He couldn’t.
It was not just him that he was doing this all for. He had his siblings and his few remaining people to think of. Love was selfish, and it led people to do selfish things. Love was for humans and other races, not for his race. His race had always wed and mated according to what was best for the community and for their alliances.
How could he possibly do any less?
His thoughts were interrupted when the office door slid open, and Talon came walking across the office, his face showing fresh bruises. He gave Renall a tired smile. “Good news or bad news?”
“Bad.” Better to learn exactly what was happening. Talon sighed and ran his hands through his thick hair. “The Gorlites have declared open warfare on me.”
“That’s not so new. They’ve been hunting us ever since we took their first ship.”
Talon grinned, but there were faint lines of exhaustion on his face. “Good news is, there are five Gorlite ships left.”
Five. Talon and the rest of them had, many years ago, decided to get even with the beings that had taken their family and then sent them into the misery of the mines. Stripping Gorlite vessels was hardly profitable, but it was highly satisfactory on a personal level. Renall had long since stopped feeling that, but Talon had never tired of going after Gorlites. “That is good news.”
“I want to hunt them into extinction.”
Renall stiffened. “That’s…why?”
Talon’s mouth pursed. “Well, for one thing, until I do, none of us will be safe from them. For another, I happen to know for a fact that they are desperate for a homeland. They’re too well known for what they do, and people are starting to understand there are so few of them left now. They are still vengeful however, and still systematically taking ships that carry families and cargo for their own.”
Renall said, “As do we.”
“We allow those onboard to escape. True, we killed a few of the cargo women at that last strip job, but that was hardly our fault. They were not licensed to carry that kind of cargo, as witnessed by their cargo class numbers.”
Renall sighed. “We have other things to do right now, Talon.”
“You might.” Talon gave him a lopsided smile. “I just got word that the latest shipment of oreonium that I took and sold was worth nearly a million credits. I also hear that one of the Gorlite ships is carrying not just a colony of them but also a rich store of ore. I can take it and kill two birds with one stone in a very literal sense.”
A million credits? “That’s a big haul.”
“The biggest. A year’s worth, in fact. I also got a big shipment of other things we can sell. This was a huge take.”
Renall had to ask. “How many ships did you take?”
Talon said, “Two brigand and one Gorlite.”
Gorlites. Talong had seen their father die and he had been the one to try to protect their mother, but to no avail. Renall had been next on the scene and between them, he and Talon, later joined by Jeval and Marik, had fought for as long as they could. The crew had joined in, and many had died. Talon had never really recovered from that. He still lusted for revenge, and it would do no good to try to stop him.
Renall decided to say nothing and wait to hear what else Talon had to say. Talon answered that decision by saying. “Marik pulled the chips from the women we took.”
Renall tensed. “And?”
“They don’t match.”
Renall didn’t relax. “I see.”
“We have to take the carders chip.”
Yes, they did. The idea that she might be a cycle spy was hard to take. It meant she would not live long, and that he had been discovered in his illegal activities. The Federation could very well step in and try to reassign his credit accounts and the gaming hall, which would bankrupt him. Unless he had the planet, where there was no Federation regulations or control.
He sighed. “I know.”
But what if Clara, who was already angry with him over the delay of her mother’s arrival, decided to simply take advantage of the credits she had in her possession, the lack of a chip, and her current anger at him, and leave?
That was a distinct possibility. Once the chip was gone, she would have nothing to fear from her government and the crypto file he held would matter little if she got a genetic lift and some facial surgery.
She might too.
He said, “We can’t tell her why we are taking it out.”
“No.” Talon walked toward the small table and lifted out a short and sparkling bottle of water, the most expensive drink in the hall. He swallowed half the bottle at one gulp. He gasped for breath then added, “We need to do it today.”
“I will have her taken to the med bay at once.” No way was he going to face her. He shifted in the chair. “Please keep me informed.”
His heart thumped as he spoke the words. What if it was Clara? What if she was a cycle spy and he had to kill her out of sheer mercy?
Could he do that?
Could he?
