Page 59 of On a Rogue Planet
Lining the mostly open level were bars, restaurants, and shops offering enormously overpriced goods any respectable deep-space explorer might need. Neon signs blinked offering clothes, provisions, weapons, even workers.
Moonrakers was set in a quieter corner. No flashing lights here. This was a serious bar for serious drinking.
They stepped inside and it took Mal’s eyes a moment to adjust to the dim lighting.
Slowly, shapes emerged from the darkness. A long bar manned by a cranky looking Taxalian with a set of impressive horns and two serving syndroids. The droids had fairly realistic faces until you realized that nothing moved. They never blinked and when they spoke, their lips were still. Two female servers—of the humanoid variety—moved amongst the tables and booths that covered the rest of the space. At the back were several holo-pool tables. A couple of men stood holding the electronic pool cues and hitting at the virtual balls. Mal spied some interesting laser burns on one wall and a couple of fist-sized dents on another.
The bar wasn’t crowded but there were still plenty of customers, most busy with their drinks. A few were wearing dark-blue Patrol uniforms with their coats undone, laughing at the bar. Unwinding after shift. Other patrons were huddled quietly in the booths—relaxing, or doing business they didn’t want anyone to overhear.
From a booth in the back, a man stood.
Mal hadn’t forgotten that Dare Phoenix was intense. But she had forgotten the sheer impact of him.
He was as tall as Xander, with a big, muscled body that went with the height. His tobacco-brown hair was long and brushed his broad shoulders. His face was outrageously holo-actor handsome. The face of a fallen angel. But it was his eyes that trapped your attention. Liquid silver, like mercury, and just a little scary. Like he could see your thoughts, like he could give you an order and you’d hurry to obey.
If she were picking a ship for Dare, he’d be a Sethian battlecruiser. Big, sleek, and dangerous.
Two men rose from the booth behind Dare to flank him.
These two were shorter than their older brother, but only by a few inches. They were also built with muscled frames. They could have been twins except for a couple of differences.
The man on the left had bright silver eyes, like polished metal, and he was grinning. Justyn Phoenix’s face was mobile and gave the impression he laughed a lot. His brown hair was shot through with gold, had the hint of a curl and was in desperate need of a cut.
Rynan Phoenix, on the other hand, had muted gray eyes that made Mal think of both brushed metal and the dangerous thunderstorms that gathered over the jungle planet of Wylda. He wasn’t smiling and his set face made her think he rarely did. His dark hair was cut military short.
She’d pick a Dangar runnership for Justyn. Sleek with a hell of a lot of speed and brilliant cloaking capabilities. Perfect for getting in and out undetected. And she just happened to know it was exactly the ship Justyn owned.
Rynan would be a solid cuttership like the Galactic Security Services preferred for its Patrol ships. Good shield capabilities with an excellent weapons array.
Beside her, Mal sensed Dathan and the others tensing up as they faced off with their cousins. She almost expected a tumbleweed to roll past like in an old Earth western movie.
“Malin.” Dare said her name in his deep voice, then yanked her forward into a tight hug.
She was passed to Justyn, who planted a smacking kiss on her cheek. “Nice to see you, kid. You like that scoutship wreckage I sent you?”
She grinned at him. “You know I did.”
“Malin.” Rynan touched a hand to her cheek and left his welcome at that.
Then arms pulled her back until she collided with a hard chest. Xander’s arm slid around her neck holding her tightly to him. She felt the fine tension running through him and without thinking, she gripped his arm and stroked his skin.
“CenSec,” Rynan growled.
Dare watched them with a set face, and Justyn’s smile dissolved like a sugar cube doused with water.
“You’re keeping interesting company, Phoenix,” Dare said in a low voice.
At first, she thought he was talking to her, but then she realized he was looking over her shoulder.
Dathan stepped forward. “He’s a client.”
Justyn snorted. “Even we wouldn’t take CenSecs on our convoys.”
Nik moved up beside Dathan. “Always took you for cowards.”
Rynan’s eyes narrowed and he took a menacing step forward.
“Enough.” Mal pulled away from Xander and pressed one hand to Dathan’s chest, the other to Dare’s. “You guys haven’t seen each other foryearsand you’re already priming for a fight. And the CenSec has a name. Xander, these lummoxes are my other cousins, Dare, Justyn, and Rynan.” She pointed to each in turn “And this is General Xander Saros.”
