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She’d barely gotten to her feet before the Celerity’s captain was in her face.
“You lied to me,Captain Somerled,” he snarled.
“Did I?”
“You know you did.” Ju was nearly foaming at the mouth. “You’re traveling withrebel cyborgs! If I’d known that, I would never have allowed you on my ship!”
“Then you would be dead.” Taly raised her voice, so everyone heard her. “You would all be dead! And for the record, you didn’t let us on your ship. You didn’t even know we were on board until I contacted you because you had barricaded your sorry, fat ass on the bridge. Leaving all the people you were supposed to be protecting to fend for themselves!”
His gaze rapidly traveled around the room, and he tried to defend himself. “I was sending out a distress call!”
“Which no one responded to, not even the ships from your own convoy.” She wouldn’t let this piece of shit wiggle out of what he’d done. “Also, for your information, Iamthe captain of this ship.”
With that, she turned her attention to the rest of the room. “Is everyone okay? Is anyone hurt?” She moved to help people with their harnesses.
“What was that?” someone asked.
“Your ship exploding.” She knew there was no way she could soften that blow.
“What?!” A large male shouted as he surged to his feet to glare at her. “No! Our supplies! Our equipment was on that ship.”
“I’m sorry,” was all she could say.
“Captain Ju’s right,” the same large male claimed. “This is those damn cyborgs’ fault! The entire Kirs military is hunting them, but they stop to help us? Why? I’ll tell you why,” he continued before anyone could answer, “Because now everyone thinks we’re dead and they can do whatever they want with us. Kill our children. Rape our women. Sell us all into slavery, and there’s no one to stop them.”
“Calm down, Feo,” the muscular blue-skinned male put a hand on the other’s arm only to have Feo shake it off.
“Don’t tell me to calm down, Ree! I know what I know.”
Taly couldn’t believe anyone in the room was listening to this blowhard, but a low rumble of agreement began filling the room. Feeling their growing discontent and fear, she moved onto the stage and took control of the crowd the way she always did.
“That’s enough!” She didn’t need the sound system for her voice to bounce off the walls. The crowd quieted as it always did when she took the stage. “None of you actually believe that crap, do you?”
“Those males are cyborgs!” someone shouted.
“Yes, yes they are.” She didn’t bother to deny it. “They swore to protect the citizens of Kirs wherever they are. Which is exactly what they did by coming to your aid.”
“They’re traitors!” shouted another.
“If they were, would they put themselves at risk coming to help?” Taly demanded. “Thosepirateswould have killed your children. Thosepirateswould have raped your women. And it’s thosepirateswho would have sold those who survived into slavery. Not thesecyborgs.”
When the concert hall door slammed open, everyone jumped and spun around in fear. Taly saw Vujcec walk in, followed by another male.
“Oved!” the female with the baby Taly’d helped screeched and pushed her way through the crowd.
“Sato!” The man rushed to the woman and baby, pulling them into his arms. “Are you all right?” He pulled back to look down at their daughter. “Is Uki?”
“We’re fine,” she reassured him, then pulled back to thump a fist on his chest. “Gods, Oved! What were you thinking? If Uki and I lost you…” she broke off and sobbed.
“I’m sorry, Sato,” he murmured into her hair, pulling his family even closer. “It was stupid of me. No amount of credits is worth the risk of losing you and Uki. If that cyborg hadn’t waited for me, I would have.”
“We owe him everything then.” She drew in a shaky breath.
“We do,” he agreed.
“We all do,” Ree’s deep voice filled the room, and Taly felt the mood shift.
Leaving the stage, she moved towards Vujcec. “How are things on the bridge?”
