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The ssithri flicks the blaster toward the door. "Open that, and then the safe."
"No."
Vuttis looks uneasy. "Jerrok, just do it. We'll leave you alone after we take whatever's worth taking."
"No," I say again. "You're not stepping a foot inside my private quarters."
You're not going any-keffing-where near Sophie.
The blaster hums as he flicks a switch, bringing it to life. He points it at my brow again. "Then we have a problem," the ssithri hisses.39SOPHIEIt seems that I've learned something from my days on the Little Sister. When Jerrok doesn't return right away, I head to the old comm station in his quarters, the one he never uses. I look for familiar buttons, and when I find what I'm seeking, I tap the sequence, turning on visuals for the station. I get three different rooms before I get the hangar bay, and then what I see takes my breath away.
There's a snake-looking alien holding a gun to Jerrok's face. And Jerrok's scowling at him, arms crossed.
He's going to get killed.
I can't let this happen. I grab one of the weapons off of Jerrok's wall—a blaster type that I don't know the name of but I recognize well. I turn it on, listening to the hum, and then silently pad to my room, getting my mask and cloak. I toss the cloak on, put on the mask, and when I head to the door, Sleipnir's pacing just outside it, waiting. He's agitated, his tail flicking wildly. For a moment, I think about closing him into my room, but…this is what he's born to do.
I put a hand on his head, calming him. "Stay behind me," I say, even as I slide my long sleeve over the blaster. "Do you understand me, Sleipnir?"
The carinoux looks up at me with intelligent eyes and blinks once. I hope that's a yes. I don't have time to make sure if it is. Swallowing hard, I take a deep breath and open the door to the hangar.
Jerrok goes pale the moment I do.
The blaster immediately turns from Jerrok toward me. The snake alien stares at me, confused, and then lets out a hissing laugh as he turns back toward Jerrok again. "You got yourself an ooli mate? You must be desperate. You—"
I fire.
It's easy enough, and my hands are remarkably steady. I hit him in the shoulder, and he drops the gun, so I fire again and this time I hit him in the face. The blaster punches a disgusting hole in his head and the alien slumps to the ground.
Sleipnir rushes past me in a gleeful howl, and someone else screams.
Jerrok immediately grabs the face of the second man in front of him—the szzt—and gives a hard twist. There's a loud crack, and then the second alien falls over the one I killed. At the far side of the dock, I hear screaming, and I drop the gun in my hand with a clatter. "Sleipnir…"
"I'll get him." But Jerrok moves to my side first, checking me over. He touches my shoulder. "Are you okay?"
I nod.
"Wait here." His tone is gruff—but I know him well enough to hear the underlying gentleness there—and he jogs heavily over to where the pirates' ship is docked and the cargo hold hanging open. I crouch low on my knees, clutching the blaster in my hands. Strangely enough, I feel…calm. I just killed a man. A stranger. But…he was threatening Jerrok, and I knew I couldn't just let him keep waving that gun in his face. It'd be both of our lives if Jerrok was taken out.
The thought of that distresses me. I picture Jerrok lying on the floor like the dead men are, a hole punched through his head, and I squeeze my eyes tightly at the flare of anxiety that it stirs inside me. He's safe. We're fine.
There's an angry growl that comes from the other side of the hangar. "Call him off, Sophie," Jerrok bellows. "He's not listening to me."
"Sleipnir," I call out, making my voice as sweet as I can. "Come here, sweetheart."
Something wet falls on the ground, and then the carinoux is running over to me, his opalescent muzzle splattered in blood. I shudder, pulling off my cloak and using it to wipe his face. His tail's wagging like a dog's and he's got the most self-satisfied look on his face, as if he's done good. I suppose he has. He's done his job and kept me safe.
"You're a good boy," I reassure him, rubbing and scratching at the ridges of his ears as I mop his face. "Such a good boy."
He thrums with the low purr of his kind and flops down at my feet and begins to groom himself. I toss the bloodied cloak aside and take off my mask as Jerrok comes back over to me. He shakes his head when I step forward. "Don't. You don't need to see that."
