Shit-stirrers, all of them.
When Honnor turned to their partner with an expectant stare, Bron elaborated,“I’ll simply leak that a few Irathian survivors managed to escape with the asset. Let their planet be the target for a while.”
Ice cold.
“Were there any survivors?” I grinned, already knowing the answer.
“No.”Bron chuckled.“Worthy opponents for Stellarians are almost as rare as karnilian.”
“Be careful of imperial blind spots,” Ziggy murmured under his breath, but before I could reply, he raised his voice and addressed the hologram. “I’ll send our current coordinates so you can transfer the prisoner to our custody.”
The space dads signed off and the line went dead, leaving us in silence once again.
“Zig…” I swiveled my chair to face him. “What happened when you were inside Pedro? Are you okay?—”
“Nothing,” he snapped, abruptly standing and staring straight ahead to the endless galaxy beyond. “I’m fine.”
He obviouslywasn’t,but I knew from experience, my man only talked through his issues when he was good and ready. So I begrudgingly gave him the space he needed and nodded once before following him from the cockpit to prepare for our newprisoner.
And for whatever comes next.
16
MICAH
Apparently, what came next was Ziggy looking like a Wookie.
While Ihadflipped through his skinsuit closet from end to end at this point, my body-snatching alien’s ‘outfits’ were encased in carbonite when not in use. This shrink-wrap effect either left nothing up to the imagination or more questions than answers, depending on whether the vessels were covered in skin, scales, or fur.
Or a Sasquatch-level pelt.
Which… I’m not hating…
“Dang, Zig. If you wanted me to roll all over you like a bearskin rug, all you had to do was ask,” I teased, eye-fucking his full furry splendor, knowing it would get a reaction from my man.
He didn’t disappoint. Ziggy’s ferociously furry face morphed into a grumpy scowl before he replied in the trade language. “Presenting myself as a Borque seemed appropriate for our current situation. They are a fierce but relatively peaceful species Hydrassians will be familiar with and, therefore,comfortableencountering in their world.”
I nodded solemnly, drinking in how he chose to attach the baby sling tohimselffor the mission ahead. It also didn’t escape my notice that Pedro was gurgling up a storm in my arms, reaching for Ziggy with clawed grabby hands.
“Makes sense,” I breezily replied. “And it’s just a happy accident you chose a skinsuit that looks as close to a certain someone as possible, hmm?”
I see you.
After quickly checking the karnilian-masking shields I’d created for Pedro before we allowed the Hydrassian on board, I handed our furbaby to theirfavorite—furry—space dad, before staring at Ziggy expectantly.
“It crossed my mind that choosing a visually similar skinsuit might help disguise what Pedro is to those unfamiliar with Trols,” Ziggy huffed as he focused on settling his Mini-Me into their cozy kangaroo pouch. “This is an intel-gathering mission, so I’d rather not engage in combat unless necessary.”
We have wildly different definitions of “necessary” when it comes to violence.
My attention snagged on another part of his redirection. “Okay, but… wouldn’t it be safe to assume Hydrassians are familiar with Trols? At least the elders will be, right?”
Ziggy cocked his head. “Yes. However, between your shields masking the karnilianand Pedro staying out of sight, it should be assumed they’re nothing but my—our—offspring.”
I seeeee youuuu….
“We could also leave Pedro on the ship,” I continued teasing, physically unable to give this poor man a break. “I managed to get the nanny bot up and running?—”
“Well,Iwould prefer to test out the nanny bot while we’re present,” Ziggy sniffed, trying so hard to act indifferent. “To ensure everything functions correctly.”
