Page 28

“All Aurelians look like twins,” Sawoot scoffs.

“No,” I shake my head, “these tworeallylook similar – or maybe that’s just their attitude.”

I slump down onto the bunk opposite Sawoot.

“Anyway – it looks like Captain Aelon is here commanding a battalion. They’ve been recruited to clear out a Scorp infestation on that moon.”

Sawoot considers my words. “So, they’re protecting something – otherwise they’d just let the Scorp claim it.” I can see her mind racing. “The scans reported that the planet below – Tarrion – was resource-rich, but largely undeveloped.”

She purses her lips.

“Until now, I guess. There must be miners exploiting the resources of Tarrion.”

I nod, remembering all the dots on that projection of the moon and planet which I’d seen in Aelon’s bedchambers. Each dot had represented either a battalion or a mining site; and there had been so many, it looked like the moon and planet had a case of bright, glowing chicken pox.

“They’re mining down there,” Sawoot continues, “and the Scorp infestation on the moon is disrupting their operation. Captain Aelon is a mercenary, then – a sword for hire.”

“He’s mercenary, that’s for sure.”

“Okay,” Sawoot nods. “Well, that means we know a few things about him. He’s a mercenary, so he wants and appreciates money. We all saw how much he hates Toads – you remember the way he talked to that Toad Captain. I imagine he’s got some deep-seated grudge against their species. I wonder what happened to trigger it.”

I have the sudden, mental image of Captain Aelon – so tall, towering and cocky. I can’t even imagine creatures as base and repellent as Toads ever getting beneath his skin, but clearly that anger and hatred stemmed from somewhere.

“I guess we’re just lucky he doesn’t feel the same way about humans.”

I appreciate Sawoot’s focus and wisdom – it’s why she’s such a great first mate and business partner. For the first time since being captured, I feel like we’re on track again – figuring out a course of action.

But for all we’ve ascertained about Captain Aelon, how can we use this information against him?

The situation is dire. Put me behind the controls of a starship and have me chased by any manner of alien or man, and I’d fancy my chances. On The Instigator, though? Without my ship or crew? I feel utterly powerless. I’m not used to that feeling – and I don’t intend to become so.

Sawoot clenches her hand into a fist. “We weresofucking close. All we had to do was slip those Toads and we’d have made a clean break of it – we’d have beenrich!” She sighs. “Fuck, we could have bought a bloody space station with those Orbs. We could have…”

“…we’re okay. We’re alive,” I interrupt her. “That’s the only thing that matters. What we could have done differently – well, that’s in the past, and there’s nothing we can do about it now. We’ve got to think about our future.”

If we even have one.

“We’ve got to be smart,” I warn Sawoot. “Unless we actually want to try and steal those Orbsbackfrom Captain Aelon – which would be a suicide mission – we’re going to have to be satisfied with escaping this with our lives and our freedom. Chris and the mining crew already made the idiotic decision to attempt an escape. They even dragged poor Theme into it.”

Sawoot cringes. “That boy’s got great skill, but he’s in over his head.”

“We all are,” I clarify, “butespeciallyhim.”

Sawoot’s enthusiasm has been dampened by this news.

“Damn. Aelon can’t have liked an escape attempt. How is he going to punish them?” Her bright eyes flash. “I know he hasn’t killed them – not yet. You’d have told me already, right?” Then, a spark of doubt appears in her gaze. “Youwouldhave told me, right Tasha?”

Her voice is suddenly trembling. I know Sawoot has a soft spot for Felix, one of the mining crew – despite him being ten years older than her. Then again, I’m hardly one to complain about an appropriate age gap in relationships. If Aelon wasn’t such an arrogant asshole, I’d find him gorgeous – and he’s alreadyhundredsof years older than me, despite physically looking like he’s in his thirties.

Anyway, I raise a reassuring hand.

“No, don’t worry. They’re fine – he didn’t hurt them,” I gulp, “and hewon’t.”

Sawoot’s eyes narrow. Now, she’s suspicious.

“Wait a second, Tasha,” my first officer growls. “Iknowthat look. You’re hiding something from me.” She spots the way my cheeks turn pink. “You are, aren’t you? What are you hiding?” Her mind races. “He wouldn’t have let them off with just a warning, that’s for damned sure.”

Now it’s my turn to cringe. suddenly, I can’t meet my best friend’s gaze.