3

Chapter 3

Sera woke up at dawn as she always did. Knowing they’d be traveling to another part of the Known Universe, she made a mental note to adjust to Standard Time but knew she’d have to also get used to Nondalese local time as well.

She’d stayed up until nearly two reading the files. Her brother hadn’t been annoyed when she’d called in the small hours of the morning to badger him for a favor. Gods knew he’d called her at midnight more than once to get him out of a bind.

Her brother Paul was a clever man, and Sera was glad he was on her side. His results were impressive, and she went over the data again in her head as she showered, continuing to work it over as she got dressed.

It most certainly looked like Giles Stander was a key figure in this whole thing. The Stander Family had a whole lot of influence, especially in the border universes. The bulk of their money and importance came from their trade in goods. They had a lot to gain if the war continued and kept products expensive on the frontier.

Her research on the nifty electronic gear in her quarters showed a distinct lack of ideological stances on the part of the Stander Family. They didn’t appear to be true believers in the Federation’s precepts of democratic rule nor did they look like they embraced the Imperialists’ belief in universe-wide fascism as a tool for greater stability. Still, that it seemed to be a purely economic motivation was worse in Sera’s mind. She could understand doing something you believed in, but doing something for profit and all else be damned was lower than low, and she was quite ready to take them down for it.

After reading over everything and piecing together what she had, Sera couldn’t help but feel there was more than just the Stander Family involved.

The whole thing screamed a wider conspiracy. Each Family controlled different segments of everything the Federation did. So while Stander might be able to get them certain things, and the bombings and other infiltrations could garner more, it seemed logical to bring in more Family members. The big question mark, of course, was, who else? The key would be to note who Stander’s closest compatriots were once they got to Nondal.

26

She made herself kava and noted with some satisfaction her pantry was well-stocked. She made the bread, cheese and fruit into a morning meal as she attempted to compartmentalize her emotions.

It just had to be done. She was right for the job; they weren’t lying about that. Her linguistic skills alone would have made her a perfect candidate, but she could handle herself in a bind, too. It wouldn’t be easy to deal with them, but she’d do it. She believed in what she was doing, and even though she felt manipulated, she’d stay to do the job.

After her meal she cleaned up after herself, gathered her weapons, and headed out in search of a practice floor and a target range.

Brandt and Ash were already in the common area eating their meal when she came down. Why did they both have to look so good? It would be so much easier to work with them if they were hard to look at instead of delicious.

“Sera, good morning. Please, have some breakfast.” Brandt motioned toward the sideboard, which held as much food as it did the night before.

“No, thank you. I’ve already eaten. Do you have a practice floor?

Target range? I’d like to work out this morning. And then I’d like to speak with you about some of the things I found in my research last night.”

“You’re welcome to take your meals down here with us. It’s what we do as a team. We have a cook who is quite good.” Ash’s words were harmless enough, but his tone needled her.

Sera took a deep breath to center herself. She would not let Ash rattle her. “I’m sure. Thank you, I’ll consider it in the future. Range? Practice floor? If not, I’ll head back into town and use the one at my old post.” Brandt stepped between them again. Ash was picking a fight, and he didn’t want that. She’d had enough. “Follow this hall and out the back door.

The building just behind this one has a target range, a practice floor and various machines for muscle enhancement and strength training. There’s a pool as well. As I told you last night, the doors are all keyed to your call.” Sera inclined her head a moment. “Will three hours from now be amenable to discuss the file?”

“Yes, meet us both back here.”

27

She touched her hand to her forehead and walked down the hall.

After Brandt watched her leave the house, he turned. “Ash, knock it off. You promised last night that you’d try and get along with her.”

“What? I just told her we have meals here as a team. And anyway, it’s my turn now. I’ll be giving the orders.” He looked smug.

“This isn’t about that. And if you want that with her and with me, you’re going to have to work for it. She’s not just going to fall to her knees for you this time.”

With a final look at Ash, Brandt turned on his heel and left the room before he said anything else.

* * *

Brandt watched her from the doorway of the practice room as she moved through her martial arts workout. She was fluid and quick. The muscles in her upper arms and her thighs rippled, her face set in concentration.

It was hard not to appreciate her form: both her physical body and the way she moved. There was no doubt as he watched her, she was a warrior through and through. He liked that.

She worked out hard for at least an hour, and he moved into a corner of the room and did his own workout on the bag. Boxing was an old art brought millennia ago through the first portal from Earth. Brandt loved that it kept both mind and body quick.

After a while he looked up and saw her walking toward the showers.

He argued with himself for some time before finally giving in and following.

She was tall, probably around six standard feet. Her legs were long and shapely. Her body, as he’d seen when she’d been working out, was lithe and strong. Small but high and pertly beautiful breasts called out to be touched.

A ring through one of her nipples caught the light, and something low in his groin tightened. He bit his bottom lip, wishing it were her nipple instead.

She turned into the water, and her golden blonde hair darkened when wet. Brandt was riveted by her long, graceful fingers massaging shampoo through it.

28

A tattoo marked her lower back, just above her right hip. The Walker Family sigil with Ash’s symbol in the center. It shocked him to see she hadn’t had it covered or removed.

Forcing himself to move, he shed his clothes and headed into a stall to shower as well. Mixed gender showers were quite common in the military, and with them being out in the field for long periods of time, he’d need to at least fake being unaffected by her body.

Sera was aware he’d come into the room and tried not to stare at him as he took his hair out of the braid. When it fell across his back like liquid midnight, she felt its phantom touch. His skin bore the deep olive tone of those who came from the universes nearest the Core and the Federation home ’Verse, Ravena. Muscled thighs and a tight, high ass drew her eyes.

Up her gaze went, past the narrow waist and the broad shoulders.

It would be hard to keep her emotions separate on this mission. As his concubine, she’d have to be at his side most of the time once they got to Nondal. She really couldn’t feel too badly they’d most likely be engaging in some form of sex play in public and also in their quarters for the cameras.

But feelings-wise, he was way off the menu. If he wasn’t a Pela and connected to Ash, she’d have pursued him. Sighing, she turned off the water and grabbed for her towel. She’d have to wrestle her emotions back into a deep, deep pit. Feelings for Brandt or Ash would weaken her, and she couldn’t afford to be weak in any way.

Quickly, she finished, pretending her eyes weren’t drawn back to him every few seconds.

Brandt dried off while she laced up her boots. “You’ve got excellent technique. I’d really appreciate it if you’d work with me. I’m not awful, but I’m rusty. Martial arts were never my forte.”

Sera kept her eyes on her laces after she caught sight of the silky arrow of dark hair leading from his belly button down to what she could only imagine was quite a lovely cock. Oh, okay, she didn’t have to imagine; she’d stared at it a few times when she hoped to hell he wasn’t watching.

“Well, it takes a bit of time to get to Nondal. How big is the transport?” She stood and tucked her shirt in.

“Ash is a moneyed playboy, remember? The ship is a first-class luxury transport. We have a small crew; most of them are special forces. The others 29

are provided by Ash’s Family. It’ll be necessary to hold your cover at all times, regardless.” He didn’t want her to leave just yet. Her scent teased his senses. Tantalizing him.

“If we’re going to have company on the transport, I suppose I can’t give you much help. We can’t risk being seen. It’s one thing for her . . . me, to work out to keep my shape, another entirely to be teaching you. When we get back we can work on your skills. I’m a fairly good instructor. What’s your specialty? I’m sure you have one, or you wouldn’t be on this team.”

“Blades. Knives, swords, throwing stars.”

She nodded. “Excellent. I’d love to learn from you as well. I expect that it works quite well in combination with Ash’s skill with sidearms and blasters.”

“I’d forgotten you know him so well.”

She jerked back slightly. “I thought I did. But yes, I know he’s an expert with anything that shoots.”

“You know, there’s so much more to what happened than a simple him-leaving-her scenario.” Brandt wanted her to understand the immense pressure a man like Ash had felt from his Family over the right marriage with another Family. Ash, as the second oldest son had to make a political marriage. He wouldn’t have been allowed to find love with a woman of Sera’s standing. The Walker Family had a generations-old rule, whereby the first and second sons had to procure the permission of the head of the ruling line to marry at all. Ash’s father would never agree to him marrying anyone other than a ranked woman.

In the end, it was only Kira’s fickle nature that had freed Ash. Kira traded Ash in for one of Ash’s cousins, and one of Ash’s brothers married a Pela as well. The unions were enough, and Ash could walk away.

She held up a hand. “Please, if you’re going to talk to me about how I can’t possibly understand duty and his choices, save your breath. It’s over. I don’t want to talk about it.”

He grinned. “Okay, so I’m obvious. I just want you two to get past this thing. He’s a good man, Sera.”

“He’s a good soldier and probably a good friend to you. And I said I don’t want to talk about it.”

30

He couldn’t help but smile at the straight line of her back as she left the room.

31