As they were approacing Tamare homeworld Ktak was told that the ship was going into pressure dock for upgrades and the whole crew were to have at least three month paid layover at the Tamare Central. This suited their plans of registering Ames as Ktak's consort perfectly. It was quite impossible to make the paperwork happen much faster.

Such layovers usually came with Space Command paid hotel that allowed the whole crew to stay together and as they were still formally under her command she was to stay with them, another pluss from Ktak's perspective. She did not revel in the idea of living with Ames in their brood-home. It was quite gloomy now that Mother was withering and well... Her brood-sister was there. Jelaousy was nasty thing, but fighting it was no use.

She worried about how Ames would fit into her world. It was very different from his and she had taken no effort to prepare him. The night before docking she carfully started the topic.

"We need a set of formal robes for you..." she sighed.

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Ames rolled out of the cuddle and turned to face her.

"Stella got me some at the stopover station. The accursed stilts included." he explained with a smile. "And Investigator Oran taught me all 60 basic greetings. And one rude one as bonus!"

Ktak was speechless. That Stella had picked up her slack was not surprising, but she was still grateful. But Investigator Oran's involvement a was surprise. She had never needed the stilts so instructing Ames on them was not something she could not have done at all. She felt deeply grateful to Investigator Oran and wondered what she could do to show it.

The next morning she watched Ames get dressed in Tamare robes. She was deeply impressed. Absolutely everything followed the expected form. Stilts looked a bit funny tho and when Ames described what he had done to them to make them more manageable she burst out laughing.

"You should sell the idea to Tamare Manufacturing. All short species Tamare hate these things with passion." she commented finally dressing herself.

When they were both dressed Ames quickly took advantage of his adjusted height and stole a kiss.

Ktak had a supicion, "You were planning that the whole time you were practicing, werent you?"

"Yep" confirmed Ames happily and bowed him to the door in exactly correct form of defference.

"Go time?" he suggested.