He brightened, clambering over wreckage to reach it.
“This will work,” he called over his shoulder. “Just a vidcom, but it’s linked into the network. Give me a minute.”
They stood by, weapons drawn, waiting for Fendar to finish or for the Aurillon to pour into the room.
“They had to have heard that, right?” Nyx asked in a low voice, eyes darting.
“Someone would have,” Rentir said. “But there are only a few who work this lowest level when the ships aren’t being mobilized.”
Fendar made a sound of satisfaction, turning and holding up the drive he’d brought. “And now they cannot comm for help.” He grinned, tucking the drive away. “Their security measures are down for now, but the AI is already working to reinstate them. I give us approximately twenty minutes before I’ll need to intervene again.”
Rentir opened the comm device on his wrist, tapping so quickly that Cordelia couldn’t track the movement, then flicked his fingers. All their devices pinged as one.
“A map. I’ve highlighted points of interest.” Rentir’s gaze flicked down to Eunha in Haerune’s arms. “There is a medbay on the way to the crèche.”
“Yelir,” Cordelia called. The massive miner glanced back from where he was monitoring the doors. “Can you take her?”
Yelir nodded, shifting his hammer to his lower arms and carefully extracting Eunha from Haerune’s grasp with the upper pair.
She opened her mouth to reiterate everyone’s role when the double doors that led to the rest of the ship whooshed open. A fresh breeze swirled the debris of their ill-fated landing into the air, and she squinted against the grit as she automatically raised her blaster.
The soldiers and staff that stepped into the room froze, gaping at them for a long moment that was broken by the sound of blaster fire when one reached for his hip. She didn’t know which of them fired first, but when it was over, all of the soldiers were crumpled on the ground. The hybrid staff that had been with them were crouched on the ground, hands cupped over their ears as they stared in wild-eyed horror.
Rentir approached them, and they cringed harder, that horror growing as they took in his face. Clearly, they recognized him. She could only imagine what they were thinking. The last time they’d seen him, he’d been the ruthless enforcer of the Commander of this ship.
He put his blaster away and held up his hands.
“Easy,” he cooed, stopping a few feet away. “You’re in no danger from us.”
The male closest to him, a lithe-bodied hybrid with pink skin wearing coveralls, shook his head hard.
“You lie!” He clapped his hand over his mouth as soon as he spoke the words, seemingly realizing who he was talking to.
Rentir crouched down. “I speak the truth. This is a rescue mission. You must have heard by now that the hybrids planetside have rebelled, yes?”
The two males shared a glance.
“Yes, you have. You could join us—here and now. All you have to do is wait here for the others to return. Will you do that?”
The hybrids shared another glance. For a moment, Cordelia thought they were convinced—but then the pink-skinned male shook his head hard, bursting to his feet.
“I am loyal to the Empire!” he cried, staggering back. “This is a trap, a trick! I am loyal, I tell you!”
He turned and tried to run, but Rentir caught a handful of the males coverall’s and dragged him back despite his struggles. A moment later, he pistol-whipped him, and the male went limp in his arms. That had the remaining hybrid, a green-skinned male with four arms, on his feet and backing away slowly.
Rentir pinned him with a hard look. “You, come here and take him.”
Reluctantly, the green hybrid obeyed, sagging under the weight of his colleague.
“Take him into the hangar and wait for our return.”
He ducked his head and dragged the limp body into the hangar, carefully avoiding eye contact with the rest of them. The look Rentir gave Cordelia when he turned back around was brimming with self-loathing.
She stepped over the body of a soldier to rest her hand on his shoulder. “You’re not that man anymore,” she said in a low voice.
Self-hatred melted into dismay in his big, green eyes.
“You’re not,” she said more firmly, squeezing his arm. “I see you, Ren.”
