Everyone on this ship, she realized looking around, was a problem. Individually, they might not appear like the threat she knew they must be, but together, their auras were compounded. If she saw them in a bar, she’d immediately steer clear, knowing they must be trouble.
That was probably why it felt so weird to sit amongst them. She’d never been part of any clique, much less the clique you didn’t fuck with. But that’s exactly what this was.
She also didn’t know why Sway insisted they weren’t friends. Looking at them all together, seeing them interact with each other, they couldn’t be anything but the best of friends and brothers.
There was a comfort amongst them that only years together could forge. They didn’t need to speak to each other to know where they were sitting, who would remain standing, or what role they needed to play. They didn’t bother with niceties like ‘please’ or ‘excuse me’, they just made space for each other, were comfortable squished into each other.
And they made room for the females.
Grace had been in space for years. She was familiar with the deference that males naturally paid females out here, but that didn’t really mean she was used to it. It was like what the ideal of gentlemanly chivalry was romanticized to be. There was some variation based on species, but on the whole, females were catered to more than she was accustomed to on Earth. Covor was an odd exception. She hadn’t experienced anyone like him since leaving her home system.
An exception only made more stark when she compared him to the guys around her now.
None of them sat down until the three of them did. They made sure to give them room at the window they chose to crowd around, then they all sat around them. They weren’t staring, but they had their attention. They weren’t talking to each other but instead were just letting the girls be excited without comment.
They didn’t all have to come. The delivery itself could be handled by just a few of them, but they weren’t even making the delivery yet. Tanin had to meet with his contact first to confirm he was the recipient and finish out payment. That didn’t require the whole squad.
But the girls were all going, and, in Grace’s experience with groups, that meant the guys would all be going as well. The colony should be safe, but they were still unknown, and the females were the weakest, most vulnerable of their party. The guys just naturally gathered around them.
And they would do it on the surface too. Regardless of where they went. Did Garnet and Goldie even notice yet? It was clear to Grace, but that was only because she’d been away from Earth for so long, and she knew how males operated out here.
What really surprised her was that they were doing it at all. These were thugs from Rik-Vane. Theylookeddangerous, especially all gathered together. There was an edge to each of them that couldn’t quite be disguised. Sway alone looked harmless, but that relied heavily on his species and the inherent assumption of pacifism that being a farasie brought him. When he was with the others, seated amongst them like he belonged, and she stopped judging him by his species, Grace could see what she had been blinded to before.
Though Sway had a polite smile on his face, there was an awareness to him. The rough skin of his knuckles was just a bit too calloused. His body too muscular. His gaze too sharp. At first glance, and especially alone, he didn’t give off any red flags.
But sitting with the others, blending in with them, there was an air about him that seemed just as dangerous as everyone else.Maybe even more so in some respects, specifically because your initial thought would be to discount him.
He caught her staring and cocked his head curiously. She smiled back at him before focusing through the window on the approaching space port.
It was a small thing, meant exclusively for landing shuttles. This kind of place wouldn’t be able to accommodate proper starships, even ones that typically had planetary capabilities. Tanin, up front, was communicating with the ground team who were guiding him in for a landing.
The beautiful, glittering white buildings, practically glowing in the light of day, surrounded them as they came in towards the landing pad. Grace and Garnet and Goldie were all gathered around the window, each of them trying to see as much as possible but still be courteous of the others.
After they touched down, and the view was blocked by the landing shuttles around them, no one moved to leave at first. They waited until Tanin stood, turning to give them orders.
“Welcoming party is en route,” he said, stepping past everyone, needing to turn sideways to make it through them. The others automatically moved out of his way, giving him room. “My contact is going to be with them. They’ve agreed that we can linger on the planet. I told them that Sway is a former trafficking victim that freed himself and is interested in learning about their group. They won’t ask questions for fear of poking at your trauma, so that much of a backstory is enough of a cover. Keep us updated if you expand on it.”
“Yes, captain,” Sway said easily, accepting the cover story without comment. Not like it was even really a lie.
“The rest of you, best behavior.” Tanin stopped at the back where the door was dropping, turning into a ramp that connected to the stony ground. “And keep alert. I don’t know when we’ll be going back. Keep your emergency beacons at hand. Stay in contact. Loyalty, you keep in contact with Sway, he’ll let you know when we’re going to be taking off again. I’ll make sure you aren’t left behind.”
“Thank you,” Loyalty, who was in the corner, very obviously separated from the rest of the guys and outside of the protective circle formed around Grace and the girls, inclined his head.
Grace was listening, but the majority of her focus was outside the ship. As the shuttle ramp lowered, hitting the ground with a dull, loud thud, fresh, florally scented air rushed in. It was so bright outside, it burned her eyes in the best way. The orange sun overhead was lighting up the entire world like she hadn’t seen in far too long and didn’t realize how much she missed until just that moment.
Garnet was the first of the girls out, rushing after Tanin, Goldie and Grace following after. The avanava twins and Trove flanked their sides as they stepped down the ramp, the others bringing up the rear only until they had space to spread out, once again forming their protective circle around the girls.
It was so neat and practiced. Like they had done something similar a dozen times before. Or maybe they were just that good at communicating with each other with only a look.
But Grace was too busy staring around at everything too care. The stone and chrome city was bright and beautiful, covered in tarps and tents and drapes of a variety of different colors and patterns. All of them of the same style – the farasie style. The largest building in the center rose up like an ancient temple inthe days of its prime. Only the obelisks were taller, out there in the distance just outside the border wall of the city, beyond which lay the bright greenery of trees that were much,muchtaller than they had appeared while coming in.
There weren’t many other shuttles on the landing pads that were all clustered together, connected by stone paths that were rimmed with short bushes covered in pretty, white flowers. There were a few people wandering around, but they weren’t paying them any mind. As the group moved forward, however, from down the main path approached a brightly colored group of farasie that were aiming right for them.
Upon spotting the crowd, Grace automatically looked to Sway. His expression was as calm as ever, his innocuous smile still settled delicately on his face. But when she reached out, sliding her fingers through his, she felt the tension in his grip.
He was nervous, though he was trying not to show it.
Grace stepped closer to him, offering a genuine smile of her own. Telling him without saying anything that she was right here. He wanted her to be involved, to get in his way. Well, if he needed her to run interference, she would be happy to do it.
