Blue solace complete ser.., p.122
Blue Solace: Complete Series Boxset, page 122
Otto smiled down at him. “Despite the losses, the mission was a success. The Vextonians were recovered, along with a whole hell of a lot of other slaves.”
“The thirteen missing?” Finn asked. “Ezvin?”
Crow shook his head. “No Ezvin.”
“The Weasel is in a cell.” Fasi looked grim. “Noe and Moyra are interrogating him now.”
Finn tried to sit up. “I want to see.”
Crow cursed. “Damn it, Finn. Stay there. What part of you almost died did you not understand? You’re lucky to be conscious right now.”
Finn came close to whining. “I want to see Moyra and Noe beat up the Weasel.”
“Finn, you need to rest,” Amelia said.
“Please?” Finn asked, voice plaintive.
“Gods damn it.” Fasi pulled up his tablet, scowling as he did something on it. “Here. You can watch it.”
Finn sniffled, then smiled. “Thanks.”
On the screen of Fasi’s tablet, Moyra and Noe sat across a table from a Human-Drall hybrid. The man was big, and he looked like he’d already been worked over.
The Weasel practically pouted. “I don’t know where they are. We sell slaves all around the galaxy. I can’t possibly keep track of them all. The only reason my warehouses were full is because of you fuckers and your damn threats against those who bought the Vextonians. They’re just property. It was no big deal until your stupid station made it one.”
Noe flipped a throwing knife over and over in his hand. “Can I kill him?”
“No.” Moyra sounded sad. “I think we’re supposed to be the good guys or something like that.”
The Weasel smirked. “Sorry, I can’t help you.”
Noe’s blade flew across the table and pinned the Weasel’s hand to the table. The man screamed in pain.
“Noe, good guys, remember?” Moyra didn’t seem too horribly upset.
Another blade flew through the air and pinned the Weasel’s other hand to the chair arm. Noe pulled a third knife from his vest. “He’s not dead.”
“I suggest you tell us where they are before he tries to pin your dick to the chair.” Moyra grinned and batted her eyes. “Actually, can you wait until after? I want to see if his aim is that good. I mean, there’s a table over your lap.”
Noe slid from his chair. “Look, Moyra. It’s that easy. I can see his crouch from here. No problem.”
“I can’t tell you.” Sweat covered the Weasel’s face, and he was pale from pain. “They’ll kill me.”
Moyra snorted. “We’ll kill you if you don’t, and I can guarantee to make it as painful as possible. My buddy Alber can fiddle with the recordings to make it look like you tried to escape. Then, it’s all ‘Oops! Sorry, Lord Admiral. I slipped and my blade stabbed him twenty-eight times. No, sir, I don’t know how his dick got cut off.’”
“I didn’t think he could get paler,” Finn whispered, eyes wide.
“Why is Moyra always threatening to cut a dick off?” Sandve asked. “She could be a little more creative. What about boiling or being eaten alive by rodents?”
“Okay,” the Weasel said, voice thick with pain.
Otto gave Sandve a look. “Clearly her methods work just fine.”
“Fuck, okay.” The Weasel looked close to passing out. “Get these things out of my hands.”
“After you talk.” Noe kept his face bland. “Where are they?”
“There’s this resort. It’s real selective and private. The only people who know about it are members and those that work there. I work for them a lot. When a certain type of slave crosses my path, I send them there.”
“What type?” Moyra asked, voice quiet.
“Young and pretty.” The man kept his eyes on the table. “They like to get them young so they can start training and conditioning them. Omiri is my contact there.” His eyes darted up when Moyra started pacing as she eyed him in disgust. “Don’t look at me like that. They don’t fuck them right away or anything. I’m not a monster. They just put them on a special diet and start cosmetic surgery to fix any flaws. Omiri likes to make sure they’re nice and subservient before training them as bed slaves when they turn twelve.”
Finn growled, ears flat. “Kill him. Kill the fucking monster.”
Fasi squeezed his hand. “After he tells us where.”
Moyra stilled. “Where is the resort, and who are the members?”
“It’s on Fire Veil in the Silverlight System. All the leaders of Humans First were members, but some of the other planetary leaders were too. You’ve killed most of them, so I don’t know who all is there now.” The Weasel started swaying. “Can I see a doctor now?”
Another blade flew through the air and landed in the center of the man’s forehead. The Weasel went lax in his chair, dead.
“Damn it, Noe. I wanted to make it hurt more.” Moyra glared at the other operative.
“It slipped,” Noe said, voice dry.
Fasi turned off the tablet. “We know where to go. We’ll find him, Finn.”
Otto squeezed Fasi’s shoulder. “You’re going back to the station, Lord Admiral. Crow and Finn can handle this. It’s a long trip to the Silverlight System. Finn can heal up so he’s in peak condition to kick some ass.”
Fasi growled. “I don’t want to go.”
Finn closed his eyes, feeling sleep creeping up. He was so tired, and he kept seeing Ezvin and Hazel’s smiling faces. “Remember to take Amelia home too.”
“Maybe I don’t want to go either,” Amelia said and pressed a hand to his forehead. “My sweet boy, you need to rest.”
“Finn and me will find them, Fasi. You and Amelia can go home now.” Crow’s deep voice soothed Finn, and he let himself go.
They would find Ezvin and make the people who hurt him pay.
Chapter 18
Silverlight System, en route to Planet Fire Veil
Crow dozed in one of the large chairs in their quarters aboard the Blue Albatross. Finn sat curled in his lap, fiddling with his medallion while he spoke with Halli on his tablet.
“Tammol said they could take in more if we need them to, but considering they took in all of those we found on Dramacus, I’m worried we’ll strain them too much. I’ll talk to Audre when we’re finished on Fire Veil and see when we can start sending the Vextonians back home. I think she wants to make sure the new government and economic trade routes are in place so they don’t all starve to death if we leave them there.”
“The first wave of Vextonians are settled in their temporary homes. The second wave are in transport, but most are near their destinations. The latest wave just began their journey.” Halli looked better rested than normal. The Fallon’s skin was brighter, and the bags under her eyes were starting to fade. “The last of the Vextonians are being secured. It’ll take a little time to process them and send them to safety, but we’re getting there, Finn.”
A feather tickled Crow’s nose. Roxy sat behind him on the back of the chair. She had grown over the last month, so she didn’t quite fit. She compensated by bracing her front half on Crow’s shoulder and had one wing spread over his head.
This is my life now. I’m a chair for my mate and his hiss beast. Finn stroked a hand over Crow’s slight baby bump. And a house for our baby. A year ago, Crow would never have thought he’d be so content and at peace with this life.
“We should reach Fire Veil in a couple of days.” Finn rubbed his eyes and yawned. “After we rescue Ezvin and the others, it’s just a matter of getting people to the right place.”
Halli looked concerned. “Are you healthy enough to do this? Weber told me he and the other captains could handle things.”
Finn rolled his eyes. “I’m perfectly well.”
Crow snorted. “He is not perfectly well. It’s been less than a month. His innards are still recovering, though he’s mobile now and not at risk of dying from his injuries. The doctor said he needed to rest and take it easy.”
Finn’s ears flattened, and he glared at Crow. “I can handle this.”
“Oh, I know you can.” Crow placed a kiss on one black fuzzy ear. “You’re one of the strongest people I know. I’m just saying you aren’t perfectly well.”
Halli chuckled. “I’ll leave you two to argue. I’ll see you at the meeting in the morning.”
Finn set his tablet aside and watched Crow for a moment. “You’ve been worried about something lately.”
Crow smiled wryly. “How the hell do you notice stuff like that? You’re constantly working or resting, and we’ve only really known each other for a short time.” Also, I thought I hid my nerves better than I obviously have.
“You’re my mate.” Finn leaned up and gave him a gentle kiss. “I’ll always do my best to notice you no matter how busy or tired I am. I can’t promise I’ll be perfect, but I’ll try my hardest. Now, what’s wrong?”
“I thought I lost you, Finn.” Crow let out a deep breath, shoulders losing some of their tension. He hadn’t realized he’d been carrying it around for as long as he had. “I’m scared I’ll lose you. Maybe it’ll be in this next fight. Maybe you’ll get sick. Hell, maybe you’ll end up seeing me the way I see myself and leave me. Losing Dad was hard, and life became almost meaningless. All I could think of was getting back at Jevio, Malone, and HF. It’s hard to live again. I don’t know what I’d do if I lost you too.”
Finn leaned his head against Crow’s chest. “I want to tell you that I’ll never leave you, but there are things I can’t control. I can promise that I’ll never willingly leave you. You’re a good man, Aiden. One day, you’re going to realize it, and I’ll be right there by your side.”
Crow spit out a feather from Roxy’s wing. “You swear?”
Finn looked up, golden eyes luminous. “I swear it. I want to see where you and I go from here. I want to see our baby born. If it’s a girl, I want to name her Hazel. If it’s a boy, I want to name him Perick. I don’t want to forget the pain of losing our loved ones, but I want to move on and be happy with you.”
Crow closed his eyes and felt the last of his uncertainty slip away. “Then that’s what we’ll do. Here on out, I’m all in, Finn. You’re mine and I’m yours.”
Roxy settled her head next to his and started purring.
Finn smiled, eyes shining. “Roxy is yours too.”
Crow sighed. “Yeah. The fucking hiss beast is mine too.”
Finn’s tablet chimed with an incoming call and he yawned. “Everyone wants to talk today.” He answered the call. “Oh, hey Juniper.”
Crow hadn’t met this friend yet. The Fallon looked a little harried. That didn’t stop him from smiling at Finn and Crow.
“You must be Crow.” Juniper blew a strand of his golden hair from his eyes. “I’ve been meaning to give you a call and say hello.”
“Finn tells me you’re a busy man.” Crow sighed when Roxy leaned further onto his shoulder so she could see Juniper.
“That’s no excuse.” Juniper made a face. “The diner is much more manageable now that Tempest and her mom are helping me. We just hired a new cook too and she’s wonderful.”
Finn gave the screen a curious look. “Why do you look so out of sorts then?”
Juniper gave them a guilty look. “So, we wanted to do something special for you two since Crow is leaving his home to be with you.”
“Uh oh.” Finn groaned. “What happened?”
“Well, first Mo and Pops decided you needed some Druffle.”
“Of course they did.” Finn looked resigned. “How many did I end up with?”
Juniper smiled apologetically. “Not as many as Draif. Yet. They started installing tunnels and Pops got it in his head that your house was too small since Crow is pregnant.”
“For the love of catnip, it has three bedrooms. What did he do?” Finn asked, eyes wide.
“He’s adding a second floor and remodeling the first floor to be more spacious.” Juniper winced. “Dannol and I packed your things. We’ll move everything back in when we’re done.”
“I really love Pops, even if he can be a bit much.” Finn’s eyes were soft. “I guess that’s not too bad.”
“That’s not all.” Juniper wrinkled his nose. “I thought I would do some landscaping to go with your renovations so I planted a Rueal sundrop rose bush to make Crow feel more at home.”
“Thanks?” Finn said, eyeing his friend. “Why do I get the feeling that didn’t turn out like you wanted?”
Juniper winced. “Sebastian has a new apprentice, and she decided to help the rose bush. Now, your whole yard and half of Dannol’s is full of them. I’m transplanting them all over the neighborhood.”
Crow chuckled. “Why do I get the feeling things like this are normal for Charybdis Station?”
Silverlight System, Planet Fire Veil
Two days later, their fleet arrived at Fire Veil. From space, the red planet looked like it was on fire. It was small, much smaller than Vextonar and Union Station. Crow knew the atmosphere was breathable, but the heat was almost unbearable. A small spaceport was located in the northern hemisphere, but it had to use an artificial atmosphere to maintain a livable temperature.
Finn stood on the bridge with Weber, each of his other captains pulled up on vid-screens. Crow sat with Brisco and Parker. He held Roxy in his lap and watched his mate carefully. Finn had started working out on his silks to build up his strength, and Crow was afraid he’d pushed himself too hard.
“Noe is on the planet now.” Moyra made a face. “He says the place is a piece of shit, but we knew that. It’s not a fuel stop. It’s just meant as a base for hunters and prospectors.”
“The Weasel didn’t say where the resort was, but surely it has to be obvious.” Althea made a face. “The wealthy elite wouldn’t want to go through Fire Veil’s spaceport. It would be too obvious for one thing, but it really is a piece of shit.”
“Moyra, can Alber hack into the spaceport’s defenses?” Crow asked. “If it is involved with this resort, we’ll see some sign of it in the tech they use. They should be as junky as the docks and base.”
Moyra looked thoughtful. “If they’re not, then we know they have more money and connections than expected. Good idea. I’ll get him to do it.”
“We’re scanning the surface of the planet as well.” Weber tilted his head toward Ignali. “Likely, it’s as well shielded as the pirate base was.”
“Okay. Report back in one hour. We’ll see what we’ve discovered.” Finn disconnected from his captains and went to stand beside Berenna.
She stood at the viewport, watching the planet approach. “He’s down there.”
Crow set Roxy on Parker’s lap and went to stand on her other side. “We’ll get him back.”
Finn wrapped an arm around her waist. “Then, the two of you will meet Ival on Vextonar. Will you stay there or go to live on Genarg?”
“Genarg.” Berenna seemed certain. “I’m done with Vextonar. I know some of the others want to go back and make it a better home, but I just want to get away from it and all the memories it holds. Life was never easy there.”
“Plus, you have two Crellic babies to take care of,” Finn reminded her with a smile. “Genarg is their birth home.”
They stood together and did their best to distract Berenna from her worries. An hour passed quickly.
Moyra grinned. “Alber didn’t have to go far into their systems. They have tech resembling that of both the pirates and the Belcrest assassins. What do you want to bet the resort is nearby, and the spaceport is a front?”
“The Belcrest guild keeps popping up.” Weber scowled. “Where are they based again?”
Moyra gave them a blank look. “Uh, Union Station and Vextonar, I think.”
Finn groaned. “Do you think they would be involved in the security here?”
“They’re assassins, not mercs.” Brisco looked thoughtful. “Why would they be here?”
“If their base of operations is in flux, then they may be taking any job they can,” Moyra said, shrugging. “That’s all speculation though. I’ll have Noe do some digging. Hold tight for a little while longer.”
Two hours later, Noe had politely questioned one of the spaceport managers. The resort was twenty miles north of the spaceport, in a mountain range off limits to hunters. It was also heavily guarded and shielded with more than an atmospheric shield.
“Fuck.” Crow stood with Finn and watched the images from the scan. The resort looked impenetrable. “Nothing is ever easy.”
Moyra rolled her shoulders. “Okay. Full Moon goes in and sabotages the defenses?”
“Can you get over the walls and through the shields?” Finn asked, eyes narrowed in thought.
Moyra looked over her shoulder, then back at them. “Alber says he could if given time, but it will take a while. They’re better than the pirate base.”
“The Weasel sends slaves here, right? What if he sent a few more?” Finn rubbed his chin and his tail swayed in the air behind him. “At the very least, they would open the front door to inspect them.”
Moyra started to grin. “My operatives could sneak in while the guards were distracted.”
“Bring down the shield and I can lead the fleet in, taking out the towers and pulse cannons,” Weber said.
“Have Noe ask the spaceport manager the normal process the Weasel goes through. I imagine he doesn’t usually come himself.” Finn smiled widely. “I’ll go take a shower. I’ll need to look my best.”
“Whoa.” Crow held his hands up. “You’re still recovering, and we don’t even know if the Weasel brings older slaves.”
Finn’s brow furrowed. “Did you just call me old?”
Crow rolled his eyes when the other captains laughed at them. “No, fluffball. You’d be a wonderful addition to their resort.”
“So would I.” Berenna turned away from the window, face determined. “I’ll go with Finn too.”
Crow smiled sadly. “Berenna, you’re pregnant. While you are absolutely beautiful, I can almost guarantee they don’t want a pregnant slave at this kind of resort.”
