Page 7

Tanin

“M elt them. Destroy the pieces.”

Vytln frowned as he took the four collar fragments from Tanin. “What is it?”

“Doesn’t matter. Destroy it.”

Vytln gave him a look before turning. He grabbed a melting pot with a long handle and dropped the pieces inside. Taking it, he walked further into his forge and shoved the crucible inside. The heat inside was generated by the Humility’s engines and was much hotter than fire could get it. As a result, the metal pieces started turning red almost immediately, popping and cracking as the circuitry inside was destroyed by the heat.

Vytln was the only person who could get that close to the forge. His species was adept at surviving in extreme temperatures, and his race in particular was strong against fire. He didn’t even need gloves to hold the crucible tongs as he watched to make sure the pieces were melted.

Tanin stood on the other side of the room, uncomfortably hot even with the shielding between himself and the forge. Vytln had made the room himself, and he used the heat to melt things down to recast or rebuild or repair as needed.

When Garnet and Goldie had gone running through the ship, they’d very nearly run inside. Vytln had been surprised by their sudden appearance, and annoyed because they could have burned themselves by rushing into a place they shouldn’t be.

“This have to do with the humans?” He asked over his shoulder, his rough voice easily mistaken for gruff anger, though he wasn’t mad. That’s just how he sounded.

Tanin crossed his arms over his chest. “Melt it down. Destroy it. Jettison it. Then, forget you ever saw it. I’ve already had Alred delete it from his memory.”

Vytln turned, frowning.

Tanin returned his look with a calm one of his own. Vytln grunted his understanding and focused back on his task.

Tanin stayed, watching until the end to make sure it was done right. The collars were melted down to slag then crushed. Once that was done, Tanin himself took the cube and jettisoned it out. He might be acting a bit excessively, but he wasn’t taking a chance. Those collars on his ship could end all of their lives. The females might be safe, since they were victims, but he couldn’t guarantee that. Vletch Rings had ended empires, killed billions, and nearly destroyed planets, while their controllers too easily escaped justice by killing their victims and vanishing, their identities unknown.

No. Best the rings were destroyed and forgotten.

That task done, he could now focus on the second most important problem: the females.

“Where are they?” He asked Alred as he climbed back up into the upper bridge.

Alred flashed back into existence, arms folded behind his back. “ Sleeping. Both of them. I showed them how to use the facilities and ordered food from the galley, but by the time Trove brought the trays, both of them were fast asleep. ”

“Any pirates?” Tanin touched his console, bringing the light displays to life in front of him. Garnet and Goldie had been added as ‘guest’ markers, their vitals slow and steady in sleep.

“ Sway left all pursuers behind. We’re cruising now. ”

“Generators?”

“ At least five days away from recharge allowing our next swing. ”

“Keepers?”

“ Sway and I located a mothership within jumping range, though it will be pushing it. I’ve drafted a message to send to them, alerting them to what happened, pending your approval. ”

“Good. Check everyone’s identities. Make sure they can still withstand scrutiny. I’ll send the message myself after I read it.”

“ Aye, captain. ”

Tanin began working on his console. Checking over the reports from everyone. Rok had been scared by their sudden appearance but now was worrying that he scared them in return. Tanin had a bunch of messages from him asking how to apologize. Tebros and Sorbet were promising to keep their eyes on them, to make sure they didn’t pose some kind of risk. Sway had messaged the group as well, wondering what had even happened while he had been piloting.

A great deal. Too much, really. Tanin couldn’t blame the females for wanting to sleep.

He searched up some quick information on humans. Needing at least a basic understanding of what they required. They would only be with them for about a tenday – the time it would take to recharge, swing through subspace, then approach the keeper ship. Until he could turn them over, he needed to care for them.

“ Captain? ”

“Yes?” He responded without looking up.

“ What are we going to do about Gissrn? ”

“He violated his contract. Job is null and void. The peacekeepers can do whatever they want with him after we drop off the females. Dealing with him isn’t my business.”

“ Perhaps I should have been more specific. What are we going to do about his fancy jewels in our storage compartment? They might have been distractions from the true treasures he was smuggling, but that doesn’t make them less real. ”

Tanin gave his light form a look before repeating slowly, “Contract is null and void.”

“ Excellent! I’ll split them up amongst the crew then. There’s enough there for each of us to get two, with sixteen left over that we can sell to improve the ship! ”

Tanin smirked as he returned to his reading. “Doesn’t that just mean that you will get the extra sixteen?”

“ Captain, please. The ship is my body, but we all share it equally. It’s for the good of everyone. And it will cost at least that much to get any descent repairs done on this thing. ”

Well, he wasn’t wrong. “Give mine to the females.”

“ Sorry? ”

“The two gems allocated to me. Give them to the females. For their trouble.”

Alred let out a long sigh. “ You’re going to make me feel guilty for keeping mine. ”

“I don’t need the credz. And if I buy their good graces, there’s more of a chance that we can get away from the peacekeepers without more than a cursory glance.”

Tanin imagined the look on Garnet’s face if she was holding that fiery red gemstone. Would she be excited? Suspicious? Grateful? He genuinely didn’t know, but he wanted to find out more than he wanted a shiny rock.

Oh, this was dangerous.

Tanin hadn’t truly desired a female in a long time. If he picked one for the night, he’d pick one he could afford and leave it at that. But he found himself actually wanting to dance. His limbs were tense with the urge to pose and show off for her.

Very dangerous. It would be best if he got them off his ship as soon as possible. Before he did something stupid. Like try to earn a smile from that feisty, brave little thing.