"Maybe," Leith agreed. She hardly knew Carter or Phillips, but neither was a pilot. They were crewmembers hired by the job and had worked for McClure Shipping on and off for years. Drifters, who would never settle down in one place and hired on any ship that would take them, were said to be starkissed, always lured into s.p.a.ce by the promise of the stars. Then Leith remembered another reason one could be called starkissed...if one loved an alien. She liked this definition much better.

If Steve had let one of them navigate while he blithely manned the weapons console, it was possible he was too caught up in the certain destruction of the Starfire to notice the tricky maneuver.

Leith let Steve slide from her mind. He was gone and it was for the best. She tried once more to sit up, to see J'Qhir, but Drew wouldn't allow it.

"The med examined you and said you should be fine, but he was firm in saying you shouldn't get up until we reach Artilia where he can scan you thoroughly."

Leith reluctantly settled back down.

"We didn't know why you were in the hold." Drew leaned in and lowered his voice. "The big guy brought you up the ladder. How he did it with that injury of his, I don't know."

Leith closed her eyes. The one chance when they could have had a few moments of privacy and she had to be unconscious.

"I know you're tired, Leith, but the med said if you came to, you shouldn't go back to sleep. And I should look for signs of sluggishness, incoherence, and disorientation. You don't seem to be suffering from any of those."

She opened her eyes to appease Drew. "I'm not sleepy."

"Good. Anyway, we had no idea why you were on the lower deck until the Artilian ship came along and informed us of the message you sent out. Our communications are gone except for subs.p.a.ce transmission. We docked with their ship and they sent their med over. He didn't want to move you over to their ship then have to move you again when we reach Artilia."

"I saw it in a vid." Leith explained what she had done. "I didn't know if it would work, but when the torpedo hit, the light turned green."

"Well, according to the Artilians, they're not the only ones who picked it up. Every major planet in this sector is sending a media team to Artilia."

"What! They can't do that!" Leith exploded then shrank back into her pillow. "Artilia has strict controls about who they let on their world."

"It's part of the standard treaty with the Galactic Alliance. If they become involved in an interstellar incident, no matter how tangential their involvement or how inconsequential the incident, they have to allow the Alliance Board, the GPs, and any media representatives from any Alliance members on their world. When Steve included the Zi, he created the interstellar incident to end all interstellar incidents."

"What are you saying?" Leith asked warily.

"I didn't have a chance to tell you before, but when Steve made it appear a Zi had rebelled, it brought Zi to the attention of the galaxy. The Alliance Board was on the verge of a full-scale investigation into the Zi-Crucian conflict when Corru, Rohm'dh, and I put the pieces together. Now that your little message has gone out over LinkNet-"

"LinkNet! I thought the transmitter was down in this sector."

"Oh, didn't I tell you? It's been repaired."

"No, you didn't tell me," Leith said dryly. "Just how long have I been unconscious?"

"Only a few standard hours. We should be reaching Artilia soon."

"All of this has happened in just a few hours? It sounds like I've been out for days."

Drew shrugged. "You know how the media jumps on things. Once your message went out on LinkNet there was no way to stop them. They'l claim media rights and overrun Artilia within standard days. The Alliance hasn't made an official announcement yet, but speculation is the board will reconvene on Artilia within a standard week to negotiate with the Zi delegates about Zi joining the Galactic Alliance."

"We were supposed to go to Arreis," Leith groaned. "The Arreisans wouldn't mind all the attention."

"It might not have mattered anyway. You know negotiation sites are normally picked at random among the neutral worlds. It could have been Artilia as easily as any of them."

"Nura will kill me."

"Nura won't kill you." Drew laughed. "She'l love all the excitement. She told me once how she wished Artilia would open up more."

Leith didn't think Nura meant like this. Nura had roomed with Leith during her year on Earth. The Artilians, while not as reclusive as the Zi, kept contact with others to a minimum. Nura had been granted a year to continue her studies elsewhere and she chose Earth. Leith had met Nura her first day at the university. Not an outgoing person herself, Leith had felt sorry for the pale Artilian who seemed to wither in the sultry heat of late summer.

Somehow, the two had become fast friends. Probably, Leith decided, because neither of them was demanding as a friend. Nura readily accepted Leith's offer to share quarters. At the end of her year, Nura was genuinely reluctant to leave. At the same time, she was anxious to return home to her family. Since then, they had kept in touch regularly.

"You're right. Nura won't mind, but Artilia will ban me from this sector."

"None of this is your fault."

"Isn't it? If I'd only realized how far Steve would go to get what he wanted. If I'd only been paying attention to what was going on around me, I might have stopped him."

"None of us knew," Drew pointed out. "h.e.l.l, Cameron was closer to him than any of us before his illness, and he never suspected Steve had any ulterior motives."

"J'Qhir suggested that Steve caused Dad's illness, maybe even meant to kill him."

"After we started putting the pieces together, Corru and I discussed the possibility. Cameron's illness was too much of a coincidence. Steve was off-Earth as much as the rest of us. He could have obtained the Snow Fever virus anywhere."

A thin beep sounded from the bridge.

"That's the Artilian ship. We're probably ready to land." Drew stood. "Rest, but don't sleep until the med has a chance to examine you. Captain's orders."

Leith put on a stern face and saluted him. "Aye, aye, sir."

Drew flashed her his boyish grin and hurried to the bridge.

Leith eased over as far as she could and craned her neck, but she still only saw part of J'Qhir. He hovered near out of concern for her, she knew. If only he would take a few steps closer so she could beckon him to her. If she called out, Rohm'dh would hear.

At the thought of his name, the smaller Zi pa.s.sed by the end of the bunk tiers, and Leith heard the door to the facilities slide open then close. Taking advantage of the situation, J'Qhir stepped into the sleeping area.

"You are all right?" he asked as he moved toward her. He stopped a few paces away from the bunk and looked down at her, amber eyes unblinking.

"I am somewhere in the middle," she said and smiled a little.

"I am glad you are not all left," he said softly.

She wanted to hold out her arms to him and have him hold her close as he had done so many times before. He kept the distance between them deliberately, and she had to respect his decision no matter how much it hurt.

"Drew told me what you did. About Steve. Thank you."

"It wa.s.ss my plea.s.ssure," he said with no trace of humor.

"I wish I could have seen it. It's a relief to know he's truly gone and can do us no more harm." She rubbed her hands over her face and looked up at him. "J'Qhir-"

The door to the facilities opened and closed, and J'Qhir stepped back a pace. He was withdrawing again. They had wasted their few precious moments in idle chatter when they could have used the time more wisely. Maybe neither of them wanted to hear what the other had to say.

Leith closed her eyes against the sight of him and heard his quiet footfalls as he left the sleeping area without saying another word.

Chapter 13.

Artilia Settled in the s.p.a.cious guesthouse in the capitol city of Katasa~ri, the first thing Leith did was take a bubble bath and wash her hair with shampoo. After soaking until the water cooled, she dressed in a white robe of cloth as soft as well-washed Terran cotton. She carried a tea tray and handheld viewer outside through the double doors where delicate lacey wickerwork chairs and table furnished the terrace. A light breeze blew over her damp skin and began to dry her hair. She sat and poured a cup of steaming tea.

They had arrived in the middle of the deep purple Artilian night and were carried to the medical facility. She and J'Qhir were taken to different areas, and she hadn't seen him since. After a thorough examination and treatment, she was allowed to sleep the remainder of the night.

When she awoke, the b.u.mp on her head had all but disappeared. She and Drew, who had slept in a comfortable chair in her room, were escorted to a guesthouse in the visitor section of the city. Drew told her that J'Qhir had been released during the night and he and Rohm'dh were in this guesthouse as well. Drew also informed her that Corru had left Artilia already and sent her his regards.

The thin sunlight of Artilia reminded her of Paradise, and she closed her eyes. She wanted to go back, just for a few days, so she and J'Qhir could have the opportunity to sort through their options and make a decision before being thrown back into civilization.

Leith opened her eyes and sipped the sweet tea as she logged onto LinkNet. The link took awhile, but after the initial connection, transmission was instantaneous.

"Leith, sweetheart, how are you?"

"Hi, Mom." She spent ten minutes rea.s.suring Catherine McClure that she was fine. "How's Dad?"

"He's right here and recovering splendidly. He's tired of staying in bed, but it's what the doctor ordered. He wants to talk to you."

The picture jiggled, showing ceiling then floor, as Catherine handed over the viewer. Leith spent another ten minutes convincing Cameron McClure she was unharmed.

"Warrior J'Qhir took very good care of me." She found it strange to speak his name so calmly.

"I never doubted he had," Cameron said confidently. "As soon as we heard that you were with the Commander-"

"Warrior," Leith corrected.

Cameron grinned. "So he told you about that, eh."

"Yes. J'Qhir explained everything."

"J'Qhir?"

Warmth crept into her face at the slip. The blush might show up on the viewer, but Leith met her father's eyes. "We were the only two people on the entire planet. We thought we would be there for the rest of our lives. We became friends and dropped the formality."

One of Cameron's eyebrows arched, then he smiled. "I can understand that."

The raised eyebrow conveyed he had never, ever considered the possibility...but the smile told her more than a thousand words ever could-he approved. Leith relaxed a little. If her father wasn't concerned then maybe she had no reason to be anxious.

The view on the screen bounced wildly. Leith heard furtive whisperings, but couldn't catch what either of them said. Suddenly, Catherine's worried face reappeared.

"Leith? Are you all right?"

Her mother didn't miss a nuance. "Yes, Mother."

"You don't call me Mother unless you're upset."

"I've just returned to civilization from being stranded on a deserted planet and was almost blown to stardust by someone whom I once considered a harmless dorgian. I would say upset doesn't quite cover it."

"Hmmm..." Catherine expressed her skepticism, but Leith wasn't going to discuss everything right then.

Cameron s.n.a.t.c.hed the viewer back. "We're sorry about Steve. We had no idea-"

"Neither did I. I'm sorry, too, because I wasn't there for you and you had to depend on Steve."

Cameron shook his head and waved away her apology. "We've always understood that McClure Shipping didn't interest you. We wanted it to be different, but we knew you had to follow your own course. We felt you might come around some day and if you didn't, that was all right too."

Leith had to change the subject. "I'l be glad when all this is over. The media has jumped all over it and has laid siege to Artilia."

"That's good, Leith. The truth has finally come out. Commander-excuse me, Warrior J'Qhir never said much about the situation with Crux, but I always felt there was more to it than the Crucians were telling." He frowned. "I tried talking to some of the members of the Board, but no one wanted to listen since Zi always flatly refused any offer of Alliance a.s.sistance. And I couldn't hara.s.s anyone face-to-face since I've been sentenced to bed."

"Since everything has come out into the open, I think they'l listen and accept." Leith shook her head. "I just hope the media focuses on Zi as a whole and not J'Qhir. He will be extremely uncomfortable with the attention."

"Leith, you know they will. You're a target as well. The message you sent has made every major newspaper and news program on Earth. It has spread to every major planet, too."

Leith groaned. "I never wanted that. I would come home right now, but I won't abandon J'Qhir to face the media alone. I'l catch the first Earth-bound ship as soon as the media conference is over."

Catherine's face appeared beside Cameron's. "You're coming home?"

"Of course." Leith blinked. "Where else would I go?"

Cameron poked Catherine. "Your mother is afraid you might have been starkissed."

Leith laughed. She had been starkissed, but not the way her parents meant. "No chance of that. I've had enough interstellar travel to last the rest of my life. I can't wait to see you again. Dad, you need to rest and so do I. I'l talk to you again tomorrow. I love you both!"

Leith closed the connection. She started to call the house steward to find out which room J'Qhir occupied but hesitated. This wasn't Paradise and they weren't alone anymore. She wasn't sure how he would react to the intrusion. She'd wait. Let him come to her. Let him construct some semblance of a proper Zi courtship...if that was what he wanted.

She left the terrace doors open, the warm breeze stirring the gauzy curtains. She stretched across the bed and slept until a knock on the door woke her hours later.

The air had grown chilly, and the evening sun slanted at a low angle across the terrace. The knocking sounded again. Leith jumped from the bed, ran her hands through her hair, and straightened her robe. She opened the door...and her heart fell into the pit of her belly.

"You're not dressed?" Drew greeted her. "It's time for dinner and I'm starved."

"I-I was asleep. Come on in."

In the dressing room stocked with a variety of clothes, Leith chose a floor-length cream-colored dress that gathered at the shoulders and formed angel-wing sleeves. A wide bronze belt fastened at her waist, bronze sandals to match. She left her hair long and loose. She thought she looked pale and touched her face with only a little of the cosmetics from the well-stocked dressing room.

"I'm ready."

"You're not like other women." Drew laughed. "I expected to wait for hours."

She punched him lightly on the shoulder.

As they walked down the hall, she asked, "Do you know which room J'Qhir is in? Maybe he and Rohm'dh haven't gone down yet."

"He's gone, Leith."