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Chapter Nineteen
Taly’s mind raced as fast as her feet moved. She couldn’t believe this. They’d saved Ju and Feo’s lives. For them to betray them like this… She should have listened to Ranvir about assisting the Celerity. She should have told him what Ree had said. If she had, they wouldn’t be in this situation.
Except… her gaze locked with Uki’s big brown eyes, protectively strapped to her mother’s chest. If she’d listened to Ranvir, this precious little one would be no more. So she had to believe she’d done the right thing. There was a reason this was happening.
The buildings fell away behind them while they ran, Taly’s thoughts on Ranvir. He had to be okay. He would be catching up with them soon. Reaching the spaceport, Ganesha and Tane rushed toward them, blasters drawn.
“Ranvir is still back there,” she told Ganesha as he herded them across the tarmac toward the ramp Pike and Wells were guarding.
The giant cyborg said nothing until he had her on board. “We know,” he finally told her.
“Then go help him,” she demanded.
“He ordered us to secure you and remain here.” He touched his ear comm. “Taly’s on board.”
“I don’t care what he said!” Taly argued, moving back toward the ramp only to have him block her. She threw an elbow into his stomach, hoping to get around him, but he easily fended her efforts and continued his conversation with Ranvir.
“Only with your cymar. What’s your status?”
Touching her own ear comm, she heard Ranvir order, “Take off.”
“No!” she screamed.
This time she got around Ganesha. She ran for the exit, but Pike stepped into her path. She shoved at him and received a grunt for her efforts, but he didn’t move.
“Get out of my way,” she ordered. “We’re not leaving him.”
“We’re not,” Pike told her. “But we have to ensure the ship is ready to take off as soon as he gets here. We can’t do that if we’re chasing after you.”
“Swear it,” she demanded.
“I swear,” he immediately responded. “We don’t leave pod members behind.”
Taly looked to Ganesha, and he agreed, “We don’t.”
Taking a deep breath, she nodded. “Okay. What do you need me to do?”
∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞
Ranvir limped down the street, pissed at the fact the last bounty hunter got off a shot before Ranvir could finish him. His nanobots rushed to repair the damage on top of the prior injury, but he didn’t have the time to stand around and wait to heal.
Not if he wanted to get off this planet alive. He needed to get to the Troubadour if it was still there.
“Ganesha,” he said after activating his ear comm. If he didn’t reply, he had followed Ranvir’s orders, and he’d have to find another way off this planet.
“About fucking time,” Ganesha responded.
“All threats neutralized. I’m five minutes out.”
“Make it two. Port security will be here in three.”
“Leave me.”
“Can’t.”
“That’s an order, Cyborg.”
“You’ve been overruled by the captain… and the rest of our pod.”
