Chapter 34
CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
More chrya
Shohari
IF I’D had any doubts about Garrison’s usefulness on a rescue mission, they faded to nothing when he met us at the speeder point.
He wore new clothes with an easy grace, a black shirt hugging his frame in a most distracting fashion, a blaster harness strapped over it as though it had always been there.
Tokki and Daiytak were similarly attired; between them, they reminded me of Zantari rebels.
The thought of the forest people’s successful uprising had to be a good omen, didn’t it?
I caught the credit bag he tossed, surprised to note it was still half full, but before I could comment, he was already answering Tokki’s questions and showing off his new equipment.
I couldn’t stop clenching my teeth, nor hide the heat rising up my neck and into my cheeks. You’re the one putting distance between you. Make up your mind.
I gulped against the tightness in my chest and the tingling in my bones. If only it were that easy. I already miss him.
I rolled my head, growling, grateful for the sight of Paiata approaching, his arms laden with supply crates. “Good. Let’s go.”
I could think about Garrison when all this was done.
BEFORE WE’D EVEN left the Vadia system, Garrison had slipped into his new role like he’d always been crew and not just tempting cargo.
“I’m a bit out of practice,” he was saying to the shaa’ith as I paused in the galley doorway, “but I swore to Shohari I’d help, so don’t leave me out of this.”
His steely determination left an empty feeling clawing at my stomach, my mind flicking back to that drunken night. How I’d told him everything—and he was still here.
“Peace, human.” Tokki held up a hand. “We see your worth. I was going to ask the captain whether we could set up a training range in the cargo bay.”
“It’s a good idea.” I pushed off the doorway, holding their attention as I sank down on a chair.
Garrison’s gaze lingered longer on me than that of the other two, but within moments he turned back to the shaa’ith. “Shohari said we have whatever weapons we need. Show me how to use them. I need to be as helpful as I can.”
“Set up your shooting range,” I said. “You’ve got just over a week until you’re sharing the bay with ydouiri silk.”
Tokki went still, his disconcerting eyes fixed on me. “What do you mean?”
“We’re picking up a shipment from Hydouis on the way.”
His reaction was precisely why I’d waited until we were in voidspace before mentioning it. “Hydouis isn’t on the way. This is a rescue mission, Shohari. You can’t—”
“Captain Shohari.” Was I going to have to spend my whole day growling? “And I can. This is my ship. Do not presume to tell me what I can and cannot do on my own ship.”
A muscle ticced in his jaw, but he took a moment before speaking again. “You may be captain, but we are not your crew. We are as invested in saving our brother as you are. Even a couple of days’ delay—”
“—could make the difference between success and failure,” I said. “My family will no doubt be alerted if we don’t make the scheduled pickup, and I cannot give them any hints that anything is different.”
They gave me a reasonably free rein now, but always lurking in the back of my mind was the tricky year after I’d tried to rebel.
The constant checks, the daily monitoring of the Dorimisa’s comms, the heavy-handed micromanaging of all our trades.
I’d kept my head down long enough that it was a mere spectre now, but they could implement heavier tactics at any point, and I would not risk disaster.
That Anandri’s shipment was also on Hydouis was a happy coincidence.
If this worked, his connection would replace some Orithian-friendly contracts I’d no doubt lose.
Tokki inclined his head forwards, reminding me that for all he looked more kri’ith than anything else, he was not one of us. “Forgive me. I was not thinking of such an angle.”
“And this is why we have to work together.” I slammed my empty mug on the table. “You say you haven’t attempted a rescue inside a trading enclave before. So you can’t rely on your previous experience. We’ve been over this. An enclave is a very different target.”
I grimaced, stomach churning. Buoyed by Tokki’s assurances, I’d let excitement overrule my common sense when success wasn’t guaranteed.
Was I letting Airida down? I’d promised it would be perfect. Yet here we were, flying towards Orith with only the bare bones of a plan, all because of a ridiculous, girlish hope. And the lure of Garrison being able to stay.
Skykking fool. I hoped to the gods my impulsiveness wouldn’t be the ruin of all of us.
“Fill a cargo crate with covers if that will work as a target.” I didn’t give a flying tsati shit if they were all full of holes by the time we got to Orith. If we weren’t successful, my parents could buy their own godsdamned cargo covers.
“That won’t be necessary. We have a portable liyir-gel target.”
I blew air through my teeth. “How much skykking funding have you got?”
The shaa’ith wouldn’t take payment for helping me. They wouldn’t let me buy weapons or even ammunition. All the credits I’d saved were still here, save what little we’d spent planetside.
Tokki shrugged. “Enough. There are small groups of both shaa and Orkri’ians who donate to the cause.”
I raised my brows, letting my headspines ripple. That would do it.
Back in the taverna, they’d mentioned bringing a second ship with more troops, but it was nigh-on impossible to get a foreign ship into Orith’s atmosphere, let alone land one in an enclave. And I don’t want the retainers getting hurt.
Kimivha, especially, was like family—what family should be. I might want vengeance on my parents, but an all-out assault on the enclave wasn’t an option.
“Talk me through a typical colony rescue again,” I said.
Extracting shaa’ith from the colonies, mostly located just inside the uninhabitable zone, sounded easier, not only due to location but also the people they had on the inside.
A dismal idea squirmed in my gut. “If I let them send Airida to a colony, would it be easier to get him out?”
The thought of causing him the trauma of being sent away was sickening, but options were options, no matter how distasteful.
“Not necessarily. It depends which one he got sent to. We have connections with two, but there are others we’ve never been able to access.” Tokki’s mouth twisted. “But they might be still easier than tackling a trader enclave.”
“I have to take him from under my parents’ noses. We need a slick plan to get him on the Dorimisa before anyone realises he’s there, then make a quick getaway.”
Tokki raised his eyes to the gods. “Let’s go over everything again. Even the slightest small detail may help. You say Airida is housed in a cottage on the outskirts of the grounds?”
“Yes. Very secluded. So nobody will see him.” Gods forbid anyone saw the shameful family secret.
I pinched the ridge between my eyes. I needed more chrya. So much more chrya.
THE GALLEY WAS already full of people and chatter when I entered, the aroma of stew filling the air. I almost expected to see small humans on all the chairs and Muzati rifling through assorted junk on the table.
Like that night we’d left Draim, I sat back on the sofa, a contented observer. There was an undercurrent of hope, of excitement. Camaraderie. The stew warmed my stomach, and as the conversations drifted and flowed, I almost believed this could work.
I shoved Muzati off her stool to sit next to Garrison. My arm went round him, and the smile he rewarded me with was everything.
“Sorry I didn’t have time for a shower,” he said. “We were caught up in the cargo bay. It looks good, by the way.”
I wrinkled my nose. Underneath the scent of cargo bay and hard work, I still caught a trace of fresh hillside air. “Don’t worry.”
Gods, his leg was so firm. I traced idle patterns over the taut fabric. “I have to go back to the bridge after this. Be sure you shower before you come to bed.” I planted a kiss on his grinning mouth.
When I slid into bed behind him later, he smelled of sonic booth foam, and I almost missed the scent of his sweat. Maybe I’d find time to grab him after a training session tomorrow.
I ignored the thrill in my bones. Couldn’t I just enjoy this, the now, his warm strength cradled in my arms?
My stomach twisted and writhed. I couldn’t allow myself to get used to this any more than I already was. But he was just so here. And so… Garrison.
One more night. I could be sensible tomorrow.
He turned his head and kissed me, and I forgot why I was arguing with myself. And when he settled on top of me, both of us as hard as each other, the only thing I wanted was him.
Sometimes, the captain of the ship got exactly what she wanted, even if it was only for one more night.