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Am I let down? Was I hoping there was a fight in store for me here?
Viro is leaning against the corner of the neighboring building jabbering into his comm device. To have not a care in the world like him must be a relief. Kira sent him with me to hold me back from wreaking havoc, and here he’s scrolling through his long list of paramours for a quick rut.
“I’m on Station City for the night,” he purrs into the line. “Are you free to entertain a lonely soldier…?”
Is this why he was nowhere to be found the last time we stopped on Station City? I snort.
He jerks to attention at the sound and glares in my direction. I sweep off the cloaking cape, rolling it into a ball.
“In that case, I’ll see you then,” he says to his local lover. He tucks the comm into his chest pocket. “Eavesdropping like a pervert? That was quick.”
“Because I haven’t done a thing. Their system is in shambles. Far as I can tell, their tech team is cleaning up a mess made by some hacker.”
“Kira?” Viro asks as we head down the block. He stuffs my cloak into his pack and hefts it over his shoulder.
“Why would Kira do this without our knowledge? It was someone else. But it wasn’t just their company system. Every bounty hunter’s comm was crashed. It’s not something Kira could even pull off from the ship. It would require access to every different comm device company that the various members of the company were using. They wouldn’t all be on the same system.”
“Then it must be Alliance government work,” Viro suggests. “Who else would have that access?”
I frown. It doesn’t make sense.
“So law enforcement figured out they were working Azza contracts and shut them down.” Viro shrugs a shoulder. “Does this mean we can have a wild night on the town? I’m dying for a stiff drink.”
“You’re dying for something alright,” I quip.
“Hey, I’ve sacrificed for this rutting war,” he sniffs. “I’ve been living on scraps!”
“I’d join you if we weren’t in the same city as my mate,” I tell him. “It’s as if I feel her here, calling my name. Would it be a risk to see her? If it’s too dangerous, I’ll just lurk outside her window.”
“Please, I can smell the suffering on you,” he mutters. “No one would expect you to be here. No one is following us. No one even knew we were about to wipe these bounty hunters, so why shouldn’t you see her?”
“You telling me what I want to hear? That’s not why Kira sent you. Aren’t you supposed to keep me on a leash?”
“Listen to me,” Viro says, dropping the teasing tone. “No one was worried about you because you’re a violent psycho. We’re all big fans of that. We were worried because you won’t live your rutting life. So there’s a war? So there’s someone who deserves to die? Happens in every galaxy, in every century, since the moment this shitty universe began expanding. You can’t put your life on hold until everyone you love is safe. It won’t happen. So please go and climb in Kaye’s window. And if you remember, tell her I said hello.”
I nod stiffly.
“Alright then.”
Viro puts that charming grin back on like it’s nothing. “Now, don’t call me unless it’s important. Those Verguli females can rut all night.”
We go our separate ways. I take the speeder we arrived on, and he wanders off to use public transport. His advice to me lingers in my mind as I cross the city toward the Garden District. The air traffic is a mess in the center of the skies where so many lanes meet. Viro tends to keep his deeper emotions to himself, so it took me off guard. I guess I never realized how cynical he was. He meant well; he wants me to be happier and spend time with my mate. Perhaps I wasted too much time in this life on vengeance. Perhaps I neglected my heart and my soul before I met Kaye. But I also feel bad if Viro truly believes what he said. What drives me to keep tearing apart my enemies has always been some hopeful glimmer that each bloody step brings me closer to something more beautiful. To sacrifice a broken soul seemed like an easy trade for getting Mak what he needs to rule well, and for trying to end this war.
That part of me is why Kaye fell in love. It’s taken me the majority of a passing to figure that one out.
When I finally break out of the jammed area, I zoom past the other districts with my eyes set on that Seventh Bright Sun silhouette. I was told her precise location, so when I get close enough, I hover the speeder and count the windows and balconies. She’s staying in a one-room apartment while Raffa bunks with the other delivery boys and servers his age. She’ll be so surprised; she might even scream.
I start to smile imagining it, that is until I notice something odd.
There’s a darkly dressed figure on a speeder hovering outside the balcony that should belong to Kaye. They’ve got a helmet on, but the visor is facing opposite me, meaning they’re looking at the window.
Immediate mental blackout.
I slam on my throttle, swinging around so I can wedge their craft between my own and the stone balustrade. The male whips around when I make impact. I’m not making friendly conversation until this male is subdued, so I head for the jugular. He grunts in surprise when I lunge at him, rearing back with admirable speed. I clock that my opponent matches my sizes, meaning I’ll have to be careful. I jump to the hood of his speeder and kick him directly in the chest.
He predictably grabs for my ankle, but I’m already swinging downward with the edge of my palm. I aim the harsh chop at the neck, and he immediately chokes. The grip on my ankle loosens.
“Are you a pervert, looking in this female’s window?” I demand in Alliance-Common. “Or are you something worse?”
