From behind, came two echoing growls. One distinctly Xianan.
“Leave him,” Phares snapped.
Tellis glanced at Phares. “I don’t think so.”
It was the opening that Erzo needed.
He leaped on his brother, shoving him backwards. It knocked the blaster loose, and it skidded across the floor.
Jana scooped it up.
Erzo wailed on his brother, relieved the weapon was out of Tellis’s reach.
One.
Two.
Swipe.
Slam.
Punch.
The two rolled around on the floor, tails slamming into each other as they fought hard.
At least, until a shot made them both freeze.
“Erzo! Get off him, you idiot,” came a new voice to the fray.
“What in the stars are you doing here?” Phares snapped.
Erzo turned.
Shoval, Phares’s paternal, stood over him, blaster at the ready.
Erzo pulled away from Tellis and crouched on the floor, staring up at Shoval. On a Charro clan ship. “Yeah, that’s a good question. This is pretty far away from the Mining Guild’s home ship.”
Shoval shrugged. “I like to travel.”
Tellis took position next to Shoval.
“Since when?” Phares said.
“I see you still have your little thing there,” Shoval said, gesturing to Jana.
“I’m his mate,” Jana said.
“You scratch his itch. Nothing else. He’ll be over you in a standard month,” Shoval replied as he jerked the blaster from Jana.
She cried out.
“Don’t touch her,” Phares said, shoving his father away from her. “Stop deflecting. Why are you here?”
He glanced at Tellis. “My business partner.” He handed Tellis the blaster back.
“What business?”
“The future,” they both said at the same time.
