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“A triad of Law Enforcement agents has captured two smugglers. They’ll rendezvous with you on the planet of Salcus. They’re only three standard days away. You’re just two. You’ll be taking custody of their prisoners for transport to Colossus. I’ve added funds to your mission budget for repairs and living expenses. Divert your course.”

The information sets my mind racing.

Salcus. I haven’t heard much about this planet. I know it’s on the outskirts of Aurelian rule, just beyond the Empire’s control. Slavery, murder, and drugs are all part and parcel of the planets on the outskirts of the periphery.

“AI, set course for Salcus.”

Inspector Haratar pauses. “The two smugglers aren’t dangerous, and they’re only facing five years imprisonment. I don’t imagine they’ll risk anything that could increase their sentence. I shouldn’t foresee any complications withthispickup. I’ll send over the brief.”

Withthispickup.

Haratar said everything by saying nothing.

Heissuspicious something might happen while we transport Allie to Colossus.

Too bad for him it alreadyhashappened.

The files Haratar transmitted arrive almost instantly. The two smugglers’ profiles appear on the three-dimensional display. I give them both a brief glance. Humans, both in their mid-thirties, both wanted for ‘soft crimes’ – in this case, trying to bring merchandise onto an Aurelian-protected world without paying the import tax. They’ll get a slap on the wrist – which, for the robust Aurelian courts, means five years imprisonment.

“Everything looks to code,” I close the holograms. “We’ll make the pick-up and bring the prisoners back to Colossus. Is there anything else, Inspector Haratar?”

I’m aching to get off this call. There’s something off about the Inspector. His eyes are a little too squinted. I’ve seen this expression on his face before – but only when something doesn’t add up during the testimony of a supposedly friendly witness.

But the Inspector isn’t giving anything away.

“Very good,” he says coolly. “Now, tell me – is your prisoner cooperating? Or has she caused any new problems?” There’s a pause, before Haratar dryly adds: “I’m glad I assignedyourtriad to the case, Daccia. Something in my gut is telling me she won’t be a simple transport assignment.”

A thin line of sweat burns at my eyes.

My eyes. Those glittering, gleaming, diamond eyes. Mytraitorouseyes.

My heart pounds. Inspector Haratar is already getting suspicious. The clock has started ticking for just how long we can hide what we’ve done.

“It’s been pretty standard since our initial problems,” I lie. “We’ll send over a full report once we collect the new prisoners on Salcus.”

Haratar smiles, and my anxiety lowers. Suddenly, he seems back to normal. I’m confident he still trusts us. He even gave me praise earlier – something that would have once filled me with pride.

Now I feel shame. Inspector Haratar is like a father to me – or as close as one as you can get, in an all-male society that normally breeds through the cryo-chamber cloning process.

Yes – like a father to me. For that reason, he doesn’t expectmeto be the one to drive a knife through his guts. It’ll be his own trusted men who’ll tarnish the honor and reputation of Aurelian Law Enforcement.

To add insult to injury, Haratar adds: “Very good. Bring this one home and I can guarantee your promotion.”

He cuts the feed with his characteristic abruptness, and I clench my jaw.

There was once a time in which the promise of a promotion would have been everything I’d wanted. Now, I know I’ll never be allowed to wear the uniform of Law Enforcement again – and we’ll all be arrested if they discover what we’ve done.

But I don’t have the luxury of fear. As the leader of my triad, I can’t let doubt sink into my mind.

I turn to Kitos and Hadrian.

“This changes nothing,” I promise. “We’ll go to Salcus. We’ll find a way to avoid detection while our Reaver is repaired. Then we’ll get the fuck out of here. We’ll go far, far away from the Aurelian Empire – somewhere they’ll never follow us.”

Hadrian and Kitos look up doubtfully. On Old-Earth they had an expression about “the long arm of the law.”

Well, Aurelian Law Enforcement has averylong arm.

I don’t have answers for them right now. I nod towards the hallway, instead.

“I’m going to speak with Allie. She needs to know what the Bond means.”

She needs to know – because now, everything depends onher.