“All right,” Marrex said, his voice strangely tight.

  “I’ll come see you afterwards.”

  With a nod, Marrex left.

  Juniper smiled as the image came through, grainy and stuttering because of the weak connection—Terra Deux was obviously besieged by heavy solar flares—but clear enough that he could easily see the last seventeen years on his older sister’s face. She’d always been spare, but pretty in a waiflike sort of way. She was still attractive, but maturity had made her features more distinct, and her gaze had the shrewdness of someone who’d lived a hard life.

  “Acacia?” Juniper said when the woman hadn’t spoken.

  “What is this?” Acacia asked, bringing her face closer to the camera. “Who are you?”

  “It’s Juniper.”

  For a moment, it looked like Acacia was going to refute his claim, but her eyes widened, searching his face. “Juniper?”

  “Hi.”

  “Oh my god. Juniper! How… where….” she stammered, lifting a hand to her mouth to stare at him for a few long seconds.

  “How are you?” he asked.

  “Oh my god, you’re alive…” Acacia said and looked over her shoulder. “Peggy, go get Willow.”

  “Who’s Peggy?”

  “Peggy’s my daughter. Your niece, I guess. Hold on, how are you alive? Tell me that first. I can’t believe I’m looking at you.” She turned away again and shouted, “I don’t know! Try the cellar.” Then she stared at Juniper again. “And you’re young. How are you so young?”

  “Well, I spent seventeen years in stasis… I was found in a wrecked Nelami shuttlecraft. The rest is a mystery.”

  Acacia’s grainy face moved over to make way for a much plumper and older version of the Willow he remembered.

  “Juniper!” Willow nearly screamed. “Oh my god. Is that really you?”

  “Hi.”

  “How is it possible? Oh my god… and you’re so young, you little shit,” Willow continued with a raspy laugh.

  “Stasis,” Juniper explained.

  “He was picked up by the Nelami,” Acacia said, squeezing back into the picture.

  “What the hell would the Nelami do with Juniper?”

  “How should I know? Maybe they were hoping to sell him at one of those horrible pleasure moons? Or maybe they wanted him for themselves. Juniper always did attract the freaks and—”

  “Hey, I’m right here,” Juniper said, annoyed. “Where’s Dad?”

  Acacia and Willow both stared at him for a moment, and Acacia’s brows met over her long nose. “Juniper… They lost contact with the colony ship less than a day out from Rhesh-14. Blackskimmers were sent out to find wreckage, anything, but they found no trace of it. Everyone figured the ship ran into pirates or somehow got off course and crashed. There were many theories—”

  “Yeah, oh god, there was one about the Krem shipbuilders purposefully outfitting colony ships with faulty navigational systems so they could populate some giant star weapon against—”

  “Oh, Willow, you’re such a twit… no one believes that and—”

  “Hey!” Juniper said, interrupting their bickering. He leaned closer to the camera. “So where is Dad?”

  Acacia and Willow shared a glance.

  “Dad took it really hard when they stopped the search,” Willow said gently. “He started standing outside, staring at the sky—without a suit. You remember what that’s like? He’d just burn to a crisp and then be in the hospital for weeks. But he’d do it again as soon as he was out. His mind… it just sort of…” She snapped her fingers and shrugged.

  “What Willow is trying to say is that Dad is not well,” Acacia said. “Mentally and physically… he’s not the same man you remember. He’s just a shell.”

  Juniper stared at the grainy image, his heart pounding and mouth dry. He blinked a few times to try to keep his tears from falling, but they slid down his cheeks. “I’m coming home,” he said.

  “Oh, Juny… honey…” Willow said, glancing over at Acacia. “If you do… um… we can’t really afford to feed you for long. I’m sorry. We’re stretched as thin as molimfibre here.”

  “But, if you had a little money,” Acacia said, side-eyeing Willow. “To help out with medical expenses…”

  “Whatever it takes,” Juniper said, shaking his head. “I’ll figure out something. I just have to—” He remembered that Marrex was barred from Imperial space… but maybe the captain cared enough for him to risk it… and lend him money. “I’ll come home as soon as I can.”

  Marrex closed his eyes, enjoying the vigorous brushing Juniper was giving him. Though the bright-red fur on his face and arms was once again short and smooth and didn’t require that much grooming, Juniper insisted on taking care of the thick, tapering crest of fur down his chest. Not that Marrex was complaining, of course—it felt so good that if he wasn’t so cocksore and utterly spent, he’d be tempted to see if Juniper could be coaxed into another quick coupling.

  Smiling, Marrex snorted and opened his eyes. Not that Juniper needed much coaxing—he’d never met anyone as voracious as the young Human. It was wonderful, if exhausting, and Marrex was still amazed by how many times they’d had to replicate lubricant when Marrex’s reserves ran out.

  Sitting naked astride Marrex’s thighs, Juniper continued brushing further down his chest, his expression one of concentration.

  “You’re unusually quiet,” Marrex said.

  Looking up from his grooming, Juniper just stared at the captain for a few moments before he lowered his eyes again. The brush caught a snarl and Marrex winced.

  Juniper had been acting strange for three days now, ever since he’d called his family, but Marrex was hesitant to pry. It wasn’t something Ghelyxians were comfortable doing… but then, Juniper was Human. They were a nosy, gregarious species, and judging by the pre-Contact Earth movies Juniper loved so much, maybe he was supposed to pry. He put his hand over Juniper’s before he pulled a clump of fur out.

  “What is it?” he asked quietly. “You can tell me.”

  The Human’s brown eyes lifted to his again, and Marrex, as always, was captivated by the gilded patterns and fluctuating pupils that gave them so much expression. Marrex wished his own opaque black gaze could convey half of what went on in his mind.

  But then, perhaps, Juniper would be scared off by the depths of his affection.

  “I’m sorry. I have something to ask you… but, I’ve been putting it off because I don’t know how you’ll take it.” As his dark eyebrows came together, Juniper licked his lips. He looked both nervous and guilty, and Marrex had to fight back some knee-jerk, panic-driven anger.

  Marrex took a slow breath before replying. “I’m… listening.”

  Juniper searched his eyes. “You know how I said my father is sick?”

  “I know.” Heart sinking, Marrex took Juniper by the shoulders, giving them a gentle squeeze. He had a feeling he knew what was coming next. “You know I’m sorry he’s not well.”

  “Thank you. And… well…” Juniper took a deep breath. “I want to go see him.”

  There was a lump in Marrex’s throat so he didn’t answer immediately. He’d been so naïve to think Juniper would stay.

  “All right,” he replied in a low voice.

  “I know you’re not supposed to go into Imperial space, but Terra Deux is barely on the edge… and if you can’t take me yourself, I can take one of the shuttlepods. The Stellerion can drop me off near Peplum-3, and I’ll go the rest of the way myself. But if you could take me the whole way, it would really mean a lot to me and—”

  “When I said all right, I meant all right,” Marrex replied curtly, the pain in his chest blooming. “I’ll take you the whole way.”

  “What? You will?” Juniper looked astonished. “I thought you just meant, you know, ‘all right’ as in ‘keep talking.’ ”

  “Do you need anything? Money?” Marrex felt like he was shrivelling up inside, but it was for the best—he was just happy that he’d gotten to feel like a real person again, even for just a little while.

  Again, Juniper’s eyes went wide. “Yes… I could use some money.”

  “Take as much as you like. There are cases of jewels in the ship’s holds. And I have almost a million credits I can transfer to you.”

  “You… do?”

  “Take anything you like.”

  “Thank you,” Juniper said, kissing him on the cheek. “You have no idea how much this means to me.”

  “You’re welcome,” Marrex replied, stroking down Juniper’s smooth bare back. “You… mean a lot to me. I can’t send you on your way without a token of my gratitude for the time we’ve spent together.”

  Juniper froze and pulled back, staring at Marrex. “You’re not going to come get me?”

  Marrex frowned, confused. “I assumed…”

  “That I wasn’t coming back? Of course I am, you ass,” Juniper replied with a crooked grin. “Leave my poor monster all by his lonesome again? Not a chance.” Juniper leaned in for another kiss, this time on Marrex’s lips, and he put his arms around Marrex’s neck.

  The captain kissed Juniper back in a daze, his fur bristling down his back with excited relief. After a moment, he pushed Juniper back, scrutinizing him. The young man was pink cheeked and heavy lidded, a very familiar expression of lust—Marrex shook his head. “Are you certain?”

  “Yes. I am certain, oh ye of little faith,” Juniper replied with a laugh. “I’ll show you just how certain I am,” he continued, quickly unbuttoning the rest of Marrex’s fly to pull out his soft cock.

  Marrex snorted with amusement though he was still reeling from Juniper’s assertion that he wasn’t leaving him. “That’s not going to work,” he said, watching Juniper fondle him. He could probably get half-hard at best.

  “No?”

  “My body can’t keep up with you,” Marrex said, pulling Juniper’s hands up so he could kiss them.

  “Oh.”

  Juniper looked so disappointed that Marrex had to laugh, and then he sighed. “Believe me—I would indulge you if I could.” Then he narrowed his eyes at Juniper, an idea coming to him. “Here,” he said, “lie down this way. No, like this.” Marrex helped Juniper stretch out across his lap with his head resting on his forearm, one leg dangling over the arm of the chair and the other hanging down between Marrex’s knees. “Comfortable?”

  “Comfortable enough,” Juniper said, grinning. He had one hand around his hard shaft. “What are we doing?”

  “We are giving my poor body a rest,” Marrex replied, “and giving yours a workout that will guarantee your return to me.”

  “Oh?”

  Marrex nodded. He shifted a bit in place to free his cock from under Juniper’s back and pressed the underside to stimulate the glands there.

  “What are you doing?” Juniper asked.

  “You’ll see.” Marrex smiled and thumbed the hardening lump beneath his cockhead. He’d been thinking about this since reading up on Human anatomy and was curious to see what would happen. When he pushed up on the glands, some of the clear lubricating liquid swelled out of the ancillary slit, and he coated his forefinger with it. Now that his claws were blunt and short, he didn’t fear hurting Juniper with them.

  Juniper’s full lips parted in astonishment when he obviously caught on to Marrex’s intent, and his breathing sped up. Eagerly, he tilted his pelvis up and widened his knees further to give Marrex better access.

  Marrex carefully slid his lube-covered finger into Juniper. Immediately, Juniper arched his back and gasped, releasing his cock, and Marrex chuckled. The stimulant in his lubricatory glands had a much milder effect on Ghelyxians… it was used to facilitate and enhance coitus, as well as improve chances of conception with females. Juniper’s reaction was much more pronounced, to the point where Marrex sometimes worried for Juniper’s heart.

  In a few seconds, Marrex had easily located Juniper’s prostate and began to run his finger in little circles over it, waiting for the lubricant to work its magic.

  “Oh, that’s good,” Juniper said in a choked voice, his face red. He crushed his eyes closed and let out a wail and a grunt as the first climax took hold of him, sending an arc of ejaculate over Marrex’s shoulder before painting his own stomach and chest with the rest. Juniper lay there panting and twitching as his sphincter pulsed around Marrex’s knuckle, and Marrex let out a low, pleased growl. He’d barely begun stroking Juniper’s sweet spot again before Juniper let out a ragged cry and came all over himself again.

  “You like this?” Marrex said in a low voice.

  “Yes… oh yes… fuh-uh-fuck!” Juniper yelled, pumping his hips as Marrex slowly fingered him into another orgasm.

  “Good, because I can keep this up indefinitely.”

  “Oh god.” There were already tears welling up in Juniper’s eyes, and his body shuddered and jerked as he stared up at Marrex.

  “A very long time,” Marrex said, pleased with himself. He wondered how long it would take this time before Juniper begged him to stop. Hopefully, a long time. Then he would carry Juniper into their quarters, and he’d bathe him and tuck him into bed and cuddle him for the rest of the night while the Stellerion raced towards the Human’s homeworld. And Marrex would lie there awake, trying to ignore the doubt burning in his belly.

  Chapter 12

  Terra Deux

  Juniper climbed out of the transport ship, pushing the big fibrometal case on its hoverpad in front of him. Squinting in the harsh white light, he searched the small crowd for a familiar figure, but everyone looked the same in their protective suits from this distance. Slowly, he made his way over the cracked pavement, smiling hopefully at everyone he passed. However, the crowd began to disperse, and soon all travellers were accounted for, families and friends chatting happily as they left Juniper standing alone like an idiot on the tarmac.

  Fucking Acacia and Willow, he thought angrily. They could have at least sent someone to come pick him up at the station if they couldn’t be bothered to show up themselves. Annoyed, he pushed the case into the building and then queued up at the information counter to ask about getting a lift out to Port-Cartier. When it was finally his turn, the man at the counter just stared at the big metal case for a few seconds and shook his head. “Not until morning with that, I reckon,” said the clerk. “Too big to fit in the hovercabs… you’ll have to wait for the train.”

  Grinding his teeth, Juniper silently cursed out his sisters again and keyed open one of the compartments on the side of the case. He pulled out a necklace of delz crystals, stones prized for their ability to block most types of radiation, and held them out to the man. The information clerk swallowed, staring at the crystals, then furtively looked from side to side and leaned forward.

  “If you have another strand of those,” the man said very quietly. “I’ll give you my truck.”

  Juniper groaned and rested his head on the steering wheel, frustrated by the delay. At this rate, he should have probably just waited for the train—the man’s truck was an old-fashioned wheeled vehicle that required a nearly obsolete station that recharged the battery excruciatingly slow compared to modern vehicles. Juniper wondered if he’d get to Port-Cartier faster if he just walked.

  “…per?” The communicator crystal in the necklace Marrex had given him let out a burst of loud static, then crackled softly, and again he heard S1N’s voice. “Juniper? …an you hear m…”

  “S1N, I can barely hear you.”

  “You weren’t…idding about the solar fla…s,” said the AI. “What a crappy plan…t. Hang on. Compensating. Testing… check one, check two… sibilance… Juniper?”

  “That’s better,” Juniper said. It was still crackly and faint, but at least S1N wasn’t cutting in and out.

  “I’ve been trying to reach you for three hours,” S1N complained.

  Frowning, Juniper cupped the large blue jewel of the communicator in his palm, his heart beating faster. “Why? What’s wrong? Is Marrex all right? Where is he?”

  “He’s fine. He just wanted to see if you landed in one piece. I’ve let him know I’ve reached you. He’ll be here in a second. I really didn’t like the look of that old transport you took. Only fit for hauling livesto…n…my opinion.”

  “You’re breaking up again. S1N? Can you hear me?” There was a long hissing crackle that went on for a few seconds.

  “…ored enough to try fisting each oth…”

  “What?” Juniper said, alarmed. “Hello?”

  “Hello?”

  It was just his own voice echoing back to him because of the interference, but he spoke slowly and carefully into the communicator in case S1N could hear him. “I landed fine. I’m now on my way home. I’m charging the truck I had to buy.” Juniper looked at the battery gauge and saw that he still had about half an hour to go. He closed his eyes, trying to remember the last time he’d done the drive from Marseille to Port-Cartier. Juniper figured he could make it on a partial charge.

  “I’ll try boosting the signal when I get home,” he said, hoping S1N was listening. “Tell Marrex not to worry about me, ok?”

  Fuck it. He hit the release, then pressed his thumb to the screen on the console to pay his credits.

  The house looked much as it had the day he left. It was a low, wide building covered in rad shielding done up to resemble marble—with eight bedrooms within, it was a huge mansion in this part of the world. As he got closer, however, he noticed many of the tiles were cracked and needed replacing, and every nook and overhang was covered in what was known locally as crud—a yellowish mixture of dirt and vellus spores that baked hard in the burning sunshine. It got on everything and was a pain in the ass to scrape off. Judging by the look of the siding, no one had taken a chisel to it in years.

  Having no key, he knocked on the door, waited, and banged again when no one answered. Annoyed, he tried the handle and saw that it was unlocked so he let himself into the vestibule, dragging the fibrometal case behind him.