Adiron (Corsair Brothers 1)

They both giggle, the sound a bit more like shrill cawing than I'd prefer. "You interested in entertainment?"

"No, but I know someone that might be." I wonder what Kaspar will think if he suddenly gets two avian females all over him when he's trying to pick a fight at the bar. He'll probably kill me later.

I bet it's still worth it. I pull out a few credits and slide them across the table. "See that blue male at the bar? I bet he'd like company."

The first female leans over my shoulder, giving me a sultry look. "But we want to stay with you." She taps a long, spindly finger on my cheek. "You seem like fun."

"I really am," I agree. I'm definitely the fun one. Also the dumb one, but who cares about smarts when you're having a great time? And right now, I'm starting to enjoy myself. I could send these two over to Kaspar, get him all riled up, and when he's distracted, I can start a fight. There's a fat merchant with a few bodyguards in the corner—and a few more of the avian females at his booth—that looks like he'd be ripe pickings for a fight. I do know that I can't really start anything with two females hanging off my arm. I don't fight with females.

Well, unless it's Zoey. But she's my sister, so it doesn't count.

I gesture over at Kaspar. "They say you can get to know a man by the company he keeps," I say.

"And what does that say about your friend, who is alone?"

"It says I have to pay pretty females to talk to him." I give them a grin and throw another credit on the table. "Will you go and make his day better?"

"Eventually," the one on my left says, and clings to my arm. "Maybe we like the view here at the moment."

Flattery is always nice, and I've got a few minutes. "I admit, I am pretty good to look at."

"And soooo modest." They giggle. The handsy one on my left clings to my bicep. "So what brings you to V'tarrian space? We don't see your kind much around here."

"Oh…" I don't have a good excuse, so I stare at my beer and try to think something up. I lift my drink, trying to play this off all casual. "This and that? Wrecked ships and uh…other stuff."

"Do you know Lord Straik, then?"

I spit my beer all over the table. Uh. Do I know Lord Straik? That's an absolutely random name for a female to bring up. "Like…Lord Straik sa’Rin? From Homeworld? Why do you ask?"

She shrugs and drags a finger down my cheek, and I wonder if she'd be offended if I asked her to use plas-film? I don't know where her fingers have been, after all, and this cantina isn't exactly clean. "He's been buying weapons around here."

I shoot a worried look over at Kaspar, coughing loudly to try and get his attention. My brother, meanwhile, is arguing with the male seated next to him, no doubt looking to start a fight and get that distraction going. We have bigger problems, though, if Lord Straik is in this region. He’s a mesakkah with deep pockets, an army of clones at his disposal, and a massive chip on his shoulder. If he's hanging out in V'tarrian space, he's not doing anything good. "What's he buying weapons for?"

The clingy one pouts, holding her hand out.

With a sigh, I put a credit in her hand.

She pockets it, her smile returning. "I heard he's buying weapons for his private army…because they're going to take over a ship."

"Take over a ship?"

"Find a ship," the other one corrects. "They're looking for some lost ship. Came in here and asked a thousand questions about shipping lanes and such." She rolls her eyes and drinks the last of her ooli brew, then eyes the ordering system. "Can you buy us another round, friend?"

"I think I have to go," I say, and get to my feet.

The females pull me down again, just as Kaspar grabs his barstool and slams it over his neighbor's head.

2

ADIRON

"I can't believe you two keffing idiots," Mathiras rages as we race onto the bridge of the Little Sister, several V'tarrian guards hot on our heels. "What happened to ‘create a diversion to peel off the guards and sneak out’?"

"How are we supposed to sneak when we're the only mesakkah in the entire V'tarrian system?"

"You could have tried a little harder." He pauses to shove Kaspar up the ramp, since our brother seems determined not to leave without finishing the fight.

I automatically grab at Kaspar's shirt and shove him through the Sister's door, something we've gotten down to a science. Most battles end like this—us knowing when to pull out and Kaspar too stubborn to do so. So between Mathiras and myself, we've become experts at hauling Kaspar's ass out of danger.