Lokmi studied Piras,
doing his best to not be obvious about it. His curiosity made it hard to not
stare outright, visibly taking the measure of the man.
So this was the
fearful Admiral Piras, terror of the fleet. Piras, the man known for giving no
quarter. He had burst into the room like a force of nature, seeming ready to
tear Kila apart. Never mind the captain had bulk and muscle that made the
elegantly built Dramok seem small. Piras’s force of will was a power unto
itself, a hint of brutality fit to take down a man like Kila.
Now that the admiral
had calmed, however, Lokmi registered some shock to see how delicate he was. He
was not the behemoth the chief had been sure someone with Piras’s reputation
must be. Not even close. His graceful body was crafted beautifully. If not for
the heavy jaw that gave Piras’s face a slightly off-kilter aspect, his features
would be poetically lovely rather than fascinating.
The admiral was a
flawed beauty, his sleek body worth many a ribald thought. When Lokmi’s cocks
gave an admiring throb, he swiftly re-directed his thoughts from how Piras
looked to his demeanor.
The Imdiko had not
been impressed by the fiery temper he’d displayed upon his entrance. Any
asshole with rank could throw a tantrum. Yet as the conversation had developed,
Piras had shown a far different side, one he’d never heard mentioned in all the
stories that flew around the fleet.
For one thing, he’d
taken personal interest in Lokmi’s concerns over how Kila would react to the
changes he’d made in the engines. The chief engineer had not for one second
thought anyone would give his report more than a cursory look. He’d contacted
Fleet Command in a pre-emptive effort to cover his ass when Kila decided to
have him charged with insubordination and re-assigned to a lesser duty station.
Yet it seemed that had been part of what had precipitated Piras showing up.
And though Piras had
called him a bully, someone who didn’t know how to properly express his Dramok
characteristics, he hadn’t been nasty about it. His assessment of Lokmi’s
actions had been matter-of-fact. Hell, Lokmi thought perhaps the admiral had
been trying to advise rather than belittle him. It made him take Piras’s
observations seriously and worry he’d indeed mistaken intimidation for
asserting himself.
More interestingly
still was how Piras’s character had taken shape as the conversation switched to
the spy mission he was apparently a crucial part of. A conscientious side had
emerged. It was plain to see the admiral suffered over the fates of the men the
assignment would place in the path of harm. The level of agony Lokmi detected
in Piras’s eyes triggered Lokmi’s Imdiko tendencies. His being screamed to
comfort Piras. Unfortunately, their difference in rank meant only offering weak
platitudes that could not soothe a man in the admiral’s unenviable position.
The ridiculous urge to gather the smaller man in his arms and offer momentary
shelter from duty could not happen.
It was Piras’s
compassion that impressed Lokmi where angry bluster could not. And had there
ever been a lot of bluster at the beginning of the meeting. Piras’s anger had
been tremendous for the excusable situation of Kila unknowingly cursing his
superior officer. In fact, it had seemed personal.
Even now, the way
the captain and admiral looked at each other had a feeling of being more
familiar than shared duty should allow. Something simmered below the surface,
something hot and vital and energetic.
What was going on
between them? Were they former lovers? Current lovers?
Releasing Friday
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