Page 40

Garnet

T he laughter and joy of Tin-Fallow echoed hollowly around them as Garnet and Tanin stood together in front of the docking bay door that led back to the Humility. It was still closed, lined up next to the other docking doors. There were many of them covering this entire side of the station. Lots of ships came here and that meant there were lots of docking doors to accommodate them. Their door didn’t look any different from the others. Plain, heavy metal, with a solid purple light overhead that indicated the tunnel was still sealed and available for use.

But Vytln wasn’t standing guard outside. He wasn’t protecting the entrance as he had the last time they were attacked on a station. The lack of his presence somehow made it eerie, because Garnet knew the guys wouldn’t have left no one to guard the door if the ship had been attacked and their captain had gone missing.

Tanin had tried contacting all of them on his combot as they rushed over, but none of the attempted comms connected. Not even Alred.

As Garnet looked at the door in trepidation, Tanin was untying his ribbon.

“Remember the access code?” He asked her calmly.

“I think so,” she nodded.

“Put it in. And stay behind me.”

She’d already offered to stay behind. To go back to the inn or somewhere else while he dealt with whatever problem was going on here. She didn’t want to get in the way or, worse, become a hindrance for him. But he shot that idea down. He didn’t know what happened or who got to the others, and he couldn’t be sure that she wouldn’t be taken if separated from him.

“I can fight and protect you at the same time,” he had promised as he led her down between the two levels. “Just stay close to me.”

It would be swoon worthy if she weren’t afraid for everyone else. Including Goldie, who had gone just as silent as the others.

She rushed past him to the console beside the door. Her finger hovered over it as she looked back, making sure Tanin was ready. He nodded at her once and she turned forward, entering the code. The door hissed and separated. She stepped back quickly.

But nothing happened. The tunnel was brightly lit as ever, quiet and safe, happy music playing like it was mocking them.

Tanin walked forward calmly, ribbon wrapped around his knuckles, the end trailing in the air. Garnet hurried after him. Staying close. The door shutting behind them made her wince. She put a hand to his lower back, needing that connection, as they continued up towards the Humility.

Gravity was weaker in the tunnels. The generator was just strong enough that they could walk and didn’t float, but still weak enough that, even when the tunnel went in strange directions, they had no problem propelling themselves forward.

The access door of the Humility, beat up and familiar, waited at the end. The purple light glowing overhead promised a secure connection.

But as Tanin came even with it, Alred’s voice didn’t greet them. They weren’t scanned to be granted entrance. Tanin had to press the console on the side to put in an entrance code.

The door beeped once. Twice. Then slid open.

The familiar scent of home washed over Garnet, trying to soothe her even as the silence inside set her nerves on edge.

Tanin strode forward. She followed after, looking around his arm.

And, at first, she was relieved. The guys were all standing there in the empty room. Like they had just been waiting for their return.

But the relief was short lived as her instincts went haywire. Something was wrong .

The ship was still and silent. There was no cargo in the hold, which wasn’t unusual. But what was strange was the line hanging down from above. A black wire that hadn’t been there before and was limp and out of place, just dangling in the center of the room, almost reaching the ground. Vytln and Alred wouldn’t let the ship be unkempt like that.

Worse, the guys were all there. Rok standing at the front. The others behind him. All of them evenly spaced out like chess pieces placed on a board. Just as stiff. Just as still. Just as silent. Trove wasn’t smiling. Sway was off of the bridge. The twins weren’t even standing beside each other. They were all there, like statues, barely even breathing.

And tight around their necks, a metal ring.

“Welcome home!”

Garnet gasped, looking up. Tracking the voice. On the second level, standing at the rail with a wide grin, was a shinuk male. Black skin, white eyes, wearing a beautiful, tailor fit suit – white pants, teal jacket, gold accents. His black hair was styled back in a complex braid. He looked expensive, untouchable, lording over the silent statues spread before him.

Gissrn. Here. On their ship!

And at his side, still wearing that tactical black suit with the heavy belt, was Neelai. The bounty hunter who had come after her before. He carried a long blade in his hand that he was tapping slowly against his thigh as he looked down at them without a change in expression.

“A king on my ship,” Tanin said easily. “What an honor.”

Garnet’s breath caught in her throat. She knew what he looked like from the hologram before, but seeing him smirk at being identified, seeing him move, made him real in a way he’d never been before.

He wasn’t looking at Tanin. He was looking at her. Five white eyes blazing.

“Is that my little treasure?” He purred, the sound contented and eager. “She’s lovely. Those fools might have proven themselves useless, but they did pick well. Come here, little thing. Come back to your true master.”

Garnet moved further behind Tanin. Still glaring out from behind his arm.

Gissrn laughed, but there was an edge to the sound. “Don’t be afraid, my treasure, and come here . I know you’re probably scared. That bad male beside you has probably filled your head with lies about me. But I assure you, I will take care of you much better than he can. I have wealth and power. I am a king. He has a broken down ship that is far too easy to track. Now, be a good girl, and get over here.”

He finished with a growl. A threat. Garnet glared at him.

“Where is my sister?!” She shouted. Alred wasn’t here, either in his light form or as a computerized voice overhead. And neither was Goldie.

Gissrn chuckled. “Don’t worry. She’s alive. For now. And she can stay that way, if you do as you’re told and get over here like I commanded you.”

She snarled at him, nails digging into Tanin’s arm as she resisted the urge to hurl insults at him. If he hurt her sister…

Her hand went down, grabbing the handle of her shock stick. Holding it tight as the king snarled his anger.

“I said, get over here. Obey me!”

“I don’t think she’s interested,” Tanin replied evenly. So calm. So unaffected. Like he wasn’t the one at a disadvantage. Where did all that confidence come from?

Gissrn laughed. Mocking him. “Interested? She doesn’t know better. She doesn’t know that I will make her a princess. I will take her out of those rags and drape her in jewels and flower silk. I will become her entire world, and her greatest joy will be in pleasing me. Station scum like you would never be able to provide her with the life I will. I can lift her up from this and make her truly beautiful .”

Garnet wanted to throw up. How did every wonderful thing he say somehow come across as absolutely sickening? Maybe it was because she was already mated. Or maybe it was because she knew the price of that life.

And it came with the same collars that were around the guys’ necks. The ones that she and her sister once wore. The idea that Goldie might be somewhere now, that ring around her neck, waiting for Gissrn to appear like a mindless puppet…

She was going to be sick.

“I must admit,” Tanin said, interjecting easily, “I am impressed. Those are Vletch rings around my crew’s necks, aren’t they? How did you manage to not only get all of them collared, but also take over my ship?”

Gissrn preened. There was no other word for it. Like a vain bird being told he was pretty, he smirked and held his head high. Smug in his superiority. And obnoxious enough for her to want to bash that pretty face in with her shock stick.

“I’ve told you before, Tanin,” the king chuckled, posing for effect. “Your crew, your operation, is a thing of beauty. The jobs these males have managed to accomplish are incredible. And I also told you that only those with power can own beauty. You were always destined to lose against someone greater than you.”

“It would certainly seem so,” Tanin said. “How did you do it?”

“It’s all a matter of being smarter than they are strong,” he chuckled, running a hand over his head, like he just needed to feel the crown of braids on his head. “Which, I am. See, what I know is that the strongest member of your crew also happens to be one who doesn’t fight. Your little delivery male there. The baemoth male.” He gestured to Rok. “Truly, a large specimen. And strong, too. But you keep him on deliveries, which tells me he doesn’t fight.”

“That’s true,” Tanin nodded along. “You’re right.”

“Of course, I am! All Neelai had to do was surprise him from above after he left a medical office. He dropped down on high as the thug was walking past, admiring his repaired hand, and – click! On went the collar. And now, he’s mine.”

Gissrn held up a remote, wiggling it happily. It was a simple thing, with only a couple buttons. But before Garnet could try to figure out how it worked, the king continued to talk.

“The rest was easy. Your crew is strong, but they can’t take on a full grown baemoth male who isn’t holding back. Especially when they don’t actually want to hurt him. He caught the domini first. Then the lvtl. And the three of them were more than enough to secure the avanava males. Your ship’s AI didn’t even hesitate to let them in. And the farasie? Ha! What was a little pacifist featherhead even doing on your crew? Doesn’t matter. He’s mine now. They’re all mine now! I have taken control of your crew, your ship – everything! Because only those with true power are capable of keeping beautiful things! And these males are quite beautiful. They shall do an excellent job as obedient slaves to protect me. Don’t you think?”

“But what did you do with my sister?!” Garnet yelled, panic eating her up. The fact that he hadn’t mentioned her was almost making it worse.

“You really want to know?” Gissrn smiled wickedly. “You can join her. If you like. I understand that human males have inferior cocks. So, I’m sure mine will be a welcome change for you. I do like it when my females hurt a little though. I love to see them cry. It’s when they’re at their most beautiful. So, I will be rough. Oh! And I’m sure that Tanin hasn’t been able to resist putting his filthy hands on my treasures. So, you will both have to be punished for that. I think a full cleaning of your wombs will suffice. It will hurt. But this is the price you must pay for disobeying your master, isn’t it?”

Garnet was vibrating with rage. The ideas of what he could have done to Goldie, all the ways he could have hurt her since they were gone, ran through her head. And they made her ill.

“So, what now?” Tanin asked. “I’ve already told the peacekeepers about you. I’m surprised they haven’t come to say hi, in fact.”

Gissrn scoffed. “Please. You think they are a threat to someone such as I? I am one of the wealthiest shinuk kings! I am untouchable! Those fools don’t even know I’m here! They think I don’t know they’re watching me. But I’ve known since the beginning. And you, Tanin, have managed to put me in a spot where I can’t send any more hunters after you. I can’t put out another bounty without the keepers tracking it back to me. And the crew I did manage to hire were scared off. I would call them cowards but, as I said, your crew is truly a thing of violent beauty. So, maybe it’s to be expected. You should be honored that I came to deal with this myself.”

“Touched, really,” Tanin said easily, so deadpan, it was hard to even hear the sarcasm. Gissrn certainly didn’t as he chuckled.

“I’m glad you think so. You wouldn’t believe how many people don’t realize what an honor it is that they’ve caught my eye. I might even have been benevolent enough to let you join your crew as one of my slaves. However,” his smile faded. “I know you’ve been fucking my treasures. And that’s unacceptable. Before you die, I’m going to make sure one of your crew rips your cock off as recompense. In fact, I might have them break your arms and legs and leave you a crippled, useless thing, so you can watch as I clean my treasures of any of your lingering filth. And then you can die slowly with their screams in your ears, knowing that it’s your fault. Doesn’t that sound fair?”

“You know, it’s not a bad idea,” Tanin nodded along.

It was only then that his equanimity finally registered to the king. Gissrn sneered, lip curling up in disgust as he finally realized Tanin was mocking him. It might not have been blatant, but it was still obvious that Tanin wasn’t afraid of him at all.

“I will hear you scream,” Gissrn snarled, putting the remote to his lips. He pressed a button and said, harshly and clearly, “Capture Tanin. Break every bone in his body if you have to but bring him to me alive.”

Only then, finally, did the guys move. Their heads all tilted up. Moving in eerie synchrony. Their faces were blank, their eyes open but empty, as they moved towards Tanin at the same time.

“Stay back,” he told her calmly without looking her way, walking forward. Ribbon trailing down.

Garnet was really going to be sick. Tanin was tall compared to her, yes, but he was still shorter than every male on his ship. Trove was an expert marksman, the twins were a nightmare, and Vytln and Rok were absolute mountains, both bulging with muscles.

Compared to them, Tanin was like a pre-teen boy, just coming into his strength. And they were his crew! He wasn’t actually going to hurt them! This wasn’t a fair fight by any means. How could he possibly fight the guys?!

Even as she had that thought, Rok tried to grab Tanin with all four arms. Only for Tanin to jump straight into the air, dodging them. He came down on Rok’s face, striking him mercilessly with the heel of his boot. Garnet heard a hard crunch, then Tanin launched himself off Rok’s head, sending him slamming face first into the ground. Diving forward, he slammed his shoulder into Trove’s midsection, bringing him down with an alarmingly loud thud of his head on the metal floor.

Garnet stared, open mouthed. It had been so quick, and so brutal. Made even worse by the fact that neither Rok nor Trove made even a single sound of pain. She could hear though, clear as day, the thuds of the blows and the crunch of broken bones. Tanin hadn’t even hesitated.

He still wasn’t hesitating.

With Trove down, he rolled off him and came up, barely dodging a wild kick by Sway. The feathered male didn’t fight with his fists, but with his feet. Kicking hard and fast and putting Tanin on the defensive.

Until Tanin caught his ankle with his ribbon and yanked, upsetting Sway’s balance. He drove his fist right into his gut, knocking all the air out of him with a forced grunt. As Sway started to fall, Tanin grabbed him by the crest and yanked him around, throwing him into the twins who were trying to come up from behind.

He had to move then, dodging Vytln’s fist. The bigger male missed, slamming into the metal ladder steps that went up to the second floor. Denting them badly. Making Vytln’s fist bleed glowing orange blood. But Tanin was already gone, running at Rok who was pushing himself up on all fours – all sixes? Blood was rushing out of his nose, dripping on the floor, and he was stunned enough that he couldn’t regain his balance to get up on his feet.

Too late. Tanin was already there, jumping on his back. He wrapped the ribbon around Rok’s neck and pulled tight. Hard enough to choke him-

-if the collar wasn’t in the way.

But it was, and all Tanin’s strength was on the metal as he grunted, pulling tight. The silk creaked. The metal groaned. Rok tried harder to stand, limbs flailing in an attempt to dislodge Tanin.

Putting his foot on his spine, Tanin pushed down with his whole body weight, still yanking on the ends of his ribbon with enough strength to make his arms shake as his veins bulged. Rok was up now, throwing himself around, accidentally hitting Sorbet aside in the process.

But his wild bucking put Tanin right next to that line that was hanging down from above.

Transferring the ribbon ends to one hand, Tanin grabbed the line with the other. He jerked it up until he could grasp the flat metal end. Rok swung around, upsetting Tanin’s stance. But as he fell, he drove the end of the wire right down onto the ribbon wrapped collar.

It popped. Loud and distinct.

Smoke appeared and Rok suddenly collapsed. The collar pieces fell with him, clattering to the ground. Two broken pieces that were still smoking, the down brown of Rok’s blood on the long needles. A scorch mark was left there on the back of Rok’s neck. But it had popped off. Similar to when Alred had removed it from Garnet and Goldie, but faster. More violent.

Tanin stood, stepping off the now unmoving Rok, the ribbon pulling free as he faced his next opponent.

Up above, Gissrn stood staring in slack jawed shock. Stunned.

Garnet looked from him back down to Rok. The big guy was down, still bleeding, and, most importantly, still breathing. His chest rose and fell evenly as Tanin tangled with Vytln.

The other big guy was swinging his fists wildly. Dangerously. One hit from those, and it would be lights out. Tanin was dancing back, staying just out of his way. Making Vytln chase him. Until he swung too hard and overextended himself.

Balance upset, Tanin whipped the end of his ribbon around his neck and jerked him down, stabbing the end of the wire up. It was the same wire, Garnet realized, that they had used to break the collars off of her and Goldie. Though, clearly, this one was delivering a much harder shock. Vytln’s entire body locked up as the collar started smoking then fell away in pieces, leaving him with a scorch mark on the back of his neck as well.

Tanin then turned, putting Vytln’s back to his chest. He used the ribbon to yank the larger male up and over, throwing him against Trove who had come up to try his turn at attacking.

The big guy landed on Trove with a hard crash. Pinning him easily. Vytln remained still, but Trove was thrashing, one arm free, trying to get out from under him.

Tanin grabbed his wrist and shoved it down. Opening him up, leaving him vulnerable as Tanin slammed that wire right against the collar. It sparked, smoked, and fell open. Trove went limp, his eyes rolling into the back of his head as Tanin ran off, going for his next opponent.

Alred must have realized what was happening before and dropped that wire into the stowage room. He was not be here right now; he had probably locked himself in his core for safety. However, he had given Tanin the tool he needed to free the others.

And he was doing it well. Rok, Vytln, and Trove were all down, leaving only Sway, Sorbet, and Tebros standing.

“What are you just standing there for!?” Gissrn roared, looking at Neelai with a wild look on his face. “Go down there and get him!”

He was… scared.

Garnet chuckled softly, in amazement, as she had that realization. Gissrn had been so smug, appeared so in control, but just like that, Tanin had him scared. Tanin hadn’t been calm because he was putting up a front, he genuinely knew that Gissrn wasn’t a threat. That even his entire crew, all at once, weren’t a threat.

Because these were killers feared by the most despised people in the galaxy. They were males whose very name inspired awe and discomfort.

But they were controlled by and obeyed Tanin. He hadn’t earned their respect and loyalty by being nice and kind. He didn’t get them to follow him because he said please. And those rules of his would mean nothing if he couldn’t enforce them.

Tanin was the leader of a band of killers. He was the most dangerous person in the room. Even more so because he was the shortest and wore a ribbon around his wrist – he didn’t look dangerous. He didn’t act tough. He just was .

As she watched, the twins came at him at the same time, and he blocked, dodged, and returned blows to both of them without any mistakes. Combined, they were more of a challenge, but he was holding his own by himself where a group of strong males hadn’t.

As he was fighting between the two, Neelai stepped up to the rail. He put his hand on the metal and vaulted over, knife flashing in the low light.

Garnet took a breath, ready to call out a warning, but she didn’t get the chance.

Tanin struck Tebros in the knee, knocking him over. As the avanava male was falling, Tanin grabbed him by the elbow and the belt, and threw him with a grunt.

Neelai, having just landed, had to throw himself to the side to avoid being bowled over. Now alone, Sorbet was half as much of a threat. Tanin grabbed his arm, jerked it behind his back, and twisted up. Tanin’s other arm went around his neck and pulled him back against his chest. He turned his hand, stabbing the end of the wire into the collar. A puff of smoke, a jerk from both males, and Sorbet collapsed.

Tanin had a smoking hole in his jumpsuit now, burned right down to the flesh. But he ignored it as Sway came upon him, striking with both feet.

Garnet turned from them, focusing back on Gissrn. He was alone now, Neelai the only one he had brought with him. Why would he need more when he had an army of slaves to protect him?

Gritting her teeth, she turned on her shock stick. It warmed under her palm. Holding it tight, she started making her way around the perimeter of the room. Avoiding the fight in the center. Easy to do, as the guys had not been given orders to attack her, just Tanin.

The ladder was dented even more than she realized. Vytln’s fists had to be made of steel, because it was so damaged the bottom was lifting off the ground. She grabbed the rails, rattling it to test its strength, but it was holding firm at the top.

Something ripping made her whip her head around.

Tebros had managed to get in close enough to Tanin thanks to Neelai to get his claws into his back. He ripped right through the top of his jumpsuit, making it fall apart at the torso, leaving him in his black shirt, four long gashes bleeding down his back.

Tanin didn’t even roar in pain. He turned, catching Tebros’ next strike with his ribbon. He twisted it around one wrist, then the second when it came around to try to strike. With his hands neutralized, Tanin used his grip on them to throw Tebros into Neelai.

The bounty hunter dodged, jumping back. Tebros was struggling on the ground. But not for long as Tanin drove the end of the wire into his collar. Pop. Smoke. Clatter. Tebros went still, eyes rolling back in his head.

“STOP HIM!” Gissrn shrieked, the railing squeaking as he shook it in his fury.

Garnet glared at him. Putting her foot on the bottom rung of the ladder steps, she began climbing. It squeaked and rattled, but the sound was buried under Gissrn doing the same at the top.

Grunts and thuds continued below as Garnet climbed. She didn’t turn back until she reached the top and could stand on the side of the opening and look down.

Sway was flat on his back, bleeding from a grotesquely swollen lip. He was trying to stand but seemed to be having trouble maintaining his balance.

Meanwhile, Tanin and Neelai were locked in a fight. Neelai had that long, dangerous looking blade, and he wielded it ruthlessly.

But Tanin’s ribbon, whatever it was made from, was resistant to cutting. He caught and blocked like it was a harmless butter knife.

It wasn’t, of course, and there were a few, shallow cuts to Tanin’s hands, his arms, where the knife had come too close.

But Neelai wasn’t escaping damage either. Whenever Tanin struck, his knuckle claws would dig into his flesh. They weren’t deep gouges like he’d leave from a full punch, but they were deeper than the claw marks down Tanin’s back.

“What do I pay you for?!” Gissrn was shouting. “ Kill him! ”

Garnet lifted her gaze, glaring at the king as she stood. From up here, she could see that there really weren’t any other guards up here. He’d traveled in secret and relied a little too hard on the slave collars he’d put around the others.

He was also too focused on Tanin. He had stopped paying attention to her. He didn’t consider her to be a threat.

Her hand tightened on the shock stick as she walked around behind him, out of his peripheral vision, before she started approaching.

She could still see Tanin through the grate floor.

Sway had finally struggled to his feet and was charging at him.

Tanin dropped, rolling away. Sway’s flying kick hit Neelai square in the chest, throwing him back with a grunt that didn’t quite cover the crack of his ribs breaking. Sway paid no mind to the male that was supposed to be on his team. He immediately turned, chasing after Tanin.

Sway’s legs didn’t have feathers from the knees down. They were rough skin, like those on his knuckles. And more muscular than she had never noticed before. Sway’s kicks were not only rapid, but they hit with shockingly hard thuds against Tanin’s forearms and ribbon as he blocked the storm of blows that rained on him.

Garnet was right behind Gissrn when Tanin managed to get the ribbon around Sway’s leg. He held it up, trying to pull him off balance. Sway jumped with his one remaining leg, twisting in the air. Tanin brought up his arm, catching the blow there with a crack and grunt.

He twisted, coming around as Sway was falling. He slammed his elbow into Sway’s back. They both hit the ground, Tanin on top of him, yanking his leg up, straining the limb in a way that looked painful, though Sway didn’t make a single sound.

Tanin slammed the end of the wire into the collar. It sparked and smoked, popping off. Tanin had to immediately slam his hand over the back of Sway’s neck, suffocating the embers that were burning on his smoking feathers.

“What are you doing?!” Gissrn shrieked as Neelai tried to struggle to his feet.

Tanin stood, relaxing his hold on his ribbon. Sway’s leg dropped back to the ground with a thud as Tanin smacked his hand against his pants, like he was trying to brush off the burn. He stepped over the prone Sway, approaching Neelai.

The bounty hunter was trying to bring up his knife, but he winced, unable to move against the broken ribs. He grunted, falling to his knee, grabbing for his chest.

Gissrn was still shrieking. Completely oblivious as Garnet pulled back the shock stick.

She slammed it, at full power, into the back of his knee.

He screamed, high pitched and pained, as his knee buckled, sending him falling.

Garnet didn’t hesitate. She brought the stick up again, bringing it down on his face. Then on his hands and arms when he tried to shield his head.

“Bastard!” She roared as he continued to cry and holler.

Each blow wasn’t just the physical force of her hitting him, but also a painful shock that made him twitch and writhe, his voice going up each time she landed a strike.

Standing straight, she pulled her leg back and slammed it – bam! – right in the cock.

He screamed, so high his voice broke, eyes going wide as rolled over, grabbing the jewels. He shook and trembled, curled in on himself.

“What did you do to my sister?!” Garnet yelled, lifting the shock stick.

Gissrn gasped, the sound ragged and pained.

She kicked him again, on the ass this time, rolling him onto his back again so he could be sure to see the threat hanging over his head.

“ What did you do to my sister?! ” She repeated, furious.

Gissrn glared at her, all five eyes blazing with hatred. “I will cut your tits off and sear your cunt shut for this!”

She brought down the shock stick. Hitting him about the shoulder and back. He cried out again, the spasms of the electricity striking harder than her blows. She only hit him three more times, following it up with a kick to the thighs – his cock was too well guarded to land against now.

“Where is my sister?” She hissed between her teeth.

Gissrn smirked at her, though it was weak and pained. “Your sister was screaming and bleeding on my cock. And you will too!”

Garnet sobbed. Then screamed.

She began beating him. Vicious. Violent. Aiming for his face. His neck. When his hands tried to lift to protect himself there, she kicked for his cock again.

This bastard put his hands on her sister. She was going to kill him!

She was going to kill him!

Garnet sobbed as she struck, blow after blow. His screaming stopped and he was folding over himself, shaking and trembling as she aimed for his skull. She was going to bash it in if she had to break her own hands in the process!

The snare of silk catching around her wrist as she lifted her hand brought her up short.

She looked up, snarling. The familiar flash of crimson took a moment to register through the mindless rage burning through her.

Tanin’s ribbon. Caught on her .

She turned her head, following it back to the male himself.

Tanin had climbed up to the second level. She didn’t know what happened with Neelai, but a brief glance past the rail showed that he was laid up against the wall, slumped down and unmoving. She focused back on Tanin.

“Let me go.”

“You’re going to kill him.”

“Good! Let me go!”

“You do not have permission.”

“Did you hear what he said about my sister?! ”

“Goldie is fine.”

“You don’t know that!” Her voice broke, horror and guilt choking her.

Her sister…

She…

Garnet hadn’t been here to protect her, and she’d been hurt!

Tanin, however, remained calm. “Alred would have known that the others were compromised when they came in. He would have warned Goldie to run before they got to her. Gissrn is lying to you.”

“You don’t know that…” Garnet repeated softly, voice broken, shaking.

“I do know that. I know my crew. Alred securing Goldie’s safety would be the first thing he did. If he had failed, he wouldn’t have gone into his core. He would do whatever he needed to make sure she was safe first . She’s probably in the shelter room. Waiting for you.”

Garnet was crying, the tears trickling quickly down her cheeks. She wanted to believe him. She needed to believe him. If Gissrn’s words were true…

“Tanin, I…” Words failed her as she sniffed weakly.

“You do not have permission to kill him,” he said repeated. “Drop the shock stick.”

Garnet’s grip tightened for just a second. Refusing to let go.

Tanin’s gaze was calm and steady. Commanding. She had agreed to live by his rules, and this was one of them. She wanted to kill Gissrn. For what he might have done to Goldie. For even threatening it. For having them kidnapped in the first place. Tanin couldn’t possibly judge her for that. He couldn’t condemn her for killing a male who deserved it this much.

But Garnet didn’t have permission.

With a weak sob, she lowered her hand. He allowed it to happen. Watching as she turned the stick off before dropping it. Letting it roll away towards his feet.

Tanin nodded once in approval. “Come here.”

Garnet didn’t hesitate this time. She stepped away from Gissrn. Coming closer. The ribbon around her wrist loosened and fell away. Tanin pulled it back in, wrapping it around his wrist again as she came to a halt in front of him.

Tanin took her by the chin and lifted her eyes to meet his. “Okay?”

She nodded, sniffing as she smiled weakly. Hopefully. “You’re sure Goldie is safe?”

“Alred wants to keep his presence secret. But not so much that he would allow her to get hurt. Trust me. He would reveal himself to protect her. He hasn’t said a word, which means he’s in his core right now. Which he would only do if he knew she was safe first. She is unharmed, I assure you, or this would have gone very differently.”

Right. That wire hanging down from above was Alred setting Tanin up to remove the collars from the others. He had seen the collars and prepared for them to be broken. Goldie had likely been in the medbay when they came in, and Alred had control of all the doors and locks. He could have sealed her in. Or sent her to the shelter if he had time. He obviously didn’t notice the collars before they entered or he wouldn’t have allowed them through the bulkhead door, but he noticed afterword and took action.

Which would have included saving Goldie.

The last of her tears dried as the logic penetrated her panic. “Thanks.”

“Let me take care of this.”

Garnet chuckled, unable to resist. The way he said that, it was like he was asking her to let him take out the trash. “Yes, please.”

“Good.” Tanin finally looked past her to where Gissrn was still laid out on the ground. Garnet turned her head as well, and she failed to bite back a grin.

It was a pathetic sight.

She had no pity for this male that managed to traffic her and Goldie off Earth. A proud male that was now nothing but a sniveling, writhing mess. Snot and tears and blood smeared down his face. He had managed to recover enough to fall onto his side, one hand covering his crotch, the other trying to lift himself off the ground.

He didn’t look very kingly now. His fancy suit was all mussed and dirty, the jacket having ridden up from his thrashing. His neat braids were loose and frizzy. His nose was bleeding, his lip was bleeding, two of his five eyes were puffy and swelling.

He was a weak, trembling mess. Garnet could only smirk, taking no small amount of pleasure in how low he looked right now. His threats were bad enough. She was also fairly sure she and Goldie weren’t the first ones he’d done this to. He’d probably hurt a lot of people. He deserved this.

As they watched, he cracked his eyes open, glaring hatefully.

“You will pay for this,” he hissed with a pained groan. “I will destroy you both! You will regret this. I am a king ! You worthless insects. I am powerful! I am untouchable!”

Tanin walked past her, approaching the spitting male who was trying to push himself up. Aside from his raised quills, Tanin looked as calm as ever.

Gissrn, however, flinched when Tanin bent down and grabbed the downed king by the front of his shirt. He stood, dragging Gissrn towards the rail. Without so much as a word, he threw him over.

Garnet whipped around, fully expecting to see him hitting the ground. She wouldn’t mind if he went splat.

So, she was surprised when Rok, blood drying on his face, caught him in all four arms.

Rok’s jovial smile was gone. Replaced by a hard scowl as he held the king up with two heavy hands on his shoulders, two more under his arms. Behind him, the others were gathering around. Vytln, snarling, grabbed one arm. Trove, expression eerily blank, grabbed the other. The twins, one of them limping, approached with their blades in hand.

“What was it you said you would do to me?” Tanin asked calmly, standing at the rail, looking down at him in a complete role reversal of where they had started. “Rip my cock off, break all my limbs, and kill me slowly? I believe it was.”

Garnet came to his side. Smiling when Tanin automatically put his arm around her waist, his ribbon trailing down, tickling her legs as it dangled in the air. She put a hand on his chest, leaning her head against his shoulder as she watched Gissrn stare up at them with wide, terrified eyes. His legs dangling weakly as Rok held him up like a doll.

“Y-You wouldn’t,” the king said, breathing hard with fear. “You can’t! I am a king! If you touch me, you will be ruined!”

“How?” Tanin asked, cocking his head. “You said yourself that no one knows you’re here.”

Gissrn opened his mouth, but no sound came out as he realized Tanin was right. “You… You…”

“What was the lesson you were trying to teach me before? Beauty is power? You have the right to possess beautiful things because you have the power to keep beautiful things. I believe that’s what you said to me. An interesting theory to be sure. Would you like to hear mine?”

“Let me go! You insect! You station trash!”

“Cut his heels,” Tanin said without even raising his voice.

Gissrn cried out. He tried to thrash, but he wasn’t going anywhere. The twins, moving in sync, stepped forward. Each one grabbed him by the leg. They wrapped their arms around his calves. They cut him so fast, she didn’t even realize it happened until Gissrn screamed. The twins stepped back, blood now trailing down his feet to drip on the floor.

“You don’t have power,” Tanin said as Gissrn gasped, mouth gaping like a fish, staring down at his feet in horror. “What you have is wealth. Now, I will grant you, wealth does a very good job of masquerading as power. You have enough wealth, and you can buy a lot of power. And you can even claim to own it. That’s power in its own way. But it’s fleeting and highly conditional. You lose that wealth, or someone offers something better, and all your power is rendered worthless.

“Take me, for instance. Your wealth is meaningless to me. Your title is just a word. In my eyes, you are the one without power. Meanwhile, this is the power that I wield.”

He held out his hand, indicating not to the Humility, but to the guys down below. All of them giving Gissrn such cold, heartless stares, it made shivers go up Garnet’s spine. But even as it scared her on some bone deep level, she still turned further into Tanin. Seeking comfort from him .

“Command them to let you go,” Tanin said calmly. “Offer them whatever you want. If they release you, I’ll even spare you.”

It was obviously not going to work. Gissrn had to know that. But he was also desperate enough, or foolish enough, that he had to try.

“M-Money!” He stuttered, looking at the males surrounding him. “I’m wealthy! I can keep you in luxury for the rest of your lives. O-Or power… Titles! Females! Whatever you want! I can make people worship you as gods! I can-”

“Break his left arm,” Tanin said quietly.

Trove tightened his grip on the limb and turned, pulled it across his chest and with a mighty jerk – crack! – snapped the bone right at the elbow. Gissrn screeched in pain, his left arm now hanging uselessly in the air.

“Wh-Whatever… Whatever you want…” He pleaded, drooling as the pain overcame him. “I can give you… please… you…”

“Break his right arm.”

Vytln just had to squeeze. His large fists, strong and rough, crushed the bones like they were dried noodles. The noise Gissrn let out made goosebumps break out all over her skin.

“Drop him,” Tanin ordered.

Rok did so. Unable to bear his own weight, he slumped to the ground, broken arms flopping useless beside his twitching body. He was shaking and babbling in agony.

“Rip his cock off,” Tanin said.

The twins grabbed his legs and lifted them up, putting all his weight on his chest as he screamed and tried to thrash, but without his arms, he had no way to gain any traction on the floor. He was helpless as Rok reached between his legs and-

Garnet winced, looking away. She didn’t see what happened, but she heard the rip of fabric, the shriek of the tortured and damned, then a thud as a body hit the floor.

When she turned her eyes back, it was to see a large puddle of black blood expanding below Gissrn and Rock stepping back, one of his lower hands releasing something grotesque and fleshy. It hit the ground with a wet splat, unrecognizable as anything but a hunk of destroyed meat.

“This, Gissrn, is power,” Tanin said calmly, though Gissrn was just shaking, unable to even turn his head any longer. “These males don’t follow me because I pay them. They follow me because they choose to. I have their loyalty. I have their respect. That is what it means to wield true power.

“Now, I’m going to kill you. Not because I have to. Not because I’m afraid of you. Not even because I fear the consequences of what might happen if I don’t. We both know you’re too scared of me to try this again. No. I’m going to kill you because I want to. Because you dared think you could touch my female. Because you threatened her. Because you made her cry. Because you have annoyed me one too many times, and I squish insects that annoy me. Vytln. Throw him in the engine room. Not too far in. I want him to die slowly. Screaming. When he’s dead, incinerate him. Mix his ashes into the refuse. He’ll be gone at the next supply stop.”

“Aye, captain,” Vytln grunted, bending low.

He grabbed Gissrn by one hand and began dragging him from the room. Gissrn was screaming again, begging. Pleading. Babbling. But he couldn’t move, couldn’t fight, as Vytln took him away.

Garnet watched him go, not even a stab of guilt or regret tickling her. It seemed like justice in her eyes. Cold, painful justice, but justice, nonetheless.

“Clean up the blood,” Tanin ordered. “Make sure all traces of it are gone.”

“Aye, captain,” Trove said, grinning as he walked away.

“Rok, get rid of Neelai. He’s not going to talk, so we don’t need to kill him. Rough him up a bit, give him a warning, and let him go.”

“Aye, captain,” Rok said, turning to approach the unconscious bounty hunter.

“You two. Go make sure no one saw him coming and there’s no trace he was ever at this station.”

The twins bowed their heads before turning and leaving the ship entirely.

He looked last at Sway, who was the only one who had been standing back. He had his arms crossed, his usually serene face disturbingly blank.

“Check the ship over,” Tanin said. “Make sure everything is back in order and there’s no trace he was ever here.”

Sway nodded once. “Aye, captain.”

All of them obeyed his commands exactly, without question. Garnet knew they’d be followed to the letter. Tanin might not have the title of a king, but he certainly ruled his company with the authority of one.

“Come.” Tanin pulled on her hand, tugging her from the railing.

She followed along, putting her arm around his waist. Leaning into him with a smile.

Tanin glanced down at her quickly, then back up again. “You’re not afraid?”

“Of what?”

“Me.”

She sniggered. “Honestly? That was hot. I wanted him dead anyway. Seeing you do it? Absolutely ruthless. You take care of all your enemies that way?”

“Only the ones that make themselves a nuisance,” he said simply, and she chuckled, believing him. He might not kill as his first problem solving step anymore, but it was still on the list. Gissrn just happened to have made it down that far.

“You’re sure we’re not going to get in trouble?”

“No. I’ll make certain of it.”

They stepped on the lift that took them up to the bridge. He then climbed ahead of her to the upper bridge before turning and offering her a hand up. She took it, laughing when he tugged her right off the ladder and up into his arms.

“You’re very strong,” she said, running her hands over him. Getting more into the mood. Once again, feeling like the princess welcoming her battle worn knight home. He even had battle wounds, marks on his back and arms. But he’d conquered the evil king and came back to her victorious. Surely, that deserved a reward.

“The s’skree are the strongest species by weight,” he reminded her, setting her down gently. “Our size sometimes makes people forget that.”

“Are we going to fuck on the bridge again?” She asked eagerly.

“Yes. But first…”

He turned from her and moved to the dark console behind the hatch. She’d never seen it lit up and always assumed it didn’t even do anything. Since it was behind the hatch, it wasn’t easily accessible. She thought it was just there to fit in with the rest of the room.

But Tanin ran his finger over one of the cuts on his arm, gathering some blood that he then smeared across the surface. It came to life, blinked once, then split apart.

Garnet came in close, looking down in surprise at the hidden compartment. Nestled inside was what looked like a large egg. A silver cannister, bigger than her head, with wires leading out from the tapered top connecting it to the ship. And, at the front, a little screen that Tanin tapped.

“Alred, all clear.”

The screen lit up, the console started humming, then all around them-

“ Took your sweet time, ” Alred laughed. “ I was just getting comfortable. What did I miss? Please tell me it’s good. I want something fun to watch tonight. ”

“I don’t think you’ll be disappointed,” Tanin assured him. “Where’s Goldie?”

“ Shelter room, of course. ”

“I figured. You can release her. Don’t let her near the engine room though. Vytln is cleaning up. Tell her to go to medbay and send the others to her to get treated one at a time.”

“ Aye, captain. ”

“Oh, and open an audio channel into the engine room.”

“ It’s open. ”

“Vytln, either leave the room or stop listening.”

“ Aye, captain, ” came the rough response, along with screaming somewhere in the background.

“Good. Alred, mute the sounds from their end, but keep the channel open.

“ Sure. Why? ” The screams cut off, but Garnet knew they could still hear them in the engine room.

“Go check on Goldie. Make sure she’s alright. And don’t listen to the audio channel.”

Alred was laughing. “ As you like. Just say my name when you need me again. ”

The panel hiding the silver egg closed, the screen going dark once more.

“That was his core, wasn’t it?” Garnet said, awed. That was Alred. Though he claimed the body as his ship, really it was that silver egg thing. His true body. A tightly kept secret that no one but Tanin – and now herself – knew the location of.

“It was,” Tanin said, stepping up to her. He wrapped his arm around her waist and lifted her up.

She laughed as he took her to his chair and sat her down.

“What are you doing?” She asked, grinning as he kneeled between her legs, pushing her thighs apart to make room for himself.

“I’m giving Gissrn no less than the death he promised to give me.” He reached up and unlatched her overalls, letting them fall open. “I’ve ripped off his cock, broken his arms and legs, and now he’s going to die slowly, listening to you scream.”