Wrapped her tiny arms around him.
Nothing felt quite as good as the feel of her touching him. Knowing she was there, he thought that everything would be fine. They would figure out all the details.
Whatever they were.
And he certainly had some questions.
For now, she was safe.
That was the important thing.
He needed to get Bianca to Sol-3 to be checked over and possibly treated. They still believed she had some injuries that the nanites were not healing fast enough. Because Eleanor was concerned, he found himself equally concerned about getting her friend to safety.
Eleanor went back to the central portion of the transport, where the other injured ambassador was, and Wrathin took the open copilot chair.
"Let us move," Wrathin said.
"Back home," Jedriek answered.
The transport arched hard for the sky, even as the enemies on the ground fired at the ship. Jedriek fired back what he could. Wrathin helped him fly, joining him in the cockpit as soon as the vessel began to move.
It was enough to keep them back.
Jedriek glanced back and could see Eleanor leaning over the older female, helping her be more comfortable.
"What is that relationship?" he wondered--though he must have been around too many humanoids, for he didn't intend to speak it out loud.
"She's basically her mother. Or has been, for the last twelve years," the other female, Veta, said. She stood behind Wrathin, who had taken the copilot seat.
"Is she an empress too?" Jedriek asked.
Veta shook her head. "She was the Lady in Waiting for the Empress until she died. Then, Bianca became a governess for the girls to help raise them." Veta glanced back at Bianca. "Story goes, she felt guilt over not being with the Empress when she died, so she took care of the girls out of guilt."
Jedriek nodded. "Obligation can create guilt."
"Yep," Veta said and headed back to check on the others, leaving Jedriek alone with Wrathin. Wrathin followed her with his eyes. Jedriek could tell the Craving drove him hard for the warrior woman.
Good.
Good for him to find someone who pleased him.
Jedriek stared at Eleanor.
He'd heard her speaking in the chamber before about how she could not be with him.
And it made a sad hole in his heart. Something deep and powerful, and, well, he wasn't sure what it was.
It was most unpleasant.
Complex emotions, that much he knew. The kind that created complications in his programming. Being a younger version of the Rhimodian cyborgs, difficult emotions should have been able to work with better. He should be able to better adapt to new situations that the cyborgs came across.
Yet, these feelings were different.
More than compassion for fellow humanoids--like he had when it came to the boy on Disguised Serenity. This was more intense, what he felt for Eleanor. The Craving was powerful, but it was broader than that. The Craving was a primal need. This was more encompassing than just mating desires.
Primal mating desires could be squelched with any female. This was something that only seemed to be fulfilled with Eleanor.
Yet, she felt it was not possible to be with him.
