Children of Steel Read Online Free PDF Page B

problem with someone,
they’d talk it over with Balizar who’d bring the issue up with the
other person’s clan head. Clan heads dealt with most social and
personal disputes, as well as some legal matters, freeing the
ship’s Captain from having to do so.
    The other function of the clan was sort of a
mutual support group. None of us had any real family to speak of,
so we had no where to go for advice, or anyone to confide in. The
stress of being alone could be hard for some, especially among the
many different species you had to work with and around. It was
always easier to relax among those most like yourself.
    “So how long have you been here?” I asked
Mist.
    "I've been here for five years now. This is
my first posting."
    "How do you like it?"
    "It’s been pretty good actually,” she smiled
at me. “The Captain seems to be okay. The XO isn’t even half bad
and having the top two security heads in the clan sure doesn’t hurt
either.”
    I nodded.
    “And now with some new talent around things
might even get more interesting,” She teased and winked at me.
    "I'm flattered." I laughed.
    "You should be, you know you are the largest
leopard I've ever seen. Was everybody in your crèche group so
big?"
    "No, I was the biggest. But come on, I'm not
that big."
    "Check with Kate, six feet is supposed to be
the genetic max on us. You sure there isn't any Jaguar in
there? I'd be happy to look," she grinned.
    “Fairly sure, but if you’re bound and
determined to look some time…” I teased back.
    Banner came over and sat down then, “Give the
poor kid a break Mist, he’s only been here a week.” He smirked at
her.
    “So tell us about yourself Raj”
    I shrugged, “What do you want to know?”
    “Well, how about the rest of your crèche
family?” He said.
    So I told them a little about each of my
brothers and then sisters, finishing with Cassandra.
    “In love already?” Kate asked leaning over
interested, I think all of them had actually been following what I
had been saying, which surprised me as I didn’t think it was that
interesting.
    I fidgeted a bit, ears splaying a little in
embarrassment, “Well, maybe. We’d been together and close as long
as I can remember, more so than anyone else. I think the
psychologists were bothered by it, they made a point of splitting
us up on our initial assignments.” I sighed at the memory of that.
“Of course if they’d given us the opportunity to stay together I
would have had to skip flight training. So the company also gives
as it takes away I guess.”
    Kate nodded, “Well, I’m sure things will work
out for you eventually.”
    I nodded, “I hope so. I miss her a lot, we’re
hoping that on our next assignments we’ll be able to work something
out and be together.”
    “Planning on lifemating already?” Banner
asked looking a bit surprised.
    I shrugged a little nervously and smiled, “I
don’t know, Probably.”
    Franz piped in and changed the subject making
me relax a little.
    “So tell us Raj, any idea why you’re so big?
Can’t say I’ve ever seen a leopard as big as you.”
    “I’m an exercise nut,” I chuckled, “I work
out a lot, started when I was two.”
    They looked a bit surprised at that.
    “Hey Herza, I think we found your match!”
Banner snickered.
    “Oh really?” She said turning from her
conversation with Balizar. “I’ll have to challenge him to a bench
press competition then,” she smiled.
    “I’ll be sure to set it up,” Banner grinned
back at Herza and I shook my head smiling.
    “Think you can beat me Raj?” she asked still
smiling.
    “Definitely,” I smiled back. I’d already seen
what she normally pressed in the gym just before she’d beat me up
in that sparring match. It would be nice to get back a little of my
own.
    After that the conversation drifted off to
other things, I had a lot of questions myself for the rest of them,
and managed to ask quite a few of them before we called it a night
and headed off to