There were Mir-Ferrin troops everywhere, although they didn’t pay Malik or his companions any notice. Instead, the soldiers rushed around, shouting into their wrist-comms; they were frantic after receiving the news of the explosion.
Malik’s mouth thinned.
He couldn’t be sure Mican Mir-Ferrin and his son had actually been in Mir-Brennan Tower when it blew, but it was probable.
Their deaths were no great loss to the sector.
He’d wanted to kill Tian, for Jenna, but Cathal had saved him the trouble.
In truth, Malik was still reeling from what the clan-lord had done.
He hadn’t wanted to sacrifice himself, and yet in a single stroke, he’d brought down his enemies. The Mir-Brennans had suffered recently, but they’d just hit the Mir-Ferrins where it hurt.
All the same, Malik would never forget the despair he’d seen in Cathal’s eyes.
One rash decision had brought terrible consequences.
They crossed the sprawling town and headed for the spaceport—and the closer they got to their destination, the busier the streets became.
Tension thrummed through Malik, his gaze sweeping the crowds.
They needed to reach the sanctuary ofThe Wayfarer. Once they did, Jenna would be able to contact the Mir-Brennan fleet and let them know they were ready for them to attack the blockade.
Reaching the spaceport, the party of six dismounted from their hoppers, pulled up their hoods, and joined the throng swirling in and out of the port.
Inside the cavernous departures terminal, chaos reigned.
Malik had already noted the crowds upon their arrival the day before. Many locals had been trying to get off the planet—largely Mir Brennans who feared persecution from their new overlords—but now swarms of agitated travelers jammed the massive space.
It was too early for the Mir-Ferrins to know who’d destroyed Mir-Brennan Tower. Instead of hunting for those responsible, they appeared to be focused on establishing order. The roar of panicked voices echoed high into the metal girders crisscrossing the ceiling. There was a brawl going on before one of the ticketing-droids, and Mir-Ferrin troops had just arrested three multi-limbed Lebbins who’d tried to jump the turnstiles.
Vic cut a path through the surging crowd, a cloaked Obsidian at his side.
The space was vast; it seemed to take forever to cross the floor. They’d almost reached the security gates when the cyborg cast a glance over his shoulder at his companions. Jenna, Isla, and Bea were right behind him, while Malik brought up the rear.
“Keep close to me,” Vic instructed. “Pilots and passengers of private ships don’t have to wait in the regular queues … all the same, we’d better keep our heads down in here.”
Vic headed toward the exit for non-commercial pilots and passengers, skirting a scuffle that had erupted between the Mir-Ferrin soldiers and a desperate family of humans. Angry shouts and sobbing cut through the din.
Malik deliberately kept his gaze fixed forward. Up ahead, Vic stopped in front of a security-droid and handed over the stack of fake IDs he’d procured before leaving Morith.
Halting, Malik resisted the urge to glance behind him. Being surrounded by Mir-Ferrin troops made the skin between his shoulder blades itch. It was taking a while to check their IDs. He hoped Vic had paid for decent ones.
Eventually, the security-droid waved them through the gate. Malik followed his companions out of the terminal, leaving the chaos behind.
However, the tangle of covered walkways beyond were busy too. Sweating travelers, hauling cases behind them, and shouting at hapless utility-droids, thronged the boardwalks leading out to the landing bays.
An announcement blared through the spaceport then, cutting through the roar of voices. “Attention please … all ships are currently grounded. Passengers are instructed to return to the departure terminal and wait until further notice.”
Furious muttering echoed down the walkways. This was bad news for those desperate to leave this planet.
There would be no getting off Idral at present. The blockade wasn’t letting anyone in or out.
Malik allowed himself a hard smile.We’ll see about that.
31. A ROUGH RIDE
“YOUR FRIENDS MADE it.” Vic swiveled around from where he’d been hunched over the console in the cockpit and removed his headset. He then met Jenna’s eye. “I’ve just hacked a Mir-Ferrin channel …TheStar TempestandTheStar Monarchcame out of hyperspace fifteen minutes ago and have engaged the blockade.”
