It meant choosing love anyway.
Chapter 14
I stood on the bridge, reviewing corporate supply routes that we could interdict. The area of the galaxy we could operate in safely had shrunk after the failed rescue operation, and many of the independent stations we relied on for assistance were starting to have second thoughts about how much aid they could provide.
It was frustrating, but I understood where they were coming from. They were looking out for their best interests; they had to. It certainly wasn't optimal for us, but we couldn't make more enemies than we already had. That doesn't mean we would forget their decisions, it just means the conversation would be had another day.
"A galaxy-wide emergency broadcast has been received," Vaelix said.
"Main viewscreen," Torvyn ordered.
The corporate insignia appeared as trumpets played a fanfare. It slowly dissolved, replaced by the gleaming white teeth of the one man I really didn't want to see. Director Voss. The wine stain you just couldn't wash out of the couch, no matter how much you sprayed it with commercial cleaners.
"This man is persistent," Torvyn said.
"That and ass-kissing are his top two professional skills," I said.
Voss's voice came through the ship's speakers, crisp and calm.
"Greetings from the Corporate Council. We have a very important announcement that impacts everyone in the galaxy."
Vaelix cleared his throat. "This broadcast is going out on all frequencies, including those reserved for emergencies. It's even being broadcast to unincorporated space and the Reach."
Torvyn snapped his head around, eyes wide. "He's broadcasting this to the Reach?"
"Isn't that a good thing? The Reach will help us, won't they?" I asked.
Torvyn, Lyrin, and Vaelix all shared a look, and I felt a muted wave of trepidation flow through the Tether.
"What was that? The look and the feeling?" I asked.
"It's complicated," Torvyn said.
Before I could ask anything else, Voss spoke again.
"After the recent failed terrorist attack on a Corporate colony, our intelligence services have identified the mastermind behind the destabilization efforts taking place across corporate space."
His face disappeared, and an old, corporate photo of me took its place.
"You have got to be kidding me," I said.
"He's making you the face of this," Vaelix said.
Voss continued. "Doctor Kira Vale abandoned the corporation months ago when she joined the Zorathi Pirate vessel, Starbreaker."
"We aren't pirates," Torvyn muttered.
Voss grinned, as if he could hear the statement. "She is a disgruntled former employee who was reprimanded for poor performance. Instead of working for the betterment of mankind, she has repeatedly masterminded attacks against Corporate employees and property as retribution against us for the fair reviews of her professional performance."
"I could punch the viewscreen right now," I said, my fists clenching.
A huge number flashed on the screen. "The Corporate Council wants to bring good order and discipline back to the galaxy. So we have tripled the bounty on Dr. Kira Vale, provided she is brought in alive and unharmed. The bounty on the Starbreaker and its crew remains unchanged. They may be delivered dead or alive; we have no preference."
I watched the number hover on screen. My face didn't move. Somewhere distant, I registered that this amount would provide generational wealth for anyone who turned me in. Alive and unharmed. They wanted my mind, not my corpse.
Lyrin was at my left before I registered movement. Vaelix flanked my right, his hand brushing mine, brief, deliberate. Torvyn positioned himself slightly forward, between me and the viewscreen, as if he could shield me from a broadcast. His hand found my shoulder, shaking with barely contained anger.
"We will also be placing sanctions on any space station that allows safe harbor to the Starbreaker. We can touch the entire galaxy, so don't try your luck," Voss said.
