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It was about love and cherishing precious moments.

Savvine, tucked close against Xander’s chest as he led her through the crowd, sighed with happiness.

The galaxy had finally delivered all her dreams in the form of one star fated alpha.

33

Epilogue

XANDER

Xander stood in the CO’s ready room of theSombra, arms crossed as the encrypted comm-link flared to life.

Miral perched beside him on the edge of his desk, her posture relaxed.

The holo feed solidified, and Kainan Sable’s chiseled face filled the screen.

His gold-flamed eyes were threaded with the weariness of a meta warrior always on duty.

They also belonged to a sleepless father of three children, and the general commander of a galaxy-wide military army.

Kainan’s gaze scanned both of them before his expression softened. ‘Glad you’re still breathing.’

Xander jerked his chin at his cousin. ‘Sante, Riders, for the backup, the intel drops, and the support. As far as we know, we’ve purged the Wildlight of the crats.’

He hesitated, and then added with a murmur. ‘I was a jackass,primo, about a hella lot of shit I didn’t understand about your story, your journey to Pegasi. Now I do. My sincere apologies.’

Kainan’s grin widened. ‘De nada, brother. Anything for family, ay?’

Miral rolled her eyes. ‘Well, now that we’ve all hugged it out virtually, you’d better hear the rest.’

Kainan’s tone shifted. ‘We’ve got a situation. Word’s out. Your flotilla’s journey to Pegasi isn’t subtle, and it’s caught the attention of the entire galaxy. Some of it is bad.’

Xander’s jaw clenched. ‘How severe?’

Kainan folded his arms. ‘You’ve got rogue factions sniffing around, trying to decide if you’re ripe for the picking. A handful of Pegasi planetary governments, most lawless regimes like Falasia and Alloria, aren’t too keen on a new player shifting the balance of power out here.’

Mirage added, ‘They’re scared, Xander. You’ve got reach, numbers, and a growing fleet with discipline. They have no idea when you arrive if you’ll want to trade, capitulate, or conquer.’

‘Let them quake in their knees,’ Miral muttered.

‘They are,’ Kainan rasped. ‘Which is why we believe that they’re funding a cabal of space pirates to knock your teeth outbefore you get to Pegasi. Some are lurking within your armada, others are racing your way from our galaxy.’

Xander dragged a hand over his face and snarled. ‘Fokk. I thought my only problem was with mob bosses, alien demagogues, and rogue cartels.’

Kainan nodded once. ‘Regardless, you’ll need to fight fire with afokkin’ inferno. As Chief of the United Pegasi Galactic Forces, I’ve pulled a salvo and I’m handing you a lifeline, off the record.’

Xander’s forehead furrowed, and he leaned forward, his curiosity stirring. ‘Explain.’

‘I’ve issued you a private marque.’

Xander raised an eyebrow. ‘Why?’

‘Tis a seizure order,’ Kainan said. ‘A legal writ. One that sanctions Signet to intercept and seize pirate vessels operating against you, either in the Wildlight or within Pegasi zones. That makes you a privateer now, not just a merc or security mainstay.’

Mirage smirked. ‘Congrats, Corsair.’

Xander let out a whistle. ‘So we’re allowed to hunt anyone who comes after us.’