Page 30 of Stalker

The doors open on the fifteenth floor. Dad's office lies at the end of the hall, his name gleaming on the door plaque. My heart pounds against my ribs as I approach.

Dad looks up as I enter, his weathered face brightening. "Sweetheart, what a nice surprise!"

The words stick in my throat. His office smells of coffee and datapad screens cast a blue glow across his desk. "Dad... tell me about Rakura IV."

The change is instant. His smile vanishes. He sinks into his chair, suddenly looking every one of his sixty years. My stomach twists - I've never seen him like this.

"Where did you hear about that?" He asks. "From that old woman's raving?"

"She seemed to blame you for what happened. I need to know the truth."

He rubs his temples. The silence stretches between us like a chasm. "It was seven years ago. Pirates had taken the station. Three hundred civilians held hostage."

My legs wobble. I grab the chair across from his desk.

"We tried negotiating. But they started executing hostages, one by one. Broadcasting it across all channels." His voice cracks. "I had to make a call."

"What kind of call?"

"The kind that haunts you. We went in hard and fast. Tried to save who we could." He meets my eyes. "Twenty-three civilians died in the crossfire. Including a dock worker - she'd tried to shield others when the shooting started."

The coffee turns sour in my stomach. "Why isn't this in the official reports?"

"It IS in the official report. But the Helios Combine, well, they like to control the narrative, as they put it. They kept the exact details out of the press. Still doesn't excuse what I did." His shoulders slump. "It's my greatest failure. I see their faces every night."

The raw pain in his voice matches the old woman's. But something doesn't add up. "If you tried to save them, why did that woman call you a murderer?"

Dad leans back in his chair, his eyes distant. "Grief can do terrible things to your mind, honey. And from a certain point of view, it could be argued that I AM responsible for those deaths, because I was in charge of the response."

The weight lifts from my chest. This is my father - the man who taught me to always own my mistakes, to face consequences head-on. Not some heartless murderer.

"You did what you had to do." I circle his desk and wrap my arms around his shoulders. "Those pirates left you no choice."

His hand covers mine, warm and familiar. "I believe in you, Dad."

He squeezes my fingers. "That means more than you know, sweetheart."

The tension drains from my shoulders as I pull away. The morning sun streams through his office windows, warming my face. Everything looks clearer now, brighter.

"I should get back to class." I plant a kiss on his cheek. "Love you."

"Love you too, honey."

I leave his office with a spring in my step. The elevator doesn't feel like a tomb anymore.

My steps quicken as I exit the admin building. The weight of Rakura IV lifts from my shoulders with each block I put between myself and Dad's office. My thoughts drift to ebony skin and red eyes waiting at home.

The compad buzzes in my hand. A message from Bruticus: "Missing you."

Heat blooms in my chest. My fingers fly across the screen. "Miss you too. Can't wait to get home."

The response comes instantly - a holographic projection springs to life above my compad. I yelp and nearly drop it.

Bruticus stands in full naked glory, bone spurs gleaming, every magnificent inch of him on display. His "weapon" definitely stands ready for battle.

My cheeks burn. I duck into an alcove, but not before catching the shocked expression of a passing elderly couple.

"Like what you see?" His message scrolls beneath the rotating image.

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