Dana Cartwright Mission 3: Kal-King by Joyz W. Riter

life. From that mission onward, her career faltered. Macao was her hero; one of the very few commanding officers that had left an indelible mark upon her.  
    Kieran couldn’t tell her it was a ruse…a lie.
    He left the bed, to protect himself as much as to protect her, withdrawing telepathically and physically his offer of communion. “You were right. I have too many secrets.”  
    He turned away and went to shower, taking his toiletries kit with him.

    Dana felt cold, and no amount of blankets could break the chill. She shed more tears, something Janz Macao would not approve of, for he disliked weepy females. While Kieran showered, she rolled out of bed, tentatively flexing the muscles of her left leg, sighing when she felt no pain. For that she was thankful.
    A wardrobe of stylish clothing awaited her, even a very expensive solar cloak. She took up her old, crumpled jumpsuit waiting for disposal, shook off the dust and wrinkles and slid back into it, even into her old boots. She left her hair loose and tangled, gathering up the rest of her belongings.  
    Beside her backpack and link-reader were three one thousand credit notes, and a new, Sterillian blade much like the jeweled stiletto Kieran had gifted her fourteen years ago. She left it all untouched. Taking anything more from him would make her little better than the women who lined the plaza hoping for a rich spacer to come along.
    She took nothing of his as she slipped out the door and made her escape. Kieran could easily find her again. His SSID credentials allowed him access to all of her personal and personnel files. She just needed some time to think, without the mind-numbing painkillers dulling her brain.  
    Had they consummated the Alphan mating ritual and formed a mind-link, he would be with her forever. She dared to wonder what it would be like to know   every hidden thing about Commodore Kieran Jai; to look in the mirror and see him there. All his past memories…all the past missions…and current ones… Of course, the reverse was true, too. He would know her darkest memories, though they clearly did not compare.
    What would it be like to never be alone? Ever? Until death? Stop it, Dana! You're not ready to share that part of yourself!
    She escaped the resort hotel, taking a robo-cab to the promenade, with her pack slung over her shoulder. Except for her hair, and the rust-colored jumpsuit, she could blend into the scurrying evening crowds.  
    “What I really need is a meal, but I can’t go back to the marketplace.”
    The lounge served small plates of passably good cheese and crackers, and simple vegan dips with palatable vegetables, for a reasonable price. That would put her close to Spacer’s Haven right about at dawn.
    The lounge overflowed with fresh faces. She couldn’t find a table, just a barstool at the very back near the server station. It gave her a moderately good view of the bar patrons and kept her in the shadows.
    Quite a few men seated at the bar were humans. A couple even had Earth star liner insignias. One dark-haired, dark-eyed gentleman gave her a wink and a smile as he pointed to a stool beside him, vacated by a bulky towhead.
    I’m double your age , she thought, but decided to take him up on his offer.
    “Thanks… Crowded this morning,” she whispered into his ear, as she sat on the stool and slid her backpack down between her knees.
    “We just got in. Big conference coming up in a few days. Brought lots of security types and special services,” he responded. “I’m Rick.”
    “Dana,” she told him and he offered another smile, staring but not mentioning her mismatched eyes. She wondered how long it would take before he noticed them.
    She caught the bartender’s attention and ordered a cheap draft beer and a plate of nibbles.
    “What about you?” He asked, just making small talk, during the lulls in the blaring music, well, what T-town locals called music.
    “I brought a private in with an Ambassador.” She