Take the Stars

SHUTTLE SHADOWS

I followed the good Lord Rein ‘round the cargo hold and up into the living quarters with grit teeth, hands balled at my sides to keep from goin’ at him. The man had the most annoying way of opening his mouth and letting words come out. Even as I stiffly indicated where he and his Goliath were meant to rest their rich little heads, he shot me a snake charmer’s smile as easy an ol’ pro would shoot from the hip.
“So, Captain Reynolds-what might your first name be?”
“… Aurora,” I mumbled out of the side of my mouth.
“May I call-?”
“No.”
“Very well.” He stood in the galley and looked around him as if he were in the middle of the most fascinating exhibit at some fancy fair,” What a quaint little nook. So, where does the crew sleep?”
“You won’t be sleeping with the crew, Rein.”
“Lord Rein, actually.”
I grit my teeth harder. “Lord, then. You may have that deed tucked in your pocket, but I’m still captain on this ship, and you ain’t part of this crew.”
He scowled at me as if I was his mother taking away his favorite toys. “Now, Aurora-”
“Captain,” I snapped.
“Captain, then,” he acknowledged with a smirk,” I was hoping to make this a pleasant business relationship. So-” he swept past me back into the cargo hold, feasting his eyes with each step. I followed… following on my own ship. I felt utterly ridiculous.
Suddenly Rein stopped dead in his tracks. “Well,” he said,” what about there?”
I followed his gaze. He had caught sight of the shuttles-particularly, the one to the left.
“Those are the shuttles,” I said gruffly,” We’ve got quarters for citizens down below.”
“Now wait just a moment,” Rein shushed me. He motioned down below to his giant, and nearly dashed up the steps. From below, Will caught my eye, but no matter how hard I stretched my brain I couldn’t think of words to stop him. All I could do was follow.
The shuttle was dark and dusty. It certainly hadn’t changed since I had last wandered in, years back. I had avoided the place ever since. I never considered myself superstitious, but I felt the ghosts of the past crowding into the space, and I couldn’t stop the shivers up my spine.
“Yes,” Rein said suddenly, breaking the spell of the heavy darkness,” This will do perfectly. Polo, put my luggage down over there. I shall start unpacking immediately.”
“No,” I cut in.
“I beg your pardon?”
“I said no. You ain’t sleepin here. This is an emergency shuttle.”
“You’ll have to assist me, Captain, I’m rather new to the whole ship business. The Firefly models have two shuttles, yes?”
“Yeah…”
“Is the other one out of order?”
“No, but-”
“Good. Then you have no use for this one.”
I stepped right up into his space. At such close quarters, he was easily a head over me, but I rose to my full height so that my face was only inches from his. “You ain’t listening, Rein. This shuttle is off-limits.”
He studied me for a moment, then stated, quite matter of fact,” Hit a nerve, did I?”
My face burned. “Look here, you puffed up feather duster!-”
Rein leaned forward suddenly, so as close as I had been before, the distance instantly shrank by half. “Captain Reynolds, let’s do away with all this friendly banter shall we? I’m as fond of foreplay as anyone, but I’m finding this tiresome.”
“Foreplay?” I cried indignantly.
He chuckled, and the dim light in the shuttle sparked in his bewitching green eyes. “The hard to get type, hm? Well, I do enjoy the chase-”
He reached out to touch me, and in a moment I had the barrel of my pistol at his throat.
“Put your hand on me,” I growled,” and I’ll splatter your brains all over that shiny new deed. Ling hui?”
He raised his hands in submission,” Ling hui, Captain Reynolds.”
I snapped the pistol back to my hip, turned, and stormed out of the shuttle in full fury.