training tomorrow.”
Liliana stared down at the floor. All these spacecrafts were beginning to make her head swim. “This whole Brigade experience seems to be throwing everyone’s routine off kilter.”
Khrome didn’t respond. In the awkward silence that ensued, Liliana decided to get to her point. “Hey,” she began, still looking down—avoiding any view of the Starlancers. “Let’s help each other with our respective hang-ups?”
Khrome snorted, “Khrome-Tastic has no ‘hang-ups.’”
The doctor looked up incredulously. “Cybernarr?”
The Thulican’s glare turned murderous.
Liliana shrank back. “Riiiight.”
Khrome caught himself and sighed. “What would you suggest?”
“Let’s go somewhere and talk.”
Khrome rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “Like Hollusphere or Pilot Pub?”
Liliana cleared her throat. “I was thinking somewhere off starbase.”
The Thulican’s round, yellow eyes grew wider in dawning recognition. “I know just the place.”
Half an orv later, Dr. Liliana Cortés wanted to kick herself—hard. Off starbase , she fretted. She should’ve suggested Pilot Pub. Yes, it reeked of liquor and seedy pilots, but anything trumped sitting on a flying shuttlecraft.
The Unionjack flew on autopilot as they put more distance between themselves and Hollus. All the while the stocky Thulican paced back and forth, ranting about his deep loathing for Marguliese and the Cybernarr race.
Liliana remained seated and listened, nodding when necessary. But her queasiness grew with each small bump of turbulence in Zeid’s atmosphere. The shuttle, traveling at sublight speed on stellar drives, was about to breach Zeid’s atmosphere and head for open space. Liliana dared a few glances out the shuttle’s front viewport, catching the unexciting sight of Zeid’s green gases. That, at least, didn’t make her feel worse.
Abruptly, the Unionjack shot forward into a slingshot hyperspace jump, rocketing out of Zeid‘s atmosphere. Liliana got slammed against the wall behind her, but this time she was strapped in. Instinctively shutting her eyes as the vivid green faded into white, her stomach lurched. Before she knew it, the jump ended. The shuttlecraft slowed to stellar speeds, hyperspace breaking back into tiny twinkling stars separated by gaps of inky black.
Liliana waited a moment to let her stomach settle, her anger boiling over. She shot to her feet and directed all that fury at Khrome. “You programmed in a slingshot jump…and DIDN’T TELL ME?”
The Thulican had the gall to smile. “I did.” His smile stretched obnoxiously to either end of his shiny blue face. He folded his burly arms across a broad chest. “How do you feel?”
“Like punching in your teeth…if it wouldn’t shatter my hand!”
Khrome snorted despite his lack of a nose, his round yellow eyes alight with mirth. “No doubt. How do you feel?”
Liliana bristled. “I just told you—” She stopped. Aside from seriously wanting to hurt him, Liliana actually felt little nausea—if any. “Jittery,” she began. “But not too queasy.”
“Thought so,” Khrome chuckled.
Now Liliana just felt quite confused. “But how was this different from all the other hyperspace jumps?” the doctor pressed.
“For starters, you didn’t think a slingshot jump was coming,” Khrome turned towards a long side closet to the left-hand side of the shuttle. “And, aside from the fact that we weren’t on a mission, you actually enjoyed your traveling companion this time.”
Liliana arched an eyebrow. “Huh.” The Thulican was right, mainly with the latter reason. Anyone with two working brain cells could agree that Khrome was far more enjoyable company than V’Korram Prydyri-Ravlek. Still, the duplicity bothered her. “I don’t like you!” she blurted out.
Khrome tooted skeptically, “You loooove the Khrome-Daddy.” Then he began to rummage through the closet he opened.
“Oh, so now we’re back to the jolly
Liliana stared down at the floor. All these spacecrafts were beginning to make her head swim. “This whole Brigade experience seems to be throwing everyone’s routine off kilter.”
Khrome didn’t respond. In the awkward silence that ensued, Liliana decided to get to her point. “Hey,” she began, still looking down—avoiding any view of the Starlancers. “Let’s help each other with our respective hang-ups?”
Khrome snorted, “Khrome-Tastic has no ‘hang-ups.’”
The doctor looked up incredulously. “Cybernarr?”
The Thulican’s glare turned murderous.
Liliana shrank back. “Riiiight.”
Khrome caught himself and sighed. “What would you suggest?”
“Let’s go somewhere and talk.”
Khrome rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “Like Hollusphere or Pilot Pub?”
Liliana cleared her throat. “I was thinking somewhere off starbase.”
The Thulican’s round, yellow eyes grew wider in dawning recognition. “I know just the place.”
Half an orv later, Dr. Liliana Cortés wanted to kick herself—hard. Off starbase , she fretted. She should’ve suggested Pilot Pub. Yes, it reeked of liquor and seedy pilots, but anything trumped sitting on a flying shuttlecraft.
The Unionjack flew on autopilot as they put more distance between themselves and Hollus. All the while the stocky Thulican paced back and forth, ranting about his deep loathing for Marguliese and the Cybernarr race.
Liliana remained seated and listened, nodding when necessary. But her queasiness grew with each small bump of turbulence in Zeid’s atmosphere. The shuttle, traveling at sublight speed on stellar drives, was about to breach Zeid’s atmosphere and head for open space. Liliana dared a few glances out the shuttle’s front viewport, catching the unexciting sight of Zeid’s green gases. That, at least, didn’t make her feel worse.
Abruptly, the Unionjack shot forward into a slingshot hyperspace jump, rocketing out of Zeid‘s atmosphere. Liliana got slammed against the wall behind her, but this time she was strapped in. Instinctively shutting her eyes as the vivid green faded into white, her stomach lurched. Before she knew it, the jump ended. The shuttlecraft slowed to stellar speeds, hyperspace breaking back into tiny twinkling stars separated by gaps of inky black.
Liliana waited a moment to let her stomach settle, her anger boiling over. She shot to her feet and directed all that fury at Khrome. “You programmed in a slingshot jump…and DIDN’T TELL ME?”
The Thulican had the gall to smile. “I did.” His smile stretched obnoxiously to either end of his shiny blue face. He folded his burly arms across a broad chest. “How do you feel?”
“Like punching in your teeth…if it wouldn’t shatter my hand!”
Khrome snorted despite his lack of a nose, his round yellow eyes alight with mirth. “No doubt. How do you feel?”
Liliana bristled. “I just told you—” She stopped. Aside from seriously wanting to hurt him, Liliana actually felt little nausea—if any. “Jittery,” she began. “But not too queasy.”
“Thought so,” Khrome chuckled.
Now Liliana just felt quite confused. “But how was this different from all the other hyperspace jumps?” the doctor pressed.
“For starters, you didn’t think a slingshot jump was coming,” Khrome turned towards a long side closet to the left-hand side of the shuttle. “And, aside from the fact that we weren’t on a mission, you actually enjoyed your traveling companion this time.”
Liliana arched an eyebrow. “Huh.” The Thulican was right, mainly with the latter reason. Anyone with two working brain cells could agree that Khrome was far more enjoyable company than V’Korram Prydyri-Ravlek. Still, the duplicity bothered her. “I don’t like you!” she blurted out.
Khrome tooted skeptically, “You loooove the Khrome-Daddy.” Then he began to rummage through the closet he opened.
“Oh, so now we’re back to the jolly
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