Free Moonbeams and magic by Janelle Taylor Page A

pondered her crazy feelings for Dagan Latu. Perhaps her strong attraction to him resulted from having his life in her hands and being able to save it, when she had been helpless to do the same for Antarus Hoy following the crash of their spacer three yings ago during an Elite Squad mission. Both injured and their supplies depleted and on the brink of death, she had surrendered to his need for her. Except for anguish over being unable to protect her and fearing she wouldn't survive, he had died a happy man, believing she loved him as much as he loved her. The mission had been a success and she had been rescued, but she had lost her first and only teammate. Then she had been paired with Cypher, an arrangement which suited her just fine and had proven successful.
    Since Antarus's death, she had enjoyed evenings with

    other men, but none had affected her as Dagan Latu did. What, she mused, was his special and potent appeal if not for her hand in his fate? Perhaps she had spared his life only to be forced to take it on a future deega if it came to a life-or-death battle for escape, or be forced to endure his loss to a annihilator unit or exile to a penal colony after his capture, dependent upon which of his past charges were true and what he did while in Tochar's hire. She must not allow herself to become emotionally involved and ensnared by him. She must keep reminding herself he was a villite, a. man out of her reach.
    But what if you could turn him away from his nefarious ways? What if he could be persuaded to help you defeat Tochar? What if he could obtain a pardon for — Don't think such foolish things. Bree-Kayah, that's flying on a dangerous course for you and the entire UFG.
    She reached her shuttle, prepared for lift-off, and went to her ship.
    Sach joined Dagan. "You look better than you did earlier," he jested.
    Dagan leaned back in his seat and smiled. "I feel better, too; trekking through that wasteland was rough. I'm lucky I didn't encounter any of those Skalds; ft-om what I've been told, human flesh is a treat for them."
    "At least those mutants stay in the desert and don't trouble us, not since Tochar scared them away fi-om the ftinges with a taste of his weapons. You'll be safe here, because nobody challenges him and those beamers."
    "That's good news, since there are more than a few people who would like to get their greedy hands on me, and I'm grounded. I don't like feeling vulnerable to them. I'm eager to fill my pockets and get me a new ship; it feels strange not having a deck beneath my boots and warp drive at my fingertips. With what Tochar pays, that shouldn't take

    more than a ying or two, depending on what type I purchase next time. It will definitely have a cloaking device and lots of speed. That run-in at Gavas with a Seki is the closest I've come to getting caught, and it didn't flow over me well. That's the only time the old girl failed me and it wasn't her fault. I think I'm going to enjoy Tochara. It has plenty to offer; so does Tochar. I'd like to keep working for him and living in this haven even after I get a new ship, if that suits him. How long have you been with Tochar?"
    "Tochar, Auken, and I have been a team since we were young. We've raided all over the Cosmos. Moig joined us about five yings ago, long before we settled here." Sach tossed down his drink and purchased another one.
    "What about Starla Vedris? She and I were just talking, but she isn't very communicative. Or maybe it's me she doesn't like," Dagan chuckled and downed the remainder of his drink.
    Sach also chuckled. He wasn't worried about chatting with Dagan, as the man would be silenced the following day if he didn't prove trustworthy. "She'll open up more after you get to know her. She was quiet and private when we met. She's been on her own for so long and staying just a few leaps ahead of capture that she's wary and used to keeping to herself, careful about who she gets close to and trusts. The good thing is that Tochar