Page 8 of Saving the Space Pirate

“I’m not,” she said, taking a mouthful and swallowing it quickly. “I’m just being nice. You should try it sometime.”

“I never learned how and I’m too old now.”

“No, you’re not.” She turned to study me. “How old are you?”

“Thirty.”

“Oh. You look older.”

“Yeah, I probably looked thirty by the time I was twelve.”

She filled her spoon and held it out to me. “Here, have some of mine. I can be nice enough for both of us.” I ate the gruel, because she offered it, and shewasnice, and I wanted to make her happy and keep her safe and… Hell, I didn’t know what else. I had no clue about this stuff.

At that moment, I was saved from any more soul-searching by Joe. He took a seat opposite us, and that appeared to be a sign for everyone to sit down. There were thirteen of them in all. All men, which was probably why they were finding Ruby’s presence so disturbing. Well, they could look, but they’d better not touch.

I decided to get the meeting going. “So,” I said, waving a hand around the group. “Who are you? What are you doing?”

Joe answered, “We are the Rebel Coalition of Groth.”

Fucking posh name for a load of loser tossers, living in a cave and eating gruel. “And how’s the rebellion going?”

Joe’s eyes narrowed. Good, I was pissing him off. “Slowly,” he said.

“Admit it. You’re just a bunch of escaped slaves, eking out an existence little better than slavery.”

“We’re still in the planning stages.”

I snorted and anger flashed across his face. This was what I wanted; some real emotion, get to the heart of the man. That was the only way I’d know if I could trust him.

“At least we stayed,” he growled. “At least we didn’t run away like a coward.”

He had to be kidding. “You think I should have stayed and done fuck all like you assholes?”

Joe got to his feet, fists clenched at his side. I tried to jump up, but Ruby gripped hold of my arm and held me in place. I satisfied myself with a glare.

Joe glanced from me to Ruby and back. “Pussy whipped as well as a coward.”

I sat back and curled my lips into a smile. “At least I’ve got some pussy. How long since you had any, Uncle?”

“Will you stop winding him up?” Ruby said before he could answer. “Joe, thank you for the hospitality and the food.Wereally appreciate it, don’twe, Killian?”

My lips twitched, but I managed a nod.

“Now, I’m sure your coalition is doing some fine work and perhaps you might be able to help us a little more.”

“Maybe. But why should we?”

“Because we both want the same thing—the end of slavery on Groth.”

Joe pursed his lips then turned his attention to me. “Is that what you want as well?”

It was weird, but I’d never really thought about it too hard. Slavery was just the way things were. How could we change it?

“Of course he does,” Ruby said. Clearly, I was taking way too long to answer.

Now, I really thought about it for the first time. And she was right—I would like to tear the whole slavery system apart. I would like to bring the crappy imperial house of Groth to its knees. Make them clean their own goddamn palace. Mine their own goddamn asteroids. Then I’d like to utterly destroy the Federation and all those dickheads supposedly in charge, who stood by and did fuck all while their stupid rules were endlessly broken.

“Yes,” I said. “I want that.” And by saying the words out loud, I had a strange inkling that my life was about to change forever.

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