Blue solace complete ser.., p.121
Blue Solace: Complete Series Boxset, page 121
“Can we get in?” Finn asked.
Moyra shrugged. “If we were just taking them out, we could destroy their atmospheric shield and be done with them. However, we want to keep the slaves alive. My people can disable their long-range weapons from within and we can land. From there, it’s going to be a hard fight.”
“Can our ships take out any of their buildings from the air before landing?” Crow asked.
Moyra looked conflicted. “I want to say yes, but these people have their own slaves outside of the ones they sell. We’ll have a lot of civilian casualties if we do that.”
“I wish we had Death with us.” Finn sighed. “We can’t depend on him for everything though, and if we move him from Dramacus, King Xaran is likely to try something.”
Fasi rubbed his furry chin. “What are their numbers like?”
“About even with ours.” Moyra nodded at Leslie. “That’s counting all of the green fleet that’s here on Rueal too.”
Ronnie whistled. “That’s a lot of pirates.”
“He’s the worst in the system.” Crow scowled. “Occasionally, one of the planets would try to find him and take him out, but no one had any luck.”
“Not until now.” Fasi grinned and stood. “I’ll talk to the rest of the planets in the system and get us more ships. I want to outnumber them when we go in. Let’s sabotage them from within and overwhelm them from the outside.”
Crow eyed the man. “Aren’t you supposed to go straight back to Charybdis Station? Wasn’t that what you told Dru?”
“I recall him saying that.” Otto gave the Lord Admiral a hard look. “We’re supposed to borrow a ship from the green lieutenant and return to the station.”
Fasi made a face. “Fuck that. I can help here, and I just so happen to be here. We’ll leave when I’m ready.”
Otto and everyone else in the room groaned while Crow just smiled. Fasi Juren really is the strangest planetary leader I know.
Later that night, Crow, Finn, and the others gathered in Diana’s villa again. Crow had started thinking of the place as his mom’s home. Dermot and Jenise were already settled into the house Dermot and he had grown up in, and they had made it their own. Diana had quickly made the villa her own too.
“Are you two going to mind if I move to Charybdis Station?” Crow asked. Dermot and he sat in his mom’s office while she finished up some paperwork.
Diana looked up and smiled. “I’ll miss you, baby boy, but I’m not going to mind. I think it’s the best choice for you and Finn.”
Dermot yawned and nodded. “Same here. I’ll miss seeing you all the time, but you have a new life to make now that Mom’s taking your old one over.”
Diana rolled her eyes while Dermot and Crow laughed.
Crow hesitated a moment, then smoothed a hand over his abdomen. His jacket was thick and easily covered the very slight bulge. “I’m pregnant.”
Diana’s tablet clattered to the desk, and Dermot’s mouth dropped open.
“Way to give me a damn heart attack, Aiden. You’re pregnant already?” Dermot asked.
He smiled. “Mom was the one who reminded me birth control is always a little finicky for hybrids.”
Diana sat back in her chair and wiped at her eyes. “Oh, Aiden. This is good news. Gods, I hope your child takes after Finn.”
Crow laughed hard enough to snort. “You aren’t the only one.”
She shook her head. “I’ll be visiting Charybdis Station often, son. You and Finn are going to be good parents.”
He licked his lips. “How is it you go right to what’s worrying me?”
“I know you.” She gave him a look. “You’re just like me and overthink everything. Being a parent is even scarier than being in love, Aiden. I know you’ll figure it out though.”
“We’ll still be here for you too.” Dermot punched his shoulder. “We’re just a call away, and Mom won’t be the only one taking a vacation.” He grinned. “Jenise is going to be so jealous. We just started to try for kids.”
Crow smiled wryly. “It was unexpected.” He was quiet for a minute. “You’ll both help Jada, right?”
Diana nodded. “The election is next week, and we’re voting for her. The senate is pissed that she’s running because she’s a hybrid, but the only way this place will really change is if someone keeps stirring it up.”
“Senate elections are next year.” Dermot grinned. “A couple of Dad’s friends are thinking about putting their names in for consideration to represent Pagent’s Distillery.”
Crow nodded. Rueal would come back better than before. He felt lighter after talking to them about leaving. He had clung to the planet because its future was important to his dad. Now, he felt like he could finally start to plan his own future.
A knock at the door interrupted them.
Lumi leaned in and grinned at them. “Lunch is ready, and you might want to hurry before it’s all gone.”
Diana chuckled. “Finn’s people sure eat a lot.”
“I love it.” Lumi danced in place. “It’s nice to have a job that I picked myself. I made your favorite, Diana.”
She stood and smiled. “Thanks, Lumi. We’ll come now.”
Crow followed his mom and brother from the office. He looked around until he found Finn. His mate sat curled up next to the window watching the rain. Roxy sprawled across his lap, wings gently flapping in her sleep.
Sandve, Amelia, and Weber sat with him, talking quietly. Finn smiled softly at something one of them said, and Crow’s heart sped up.
“You’re worse than a teenager.” Diana shook her head. “Look at those eyes, Dermot.”
“They’re basically hearts. It’s ridiculous.”
Crow shoved his brother. “You were worse when you met Jenise.”
Dermot laughed. “Yeah, probably.”
Fasi, in shifted form, came in and shook the rain from his body.
Lumi tsked. “We have a mudroom in the back, Lord Admiral, and I know I told you about it before you went for a run.”
Fasi looked up and gave the former slave a pitiful look.
Lumi’s stern expression disappeared. “Oh, you’re too cute to scold.”
Moyra snorted. “You get use to him after a while, Lumi. Then you can scold to your heart’s content.”
Fasi ignored them and headed toward the back of the house. A few minutes later, he came back in, shifted and dressed. “I do miss going for runs. I never seem to have the time back home.”
Crow went to sit next to Finn while Lumi started loading down the table with food. “You look sleepy.”
Finn nodded, eyes heavy. “I am. I think your pregnancy is wearing me out.”
Amelia snorted. “That’s not how it works, Finn.”
Sandve leaned closer to Crow. “The Lord Admiral contacted the political leaders of Aruta, Rueal, and Tammol. They’re sending ships to help with the attack on the pirate base.”
“We’re calling it Operation Weasel.” Finn snickered. “Seriously, why would he choose that name?”
Crow shook his head. “We’ll need to talk to him. Is anyone in charge of locating and restraining him during the attack?”
“Moyra has Noe on it,” Sandve said.
Finn held his arms out. “Enough work talk. Snuggle me, then let’s go eat. The damn pregnancy has me starving.”
Crow gently slid Finn and Roxy into his lap. “My pleasure.”
Chapter 17
Sugarworm System, Esinda - Smallest Moon of Planet Aruta
Finn stood behind the captain’s chair on the bridge of the Blue Albatross. His ship was one of his fleet’s heavy hitters and carried a large number of soldiers. Crow and Fasi stood with him while Weber directed the pilots, and Rufus circled above them all.
“Alber is worth more than we pay him.” Fasi shook his head as they watched a door to the space port open, over and over again. The pirates clearly thought it was a glitch in their systems and not shuttles carrying soldiers into the base.
“That’s the truth.” Finn bit his lip as another large shuttle signaled they had entered the spaceport. “It will take a while to get everyone in, but with our shields, this just may work.”
Charybdis Station shuttles and smaller grade ships were transporting their soldiers into the base while their allies gathered on the other side of the moon. With luck, they would be well prepared for the ground attack before the Weasel or his people even knew they were there.
Finn turned to Crow. “You’ll stay on the ship with Fasi, right?”
Crow snorted. “No. We had this conversation already, Finn.”
“I think we should have it again until you agree to stay on the ship with Fasi.”
Crow tugged him into his arms and gave him a soft kiss. “I’ll watch my back, but I’m watching yours too. I’ll pick a high spot on one of the warehouses and keep an eye on you. Deal with it.”
Weber stood. “Time to load up in the shuttle, everyone who is going. Ignali, keep us in contact with everyone.”
“Yes, sir.” Ignali tipped his chin up. “Lieutenant, where did the Lord Admiral go?”
Finn looked around. “He was just here. Sandve?”
The operative looked around, groaning. “I was watching the shuttles. Damn it. I’ll check the restrooms.”
“I’ll check his quarters.” Otto shook his head. “The man is too big to lose this easily.”
“Good job there, operatives.” Brisco chuckled. “I’d mock you more, but the Lord Admiral is tricky. Good luck.”
Finn wished he could say goodbye to Fasi, but he couldn’t wait. “Let’s go.” He took Crow’s hand, and they hurried to the shuttle. “You have extra shields?”
“Yes. Do you?”
Finn grinned. “Yes. Be careful.”
“You too, love.” Crow leaned over and kissed him. “Brisco is staying on your ass, and Parker is with me.”
Brisco whooped. “Let’s go pirate hunting!”
Parker shook his head. “He makes me feel old.”
“You are old,” Brisco said over his shoulder.
“You’re two years older than me.” Parker scowled and shoved Brisco.
They loaded into the shuttle, and in less than an hour, they were inside the pirate base.
Finn watched out the window as they silently flew above the heads of the Weasel’s engineers gathered around the docking controls. “You know, ever since we got a hold of Full Moon’s tech, our battles have gotten a lot easier. Can you imagine trying to take this place without it?”
“No.” Crow sighed. “This guy has been a problem in the system for a while. I wish we could have found the base and gotten rid of him sooner.”
The shuttle landed in an empty corner, and they quickly unloaded so the shuttle could leave before someone ran into it.
Finn held tightly to Crow’s hand as long as he could, but they reached the entrance to the spaceport too quickly. “Be careful,” he whispered one more time before heading to his assigned position with Brisco.
Finn and Brisco were joining the soldiers taking one of the three barracks. Finn grabbed a spot near a window and waited.
“I hate waiting,” Brisco whispered. “It’s worse than being disemboweled.”
“Have you ever been disemboweled?” Finn asked, amused.
“Well, no, but this is definitely worse.”
Finn rolled his eyes and watched the men and women inside the barracks. At least it doesn’t look like there are any slaves inside.
Clearly someone came to clean up after the messy bastards, but Finn couldn’t see anyone in there at the moment.
“Go time.” Ignali’s voice came through the line. “Follow your orders exactly.”
Finn heard the noise in the spaceport from where he stood. Their allies were charging it. Moyra’s people had disabled the pulse cannons and long-range weapons, which meant their allies were able to shoot their way in without too many casualties. Hopefully.
Brisco broke the glass in the window they stood next to, and Finn tossed one of Beck’s pulse grenades into the large front room. The electric shocks shot through the room, frying each of the pirates within.
Finn could hear glass breaking and more screams from the rest of the barracks. First attack is a success.
Pirates began flooding the room as they came from farther inside the barracks.
Brisco and Finn took turns throwing grenades inside until the pirates began firing toward their position. Finn directed Rufus into the room, and his bot began shooting a path through the pirates firing at them.
“Let’s switch windows.” Brisco tugged Finn to another window, and they repeated their tactic. Eventually, pirates stopped coming through the room. They were either all dead or had found another exit.
“Clearing out barrack three now.” One of his soldiers’ voices came through the comm in Finn’s ear.
“Heading to barrack two.” Finn tugged Brisco, and they ran toward the next of the huge buildings. They were supposed to check to make sure all barracks were taken care of before moving on to the warehouses.
Barrack two was in the same state as the previous one, but pirates had overwhelmed the Charybdis Station soldiers in barrack one. The fighting was already intense as more pirates joined the fight from a nearby bar.
“Fuck. Fighting is dirty at barrack one,” Finn said into his comm, then engaged his shield’s visibility so no one would accidently shoot him.”
He launched into the fight using his altered gravity boots and landed on top of one of the pirates, his blade already slicing into the back of the man’s neck.
Rufus buzzed around him, taking every shot that Finn directed. Finn spun and kicked a charging pirate, then stabbed into his chest before knocking the man down and hopping over him, pulling his blade free as he moved.
The fighting went fast, and Finn focused on taking out the people closest to him. He didn’t notice the man running toward him from behind until he was almost upon him.
Finn spun and blocked the man’s blade but felt a burning pain in his side. He cried out, and his arm lost its strength. The pirate’s blade pressed closer to him as he fell to his knees.
His arm finally gave way, and the man’s grinning face filled Finn’s view. Then the man was gone, tackled by a large purple Grell in shifted form. The Lord Admiral tore the screaming man’s throat out, then came to stand over Finn, growling at any that approached.
“Damn it, Fasi. Hack will kill me if you die.” Finn tried to focus on directing Rufus to take out the pirates approaching, but he could barely keep his eyes open.
Shots came from above, and the pirates started falling fast. My mate really is a good shot. Pain was spreading fast, and Finn’s vision dimmed.
When he woke again, he was in the med bay of the Blue Albatross. The beds were full of wounded soldiers, and doctors and nurses rushed around.
“Finn?” Crow’s voice was thick with tears.
Finn moved his head, wincing at the pain. “Aiden. I’m sorry. I got hurt.”
Crow was a disheveled mess, his eyes bloodshot. “I saw it all. You scared the shit out of me.”
“Is Fasi okay?”
Crow’s laugh was rough. “He’s fine. He had a few cuts and bruises, but he saved your ass.”
“So did you.” Finn smiled, already feeling his eyes closing again. “You had our backs.”
“Not quick enough.”
Finn tried to tell him to stop being dramatic, but he was asleep again before the words could get out.
The next time he awoke, the med bay was a little calmer. Crow still sat beside him, his facial hair a testament to how long Finn had been unconscious. Two, maybe three days.
Amelia slept in another chair near his bed. She looked as tired as Finn felt.
“Thirsty,” Finn managed to say.
Crow startled and grabbed his hand.
Amelia woke up at the sound of his voice and sat up fast. “Oh sweetheart. You’re awake.” She hurried to get him a glass of water and held it for Finn to sip from. “The doctor needs to come look you over again.”
“The mission?”
“We took the base.” Crow waved his hand to one of the nurses passing by. “He’s awake again.”
“Casualties?”
Crow gave him a sad look. “It was rough. The pirates fought hard. Our allies lost close to a hundred all together, and between your and Leslie’s fleets, we lost forty-six.”
Finn squeezed his eyes shut. “Damn it. My captains? Brisco and Parker?”
“They all made it.” Crow laughed roughly. “Brisco is pissed he wasn’t there to save you.”
“Fasi is in big trouble.”
“No, he isn’t.” Crow shook his head. “He’s my fucking hero. The asshole snuck down with us and helped out where he could.”
“I’m still gonna yell at him.” Finn winced as he tried to lift his hand. “Are my ears and tail still there?”
Amelia laughed. “That’s what you’re worried about? Yes, your ears and tail are fine. Your innards aren’t so good. You were shot in the gut, sweetheart. You almost died.”
“I’m sorry.” Finn sniffed. “I didn’t mean to scare you all.”
Crow squeezed his fingers and swallowed hard. “I can’t lose you, Finn.”
“I see you’re finally awake.” Fasi, Otto, and Sandve walked toward Finn’s bed. “You’re still too pale, son.”
“You’re in big trouble.” Finn tried to glare, but it hurt. “Are you sure my ears are okay?” he asked Crow.
Crow rolled his eyes. “Your ears are still adorable, love. I promise.”
“I don’t feel my tail.”
Crow waved Finn’s tail at him. “See, it really is okay. You’re just so out of it on pain meds. You shouldn’t feel anything for a while.”
Fasi sat next to him and took his other hand. “You scared us, Finn. Hack had to do some talking to keep Dannol from stealing a ship and flying here to get you.”
