that hatch was going to pinch you in half.”
“Damn near did,” Moe said between kisses. “Hurt like the devil, but I’m okay. Nothing a good night’s sleep won’t fix.”
“Speaking of Harlex,” Jack began, “since when have you been teaming up with Nedwuts?”
“Only in the past day or so,” Moe replied. “They actually helped us escape. Turns out they weren’t too happy with the boss man, either.”
“Hmm… Well, I can’t say as I blame them for that,” Jack declared. “This is the sorriest planet I’ve ever been on, and from what I hear, this Pelarus character is responsible for most of the damage.” She glanced toward Klara and Val, obviously taking note of the rifles they were both carrying, before directing her gaze toward Pelarus. “Seems everyone has a grudge of some sort against him. The only question now is which one of us gets to shoot this bastard?”
Klara frowned. “If we shoot him now, how will we ever find all the money he’s stolen?”
Jack rolled her eyes. “I didn’t say we had to kill him, but making sure he doesn’t escape will be a helluva lot easier if he’s, you know, unconscious.”
“Gotcha.” Klara aimed her rifle at Pelarus and smiled. “Nighty-night.”
Pelarus hit the floor in a shower of feathers.
“My, that was satisfying.” Klara had only used a mid-level stun, but it was obviously enough to loosen a few feathers. “Although I wish I’d done that while we were still in the arena. Could’ve saved us a lot of trouble.” She glanced at Moe. “And you a lot of pain.”
Moe shrugged. “I’ll get over it. I always do.”
“One of the perks of being a Zetithian,” Jack grumbled. “Glory may last forever, and scars may look really cool, but for us mere humans, pain sure feels like it lasts forever.”
Klara suspected an inside joke between mother and son—something she now had a lifetime to enjoy. She gave Moe a nudge. “I really like your mother.”
“So do I,” Moe said. “Reminds me of an old song… I want a girl, just like the girl that married dear old dad,” he sang. “Or something like that.”
She had a sneaking suspicion that Moe wasn’t kidding. She’d only met Jack a short time ago, but she could already see similarities between them—which might make for some interesting arguments. They’d already had one minor skirmish when Jack had refused to let Klara climb the ladder when she was beside herself with worry over Moe’s safety. Granted, she understood the need for caution, but still…
Nexbit eyed Pelarus’s inert form with disgust. “What do we do with him now? I’m certainly not carrying—or flying—him down from here. How about we push him over the edge?”
“Not a bad idea, actually,” Moe said. “I’m sure Val would love to do the honors.”
“I would not,” Val said firmly. “If I am going to inflict punishment on him, I will do it when he is awake enough to feel it.”
“Good point.” Jack tapped her chin in a contemplative manner. “I’ve got a decent load-lifter on my ship. We can get him out with that, but we’d better tie him up first.” She tapped her earring, which was a small round stone in a simple setting. “Hey, Cat, if you’re finished locking down the ship, would you please bring us the load-lifter and some rope? Or better yet, bring the chains. You know, the ones you were wearing when I found you in the slave market on Orpheseus Prime?”
“How could I possibly forget?” a male voice drawled, seemingly from out of nowhere. “I’ll be there as soon as I can.”
Jack grinned at Klara’s bemused expression. “Darconian comstone,” she said, tapping her earring again. Turning her head, she indicated the other earring. “This one is a glowstone, although I have to be careful with it. Sitting that close to my eyes, it can be a little too bright.”
Klara felt genuine—and very welcome—laughter bubbling up inside her. Was this truly what her life would be like from now on? She certainly hoped so, as it was a pleasant change from living as a fugitive in the Barrens. To be able to go anywhere in the galaxy—places where green plants grew and wildlife flourished would be heavenly compared with her life on Haedus Nine.
And, of course, there was Moe.
She gave him another nudge and whispered, “When you were telling me about Val, you neglected to mention what a looker he is.”
Moe grinned. “Didn’t think it would matter. Does it?”
Taking in the Avian’s tall, bare-chested form, the glistening