“I go where Samara goes.”
“What if I told you that you could walk away with your life, and the lives of your friends, right now, but only if you leave her behind?”
Valentin’s smile was quick and sharp. “I would politely decline. And then I would caution you against making threats that serve neither of us.”
I held my breath until Sawya laughed.
They met my eyes. “I wasn’t sure the little emperor had a spine. I’m glad to know that I was wrong.” Sawya’s expression turned serious. “He’s going to need it.”
“Have you been able to contact Quint?” Valentin asked.
“No. I’ve sent urgent messages, but I haven’t received any response.”
“Same,” Valentin said. “But my battle fleet is ready to tunnel in whenever they are needed.”
I had to give it to Valentin, the threat was delicately delivered. A smirk touched Sawya’s mouth. “And if the net unexpectedly goes down?”
Sawya snapped their fingers, and my net connection died.
One of the guards made a low sound, and Sawya frowned at him. The poor guy must be new, but he wouldn’t last long if he kept drawing Sawya’s attention.
Valentin remained outwardly relaxed. “Then I hope it is fixed promptly or the fleet will arrive earlier than expected,” he said with a smile that didn’t reach his eyes.
Sawya watched Valentin for a long second before grinning. “Touché.” They waved a hand and the connection came back.
The tech to selectively and surgically take down neural connections was hideously expensive and ridiculously illegal. It hadn’t surprised me that Sawya had it in their office, but to be able to set it up here on such short notice was impressive.
“What does Adams want?” I asked.
“He says that he wants you two delivered to his ship.”
“What does he actually want?” Valentin asked.
“Oh, I’m sure he wants you two—that wasn’t a lie. But he didn’t need to bring two battle cruisers, a quartet of destroyers, and a half dozen corvettes for that.”
That was a lot of firepower, considering Valentin’s fleet had downed Adams’s destroyer and supporting ships during the battle in Arx. Where did Adams find so many new ships, especially in such a short time? “You think he’s planning to take over the station?”
Sawya’s eyes narrowed. “He’s welcome to try.”
“He’s staging for an attack on either Arx or Koan,” Valentin said. “After he’s done with CP57.”
“Arx doesn’t have anything worth the time,” I said.
They both looked at me, and I rolled my eyes. “If he makes it to Arx, it’ll be because I’m dead, so that won’t be his motivation.”
“I’m so glad you offered your life,” Sawya said. “It saves us so much time.”
“Don’t get ahead of yourself,” I said. “If I’m going down, I’m going down fighting. Can you get me to Adams’s ship without being noticed?”
A whole chorus of muttered curses came from behind me as the rest of the group tried to follow my advice and stay silent, but they clearly weren’t happy about it.
Sawya considered it, then shook their head. “He’s on Implacable, one of the destroyers. They will spot anything we have. And while I would offer to escort you in a transport shuttle, I don’t think my presence would make Adams less likely to blow it up.”
I glanced at Valentin. “Could Ardia do it?”
A muscle in his jaw flexed. He didn’t want to answer, but I waited him out. “It’s possible,” he finally ground out. “But even if you get there, what are you going to do? Take out a whole destroyer by yourself?”
“I won’t have to if I’m stealthy,” I said, giving him a significant look.
“If you’re talking about this delightful new armor,” Sawya said with a wave at Valentin, “then do go on. I’m all ears.” Their eyes flickered over my shoulder to Stella and Ari.
I huffed out a half laugh. “I thought you weren’t all-knowing.”
Sawya’s smile was thin and self-satisfied. “I’m not, but I do know quite a lot. And the Kos Empire hasn’t exactly been leakproof lately, has it?”
Valentin cursed under his breath. “I don’t suppose you know how Adams got his hands on our proprietary armor?”
One corner of Sawya’s mouth tipped up, but they said nothing.
“Figures,” Valentin muttered. He turned back to me. “Even in armor, we can’t hope to take on the entire crew of a destroyer, and they’ll know as soon as we try to dock.”
I noticed he’d switched to including himself in the attack, but I didn’t bother arguing yet. “I just have to be faster than they are, and that should be easy enough because they won’t be expecting me. Then I will hold long enough for you to get some soldiers to me.”
“It’s suicide,” Valentin snarled.
“You two are a delight, but time is wasting,” Sawya said. “Adams was quite adamant about having you found and delivered. And he doesn’t seem like the type of person who would be too torn up about civilian casualties.”
“If time is so critical, you could help,” I said pointedly.
Sawya heaved a long-suffering sigh. “Must I do everything?”
I rubbed my temples and fought for patience. “Unless you want a battle on your doorstep, yes, you should do everything you can to prevent it.”
Sawya’s expression iced over. “If I recall correctly, you promised to take care of this problem for me. Instead of a dead commander, I now have an enemy fleet outside, threatening my station. Tread carefully, darling.”
“I’m sorry,” I said, dipping my head in apology.
Their expression thawed slightly. “If you have a ship that can get to Adams’s destroyer, then I can assist you in taking control of it.”
“How?” Valentin asked.
“Soldiers. Information. Distraction. Take your pick.”
Valentin’s eyes narrowed, and I jumped in before he could say something rude. “How many soldiers can you spare?”
Sawya spread their arms. “How many can you haul?”
“How will we get past the airlock?” Valentin asked. “We can force the outer hatch, but the inner door won’t open without authorization as long as the bridge remains active. If we blow it, the ship will go into emergency lockdown and we’ll never make the bridge.”
“Leave that to me,” Sawya said.
“I thought you’re weren’t going with us,” Valentin said.
“Oh, I’m definitely not,” Sawya said with a shark-like smile. “But I don’t have to be there in person to finesse a door open, not when I have such a capable thief available to help, isn’t that right, Mr. Tarlowski?”
Eddie swallowed when Sawya’s gaze landed on him. “Ships were not my specialty.”
Sawya waved him off. “Not to worry, I have faith in you. I have the tools and the codes you’ll need. I just need you to have a delicate touch and the ability to follow directions.”
Eddie glanced at me out of the corner of his eye, and I nodded. “I can do that,” he said. “What will I need to do?”
I listened with half an ear as Sawya explained. Eddie kept nodding, so apparently it made sense to one of us. While they were busy, I linked Ari. Have the teams move all of our supplies from your ship to Ardia.
This is a bad idea.
Do you have a better one?
Let Valentin’s fleet deal with him. Or CP57’s.
Because that worked so well last time. Move the supplies. I disconnected the link before she could argue.
“Adams will retaliate as soon as he realizes we’re breaching his ship,” Valentin said. “Is your fleet capable of defending the station?”
“The station can defend itself,” Sawya said, “but our fleet will draw his attention.”
“If the station can defend itself, then why do you need us?” Valentin asked. “Blow him up and be done with it.”
“Or I could hand you over and be done with it,” Sawya
drawled. “And that option would be less risky, too.”
They let that sink in for a moment before continuing. “As I’m sure you’re aware, defenses have weaknesses, no matter how well they are designed. And weaknesses mean innocent people die. If you attack from inside while I attack from outside, perhaps we can keep those deaths to a minimum.”
Chapter Seventeen
Despite their threats and grumbling, Sawya did start helping and a plan took shape. My team would head to Implacable, Adams’s destroyer, and forcibly board it while Sawya distracted Adams with negotiations. Then CP57’s fleet would protect the station and draw fire from the other ships while we worked our way to the bridge.
The big question was what the rest of the Quint fleet would do once we captured or killed Adams. We hoped they would surrender, but it was entirely likely that they would turn on us, in which case Valentin’s ships would tunnel in to assist, chaos be damned.
Sawya loaned us three platoons of elite armored soldiers. Fitting an extra seventy-five soldiers on Ardia was going to be a stretch, but we weren’t going very far, so we would make it work.
Plan set, we stood. Sawya rose with liquid grace and held out a hand for a handshake. “Do not betray me.”
I slid my hand into theirs and met their eyes. “Same to you.”
Sawya agreed with a grin, then added, “Also, do not die.” They shot a sly glance Valentin’s way. “I am looking forward to my invitation.”
What invitation? Valentin asked.
I could feel the color creeping into my cheeks, but there wasn’t a damn thing I could do about it. I’ll tell you later.
“My soldiers are already on their way to your dock,” Sawya said. “They will meet you there. I’ve arranged a transport for you. It’s waiting outside. It will stop by your quarters before taking you to the dock. Be quick.”
“We will be. You have my link if something comes up. Otherwise, we’ll see you in a few hours.”
“Good hunting.”
I bowed and ushered everyone out of the room. Ari, Imogen, and Luka were all stone-faced, but Stella didn’t try to hide her worry. Eddie grinned like he didn’t have a care in the world.
We had barely settled into the small autonomous transport when Ari rounded on me. “Are you out of your fucking mind?”
“Not as far as I know,” I said as the transport began moving, my voice bone dry.
Sadly, she did not appreciate my tone. Her brows drew together into a truly ferocious scowl, and she jabbed a finger at me. “Sawya is using you.”
“And I’m using them—and seventy-five of their soldiers.”
“You are taking all of the risks while they sit here in safety and move you around like a pawn.”
“Arietta,” I warned.
She threw her hands up. “You know it’s true!”
“I would go after Adams without their help,” I said sharply. “And then I would probably die because no matter how good I am, I can’t take on the entire crew of a destroyer by myself, not even if I took all of you to die with me. When we attacked Adams’s ship outside Arx, the coward escaped and then blew up my fucking home. I will not risk a repeat. You don’t have to help, but you do have to stop talking shit about our allies. I know exactly what Sawya is doing, and I am fine with it.”
Ari looked stricken. “You think I won’t help?”
I blew out a slow breath. “No, of course I think you’re going to help—and I need your help. But I also need you to stop focusing on what is done and start focusing on what’s left to do. This won’t be easy, even with the extra help, and I need you to come up with a strategy that gives us the best chance of success.”
Ari’s posture changed as she fell back on her military training. “First priority will be keeping you safe,” she said, a challenge clear in her expression. When I didn’t object, she said, “Second priority will be disabling or defending the emergency shuttles, both so we have an exit and so Adams does not. I need a map of the ship.”
“I’m working on it,” Valentin said.
Ari nodded gratefully. “We’ll need explosives to breach the bridge.”
“We have shaped charges in our supplies. If we need something else, I’m sure Sawya can procure it for us.”
“Do we have more Kos armor than I know about?”
I shook my head. “We just have the four sets. Eddie decided not to wear one, so we have an extra, and Sawya is going to include a few sets of regular armor with their troops.”
Luckily, the transport stopped outside our building before I had to explain who I thought should be in the Kos armor—and deal with the resulting fight. We piled out of the vehicle. “Grab everything you can in five minutes.” I drew a pistol. “And clear the rooms as you go.”
We didn’t find anyone inside, so everyone retreated to their rooms to pack up. Valentin followed me into our bedroom, and we packed in silence. Neither of us had much, so we were done well ahead of the deadline.
Valentin stopped me when I would’ve joined the others. “Why are you avoiding me?”
“Because I’m going to ask you to do something you’re not going to like, and I’m avoiding it as long as possible.”
His mouth flattened. “You want me to stay behind.”
“Yes and no. I want you to stay on Ardia. But if it looks like the ship’s stealth won’t be enough to protect you, then I want you to tunnel to safety.”
He raked a hand through his hair, frustration etched into every line of his face. “You want me to leave while you’re fighting for your life?”
“I told you that you weren’t going to like it,” I said softly.
A wry, bitter grin twisted his mouth. “You weren’t wrong. Why do you want me to stay on Ardia?”
“Honestly, I would like for you to stay on the station, but I figured that would be a no-go. And, selfishly, I don’t want to lose another ship, so someone has to stay behind to fly it to safety once we’re clear. You helped design it. You know it better than anyone. I trust you to get it—and yourself—to safety. And finally, I need to be utterly focused. If you’re with me, I will worry about you.”
“You won’t worry about the others?”
“Of course I will. But Adams is gunning for you specifically. And if you fall, the Kos Empire will fall with you.”
He shook his head. “It wouldn’t.”
“Would Nikolas end the war? Or would he bow to whoever threatened to expose his parentage? Billions of lives hang in the balance.”
Valentin’s eyes slid away from mine. “You are playing dirty.”
“I will do whatever it takes to keep you safe.”
“The great irony is that you don’t seem to realize that we all feel the same way about you. It’s all I can do to prevent myself from locking you in a closet and barring the door until Adams is dead. How am I supposed to fly away and leave you trapped on an enemy ship? Could you? Could you deliver me and then leave?”
I swallowed and dropped my gaze to his chest. I knew with absolute certainty that I could not.
He pulled me into a hug, wrapping me in a cocoon of strength and care. “Please don’t ask me to do this,” he whispered into my hair.
Pain sliced through me. I could hear it in his voice. He would do it if I asked, but it would break the fragile thing between us, perhaps irrevocably. But there were no good options.
I drew a shaky breath. “What would you have me do instead?”
“Take me with you. Let me watch your back. Let me help with Adams. The asshole kidnapped me and attacked my home. I have just as many reasons as you do to want him dead. And I am the only one who can listen in to what they are planning, but I have to be close.”
His arms tightened around me. “Do you know why I named your ship Ardia?”
I silently shook my head.
“It’s derived from an ancient word meaning heart,” he said, his voice whisper soft. “Because no matter where you go, you’ll take my heart with you. Please don’t ask me to stay behind.�
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Tears pressed against my eyes. “You’re killing me,” I whispered. “If anything happens to you…” I trailed off, unwilling to contemplate a future without Valentin in it.
Valentin smoothed a hand over my hair. “That’s exactly how I feel about you. Take me with you, and we can watch each other’s backs.”
I knew he was right, that I should take him, but the thought of him on Adams’s ship made my blood run cold. Valentin could take care of himself, but every fiber of my being demanded that I keep him safe. I fought against the urge.
“If you can come up with a better option—truly better, not just one you like more—by the time we leave, we will go with it.”
He pressed his lips to my forehead. “Thank you,” he murmured.
“Please don’t make me regret it. I can’t lose you.”
“You won’t,” he promised.
I hoped it was a promise he could keep.
The transport moved swiftly through the station, carrying us back to Block 83 in under five minutes. I didn’t see the madam who had stopped me originally, so I hoped she was having a pleasant—and lucrative—night. I vowed to keep her and the rest of CP57 safe.
The hallway to our docking tunnel had been temporarily restricted, but it was late enough that only a handful of people milled around, waiting for it to reopen. The guards at the airlock waved our transport through.
As promised, seventy-five soldiers wearing heavy armor waited for us. Each soldier was equipped with a plasma rifle, a pistol, and a shield. Two sleds stacked with the crates of supplies from Ari’s ship sat farther down the hallway, and two additional sleds with CP57 logos on them sat next to them.
The three platoon commanders waited by the door to the docking tunnel, and they saluted as we approached.
I turned to Ari. “I’ll let you deal with the commanders. Get them briefed on the high-level plan. Everyone else, grab a sled and help me get this stuff into Ardia.”
The sleds were a tight fit through the docking tunnel, but we managed to get everything aboard. We delayed loading the soldiers until we were ready to go because they were going to be standing shoulder to shoulder, but Ari brought the commanders into the cargo bay to discuss strategy.
The Queen’s Triumph (Rogue Queen) Page 13