of responsibilities. It didn't really matter what they were called though. The point was that they were the representative to the Coalition.
He’d just come back from the yearly meeting, so it would be some time before he had to go back again. It was his most important duty. Second to that was seeing that all the decisions made at that meeting were implemented appropriately.
That was what he was doing now.
Since True Match came from Kree and was based there, owned and operated by a kreecharma male and his human mate, he worked closely with him regarding all the off planet branches that had been opened on other Coalition planets. At current count, of the two-hundred fourteen member species, fifty-seven of them had True Match locations. Tsok currently had appeals from eighty-nine other species asking for a location to be opened on their homeworlds as well.
Tsok wasn’t unwilling to grant permissions for that, and Vigo certainly wouldn’t mind expanding his operations further. But Tsok wasn’t a charity. He saw a chance to get something out of these other species in trade and he was going to take full advantage of it.
A lot of his morning was spent responding to their messages. Some were in the middle of negotiations, others were trying to start negotiations, while some were trying to revive negotiations that he let die because they hadn’t satisfied him.
It was a great deal of tedium, but it was fun in its own way. Tsok found fulfillment in these endless talks and trades.
Around midday he took a break for second meal and some light exercise. Nothing too strenuous. He liked to keep in shape. It wouldn’t do to show a slovenly appearance to other species, especially not the leaders of those species. Some Coalition members didn't have a specific job like a char. Sometimes, it was planetary ruler themselves that fulfilled the role of representative. He couldn’t show himself as anything less than his best, lest he embarrass his people.
So, he stayed healthy. Every three days or so, he would do a proper exercise regimen to stay strong, but he liked to do something small daily to maintain his health.
Today, he put on a pair of sandals and went for a walk in the garden. His own garden, filled with low, flowering bushesinstead of tall trees. He walked around, letting the sunlight caress his fur. Afterwards, he went back inside and laid down for a short nap.
His people were diurnal, sleeping naturally during the height of day and deepest part of night, moving around in the hours around sunrise and sunset.
He missed Misty the most then. Putting his head down, closing his eyes, it was too easy to picture her there, laying atop him. Both of them sleeping together.
That’s what people used to do. In the olden times. Back before mating had been made taboo. Mates would lay together to sleep. It sounded nice.
But no. He couldn’t allow himself to want that either.
It was a fitful sleep. He only ever slept fitfully anymore. Much shorter than his usual two marks. He was groggy and tired when he returned to his office to get back to work.
Though the sleep he did get was restless, he could swear he had still been dreaming about Misty. She was all around him. Surrounding him. Tempting him.
He’d met her once!
Sighing, he rubbed his temples. He wasn’t even reading the messages before him now. How could a single day be filled so much with a female he hadn’t laid eyes on in tendays!
His door chimed, announcing Davard’s arrival before his aid came inside. He didn’t appear surprised to see Tsok leaning over his desk, rubbing his face. He did it frequently when he was stressed or burdened by something.
“Did you eat?” Davard asked instead of inquiring over him.
