They hurried up the ramp, her legs threatening to give out with every step. The cargo hold was exactly as described—cramped, cold, and packed with crates that left barely enough room for their small group. But it was escape. It was freedom.
“Here.” The contact handed Becsul a small device. “Emergency beacon. If something goes wrong, activate it and my people will find you.”
“Thank you.”
“Thank Varn.” The Cire was already backing towards the ramp. “And Captain? Whatever happens… don’t let Naran win.”
The ramp sealed behind him with a pneumatic hiss.
They were alone.
She sank down against a crate, her body finally surrendering to exhaustion. Robbie stirred against her chest, making soft sounds of displeasure at the cold, and she automatically began to soothe him, her hands moving in practiced patterns.
“We made it.” Sarah’s voice was thick with tears. “We actually made it.”
“Not yet.” Wei-Lin’s tone was cautious, but even she couldn’t hide the relief in her eyes. “We’re not off the planet yet.”
“We will be.” Becsul settled beside her, his tail immediately wrapping around her waist. “TheMercyis a reliable vessel. I’ve used this route before.”
“How many people do you know?” she asked, exhaustion making her words blunt. “How many favors did you call in tonight?”
“Enough.” He pressed a kiss to her temple. “And I would call in a thousand more for you and Robbie.”
The ship shuddered as the engines engaged, and she felt the subtle shift in gravity that meant they were moving. Lifting off. Leaving the planet behind.
She thought about Makram, waiting alone in the tunnels. About Kellan, with his old eyes and his youthful face. About Varn, who had abandoned his mission to help a friend. About all the connections, all the loyalties, all the debts and friendships that Becsul had built over fifteen years of service.
He’s leaving all of that for us.
“Hey.” She touched his face, turning him to meet her eyes. “Are you okay?”
“More than okay.” He caught her hand, pressing a kiss to her palm. “I’m exactly where I want to be.”
“But your friends—your network?—”
“Will continue without me. They will spread the truth about what Naran has done. They will fight for a future I helped them believe in.” His black eyes were steady, certain. “But I don’t need to be there for that fight. My fight is here, with you.”
The ship broke through the atmosphere with a shudder that she felt in her bones, and through the small viewport in the cargo hold door, she could see stars beginning to appear—thousands of them, millions, stretching out into infinity.
They were free.
For the first time since she’d woken up in that cell, she truly believed it.
Robbie opened his eyes and looked up at her, and she could have sworn he smiled.
“We made it, baby,” she whispered to him. “We’re going to be okay.”
Becsul’s arm tightened around her, and his tail curled possessively around her thigh.
Family, she thought. This is what family feels like.
Behind her, she heard Sarah crying softly—relief, exhaustion, hope all mixed together. Heard Wei-Lin murmuring reassurances to Katie, her usual sharp edges softened by tenderness. They were all strangers, really. Women thrown together by circumstance, united by survival.
But they were something more now, too. Something forged in darkness and desperation and the stubborn refusal to surrender.
Found family, she thought, remembering a term from her psychology courses back on Earth. We found each other.
And maybe that was enough.
