Samuel used the code his contacts had given him in exchange for trade promises. Some of the crew didn’t mind aiding him in gaining control of the colony as long as he promised them priority as the colony began trading. These ships had to support themselves somehow, he supposed.
The auditory selections scrolled past, separated out by colony section and cabin. He keyed up the Tasrien ones, his back tensing as he listened to the voices from his console. Someone there had a sophisticated grasp of shifting politics and policies. Once this all settled, he’d have to figure out who. Those kinds of loose ends could be dangerous, though he’d see first if the person was willing to change families before doing anything drastic.
A trickle of a thought crossed his mind, and Samuel laughed. What a pairing that would make. The Tasrien conniver with his own spacerat. Together, they’d keep the whole colony thrumming.
He pushed a button to pause the conversation, angry at himself. He’d promised her freedom, the chance to be nothing but his granddaughter. Her spacerat past had to be buried as deeply as her shafter roots. He missed their small battles and the echoes of Jared in her manner. How he longed to teach her everything he’d taught her father so many years before.
Samuel sighed, resting his palms against his desk. If not for Marcus’s mother, he wouldn’t know anything. He’d done quite well to introduce the two of them. Deborah couldn’t stop talking about the nice polit girl her son had found.
“And he’s had so much more confidence since meeting her. You’d think she didn’t notice, well, he’s much shorter than the other boys. A little quiet and she hid away for so long one can’t help but wonder if something’s wrong with her. Marcus likes her though and that’s all I care about. They’ve been meeting practically every night. Any other boy and I’d wonder what they were up to. I’d be scandalized, but Marcus?”
He couldn’t remember much more than that. She’d gone on for over an hour on the topic. She had a kind heart and helped in so many ways but her main fault was her love of hearing herself talk. Sometimes, he wondered how Marcus turned out so well. Every third sentence out of his mother’s mouth belittled the boy.
Smiling, Samuel tried to imagine what she’d say if she knew Trina’s true background. Shy didn’t quite describe the quick wit and interesting abilities his granddaughter had cultivated. His smile vanished. No, he didn’t really want to see her stunned look or the rejection from the other colonists.
As much as he missed her, Trina deserved to become a colonist like any other. He’d reveal their relationship later. For now, he’d stand back and watch both of them from a distance. He hadn’t found the right moment to invite Katie to meet him. The activities of Tasrien kept him so busy that he couldn’t spare the concentration necessary, but surely she no longer saw the need to deny him.
With a grimace, he keyed the audio back on, listening intently not just for words but also nuances. If only he could learn something critical, something he could use to tip the balance. So far the information, while invaluable, had failed to put Menthak at the head of the colony any more than Trina’s confusion had.
His strongest weapon lay heavy in the back of his thoughts, but he refused to consider it just yet. There had to be another way.
The tension never lightened as he listened to conversation after conversation. His mind worked furiously to find ways around, through, and above the Tasrien tangles. He wanted to keep Trina free. He wanted Menthak to conquer and control. Never before in his life had his desires pulled him so strongly in different directions, and in the darkest moments, he feared he’d fail at both.