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A close-fitting dusky blue jacket hugged her figure, nipping in at the waist before flaring out
and ending at her hips. Below that, she wore a long, full ivory skirt--a skirt!--and soft boots. Her
hair was pulled back severely from her face and coiled at the back, although its distinctive copper
color shone in the sunlight.
Copper! Hungrily, his eyes roamed her features, recognizing the large amber eyes and high
cheekbones, the lush lips and slender throat. Asha! He stiffened in shock, then forced himself to
relax, and shuttered the expression on his face.
From the ship, a voice blared.
We come in peace and bring an envoy of the ruling party of the planet known as Fa
Drunn.
Tangus heard the murmurs start up behind his back as the Cirlian Formal words sank in.
We believe you have met her before--Lady Arais Innan Cybar sun-Abrengo, niece to the
Dowager Eminence, ruler of Fa Drunn.
Lady? Niece? Ruler? Beside him, Daurent groaned. I think we re in a lot of trouble,
commander.
They re only one ship, Daurent, Tangus countered in a low voice. What can they do?
And wished he believed his own words.
The small group moved towards him, then parted, and she stepped forward.
Tangus.
Your name is obviously not Asha, he replied, but I don t think I caught all of it.
Arais will do. Her eyes searched his, looking for a splinter of softness, anything that
would tell her he was glad to see her, that he had missed her, but she saw nothing.
Niece to the ruler of ... a planet? A system? An empire? And he could have cheerfully
blown his brains out right there and then in the mild afternoon sunshine.
A system, but it really only has one habitable planet. She looked around, trying to come
up with a conversational opener. But seeing where you settled your people, perhaps we should
start exploring the two gas giants in our own system.
She attempted a smile, but it faltered in the face of his stoniness.
Is there something we can do for you, your Highness?
The proper term on my world is my lady .
He nodded curtly. My lady, then. If you need supplies, we ll gladly share what little we
have and see you on your way.
Hadn t he missed her at all? Who was this grim stranger standing in front of her, wounding
her with each impersonal word and glance?
Daurent stepped forward, looking from one to the other. Perhaps we can move somewhere
a bit more comfortable? There was no response. Daurent cleared his throat and tried again.
Commander, I think the situation is & ah & under control. Perhaps we should stand down
our teams?
A tic worked in Tangus jaw, and for a moment, Ari thought he was going to manhandle her
up the ramp and back into her ship but he just clenched his fists.
Yes. Do it.
With relief, the sub-commander signaled a stand-down, and at Ari s gesture, so did her
team. But her eyes were still locked with Tangus, probing, seeking ... not finding.
Commander, I really do believe we ll be more comfortable somewhere else.
Tangus thought quickly. The canteen was too open and they had not yet constructed any
THE COMMANDER S SLAVE KS Augustin 1
smaller common rooms. Usually when groups wanted to get together, they chose a spare patch of
outside ground and just sat down there. By the Creator, even having Ash-Arais on the moon was
enough to expose, once again, their lack of preparedness.
My quarters, he ground out, then turned on his heel and led the way, seemingly not caring
if anyone followed.
Daurent watched his commander s stiff back, then turned to Ari.
Your & um & rescue affected him, he told her as they slowly walked in his wake. Don t
think it didn t. No reply. He s been trying to hold us together, but without any hope, it s getting
more and more difficult. He didn t need to add that, with Ari s shiny and sleek vessel arriving, his
task had just gotten that much harder. She could read between the lines.
Tangus quarters. She had thought of nothing else for weeks, the angles of the recycled
sheet-metal door etched into her memory.
She turned to the head of her three-person security team.
Sergeant Gamlez, could you and your soldiers wait outside, please?
She could tell the grizzled veteran, one of very few males who had reached his fifties, was
not happy.
My lady, I have strict orders from the dowager. If anything should happen to you & .
Nothing will happen to me. She laid a hand on his arm. Please.
There was a charged silence.
We ll stay outside, he finally conceded. But I will enter if I hear anything suspicious.
Agreed. Daurent?
I think I ll stay outside with your escort.
Very well.
The quarters hadn t changed, although there was an untidiness to everything that hadn t
been there before. She glanced briefly at the bed, remembering hot, willing nights of passion, then
over at Tangus. He had seated himself in a chair facing the door, and as she approached, she once
more felt as she had when she was his captive--unsure yet a little excited.
I m sorry I don t have any place more befitting your ... station, he said, watching her with
hooded eyes.
It never bothered me before, she replied.
No, I suppose there were too many other things that bothered you. Did she realize how
aloof she looked to him? Unapproachable and somehow above him while he groveled below on the
dusty earth. He had never felt so dirty in his life. Why had she come? Revenge? To flaunt her
obvious status in front of him and prove to him, in undeniable fashion, that she didn t need him
anymore? He didn t need her for that. He had felt the truth in his bones for weeks now and there
was nothing she could say that would make him feel any worse than he did already.
Tangus, stop, she reproached gently. Do you know why I m here?
No, he couldn t remain seated. His body demanded an outlet for his nervous energy. Swiftly
he rose and moved to the window in the rear of his quarters, half-turning away from her.
Somehow I don t think it s to continue where we left off.
No, but I was hoping for something better.
Better? He did glare at her then, his eyes searing chips of black stone. What could be
better, Asha & Arais, he quickly corrected himself. Now even her name had been taken from him
and replaced by something magnificent but achingly distant. How can it be better to come back
and remind me of just what I can no longer provide for my men? I hope you re not intending to
make this a regular stop so we can work through our mutual frustrations, because quite frankly, as
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