"Fiviel, and at last count, there are four members of the Galactic Alliance ship that are missing."
"And the search teams?"
"Will not be going down until the fires are stopped," Dhomhes said as he came over. "It is still too dangerous down there."
"And our friend is down there, in it."
Dhomhes "Probably not alive."
Khalzin nodded. Hearing the words felt like a stab in his chest. He wanted to take a shuttle down to the jungle floor and start looking right then, but he knew he shouldn't. If there were still live explosives down there, he very well could get killed in the process.
"I prefer to think he's down there, and he's just fine," Stron said. "He's a smart one. He'll figure out how to survive."
Fiviel's mechanical leg was enough to prove that he was not one to quit anything when it got complicated.
"If anyone can, it would be him," Dhomhes said. He glanced around. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go claim the most attractive one here..."
Stron and Khalzin watched him head straight for Roemary.
"That male is not in his right mind if he thinks--" Khalzin said.
"He's only here to prove you wrong," Stron said.
Khalzin raised his eyebrow. "Is that so?"
"Have you ever seen Dhomhes do anything for anyone that didn't serve him as well?"
"You speak the truth," Khalzin said.
"I rather hope he winds up mating with someone, and she hands him his very ass."
They watched him attempt to talk to the silvery-haired female and her dark-haired friend for a moment. A couple of other females started to move toward them.
Khalzin shook his head and glanced at Stron. "How come you don't have a bunch of these females following you around?"
"I am too mean-looking," Stron said.
Khalzin chuckled. His friend was not mean, but when he did not smile, he did look somewhat intimidating. His differently shaped armor made him seem more intense than some other Kantenan males.
"Where is your mate," Stron said. "Maybe she knows another nice girl for me to meet."
"We can find out." He started walking through the crowds. Some females glanced at him, smiled, and even attempted to speak to him, but he kept going. They weaved around people, and the deeper she got into the crowds, the faster he walked, attempting to catch her.
"In a hurry?" Stron asked.
Khalzin slowed and glanced back at his friend. "No, I--" He shook his head. "Maybe I was."
And suddenly, Janae headed off in a sprint.
Khalzin picked up his pace.
She zipped around people until she reached another female at one of the medical treatment areas.
When the other female, a woman with fiery red hair, saw Janae, she leaped off the table, shoving the medic out of her way, and ran to her.
"I thought you'd fallen off!" she said to Janae. "I didn't see you after that!"
"I didn't know where you were, and I didn't know how to find you!" Janae said to her.
