His Faithful Squire

A One-Man Entourage

Former joy-boy Rafe Ballard will miss living on the freighter Pendragon's Dream. Under the watchful eye of Captain Eve Marcori, Marine veteran, no one beat him. He ate well, his life was rarely in danger, and—most important by far—he spent much of his days and all the glorious nights with his beloved Taro. Unfortunately, energetic Taro wants to take on the galaxy without his sister the captain standing by, and Rafe won't be left behind.

He's learned enough to get a real job so he won't be a burden. Taro is beyond capable of keeping him safe. What could go wrong?

With a Marcori in the picture, lots. By the explosive end of his first job, Taro needs back-up. Rafe is all there is.

Hedonist, layabout, and mooch he may be, but Rafe is also deeply in love. For Taro he'll surprise everyone—especially himself.

This novel is a sequel to Knight Errant.

His Faithful Squire

by KD Sarge

Published through Turtleduck Press at Smashwords

copyright 2011 KD Sarge

Dedicated to my dear Bea,

First Minion and Knitter of the Squid

What would I do without you?

Chapter 1

Waiting rooms were the antithesis of everything Taro. I knew it, accepted it, and tried not to let him drive me mad.

Antithesis. Ooh, big word, Rafe Ballard.

Ever in motion, Taro paced to the end of the room again, his boots ringing on the deck-plating of the ugly little room I liked as much as I liked the rest of the ship. I’d thought Cori’s ship was dreary till we walked aboard this one. As our unfriendly guide led us deeper into the ship, Taro had frowned at the scuff marks on the floor. I wanted to know why no one smiled.

Taro ruffled my hair as he passed me. It wasn’t often I wanted to hit him, but the thought crossed my mind. Mostly that was nerves. I’d never had a job interview before. A few years of following Dr. Alexander around wasn’t experience, no matter what Taro said. Especially since they hadn’t advertised for a sickbay attendant. Taro insisted ships were always looking for good crew, but how he figured I qualified as ‘good crew’…but he was sure. Beyond sure. Like Taro always was.

He’d been sure we’d have a dozen job offers too, and now we were on our last chance. The Pendragon’s Dream had a departure slot at 2100. If we didn’t want to be stuck on his family’s ship for another three weeks, we had to be hired before the Dream’s boarding call.

If we weren’t hired, I might actually have to kill Taro. He’d planned for two years our escape from under the shadow of his sister, Captain Eve Cori The Bitch The Ice Queen Marcori, Marine veteran and Leopard pilot, invincible, indomitable, rescuer extraordinaire. Three more weeks of Taro’s impatience was more than I could take.

Not once in our plotting, though, had Taro mentioned signing on an in-system mining re-supply ship. How we were supposed to explore the galaxy—

Trust Taro, Rafe. He knew what he was doing. In two years he’d gotten me into and safely out of more fun than I’d had in the twenty years before I met him. My broken arm had been my own damn fault. The time I almost got shot, too. And no one could have predicted that avalanche.

Maybe trusting Taro wasn’t such a great idea. But the alternative was to be left behind.

The inner office door opened. A tall woman walked past Taro with a nod. Another applicant? If they weren’t desperate—

Mr. Hibiki? the man in the doorway asked. Or Mr. Ballard?

Hibiki, Taro answered. The pilot.

I moved to his side. Ballard. The other one.

XO Wilson waved us into his office. Taro sat in front of the desk without an invitation. Damn it, did he want the job or not? A little courtesy could help.

Wilson sat behind the desk and paged through Taro’s resume on his comp. I was surprised when you insisted on interviewing with Mr. Ballard, he said. That’s not a common request.

Taro shrugged. We interview together because we come together.

No smirks, Rafe Ballard.

Wilson looked from Taro to me and caught on without any smirks. Are you insane? We carry miners as well as supplies, and a more belligerent, intolerant, thickheaded lot doesn’t exist. If you’ve got something to prove, do it somewhere else!

Taro leaned forward and highlighted a section of his paperwork. We can take care of ourselves. And you need a co-pilot.

You’re no good to me dead, Wilson growled. We’d have to turn around the first time you lost a fight. Also, Mr. Ballard doesn’t have that skill. What about him?

I take care of him. And I don’t lose fights.

Hell. Taro was more like his sister than even blood had a right to be. Why did it always come out at the worst times? Mr. Wilson, I cut in, we’re not looking for trouble. Just jobs. Taro will earn respect faster than you’ll believe. He’ll leave your miners able to work when they get to their destination, too. As for me, medical is the one area no one wants to mess with. No matter how thickheaded they are, people in dangerous professions treat medics with respect.

Besides, Taro added, that blond you just interviewed is a sniffer. You had to see it. If she’s sober, it hasn’t been long. And you’re a day behind schedule already.

And you won’t come alone, even though we could certainly find work and housing dirt-side for Mr. Ballard?

Rafe and I are a package deal, Taro said. Thank God. He knew I wasn’t made to be alone. And we have to have a cabin. He tilted his chair farther and flashed a grin at me. Put us in a dorm and nobody will get any sleep.

You don’t have to flaunt it, Wilson muttered

Get your captain, Taro ordered. Save calling us back.

Captain Depp is occupied elsewhere at the moment, Wilson snapped. He rubbed his eyes. All right, he said slowly. Did we have jobs? Dr. Darevic has been asking for some help. I do hope, Mr. Ballard, that you don’t end up adding to her workload instead of lightening it. Mr. Hibiki, if I saw a chance in a million of filling the position in the next week, I would not consider hiring you. I don’t trust cocky pilots. I hope you’re a little more serious when lives are at stake.

We did! We had jobs! Taro opened his mouth, but I kicked his foot and he closed it again. When is boarding call, Mr. Wilson? I asked.

Can you two be ready in an hour if we can get the miners loaded that fast?

Will it seem arrogant, Taro asked, if I tell you our things are already aboard?

Yes. Just make damn sure it’s earned, Mr. Hibiki.

I’ve never crashed a ship yet, Taro said. Which was true. He only crashed atmospheric craft. How the hell he’d managed to keep that off his flight log was just another Taro mystery.

Not in the three days you’ve had your Class One? How reassuring. Wilson stood. Hard to believe I have to hire a newly-eighteen-year-old to fulfill safety requirements.

Hell of an irony, isn’t it? Taro asked with a grin at me.

Look out, galaxy, I thought with a return grin. Here comes Taro!

XO Wilson walked Taro to the cockpit and sent his assistant to show me to our quarters. It took two decks of flirting, but I got her to smile.

Our cabin was small, dark even with the lights all the way up, and dingy. I took some pictures before I started. Our first home paid for completely by us deserved recording.

The camera was a gift from Dr. Alexander. It could take 3D vid if I wanted to eat up the memory, but it produced wonderful—photographs, Dr. Alexander called them. Like paintings, they printed out flat so you could hang them on a wall or put them in a hand-made book. And it would be less expensive to ship photograph files instead of holographs back to the Dream to keep the family up to speed on Taro’s adventures. Which was a good excuse to take lots of pictures of Taro.

Dr. Alexander gave wonderful gifts.

Dreariness recorded, I did what I could to make our new home livable, though once Taro was in it, it wouldn’t seem dark. He was all the decoration any room needed.

On that note, I dug out the portraits Hanna had painted of us. Donte had made the removable latch that held them together because he and the rest of the Dream crew still thought I’d decide Taro was too much effort any day now and when we parted ways the portraits would, too.

Someday I’d glue the damn things together, but for now I just put them on the wall.

Hanna’s talent still took my breath, though it might have been her subject. I’m a little biased. My portrait was well done, and pretty because I’m pretty. Taro’s was so much more. Most pictures washed out his skin tone, but she’d got it right, and along with it captured his energy somehow. Not just the tilt of his eyes, but the exact shade and even the glint that was the only warning he gave that he was about to start something. And whatever he started, whether it was fighting, loving, gambling, or flying, he was going to enjoy the hell out of it. The shifting of thought across his face as he considered what exactly he was going to start this time, the tilt of his head as he invited me to join him—

How did I get so damn lucky?

The hailer sounded an hour after lift-off. I’d decided that since the bed was the only piece of furniture suitable for lounging it, instead of the one tiny viewport, was my focal point. I had my hands full of fabric, so I just called to open the door.

A bouncy redhead in white scrubs walked in. She had nice hands and a cute nose. She liked me too; she looked me over and grinned. Well. Aren’t I the lucky one.

I grinned back. Dr. Darevic, I presume?

Only if you’re Rafael Ballard.

Rafe. Just Rafe. Do you usually collect your assistants personally?

If I had assistants usually, I might, she grumbled, propping up the wall in one of Dr. Alexander’s favorite poses. Are you about ready, Just Rafe?

Hell. I’d wanted the cabin done before Taro saw it. But one thing living on the Dream had taught me: when you’re supposed to work, you’re supposed to work. Five more minutes does not go over well. And dragging your lover off to a dark corner—well, that wasn’t likely to be a problem on this ship. Sigh. I tossed the tapestry—once known as a sheet—over the chair and bowed.

I’m at your command.

That could be interesting, Dr. Darevic said.

Unfortunately I did get the cabin done before Taro saw it. Nina, as I was told to call my boss within ten minutes of arriving in a harried-looking sickbay, kept me through supper. Six hours, and I still got back to the cabin first. And got it as done as I could with what I had. Then I waited. Tried to read a book Dr. Alexander had given me, and waited some more.

Determined as I was, I nearly fell asleep before Taro found his way home. He smiled at the cabin but his thoughts weren’t on it. The way he moved told me why.

Fighting already? I patted the bed next to me and tried to remember where I’d put the massage oils. Near the bed, surely—ah. Arnica and St. John’s wort, since he looked like he was hurting...

I had a talk with some miners, Taro confirmed. Since you promised I’d leave them able to work, I figured the sooner the better. He sat and sighed appreciation. I liked a soft bed. So did Taro, but he didn’t admit it.

How many? I asked, tossing my discarded shirt where he was about to land to protect the duvet.

I forget. Taro pried off his boots and flopped backwards. I just asked if there were any jerk-offs who had a problem with bent men, and went down the line.

Of course you did. With a few other comments just in case some of the men were shy in their homophobia. Roll over. I peeled his shirt off and warmed oil in my hands. You could have told me, I grumbled. You know I like to watch. I started with long strokes, searching out the painful spots before I went where I knew the tension was. Taro thought he hid the pain, but his every move told me where my hands were needed. He chuckled into the pillow.

You can watch tomorrow. I’m such a little shit, they’ll have to try it again. See if tonight wasn’t a fluke.

Tomorrow night you’re going to be busy.

I am?

You’d damn well better be. If you’re not here ten minutes after you get off-duty, Kentaro Hibiki, it’s going to be me you’re fighting.

Why?

He didn’t remember. Hell. Muscles knotted under my hands; he knew he’d blown it. He just didn’t know how. Sigh. When would I learn not to talk while I massaged him? It wasn’t his fault he’d forgotten. There was a lot going on. His Class One license, his first job, us moving out on our own... And it wasn’t like it was an official anniversary, anyway. Taro groaned.

Oh, hell, Rafe, I’m sorry. I lost track of the days. Of course I’ll be here. He took a deep breath; I felt it under my hands. Shit. Rafe—I’m on duty tomorrow night.

You’re not working the same hours I am?

This isn’t a jump-ship, Rafe. In regular space there always has to be a pilot. Today was just an orientation. I’ll be working a rotating shift: six hours on, twelve off. So—every three days, I’ll work the same as you do.

And two out of three days, I’d be the next damn thing to alone. I pushed my thumbs deep and didn’t ask if he’d known that before we signed on. No whining. Two weeks, damn it, and a good reference for the next job. I could survive two weeks. Even if it meant sometimes sleeping alone.

Rafe, Taro said, I’m sorry.

It’s all right, I said. Two weeks. What time do you work tomorrow?

1600 to 2200. You?

I’d be starting my regular schedule. 0800 to 1600. We wouldn’t even pass in the corridors on our anniversary. Taro started cursing.

Stop that, I snapped. You’re not relaxing. Well done, Rafe. In nine hours I had to leave him. I had to sleep some of that precious time, and I wouldn’t see him again for fourteen hours after that. So what did I do? I got mad at him.

And damn it, he hadn’t even kissed me since we set foot on the damned dreary ship.

So… I changed the subject, How was your first day of getting paid to work?

Effing cockpit’s filthy, Taro growled. Manned twenty-four hours and nobody cleans? What the fuck are they doing up there?

Clearly the captain was never a Marine. Taro wouldn’t agree, but to me that was one thing in favor of our new ship. It meant I probably wouldn’t be made to scrub decks.

I still haven’t met him, Taro groused. What kind of captain lets a pilot he never met fly his ship?

Hell. Two weeks, I told him. My new mantra. It’s only two weeks.

Taro spat a couple curses in Calanian and fell silent as I drilled a knuckle into his shoulder.

How about you? he asked after a while.

The doctor, Nina, seems nice. Sickbay is a mess. Don’t get hurt until I can get it sorted.

We took off a week behind schedule and sickbay still isn’t ready? He swore some more and ended with an apology. Rafe, I’m sorry. I should have toured the ship before we signed the contract.

Two weeks, I told him again. We can handle it for two weeks. Now relax. You’re undoing all my work.

Taro growled and shoved my knee backwards. It unbalanced me and let him eel around to grab. Before I could react he had me on my back and pinned.

I loved when he did that. Sprawled across me was one of my favorite places for him to be.

To hell with relaxing, he said. His eyes set my heart pounding. Just do me one favor.

Anything, I said. He grinned.

You’re gonna be damn tired tomorrow. Don’t fall asleep near anything dangerous. Finally, finally, he kissed me. And did lots of other wonderful things, too.

Chapter 2

Taro walked me to sickbay after breakfast and grinned at the line waiting outside for Nina. Five bruised, unhappy-looking men, all glowering at him. And by extension, since I stood beside him, me.

Didn’t think of that, did you, Rafe Ballard?

Gentlemen, Taro said, still grinning. This is Rafe. Rafe, these are some of my friends from last night.

I’d guessed that. Don’t yawn, Rafe, not now...I hoped Nina had a coffee pot in her office.

Be nice to them, huh? I think they’ve had a rough enough time. Trust Taro to rub it in. He’d better know what he was doing; I was going to spend the next hour or more with these men.

One of the miners snorted. Maybe Taro did know. Nina strolled around a corner and stopped.

All right, boys, what did you trip over this time?

Taro chuckled with the men. Nina scowled and stalked past to open sickbay. You know the drill, worst hurt first. And that doesn’t mean loudest whiner, either.

I pulled Taro away from the door so when I kissed him he’d kiss properly back. It was going to have to last a long time.

Rafe! Nina yelled over the intercom. Where are you? We’ve got patients!

Hell. Taro gave me a squeeze and sauntered off with a wink, probably not to go to bed. Which was what I really wanted to do. Especially if he went with me. Sigh.

Only one of the miners needed Nina’s attention. The others she handed over to me since I was qualified to run a four-in-one over their bruises and hand out analgesics and sympathy. They didn’t get much of that, though. They’d have done worse to Taro if they could have managed it.

None of them gave me any trouble, but the one who had snorted outside seemed friendly. He was the last I dealt with, as he was the least hurt. He looked me over with the beginnings of a grin.

So you’re Rafe.

The one and only. I started on his black eye with the four-in-one.

I’m Sam, Sam Collier. That Taro is a hyper little fuck, isn’t he?

I chuckled as I worked in tightening circles, just like Dr. Alexander taught me. I even had a four-in-one of my very own. "You have no idea," I told Sam, my voice suggesting what a wonderful thing hyper could be. He snorted again.

At least you got a sense of humor. Your Taro’s one arrogant bastard. I figure gay just leaves more girls for me, but the way he mouthed off, I had to take a swing at him.

My Taro could bring a Calanian snorer out of hibernation to take a swing at him.

How many times you tried to deck him? Sam asked.

I prefer wrestling.

Sam laughed and decided he liked me. He offered to show me the fun spots around the moon-base that was our first stop in three days. He even invited me to bring Taro after I promised he was more mellow when I was with him. Sam had an ulterior motive, he told me with a grin. Two good-looking young men would lure the women where he’d have a better chance at grabbing one, since we weren’t competition.

Nina came out of her office to run Sam off then, saying he was as well as he deserved to be since he couldn’t watch where he was going. So I asked her about the accidental injuries joke. She sighed as she turned back to her office and paperwork.

We can’t keep them out of fights, she said. The stiffer the penalties, the fewer workers we get. So if we can blame it on tripping over a conduit, or walking into a pipe, that’s how we report it. The boys know they can let off all the steam they want, as long as they keep it under control. Weapon use and disabling injuries are fully investigated.

That makes sense.

It still makes a lot of work for me, she growled. If you’re done talking, will you please put away that last delivery?

I thought it would be easiest to dump the old stuff on the beds so I can sort. Which beds should I leave prepped?

She gave me a flat stare. Take the supplies out of the crate, she said. Put them in the right cabinets. It’s not hard.

I thought it would be easier to rotate everything if I had space to sort. It’s hard to get the new stuff at the back with the old stuff in the way.

The doctor rolled her eyes. It doesn’t matter, Rafe. Bandages don’t expire.

Never irritate people with power over you argued with sooner or later Taro will be in this sickbay and Taro won. Of course. Dr. Alexander says if it has an expiration, it expires, I said, grabbing a package of burn gauze. This kind can decay and has caused severe reactions in persons sensitive to—

Dr. Alexander? Nina interrupted. Ben Alexander?

You know him?

Small galaxy. Yes, I know Dr. Knows-It-All, and you sound just like him. She waved a hand as she turned towards her office. Do what you want. Leave one bed.

Yes, ma’am.

Nina did have coffee, and I did make it through without falling asleep near anything dangerous. We had a few more visitors. I took a picture of Nina, the first person ever to expect actual work from me. By 1200 she knew better. By 1300 she was pretending to throw things when I yawned and wanting to know who had kept me up all night. I just gave her a grin. She listed all the women on the ship and tried to figure it out. I hinted I might be gay and waited for the truth to dawn on her, but she laughed. No gay would set foot on the Depp Down, she said.

Maybe she hadn’t read my medical history that came from the same ship Taro’s did, and maybe she was just being dense. Teasing her was fun, so I only answered with winks and mysterious smiles. And asked her if there was any chance at all of me getting some flowers. Nearly wilted didn’t matter, but they couldn’t be dry. That, of course, set her wondering what I had planned.

Wouldn’t you like to know, I told her.

By 1430, Nina was tired of being teased, and tired of me being tired. She sent me off early with two nearly-dead bouquets she’d managed to locate. I’d hoped the ratio of one woman to every nine men for most of the next two weeks would result in flowers. In the process of locating them, Nina eliminated five women from her list of those who could have kept me up all night.

The message light was blinking in our cabin. Taro’s voice flowed from the speaker.

Just thought I’d warn you to take a nap, Rafe. If you don’t, you are going to be very, very sorry tomorrow.

Silly Taro. Didn’t he know I’d be doing that anyway, after last night? I probably ought to fight the yawns a little longer, to swear out a will. If Taro meant to top last night, no way would I survive to morning.

But what a way to go.

I didn’t bother with the will; everything would go to Taro anyway. Unless I managed to take him with me...now there was a thought. Hmm. Taro the tireless, loved to death. I couldn’t hope to match his energy, but there were delightful ways to direct that energy while conserving mine—

Focus, Taro would say. Unlike him, apparently, I’d realized whether we were on the Dream or another ship, we would be in space for our anniversary. So I had what I needed to make the evening special. I made my preparations and then I took Taro’s advice.

If you don’t know what happened, when Taro came home to faux-candles, soft music, and flower petals making a path to the bed where his lover slept on silk sheets, I feel very sorry for you. If you know, but you want details, too bad. This isn’t a sex manual. See the companion volume, figures 1 through about 27, I think. If Taro ever lets me share it.

I’m working on those inhibitions. But don’t hold your breath.

Later I lay in a happy glow while Taro touched me. It’s a thing he does: a patient, comprehensive, three-fingertip exploration, on my shoulder this time. I closed my eyes to savor his touch. His breath caught; he loved when I did that. I loved when he did what he was doing.

To the rest of the galaxy, he was indeed a hyper little fuck. For me, Taro slowed down.

Eventually his fingers reached the gold chain I wore. I could feel him tensing through the bed.

There are no perfect words, I reminded him. He snorted.

"You are a damn telepath. He sighed. I love you, Rafe."

Except those. Those are perfect.

Rafe—

I love you, Taro. And I loved that it bothered him when I didn’t say it right back. At least I didn’t tease him through two or three exchanges anymore. It annoyed and pleased me to realize he’d been holding his breath. Did he still think I was going to stop loving him?

One fingertip slid under the chain to trace its line across my skin. It was an intricate braid, even more symbolic of him than I’d realized when I picked it out. It was strong and amazing—and I loved feeling it touching me.

Two years ago to the day, he’d given it to me. And what a struggle it had been, to get him to do it! I’d picked it out, and he’d still held it for two days, somehow not daring to give it to me. It wasn’t until I’d walked away from him—it was stupid; don’t ask—that he got angry enough to tell me and the entire lobby of the Grand Hotel, Morgan’s Chance, how he felt. Including about a thousand romance writers, there for a convention.

We earned applause.

He’d learned from that. He could tell me he loved me, and he could tell me how beautiful I was. If I wanted more, though, I had to work for it.

I always wanted more of Taro.

His fingers left my neck. I opened my eyes to him leaning over the side of the bed. Either he hadn’t forgotten completely, or he’d managed another of his last-minute miracles.

Taro came up with something in his hand. He swallowed when he saw me watching him. Damn it. Why was it so hard for him to give to me?

Last year I’d tried going first, and it only made things worse. I’d combed the net on every planet we landed on for months, looking for anything anywhere on his family, and presented him with a photograph of his long-dead parents. He’d thought the exquisite hand-painted silk kimono he’d picked out for me worthless in comparison. I’d thought it wonderful—when I finally got him to give it to me.

My poor dear Taro didn’t often run out of words, but he had now. If I let things go, it would be hours before he gave me my present. Again. I smiled and closed my hand over his.

For me? Okay, it was a stupid question. But he grinned relief and turned his hand into mine. Soft string, or—I let the necklace dangle from my hand. A crystal, bound in gold wire, on a thin silk ribbon.

Taro, it’s lovely. I’d thought the crystal was clear, but only some of the gold was wire. The rest was inside the crystal, a lot of shiny golden needles forming a star-burst—I grinned. Like him, beautiful and simple—until you looked closer. Then even more beautiful, but complex beyond belief.

I—I love that you never take that chain off, Taro said. His voice was husky; he cleared his throat. But I know you like to change things. He touched my hair that I’d let grow long since horrifying him by cutting it very short. So I thought… He ran down again.

It’s lovely, I repeated. And I adore the thought. Thank you. I put the ribbon over my head. Do you know what the crystal is for?

Jenna said it’s supposed to give you energy. He grinned. I figured you could use the help, and it symbolizes me. It works two ways.

Damn. He had forgotten our anniversary. Jenna was the other co-pilot; she made jewelry as a hobby. Nina had a bracelet of hers that I’d complimented. I