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“Fair enough,” I say.
I’m starving. I need a shower. I’ve barely slept two hours in the last few days. I feel absolutely insane. The worst part is I know this isn’t the end.
“Follow me,” he says, walking as fast as he can toward a facility in the distance, protected by an electrified gate.
Small drops of blood trail behind him. I wonder just how bad he really is...
The gate opens once Akron punches in the code. He glances around us before quickly shutting it.
Out of breath, he continues to walk toward a building. “The slaves stole the Resnyx,” he says. “And the gold, and all the fucking weapons they needed to take.”
The thought sends chills down my spine. “How is that possible?” I ask.
“They left the planet without a plan. They set up electrified barriers, but they didn’t expect them to hack into the Resnyx transport once it arrived,” he says, shaking his head. “Basically, they were fucking stupid.”
“Hey,” I warn. “I’m carrying their baby, remember?”
He opens the door to the building. Inside is a sterile hallway with doors that lead to unknown rooms. “Another idiotic plan,” he says.
“What do you mean?” I ask.
“The Empire will not recognize your marriage. There was no witness,” he says.
“Yeah. Because you opted out,” I reply.
He shakes his head. “You don’t get it. Slain wouldn’t recognize it, regardless. This whole intergalactic law business is a sham. He does what he wants, when he wants. That’s why I stayed out of the way. I opened a bar and tried to move on with my life.”
I get it. I honestly do. But now that we’re here, the stakes are glaringly obvious. It’s like I need to spell it out for him.
“If he stays here, you will die,” I say. “Do you understand?”
He grumbles, but does not reply.
“If we fight the Empire, we could suffer the same fate, but at least we gave it a try,” I say.
He heads through the hallway, pausing at a door. He opens it, revealing a small medical station. “How are we going to get back? Your craft fell off a cliff. Mine is in need of repair.”
I bite my cheek and think. There has to be a way. I hope we’re not stuck here forever.
Finally, it hits me. The obvious choice. Reconciliation.
“We let the slaves keep the gold,” I say.
He pauses. “Excuse me?”
“And the Resnyx,” I add.
“Are you out of your fucking mind? If they control the Resnyx, they control the universe,” he asks. “Trust me. You don’t want a bunch of slave aliens running things.”
It’s only right to let them have it. They received nothing in return for their hard labor. It’s not ideal for us, but I have a plan to make it work. He just has to trust me.
“Fair or not, they have the upper hand on us. They are your people, no different from you. You need to make peace on their terms. You don’t want to die, right?” I ask.
He sits on a surgical bed and groans. “No,” he says. “I don’t. But I also don’t know if I can handle another regime change.”
“The universe is unstable,” I say. “Brace for impact, right?”
His nostrils flare. “Can’t say I’m the biggest fan of the universe.”
