“Then we must leave and find a way to get rid of it.”
“You just got here, and you’re already going to leave?”
Alarm prickles my skin. I look down to see Jovie staring up at me like I’ve just ripped out her heart.
“I’m sorry, Jovie. My people are in danger. I can help.”
She looks around, wipes a hand down her face, then turns back to us. “Take me with you. I can help repair engines or other electrical things.”
“I doubt you know our tech,” Eluni remarks, looking her over with dissatisfaction.
“Physics is still physics. Energy moves the same across the galaxy. Have someone familiarize me with the parts. Put me on something easy. I don’t care,” Jovie insists. She paces a circle, then looks to Eluni. “I haven’t gotten to know Aura much, and I don’t like the idea ofinnocent people in danger, whatever their species. But don’t leave me on Earth. If this is my only chance to get off-world, please take me.”
A squad of ABR security joins us.
Blaize glowers at them as if they’ve had recent interactions. “What now?”
“You and your ship are being asked to leave.”
“Great,” I mutter.
“Not you. Just them. We are locking down the base due to Denarso sightings just beyond Mars. Part of the new male racer obligations include any capable warships they bring will be used to defend the intergalactic games and the racers. That way, it will be just ABR staff, human guards, and racers in the complex. You agreed to that prior to your arrival.”
“Fieridid. He’s our delegate.” Blaize crosses his arms and throws me a glance.
“I figured you twats were going to pull some shit, though for a different reason.” Eluni hands me a bag. “That’s all I have left of the discharge discs. I’ll be watching closely. Bestlink upso you can pay attention, too.”
Not good.“We need to help our people.”
“With respect,sir.” Eluni meets my eyes. “You are safest here. If your people had a say, they would want you safe. And this situation outside of Mars is more immediate than the one back with Fleet Amphir.”
“Screw safe. If they need our help,” I retort.
“Trouble?” Sa’Tai pauses in the doorway as he’s about to pass.
“Denarso have attacked some of our motherships,” I tell him.
He inhales deeply. “They left my planet last week.”
“What did they want?” Blaize asks.
“You won’t believe it.” Sa’Tai shakes his head. “Food. They stole weapons from a Sol Federation outpost and killed everyone there. I don’t know why they don’t just ask instead of trying to destroy us.”
Jovie tilts her head and rubs an arm like she’s cold. “They’re afraid you’ll say no. Then, they’ll have lost their element of surprise becauseyou now know they want somethingandwhat it is. So you’ll be on alert for them and guard those things more closely.
“Thatdirect asktactic only works if they actually want something else and can send someone different to get it while you give them what you think they want. Then it’s a distraction.”
We all stare at her for a moment.
“What?” Jovie shrugs. “My ex cheated on me with my sister and crews at the shipyard can be pretty catty when it comes to territory and reputation. Never buy a tool to help with your work unless that thing is merged with your augments, and you’re willing to die to keep it.”
“Are things really that bad on Earth?” I ask her.
“If you’re not born into money, yes. It’s very difficult to work toward a better life when everything is for the war or survival. We engineer what we need, not what we want. It’d be nice if we could spit acid or fart magical bombs, but all we’ve got are a few mutant freaks, augmented grunts, salt and grain humans, and the rich.”
“Salt and grain?” Eluni asks.
Jovie wipes the sweat from her glass, looks at the water on her fingers, then licks them.
