Descend- Seeing Stars by Sean Oswald (the ebook reader .TXT) 📕

noticed that their scientists were a blend of men and women and seemed to come from all four of the clans. They all had similar responses. Claws were bared and they looked ready to fight. These might not be the warriors, but this was clearly a warrior race.

      Ava and Mia, both greeted him reflexively. The fusion made it easy to know when he would arrive. Eesa had been inside the cockpit of the starfighter. The ship was triangular in shape with sharp fins at each corner. From tip to the tri-port exhaust in the rear it was just over seventy-five feet. Jay’s new perceptions took in all the measurements of the ship in an instant.

      When Eesa looked up and saw Jay she let out a low growl before turning back to adjusting whatever she was working on. The Tamoori scientists all looked from the cockpit to Jay and then back to the cockpit before walking away as one. Their ears all had stood on end and their tails straightened in tension.

      Mia walked up to him as she guided Ava away. Ava was saying, “But I think I figured out how to increase the weapons payload.”

      Mia coaxed her forward saying, “We will come back but right now Eesa needs some privacy.” Then to Jay she said, “Eesa really is great. But your conduct is an insult to her by the standards of her people. Take that into consideration. Oh, and remember that her people’s customs are not the same as ours.”

      Before Jay could say anything the two of them teleported away and he was left staring at Eesa’s back side sticking up out of the cockpit. Her tail was deadly still. He was cautious about drawing too many parallels between the Tamoori and cats on Earth. It seemed like the type of assumption that could truly make an ass out of him.

      He stood patiently waiting for her to finish whatever she was working on. Repeatedly he resisted the temptation to read her mind. His increased Awareness stat would have only made it easier, but it was that very type of situation which had made him leery about any more power ups.

      After a few minutes it became painfully clear that she was intentionally making him wait. He pondered Mia’s words and then realized maybe he was handling this the wrong way. If she were a human wife, he would have let her finish her work standing patiently, sacrificing his time to show her how important she was to him.

      Now though he wondered if that was exactly the wrong approach. He thought about what he knew about the Tamoori. They were an aggressive people, predators not prey as the elders had said. Clearly their society was very patriarchal.

      Then he pondered Eesa’s actions when she had first come with them. She responded to surprise with violence and had been defensive of her honor. But each time she would catch herself and become submissive to the point of absurdity. Unlike Ava, there clearly wasn’t a submissive bone in the Tamoori girl’s body but she must have been trying to live up to the expectations of her society.

      This arranged marriage might be more problematic than he had expected at first. He had assumed he would meet whatever the basic obligations were, but otherwise would give her freedom to continue on as a fighter pilot. She would have to learn to adapt to their culture, but he equally needed to respect hers.

      As he watched her, he realized that he found her backside more enticing than he had expected. The tail didn’t bother him much. He likely would have been repulsed by a human woman with hairy arms and legs but her fur while much thicker also seemed sleeker and more luxuriant. Beyond the tail sticking out the back of what was something like khaki shorts, her backside was very fit and much like a human woman’s would be.

      Maybe this wouldn’t be all bad, Jay thought to himself. Then he decided he would play the part if he had to. Silently he thanked Ava, as learning to meet her needs were hopefully going to be helpful here.

      “Wife, how much longer are you going to keep me waiting?” Jay called out in the Tamoori language.

      He saw her back go stiff and then her shoulders slumped, and she stood up turning around. “I am sorry, lord husband. I did not realize that you were there.”

      Jay knew that to be a lie, but if it helped her save face, he could go with it. “Ah, perhaps I should make more noise next time. What are you working on?”

      Her ears twitched as he had noticed those of the scientists. He felt for just her surface emotions and realized this was a sign of embarrassment. Of course, he didn’t understand what she had to be embarrassed about. “I know that I am no longer a pilot but does my lord husband wish me to no longer work on the starfighters?”

      “Of course not. You may work on the fighters as much as you want. What you do with your time is up to you. I don’t know how it works with your people, but you should have seen that my other wives are all free to work on whatever tasks they want to,” Jay replied.

      “From what I have observed, your wives are constantly trying to work on projects for you. They seem to be driven by a desire to please you, lord husband. Is this not what you expect?”

      Jay was caught off guard by her assertion and question. He wondered if that was really how it appeared to her. Or was it really that way. Then as he thought about it a bit more almost all of his time was spent trying to please or protect