Then she raised herself up and I couldn’t decide, if the tears were of despair or anger, she held her head and ran her fingers along the gems rubbing them crazily staring at me as they started to glow I backed away.
‘Stop that’ I yelled, Tan interrupted me ‘Princess your weapon is ineffective and I know why, but most of all I want to tell you something, that may save your life. You need to rest then we talk again.’
Taking hold of my arm, she pulled me away from Cistera, still looking at me, she went back to Cistera and wiped her face and mouth, clearing away the remaining drying sick then offered her a drink of water, all the time she remained looking at me, her eyes opening and closing until they remained closed. Tan laid her gently down, activated the covers, covered her. Within minutes she was sleeping.
I headed off to the cleanser unit. The smell was still overpowering from the gratuitous gift the Princess had donated, at me. Returning, somewhat refreshed and smelling distinctly sweeter I sat down next to Tan. “Its your choice, we can leave her and head off back to Raptor or take her with us, but she has to know the truth.” Tan was pouring me some tea and passing the cup to me. She sat back down next to me, listening to my rant?
“She’s arrogant, aggressive, abusive and can come across as threatening” “How alike, you both are!” Tan interrupted, then added. ‘She did, save your life’ I was quick to tell her, that she would simply have activated and rescued me, but Tan’s answer was to the point, ‘
My appearance was compromised, for at least twenty minutes, by the power drop in the sensory arrays, at which time, the storm would have been at full strength and blasting into the Zimp, probably throwing it round destroying it and killing you in the process.
She was, loathed as I was to admit it; right! Cistera had been in the right place at the right time, where I was concerned, somehow fate, had dealt me a winning card. I glanced across at her, her face turned away from me, sleeping.
“Ok we’ll tell her, but its her choice, I doubt that someone so arrogant and obnoxious can make a sensible decision, or understand what’s happening sensibly anyway, so I’d be wasting my time thinking, I could save her life in return.” Nathan paused to add “Guess YOU should tell her! “ Tan scowled.
“Have we any ideas, on WHO we’re up against ? Only I’d like to know we have a chance to at least be introduced, before I leave here and deprive them, of the pleasure they would, no doubt have, in my immediate execution ?
They’ve got her, well and truly outflanked ! Someone’s been at the Draxetnium and liked the feel of it ! Decided no way, was she getting back in line to any throne, whilst they’re liking the seating arrangements ? “ I sipped my tea, listening. “You know Tanya, you really had me flipped, when you duplicated her, and the finale, damm it I almost wet myself !
Hell was she mad at you.” ‘”Perhaps she likes you, more than you think, which would account for why, she hates me replicating her” “‘Huh more like she hates me and the last thing she wants to see, is me getting up close and personal to her, cloned or not!”
I could sense some jealousy, with Tan ? However much she tried to hide it, her emotive responses were atypical green eyed goddess ! I turned to face Tan, our lips meeting, hers, soft, moist; inviting. “You are so beautiful, in fact, I’d better stop this, or I’m going to get to the point where desire, overrules my head ! Say the magic word !” Tan moved away from me “Behave, we have to wake her and tell her.”
“Don’t ask me, I think, you’d better do it, I don’t want her having another go at me, just yet” “No way ! Not my position, to be telling her ! Besides you, haven’t got any circuits she can fry IF she gets that pulse going again that is ! “
She had a point until I realised JUST what she had said ! “Oh so she can fry my internals instead ! “ She laughs, turns away. “Things to do, JUST TELL HER !” She moves off then turns back “Be NICE “ At least it would be a while later before I had to confront the truth and tell the Princess.
Cistera moved, her head, raised herself from the recline, turned off the covers and stood up facing me, I could see some of the sick, dried across her clothing, she moved past Tan and into the cleanser. Several minutes later and she was sat opposite me, light coverings replaced her earlier soiled garments. She was ignoring me, talking to Tan, somewhat better tempered !
Tan stood up her hand went up and seconds later, some clothing appeared, Cistera grabbed them and then turning to me, Tan told me to turn and face the ships bulkhead next to my recline. It seemed, the Princess, wanted some privacy! I wasn’t going to argue, though I rather wished, it was back at the Citadel, where she had come from!
Cistera quickly stripped and clambered into the new clothes. I heard her mutter something in her own language, the tone of her voice had changed. I remembered how it had sounded when she had been enraged earlier? Oh yes! It sounded as though she was once again angered about something, my name mentioned?! ‘What the hell’ I thought, ‘Have I done now! ‘
When I was finally allowed to turn around the transformation surprised me, they were not by any means representative of her Royal ass, oops I mean, class, but simplistic in design. The soft pastel colours, seemed out of place against the interior of the ship, Tan stepped in front of me, giving her a drink and something to eat.
She sat quietly eating and drinking. What I sensed was the way she was glaring at me. That icy coldness ? She’s saying nothing! Tan refilled her drink. Tan had been close to her when the Princess raised her hand gripped the clothing on Tan, the top I should say and seemed to look closely at it? Muttered something in her own language. Tan suddenly liquified and disappeared leaving the two of us alone.
I was puzzled.
I saw her glance in my direction for a minute or two. Finished with her food and drink, she placed the remaining items, into the disposal and cleansing unit, next to the recline. Slid up, onto the recline and leaned back, against the bulkhead, looking over at me. Appearing a lot more relaxed?
“Don’t ask me, I think, you’d better do it, I don’t want her having another go at me just yet” “No way ! Not my position to be telling her ! Besides you haven’t got any circuits she can fry IF she gets that pulse going again that is ! “
She had a point, until I realised JUST what she had said ! “Oh so she can fry my internals instead ! “ She laughs, turns away. “Things to do, JUST TELL HER !” She moves off then turns back “Be NICE “ At least it would be a while later before I had to confront the truth and tell the Princess.
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