Cali braced her hands on the bar as she leaned closer to Vaine to say, "I don't care if you're the datter of the rukking High Navarch. You're on the restricted list. You pay, or you don't drink."
Males moved out of the way early in the confrontation because Vaine's tail began to swish from side-to-side angrily, so no one was close enough to stop her when she pulled her fist back and swung at Cali.
Taarig set his drink down when Vaine approached, his instincts telling him he'd need his hands free. When Vaine's tail began moving, he'd risen to his feet, knowing it signaled that a Phoc was about to attack. Before he could jump over the bar, Vaine threw a punch.
Cali had been prepared for Vaine's swing, had known it was coming before Vaine probably did. After all, she hadn't been born yesterday, and she had older brothers. As Vaine's fist came toward her face, Cali ducked and swung out her own arm, but instead of trying to block Vaine's arm, she connected with the outside of it and redirected it back toward Vaine.
"Ruk!" Vaine swore and stumbled back as her own fist plowed into the side of her face. Before she could shake it off and come at Cali again, Tay was there, his massive arms wrapping around her, lifting her off her feet.
"Cali, you okay?" he asked.
"I'm good," she reassured him.
"Let me the ruk go, you Galaian bastard!" Vaine demanded, struggling in Tay's arms.
"What do you want me to do?" Tay asked, unaffected by Vaine's struggle.
"That's it, Vaine. You just got yourself banned. Good luck getting a drink on any Star Base now." Her gaze went to Tay. "Get her out of here."
∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞
Taarig waited until they were alone in a lift before asking, "I take it that wasn't the first time Vaine has given you trouble."
Cali gave a humorless laugh. "No. She's been trying to get around being on the restricted list ever since I put her on it. Last night she even tried to get a Hogg to buy her drink."
"A Hogg?" He couldn't keep the shock or concern out of his tone.
"Yeah, it seems she hoped I'd be intimidated enough to let it slide. I wasn't."
"And the Hogg just accepted your refusal?" That didn't sound like any Hogg Taarig had ever met. They were notoriously short-tempered over the slightest perceived insult.
"Not at first, but a large glass of Apreian skotsk served with no ice changed that."
Taarig grimaced at the thought of drinking Apreian skotsk warm.
"Hamm turned out to be a pretty decent male."
"Hamm?" He frowned at her, never having heard that name before.
"The Hogg male. His name is Hamm. He'd only been on the base a few hours when Vaine came up and sat down next to him in The Brink."
"So, he didn't know."
"No, and once he did, he told Vaine what he thought of her. Man, did that piss her off!"
When the doors of the lift opened to the Command Level, Taarig guided her out and down the corridor to Jamis’s office. Cali ignored the looks she was getting from those they passed. She knew they were all questioning why she was there and why Taarig had his hand on the small of her back. At this time of day, they wouldn't have wondered why any other female was heading to the Commander's quarters. But she was Earthan, and that changed everything. She tried not to let that upset her.
Taarig didn't request permission before entering the Base Commander's office. He just put his hand on the bio-scanner then gestured for her to precede him when the door slid open. He guided her across the room that looked as it had the last time she'd been in it to another door. After touching another bio-scanner, they entered Jamis’s private quarters.
Cali let her gaze travel over Jamis’s private domain. It was large by Coalition standards, not as large as hers, but still large enough for there to be several couches and chairs, all pushed close to the walls. A table with domed covers now sat in the center of the carpeted room, with three chairs around it.
"You're late," Jamis said sharply from where he stood across the room, then silently cursed himself. He hadn't meant for his words to come out like that. He had planned on showing Cali just how smooth and charming he could be. But he was nervous. Gods! Him! A Star Base Commander. An Apre. All because of