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ISRA AND TARSK both exploded into speech, their voices overlapping and drowning out the other. Kara let them talk, waiting until they calmed down. It took quite a while.
Daku was none too happy either, but he at least was remaining quiet and making sure they stayed on course, steadily moving closer to the Dark Raider spaceship.
Eventually, Tarsk huffed out a long breath and glared at her.
Isra fell silent, her whole body tight with controlled anger. She took a moment to gather herself, before speaking. “I assume you have an extremely logical reason for taking such a monumental risk with all of our lives and the very continuity of the Empire and the Royal Family?”
“Of course,” Kara said. She indicated the flexi in her hand before continuing, “As this data shows, that ship out there attacked the other Dark Raider ship and let us go. That action probably helped us escape unscathed and without being pursued. We can keep your identity under wraps by further disguising you. Most importantly, no one is going to be searching for you, Daku, or myself, in the Dark Zone. That will buy time for the Sword and Shield to find the traitors while keeping us away from them and any Draldens that might be out there too. Frankly, this is our best bet out of the poor choices we have at the moment. Our only other option is to attempt to avoid them, and that’d most likely bring the very attention we are seeking to avoid, to come crashing down on our heads. And that is simply not an option I’m willing to take.”
“You will risk our future on the off chance that the ship out there won’t be hostile and open fire on us immediately?” Isra asked icily.
“They’re going to catch us no matter what,” Kara said. “We have no weapons and our shields wouldn’t hold out long enough to matter if they wanted to board us.”
“She’s right,” Daku said, backing her up. “The Brognan’s no match for their ship in a fight, and we can’t even outrun them.”
“Are you suggesting we turn ourselves over to them?” Isra still looked angered by Kara’s idea. “Put ourselves at their mercy? And what, tell them not to pay attention to us, we just need to hide out there a while?”
Kara leant back in her chair and crossed her legs. “Why, we’re going to tell them we want out of the Empire. Isn’t that what the Dark Zone’s for: the outcasts, the misfits, the criminals?” She flicked her fingers at herself and Daku. “And Daku and I clearly fall into that. The Dark Zone would be the perfect place for us. After all, it’s a haven for the dregs and leftovers of society. And even if they do discover our identities, who are they going to run to with that information? The Council? The Jade Fleet?” Kara shook her head. “They’d be throwing away their freedom if they did that—if they were even believed.” She held Isra’s gaze, her own firm and direct, clashing with Isra’s remote and cold eyes. “It’s the perfect place for us to disappear into, at least for now.”
Isra clenched her hands, staring down at the deck. Kara went quiet, waiting for her to think it through.
“Tarsk, verify that data,” Isra finally commanded.
Tarsk shifted, his ginger fur ruffling as his muscles flexed. He took his flexi back off Kara and stared at it, sifting through the logs. The cockpit fell silent, apart from the low constant hum of the engines, the soft intermittent beep of the freighter’s helm controls, and the warning tone of the long-range scanner underlining it all.
Kara didn’t begrudge Isra’s scepticism or desire to have Tarsk double-check her discovery. In fact, she would have been worried if Isra hadn’t taken those precautions; she’d always been a careful and studied leader of the Elites. Kara would have been more worried if she’d suddenly become rash and impulsive and just gone with Kara’s plan.
So she waited for Tarsk to come to the same conclusion she had, but in the meantime, she confirmed their course and noted where they were going to intersect with the unknown and potentially non-hostile Dark Raider ship. She suppressed a snort as she thought about the strange path that had led to her seeking out sanctuary with Dark Raiders. She, who had almost killed herself while seeking revenge, who’d hated and reviled Dark Raiders for as long as she could remember, was now going to head directly for them for shelter. For a long time after Isra, and the Sword and Shield, had rescued her, she had struggled to come to terms with what had happened. What they’d done to her as a child had almost destroyed her. She faintly traced the smooth skin from her wrists to her elbows, knowing there should be scars there, if not for the nanites and her healing capabilities.
Without the Sword and Shield suppressing her emotions, she would not have survived a year, let alone a decade later to be sitting in this freighter. She tipped her head back, taking a steadying breath. Daku shot her a quick quizzical glance that turned softer. He reached over and squeezed her hand. She smiled softly at him, slightly bemused that she had his love. That she could love in return. She glared out of the viewport, thinking about the leaked footage from Gaklun Two of her and Daku. She would make whoever had done that pay because they had threatened her chance to live; her first true chance to have a relationship and be, if not normal, at least connected to another person and his community. She wasn’t going to give that up without a fight.
Even if she had to hide right under their noses, pretending that she didn’t distrust and hate the mere thought of Dark Raiders. She would do what needed to be done, and she would do it well, just as she always had for the Elites.
Tarsk passed the flexi to Isra, and Kara turned her attention to them in silent enquiry.
“Kara is correct,” Tarsk confirmed her findings. “That ship out there really may be our best bet at avoiding discovery by the traitors.”
Isra glared down at the flexi before sighing and handing it back to Tarsk. She briefly closed her eyes and dropped her head forward wearily. They waited for her reply, as the freighter steadily continued on its course.
“As much as I dislike this plan, I know you’re right,” Isra said her tone low. “We don’t have any other viable alternatives.” She considered them, sizing them up one by one, her gaze sharp. “Daku and Tarsk, you will take point.”
“Wait, what?” Daku asked in surprise. “Shouldn’t I be hiding out, since my face has been plastered all over the news?”
“That is the very reason why we are going to have you talk to these Dark Raiders,” Isra calmly replied. “Your desertion from the Jade Fleet and alleged betrayal of the Empire will be a believable story to convince them that you are not a spy. Hopefully, it will also mean they won’t look too closely at the rest of us.”
Daku muttered a curse under his breath, clearly unhappy with the idea. “What about the rest of you then? Why would you all be here, throwing away your lives with the Empire along with me?”
“Easy,” Tarsk said, flicking his paw dismissively. “We got caught up in it with you, and we’re getting out before anyone notices.”
Kara and Isra nodded in agreement, making Daku huff out his breath in annoyance. “Alright. Let’s just hope they don’t recognise either of you.” He looked between Isra and Kara as he said it.
“We’ll go below and disguise ourselves,” Kara said.
“How are you going to do that? It’s not like we’ve got any hair dye just lying around,” Daku said sceptically.
Isra smirked. “We do have a surfeit of engine grease, though.”
Kara stiffened and glared at her. “I’m not putting that gunk in my hair.” The mere idea of the greasy, and undoubtedly dirty, oil being smeared through her hair held no appeal. She faintly shuddered at the prospect.
“But we need to take all measures possible to ensure we are not recognised,” Isra said, clearly taking satisfaction in making Kara squirm now. “How else are you going to hide the very noticeable violent tinge in your hair, hmm?”
Kara made an inarticulate sound of annoyance as she realised Isra was right. Her nose scrunched up in disgust as she knew there weren’t any other options, and she was going to have to coat herself in that gunk. “Fine, but don’t look so smug, because you’re going to be wearing greased-up and stained coveralls just like me.”