Chapter 42
Chee
The two of them weren’t the last ones down today. But they were close. Only the twins, Sorbet and Tebros, were still missing. San was standing to the side, not getting in the way, as the others gathered in a circle, discussing something seriously.
Chee was floating on air, however. Nothing was able to bring her down as she clung to Trove’s arm and joined the others. Tanin caught sight of her hanging on him and grunted in understanding. He knew what they had worked through without them saying anything.
“I want your thoughts as well, Trove, Chee,” he said by way of greeting.
“With what, cap?” Trove replied evenly.
“The Imperium is going to make us an offer today,” he said, absolutely sure. “We already know they want to use us. It’s not going to be our usual delivery jobs either. I know it’s going to be more dangerous than that. I know it’s going to be more work.”
“But,” Garnet interjected thoughtfully, “we also know now that they pay. And very well. The tip they gave us for completing this job was as much as what they promised us in the first place.”
“It’s not just credz,” Trove pointed out. “The cord. That’s what originally caught our attention. It was the only reason we accepted that job. They know what we want.”
“Exactly,” Tanin nodded in agreement. “That’s why I want to know now: What is your opinion on taking him up on his offer?”
“You mean, if we became his hand?” Trove frowned, thinking. “I can’t say that I like the idea of us being owned by someone. Wasn’t the whole point of escaping Rik-Vane that we could be free and no one would control us?”
“That’s what I said,” Vytln grunted unhappily.
But Haven shook her head. “It’s not that. Hyde is offering to pay us. That means we can say no.”
“And I think that’s na?ve,” Grace made a face.
“Wealthy people don’t see it like that. People like Hyde don’t see it as paying you for a service.
He definitely sees it as him buying us. Our skills, our loyalty, our time.
He would expect us to do whatever he says, regardless of what else is going on. ”
“But how is that different from our other clients?” Sway asked, shrugging. “We deal with entitled, wealthy people all the time who think they can just pay us for special treatment. They’re always surprised and angry when we don’t prioritize them like that. It won’t be any different.”
“It can be very different,” Goldie said. “Hyde knows who you all are. And worse: he has the means of dealing with you however he wants. He can blackmail you. If he tries anything, we can’t get away from him. You all are amazing, but you can’t defeat literal armies.”
“But he can also help us,” Rok said. “If he can give us more things like Alred’s cord, would it really be that bad to ally ourselves with him?”
Tanin was the only one who didn’t add his voice to the discourse. Tanin ran the crew like a king. Once he made a decision, that’s what the crew would do. He was getting their opinion not as a vote but as a discussion. To that end, he would not express his opinion lest it change the others’ minds.
Tanin kept a ruthless band of hardened criminals in line, so he was not a kind and merciful leader, but he was fair, and he listened without comment.
Chee did as well. It wasn’t her place to interfere with their decision.
At least, that’s what she thought until both Tanin and Garnet looked at her. And when she didn’t speak, the others did the same. All of them looking at her expectantly. Waiting for her thoughts. Chee glanced between all of them, straightening in surprise.
“Me?” She asked, pointing to herself.
“You know the Imperium better than us,” Tanin said. “You’d have greater insight into what it’s like working for them.”
“Oh, er…” Her mind scrambled. She had an answer, she just didn’t have her thoughts ready. She hadn’t expected to be called on.
But she was clinging to Trove, and Trove was crew.
She was finally like the other girls here, she realized too late.
Garnet and Haven and Grace were all members of the crew because they had mated into it.
Goldie was the only one who wasn’t mated, but that was because Alred was a computer program and not capable of mating her.
Chee’s voice held as much weight as theirs because she had come here with Trove. They weren’t mated yet, but they were one and that made her crew.
“Hyde has been nothing but good to me,” she said carefully, trying to weigh the answer without her own bias, though it didn’t feel possible. “I don’t doubt that he could really ruin all of your lives if he tried… But I also think that he wouldn’t. Not without reason.”
“You trust him that much?” Garnet asked.
Chee hummed thoughtfully, face pinching as she tried to think of what she was trying to say.
“I don’t know if I’d call it a trust thing.
Hyde is… different. He is separate from the Imperium.
The High Imperium is this being that is not meant to be biased or influenced or selfish.
They’re a position more than a person. And it’s a position that’s meant to serve billions upon billions of people.
Someone that has to make decisions that affects planets and entire solar systems. That person can’t use their power for their own selfish desires.
“That’s why Hyde needs you though. There is a person under that cloak. And just like any person, he has his own wants and desires and wishes, and that might not be something that serves the Coalition as a whole, so it’s something he can’t use the Imperium’s power for.
“So, yes. The High Imperium has the power to destroy the Humble Delivery Service. But Hyde has no reason to. He has a greater reason to try to prompt you to do what he wants. Whatever goal he has that the Imperium can’t try to achieve.
And he does pay very well. He can make your impossible dreams a reality. He makes it worth it.”
That was as unbiased as she could possibly make it. She didn’t think she put her opinion more towards one way or another. She called Hyde a friend, but these were her friends too. And she couldn’t choose between either of their interests if they were conflicting.
Tanin nodded once, accepting her words as Garnet hummed thoughtfully.
“We seem evenly split,” she said. “We called Alred earlier and he says he agrees with Goldie, but also that he’s willing to do whatever Tanin says is right.
I don’t think I’m comfortable being at someone’s beck and call either.
At the same time, I think I want to hear what Hyde is offering before I say yes or no. ”
“I think that’s fair,” Trove said easily, and the others appeared to agree. Vytln looked unhappy about it, but not anymore unhappy than he usually did about everything.
“Let’s hear him out then,” Tanin agreed. “I’ll decide when I hear what he thinks he can give us.”
“What did the twins say?” Trove asked.
“They’ll do whatever I say,” Tanin said. “They don’t have an opinion either way. I sent them into the city to get us supplies.”
Chee didn’t think that was the only thing. She was pretty sure Tanin had sent those two away so that they were out of the manor. In case things went badly, there would be someone besides Alred who wasn’t captured, killed, or hurt. The supply run was an excuse.
San, hearing that they were finished talking, stepped forward to take them to Hyde’s office.
This walk wasn’t nearly as nerve wracking this time as it had been before.
She also didn’t feel like as much of an outsider as she had before.
She was safe and comfortable and unspeakably happy holding onto Trove’s arm.
Whatever Tanin decided to do, she would support him. She didn’t want Hyde to force them to do his bidding if that wasn’t what they wanted. And she trusted Hyde enough to take care of her parents as he promised to do.
Sure, the Imperium was a position he had to fill, but that position still required a person of incredible moral fiber. It wasn’t an easy thing to be truly impartial. It was a skill that very few were able to do, despite how many might think otherwise.
Hyde was at his desk, exactly where he had been when she left yesterday. He said nothing as everyone walked up the steps to his desk. They all returned to where they had stood before. All except Chee, who remained beside Trove this time.
“Welcome back,” Hyde greeted jovially, using his male voice. What she was coming to think of as his ‘real’ voice. The one that wasn’t part of the Imperium’s persona. “I’m glad to see you’re feeling better, Chee.”
“I’m feeling great,” she assured him, smiling.
“Good. San has contacted Tzomei. You met him. He’s the ratchi ambassador to Earth.”
“Yeah, I remember him,” she nodded quickly.
He was a ratchi – a reptilian species that she rather thought looked like crocodiles on two legs.
They were big and intimidating and looked like scary lizard people.
Tzomei was a gentleman, however, who wore human style suits and spoke crisp English with very little lisp.
He also helped all the humans who migrated from Earth.
“He is fetching your parents now. It will take a bit of time, but I know he will convince your government to give your father to us. They will be here in a matter of a tenday or two.”
Chee’s heart fluttered with joy and excitement. It didn’t matter how many times she heard that, it filled her with such unbridled happiness, it was like she could fly.
Soon. She’d be able to hug him again soon.
“Thank you, Hyde.”
“No, thank you,” he insisted. “I am glad my theories have been proven through you. But that is old business. You all are here for new business. So, let’s discuss new business. Tanin.”
The captain stood casually, with his hands almost carelessly in his pockets. He was so hard to read, but Chee knew he hadn’t made up his mind yet.
“I’m listening,” he said simply.