John grinned. “You’re no cowards, I’ll give you that. We six against you two. We’ll tag-team.”
“If you insist on putting yourselves at a disadvantage, we will not argue,” the Baka replied. He bowed slightly. “I am Li’Kein, and I will be your better today.”
John walked off. “This way, guys. This is gonna be interesting.”
Tabitha turned to Trey and Mahi’Takar and chuckled. “These guys haven’t been training here, so they have no clue what’s about to hit them.”
John turned back and lifted his hands. “Well, I’ve only got a left and a right. It’s not rocket science.”
Mahi’Takar scrutinized John for a moment, then turned to her brothers. “Da’Mahin, I will allow your challenge to stand. Go with this John Grimes, both of you. Learn what he has to teach you. This is my will.”
Da’Mahin and Li’Kein glanced at John, then set off after him.
“Do not leave this building, Mahi’,” Da’Mahin ordered.
“Go piss in the wind,” Mahi’Takar retorted. “I will go where I please, and you will remain on the premises until I have conducted my business.” She growled low in her chest as she turned away from her brothers. “Bistok-headed males.”
Tabitha gestured for Mahi’Takar to walk with her. “How long do you think we have before they come looking for you?”
Mahi’Takar shrugged. “That will depend upon your males’ endurance when it comes to pissing contests.” She shrugged at Tabitha’s sideways glance. “What, did you expect me to dress it up?”
Tabitha snickered. “We should be fine for hours. Let me show you two up to the penthouse. Dinner should be about ready by now.” She led them through the crowded arena to the restricted access corridor she’d had put in to separate the private elevator from the general-use ones.
Trey darted back and forth as they walked, chattering nonstop the whole time.
Tabitha had already decided she liked Mahi’Takar. “Trey’s right, you know. We have a lot in common when it comes to family. I know this whole thing was about getting you here, but I want you to know you’ve got a good kid there.” She moved ahead to call the private elevator.
Mahi’Takar took the compliment with practiced grace, ruffling her son’s fur as she ducked to enter the elevator. “He brings joy to my life, and one day he will make a fine leader.”
Tabitha finished the start Trey’s mother had made on messing his fur up. “’Course he will. He’s got a good mom to back him up, and now he has us, too.”
20
Devon, The Hexagon, Penthouse Apartment
There was an awkward silence as Tabitha walked into her apartment and everyone turned to look at Mahi’Takar and Trey.
Bethany Anne, wearing Baba Yaga’s face, came over to greet the Bakan leader. “Good to see you again, Mahi’Takar.”
“Your invitation to eat was a welcome one,” she replied. “If only we did not have to go to such lengths to meet.”
Michael gestured to the living area. “We should begin since time is short.”
Alexis snickered. “Not likely. Uncle John took Mahi’Takar’s brothers to spar with Gabrielle and the guys.”
Tabitha nodded in confirmation. “We have a couple of hours at the least.”
Peter came out of the kitchen, red-faced and flustered. “Dinner is ready.”
Tabitha led them all into the dining room. It took a few minutes for everyone to decide where to sit while Peter brought the food in. The discussion during dinner centered around the effects the war was having on the population, and soon enough they were all seated around the table with almost empty plates.
Bethany Anne sipped her Coke, watching the interaction between the children for a moment before turning her attention to Mahi’Takar. “They seem to get on just fine without any treaties to tell them how to behave toward one another.”
Mahi’Takar raised her cup to that. “Here’s to an existence run by children. May we all perish with minimal suffering.”
Gabriel and Trey cracked up at that. Alexis rolled her eyes at them but couldn’t resist their laughter.
Bethany Anne leaned back in her chair. “My daughter already believes she holds the solutions to all existence,” she told Mahi’Takar, a smirk touching her lips.
Michael waved his fork. “Who’s to say she doesn’t?”
The children cracked up completely.
Bethany Anne raised a hand. “You wake Todd, and you’ll be reading him pirate stories until he goes back to sleep,” she told them.
“May we be excused?” Gabriel asked.
“To the living area, yes,” Michael replied.
Trey followed the twins out of the dining room, not needing to be asked twice.
Mahi’Takar shook her head as her son bounced out of the door. She turned to Bethany Anne. “What guarantee do I have that my son will be safe if I agree to this?”
Bethany Anne placed her glass on the table and met Mahi’Takar’s questioning gaze. “What guarantee do I have that you’re not just using me to secure your own leadership?” She held up a finger before Mahi’Takar could interject. “I’m not here to force anyone to fight for me, but those who do will obey me. We have two choices: we either trust one another, or we part ways after this evening without resolving anything. I need to grow my military, and you need to keep your family at bay until Trey can fight for himself. What’s holding you back?”
Mahi’Takar sat stiffly in the chair. “You have to understand that being made to submit was what forced our people to split. Many would choose to move on before kneeling.”
Bethany Anne waved a hand. “I’m not asking for kneelers. That shit bores the life out of me. I want fighters—people who will give their last drop of blood to protect their families’ lives. Do you understand? This will not be an equal partnership, but it will be a partnership nonetheless.”
Mahi’Takar glanced at the door. “That sounds—”
“’Fair’ is the word you are searching for,” Tabitha supplied. “We will protect Trey, I promise.”
“Don’t kid yourself,” Bethany Anne told her. “The children are listening to every word we say. What we decide now will shape them as future leaders, so make the right choice for your son and the future of your people.”
Mahi’Takar closed her eyes for a long moment. When she opened them, her face was set in resolved lines. “The right choice is not always clear, which the Empress could have told you if you had asked before she was exiled. She was a female who understood the nature of personal sacrifice for the good of her people.”
Bethany Anne narrowed her eyes. “Hmm. So if you were speaking to Bethany Anne, it would be different?”
Mahi’Takar snorted. “Of course it would. Don’t be dense.” She dipped her head. “Apologies. That was out of line. I mean to say that although you are powerful, you are not the Empress. She alone has the power to rid my people of the Seven’s influence. All you can do is kill.”
Michael cut in. “The Seven? Again? Explain what you are referring to.”
Mahi’Takar shook her head. “This is neither the time nor the place. I will speak on that once our peoples are bound by law and I am assured that Tu’Reigd is no longer at risk from my brothers’ machinations.”
Bethany Anne glanced at Michael. You think telling her will seal the deal? Six hundred thousand fighters aren’t anything to sniff at. More, when I kick whatever Kurtherians are messing with her homeworld into the next life.
Michael’s face gave away nothing. Your choice. I can restrict her from being able to talk about it if it makes any difference.
Bethany Anne made her decision. It’s time I stopped hiding, out here at least. The Federation doesn’t need to know anything, but I can’t expect loyalty from my allies if I don’t give them the same. She dropped her mask, revealing her true face to the Bakan regent. “Mahi’Takar, I will do whatever is in my power to save your people. Will you fight for me?”
Mahi’Takar watched the change with wide
eyes, then lifted a clenched fist to her chest and looked at Bethany Anne with the tears of a mother in her eyes. “Yes, my Empress. We will fight for you.”
High Tortuga, Space Fleet Base, Barnabas’ Office
Barnabas chuckled as little Kevin zoomed away with his toy spaceship, leaving Lance alone on the screen. “So, what can I do for you? I’m guessing this isn’t a social call.”
Lance grinned, watching his son go. “You guessed right. I’ve had an unexpected contact from the Six. They’ve resolved their issues, and are ready to sign the agreements. However, the monarch of Vietania is not the person I was expecting.”
Barnabas was pleasantly surprised. He hadn’t heard from Nickie to confirm the result of her assignment, although the news of Cynthia’s abdication had spread quickly through the grapevine. “That was fast. I believe Queen Jolie’s confirmation was a resounding success.”
Lance narrowed his eyes. “Yes. I can’t help but wonder what you had to do with that, although after suffering through a meeting with the other queen, I have to say I’m grateful for the change.”
Barnabas touched the side of his nose. “A vigilante never tells, Lance. You should know that by now.”
Lance regarded him skeptically. “I know for a fact that you haven’t left High Tortuga, yet you look like the cat that got the cream. Come on, spill. How did you resolve it? You did resolve it, right?”
Barnabas lifted a shoulder. “In a manner of speaking. I outsourced it.” He closed the video link, the smirk still hovering on his mouth as he contemplated how far Nickie had come.
Tabitha would be expecting to hear from him soon. Hopefully not too soon, since CEREBRO had just informed him the Penitent Granddaughter was about to touch down in Hangar Three.
Why his niece insisted on keeping that heap of Skaine trash when she could have it scrapped in favor of a new ship was beyond him. He left his office in a hurry before she decided to visit him there. The repair bills for his furniture after her visits were becoming off-putting.
He intercepted Nickie at the elevators. “Did you leave anything for anyone else to buy?”
She lifted a heavily-laden arm to give him the finger, then thought better of it when her bags slid jerkily toward her elbow. “Hey, Uncle B. I got your message. I need to put all this in my office for now, and we can talk in there.”
Barnabas nodded at her reference to the office Tabitha had set up across the corridor from his as hers. “Very well. I will be interested to see how you treat your own belongings.”
Nickie pushed the door open with her shoulder. “You’re gonna have to keep waiting, I haven’t had the renovators in yet.”
Barnabas followed Nickie into her office, which was exactly as Tabitha had left it, save for the Ranger badge nailed to the wall. “Nice to see you didn’t hesitate to put your stamp on the space.”
Nickie snorted. “You wound me. Wherever I lay my ass is fine by me. I’m not fancy.” She dumped her bags in the corner and dropped into her chair with a sigh, putting her feet up on her desk. “So what’s my assignment? I assume you have one for me.”
Barnabas inclined his head. “Something like that.” He ignored Nickie’s impatient glare, taking the guest chair opposite her desk. “It’s time for you to decide.”
Nickie raised an eyebrow. “Time for me to decide what, exactly?”
Barnabas folded his hands in his lap. “Your sabbatical is over, and you’ve seen the kind of work I’m offering. Are you ready to come home?”
Nickie flushed and sat upright. “I don’t have to answer that.”
Barnabas nodded. If Nickie wasn’t ready, his waiting game would continue. That didn’t mean he was going to make it easy on her. “You don’t want to answer. There is a difference, you know.”
Nickie’s lip curled. “When I start giving a fuck about that, you’ll be the first to know. Do you have an assignment for me or not? I’ve got a crew to pay and a ship to run. Sitting around talking about feelings like a bunch of old women doesn’t pay well enough to waste time on.”
Barnabas sighed. “There is an assignment if you want to take it. Your cover from the Vietania operation is still viable, which suits my needs right now.”
“You want me to run cargo?” Nickie affected a yawn. “Boring. If you think trapping me in a nice little routine is going to make me settle down, you’ve got another think coming. I don’t care what the pay is. I’d rather die fighting on some nameless world than waste away doing nothing.”
“I am aware of your proclivity for chasing adrenaline,” Barnabas assured her. “However, as I said, it is time to acknowledge your decision to return to your family. We are at war, Meredith Nicole. It’s time to step up or go your own way.”
Nickie sat back again and returned her feet to their spot on the desk. “When is Aunt Bethany Anne not at war? She’ll wipe out whatever alien menace there is this time and go back to micromanaging everyone’s lives, and I’ll be chained down again. You honestly think I’m going to agree to that?”
Barnabas frowned. “Grow up, child. Do you believe Bethany Anne fights because she wants to?”
Nickie shrugged. “Dunno. Hadn’t thought about it much beyond her always being pissed about something when I was a kid.”
Barnabas sat back. “There has to come a point in your life where you stop seeing your family as infallible beings who failed you and accept responsibility for your choices.” He smiled gently, diffusing the argument on Nickie’s lips. “Bethany Anne fights because she sees no other way to protect those she loves.”
“She must love the whole fucking universe then,” Nickie retorted.
Barnabas let it pass since the seed had taken root in her mind. “The Ooken invasion is no joke, Nickie. It puts the Kurtherians two steps away from the Federation. The fleet is the only thing holding them back, and without a supply line to support it, well…”
Nickie rolled her eyes. “Yeah, yeah, I get it. I guess now you’re going to tell me how playing delivery girl is vital to Bethany Anne succeeding. Just skip the pep talk and get to what you want.”
Barnabas smiled, satisfied by her capitulation. “As you wish. The Silver Line Company has been transferred to your name and is now registered here on High Tortuga. The company has been granted permits to transport cargo between the Federation and High Tortuga, and as far as the Federation is aware, this is a simple trade agreement.”
Nickie narrowed her eyes at the mention of subterfuge. “What’s the real deal?”
“You are aware that the Federation treaty exists on the condition Bethany Anne remains in exile. Our brief is to obtain the materials for building without endangering the stability of everything we have all worked toward for almost two centuries.”
Nickie dropped the attitude for a second, but just one. “Wait…” She jumped to her feet and leaned over the desk. “You’ve been steering me toward this the whole fucking time, haven’t you?” she demanded.
Barnabas got to his feet as well, looking as though butter wouldn’t melt in his mouth. “I have no idea where you get these ideas, Nickie.”
Nickie glared daggers at him. “Get out of my office, you manipulative sonofabitch,” she seethed. “I’ll take the fucking assignment, but you can send my orders to Meredith. I don’t want to see your face for a long fucking time.”
Barnabas nodded. “If that’s what you need. I’m proud of you for doing your duty, Merry.”
He closed the door behind him to avoid being hit by the paperweight she threw at him, which smashed through the glass and thudded into the wall opposite the door. He couldn’t, however, miss the loud “Fuck you” that accompanied his departure.
Nickie would calm down. She always did. He just had to avoid the projectiles until she was ready to play nice again.
The problem with young children was they always threw the biggest tantrums right before they folded.
Considering the severity of her tantrums of late, she was just a few moments from accepting true adulthood.
> QT2, QBBS Helena, Shipyard
Jean heard Bethany Anne’s heels echoing in the access corridor long before she saw her.
She wiped her hands on a clean rag as her closest friend glided purposefully toward her with a gleam in her eyes and a devilish grin on her lips.
“What have you got for me?” Bethany Anne asked, looking over Jean’s shoulder into the workshop beyond.
Jean folded her arms and imitated Bethany Anne’s voice. “Oh, hi, Jean. How’s it going? Have you spent a minute with your husband that wasn’t work-related since I saw you last? Did you know your estranged granddaughter has reappeared?”
Bethany Anne paused in her tracks. “I’m sorry, did you say Nickie came back? I haven’t seen her to permit her return.”
Jean shrugged. “You should speak to Barnabas about that. He’s had her working for him a while now, and she’s grown up a hell of a lot.”
Bethany Anne narrowed her eyes. “Tabitha. Just wait until I get my hands on her.” She waved the subject off. “You know, if Nickie is all done being an asshole, then she isn’t my concern. And I would love nothing more than to send John out here, but he’s needed elsewhere in the fight right now.”
Jean sighed. “I know, I was just bitching. We agreed to this, but it doesn’t make it any easier to be apart from my man, you know? I’ve been staying here instead of going home. It’s better than working in silence without him there to make it comfortable.”
Bethany Anne smirked. “So I should expect a hell of a lot of new ships to come out of this place as soon as you start getting regular shipments from Barnabas?”
Jean snorted. “Now who's thinking too small? I don’t know how the Kurtherians come up with these advances and then fail to get every single use out of them. You can expect new ships, more advanced weapons, upgraded armor, and more efficient Gate drives. The list of possible applications goes on.”
Bethany Anne pressed her lips together. “I’ll be interested to see how Eve's project comes out.”
Finish What You Started Page 22