Spider Bight

Chapter Eight

They all gathered on the Tamora Bight’s bridge as they emerged from their jump. The disabled Kal’moran vessel appeared on their scanners immediately upon emerging from their jump.

“Got her,” Ford said. “About two hours away.”

Aaron waved Emi over to the command console and vacated his seat for her. He held out a hand, indicating for her to sit.

Confused, she stared at him. “What?”

He smiled. “I’m just the pilot. You’re the captain,” he teased.

Rolling her eyes, she took his seat. “I’m glad you think this is so funny. What am I supposed to do?”

“Hail the d’Acklan.” He reached out and hit the communications button. “And tell them we’re here.”

Before Emi could respond, she heard a tone indicating a hail. A female voice speaking accented English standard came over the channel. “Kal’moran vessel d’Acklan.”

Emi cleared her throat. “Hi. This is Dr. Emilia Hypatia of the DSMC vessel Tamora Bight. We’ve been sent to assist you back to Kal’moran.”

“You are the captain?”

She started to say no, but Aaron vigorously nodded his head at her. “Um, yes. That’s me. Captain Doctor Hypatia.”

Caph clapped a hand over his mouth and attempted to stifle his laughter. Ford reached over and smacked him on the shoulder. Aaron glared at them and sliced a hand across his throat. Cut it out.

Emi hoped she didn’t burst out laughing.

The other voice spoke again. “Thank you, Captain Hypatia. Or do you prefer the title of Doctor?”

“Doctor’s fine.”

“Very well. I am Commander Ren’yawlkin, in charge of this vessel. Our pilot is Mlaui Mil’rawin, and she will be in charge of the logistics of the tow by your vessel.”

Emi looked at Aaron, glad they were on audio only and not visual. Logistics? she silently mouthed to him.

He nodded at her, waving his hand in a circle at her, indicating for her to continue.

Emi was clueless. She had no idea what logistics were involved. She shrugged at him.

He leaned over and whispered in her ear. “Introduce me as your pilot.”

“Oh!” She clapped a hand over her mouth. Then she spoke loudly enough the com link would pick it up. “My pilot is Aaron Lucio. He’ll be in charge of logistics on our end.” She smiled, proud of herself. Gods, I almost sound like I know what the heck I’m talking about.

There was a pause from the other end. Emi thought maybe they’d lost the com link when Commander Ren’yawlkin said, “I beg your pardon, Dr. Hypatia, but did you say your pilot is a male?”

“Yes.”

Another long moment of silence. “You do not have a female pilot?”

Emi started to reply with a smart-assed remark, but Aaron correctly anticipated Emi’s reaction. He reached over and hit the mute button before she could snark back at the Kal’moran commander. “Don’t get into it with them,” he warned her. “Keep it pleasant. Let it go. They do things differently. It’s okay.”

“No, it’s not okay.”

“It doesn’t matter. We have to deal with it.” He unmuted the connection.

“No,” Emi said, staring at Aaron. “I have an all-male crew.”

“Interesting. Very well. I will instruct my pilot to deal with him. I apologize for my hesitation. We were not expecting a male crew. We are used to dealing with female crews.”

Emi bit off the response she wanted to give in lieu of saying, “Thank you. I’ll put him on.”

He patted Emi on the shoulder and took over. The Kal’moran pilot sounded arrogant and snotty, but Emi gave Aaron credit for maintaining professional, cool detachment despite her reading his rising anger levels during the conversation. When he finished his exchange with the pilot, he signed them off and closed the com link.

Then he took a deep breath and held it a moment before letting it out again.

“You did good, Cap,” Ford said. “I wanted to smack the crap out of her.”

“And that’s why I’m the ‘pilot,’” Aaron shot back.

The twins both gave him mock salutes. “Aye, aye, Pilot,” they said in unison. Even Emi giggled.

Aaron closed his eyes and swore.

By the time the Tamora Bight reached the d’Acklan, most of the logistics had been worked out. The Kal’moran pilot had given Aaron information he’d requested about their ship’s configuration and construction so he could calculate the best way to lock the tractor beam on and their safe towing speed. It took less time to lock on and get underway again than it did for Aaron to patiently dance around the contemptuous Kal’moran pilot’s jabs at his gender.

Once the operation was complete, Aaron closed the com link between the ships. “I’ll be in the gym.” He stormed off the bridge before Emi could stop him.

The deep anger she’d read burbling in him was something she couldn’t remember feeling in him before.

She looked at Ford and Caph.

Ford waved at her to go after him. “I’ll page you if they want to talk to you.”

“Thanks.” Emi hurried down the corridor after Aaron.

“I don’t need to talk it out, Em,” he said as she fell in step just behind him, barely able to keep up with his long, angry strides. “I need to punch something.”

“I’ll spar with you.”

“I don’t want to punch you, babe.”

“Should I have a talk with the commander and ask her to have the pilot lay off the smack talk?”

He stopped so short she nearly ran into him. He took a deep breath before turning. “No.” He leaned against the corridor wall. “It’s just how they are. Some of the treaty races are more tolerant to cultural differences than others. Don’t start an interstellar incident over my ego.”

“Want me to go over and deck her? I will.”

He smiled. “Like you did Graymard?”

“Fucker deserved it.”

He pushed away from the wall and grabbed her in a hug. “I’ll be okay, I promise. I just need to go cool off.”

“And punch something,” she mumbled into his shoulder.

“Yeah. And punch something.” He released her. “Go on back to the bridge and keep the twins out of trouble. I’ll be okay.”

“You sure?”

“Yeah.” He started to walk away. Then he stopped and turned. “I really will be okay, Em. This isn’t a big deal in the grand scheme of things. It’s just…annoying.”

She read it. His anger had already started dissipating. “Okay.”

He gave her a smile before turning and heading to the gym. Emi returned to the bridge, where Ford now sat in the command chair.

“How’d you get so lucky?” she asked.

He stood to make way for her. “Damn Caph threw rock to my scissors,” he grumbled.

“Aw, my poor Ford.”

Ford stuck his tongue out at Caph. “Told him he was first officer, he should take the com.”

“Yeah,” Caph shot back, “and as first I could have ordered you to take it, but I gave you a fair chance.”

“Okay, guys. I’m back. No need to kill each other to stay out of the chair.”

“That Kal’moran pilot’s a real ballbuster,” Caph said. “That’s why Aaron’s the captain. I would have told her to go fuck herself and find another ride back to their planet, she treated me like that.”

“No you wouldn’t have.”

“Yes he would,” Ford said. “So would I. I was about ready to. Man or woman. No reason for someone to be that shitty. They’re not in distress, just stuck in space. They could have cooled their jets for another ship to arrive. They should be glad we’re helping them.”

“What happened to duty and following orders?” she asked them.

“Fuck that shit,” they said in unison before bursting into laughter.