Born of Legend (84 page)

“How much longer?” he asked the worker who was making notes about his cargo for payment.

“We're almost done. Then we have the
Fire Kiss
to unload, and you'll be free to go.”

Cursing in frustrated aggravation, Jullien headed toward Mary's ship while he texted her to let her know they had yet to even start unloading her hold. Three steps later, he collided with someone else who was rushing through the bay.

“Sorry,” he mumbled as he dropped his link, then froze as he met the disgruntled gaze of his twin brother, Nykyrian.

Too late, he remembered his face was still exposed.

Staring him dead in the eyes, Nykyrian cleared his throat gruffly. “It's all right. I wasn't paying attention, either. Sorry about that.” He leaned over to pick up his own link, which he'd dropped when they collided. He grabbed Jullien's and handed it to him, but not before he glanced down to see the lock screen that held a photo of Vasili and the twins. “Cute kids. Yours?”

“Yeah.… Thanks.”

“Hey, Nyk?”

Jullien held his breath as Dancer Hauk came running over to them. While his brother had never spent much time around him, that wasn't true of Dancer.

Yet like Nyk before him, Dancer looked Jullien straight in the eyes, and there was no recognition at all. Inclining his head to Jullien as an acknowledgment and to excuse them, he pulled Nyk back a step. “We have a huge problem. Have you seen the news? We have to get to Darling. Immediately.”

They ran off without so much as a backward glance.

“Titana ræl,”
Jullien breathed. Neither one had known him. Not even a
hint
of recognition had darkened their gazes. Now,
that
was screwed up.

All of a sudden, activity picked up in the bay. Fighters began launching. Alarms sounded.

Jullien ran to Mary's ship and ascended the ramp to find her inside with Ana and Thrāix. “Hey, what's going on?”

“The League just reported that they've killed Darling Cruel's fiancée during their interrogation. It's why the Caronese are scrambling. They're expecting renewed League attacks.”

Jullien winced in sympathetic pain. “We need to get out of here, then.”

Mary gasped indignantly. “What about my cargo and payment?”

“Can't spend cred if you're dead. Let's cut our losses and go.”

Thrāix nodded. “Yeah, I agree with Admiral Paranoia.”

Jullien used his powers to turn her ship on. “Get your launch codes. I want both of you out and headed home immediately.”

“Gah, I hate it when you do that. It's unnerving.” Mary shivered and scowled at him. “I thought you weren't supposed to be able to do that to any ship but your own?”

Jullien passed an amused smirk to Thrāix. They had no idea why Jullien could do that when no one else had ever developed the ability before.

Chalk it up to screwy hybrid genes.

Oxana hesitated by Jullien's side. “What about you?”

“I'll be in your shadows, the whole way. We need to get out before The League locks this entire sector down.” He nudged her forward. “Go! Your kids need you home.”

“Ouch! Unfair.” But Oxana listened and did as he said while Mary went through her prelaunch checks.

Thrāix and Jullien left her bridge to head for their ships. But as Jullien crossed the bay, he overheard some of the Caronese and other Tavali talking about a counterstrike Darling and The Sentella were planning.

Slowing down, he faltered.

Thrāix glared at him in a way that said he knew exactly what Jullien was thinking. “Are you crazy?”

“Yeah, I am,” Jullien said with a laugh. “Has there ever been any doubt?”

Thrāix shook his head. “Don't do it. Don't even
think
about it. Your wife will kill you.”

“Why? It's a
full
pardon. You heard them.”

“Only for Caronese territory.”

Jullien shook his head in denial. “Their allies will respect it, too. You know they will.” And their allies included Andaria and Triosa. As well as Exeter and Gouran … and others. More than that, it was a large chunk of the shipping routes, territories, and sectors that the Gorturnum flew through and controlled.

If Jullien flew with the Caronese strike team as a Tavali, he could get at least part of The League warrant off his back in those systems and empires.

A
full
pardon.

Thrāix cursed at him. “Dagger…”

But Jullien wasn't listening to his warnings. “Are you speaking to me as a Tris with precog, or a worried friend?”

“I'm speaking as your wingman whose CO is your wife. She'll de-nut us both if you do this.”

Jullien cupped Thrāix's ear in his hand and grinned at him. “It's only my balls on the chopping block. Get my sisters home. I have to do this, Thrāix. C'mon, it's the only way I'll ever have any kind of pardon. You know that. Some protection's better than none.”

“And if someone recognizes you as who you used to be?”

“I have to take this chance.”

Thrāix shoved him back. “You're an idiot. But Chay and Jory will be in the fighting. I'll have them cover you.”

“Thanks.”

“Thank me by not getting hurt.” Thrāix growled low in his throat. “Remember, my balls are in your hand.”

Laughing, Jullien screwed his face up. “Don't say shit like that in public. Folks'll get the wrong idea about us.”

That only encouraged Thrāix to worsen it by giving him a light kiss before he headed for his ship. Had anyone else done that, Jullien would have gutted them.

But Thrāix was Thrāix.

Unique unto himself. And Jullien treasured their friendship, weird though it could be. Amused and irritated by his friend, he turned to catch one of the staff sneering at him.

Arching his brow in confrontation, Jullien unholstered his blaster, intending to shoot at him. But as he went to pull the trigger, someone lifted his arm up and tickled his armpit.

Jullien started to punch his attacker until he saw Jory laughing in his face. “
Idydrian!
What are you doing?”

“Saving you from your own stupidity, boyo. You can't go around shooting up the Caronese. Remember, you'll blow your pardon before you even get it.”

He holstered his blaster. Maybe, but it might have been worth it. “Where's Psycho Bunny?”

“Already in flight. He's riding point for Precious Cargo and is at the head of all this with me sister to his right. I'll take you in as me wingman. You fueled?”

“Not yet.” Jullien glanced over to check their progress. “They should be about done, though.”

“Good. Our job's to keep Mack safe in battle for Ryn.”

“Babysitting? Really?”

“Yeah, piss-poor waste of me talents. But what can I do? Besides, the way she flies and fights, we'll see more than our fair share of action. Mack won't be holding back.”

That was true.

And with that thought, Jullien headed for the
Pet Hate
and made ready to launch. The battle plan was that Darling and The Sentella would lead them in. They were to hang back until Darling and Dancer could blow them an opening. Once The Sentella had the prison's shields down and control of The League's defenses, The Tavali were to get as many of the Caronese political prisoners as they could out of there and to safety.

Jullien's specific assignment was to provide air cover support for the transports and Sentella.

By the time he was grouped and in position with his Tavali team, his link started buzzing. His gut tightened automatically as he recognized Ushara's tone.

I am in serious trouble now.

But he knew better than to ignore her call. With a deep breath and prayer for divine mercy, he answered it. “Hey,
munatara.
How's my—?”

“Don't you even take that tone with me. My sisters have already ratted you out. What are you thinking?”

That your sisters might keep a secret, for once.
He should have known better. “It's a full pardon,
mia.
”

“Dagger…”

“You know I need to do this. Trust me.”

She turned on the video feed to show him an image of her holding Viv while Mira played beside them on the floor of their condo with Vasili. “I do trust you.”

“Paka!” Both twins started laughing and slapping at the link to say hi to him the instant they saw his face.

Their happiness choked him. “Hey, my girls. Paka loves you.”

They blew him sloppy kisses before they ran off, giggling.

Vasili inclined his head to him. “Hey, Paka. Stay safe. We miss you.” Then he ran after his sisters, pretending to be a beast out to scare them. They shrieked and laughed in the background as they sought to escape their big brother.

He growled at Ushara, who was wearing a way-too-tight top that she knew drove him to distraction, and if he were home, would have him dragging her off to their bedroom. “You're playing dirty,
kimu.
”

“I use what I have.”

He stared at her beautiful face, which was marred only by a worried frown. For him. “I'm not going to leave you or them. I'll be home soon and in your arms.”

“You better.”

His alarms started going off to warn him they were about to be under fire.

Tears welled in Ushara's eyes as she cut the transmission so that he could focus on his battle.

With a ragged breath, Jullien pulled his headset on and put his head in the battle as he followed Mack and Jory straight into the worst of the fighting. Yeah, it was thick. Most of The Sentella forces were already in the prison.

The Tavali ships stayed back to cover the Sentella as they landed, taking out as many of the exterior ion cannons and ground-to-air weapons as they could.

Since Jullien was left solo after Jory went to render aid to another pilot, he flew over to drop a missile. When he came up over the side, two fighters were waiting for him. He banked hard and rolled away, clearing them.

That should and would have brought him to safety, had a piece of another ship not come flying out of nowhere to hit one of his rear stabilizers and wedge in it. The impact sent him careening sideways.

His control panel lit up as the alarms sounded to warn him—as if he couldn't tell he was spiraling through space with no control. Even if he'd been asleep, the impact would have thrown him from his bunk and slammed him into a wall.

He tried to hold it steady, but his control panel went completely dark. “Jupiter?”

“I see you, Dagger. Headed your way.”

Yet it was too late. If Jullien didn't set her down, he was going to lose the ship.

Maybe his life.

Jullien had no choice. Using his powers alone, he took control and did his best to limp the ship toward the prison grounds for a hot emergency landing. Just as his nose started bleeding from the strain of flying, Jory caught him with his tractor beam and helped to set her down not far from Chayden's ship. Jullien wiped at the sweat on his forehead and blood on his nose.

Dizzy, he could feel with his powers the shrapnel that was lodged in the panel. It wouldn't take long to get it cleared.

Unfortunately, he wouldn't be able to do it while they were taking fire on the ground. They needed to get the League prison under control and the soldiers off their backs.

Switching to a hardsuit, he geared up and went to help evacuate the prisoners.

He grabbed a rifle and tested his mic before he called out to the only Tavali he personally knew on the ground. “Psycho Bunny? Holler at your Gort
drey.
Dagger's on the ground to lend a hand. Where you at, boy?”

Chayden laughed over the headset. “Hey! Dagger, head down the left corridor from the main entrance. Got a party for you. Could use your expertise. Bring it, Andarion. I want some fire to rain down on these assholes.”

Jullien headed to his location, then snorted as he saw them.
Shit
.… What the Bunny had failed to mention was that he, Ryn, his half-brother Drake Cruel, and the Sentella commander Jayne Erixour were all pinned down by League soldiers.

Luckily, Jullien came in
behind
the League forces and shot grenades into their positions. He dislodged them and opened fire so that Chayden and the others could get out and head toward safety.

Chayden paused by his side and grabbed extra ammo from Jullien's pack. “Thanks. I owe you. I ran out completely while we were trapped.”

“It's all good.”

They jogged back to where the bulk of their team was moving Caronese prisoners into transports.

Jullien took a younger kid from one of the Sentella soldiers, and half carried him on board one of The Sentella ships before he doubled back to help evacuate more from inside the prison.

As he neared Chayden, who was with more Tavali, he heard a strange popping, static sound. Concerned, Jullien slowed down.

Suddenly, the walls around them illuminated to show Kyr Zemin's furious face as he took inventory of the utter destruction The Sentella had wrought on his facility. He demanded they return the prisoners to their cells and leave the prison.

Immediately.

Jullien laughed as he joined Chayden's group. “Yeah, that always works. Enemies cooperate so well. Just for the hell of it. You know. If you ask politely enough.”

Laughing, Chayden recharged his blaster while Darling told Zemin as much, in far ruder terms.

Fain and Ryn moved to stand near them.

“What are the odds that Darling is about to do something stupid?” Fain said under his breath to Ryn while Jullien took care to stay covered in Tavali gear so that neither recognized him for who he really was. He double-checked that even his voice was masked.

Chayden snorted. “I'll take odds on radically stupid.”

“Put me down for nuclear-level idiocy,” Jullien said in a low tone. “I've never known Cruel to hold his temper long in a situation like this.”