E1 was a defeated woman, and Arin couldn’t find anything more to say to her. In this case, revenge wasn’t sacred; it was pointless.
Besides, there was enough evidence on this ship to damn the lot of them. Arin would hand them over to the Federation, ensuring everything went through the proper channels.
Even though she didn’t entirely trust the Federation to be transparent after what she’d seen onboard theSilvermist, she had to try and respect the processes of her nation. Otherwise, there would only be lawlessness and chaos, especially now that she had her own lethal Kordolian, who seemed to do certain things on her behalf.
When Arin opened up a line to theFSS Marcia, Rykal was sitting beside her, and the other warriors were lurking in the background, their hard gazes fixed upon her.
“Arin.” Her mother appeared, and this time she was in her chambers, having lost her severe military jacket.
“Mom.” Arin hadn’t called her mother that inyears.
“I thought you were… I mean, the escape pod’s signal just winked out, just like that.” Her mother’s normally pristine hair was disheveled, and the crisp white shirt she wore was unbuttoned at the collar. Underneath her eyes were deep, dark circles.
“My encounter with Nonhuman Affairs didn’t go so well. It wasn’t just a routine debrief. Did you know anything about that?”
“No.” General Varga’s eyes widened as she glanced uneasily at the Kordolians surrounding Arin, particularly at Rykal. “What happened? I thought it was just going to be a routine debrief and interview before they returned you to theMarcia.”
“It wasn’t that simple. I won’t go into detail right now, but there are some very shady agencies operating within the Federation. I think you should send some of your people to scour this ship and confiscate all available data. I don’t know how well the military communicates with Nonhuman Affairs, but you might find some of the information quite useful, and rather incriminating.”
“Of course. I’ll do that. But… are you all right, Arin?” Alison Varga had dropped the military facade, and now genuine concern for her daughter shone through.
Arin hadn’t seen her like this since she was a small child; the last time she’d seen her mother vulnerable like this had been the day her father had left.
She’d been six years old.
Arin could have chosen to be cold right now, like her mother had been to her for so many years. She could have given in to all her pent-up anger and resentment, but instead, she offered her mother a small smile. “I am fine,” she said quietly, reaching out to squeeze Rykal’s hand. It wasn’t much, but it was a start. They had years of conflict to resolve, and that would take time.
It had only taken an alien invasion, a Xargek infestation, a few nuclear missiles, and a near-death experience to get to this point, but Arin was ready to make inroads.
After all, life was too damn short.
She’d learned that today.
General Varga was staring at the two of them, and Arin realized she could see them holding hands.
Oops. She’d done it without thinking, because being around Rykal was starting to feel so damn natural.
But if her mother noticed, she didn’t give any indication. She nodded stiffly towards the Kordolians. “I have to extend my thanks to all of you. Your efforts to get the people of Fortuna Tau to safety have saved a great many lives. You’ll be pleased to know that the Senate Committee has made itsdecision and that the Federation will co-operate with your mission to rid Earth of the Xargek. An escort will assist your transfer to Naea, and once on the ground, you’ll receive logistical support from us.”
“Took you long enough,” Rykal muttered under his breath. Arin stamped on his foot. He grinned.
Silly idiot.
“So I’m not in trouble then?” Arin winced, expecting a reprimand. And there was still the trail of bodies Rykal had left behind. As an alien operating in space, he didn’t come under Earth’s jurisdiction, but the carnage would definitely make some people on Earth very uncomfortable if news of it got out.
An uneasy expression flitted across her mother’s face. “I only have so much influence in the military, Arin. After the incident with Admiral Davis, my currency is all but spent when it comes to you.”
Arin only half-understood what her mother was talking about. “So I’m going to be in trouble?” Had her mother actually tried tohelpher two years ago? She’d always thought the general had been part of the problem, because she hadn’t objected at all when Arin had been shipped off to the mining station; she hadn’t even been there to see her off.
But perhaps her mother had cared more than she’d thought.
“Honestly, I don’t know. You broke protocol. There’s usually a consequence for that. I’ll try my best to make them understand, but there are quite a number of people in the upper ranks who detest you for what you did to the admiral. They’re looking for any excuse to kick you out of the military. I can’t make any promises.”
Arin sighed and waved a dismissive hand in the air. “Don’t worry about it.” She had a plan to resign before the higher-ups could slap her with a dishonorable discharge.
After all, she was hopelessly compromised.
She’d been sleeping with the enemy, and that wasn’t going to change anytime soon.
