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Jobek smiled encouragingly. “Now, was that so hard?”
Tandor dropped his gaze, then lowered his face until all Jobek could see was the top of his head. “My parents always seemed so much in love. I cannot even imagine when or why she would have betrayed…”
“His name was Kero and your mother knew him before she met your father. Their families drove them apart and forced them to bond with others of their kind, but they remained loyal to each other until the day he died. Once the love of her life passed beyond, she dedicated herself to your father and never looked at another male. I’m not sure I consider that a betrayal.”
“How in the universe could you know all of that?”
Jobek chuckled. “When you refused to tell me what you’d learned at the Citadel, I asked Neloff if he knew what you might have learned. He was not so protective of your mother. When his DNA assessment revealed a Houkdi father he immediately confronted your mother. She told him the entire story.”
“Why the fuck would Neloff tell you but not me?”
As if summoned by their conversation, Neloff stepped onto the command deck.
Tandor shot to his feet and crossed the bridge before Neloff could take more than one step into the room. “You told Jobek about our father but you would not tell me?”
“Jobek asked about him,” Neloff shot back unapologetically. “You were too busy torturing yourself with misplaced guilt. Mother loved Kero deeply and would have spent her life with him were it not for social taboos. To look at it any other way is horribly unfair to everyone involved.”
“What about Father, the one who loved and provided for us, not the one who screwed our mother and then disappeared?”
Neloff just glared at Tandor for a moment. They were speaking in low, urgent tones but Jobek could hear every word they said.
“How much do you know about Houkdi?” Neloff asked, arms folded over his chest. “Have you bothered to learn anything about your father’s people?”
“Kero is not my anything,” Tandor objected.
“Fine,myfather was born into the Tribe of Sulot. Their belief system is the most rigid on Houkdi and the entire planet is pretty damn xenophobic. If anyone in his tribe found out about Mom, his family members would have been honor bound to hunt her down and kill her. According to their beliefs, it would have been the only way to save his immortal soul.”
“Then why endanger her by continuing the affair?” Tandor cried. “How fucking selfish.”
Neloff scoffed and shook his head. “They were soulmates, dumbass. You spent less than two days with yours and how deeply has she affected you?”
That shut him up. Jobek knew Tandor had thought of little else since Ansley was taken from them. If that separation were permanent, they would move planets to have her with them again.
“Yes, they snuck around to be with each other, and yes, the male who raised us was hurt by her inability to stay away. But Mom was a good partner and a wonderful mother. She was devoted and loving. She was kept from her soulmate by prejudice and fear but she refused to be destroyed by it.”
“You should have told me,” Tandor muttered.
“No, you should have given Mom the benefit of the doubt. You decided she was a faithless whore without even asking her what had happened.”
Tandor dipped his head once, looking intensely uncomfortable. “You’re right. I will comm her as soon as we exit hyperspace.”
Neloff slapped him on the back then squeezed the nape of his neck. “I’m so glad this is out in the open. Secrets, regardless of how tame they seem, are toxic.”
Tandor and Neloff chatted casually about family memories for the next two hours. Jobek listened but didn’t really participate. He answered their questions or offered comments if they intentionally drew him into the conversation. But the trepidation had not left him. Something was, or soon would be, horribly wrong. He ran more diagnostic scans and paced in front of the wide central console. He had no idea what they were about to face, but he wanted to be prepared.
They were nearing the end of their journey, so Jobek accessed the mind link and assured himself that Ansley was well. She was relaxed and enjoying herself with her friends so he didn’t disturb her.
Tandor stood up and moved closer to Jobek. “You’re just missing her. We both are.”
Before Jobek could respond, they dropped out of hyperspace—and nearly collided with a Torretian warship.
“What the fuck.” Neloff lunged past Jobek and shoved his hands into the holo-control matrix. His arms jerked in the opposite direction from the other ship. He twisted his hands sharply as he shouted, “Take over weapons.”
Jobek jogged to the munitions station and brought the system out of standby. “Return fire only or do you want me to back them off?”
A cluster of energy pulses burst from the Torretian ship before Neloff could respond. Jobek returned fire, matching his blasts to the intensity of theirs. Both groupings sailed over the opposite vessels.
“Why fire a warning shot when they were waiting to ambush us?” Tandor had moved to one of the auxiliary stations giving the others more room.
