Nick
Farr thought he had a problem when he was falsely accused of corruption. He had
to clear himself, and fast, before an important vote in parliament where his
small party's votes might make all the difference. He didn't think his nation's
interests would be served by a vote to enter into a closer relationship with the
Protectorate, an interstellar empire with ambitions to expand. So Nick hired a
mercenary hacker from off-planet to prove someone had tampered with the computer
files. He had to trust a complete stranger, because he couldn't trust anyone
else.Justin Hobb thought he had a problem when he realized just how damned attractive he found his new client. That sort of thing only gets in the way of the job. It didn't help when he realized that he trusted Nick, quite against his better judgment. But what's a cynic to do when he meets an honest politician? So Justin pushed the distraction aside, until after he'd finished the job and half-won, half-lost the battle for Nick's good name. Then they spent the evening celebrating or commiserating with each other, not quite sure which it was, but certain they'd earned a little bit of pleasure together.
The next morning they discovered what a real problem was, when the Protectorate simply went ahead and invaded anyway.
Now Nick's job is to be a problem to the Protectorate, whenever and wherever he can. It's not Justin's fight, but his self-appointed job is keeping Nick alive another day. And the only certainty they have is each other. It's enough. For now. Forever.