Venik turned on her. "No offense, Commander, this doesn't concern you. Blister is Tavali property. And until you can find me someone else who set those charges, I'm holding the major responsible. Now stand aside, or I'll haul all of you in for interfering with Tavali justice. That is my prerogative."
"You can't do that, Ven," Fain said from between clenched teeth. "C'mon. He's just a kid. You know what they'll do to him in lockup."
"He's older than you were."
She saw the involuntary flinch those words wrought and it made her wonder what had happened to Fain when they'd first taken him. It had to be beyond her worst horrific imaginings to make a mighty War Hauk of his caliber react like that all these years later.
And that made her sick to her stomach.
Fain glanced to Gavarian, then Talyn, before he returned his furious gaze to Venik. "It don't make it right. I'll take the hazard. Just leave him alone."
Ven's gaze went past Fain to Gavarian as he debated the offer. "He has motive. His pregnant wife was killed in a dogfight with us. Did you know that?"
"He told me."
"And you still think him innocent?"
"I believe that he's not the kind of male to seek vengeance, yes."
"Then you're a fool, and he's going to lockup. Hell, I might even ship him back to Eriadne, with my compliments."
Fain cringed as bitter nightmares ripped through him. A part of him was tempted to keep his mouth shut. Gavarian was a grown male. A trained officer, with battle experience. Not the callow innocent he'd been back in the day.
But as he met the boy's steeled gaze that said Gavarian was more than ready to take them all on, he knew the truth.
For all that fire, Gavarian was too young to be in Tavali lockup alone with the types of animals who would be waiting for him. Criminals who wouldn't hesitate to take out every bit of their anger at what they perceived as social injustice on the son of an alien aristocrat. That kind of fury unleashed ...
No one deserved it.
And he wasn't going to stand by and see it rained down on an innocent kid.
"I know he didn't do it. If he wanted revenge, he'd have taken it against me personally."
"Hauk," Talyn barked in warning. "Don't!"
Fain swallowed hard as he glanced to Galene and braced himself for what was to come.
Venik scowled. "Explain."
"Hauk," Talyn stressed one more time.
Fain ignored him and did the right thing, in spite of the consequences he knew would bite him hard on his ass. "The major and Talyn both saved my life. Twice. And they both know that I led the Tavali assault against them that got them both grounded out of the Andarion armada."
Galene sucked her breath in sharply as Talyn cursed Fain for his stupidity.
"And the major knows that I was the lead on the same raid his wife was flying in when she died. If he wanted revenge, he'd have killed me, or allowed me to die. He wouldn't have gone after civilians. He damn sure wouldn't have protected War and Vega for me."
Venik narrowed his gaze on Talyn and then Gavarian. "Is this true? Did you know that?"
Talyn sighed heavily. "Of course we did. Not exactly something you forget."
His gaze haunted, Gavarian gave a subtle nod. "Code name Blister tends to stick out."
"Very well..." Venik closed the distance between him and Fain. "You have thirty minutes to report to your new quarters. I want you there any time you're not on duty. You are not allowed any free time I don't give you. Understood?"
Fain glared at him.
"Do you understand?"
He understood. He just didn't want to verbally commit to something he had no intention of following.
Venik growled low in his throat. "Don't make me kill you, Hauk. I will if I have to."
"Do whatever allows you to sleep at night."
Venik's nostrils flared. "Captain. Stay here and make sure Hauk reports to quarters. If he fails to, I want him arrested. Shot if he resists."
"Yes, sir."
And with that, Venik and all but four of the Corps soldiers left.
Fain turned toward Galene. The sudden chill in the room told him it was time to go. He was no longer welcome here. Talyn had been right. She would never forgive him for what he'd done. And he didn't blame her at all.
"Why didn't you tell me?" Her voice was scarcely more than an anguished whisper.
"I told him not to."
She turned on Talyn with an angry glare. "You knew all this time?"
Talyn nodded. "From the moment I saw his ship and its serial."
"And yet you said nothing?"
"I didn't want you hurt."
Fain took a step toward her. "Stormy--"
"Don't!" she snapped, stepping out of his reach. Her eyes flared with hysteria. "You ... you weren't there. You didn't see what you did to my baby." Her breathing ragged, she struggled to speak as tears welled in her eyes. "What was left of him after you blew his ship into twisted fragments. They told me to pick out clothes to bury him in! That he'd never again wake, or then walk. You weren't there while we watched him struggle every day, in anguished pain, so that he could relearn to speak, talk, and walk. To do the most basic tasks for himself ... because of you!"
Those words struck him twice as hard given what he'd felt when he heard the explosion earlier. While he loved Vega and War, he hadn't carried them in his body. He could only imagine what she must have felt when they brought Talyn in from battle and she got that call.
Fain swallowed hard. "I would never have hurt him. Or you."
"But you did. Dear gods, how you hurt him! And me. So many times." Wiping angrily at her tears, she gestured toward Gavarian. "And Vari ... he barely survived Lettice's death. You stole a part of his young soul when you sent her to her grave."
"I know. I'm sorry."
"And there are some things that sorry will never fix." She glared at him with the same ball-shriveling hatred she'd given him that day in the gym. "Just go."
Fain passed a glance to War and Vega, who stood silently beside Felicia. He expected to see condemnation on her face, too, but only sadness showed in her pale eyes.
And sympathy.
Without another word, he led the Hadean Corps out of their condo and headed for his new quarters. There was no need to gather his things. He didn't have any.
*
Talyn moved to comfort his mother, but she shrugged his embrace away.
"I'm so mad at you right now, I could beat you myself."
He blinked in stunned shock. "Me?"
"You! You let him back into our lives, knowing how I would feel if I ever found out he's the one who took your leg from you. How could you? For that matter, how can you stand to even look at him, knowing what he stole from you? What he's cost you!"
Talyn gaped. "Really, Mum? You know, it was my leg I lost. Not you. But you know what? Look around this room." He gestured at Brach and Gavarian. "For almost a decade now, I've had two of the greatest brothers any male was ever lucky enough to claim. Yeah, they're a pain in my ass at times, but when I need them, they come, bitching every step of the way. Because of Hauk, I have the most devoted mother any child could have asked for. Yeah, there have been many times in my life I've seriously doubted your sanity, but never once have I ever doubted your love for me." He moved to brush his hand over Vega's and War's heads. "Now, I have an adorable new brother and sister to love. A brother and sister I'd have never met had Hauk not come back into our lives."
Then he pulled Felicia against him and pressed his cheek to hers. Closing his eyes, he gently wrapped his arms around her waist and held her. "And thanks to what Hauk did for me, I'm now fully Vested, and have the most amazing and beautiful wife by my side, with my own baby on the way. I'm the second highest ranked officer in the Andarion armada, and the most celebrated Ring fighter of my generation. If all I had to pay for that was half of one leg, then damn, Mum, I got off easy. And it was so worth it in my book. Hell, I'd have given them the whole leg, and an arm
. Besides, it wasn't like he took a testicle from me. That, I might not have forgiven."
"Talyn!" Felicia gasped. "The children!"
Vega's eyes were as round as saucers while War ran to hide behind Gavarian, laughing.
Ignoring them, Talyn continued. "So to answer your question, I have no problem looking at my father. I'm too damn grateful to still be here with all of you to worry about something as trivial as a leg. Had he not shot me down, Lorens wouldn't have retired early, and I wouldn't have been able to move into your adjutant position. From where I stand, I owe him everything."
Galene hated whenever Talyn took the noble ground. It really made her yearn for the days when he was small enough for her to put into a corner.
Unwilling to cede this point, she turned to Gavarian. "How do you feel about it?"
Gavarian let out a tired sigh. "It would be really easy to hate Hauk for what happened. Honestly, there are times when I want to. Unfortunately, he's a decent bastard who makes hating him really hard. Besides, the truth is what I have trouble living with, not his part in my past. As much as I loved and adored Lettice, she didn't love me. Not like that. She was fond of me, but she preferred the life of a fighter pilot over that of a nobleman's or officer's Ger Tarra. Nothing made her happier than battling for glory, and she always said that she wanted to go out in the middle of a dogfight, in a burst of flames, during her prime. That she didn't want to grow old and wither in old age. She got what she wanted. So, like Talyn, I can't lay that at Hauk's feet. We are warriors. When we go to battle, we know what we risk. Blaming another soldier for fighting for his life is pointless. And now that we're on the same side, Hauk's shown himself worthy of his lineage. He is his son's father. I'm honored to fight with him."
Spoken like a true Andarion.
How she hated that little bastard for that.
But Gavarian made valid points that only made her hate him more.
Felicia stepped away from Talyn to approach her. With a kind smile, she rubbed Galene's arm in comfort. "If it makes you feel better, Commander, I want to claw out his eyes for hurting Talyn, too. Like you, I haven't forgotten what Talyn went through to get back on his feet. Between the two of us, we might be able to make Fain limp."
Galene laughed and drew her into a hug. "I love you, Felicia."
"Love you, too." She squeezed her, then let go. "And because of that, I want to remind you of something you once said to me. You've only loved two males in all your life. Talyn and the one who gave him to you. You said that if I ever met his father, I would know it instantly as they were so similar as to be virtually indistinguishable from one another." She wiped the tears from Galene's face. "You're right. They're both extremely aggravating males. Gorgeous beyond belief. Proud and strong. Andarion, through and through. And as my mother said to me when I first told her I was in love with Talyn, 'There are times when you will look at him and want to eat him up. And the rest of the time, you will wish you had. But remember on those times when you're contemplating his murder that the aggravation will pass and you again want to gobble him up and wear him like a blanket. So don't kill him without giving me fair warning to save up for bail money.'"
Galene laughed again. "Thank you." She glanced around at all of them. "Thank you all for keeping me focused. And you're right. Staying angry at the past will only cost me my future. It's time I finally forgive him and let it go. There's no use in looking back and holding it against him. We can't change it. And I'm done making us all pay for it. In spite of it all, I do love him. Even when I want to kill him. I've lived my life without him and honestly, I like having him in it more."
Yet even as she said the words, she knew it wasn't that easy. There was still an enemy out to frame and kill them. And Fain didn't have the freedom they did.
He was Tavali property. Not that she understood exactly what that meant.
Determined to find out, she left them and went to search for Ryn Dane, or Ryn Cruel, as he was known whenever he wasn't among his Tavali brethren.
It took some time, but she finally located Ryn in the infirmary, lending aid to those who'd been injured in the bombing. As she tried to help, she quickly learned that "her kind" wasn't welcome there.
"We're not sure your group didn't set this bomb. Now stand aside, Commander."
Stunned, she gaped at the rude doctor, who brushed past her to tend another patient.
Ryn stopped by her side and offered her a bottled water. "Sorry about that. Everyone's on edge after the attack. They all want to blame someone who isn't in a Tavali uniform. It's easier that way. The thought that one of our own could do this ... yeah."
"You don't think we had anything to do with this, do you?"
"No. But I'm not an idiot. I don't judge others by their culture or uniform. I judge them by their own deeds and words. One thing I learned early in life, from both my parents, was that rotten seeps into all barrels, and that injustice never discriminates. It hits everyone equally and without reservation or hesitancy." He took a deep drink of his water. "So what brings you here, Commander?"
"Tavali law."
He choked on his water. "Okay. What about it?"
"How can someone buy out a Tavali slave?"
He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. "Make an offer to their owner. Just like anywhere else."
She'd already tried that offer and Venik had turned her down coldly by telling her it was against their Code. "Even if they're a Rogue pilot?"
He frowned at her. "Rogues aren't slags."
"Slag?"
He shook his head. "Sorry, term we use for conscripted, enslaved, or Canting-busted members."
Now she was really confused. Fain was both, and she knew it. Venik had told her such and refused to sell his contract to her. "But Venik owns Fain."
Ryn's scowl deepened. "He can't. Fain wears a Rogue's Canting ... doesn't he?" He stepped back to call out to a passing Tavali. "Hey, Pettrew? Hauk's the current RA, right? I'm not crazy, am I?"
"Yeah, Dane, you crazy as hell, but Hauk is RA. I think he has at least another year before we vote again. Why?"
"Just checking the cerebrum. You know, I take a lot of hits to the head. Wanted to make sure nothing's been knocked loose. Thanks." He took another drink. "Yeah, he's a Rogue. Ven can't own him. Part of being a Rogue is that you fly independent of Nation and owe allegiance to none."
"That's not true in his case."
"You know this for a fact?"
"I do."
He capped his water. "Where's Fain?"
"Venik made him report to some quarters ... I think he might have called them slag quarters?"
Ryn narrowed his gaze at that. "With a commander's rank?"
"Yes."
"That's bullshit." Ryn stepped over to hail Dancer from triage to join them before he led them away from the infirmary.
"What's going on?" Dancer asked.
"I'm not sure, but I want some non-Tavali backup in case I have to do something radically stupid to help your brother."
"Ah ... Well, if you want that, we should call in Caillen. Radically stupid's his specialty."
As they crossed to the housing district, Talyn and Gavarian joined them. By the expression on Talyn's face, she knew something else had happened.
"What is it?"
"Morra picked up another transmission. She, Saf, and Maris are trying to break it. But I wanted to let you know and I didn't want to transmit it. We have Brach and Qory watching Licia and the kids. I have a bad feeling there are more fun surprises planted for us."
Galene's stomach knotted even more. "You think it's another attack?"
"That's my guess." Talyn jerked his chin at Dancer. "Where's your family?"
"On lockdown with Jayne until Nero can get here. Sumi's an extremely capable assassin, but she's a pregnant one at the moment. I don't want to take any chances with her or the baby."
"Believe me, I understand."
Galene slowed as she saw the cramped barracks area Ryn had led them to. Whil
e it was clean, it reminded her of a prison holding area. The walls were completely clear so that guards could see into the large room where rows of bunk beds were lined end to end.
Probably a hundred males occupied the space and lounged around, either on the beds or the floor. They looked positively bored. And why shouldn't they? It didn't appear as if they were allowed any form of entertainment or privacy. Or even personal items in that holding cell. All they had were the clothes on their backs, and the same silver collars around their necks that Venik had placed on Fain.
And here she thought her original accomodations had been wretched.
"What is this place?" she asked Ryn.
"Part prison," he sighed, "all kinds of hell. It's designed to be uncomfortable to punish the Tavali whose ranks were busted, and they've been put here until they can earn their citizenship back. Or to motivate the others to earn rank to get out. No one who holds rank or Canting is ever supposed to be housed here."
Ryn stopped at the desk to speak to a guard. "Where's Commander Hauk?"
The guard didn't bother looking up from his monitor. "No one sees him without orders from Admiral Venik."
Ryn jerked the cable out of the wall.
Hissing, the guard rose to his feet to attack, then paled as he realized who was there. "Ambassador Dane ... my apologies, sir. I-I-I didn't realize that was you."
"Obviously. Now where's Hauk?"
Before he could answer, a body slammed so hard against the wall, it cracked it. Chaos erupted inside the holding cell as humans and others shouted, screamed, and ran for cover. A blood-chilling Andarion war cry rang out.
It was the shout of a War Hauk in full-on battle-mode rage. The kind that had made them feared by all otherworlders. And given rise to the terrifying legends of her race.
Three more bodies followed the first.
Dancer and Talyn headed for the fray with Galene pulling flank. But as they entered the room and saw Fain, they all three drew up short.
Holy gods ...
While she'd seen Fain pull some stellar moves as a boy in his Ring matches, it was nothing compared to the power and grace of the full-blown War Hauk doing life-and-death battle before her now. He wrapped his legs around the waist of the Tavali in front of him, twisted, and went down on the ground, pounding and slamming him so hard, Fain had his opponent neutralized before the Tavali had a chance to react. Flipping without using his hands, Fain came up to take on his next opponent.