by Regine Abel
“Hello, Marissa, and to all of you, my Sisters. I am Valena, mated to Zhul Dervhen, a Senator on Xelix Prime. I stand before you today, a free female, because a year and a half ago, Admiral Lee, General Praghan, and their army came to rescue us. Without them, Varrek, our former master Gruuk’s son, would have flown my mate and me off-planet along with Amalia and little Vahleryon. Lee tried to convince me to come live with you where he could keep my sons and me safe, like he is with you right now. I almost bit his head off then and spoke the same words you have.”
She nervously tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.
“Zhul and I talked at length before making our decision. For all the reasons Lee has cited, we almost agreed to go to Haven. The number one reason we stayed on Xelix Prime are Amalia’s children. The General cannot leave Xelix Prime, thus his family must stay there with him. But their children, like mine, are a mystery that we are trying to solve together. Her family and mine are also our best chance of finding the cure for the issues that plague both our species. This choice came at a cost. Zhul has paid top credits to make our estate secure and I never travel without my security detail. That, too, is a loss of freedom. I may not always see eye to eye with the Admiral, but he’s a good male and the most devoted friend Veredians could have ever hoped for. He’s not trying to trap us, he’s trying to protect us.”
Under the thunder of applause, Lee placed his hand over his heart and bowed to Valena in gratitude.
I rose to my feet and the microphone shifted toward me.
“I couldn’t agree more with Valena. Every day, I thank the Goddess to have finally been given the chance to mingle with so many of my Sisters, thanks to the endless efforts of the Admiral,” I said, gesturing toward Lee. “I would want nothing more than to have more of you with me on Xelix Prime, but my mates and Zhul Dervhen spend a lot of credits and resources trying to keep us safe. Despite that and the two elite warriors protecting me, I still got abducted in town, along with my son and one of my mates.”
I let my gaze roam over the audience, making eye contact where I could.
“Lee isn’t asking you to give up your dreams of a future or a family. He’s only asking you to be patient. He and my mate are working tirelessly to find and dismantle the remaining compounds. Give them time.”
The discussion went on for what felt like an eternity. In the end, the vote was held with twenty-eight percent in favor of moving forward now and seventy-two percent willing to wait.
“I bet you the second generation voted yes,” Valena whispered to me as everyone filed out of the meeting hall.
I nodded. The numbers matched. Plus, they had a chance of healing the Tainted even if that didn’t guarantee a male child.
We met up with Lee on our way to the recreation hall used as a temporary day-care to entertain the children during the meeting. Although his polished mask hid his features, I could feel how much the discussions had drained him.
“Are you okay?” I asked him as he slowed his pace to match ours.
“Of course I’m okay,” he said with his synthetic voice that no longer creeped me out as it used to.
I snorted.
“It’s me you’re talking to, Lee. You don’t need to front.”
He turned his masked face toward me. Although I couldn’t see his expression, I could sense the full strength of his glare through it.
I grinned.
He shook his head with a sigh. That made me giggle even more. Teasing him was as much fun as picking on Ghan. No wonder those two had developed that weird friendship of theirs.
“You’re right. I am not okay,” Lee said in a tired voice.
That sobered me. I had never seen him so defeated.
“I’m failing them. As you can see, Valena, you were even more right than you realized. How do I keep them safe without pushing them to resent me?”
“You’re not failing, Admiral,” Valena said. “We Veredians are rebels, but you are right in taking things slow and protecting us from ourselves. I would have come to Haven without hesitation had I not already met Zhul. The Sisters may be chomping at the bit right now, but they all love and respect you, as do we.”
“Speak for yourself,” I said with a haughty tone, to try and relax the atmosphere. “I don’t love him. I just like picking on him.”
“Amalia!” Valena said with a stern tone.
“All right, all right! Relax, Seha Valena ‘I’m pregnant again’ Dervhen.”
She rolled her eyes at me. I couldn’t blame her. You’d think at twenty-five, mated and with three children I’d finally learn to act more mature. Screw that, not me!
“Seriously, Lee, you are doing the right thing. You are not imposing your will on us. We voted and the numbers spoke for themselves. My advice though, is that we start looking into how that meet-and-greet could eventually work once we’re ready. It will at least give the Sisters some hope that things are moving in the right direction.”
“Thank you, Amalia, and you, Valena. I’m sorry for…”
The loud squeals of the children interrupted him. Zhara stood in the doorway of the recreational hall as other mothers claimed their daughters.
“Mama, come see what we did!” Zhara screamed.
Running up to me, she grabbed my hand and hauled me after her.
“You too, Auntie Val!” she shouted over her shoulder, waving at Valena to follow. “Dhax made something, too!”
Curious as to what our children had been up to, we cast an apologetic glance towards Lee who made the Veredian salute as a goodbye.
CHAPTER 3
Lee
“No running in the hallways!” I shouted at the swarm of little girls stampeding out of the room.
“Yes, Lee,” multiple young voices shouted back.
“Sorry!” a few others replied.
And others just turned their adorable little faces toward me with a sheepish grin, but all of them slowed down.
My heart warmed to see them so happy and carefree, knowing they would never know the hardship their mothers had endured. Not as long as I drew breath.
“You must forgive them, Lee,” Irina said, smiling with indulgence at her flock. “While they usually try to avoid their Veredian History classes, today it’s not going to be theory, but practice. We’re teaching them the traditional Veredian dances.”
I snorted.
“Sounds like fun,” I said. “Don’t hesitate to properly wear them out. Maybe, for once, we’ll have fewer of them prowling the halls at night when they should be sleeping.”
She laughed out loud, the sound young, fresh, and delicate like her.
“You should know better by now, my friend,” Irina said. “No matter how tired they are, those little hellions will always find a way to cause mischief.”
I smiled, even though she couldn’t see it.
“Are you talking about my children?” Khel’s voice said from behind me. “What have they wrecked this time?”
I turned around to greet him, pleased to see Ghan’s massive frame by his side. I performed the Veredian salute in welcome, to which they responded with the Xelixian gesture.
“On no, General,” Irina said, giggling like one of her students. “Your offspring have been exemplary today.”
“They must be ill, then,” Ghan mumbled with his usual barely-there smirk.
Tucking her curly, light-brown hair behind her ear, she batted her long eyelashes shyly at Ghan.
“Not at all, First Officer,” she said, her amber eyes sparkling. “They are always quite well behaved, especially that adorable little Rhadames. The girls love playing with him, though most of the older ones all want to claim little Vahl as their future mate.”
Khel laughed. “Beware the quiet ones, Seha. Rhad is too easily influenced by his sister. And that one…”
Khel shook his head in pretend discouragement, but love and pride shone in his eyes.
“Oh yes,” Ghan concurred. “That girl is the one to watch out for.”
�
�Well, Zhara said I must show her how to move like you when we teach them the Veredian dance today,” Irina said, taking a step towards Ghan.
She was obviously flirting with him. We didn’t have time for that.
“Like me?” Ghan asked, raising a surprised brow.
“You are very graceful. The way you walk, so quiet and fluid, you almost glide,” Irina said, taking another step towards him. “Maybe you can drop by the practice hall when you’re done with your meeting. The girls will be excited to show off what they’ve learned. And maybe you can share a few tips on how you move so effortlessly.”
“First Officer Ghan has a raid to plan, Irina,” I said, failing to hide my irritation. “The children are waiting and we have a meeting of our own.”
Ghan’s face shut down while Irina’s burned bright with embarrassment. I felt like a shit.
“Right… Of course,” Irina said, lowering her eyes. “Sorry for delaying you. It was a pleasure seeing you again, First Officer Ghan. And you, General.”
With one last longing look towards Ghan, she performed the Veredian greeting and took off down the hallway after the children. In her haste, she almost bumped into Kamala who was coming our way. I felt horrible for addressing her so curtly. Khel’s stiff jaw spoke volumes about his disapproval. But it was Ghan’s unreadable expression that troubled me. Had he taken a liking to Irina?
“Greetings Sehrs,” Kamala said, saluting our guests.
Her timely arrival defused the tension, both males softening and returning her greeting. She turned to me and nodded.
“Hello, Lee.”
“Hello, sister,” I said, the usual warmth I felt whenever I saw her settling in my chest. “Perfect timing. We were just about to head to the boardroom.”
“Excellent. I have all the data you requested. I’ll just need a minute to upload it to the console,” she said.
“Kamala, why don’t you and Ghan go ahead and prepare everything. I need a quick word with Lee,” Khel said.
“Of course, General.”
The half-second pause before she answered revealed she was as surprised as I was by his request. Kamala turned her masked face toward me. Where everyone else saw a polished black surface that hid her features, I could see her beautiful face behind it. She could also see me smile reassuringly to the inquisitive look she gave me.
“This way, Ghan,” she said, gesturing for him to follow her.
He fell into step with her, their shoulders brushing against each other’s. I watched their receding backs as they broke into their usual friendly chatter.
“Regretting you didn’t cock-block that one, too?” Khel asked, in a clipped tone.
My head jerked towards him.
“Excuse me?” I asked, thinking I had misheard.
“Ghan is a good male. I thought you two were friends,” Khel said, leveling me with a stern gaze. “So what’s with the systematic cock-blocking?”
Once more, I thanked the Goddess for my helm that kept him from seeing my mouth gaping in shock.
“I have the utmost respect for Ghan!” I argued.
“As a warrior and military leader, I believe it. But as a male?” Khel challenged.
“I respect him in every way possible,” I snapped, outraged. “What brought this on?”
“So then why do you interfere every single time a Veredian shows the slightest interest in him?”
“I do not…”
“Yes. You. Do. You did it again, just now with Irina. The minute she started flirting with him, you became aggravated. Your irritation was plain to see and hear. You sent her packing before Ghan could even accept her invitation. Do you think he’s not good enough for a Veredian?”
I recoiled.
How could he possibly think such a thing? I wasn’t trying to prevent…
Yes, you were.
My stomach dropped.
“I did not realize that my behavior could be perceived as such,” I said, choosing my words carefully. “Do not doubt for a second that I bear nothing but the utmost respect for Ghan both as a male and as a warrior. Any Veredian would be blessed to claim one such as him as her mate.”
The dubious expression on his face stung. For him to come out so bluntly and his current disbelief told me I had been ‘cock-blocking’ for some time.
“The only female you’ve never prevented from spending time with Ghan is Kamala. I wonder why that is?” Khel asked. “Is it because she’s your mate and you’re therefore not worried?”
Oh Goddess! That’s rich.
I snorted.
“Kamala is not my mate.”
“So then why no interference there? Is it because she isn’t compatible?”
“Look, General, I thank you for bringing up my inappropriate handling of the situation. I will endeavor to rectify that. Anything else is none of your business,” I said curtly.
He stared at me, jaw clenched, a nerve ticking on his temple.
What in the Goddess’ name is going on?
Khel wasn’t one to latch on and make drama out of nothing. There was more to this.
He lowered his gaze, pondering. With a heavy sigh, he seemed to come to a conclusion. His eyes looked back up at me. For a moment, I felt exposed, as if he could see right through my mask.
“He’s dying, Lee.”
A sharp pain lanced through my chest.
“What?” I asked in a whisper.
“I am breaking my word to him because I refuse to lose him.” Khel ran a nervous hand through his hair. “The Taint is claiming him. Minh gives him three months at best. So I need you to back off. Ghan says he’s not interested in the Veredians, but I think it’s a lie. He simply refuses to use them for his own benefit. However, I can see that many of them are genuinely interested in him and something might come of it if you stop interfering.”
I felt faint. Ghan couldn’t be dying. And yet… The symptoms were all there.
“I know he cares for Kamala but, assuming she’s even compatible, I have no idea if she is interested and, more importantly, if she produces oxytocin. So…”
“Tuureans are compatible with your species,” I said curtly, trying to silence the pain tearing my heart at the thought of Kamala with Ghan. “Kamala could extend Ghan’s life, like a Veredian or Terran would. I will be sure to no longer get in the way.”
A troubled look crossed Khel’s face, but he didn’t argue and kept his thoughts to himself.
“Thank you,” he simply said.
I gave him a stiff nod.
“We should rejoin the others,” I said.
“What I confided to you…”
“Will not be repeated, General.”
* * *
“The tip from our mysterious source, Raven, has proven accurate,” Kamala said. “Our scouts have verified the location and found heavy Guldan traffic to and from Axios. The best part? They were all using the stealth technology Varrek used to escape Xelix Prime. So they have no clue we could see them perfectly.”
“Is the breeding fortress on the planet or one of its moons?” Khel asked with a tinge of concern.
“On the planet,” I said. “But do not worry. Their government will gladly look the other way when we raid as long as we do not lay any of the blame at their feet.”
“But isn’t the entire planet rampant with mercs and criminals of every type?” Ghan asked.
“Yes,” I said. “Axios is a bit of a different beast. It’s where criminals go to run a legitimate illegal business.”
I smiled at Ghan and Khel’s confused look. As they couldn’t see my facial expression, it always amused me to make them wonder if I was being serious or messing with their heads. They should know by now, with me, it was always a bit of both.
“Essentially, as long as you pay your taxes, the government doesn’t ask questions about your business, what merchandise or services you sell, or how you acquired it,” I specified. “Anything goes, except for slavery, since they don’t want any problems with the Galactic Council.”
“Are you saying the Axian government ignores the existence of the fortress?” Khel asked, a dubious expression on his face.
“Oh, they know. Or rather, they know that whatever is happening there breaks their rules. But as long as no one makes waves about it and they get their taxes, the government will leave it alone. The minute we show up, they will claim ignorance and stay out of our way while we deal with the problem.”
“What’s the benefit for mercenaries to do business there then?” Ghan asked. “I thought the whole reason that place thrived was the elaborate protection scheme going on there.”
“And you would be correct—except for slavery,” I said. “Any other complaints, the government will run interference and multiply the legal proceedings and requirements of evidence that the goods being sold were indeed stolen. Most victims just give up or stop bothering.”
“So the other mercs will not want to risk the good thing they have going by assisting someone breaking their rules and bringing the attention of the Galactic Council to their doorstep,” Khel concluded.
“Exactly,” I said. “That doesn’t mean they will not give the Guldans a warning of our approach the minute we enter their space.”
“So we need to keep them from running and taking the females,” Ghan said.
“Correct. Kamala?” I nodded for her to proceed with our plan.
She tapped a few instructions on the control panel of the conference table we sat at. A holographic 3D map of Axios’ surface appeared in the center of the table, taking up most of its length.
“All of the Guldan ships we tracked have legitimate business on Axios, but before departing, a number of them made a little detour by the Morian Desert. The fortress is located right here,” Kamala said, indicating an innocuous area covered in sand dunes. “A very clever camouflage system creates the illusion that it doesn’t exist. Had we not been tailing those ships, we never would have seen it.”
She tapped a couple more instructions and two large sand dunes disappeared, revealing the structure of a huge base.
Ghan whistled between his teeth.
“Indeed.” A proud smile stretched her lips, although her polished mask hid her smug expression from our guests but not from me. “The compound is MASSIVE. Our scans indicate the presence of more than two hundred and twelve Veredians and three hundred and eighty Xelixians.”