Page 181 of Alien Haven

“You’d better damn well believe it.” She knuckled hot tears dry. “He feels guilty for allowing so many to be hurt while he tried to find a way to stop Copeland. Maybe he was right to give up years of our lives to do so, but damn it, enough is enough!”

She swiveled so her back was to the men. She couldn’t stop grief from streaming down her cheeks. Copeland’s long-awaited death should be a celebratory moment instead of another reason to cry.

Why couldn’t Borey be less noble…be more like her? Despite those Charity had found who cared for her, she wanted to be worthy to have her father in her life.

Didn’t she deserve to not come second to the rest of the universe for once?

Chapter Twenty-three

Detodev caught himself humming a tune as he took soil samples in the east field early in the morning. He glanced at his surroundings to see if anyone heard him doing so.

The Nobek chuckled at his foolishness. So what if he was caught sounding happy? Someday it might feel natural.

It had been a few weeks since Wilkes and his group had been apprehended following the abduction attempt on Charity. Those surrounding the irascible woman continued to maintain a watchful eye on her, but there’d been no further attempts by Earthtiques to collect on the bounty. Thus far, there was no word Mercy and New Bethlehem had other operatives in the area.

He detected the hum of a hovercart and straightened from his crouched position in anticipation. As he’d hoped, Charity soon appeared in the row of young green cornstalks where he worked.

“Nice change on the hair,” he complimented when she’d stopped the cart and sat on its edge. “Your natural color suits your skin tone better.”

“It’s just like my mom’s. It’s a relief to be closer to my real self again.”

She tossed the dark brown mane and fluttered hazel eyes at him. He was still getting used to the change from the blue lenses she’d worn, but he liked their natural green-and-gold tinge.

“How’s it feel to be outed as a Nath?”

“It’s a relief, actually. I hated lying, even if it made me less vulnerable.” Her grin was bright and impossible to resist responding to in kind. She waved him over to sit next to her.

He did. “Did you finish the assignment that had you so worried?”

“Yes. After two hours of fretting whether to send it in to my professor, I did. Keep your fingers crossed I haven’t flunked my first major project since transferring my credits.” She sighed dramatically.

“You probably aced it, Starry Eyes.”

Charity had enrolled at a Kalquorian university to continue pursuing her degree. She’d been approved as a remote studies student who’d been displaced by the war. She complained it was just as tough as the college she’d attended on Jedver, but Detodev could tell she enjoyed the challenge.

“Any word on your proposal?” he asked.

“For the observatory I asked the empire to build here on Haven?” Her grin spread wider, telling him she’d gotten good news before she shared it. “Kalquor contacted Haven andpresented my proposal exactly as I’d written it. I was told they couldn’t improve on the pitch.”

“Did you caution them that the last thing they need to expand is your ego?”

Charity blew a raspberry and gave him a shove. “Haven’s governors and their science committees are seriously considering it. Governor Grisweld himself commed me this morning. He said my idea is not just valid, but exciting to the empire’s and Earth’s astronomy communities as well. They agreed Haven is in a prime position for a big-ass, badass observatory, so I’m hopeful.”

“In those exact terms? Governor Grisweld said ‘big-ass’ and ‘badass’?”

She shook her head as she laughed. “I enjoy this Detodev who gives me shit instead of freezes me out.”

“He’s all your doing, Starry Eyes.” Detodev focused on the matter he deemed most important. “It doesn’t sound as if you’ll be going anywhere else anytime soon.” He made no attempt to hide his delight.

“I guess not. You’ll have to put up with me for the foreseeable future.” Her smirk turned mischievous.

Detodev was perfectly fine to do so, and into theunforeseeable future as well.

He hated to dim her chipper mood, but it was important for her to share the bad alongside the good. “Any word from your father?”

He could practically hear the thud of her falling spirits. “I spoke to him this morning. He’s determined to give himself up to Earth to absolve Kalquor of suspicion where Copeland’s captivity’s concerned. He says one man is nothing compared to derailing the Darks’ determination to turn the empire’s allies against it.”

“He has a point. It doesn’t mean you aren’t hurting though.”

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