Page 24 of Redeeming Captivity (Human Pets of Talin #7)

Chapter 24

Tarquin

He was so proud of how well Lena handled all of it. Meeting Holian and Jinna. Leaving the Simtee she’d grown so fond of. Her body might be tense and her steps slow, but she wasn’t succumbing to the fear he knew was rearing up inside her.

He was ready to defend her if Holian said anything about the pace, but the commandant only matched her speed. The corridor wasn’t wide enough for them to all walk shoulder to shoulder, but Jinna kept up a lively conversation over her shoulder.

She talked about Derani, Nalia, and the crew of the Bountiful. He could tell that the steady stream of words was helping Lena to relax.

“We humans had our morning meal not long ago, but I think it was midday on Avail,” Jinna said. “That’s not too bad of a time difference. We visited a station that was an entire cycle, uh, I mean half a rotation ahead of us, and that was hard to adjust to. I’m glad we were only there for a quick trip. All the time differences between colonies and stations outside the empire can be hard to adjust to, you know?”

Lena made a sound of agreement. Tarquin would be forever grateful to Jinna for not drawing attention to Lena’s lack of words.

“I’m afraid I need to debrief both of you immediately,” Holian said when there was a natural break in Jinna’s monologue.

Tarquin didn’t want to disagree with his adoptive father, but he also didn’t want to add more stress to Lena.

“Waiting for a rotation or two shouldn’t make a difference,” he said, hoping Holian would agree.

“It can’t wait,” Holian answered. “Standing General Jafinium’s superior received some reports that don’t match information I’ve been sent. I need your account to help inform the Prime Family what the best course of action would be. One wrong move could trigger a civil war.”

“We might be too late,” Tarquin answered honestly, making Jinna suck in a breath.

“Have you ever had Delorta sweet tea?” Jinna asked, confusing Tarquin. “Nalia and I will be at the debrief too, and Nalia introduced me to Delorta sweet tea. It’s really good, and we’ve got plenty on board. I promise you’ll love it. If you don’t like it, we’ve got some tlash tea from Kalor or regular brown tea from Talarian. You have your pick, and it’ll be like we’re just having a chat, not anything scary or serious as a debrief.”

Lena hummed in agreement and squeezed Tarquin’s hand.

“We can stop at any time,” he whispered to her. “My loyalty is to you before anyone else.”

“It’s like that, is it?” Holian asked. Tarquin couldn’t tell how the commandant felt from his tone, and the male almost never rattled or rumbled. He was considered one of the most inscrutable Talins alive.

“Yes, sir,” Tarquin answered without hesitation. “It is.”

Jinna flashed him a happy smile, but Holian remained silent. Tarquin could only hope the commandant wouldn’t make him choose between Lena and his adoptive family.

They were inside the Bountiful now, moving through a maze of corridors. The ship only had four crew members besides Derani and Nalia so he wasn’t surprised when they didn’t run into anyone. Soon Holian led them into a galley.

“This is the only place large enough to accommodate all of us comfortably,” Holian explained.

Tarquin didn’t think that was true but appreciated the informal setting. “Please sit. Derani and Nalia will join us soon.”

As if summoned by their names, the two stepped into the room before anyone could even sit down. Nalia was as friendly and open as Jinna, so she was quick to greet Lena. Soon they were all gathered around the table sipping steaming Delorta sweet tea.

“Cute,” Lena whispered in his ear hole. It took him a moment to understand she was referring to the fact that each human was sitting in the lap of their Talin. It was the first word she’d spoken since leaving Avail. It made Tarquin feel better knowing she was relaxing enough to find her words.

“Tarquin,” Holian said, putting everyone's attention on him. “Please begin with why you decided to ask for an early pickup.”

Tarquin launched into a detailed account of every conversation and interaction he had with Jafinium and every soldier on Wulnum. He only gave basic details about Lena. They all knew she’d been treated badly; he didn’t need to recount it.

Then he got to the assassination attempt. Nalia gasped, Jinna growled, and Derani gave a brief angry rattle.

“Such a blatant act,” Derani muttered. “How did he think he could cover it up?”

“I’m sure he thought he could blame my death on the winds,” Tarquin said. “It would’ve been easy. Some died each solar from those winds, despite living there and knowing the danger. A visitor like me could’ve easily been caught out.”

“You’re correct, Tarquin,” Holian said. “Please go on.”

Tarquin glossed over much of the rest of the story. They didn’t need the gory details of their trek across the planet or his capture. He did make sure they knew Lena was the reason that they were both alive, and everyone was suitably impressed with her bravery and determination.

Because he couldn’t remember anything beyond the fight with Jafinium, he finished with that. “If you want more, you’ll have to wait for Lena to be comfortable enough to write up the rest. The next thing I knew, I was waking up on Avail.”

There was a submark of silence after that as everyone digested the information. Although Holian didn’t make a sound, Tarquin had the impression he was disappointed.

“That’s all?” he asked. “You didn’t get any names, contacts, or specific dates?”

Lena tensed in his lap. He sounded a soothing rumble and rubbed her back as he regarded Holian. The commandant wasn’t being callous, he was simply focused on the next task. Still, he could show a little more tact.

“I’m afraid I was too distracted by trying to survive to ask a lot of probing questions,” Tarquin answered. His words were curt but he kept his tone respectful. “Next time I’ll make sure to request more details while being threatened with torture and death.”

As Tarquin spoke, he noticed all the human women were glaring at Holian. It was Jinna who spoke.

“That’s not how you talk to family,” she admonished the powerful Talin.

Tarquin blinked. He knew Jinna and the other humans took liberties with Holian, but that level of reprimand caught him by surprise.

“Yes, you’re right,” Holian agreed with a soothing rumble. He rubbed a cheek on Jinna’s hair before turning his gaze back to Tarquin. “We don’t dismiss the pain and suffering of family. I wouldn’t have sent you alone if I’d know it was going to be that dangerous. There was evidence that Standing General Jafinium was contemplating traitorous acts, but nothing detailed. I extend my deepest apologies and my heartfelt wish I’d done things differently.”

It was at that moment that Tarquin realized that the weight of many lives rested on Holian’s shoulders. Holian saw the empire spiraling into a place where the Prime Family was deposed and the Apogee Assembly disbanded. The commandant had been working for years fighting a growing evil that never seemed to diminish.

“Standing General Jafinium is the tipping point,” Tarquin said, seeing the entire situation in a different way. “He’s not simply an instigator, he’s the weight that’s upset the fulcrum.”

“I believe so,” Holian said.

“If it helps, he might be dead,” Tarquin said.

“He isn’t.” Holian sounded so tired that Jinna reached up to pet his cheek. He sounded a soothing rumble.

“How do you know?” Tarquin asked. “The last thing I remember is seeing a rock-walker leg pierce his body and carry him off.”

“I know he's alive because he’s taken the entire military under his command into Ossiso space and has demanded the War Committee send more support,” Holian explained.

“They won’t, will they?” Nalia asked.

“No,” Holian answered. “At least not yet. But Standing General Jafinium is clever. If he can figure out a way to use the Ossiso in such a way as to make becoming involved in their civil war advantageous to us, they might consider it.”

“That’s impossible!” Derani exclaimed. “He’s a traitor. He’s acted outside his official perimeters and without orders. The War Committee must have already retracted his title and rights. There’s probably a bounty on him.”

“It’s more complicated than that,” Holian said. “Inspectors from the War Committee are on their way to Wulnum now to investigate. When they get there, I’m sure they’ll find evidence of an attack by Ossiso forces. This will give credence to Jafinium’s claim.”

“But what about Tarquin?” Nalia said. “Can’t he give testimony about what happened?”

“I received a very carefully worded message from Jafinium,” Holian said. “The subtext was very clear. If Tarquin says anything, then he’ll show proof that my adopted son attempted to assassinate him.”

“What proof could he possibly have?” Jinna asked, clearly outraged.

“After hearing Tarquin’s story, I’m sure Jafinium would provide a carefully edited vid-capture of their fight,” Holian answered. “We’re at a stalemate because I don’t have anything but the word of my son and a human pet against a standing general. He also said he had several men who apparently witnessed a heated exchange between Tarquin and himself. Any evidence I provide needs to be outside my realm of influence. For now, we can’t press any charges against Jafinium.”

Tarquin felt sick to his stomach. It felt like Jafinium had won.

Lena patted his arm and he looked down, expecting to see a sympathetic expression, but instead she looked determined.

She opened her mouth to speak but couldn’t get any sound out. Frustration took over her features and she rubbed her hands over her face.

“Does anyone have an information square?” Tarquin asked the room. At his question, Lena dropped her hands and looked up at him with both surprise and happiness.

“I have one,” Nalia said, digging through the pouch on her belt that was an exact copy of Derani’s. She produced a small information square and slid it across the table to Lena.

She picked it up and started tapping. After a few submarks, she slid it to Holian. He picked it up and silently read. When he was done, he looked up at her.

“Are you sure about these names?”

Lena met Holian’s stare and nodded.

“How do you know all this?” Holian asked.

Lena huffed and rolled her eyes.

Tarquin asked Holian what everyone else at the table was probably wondering about also. “What names did Lena give you?”

Holian shifted his gaze to Tarquin. “A list of Apogee Assembly members and several high-ranking members within the War Committee, External Affairs Council, and,” he paused, pulling in a deep breath, “Oversight Council.”

“Which member of the Oversight Council?” Derani asked.

“All three,” Holian said grimly. He and Derani sounded shocked rattles.

“Why is that so bad?” Nalia asked.

“While we’re at war, the Oversight Council has almost complete unilateral power,” Tarquin explained. “They control the War Committee, Trade and Travel Council, and can even suspend Apogee Assembly meetings until the war is over.”

“Now that we know, we can do something about it, right?” Jinna asked.

“Yes,” Holian agreed. “But this list tells me that the Traditionalists attempting an overthrow are far more powerful and organized than we thought. This isn’t a standing general and a couple of Apogee Assembly members colluding. This is a government-wide conspiracy that could end in a total overthrow of our government.”

Holian’s words made Lena jerk. She was staring at the commandant with wide, scared eyes. She needed a break, and they needed to be alone.

“Sir,” Tarquin said, getting Holian’s attention. “We can speak more later, but for now, Lena is done.”

Everyone at the table noticed Lena’s expression.

“We have a room for you,” Nalia said, sliding off Derani’s lap. “Let me show you.”

Lena shook her head violently. She was probably struggling being in the galley despite it being relatively spacious. Being confined to a bedroom would be too much for her.

“Can we spend time in one of the storage bays?” Tarquin asked. “Wherever there is the largest open space.”

Nalia looked at Derani. “Bay three is the smallest, but it’s almost entirely empty. That’ll make it feel bigger than bays one or two.”

Derani sounded a rumble of affirmation. “I’ll have Orbian move a bunk in there.”

Even though he hadn’t asked to sleep there, he was relieved by Derani’s words. Standing up, he set Lena down so she could walk and burn off some of her anxious energy.

“Follow me,” Nalia said, moving to the door with a smile for Lena. “Do you want to take the lift or the stairs?”

Lena made a motion with her fingers like they were walking down stairs, and Nalia nodded her head. “The stairs are more fun anyway. You can see the top of the stabilization network. It looks like a giant spider’s web!”

They were only a few strides down the hall when Nalia came to an abrupt stop. “Oh, wait here for a moment. I’ll be right back.”

Before Tarquin could respond, she ducked down another corridor and disappeared. Lena shifted in place, looking around as if an attacker was going to materialize out of thin air.

Thankfully Nalia was back within a submark, holding several items clutched to her chest. “The whole thing with the information square in the galley made me realize you needed one of your own. I wasn’t sure if you liked the small one or if you wanted a larger one, so I brought you several.” She shoved six information squares of various sizes at Lena. “You can keep them all or give some of them back. It’s up to you. We have plenty because we ended up with a box of them in the last trade even though we told the Doringo we didn’t want it.”

Lena’s face must’ve clearly shown Nalia that she didn’t understand.

Nalia made a face. “Doringo can be so stubborn. I said we had plenty of squares, but they wouldn’t listen to me. We had to take the box or we’d be insulting them. It was so annoying. They aren’t even the good ones with the anti-breaking components.”

As she spoke she started leading them through the ship again, chatting about the trade deal the entire way. Along with her bag from the Avail tucked under her arm, Lena held the squares tight against her chest. Tarquin knew better than to try and carry them for her. Having these objects was obviously making her feel calmer.

Lena needed a home full of things. A place she could fill with items that made her feel happy and secure. He was determined to do that for her. The only question was where this home would be located.

They got to the bay and Nalia gave them a tour. There were elimination facilities but no cleansing units. For that they’d need to use one of the rooms, but that was an issue for later.

“I can also—” Nalia’s words were cut off when her Ident chimed. She wore one that was basically a miniature version of Derani’s. Tarquin thought it was adorable, especially when she used it and it looked full size in her tiny fingers.

“I’m sorry, I need to go,” Nalia said after reading something from the Ident’s display. She looked at Tarquin. “You can contact me through the Idents. I’ll chime you for the evening meal. Bye!”

Then she turned and left, her bouncing step taking her out of the bay within a few strides.

Lena immediately set off walking. Tarquin caught up to her in a stride and she started in what would be a loop of the bay. Her footfalls echoed in the mostly empty space. Silently, he kept pace, waiting until she was ready to stop or talk or both.

They were on Lena’s timeframe now; there would be no rushing.