Chapter 27
Vytln
They didn’t have team meetings often. Most of the time, Tanin would find them individually and tell them what he needed them to do.
And sometimes they didn’t know immediately why he needed them to do it, but they’d all vowed to do whatever her commanded, follow wherever he led.
So even if they were confused by his orders, they obeyed them, and it always worked out.
For that reason, Tanin didn’t often call the entire crew together to get or give information to them as a whole. Only when it affected the whole crew and it was better that they all hear it at once, or if he needed all of them to speak to him at the same time.
With Haven now mated to him and officially part of the crew, Tanin wanted her to reveal her abilities to everyone so they could all know what she was capable of.
It wasn’t because he didn’t want her to keep her secrets, but only so they could know what she could or couldn’t do.
To be an effective fighting force and a capable team, they all needed to know each other’s strengths and weaknesses.
It would keep them from being caught unawares and allow them to quickly plan things on the fly in an emergency.
Vytln sat back and watched with no small amount of pride as she showed off her termites. As she demonstrated how they worked by getting them to adjust the lights to hide her in shadows and change the way the air vents blew to hide her scent even while she stood in the same room.
Her termites were incredible little things.
She’d completely reworked their code, changing and altering it so much that it was partially in her native tongue, partially in other languages from her planet, and only very minimally in Standard as she still couldn’t read that language.
Grace’s offer to use imprints to teach her was still available, Vytln just hadn’t let her out of the trap long enough to let it happen.
The combination of Coalition tech and human language made her code something that only she could interact with, but the fact that it was based in Coalition tech meant that her termites could still flawlessly interact with other Coalition tech.
It was a perfect storm of circumstances that gave her an advantage no one else would have been able to replicate and no one would be able to predict or prevent.
She really was the most impressive person he’d ever seen. Strong, flexible, intelligent, curious, boundlessly energetic, and courageous.
Yes, indeed, he had the best mate. Garnet was a good female, true, but she was not nearly as accomplished.
And while Grace was definitely professional and brave, she couldn’t claim to be nearly as impressive.
Even the rest of his crew couldn’t help but admire when Haven showed off how she could summon her termites back and turn them into a bangle around her arm.
The dull, non-reflective metal looked completely innocuous against her skin, but he could just imagine how that could be a weapon no one would expect or detect.
But besides the implications for what that could do for her in enemy territory, there were the more basic, banal functions it could perform.
Alred and Haven were already talking about incorporating them into the existing nano-bot web and using them for maintenance, upkeep, and monitoring.
Alred knew Haven’s native tongue already, which that meant he was able to communicate with her nanobots once she gave him access to them.
Tanin oversaw the entire exchange. Not really speaking or interfering in what they were doing or how they excitedly talked about what they could do with it.
That conversation then switched to her talking to the other females about going out shopping together the next time they had a supply run at a station.
“She’s fitting in well.”
Vytln didn’t even glance over as Trove came to sit beside him.
The only room on the ship big enough for all of them to fit comfortably was the rec room.
There was plenty of seating, a bar that Trove kept well stocked, an artificial range to practice shooting, some workout equipment, and a couple games that they’d picked up here and there.
Vytln had been seated, watching Haven from afar.
Now that they were mated, now that he felt the bond locking her to him, he was much less concerned about her being out of the trap.
He’d want her back in there when it was time for bed.
He’d always be happier and more secure if she was within the safety of her nest. But he could ease off now that his instincts had been satisfied.
Trove, who had been mixing up drinks, hadn’t been near him. But he came to join him now, offering a cup of a sharp smelling amber liquid. Vytln took it with a grunt of thanks but didn’t drink as he continued to watch his mate chatting and laughing with the others.
“Is this a new era of our lives?”
Trove’s question, soft and curious, made Vytln finally glance over at him.
“A new era?”
“Sure.” Trove sipped at his own drink – something bright and bubbly. “When we left Rik-Vane and started this company, that was the start of a new era of our lives. One of building. And now, with you mated, that makes three of us. Is this the start of a new era? One of mating?”
“Maybe you’ll be next,” Vytln grunted.
Trove actually laughed. “I’ll leave the mating games to you and the others. Such a thing isn’t for me.”
“I agree.”
Trove looked at him, almost surprised. “Oh?”
“You’re a whore,” Vytln grunted, making Trove throw his head back and laugh. “No single person would ever be enough for your perverted tastes.”
Trove smirked, fang glinting in the light. “Could there be a more noble venture than pleasing as many females as possible? I should be considered a charity.”
“I feel bad for any female stuck with you,” Vytln muttered, sipping at his drink. It burned just right going down his throat as Trove laughed and his female smiled and their ship hummed along, moving at a steady and smooth clip.
This was… happiness, right?
This joyful bubbling in his chest, like the bubbles in Trove’s drink, rising and popping in his blood making his body feel light and his problems distant.
His crew, brothers to him, closer than even the brother he shared blood with.
A purpose that was simple but meaningful.
Trust. More than anything, he had trust he’d never been able to rely on.
He trusted Tanin to lead them. He trusted his brothers to fight with him. He trusted his sisters to take care of him. He trusted his mate. To work with him, to love him, to pester him.
Yes. This peace came from trust and happiness.
“Vytln.”
He straightened as Tanin approached. Haven and Alred were in deep conversation, though they were speaking in her human tongue so he didn’t know what they were saying.
“Aye, captain,” he responded as Trove stood and made to move off since it was clear that Tanin was aiming for Vytln only.
They were brothers, but they didn’t tell each other everything. And sometimes, they kept secrets for good reasons. Giving each other privacy was second nature to them.
“The twins have been keeping track of your brother’s ship,” Tanin started, taking the seat Trove had abandoned. “They’re not following us directly, but they seem to keep popping up around the jobs and stations we just left. Nothing quite so obvious as trailing us, but they’re staying close.”
Vytln grunted, acknowledging the words. He wasn’t surprised. “Kldyn is a stubborn fool. To his benefit and his detriment both. He won’t give up so easily. He won’t stop until he has what he wants.”
“Which is?”
“My death. No. That’s too simple.” Vytln shook his head. “He wants my defeat.”
“He’s got an inferiority complex.”
“A bad one,” Vytln smirked. “When we were growing up, our mother made it very obvious that our lives were a competition and we were rivals. And it was a competition I won. Constantly. Right until the end. He sent me to Rik-Vane because he needed to do something with me, and it was probably the worst place he could think to send me. And killing me outright at that point would have angered the family as I had only lost the competition for leadership, not betrayed the clan.”
“You have now.”
“By their measurement, yes. They won’t protest my death anymore. But if he actually wanted me dead, he could have had me killed.”
“Even on Rik-Vane?”
“Easily.” Vytln smirked. “There are some dangerous assassins who would be willing to go even to Rik-Vane.”
Tanin grunted but said nothing else.
“So, I figure, he must have enjoyed knowing I was out there. Exiled and trapped because of his power. And now he’s angry because I’m no longer a symbol of his victory. It’s why he’s obsessed with coming after me, though we’ve made no move towards them.”
Tanin grunted again. “When we left Rik-Vane, we agreed not to seek revenge for any parts of our old lives. We agreed to cut all of them away. To let our pasts die.”
“Right.” Vytln nodded once. It was not an easy thing to give up, admittedly. The idea of hunting his brother down and making him pay for what he did to him was… enticing. But after years on Rik-Vane, the idea of peace was more so.
And having just experienced that profound moment of peace a moment ago, he knew that he’d made the right choice, sacrificing that chance at vengeance. Tanin was, as always, right in that decision. Vytln had never been steered wrong by him.
“So, what do you want to do?” Tanin asked, expression blank.
Vytln thought about it for a moment before responding, “If he gives up and leaves, I’m content to leave it at that. I don’t care about that life. I don’t care about that past. It’s a big enough universe for us to both be in it and never cross paths again.”
“But he won’t.”
“No. He won’t.” Vytln tipped the last of the liquor in his mouth, swallowing it back and setting the cup on the ground before continuing.
“If I know my brother, and he hasn’t changed drastically in the last few years, he’s going to try to force us into a corner.
He’s going to build a trap around us and let us fall into it. ”
“What kind of trap?”
“He likes overwhelming odds. He likes the certainty of knowing he’s going to win, and he’s not all that impatient if it means building up that certainty either.
He won’t move before he’s sure that he has us where he wants us.
And he has enough resources and credz to ensure it happens.
Even if he has to hire someone to get us where he wants us.
Even if he has to hire us through a third party to get us where he wants us to go.
In fact, that’s probably exactly what he will do.
It’s quick and easy and he would fall for it so he will think that we’ll fall for it. ”
“Then, it’s a test of time.” Tanin sat back. “Eventually, no matter how thorough we are, he’s going to get lucky. He’ll make sure of it.”
“Essentially.” Vytln looked over to his captain. “Are you going to kill him?”
“Would your family seek revenge if I did?”
“Definitely.”
Tanin hummed thoughtfully. “How many people in your family would I need to kill before they decided it was no longer worth hunting us down?”
Vytln couldn’t help but laugh. It was a ridiculous question. “Probably more than we could do and keep concealed.”
“What would you recommend then?”
Vytln didn’t have to think this time. “Hit them where it really hurts. The credz. Make it more costly to come after us than it’s worth.
My family only has one interest, and it’s building their business.
If you make it so that our death isn’t worth the cost that would need to be paid, then they’ll write us off as a bad job. ”
“Is that with or without your brother’s death?”
“My brother runs the family, but he doesn’t lead without interference.
Part of the deal he made with those he turned against me was that of sharing power.
If I had ruled the family, it would have been me alone and my word would be law.
But he got them on his side by promising to give them input and allowing them to make decisions. ”
“He can be outvoted.”
“He can.” Vytln nodded once again. “You can’t scare off my brother. He’s stubborn enough to keep chasing us and foolish enough to burn through all his resources doing so. But you can convince the rest of the family that we’re not worth the chase.”
“Sounds easy enough,” Tanin said, getting to his feet. “I’ll think of a plan with Alred then. Do you want to be involved?”
Vytln smirked. “Thanks, captain, but as you said, I let that part of my life die. I meant it then; I mean it more now. I’ll leave the decision to you. Let me know what you decide and if you need help making it happen, and I’ll do everything I can to see your plan to fruition.”
Tanin inclined his head at him once before turning and walking off to join his mate. Garnet was standing to the side, waiting for him to finish. She smiled as the captain approached, joy making her gaze bright.
The sight reminded him of his own mate, and he turned his eyes back towards her. She was still talking with Alred, herself and the transparent figure seemingly locked in an intense conversation. Though, he had no idea what it was about, and the other females weren’t lingering around either.
“They’re speaking French.”
He turned, looking over the couch to where Grace was standing, her hands behind her back. Sway was just behind her, his bright crest half raised as he watched over his mate.
“French?” Vytln repeated, the word strange on his tongue.
“The language,” she clarified. “It’s not the one we usually use, but I was taught it growing up. I’m not good at it. I understand way more than I speak, and I don’t really understand that much anymore since it’s been years. But it sounds to me like they’re talking about building something.”
Vytln frowned, confused. “Why are they speaking in a language you don’t understand?
” He understood Haven choosing to speak her native tongue, since she was more fluent in that than the self-taught Standard she had to use with them.
But why a third language? One that Alred would have had to download and implement specifically for that conversation?
Grace shook her head. “I don’t know. Like I said, I don’t really understand it that much anymore. I was never good at it. Just another thing to add to the list. But it must be important.”
Vytln turned from her, looking back at them. Indeed, the look on Alred’s virtual face was one of intense concentration as Haven, her own brows furrowed, eyes distant, spoke about something. What were those two up to?