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“We’re going to the Youl Nation this time,” Kara said, resolutely not looking back at the mothership. She had to focus on Isra’s safety now. “We should have gone there from the start.” She clenched her hand, barely restraining herself from banging it against the navigation console in-front of her, but they needed a working ship, and a cracked console would be a major problem. Her calm had been short-lived.
“It’s because of me that Tarsk...isn’t here. My fault.” Kara slumped forward her head bowed on her hands.
A gentle hand rubbed soothing circles on her back. “Hey, none of that,” Daku said softly. “I might not know Tarsk all that well, but in the short time I’ve been around him, I can clearly see he has a mind of his own and a will stronger than the pull of a black hole.”
Kara felt her lip twitch, the humour catching her unawares. Daku was right, Tarsk could suck you into his high jinxes faster than you could blink.
“He knew what he was doing, and I think he felt he couldn’t leave the girl, Calli, behind either. Not before he had a chance to help her.”
Kara lent back in her chair as Daku pulled his hand away. She quirked a smile at him then sighed. “His bleeding heart is only eclipsed by his ego.” But that wasn’t really true. He cared, and that drive to protect others, to help those in need, that’s what made him the exasperating, maddening, kind and generous Morus he was. She couldn’t wish those traits away and still have the same Tarsk. She just wished it meant he hadn’t felt it necessary to remain behind.
“You’re right.” Kara flexed her hands and stood up, bracing one hand on the back of the chair. “And now we can’t waste our freedom and our chance to disappear from all detection from the Empire until the Sword and Shield advise us it’s safe to return. Daku, take the helm, please, and set a heading for the Youl Nation.”
“That will be expected. It’s the obvious place for anyone to look for me,” Isra said, her eyes drifting from where she’d been silently staring out of the viewport.
“I know, but it’s better than here for now.” Kara rubbed her forehead, she needed time to herself. “Look, I’m going to check the systems are all operational.” She flicked a hand between Daku and Isra. “You two brainstorm hiding locations. Between your political brain and his military savvy, you should come up with something.”
Daku laughed. “Try doing something about the stale, old egg smell in here while you’re down there?”
“No promises.” With that parting shot, she left them on the bridge, not waiting for a response from Isra.
***
Daku’s leg jiggled, the muscles having a life of their own. He clamped a hand down on it, halting the involuntary, nervous twitch. He flicked his eyes sideways, taking a peek at Isra, trying to gauge her mood. Now that Kara had left the bridge, the atmosphere was strained. He didn’t know what to say around Princess Isra, didn’t want to screw up and say the wrong thing. If only Yan was here, she’d know what to say and keep him out of hot water. He hoped she was fine, that his mistakes hadn’t spiralled out to her, or to anyone else, on the Outpost or in the town of Geejo. Eternities, he missed that motley bunch, including Yan’s need for order and Kuruc’s acerbic tongue and gloomy predictions. He desperately wished he could contact them, but knew that would only place them in dangers path again. It would make everything he’d sacrificed mean nothing if he dragged them back into this mess. He just wished Kara hadn’t gone below decks and left him with a brooding princess.
He cleared his throat in an attempt to break the awkward silence. When that didn’t get a response, he stifled a sigh. He was just going to have to be responsible and think like the commander he had been. “The Youl nation makes sense. Being on that FPC ship has let us disappear.”
She made a low hum. “We would stand out conspicuously among the Ghelpens of Youl.”
“That’s only if we went to the capital planet. If we stick to the outer spacestations, and a few of the spaceports on the main trading hubs, we’d be able to blend in fine with the other traders and freighters.” His parents had taken him with them on a trading run to one of the large spaceports when he’d been a kid. The mix of races had been just like any other port, varied and wide, with no one paying anyone else particular attention.
“You are so eager to take flight.” Isra turned to him. “I wonder, do you truly care for Kara, or is she a mere novelty to you?”
He went rigid. “Seriously? You’re asking me—don’t even go there.” He whipped his head around, hoping Kara hadn’t heard Isra. Kara respected and almost revered Isra; he didn’t want her hearing what Isra had just said.
“You think I shouldn’t be concerned about her welfare?” Isra swivelled her chair to face him. “Barely over a month ago, you were cursing bio-cybers, and now she claims you love her. I find this sudden reversal in opinion...worrisome in its inconsistency.”
“I don’t see why you’re so worried, I support her. Sure, I freaked out at first about the cyberware, and I’m not proud of that, but I accept her now. It’s part of who she is.” He loved her as well, he knew that, but sometimes acceptance was more important than love. Because love too often came with strings and expectations. “Arlen changed his tune pretty quickly too once he knew.”
“Arlen is her blood, her brother. He has strong ties to her and those would temper him, tighten the emotional bond and lead to his rapid change in attitude to her. You do not.” Isra crossed her arms. “Kara led to your downfall, your imprisonment. That is why I am concerned about the ease with which you’ve seemed to change your mind about her.” Her jaw clenched. “I do not want her hurt.”
He laughed in disbelief. “Can you even hear yourself?” He shook his head. “Are you so out of touch with how the average citizen lives to think that Kara’s life is remotely normal? Half of what’s happened to her I’m sure can be directly attributed to you.” He snapped the last part, his awe and reverence of the monarchy—which had held his tongue mute and thoughts respectful—spaced as he stared Isra down. “Can you honestly, and truthfully, say that she had to become this elite operative? That you had no hand in it?” He straightened, his shoulders tensing. “It wasn’t all the doing of those Dark Raiders, or the damned Dralden either. I heard Tarsk say he’d made that nanosuit, that you’d trained her. How about you have a hard look at yourself before you stand there and accuse me of potentially hurting her.” He jabbed his finger at her, anger vibrating through him.
Isra huffed out a breath and leant forward.
But he couldn’t stop now. He couldn’t stay silent “She’s pushed herself to the point of collapse, to near death, because of what she thinks you expect of her. Her desire to give up and die while she was on the Agate was on your head, because you clearly haven’t protected her. You’ve used her, just as much as anyone else. You. Do. Not. Do. That. To. Your. Own.” He punctuated each word with a jab of his finger, some small part of sanity within him holding him back from actually physically making contact with her. “No leader worth a damn would do that to their own.”
The harsh words fell into the silence of the room, the echoes slowly, incrementally, painfully fading away. Letting him hear each painful moment of insanity he’d had to even think of yelling at Isra, Her Royal Highness, and the next Queen of the Rhaslok Empire. The Empire he was one lowly citizen of, and one that needed a royal pardon to boot, if he ever hoped to have a shot at normal life again.
She slowly stood. Her posture haughty, her shoulders back, chin up and eyes glacial.
Oh damn, he’d really messed up this time, he thought. At least he’d gone out standing up for the person he loved and staying true to his integrity. They could write that on his gravestone, if his body was ever found.
He swallowed nervously, ready to apologise and claim temporary insanity for having yelled at her. But he’d done it to defend Kara, and he didn’t regret it. If Yan was here, she would have rolled her eyes and given him a pointed look. She had, after all, predicted that his unrepentant disregard of authority would be the death of him. And she was about to be proven oh so right.
Except, all of a sudden, the fight drained from Isra, her body seeming to crumple in on itself, her eyes going dull. She scrubbed a hand over her face, hunching inwards. “I know.”
He had to strain forward to hear the words. He blinked in surprise and shifted uncertainly. Out of all the responses he’d expected, even dreaded, that had not been one. Not even remotely. “Your Highness?” He raised his hand tentatively, reaching for her, but let it hover uncertainly over her shoulder before he dropped it.
She sighed, the sound low and soft. She rubbed her hand against her arm, gazing unseeing at the floor. “I know,” she repeated. “We have used her...I have used her.” She closed her eyes. “This has gone on too long. It all has. And why? For what?” She murmured, seemingly lost in her own thoughts.
Daku had a strong suspicion she wasn’t even aware he was in the room with her now. That she wasn’t thinking about Kara anymore. He glanced around the bridge, unsure what to do, but a decision had to be made on where they were heading, and they all needed to be at the top of their game. It’s why they’d started this conversation in the first place. Except Kara seemed to be less of an issue than Isra might turn into. He licked his lips “Uh, Highness?”
She blinked and absently looked at him.
“I don’t mean to interrupt your thoughts.” Who was he kidding, he did. He was not going to be the only well-adjusted person on this freighter, no way. “But we have to confirm our nav route.” He tapped the console to his left.
She nodded. “Yes, of course.”
He relaxed as she visibly collected herself, the mantle of royalty wrapping around her and straightening her spine. Her posture became perfect, her eyes calm and cool. That had been too close, he thought. Kara would have had his head if he’d broken the princess.
“I cannot keep hiding,” she suddenly declared. “I must know what is happening. Stay at the helm.” She spun and strode from the room, the bridge hatch clanging shut.
Daku gaped after her. She still hadn’t confirmed where they were going, and he had a sinking feeling that when he finally got an answer, it wouldn’t be one he liked.