Hitting the intercom, he bellowed, “Jade!”
“Sir?” she replied instantly.
“Where are you?”
“Engineering bay.”
“Stay put. I’m coming to see you.”
* * *
By the time he appeared, she’d nearly finished reassembling the food processor.
Mason strode toward the workbench, a renewed look of purpose on his face and a confidence to his swagger—fuck, he was hot! She froze, not in fear, but because often when he had that look it was usually about her, the burning fire he would quench in her wetness. Since she’d opened up to him, he aced her every time and she’d no reason to deny him. However, he halted by the bench, kept his distance, and rolled his eyes, smirking softly.
“Food defiler working again?” he asked. He’d adopted her sense of humor and it suited him.
“Yep, just needed a thorough clean.”
They’d visited a small space station orbiting a docile planetoid and stocked up on real food, as in fresh and edible without having to spin it through a processor. It had been a joint trip with both of them shopping for supplies: new clothes and a few other consumables needed on Titan. Mason had an allowance to spend and he had been generous with it.
Unfortunately, the best of the fresh food had been eaten and they were relying on the processor once again.
“You look animated,” she remarked. The sparkle in his eyes burned, piercing right through her and igniting a sparkle of excitement. The butterflies continued to storm into her belly.
“News. Krul,” said Mason, “the last fugitive, has been located on a planet. I’ve altered course and we should be there in a few days if the engines can keep up max speed.”
“They can,” she declared proudly. The interceptor was running at optimum and capable of folding space at twice the rate it had done when Mason had captured her.
“Good. We’re going to Kathamu.” He folded his arms.
“The paradise planet? Lush green canopies and—”
“Yeah,” he grimaced. “It’s hot, humid, and crawling with creatures.”
She sidled up to him, wiping her grubby hands on her overalls, and offered him her sweetest smile. “Please, may I come?”
He maintained the rigid pose. “Absolutely not.”
“I’ll be a good girl,” she chirped, rocking forward on her toes.
“Staying here will show me your obedience. Fail this command and our future is in jeopardy.”
He meant it.
She swallowed back a protest. “If that is what you wish, then of course, sir, I’ll remain here.”
His features softened and he bent a little to kiss the crown of her head. “I’m doing this to keep you safe, sweetheart. Krul is deadly. I’m the only marshal who has ever showed any interest in getting him.”
Resigned to her fate, she shrugged off the disappointment. “What’s your plan?” She slotted the last piece of the processor back in place.
“I’m taking the Steadfast down to the surface of the planet to his last known location. It will need a maintenance check before I take it out.”
The Steadfast was the Titan’s own shuttle, which wasn’t docked next to Callo’s
or Stealth, but hung in a birth beneath the interceptor. The Steadfast was ideal for short runs to planets, because the interceptor couldn’t land on the planet—it needed a docking port. Kathamu was a primitive planet with no docking facilities. The Steadfast wasn’t fast like Stealth and it had limited space—it could hold one person in confinement and little else.
“Sure,” she said. “I’ll get onto it tomorrow.”