Page 79 of Star Prince

“I have too many fires to put out, Ian. I don’t need you lighting any more. The frontier is more in danger of splitting apart than ever before. And on the home front, I have the Dars on one side, demanding to know what their daughter was doing on your ship, and on the other, the Vedlas are in an uproar, and understandably so.”

Ian almost brought up Klark and his accusations against the prince. But he sensed that now wasn’t the time. Instead he cleared his throat and said, “About the princess...”

“Joren says you stole her away.”

“No, sir. She has higher principles than that. Higher than her father or anyone else, it seems, is willing to acknowledge.”

“Higher than her own obligations, it appears.”

“She didn’t want to marry Ché. The family tried to force her—and they still might. It’s barbaric. I thought we wanted to lose the outdated traditions.” In your private lifeyoudon’t observe them, he wanted to argue. But he was already walking the fine line between honesty and disrespect, and so he pulled back. “If they try to force her again, we need to step in.”

The muscles in Rom’s jaw flexed, as if he was clenching his teeth. “I’m willing to discuss any aspect of your relationship with her,exceptyou continuing it.”

“Well, she was a damned good starpilot and an indispensable member of my crew. She’ll be missed.”

“Just make sure she gets home.” Rom regarded him stonily. “I will see you at the palace.” The viewscreen went blank.

Ian gripped his armrests. He felt like a ship ripped from its mooring line in a class-five hurricane. In all his dealings with theVash Nadah,the Great Council,the other royals, one thing he always had, and learned to count on, was Rom’s encouragement and support. With the extensive information he had compiled and had now sent on to Rom, he couldn’t fathom his stepfather ordering him to come home. Not now, not when he was so close. But obviously Rom thought he had screwed up. Worse, the king had summoned him to Sienna to keep him from mucking up anything else.

Wearily, Ian stood. Muffin and Gann were staring at him in shock. He jerked his hands in the air. “What?”

Muffin shook his head. “You’ve really done it now, Captain.”

“I’ll say.” Gann scratched his fingers through his hair. “In thirty years working with the man, I’ve never seen him that angry.”

Muffin let out a half-nervous, half glad-it-wasn’t-me chuckle.

Ian glared at them. “Nothing like a supportive crew in times of trial.” He rubbed his hands over his face and walked to the gangway. “We’re aborting the mission. Prepare to depart for Sienna,” he said bitterly. As he hoisted himself to the first rung, a vibration rumbled through theSun Devil,then a jolt followed by ominous silence.

Gann, Muffin, and Ian exchanged disbelieving glances. “They wouldn’t,” Ian said.

Gann swore under his breath. “Normally, I’d agree with you. WithherI’m not so sure.”

They bolted up the gangway and down the corridor to the portal where theQuilliehad been docked. What had been an open passageway leading to Gann’s ship was now a closed airlock. In front of the hatch the kettacat sat, lonely and forlorn, mewing its heart out.

Damn it all to hell. The women had taken theQuillieand left.

“Grab their jump coordinates,”Ian ordered from where he paced in front of the huge, curved forward viewscreen in the cockpit.

“They didn’t transmit any.”

And why would they? They didn’t want to be followed, obviously. Ian placed his hands behind his back and scowled. “Then input our coordinates for Sienna.” When he arrived at the palace, he was going to have to explain a lot more than his handling of the frontier, now that it looked like Tee had taken her freedom.

Good for you, pixie,part of him thought. She had fought for what she wanted, and hadn’t given up until she got what she was after. Unlike him, trudging home to the barn like an obedient cow.

“Coordinates for Sienna are in,” Gann said. “I’m ready when you are.”

Ian lifted his hand to give the order. But he hesitated.

The crew watched him curiously.

If he returned to Sienna, it would underscoreRandall’s original doubts about him, that he put the needs of the Federation over his homeworld. Then the footage of Barésh would make it to the United Nations, who were spring-loaded to sever ties to theVash.And they had every right, if this is the way theVash Nadahdealt with the frontier, treating its peoples’ concerns like nuisance administrative issues that could be discussed at their leisure. They were wrong in this. Rom was wrong. And if the frontier split from the Federation, the galaxy would lurch toward years of unrest that would end in another devastating war.

The way out of that future rested on his shoulders.

His hand became a fist. “Your orders have changed. Cancel the coordinates for Sienna and set a course for Earth.”

“Sir?” Gann exchanged glances with Muffin.

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