Blade burst into laughter. That sound did not relieve Margie’s fear. “You are correct in that. So, my father has decided to switch sides? Interesting.”
None of them spoke. Blade went to a cabinet and rummaged about within it, producing a printer. He sat it on the table and pressed a button. Food began to come, and he handed it out. It was a dry and crumbly thing, some sort of loaf that smelled slightly oily and vile.
Blade didn’t seem to notice. He chewed his with real enthusiasm. His weapons were holstered now, but she had seen how fast he could draw them and she was not disarmed. She was also not about to eat that thing in her hand. It had a texture that made her stomach roll.
Blade said, “Go back to your ship. Stay there. You are not safe here. Especially carrying that type of news. Go outside the solar ring and wait for me by the tip of the Black Ink system. You know which one I mean?”
Talon nodded. “I do. There are old warp-weaves there, and it’s dangerous for us to wait there. At least for too long. I can give you twelve hours, but no more.”
Blade said, “I need no more than that, son.”
The man had a whole lot of arrogance, but did he have the army that his father, Talon, and Jeval all seem to think he had as well? It was highly possible, and she knew it. It was also possible that he didn’t, and that frightened her.
Her daughter had chosen that moment to fall silent to say nothing. That just figured.
Blade said, “I shall travel behind you, just to assure your safe passage back to your ship. If you have not noticed, there’s a civil war here in the city.”
Talon said, “When is there not?”
Blade dusted his hands together, scattering crumbs along the tops of his worn boots. “You have a point, but this one is much more serious. There are too many criminals and not enough justice to satisfy their bloodthirsty little souls. Maybe now is the perfect time to take them on a mission against The Federation. They all want blood and revenge; this might be their chance to get it. I should warn you, though, that I do not run them all. I cannot guarantee who will actually be loyal to you and who will be a deterrent to your cause.”
Talon said, “Our cause.”
Blade shook his head. “Not everyone here has a complaint against The Federation. In fact, some even do business with it. Their loyalty lies only with profit. Can you promise them a profit from this?”
Jeval said, “Of course we can, and you know it. The Federation takes large cuts of everything, even this. The Federation has long since had its hands in the pockets of pirates and wreckers. There’s an un-discussed tax that we pay and have always paid.
“Tell them they can have credit and whatever they can plunder from the ships that we go up against. That we now know the location of the planet on which the highest Federation officials reside.”
Blade’s mouth hung open. “That is far above my father’s pay grade.”
Margie prayed hard that her face would not betray her emotions at that moment. Nobody knew, absolutely nobody, where The Federation’s highest officials dwelled. For their own safety, they had been hidden away for centuries. Talon was lying!
Blade said, “Go. I shall follow and have several of my men surround you. Do not panic. I haven’t decided not to kill you myself yet. I would highly advise you to make sure that I don’t decide to on the way since your back will be to me.”
Jeval said, “I have never known you to be a being who would be so cowardly as to put a blade into someone’s back.”
Blade laughed, “You may be correct. I would absolutely demand that you face me first.”
They went. Every step was torment for Margie. She could feel the heat of her mate’s body next to hers, hear his breath. Every step might be their last, and she knew that way more than she would’ve liked to have known it.
Time became so precious, so precious that not even the stone tunnel could take her mind off how close death hovered to them. Blade had several of his men come along with them to the ship. As they reached the mouth of the tunnel and the docking station, he and his men turned away. Margie suppressed the urge to break into a fast run towards what she perceived to be the safety of the ship. She knew that was a false perception; as long as they were on the planet and within that ringing system, the odds were not in their favor.
