Charlotte Boyett-Compo- WIND VERSE- Pleasure's Foehn (3 page)

12

Pleasure’s Foehn

“Oh, just shut up! I can’t deal with your stupid sophomoric humor right now!”

Ja’Klyn shrugged then informed NavCon he was ready to leave and was given permission. With adroit skill, he eased the
Toradh
out of her docking harness and with engines in reverse, moved the shuttle out of Bay Five. Nosing the sleek vessel larboard, he expertly swung her around to face the portal through which he’d glide into the darkness of space beyond the
Andraste
’s docking bays.

“Are they sending your stuff on later?” he asked as he lined up well behind a Class Four cruiser exiting the
Andraste
before him.

“And that’s another thing,” Davan complained. “I don’t like having anyone go through my personal possessions. It feels almost like rape, you know?”

“Not really,” Ja’Klyn replied. “Never had either thing happen to me.”

“Well, I feel like I’ve been raped, ravaged and pillaged, Veesi, and lemme tell you—

I don’t like it one Saurian bit!”

“You’d never know it from watching all that steam coming out of your ears and nose,” Ja’Klyn joked but when Davan would have cursed at him, he held up a hand.

“No more flip remarks, okay? I know you’re angry and I’m just trying to help.”

“You aren’t,” Davan said then crossed her arms over her chest and turned her head away.

The Class Four shot out of the portal and Ja’Klyn gave the
Toradh
full throttle, following the much larger ship a little too quickly for the wash of the Class Four caused the shuttle to wobble slightly from left to right a few times before its pilot had it firmly under control.

“Add insult to injury by making me puke while you’re at it!” Davan chided. She had never been the best of star travelers and motion sickness burned in her throat as the
Toradh
increased speed.

“Sorry,” Ja’Klyn acknowledged. “You need something?”

“Yeah,” Davan snapped. “A new set of orders.”

“I meant for the nausea,” Ja’Klyn said. “Do you need—?”

“No!”

The trip to the Aduaidh Quadrant would take an hour at top speed. They would pass three checkpoints past Defender-class vessels and a fourth ring of Class Two Guard outposts stationed at mile intervals around the planetoid where the
Foehn
was in orbit. The pleasure ships of the Amhantar Fleet were very well protected.

“Do you know who the captain is of that flying bordello?”

“Afraid not. I’ve never been aboard the
Foehn
,” Ja’Klyn replied as Davan gave in and came to sit beside him in the other console chair. “But a fellow countryman of mine, Captain Isma’il Kadar, is in charge of the
Samiel
. I did R&R there a year ago.”

“What’s he like?” she asked as she buckled herself in. “Kadar, I mean.”

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Charlotte Boyett-Compo

“Stern but approachable. His father was one of the pioneers in hydrophysics on Altar Twelve. I imagine having his son on a pleasure ship doesn’t thrill him.”

“No, I would think not. I hate to consider what my parents would have thought and what my brothers are going to say when they find out.”

“What about Eadan?” he asked, referring to her sister.

Davan frowned and grief lodged in her throat. “I imagine she’ll think it’s funny because she’ll know I’m pissed about it.”

Ja’Klyn reached out to cover Davan’s hand. “Any word on their release yet?”

Davan shook her head. “Neither held a combat position so I can’t imagine what the holdup is. We’ve exchanged hundreds of prisoners over the years, mostly from the same areas in which Eadan and Conaill work.”

“At least Amerigen is classified as a minimum-security colony. I’ve heard it is wellrun and the prisoners don’t have any complaints.”

“Aye,” Davan said, rubbing her eyes with her fists. “It’s certainly nothing like Utuk Xul. I’ve heard horror stories about that gods’ awful place.”

Davan closed her eyes and laid her head on the console chair’s headrest. She hadn’t slept much the night before and exhaustion was rapidly closing in on her. The warmth of Ja’Klyn’s hand atop her own was comforting and she began to relax, letting the softness of the formfitting chair and the relative soundlessness of their flight lull her. Almost immediately, she was asleep.

She woke to a light shake and opened her eyes to find Ja’Klyn standing beside her.

“We’re here.”

“Here?” she repeated.

“On the
Foehn
.”

Davan frowned, sleep having disoriented her momentarily. She sat up and unhooked her safety harness as the fog slowly peeled back from her memory and she remembered her new assignment. “Oh, the flying cathouse,” she grumbled.

“I learned the captain is Cair Ghrian,” Ja’Klyn said.

Davan looked up at him. “Who?”

“You heard me,” Ja’Klyn said. “And no, I didn’t get the name wrong. The Black Sun himself is the captain of the
Foehn
.”

“What the heck would he be doing captaining a pleasure ship?”

“Like you, he must have pissed somebody off,” Ja’Klyn responded.

“But he’s a member of the royal family of Amhantar Province.”

“Second in line for the throne. His brother Bennick is prince regent.”

“Prince Cair was awarded the highest honor given at Fleet Command when he graduated,” Davan said.

14

Pleasure’s Foehn

“Not every graduate is given the designation as a Deathwielder,” her friend replied.

“As I recall, little is known about that secret, elite group other than they’re supposed to be right handy with a scytheblade.”

“Aye, he’s a Scythelord. I bet his family is really honored to have him on
the
Foehn
,”

she commented.

“And he probably isn’t all that happy about it himself,” Ja’Klyn said.

“I don’t need any more problems than this wretched assignment, Ja’Klyn,” she said.

“Let’s hope Prince Cair will be understanding.”

Ja’Klyn hunkered down beside Davan’s chair. “I’m going to miss you, sweeting,”

he said.

Davan sighed. “All of what, ten minutes, Veesi?” she asked. “I know you’ve been seeing Lieutenant Kenna. I’m sure she’ll keep you company when she recovers from her stab wound.”

His eyes widening, Ja’Klyn’s mouth dropped open. “Davan, I haven’t—”

“That’s the reason Chid stabbed Lieutenant Kenna, her bunkmate, isn’t it? You were seeing Kenna during day shift when Chid was working mids,” Davan accused as she unbuckled her harness. She held up her hand when Ja’Klyn would have denied the accusation. “I’m not a jealous woman, Veesi, but three women at once is a bit more than I’m willing to allow any man I’m seeing.”

“I’ll give the others up,” he swore, hand to heart. “I will—”

“I don’t want to discuss this any more,” Davan said. “I’ve got enough on my plate right now.” She stood. “Six months is a long time and a lot of things can change between now and the next time we see once another.”

“What you’re really saying is you want to see other men while we’re apart,” he said, coming to his feet.

“Oh, I’m sure I’ll have the opportunity but I’m here to do my job then get the hell off this floating whorehouse,” Davan said. “I’m not interested in seeing anyone else.”

“Then there’s still hope for—?” he began but she was shaking her head.

“Good luck with Kenna, Veesi. She’s a lovely girl.”

“So it’s over between you and me?” he asked.

“Our intimacy was over the minute I found out about Chid,” Davan said. She held out her hand. “But I still value your friendship.”

Ja’Klyn looked down at her hand and sighed. “If that’s the only way I can have you, I guess it’ll do.” He locked eyes with her. “But I’ll always care deeply for you, Davie.”

She smiled but made no comment to the philandering pilot’s words. The shuttle’s airlock disengaged and Ja’Klyn motioned Davan to precede him from the vessel. Activity on the flight deck of the pleasure ship was minimal with only a handful of crew lounging about.

“Who’s in charge here?” Ja’Klyn inquired.

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Charlotte Boyett-Compo

“I am,” a tall woman replied, striding forward with a swing of her ample hips. She looked him up and down and grinned saucily. “How long you gonna be here, stud?”

Ja’Klyn stiffened. “It’s Lieutenant Stud to you and I regret to say I won’t be staying. I’ve brought your new medic.”

The woman shifted her gaze to Davan and frowned sharply. “A woman doctor?

You’ve got to be kidding!”

“We’re even allowed to vote in some parts of the Quadrant, you know,” Davan quipped. “And I’m no more thrilled to be here than you are to have me.”

Shaking her head, the woman crossed her hands several times in front of her.

“That’s not what I meant. It’s just we’ve never had a woman doc before and I’m not sure the cap’n is going to like it.”

“Surely he knows she’s coming,” Ja’Klyn injected.

“If he knows what day it is it would be a miracle,” the woman said with a grunt.

“A bit of a problem with the good old Amhantarean brandy?” Ja’Klyn asked.

“More like a very big problem with it,” the woman replied. “And he tied on a real beaut last night. I doubt he’ll be up until tomorrow.” She ducked her head. “And Doc Rabishu has already left. We had a troop transport leaving this morning and he hitched a ride. Couldn’t wait to leave us, I guess.”

“Oh, that’s just great,” Davan snapped. “So who do I need to report to, then?”

“Well,” the woman said, scratching her head. “I suppose the cap’n’s XO Lt. Dorrick. He’s sleeping in, too, but he should be up in about an hour.”

Davan glanced down at her watch. “It’s past ten already. Did he tie one on as well?”

“No, but the cap’n doesn’t like to drink alone. Amethyst was serving him four drinks to every watered-down one she was serving Dorrick.”

“Amethyst being…?”

“Our tavern keeper,” the woman said. “I’m her sister, Cinnabar Kyle, by the way.”

She held out her hand. “I’m in charge of the girls on the
Foehn
and also the quartermaster as well as the unofficial greeter.”

Davan shook the woman’s hand and was surprised at the strength in her slender fingers. “Well, why don’t you just show me to my quarters?”

“All right.” She looked at Ja’Klyn once more. “Sure you won’t stay awhile?”

“Alas, I have to be on my way,” Ja’Klyn said with an exaggerated sigh.

“Too bad. We have some very lovely Farisians here this rotation.”

“He’s not staying,” Davan said, stressing the second word firmly. Ja’Klyn shrugged. “I’ll see you in six months, then.”

Davan winced. “God, but that seems like an eternity.”

“It’ll pass off quickly enough,” Cinnabar said. “We get transports in on the average of three a week, sometimes more. On any given week, we have fifty to sixty horny men coming on board. They stay a week—two depending on where they are stationed or if 16

Pleasure’s Foehn

they wind up in the brig while they’re here. They raise a little hell then go back to the real hell. Cap’n keeps them in line so you don’t have to worry about getting ravaged.”

She grinned. “Unless you want to, that is.”

“Not damned likely,” Davan stated.

Ja’Klyn put a hand on Davan’s shoulder. “Take care, Davie,” he said.

“You, too,” she responded, her misery apparent in the green depths of her eyes. Davan watched until the hatch to the shuttle closed over his handsome features.

“How long have you two been keeping company?” Cinnabar asked.

“Was it that obvious?” Davan asked, horrified that a complete stranger had picked up on the intimacy of her relationship with the pilot.

“When a man looks at a woman like he looked at you, there’s a fire simmering there,” Cinnabar told her. “Is it serious?”

Davan shrugged and ducked her head. “I’d really rather not discuss it.”

“Who’s she?”

The nasty tone of the question raised the hackles on Davan’s back and she looked up to see a full-figured woman glaring at her.

“Don’t start, Amethyst,” Cinnabar warned.

Davan stared back at the newcomer and felt almost masculine in comparison with the beauty shooting daggers of dislike her way. From the glorious mane of red hair that fell to just below her creamy white shoulders, to lush, ruby-red lips, large breasts, tiny waist and provocatively flaring hips, the woman looked as though she had stepped out of an advertisement for physical enhancement. The only thing not lovely about her was the narrowed sky blue eyes, which speared Davan with lethal heat.

“I asked who this tart is?” the exquisite creature demanded in a low, throaty voice. Davan’s left eyebrow arched. “Tart?” she echoed.

“This is our new medical officer, Amethyst,” Cinnabar explained. “Doc, this is my younger sister Amethyst.”

“Doctor my ass!” Amethyst scoffed. She strode forward with a challenging strut.

“The Fleet wouldn’t dare send us a female doctor. The girls won’t stand for it.”

“I’d think the girls, as you call them, would be delighted,” Davan countered. “After all, a woman doctor would certainly be—”

“Less inclined to take us seriously,” Cinnabar said. “The girls can get away with things with a male doctor they can’t with one of their own. I hate to say it, but Amethyst is right. They won’t like it.”

“Who are you really?” Amethyst demanded. “What kind of game are you playing, slut?”

Davan’s grandmother had been born in Ghaoth Province and it was said Davan took after her wild side of the family tree where the bark was less rough than the bite. 17

Charlotte Boyett-Compo

Possessing an Amhantarean temper was a curse at times and not always an easy thing to get under control once the tether had been slipped.

“I don’t know who you are,” Davan said, her eyes narrowed. “But I know
what
you are. As long as I am the medical officer onboard this ship, you will show me the respect I am due and I’ll attempt to treat you like a lady. How’s that, sweetie?”

Amethyst blinked, obviously unaccustomed to being spoken to in such a manner. She drew herself up to her full six feet, her nose in the air. “You don’t know who I am, do you?” she grated.