Ah. "And do you want your position back?"
Dopekh shakes his head. "Wouldn't be fair to Kazex. He's been waiting a long time to show you what he can do. He's a good pick, my lord."
I wonder if there's more coloring Dopekh's opinion than that of a crewmate. Is this the one that Dopekh lusts after? Is it another? Or does he blush because he's in my presence? To test this theory, I put a hand on his shoulder, trying to be comfortable with him. Sure enough, his face turns a deeper shade of red.
He is in love with me. Poor sot. He has to know I'm utterly taken with Ruth. I should be kind to him. I give his shoulder a squeeze. "You are a valuable crew member, Dopekh."
"I…thank you, sir?" Confusion moves across his face. "Is something troubling you?"
I'm not used to sharing my thoughts with my men, but Ruth is still sleeping in my quarters—she needs her rest—and perhaps a fresh perspective will help calm the spinning of my mind. "I cannot help but feel that we need a new plan to draw out our attackers."
"The bounty hunters?" Dopekh asks, shifting his weight as if trying to get away from my grasp.
"Yes." I put my arm around his shoulders—like I have seen Adiron and Kaspar do to Mathiras—and force him to walk with me. I will show him some attention and make him feel better about his helpless crush, I decide. Soften the blow a bit with friendship, so to speak. "I know we were planning on heading somewhere and waiting them out, but I don't know where. Our usual haunts seem like a bad idea."
Dopekh nods. "Because we want to keep those places as safe for when we do our normal business. So we need to go somewhere we normally don't. Like…an abandoned station?"
"I suppose." For some reason I'm not keen on the idea. A lot of abandoned stations are taken over by pirates and I've no desire to get into a pissing war with yet another group. "I would actually prefer another station—similar to Prefalon—so Ruth can be comfortable. Food, weapons, and oxygen will be taken care of. Fuel won't be a worry. But I'm not sure she liked the station."
"Why don't you ask her?"
I pause, and Dopekh practically stumbles. "Ask her?" I echo. "Ask her what station she wants to go to?"
"Or not a station," he says, catching himself. "She hasn't seen much of the universe. She's been cooped up on the Star for years. Maybe there's something she'd like to see? Take her someplace appealing? It'd help with the wooing." He tugs at his collar, a little uncomfortable. "If that's appealing to you, that is. I wouldn't presume, my lord."
Ask Ruth where she wants to go. What kind of place she'd like to see. Of course. I'm an idiot. I'm so busy thinking of space bounties and where we can't go that I've stopped considering just where we can go. Maybe she'd like to go somewhere warm? Or cold? Somewhere with a lot more shopping? "Excellent idea, Dopekh. You're an excellent crewmate."
He flinches away, covering his ear with his free hand. "Thank you, sir. If we're done, I'd like to get this filter in."
I pat his shoulder, determined not to do more team-building this time. I don't want to lay it on too thick. "Of course."
62
RUTH
I sniff my dirty, greasy hair and wonder if I have enough strength for a bath.
It's all the way across the room, and in the past, that'd be no problem at all. Not even a blip on my mental radar. Now that I'm recovering, though, it seems so damn far away. It's so much effort to get clean that I stay here in bed, wallowing. I hate being sick. I hate recovering. It doesn't matter that I'm in Straik's comfortable bed now instead of med-bay. I still feel useless and whiny. And bored. So damn bored.
As if Straik can hear my thoughts, he saunters into the room, rubbing his hands. I prop up on one arm in bed, resting my chin on my hand. "You look pleased."
"I'm not," he says, and promptly begins to pace. "Did you know Dopekh's in love with me? Poor fool." He shakes his head, and I can't help but notice that the short, black fuzz on his scalp is getting thicker, like a cap. "I've got to figure out a way to disengage his interests gently, but for now, I've got other things on my mind."
"I'm sorry, Dopekh is in love with you?" I bite my lip, trying not to laugh. I know Dopekh is in love with one of the other a’ani, and that the fact that they share DNA and a face is what’s making his love unrequited. It’s not because he holds a torch for his captain.