She sat in silence for a minute. She remembered Hal talking about the Garmman playing games at the space boundary. Now Jaden was talking about the boundary being moved, cutting into Grihan territory.
“Why do you say the Garmman are better allies than the Grih?” she asked.
Jaden said nothing.
“Well?” she asked.
“I’ve been told they’re willing to give us more of the trade income than we’re currently getting, and we’ll get to have Larga Ways back.” He sounded mulish.
“But Balco is making more now from the way station than it was before Eazi and I took it over. Everyone is better off.” She could understand if they’d lost on the deal, but they hadn’t.
“It’s not just about money,” Jaden said. “It’s about power. And you took it away.”
“Power to do what?” she asked, but she had a good idea what he was going to say.
Before he could answer, the cart came to a stop with a jerk and the door was opened.
“Let’s go.” Bart stood back and Fee stepped out into the gloom of a back alley.
She had no idea where they were.
Jaden hopped out beside her and looked around. “Is this the back entrance?”
“No.” Vira came around the side of the cart. “Looks like the Grih have found our basement. Luckily we saw them coming out or we would have walked straight into them.”
Fee kept her game face on, but she wanted to kick something in frustration.
“We need to get off the way station, so I want to know how you arrived,” Vira said to her.
“I came in with some Grih from Balco,” Fee said. “I don’t think that way is open to you, or me, right now.”
Vira didn’t know whether to believe her, but given they’d all just seen theIlliumleave when no one else could, she didn’t have much choice.
“If you want to leave, you have to get the comms back up.” Fee hoped they didn’t want her to leave the way station with them, but if the comms went back up, then hopefully Eazi would be able to get in contact with her. “But you have to know that.”
Vira’s lips twisted in acknowledgement. “As soon as we do, the thinking systems will come back in the game.”
“Paxe can’t do anything, he’s not in the Larga Ways system, that’s Eazi’s domain.” That was actually true, although Fee wondered if Eazi had given Paxe the keys to his kingdom in case of emergencies.
She honestly didn’t know.
“I believe that. But it isn’t Paxe I’m worried about.” Vira looked down at her comms unit, then back at Fee. “We have Eazi. Tell me how to transport him in a way that he can’t connect to any comms.”
Fee shifted back. “Why would I do that?”
Vira gave a shrug. “Because if you don’t, the Garmman battleship that snuck over the space boundary when the comms first went down, and is now hiding behind Gu-gijeron, will start shooting at Larga Ways.”
Gu-gijeron was a Balcoan moon that contained deritide, an element that interfered with scanning equipment. The Garmman had picked their hiding spot well.
Jaden drew in a sharp breath at Vira’s threat. “What?”
“They won’t completely destroy the way station,” Vira told him. “But people will die.”
“Such good allies,” Fee said, glancing sidelong at Jaden. “Honestly, the best.”
Jaden looked like she had slapped him. “You’re Balcoan,” he said to Vira.
She shrugged again. “I’m looking long term.”
