Page 19 of Advance and Retreat (Dark Empire #6)

As soon as it did, she flung herself at the Dramok who entered ahead of his clanmates.

Imon caught her easily and swung her up in his arms. “It’s okay.

She’s okay,” he whispered as he took her to the couch.

He sat and cuddled her to his chest. Feru and Wovir sat on either side of them, stroking Toni’s face and arms to comfort her.

“I know Stacy’s safe. The news vids said so, and she answered my twentieth com, thank heavens. To see her under attack, to see how close she came to dying...” Toni’s frantic speech faded on a hitched breath. A tear escaped, though she’d been certain she’d cried herself empty an hour before.

“It’s terrifying to see someone you love threatened by violence,” Feru agreed. “Worse than being threatened yourself.”

“And here I’d downloaded an application to go on the Coydidak expedition. So much for that.”

Their eyes widened. “You’re applying to go?” A ghost of a smile eased Wovir’s feral expression.

“I thought I was. I’m unsure what I could possibly be qualified for on such a mission or if I’d want any job they’d offer. All I can say for sure is I don’t want to be an education administrator or a teacher.” She shook her head almost violently and was rewarded by a bout of dizziness.

Through the drumbeat of her pulse in her ears, she heard Imon say, “If you were to come, it would remove my last real reservation when it comes to leaving known space.”

The room ceased rocking. Toni looked at his hopeful features and those of the other two. They were as interested in her as she was in them?

She dismissed the impossibility. “And your families? Parents?”

The trio exchanged looks. “Part of what brought us together was having no strong ties to our parent clans,” Feru said carefully. “A tale for another day, perhaps.”

“When we’re more confident about where this is going,” Imon added smoothly. “Which we’d be able to explore thoroughly if you meet the expedition requirements.”

“I do have strong ties to my mother and sister,” Toni said, quelling her curiosity about their pasts to pursue her concerns.

“How can I even consider leaving them behind forever? Especially now, when Stacy needs me? After the attempt on her life, the last thing she deserves is me skipping out on her.”

“Only you can determine the right balance of your needs versus family life,” Feru said. “The fact you’ve considered applying, however, points toward what you feel your future should be. And yes, I’m trying very hard not to allow my personal wishes color my advice.”

The group chuckled at his admission. “I might be selfish in that respect too,” Imon agreed. “Better not rely on us to make recommendations.”

“It probably doesn’t matter,” Toni sighed.

“The Coydidak have no children, and I’ve heard they’re suspicious of Earthers.

Even if I did want to teach, I doubt we’d have many kids at the start for me to do so.

I’m trying to get out of education, for heaven’s sake.

I can’t imagine I’d have anything else to offer. ”

“Don’t be so sure,” Imon said. He reluctantly allowed her to leave his lap.

..she was just as unenthusiastic to do so, but she found his nearness too distracting for the conversation.

He leaned close when she perched on the edge of the table in front of the sofa.

“You see, the Coydidak themselves are traders and entertainers. Sure, they have other skills, but traveling and getting by so they don’t have to be part of society are their main goals. ”

“They’re decent engineers and mechanics,” Wovir noted. “They’ve had to be to keep their old ships flying. They might lose those abilities thanks to the new and refurbished vessels the empire is giving them, however.”

“In short, as much as they’ve knocked around a galaxy or two, scientific exploration and research isn’t their forte. They’re damned good survivors, but they need people in every discipline imaginable. I imagine there’s a place for you.” Imon beamed confidence at Toni.

“One of my roles as a psychologist is helping people explore their aptitudes.” Feru’s tone had a musing note, as if he were thinking out loud. “I can administer tests to see what you’d be better geared toward since education seems to have become a dead end.”

“I’d have to be trained in any new career,” Toni pointed out. “There’s no time for me to go back to college.”

“You’d be surprised at how life experience might make up for formal education. If you have a natural knack for engineering, nursing, or any valuable discipline, you could potentially train on the job.”

“I can’t imagine anything I could do in those realms. All I’ve accomplished is making lesson plans and convincing unruly kids to pay attention.” Toni sighed.

“You do have one advantage you aren’t taking into account.” Wovir’s brow arched at her.

“Which is?”

“You’re a female of a certain age. While the architects of this mission prefer the Earther women to contribute to the project in a professional sense, there’s a bigger consideration.”

She scowled. “I’m not an incubator. I’ve dealt with enough kids to know I might like one, perhaps two at some point, but it’s still a maybe. If I do have children, we’re talking the distant future. The very distant future.”

“Good to hear. We’ve been ambivalent on the question of children ourselves for various reasons,” Imon noted.

“Mostly due to not being able to take care of a lifebringer, thanks to our constant fleet deployments.”

Toni thought Feru had rushed that information a bit defensively.

Since talking about kids felt like putting the cart before the horse at this stage of their relationship, she set the notion aside.

“Look, I’m well aware a big consideration of this mission is to continue the pureblood Earther and hybrid-Kalquorian species if the All succeeds in wiping out everyone else.

I take issue with it being the only consideration, though. ”

“Hey, it never even came up on my sensors...or as your people say, on my radar,” Imon assured her. “You’re far more than a baby creator.”

“My tests would help you verify your qualifications to the selection committee,” Feru insisted. “You’re smart as hell, Toni. You’d be of use to the expedition, your ability to provide children aside.”

“But people are trying to kill my sister. I can’t go now.” As their faces fell at her assertion, she realized she was as disappointed as they were.

It made her realize that until the assassination attempt on Stacy, Toni had been eager to take a chance on the Coydidak. It had felt like the new beginning her soul had cried out for. Losing the opportunity left a void in her gut.

Losing the chance to really get to know Clan Imon was forfeiting a greater possibility than she’d anticipated.

I can’t leave Stacy. Not now. Sticking close was just as imperative.

Swallowing her disappointment, Toni reached for the little opportunity she could see. “Would you still give me those aptitude tests, Feru? Just because I can’t strike out for unexplored realms doesn’t mean I can’t find a better direction to travel here on familiar ground.”

He smiled and took her hand. He kissed it. “Of course. I’d be glad to.”

* * * *

K alquor

“What percentage of actual involvement would you say you had in the development, research, and implementation of the Lorenz Long-Distance Com System?”

Laughter didn’t glare, but she did fix a level stare at the Kalquorian wearing the unfriendly expression. What was it with the Nobeks she was forced to talk to? Were they all assholes, or was she simply unlucky?

Her voice as direct as her gaze, she repeated the statements she’d already spoken at least half a dozen times during her interview.

“I conceived the initial design on my own. Except for a very few minor enhancements perfected by my team, who were under my direction, it’s entirely my project.

I supervised all aspects of its growth from concept to final execution.

It bears my name, Nobek Signis, a rather strong hint of my input.

” When the jerk continued to stare unimpressed, she allowed the slightest of snarls to invade her voice.

“A conservative... very conservative...percentage of my involvement would be ninety percent.”

She’d had all the answers to the questions the Coydidak leaders had thrown at her during the interview in a nondescript conference room located in a lower floor of Kalquor’s Government House.

Dramok Rorix and Nobek Signis...especially Signis.

..had been obvious in their attempts to trip her up by asking insanely difficult questions.

They might have rattled her had she not practically lived in the design lab, especially during the year after her father had died and she’d depended on her work to keep from shaking to pieces.

As it was, she knew the LLDC system as well as her own reflection. Better, in fact. She had no clue how many millimeters separated her eyes or the specific components making up her skin’s atomic cell structure. She knew everything about her namesake com system.

It had been obvious from the outset Rorix and Signis were resistant to having her on the mission.

She had no idea why, but her guess was stupid male misogyny.

Fortunately or not, she’d been born and raised on Mercy, a bastion of bigotry against women.

She was more than adept at holding her own against the fragile male egos that quaked when a competent female showed up to challenge them.

Whether it took knocking them down or outlasting them, she’d managed to remove the obstacles thrown in her path.

Outlasting this pair wasn’t an option, however.

The expedition would set off in a matter of weeks, and Laughter had to be aboard it.

She was forced to bulldoze them using her impeccable credentials, to the point of minimizing her excellent team’s work on the LLDC.

It sucked to do so. She held her fellow engineers in the highest regard.