The Interplanetary Guild of Human Affairs sends out dozens of delegations to planets all around the galaxy. Four of the Guild’s employees -- Star, Nate, Fara, and Josh -- grew close on one such delegation, and over the course of five years on assignment, developed a comfortable, happy relationship.<br><br>Then the assignment ends, the group returns to the new human homeworld, Reyhan, where they receive new orders. For the first time in years, they are going to be separated. Between the far-flung locations and length of assignments, there is no way to know when they’ll be together again.<br><br>But Star is not one to simply take what the world throws at them. As a respected bodyguard and security officer, Star’s existence revolves around protecting precious things. Nothing in the galaxy is more precious than their partners’ happiness. With countless variables to consider and dozens of ways it could all fall apart, will it be possible for the group to stay together?

Home

But leaving my partners would be foolish, too. They made me happy, and true happiness was rare. I sighed again. With my skillset, I could find work anywhere I could communicate. I wondered how long it would be before the Lthiam translators were commercially available. If I got my hands on one of those, I wouldn’t have to worry about communication, and I could get security work anywhere my lovers happened to be stationed.


Except…then came the question of who to follow? Nate, the man I’d had a squish on for years before we got together, who I’d always wanted to hold and caress and talk to for hours on end? Fara, whose smile comforted me, who could serenely take control of a situation at a second’s notice and only let her ruffled feathers show when we were alone? Or Josh—assuming he ever got separated from Fara—whose enthusiasm and beautiful way of seeing the world gave me hope and peace?


Chapter 5