His stomach tightened. “Report.”
“I have been monitoring communications as you requested, looking for any indication that word about the Cire infant has reached official channels.” Tarak paused. “An anonymous message was sent before I could intercept it—a message announcing the presence of a Cire infant on board.”
Fuck.Exactly what they’d been trying to avoid.
“How long ago?”
“Approximately six hours. It will have reached Council headquarters by now, and from there…” Tarak trailed off meaningfully.
The Council would have questions. Many questions. Questions that would lead them directly to Mikoz and, by extension, to his unusual family situation.
“How much time do we have?” he asked.
“Difficult to say with certainty. If the message triggered immediate interest, perhaps a day or two before they send an inquiry. If it got buried in routine bureaucracy, we might have a week.”
Neither option gave him enough time to find a suitable haven and arrange for safe passage there. But staying on the ship meant putting his family directly in the Council’s path when they came looking for answers.
“What are you thinking?” Tarak studied him with knowing eyes. “Because that expression suggests you are considering something drastic.”
“I am considering removing myself and my family from this situation before it escalates beyond my control.”
“Desertion.” Tarak said the word without judgment, simply stating the fact, but he shook his head.
“No. I will simply resign my position. I have served well beyond my initial contract terms.” After the devastation of the Red Death, the Patrol had been willing to agree to almost any conditions in order to recruit qualified warriors.
“And the Council?”
“The Council can rot in the void for all I care,” he said harshly. “I will not surrender my family to their interference.”
“I understand.” Tarak leaned forward. “You had asked me to investigate possible destinations. My suggestion is Tillich Two. It’s a relatively small water planet, quiet enough to be peaceful but with sufficient interplanetary trade that you would not be remarkable. You could reach it in under a week.”
“You knew what I would do.”
“I have been planning for contingencies,” Tarak corrected, and gratitude washed over him. Tarak had been his second for years, his most trusted officer and closest friend. He should have known the man would anticipate his needs and plan accordingly.
“What do you need from me?” Tarak continued. “And please do not insult me by suggesting I report your intentions to headquarters. You are my commander and my friend, and Iwill not betray either relationship for the sake of bureaucratic protocol.”
“We will take my flyer, but it would be best to do so as unobtrusively as possible. I will also need to have credits transferred to Tillich Two to provide for my family until I can find work.”
“Consider it done.” Tarak made notes on his datapad. “There is a supply run scheduled for tomorrow—today, technically. A civilian transport will be docking to deliver provisions. I suggest you slip away during the transfer, using the transport ship’s signal to mask yours. I will make sure the security logs show you were in your quarters during that time. It will depart in eight hours.”
Eight hours. Not much time to prepare for leaving everything behind, but it would have to be enough. The alternative—waiting for the Council to arrive and tear his family apart—was unacceptable.
“Thank you, my friend. I will not forget this.”
“Do not thank me yet. You are about to become a fugitive from the Cire Council, which means a quiet life on some peaceful colony might be more challenging than you anticipate.” Tarak smiled grimly. “But I suspect you will manage. You have always been resourceful when properly motivated.”
“What will you tell them when they come looking for me?”
“The truth, selectively edited. You felt responsible for the rescued females and decided to escort them to a suitable settlement. You took personal leave, which you’re entitled to as Commander, and chose not to disclose your destination. Alltechnically accurate and thoroughly unhelpful for anyone trying to track you.”
“They will suspect your involvement.”
“Let them suspect. Suspicion without proof is merely paranoia, and I am too valuable to discipline based on unfounded accusations.” Tarak’s expression softened. “Go. Be with your family. Build the life you deserve instead of the one duty demands. And if you ever need assistance, you know how to reach me.”
The call ended, leaving him alone with his thoughts and the enormity of what he was about to do. Abandoning his position. Choosing love and family over honor and duty.
His first mate would have understood. Kessa had always valued people over abstract principles. He suspected she would have liked Corinne as well. And Lira, his beautiful daughter who had loved every living thing with passionate enthusiasm, would have adored his new family. She would have followed Mikoz around constantly, helping him explore and teaching him the names of every plant they encountered. She would have seen Anya’s prickly exterior as a challenge to be overcome.
