“This is the Wavedancer, requesting permission to dock. We need to make some quick repairs.”

Vree looked on as Captain Ryyt allowed the small, ragged ship to dock in their largest hanger where it could be watched.

Beside him, Human-Amir perked up and might have taken off at a run if Vree hadn’t grabbed him first.

“My cousin is on that ship!” Human-Amir protested and wiggled to get loose without success. Vree had a good hold on him and would not be letting go without reason. “Fine. Come with. You’ll like Luka.”

Vree considered. On one hand, he did generally like humans. On the other, he seemed to recall that Human-Amir’s cousin was the Crown Prince of their Galactic Empire, and that this could mean a great deal of trouble.

He still hadn’t forgiven Human-Amir for the ‘throw me at the pirates!’ incident, and hoped this wouldn’t be another.

“Should we be bringing soldiers?” he asked his human carefully, and pointedly ignored when Human-Amir wiggled again. “Is your cousin not-“

“He’s getting some life experience,” Human-Amir said, and seemed to realize the problem. “Oh, no. They’re not pirates. Smugglers, I think, but they’re nice. Luka writes to me about them.”

“Do they know who he is?” That could be very important. He would rather know in advance before he said the wrong thing to the wrong people.

“Maybe? Don’t out him unless he says it’s okay. Like me, his safety is in people not knowing.”

Vree considered some more and then set Human-Amir back on his feet. “Should we call Human-Nerea?”

“Nah, she’s doing a thing.”

“A thing?” Vree asked warily, since the word ‘thing’ was good cause to be very nervous about his humans and their activities. “What sort of thing?”

Human-Amir started to laugh, which was not at all reassuring. “That cute engineer from section B. She had her ‘gonna get some’ smile on.”

That did seem like a problem in the making, but before Vree could ask farther, they came to the hanger, and there was a whoop of glee from the newly landed ship.

Human-Amir, in a display of dexterity he usually pretended he didn’t have, ducked Vree’s reflexive grab and threw himself across the room to catch a young human up in a crushing hug.

They were laughing and play-fighting, and Vree left them to it. It was good to see his human so happy. Their packs were very important, and Human-Amir didn’t see his very much.

You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

The crew was very small, and Vree approached them slowly enough for them to take his measure. It was clear that some of them were what Human-Amir called Others. One stood nearly as tall as Vree’s own three meters. Another had living vines snaking around her and blooming in her hair.

And then there was their lone Ha’reet, who looked how Vree often felt when dealing with humans.

“I’m Tusca,” their captain introduced himself politely with a little head-bob that suggested their Ha’reet tried to teach them manners and mostly failed. “Thanks for letting us land. We’re hurting a little.”

“You know how I fly,” another human complained. His clothing bore a red cross on both sleeves at the shoulder. Their doctor then. “You knew I would tear apart the console.”

“Yeah, but we will have to fix it before Carlito can fly again.”

“Bitch bitch bitch.”

The interaction, and the smiles that followed, told Vree a great deal about the small crew and he relaxed substantially.

Clearly, they were crazy, humans always were, but they were also a pack, and that was good.

“I didn’t know you were in town,” Human-Amir was saying as he and his young cousin approached, still play-fighting a little. “Introduce me, brat.”

“Bossypants,” the young human said, and smiled brightly up at Vree. “Amir told me all about you, but it’s nice to meet you. I’m Luka.”

“A pleasure,” Vree said dryly, and carefully shook the proffered hand while wondering exactly how his life had gotten to this point. “I am Vree, Third-Commander of this ship and our human liaison.”

“He’s great,” Human, Amir proclaimed, and let his cousin drag him over to meet the rest of the crew. “Even if he does scruff me all the time.”

“You need scruffing sometimes,” Human-Luka replied with a grin. “You got the stupid when you left home.”

Vree watched them go, content that, for the moment, his human was in good company with his younger packmate.

The crew’s frazzled Ha’reet came to Vree’s side and gave him a proper head-cock, with his ears lowered submissively. Vree responded by grooming his ears politely and rumbled subvocal approval.

Stuck on a crew of humans. Vree couldn’t even imagine.

“I am Graat, of Whitefur Pride,” the Ha’reet said once greetings were done. “Third-born.”

“Vree, of Ridgemane Pride,” Vree replied, and kept a wary eye on his human. “First-born. I don’t wish to leave them without supervision.”

“I don’t blame you,” Graat said sincerely, and ran his claws through his fur, which explained why it was standing on end around his ears. “Human-Luka promised we would be safe here. Is he correct?”

“He is packmates with Human-Amir,” Vree shrugged. “We are as much a diplomatic ship as anything else, and we deal with the Empire. Your ship is safe here, and no one will ask closely what it does for work.”

“A privilege of Human-Luka’s Pride-bonds?” Graat asked delicately. If Vree didn’t know what he did about Human-Luka and Human-Amir, the question wouldn’t give it away, but he did.

“Yes,” he said honestly in answer to the spoken question and the unspoken one. “But also because we know how humans are, and you are one of our own people.”

“You have my thanks,” Graat murmured. “Also-“

Whatever he might have said was lost as Vree’s instincts blared and he grabbed for Human-Amir on reflex.

Just in time. Human-Luka began cracking with lightning, and parts of the shoddy little ship began rearranging themselves, presumably at his direction.

Human-Amir struggled and fussed, and Vree held him fast, because really, he would probably run right into the danger if Vree let him go.

Why were humans always like this? It was all of them; he would swear to it.

Or, perhaps, just one, since the whole crew rounded on the doctor, who looked both sheepish and defiant.

“What?” he protested defensively under the suspicious eye of his captain and crew. “He was like that when we found him!”

Vree only sighed and let Human-Amir run off to play with his cousin some more. If he got fried, it was his own fault.

Humans. It was always something.