Page 10 of Furi

“My ship is in orbit; we can help with that. Give you a complete new upload. Who knows you are here?”

The baby stirred and every male standing there turned towards the staircase. There was movement upstairs and a female’s voice soothing the child. The men turned back to him.

“If you are here to harm the female and child we will kill you.”

“I am not here for them.”

“A human called Beale.” The leader told him. “He drinks and talks. A school hood friend of the last male here. He’s trouble. We were kept hidden by this family, safe for many decades. Knowing others would use us here and Earth Corp would be looking for us.”

“Is she not using you too? The daughter?” He sneered as he heard her descend the stairs.

“It’s rather rude to sneer about someone you do not know.” Her soft voice reached him. The men parted and a female stepped through. Her scent on the air the tendrils of it reaching him. She passed the baby to the leader who naturally took it and held her gently to him.

Like she belonged to him….

Pain showed on his optic that he shouldn’t be feeling. The female stared at him. Not at all scared. It was as humbling as his optic told him it was beautiful to behold. “

Who are you? You are not one of my boys.” She looked to the leader who was rocking the baby. “Has he been lost and alone all this time?”

“No. He is not one of us. He has a ship in space. Says we are an Empire now.”

“An Empire? Is that good?”

“We no longer answer to humans and not slaves.” He bit out. Drawing their attention back to him. He wanted her eyes on him not the leader of this group.

As she turned back to him he saw the intelligence resting there. “You’re being rude again. Do you not know the difference between polite conversation and rudeness?”

He snorted. “You’re lucky I’m not arresting you!”

Several things happened at once. The baby was handed back to a Cyborg in the rear who held the sleeping child to his chest and the whole front row of Cyborgs stepped forward, the leader gently moving her to behind him, the others surrounding her taking a defensive stance.

“You will not touch our female.” The leader growled.

The female pushed passed the men in front of her. “Jesus. Give a girl some room! No blood on the floor. You know how much I hate cleaning that up!” She moved through the line elbowing her way through, the Cyborgs with her smirking. And faced him.

“What the hell is your problem?!” She demanded. “Breaking and entering is an offense here.”

“So is keeping slaves of the Empire.” He bit out.

They all stilled. The female frowning. “There ….are… no …slaves ….of the Empire here.” The female told him angrily with some shock in her voice.

He chinned to all the men at her back. “Really? So who are they?”

The females frown deepened. “My friends, my family.”

“And how did that happen?” He bit out.

The female lost her patience. “You know what? I don’t like your tone or inclination.” And looked at the leader. “4, he’s your problem. I want him gone.”

She went to take the child, but the baby was passed back to 4 who took it caring for it again. “You’re angry, that’s no good for the baby. I’ll deal with it and bring Emily up when I’m done.”

She nodded without a backwards glance, left the room.

It felt like all the heat had just died. And looked on to the Cyborg holding the child. His chest clenched.

Legacy….

“You upset her for no reason.” Another Cyborg told him. “My optic tells me I do not like that.”

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