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“It’s not our place to decide their future,” she said.
“And if they choose to turn us in?” Ganesha questioned.
“If they’d wanted to do that, they wouldn’t have helped us on Yelmurn. It’s only right they are included in this.” She looked to Vujcec. “What has been the response to the recording on social media?”
“Shock. Disbelief. Mistrust,” Vujcec told her. “Many are claiming it’s a hoax.”
“What is it, Taly?” Oved asked as they hurried onto the bridge.
“Replay the recording, Vujcec,” Taly ordered.
“Dear Gods in the heavens,” Sato whispered. “Oved, we can be identified from that.”
“It will be fine, Sato.” Oved pulled his wife close, trying to reassure her, but Taly could see the fear in his eyes.
“It’s why we wanted you here,” Ranvir told them. “Your faces are now forever linked with ours. People are going to be looking for you as wanted criminals. You are welcome to stay with us, but we can’t guarantee your safety. Or we can drop you off somewhere, and you can take your chances on your own.”
Silence reigned as the two looked from each other to Uki, sleeping innocently against her mother’s chest. Finally, they looked to Taly, a decision made without exchanging a word.
“We will stay with you and help you fight against Emperor Shui,” Oved told them.
“How do you know that’s what we plan on doing?!” Ranvir demanded.
Taly’s hand on his arm stopped him from advancing.
“Because you are cyborgs,” Oved replied, unfazed by Ranvir’s move. “It is what you’ve sworn to do. To protect our people from any force that would try and destroy them. Which is what Shui is doing. Destroying our people by murdering anyone who speaks out against him.” Oved looked down at his Uki. “My daughter will not grow up in a world like that. Not when I can do something to help prevent it.”
“Wecan,” Sato added her voice to his. “Whatever we can do to assist you, we will.”
“I will also assist you,” Ree told them quietly, but his eyes sparked with rage. “What was done to you is wrong. Justice must be found.”
Silence filled the bridge. Civilians usually saw cyborgs only as a necessary evil, one barely tolerated. For these three to support them and believe in them was shocking.
“Thank you, Oved. Sato. Ree. Welcome to our pod.” Taly turned to the rest of their pod. “So, what’s our next move?”
∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞
“I don’t like it,” Ranvir repeated his objection.
“It has to be done at some point, Ranvir,” Taly reminded him as she carefully applied her enhancements. “Now is the perfect time when everyone has watched that recording.”
“We need to be further away from Yelmurn.” He watched what she was doing in the mirror.
“Then we’ll be out of range of the relay station Vujcec was able to tap into. Relax, Ranvir.” Her gaze met his in the mirror. “I can handle this.”
“It will put a target on your back.” The thought of her in danger drove him crazy.
“It’s already there, and we both know it,” she countered. “If Shui somehow manages to kill me before I speak out, he’ll be able to blame the rebels.”
He spun her around in her chair. He yanked her up. “You think I can’t protect you?”
Her eyes widened for a moment, then she reached up and cupped his face between her hands. “I know you will protect me with your last breath, but we both know nothing is certain in life. Nothing but my love for you. I’m not going to allow Shui to use me against you, against Nas, against those who are only trying to protect the people on Kirs.”
“What about your parents?” He didn’t want to hurt her, but he had to make sure she understood that it couldn’t be undone once she did this.
Taly’s eyes filled, but she refused to let the tears fall. Her parents may not have known what Shui had planned, but they weren’t innocent in what had happened. They’d chosen to support the emperor. Now they’d have to live with that choice. And possibly die because of it.
“They chose their side.” Taking a step back, she asked. “How do I look?”
