Stars Gods Wolves by Dan Kirshtein (good books for 8th graders .TXT) 📗

bag, which was then handed off to Josie as she approached. Nitro wouldn’t look at the Hoxer again, out of fear of losing control. As the rage goaded him once more, he compromised with it and let out an angry grin as he clapped the Hoxer on the shoulder. “And a body in the cockpit,” Nitro added.

The flustered buyer began to protest, huffing and turning angrily. But before he could stand, his argumentative face and arched trunk were met by Ox and the rest of the scrappy-looking group. The Waykind raised an eyebrow and gave the slightest daring smirk to the Hoxer, who promptly returned to his drink.

Jupiter Proximity Station: Government Building 17C

Dry shampoo was the best friend of any traveling female government employee. This was because showers were, apparently, a luxury. They—along with restful sleep, decent food, personal space, and silence—were not to be found on a public transport ship. Now that new eyeliner and lip balm had been applied, Gally recalled her college days of lobbying against government employees using luxury vessels for business travel. How wrong she’d been.

Against the familiar sound of her heels clicking through the halls of the office building, she began to mentally bury the events of the past few days. All the grief, the pain, the anger, it would all wait; it would all need to hide, for the time being. The only indication of it all, as she approached a large doorway, was how tightly she clung to the tablet in her hands. Two security guards stood on either side of the door, and she was happy to know she still possessed the ability that made people clear a path for her. She opened the door herself and walked right into Col’po’s office as he was in the middle of a holo-call.

Large portraits of legendary alien diplomats and political leaders—some of whom Gally had actually met—hung on the burgundy walls. Other than that, and the furniture shaped for every body type imaginable, the office was decorated in the fashion of a twentieth-century American president. And while Col’po had about as much responsibility as one, he wasn’t nearly as revered or well protected.

He was the most Human non-Human Gally knew, and she had quietly found him amusing for this. Over his tusks and patches of rough brown fur along his pink skin, Col’po wore a massive three-piece suit and carried just as much “another day, another dollar” as any Human adult. She could see it in his beady little eyes, the relief of seeing her walk in.

He pretended to look concerned as he assuaged the neon green flashing figure in front of him. “Terribly sorry, your Floshness, but something just came up. Keep me informed of the conflict, please!” The neon figure promptly dissipated as he pressed a stubby finger against the holo-phone. After a moment to collect himself and sigh, he looked up at Gally. “You know, I really should hire someone to come barging in like that. Comes in handy.” She smiled as she took the closest seat to his desk. Politely, she waited for him to begin the conversation. “It seems I owe you one. What do you need?”

She gave him an apologetic look as she started, picking the worst possible subject she could recall. “I need access to the Kova-Nine report.”

One long, bushy eyebrow rose above Col’po’s beady black eyes. After a moment, he responded. “What?”

Knowing this report was well above her paygrade and security clearance, Gally came with a good excuse. “I’ve got evidence that implicates Tollo Dune in the sabotage of the air vents, and I just need—”

Col’po massaged his head with one hand as he interrupted her. “Admiral. Admiral Tollo Dune. And for shit’s sake, Gally, there are things at work on this thing that—”

“Just one hour alone with it, then!” she pleaded, leaning forward on his desk. Had anyone else interrupted him, he would have been irate. No one else in this building could do such a thing, but no one else was as familiar as she’d become.

He sighed and leaned forward as well; his naturally foul-smelling breath was covered up by copious amounts of breath mints. “I want you to understand,” he started slowly, “that when I say ‘no’, I’m doing it because I care for you and your safety.”

She couldn’t help but smile. Their years of working together never really seemed to come into conflict until this subject, and she was happy to see him be so gentle. “You’re a good representative, Col’po.” She twisted a bit with a wink. “Probably my favorite.” She rose from her seat.

“Yes, well,” the politician smiled, which pushed his tusks apart as he leaned back; all in all, he seemed happy to see her be done with the issue. “You’ll be perfect for this job, once it kills me,” he joked.

As she stood, coyly, in front of his desk, she laughed. Gally had begun to walk away, running her hands over a recliner with more twisting shapes than one could possibly perceive as being comfortable, when his tone changed once more.

“Gally.” His voice was deep, rumbling, and concerned. She froze, out of respect and because she knew what he was about to say. “How are you?”

It wasn’t the usual ‘how are you’ when you meet someone at work. Those kinds are usually met with a kneejerk and insincere “Good, how are you?” This was different; it was weighted and encompassing. The veil she’d placed in front of her grief faltered for a moment. Her eyes watered; she suddenly felt as if she was standing in mud.

She took a moment, her tan face showing a hint of pink as the corners of her mouth seemed to wrestle a frown into a smile. It was the unconvincing, sad smile of a girl whose entire life revolved around the comings and goings of the military.

“Go home.” Col’po used her silence to push the moment forward. “I approved you for bereavement time yesterday.”

“No,” Gally immediately shook her head