Kimber An - The Star Captains' Daughter.pdf - Kimber An - widez2

The Star Captains' Daughter

Kimber An

Published: 2009

Tag(s): "Young Adult" "Science Fiction" "Romance" "Space Opera" "Space

Fantasy"

This novel is dedicated to my daughter, the desire for whom inspired

it, and to my husband, her dad, who restored my faith in fairytales.

Chapter 1

In the Year of Her Holiness 2296

Others before self. Junior shifted in her seat, first one way and then the

other. She slid her butt off the edge and stuck the computer stylus up her

nose. Others before self.

The Intari ambassador’s nasal drone rattled her spine. She knew the

energy building in every part of her would culminate in disaster which

would embarrass the hell out of her very elegant star captain mother.

Best friend Rehama Kahn leaned close and whispered. “Only ten more

minutes. You can make it. Remember your breathing exercises.”

Breathe…one...twothreeBLASTOFF! Junior’s legs jerked beneath her and

she scampered up the wall like a squirrel. The rocks mortared together

provided excellent finger and foot holds.

“Junior!” Rehama had made a wager with Ret she could sit still

through the Young Diplomats’ Conference.

Ret’s laugh chased her all the way down the ventilation shaft. “Told

you. She may look fifteen, but she’ll always be a five year old at heart.”

Guilt stabbed Junior’s heart, though it did not slow her escape.

Rehama had made the bet to encourage her mastery of Attention Defi-

cit Hyperactive Disorder.

Strips of light shone through vent slats. Junior snaked towards it,

bassador’s speech. She hit the vent full-throttle. The vent crashed against

the far wall and she shot out, right into waiting arms which wrapped

around her. They fell to the marble floor together.

She lifted face off his chest and looked into his stormy blue eyes. He’s

gorgeous!

“Hi! I’m Junior. What’s your name?”

“You do not remember?”

A slamming door alerted her and she launched off the boy and away

into a crowded market.

Ducking behind stalls selling Arion tapestries and Intari swamp

sponges, she peered over a blue-skinned Neboan trying on lipstick in a

lovely shade of maroon.

The conference instructors would have certainly alerted Sachi. Her

mother had left the security chief in charge of the teens while she negoti-

ated a technology exchange with the Intari. But, Junior had spent the bet-

ter part of her childhood outwitting Lieutenant Commander Sachi

Owada and knew all the tricks. If adults realized what Space Brats know,

they’d round us all up and turn us into special ops commandos.

No sign of pursuers.

She pointed at the Neboan’s first choice. “I like dark maroon best on

you.”

The Neboan frilled his ears in gratitude and bowed.

Junior looked over her shoulder and realized the open-air market

backed a sound stage. Already she could hear Denahi dancers leaping

and twirling to musical instruments which made a twang similar to

Japanese Yamatogoto. She slipped behind a tapestry and climbed

through the criss-crossed support beams.

Sliding leg over the last beam, a hand appeared before her and she

looked up to see the boy she’d fallen on. Never one to stop a silly grin,

she took his hand. “Sorry I fell on you.” She straightened up beside him.

“The Intari ambassador bored me to death. I couldn’t get out of the con-

ference fast enough.”

The boy hugged her. “I have found you at last.”

“Huh?” Junior’s eyes bugged out, chin on his shoulder. What the hell?

He’s really cute! She hugged him back, his body warm and snug against

hers. I wonder if I can get a kiss. “I’m sorry, but you’ve mistaken me for

someone else. I’m Junior, well, Gennie O’Keefe, actually, but everyone

calls me Junior. My mother’s Star Captain Olivia O’Keefe of the USS

Maverick and my dad…” Pain bit her heart. “Well, my dad died last

year. What’s your name?”

“You did not fall on me.” The boy lifted his face from her hair. Only a

centimeter taller, his eyes shone blue in the dim light and his full lips

curled. “I caught you. I failed to sufficiently brace myself for the speed of

your ascent.” The formal way he spoke and his tone seemed so familiar,

and she swore she’d run her fingers through his dark blond hair before.

Yes, please, go on breathing warmly upon me! Junior pointed a finger at

his chest. “Do I know you?”

A small laugh escaped him. “Yes. We know one another very well.”

He slid his fingers up her check and held her red braid to the light. “I un-

derstand you are disoriented. We knew your memory would have diffi-

culty crossing the Threshold between Dreamtime and Waking

Moments.”

His scent intoxicated Junior, but she’d caused enough chaos in her life

by not accepting reality. “I’m sorry. This is just a terrible…”

“I will not leave you.”

Junior darted eyes from his earlobe to his gaze. “Wha…what?”

“You fear I will leave once I realize this is a terrible mistake, but it is

not a mistake and I will not leave. I am Ariez, the one who loves you.”

Something about Sachi lecturing her on boys’ pick-up lines rambled

through Junior’s mind, but she couldn’t remember her mentioning any-

thing this weird. “Ariez.” The sound of his name and his voice soothed

her. Déjà vu. The raging energy calmed into a swirl of goodness.

He waved fingers in front of her face.

Rather than distract her, his gesture weighed down her eyelashes with

pleasant feelings. An image of dark green ferns, moss, fallen leaves, and

him falling off a log, laughing drifted through her thoughts.

“Remember.” Ariez murmured and kissed her temple. “Come.” He

led her by the hand.

Junior followed him towards a tent flap. “Where are we going?”

“The arboretum. You will remember our Dreamtime more quickly if

we are surrounded by trees. You love trees, and birds.”

The glass dome which protected the city flashed bright when she fol-

lowed him out from under the stage. He kept to the edges, behind stalls,

in the shadows. “The arboretum is right through those arches.” She poin-

ted. “Let’s cross through the vegetable market.”

“I cannot be seen here.” Ariez didn’t look back. “The Intari would use

me to blackmail the Empress.”

“Empress?”

Kimber An - The Star Captains' Daughter.pdf

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