Page 11 of Furi

“She and her family saved us, cared for us, kept us safe from others who’d take advantage of us.” Another spoke up.

“You are not free.” He told them.

“We are as free as we can be. Making the best of our situation. Finding caring humans to work with that are in both our benefits. She is alone now with the child. Her parents are both gone. We will not leave them.” Another told him adamantly.

He breathed in for her scent and found the child. So much like hers. Carrying who he knew now was 4s scent too. “You are a lucky male. A child to care for, to bring up in this world. Is she your mate?”

“I do not know but cannot be without her.”

“Understood. I will leave now and make my report to the Admiral, our Head of State. I will be back with the upload and an update. You can choose to take the upload or not. There is no risk to your systems.” With a nod he left the way he came, this time not having to avoid the security forces surrounding the place.

He felt bereft. It was all over his optic, and he had no idea why. Like he’d lost something important. With no right to be having such emotions.

The female belonged to someone else.

And there was the issue of if her family had enslaved his.

He’d scented no lies from the female. She believed what she’d told him as true. But that didn’t mean that someone hadn’t. Her parents were gone, he couldn’t interview them for the truth of it. That left him with no choice but to interview her. And he could guess that wasn’t going to be easy to achieve.

She didn’t like him.

He’d scented that too.

His optic showing his conflict not liking that much either.

Making his way to his bike his data going over everything he’d seen and heard. Two guards standing there. The Cyborgs he’d found had a sense of loyalty to the female. It wasn’t uncommon. Those trapped often made alliances finding a form of attachment. It was logical with the degradation of the programming. He gave a nod to the two security.

It was unusual for a troop to be on an isolated neuro link. They were normally on special ops. Commando duty. If going to a new world, that would mean taking it over and possibly removing the colonists for one reason or another at Earth Corps insistence and orders. It was secret work. Dark work. His logic wondered if the female knew that.

That she had killers in her midst.

Had it been the right world and her in their way, the outcome would have been very different.

No mate.

No child.

Possibly forcefully removed or worse.

Not that she needed to know that. And yet his data showed a small percentage that he wanted to tell her.

Would that make any difference? He doubted it. And yet the logic remained.

Did he think telling her would sway her away from the leader?

He had no data to support that. It was a coveted emotion. Another he shouldn’t be having.

Either way, the drunk Beale needed dealing with.

Riding back he connected to the community’s hub and located him. He’d made his way out of the jail and was back in the tavern. This time, needing to be in the shadows he donned a cloak and watched. It wasn’t long before the male was demanding drinks.

He could see how this would go and he needed him out of there before it went that way again. They didn’t need more attention. Connecting to his ship he requested prisoner pick up at his location. And not long before his neuro net pinged confirming an off-worlder had landed and troops were on their way to him. Confirming stealth, he waited until his target was getting loud and starting to draw too much attention. Several men getting in his face, the barman telling them to throw him out.

His troops arriving at that very moment.

Beale hit the deck, thrown out through the tavern doors landing hard in the street. Clearly not for the first time. Getting up he was all swagger, shouting about injustice and ignorant people. Staggering from side to side he made his way down the deserted street.

Turning he looked at the troop leader and spoke over his neuro net. Take him. Medbed detox. He is to stay on the ship until I say otherwise.

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