Page 72 of I Married Amreth

The Raithean had the decency to look unnerved upon hearing those words. I doubted he believed he would survive a second sentence on Molvi, but he likely never expected it might take place in the worst Sector on the entire planet. Dakondidn’t divide his Sector into Quadrants. All the inmates shared the same space. Therefore, he only accepted the cruelest, most ruthless, and unredeemable criminals. Few people lasted more than a few weeks, some not even a couple of days.

“That sounds like a fitting punishment,” Aku said. “May you think of us every day of your stay there.”

The beep of an incoming communication had all of us jerking our heads towards the navigation board. Even as I went to accept it, my gut told me what had transpired. Unsurprisingly, Maeve appeared on screen again.

“Let me guess, you’ve heard everything?” I asked.

She smiled in a non-committal fashion before shifting her gaze towards my companion.

“With your permission, Aku, we can take over from here. I have full control of the ship. As you would likely prefer not to have any additional off-worlders invade your space, I can remotely get this ship off your planet and take these prisoners into our custody to face justice.”

He stared at her in silence for a moment before giving me an inquisitive look. That struck me hard, but in the most wondrous way. The amount of trust he was putting in me meant a great deal to me. Once again, my chest constricted at the thought that very soon, we would part ways and likely never meet again. I could have seen us forming as close a friendship as the one I shared with Kronos.

“I trust her with my life and vouch without hesitation that she will see to it that they do not escape justice,” I replied firmly.

He nodded then looked back at Maeve. “In that case, they are yours.”

“Thank you, Aku. On my honor, I promise that we will bring to justice everyone that was involved in the tragedy that befell your people. Know that your cooperation today will help us save countless other lives as well as avenge even morepeople wronged by Typhoon,” Maeve said fervently. “With your permission, we will contact you in the future to keep you apprised of the developments.”

“I would appreciate it,” Aku said begrudgingly.

Maeve turned to me, the glimmer of gratitude mixed with an unmistakable spark of triumph almost made me smile. She didn’t need to speak for me to know she was congratulating me for a mission accomplished. In that instant, I realized that my initial suspicion that I was being recruited as a free agent had been accurate. The Enforcers hoped all along that things would lead to this outcome. My gut further told me that they always suspected Typhoon Pharma but simply lacked the evidence or enough probable cause to get the necessary warrants for a full-fledged investigation.

“Thank you for your assistance in this matter. Let us know if you require anything to help you resolve the situation for the Kreelars. With this arrest, the UPO is now officially able to get involved and provide any support needed.”

“That’s very kind,” I replied politely, keenly aware of how her words made Aku tense. “We will discuss the matter with the scientists and the Kreelar Kalds so that they can make the decision if they wish for more external assistance.”

She smiled again and nodded in concession. This time, I realized that she had not only expected such a response from me, but she had also done it in a teasing way to remind me how she claimed I had better diplomatic skills than I gave myself credit for.

I returned her smile. “Be aware that I placed an EMP detonator near their engine. I can remove it on our way out.”

She snorted and shook her head. “Thanks for the heads up, but don’t worry about it. We will handle it once we’ve recovered the vessel.”

We exchanged our last farewells.

“Let’s go home,” I said to Aku when the communication cut off.

The gentle smile he gave me moved me to the core. “Lead the way, Brother.”

Ignoring Bruce’s pleading voice, we walked out of the ship under the resigned gaze of the Raithean. By the time we settled back inside my vessel, Maeve was already remotely getting the Nazhral ship airborne. It took off seconds before we did.

“Will the other Kalds be angry that you released the assassins?” I asked carefully as we flew back home.

“At first, some will be. But all will align with my decision,” Aku said with confidence. “What happened to us cannot be allowed to happen to others. And above all, the leader must answer for the action that they led others to commit. It would be unconscionable to allow those two assassins to take the entire fall, only to be replaced later by others directed by the same foul hand. I want this Marilia and Noah to see their entire world crumble the same way we watched ours slowly die for years.”

“And we will make sure they do,” I pledged.

“I know you will.”

We completed the journey in an amiable atmosphere during which he pointed out a few landmarks of his world, weaving in some of the folklore related to them. As we approached the village, he pointed to a large open area where I could land the ship.

“It’s a bit of a walk for you. I could drop you off a little closer over here,” I said, pointing at another space sufficiently large to land.

He shook his head. “It’s not that much longer to walk. And you can leave your ship there. There is no need for you to leave it elsewhere and fly back.”

My brow shot up. “Are you certain?”

He nodded. “Thank you for what you did today. Without your warning, we never would have known, and all of us would have died. Our friends told us you would bring our enemies to justice. But you have exceeded every hope we laid at your feet. Know that all four of you have earned your place among my people.”

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