Page 113 of Tempting Cargo

Skyk.

This was love, wasn’t it?

I’d pushed Garrison away to protect myself, and I’d fallen for him regardless.

My clarity is the foundation that makes broken things whole.

Enough, now. Enough hurting him. Or me.

I reclaimed my arm from Rokharu, held his eyes for a moment, before turning to my human, my mate, my love. “Come here,mitsha.” My voice broke.

A sunbeam of a smile lit his face before it shuttered again, all business, as he stepped into the space Rokharu made for him.

I nodded at my crew and caught the rifle Tokki threw at me. “The proof of it is right in front of you, Mother.”

Tokki and Daiytak marched forwards, their Reserve-standard rapid fire assault blasters trained on the guards, who took a few steps back.

Mother paled. “Who are you?” She glanced back to the holoscreen. “You’re—”

“We are the shaa’ith.” Tokki’s voice rang sharp and clear, emphasising both syllables so nobody was in any doubt as to his meaning. “As is your son.”

Mother made a choked sound and slid towards her mate.

Next to Airida, Father swung his head, horror written across his features. “You keep saying that, but it’s ludicrous.”

“Not as ludicrous as me having a genetic disorder.” Tokki paced the room, his rifle held ready, while everyone else remained transfixed by the spectacle. “I have personally rescued dozens of shaa’ith from the colonies in the uninhabitable zone. Nine years ago, I was one of them. I, too, spent my life thinking I was deformed, kept weak by the medication I didn’t need.

“Do I look weak now? Does she?” He jabbed a hand at Daiytak, and stormed up to my parents. “It doesn’t matter whether you believe me or not, Marsyi and Sekra mai Tasra. It only matters what others think of you, isn’t that right?”

Mother’s headspines flattened, turning even more ashen. “What are you saying?”

“We have broadcasts ready to go out across the region, telling everyone of our existence and advising that many families have so-called deformed children who are anything but. That the so-called care colonies are not much more than miserable prisons.” Tokki enunciated each word with well-earned repugnance.

While Father was no doubt trying to make sense of the truth, I was sure Mother thought only of her reputation. She jerked her head at the shaa’ith. “You can’t do this.”

“We already have,” Tokki said. “Everything is in place.”

“What do you want?” Mother said, expression and voice taut.

I stepped forwards and stared her down. “I want my brother and my freedom.”

Her headspines surged, unravelling from their knot, spilling jewels across the floor. “Impossible,” she said over the sound of scattering gems. “That ismyson, andmyship.”

“Are you going to try to stop me, Mother?”

“I’ve called the enforcers. They’ll be here any minute.”

Not if everything carried on in our favour, they wouldn’t.

Refusing to show an ounce of concern, I cast my gaze through the near window, through which we could see the path leading from the road. Three figures crossed the perfectly mown bluesward, heading directly for us, and I let my smile grow. “Will they?”

I could almost see Mother’s bones withering as realisation dawned.

“The enforcers shan’t be attending you, Marsyi,” Inupa dai Yakri said as she swept into the room, a serene smugness painted on her haggard features. “They have been called away on other matters. A most terrible thing; my son had the misfortune of getting into a shocking fight at number four, and the enforcers had to break it up. And my wife seems to have crashed her speeder into the recreation building.” She and her two retainers drew blasters from behind their backs. “Most unfortunate, I am sure you will agree. And it would be a most enjoyable ending to a stressful day if we found a reason to shoot you. So, please, by all means cause another disturbance before you let your daughter go.”

Mother stared wildly, headspines jerking in all directions. “I have more guards than you. Maybe I would love a reason to shootyou.” Her eyes lost focus. “You came here, threatened me, I killed you in self defence. I had to kill the aliens, too. No aliens, no problem.” Her voice dropped to a mutter. “I never had a son.”

“Nobody is killing anyone.” Kimivha stepped in front of Airida, growling. “I won’t let you do that, Madame.”