have no idea how fucking much I like and respect you. You are incredible. I am not ashamed of you and never will be. You just caught me off guard. We need to talk about what to do about Albrecht before he hears it from someone else, but I’m thrilled you claimed me to your brother.”
I closed my eyes. Father was a concern I’d been trying to avoid thinking about. Ian was right, we needed a plan, or Albrecht would roll right over us and do precisely what worked best for him.
“We’ll figure it out,” I promised.
The ship chimed to indicate we’d received a flight plan from Transcendence. Once I checked and approved it, the autopilot took over. We’d been given priority, so ten minutes later our little planet hopper settled in the middle of landing bay four, next to Ian’s ship. The area was suspiciously clear of soldiers. Had Benedict ordered them away?
By the time we lowered the cargo ramp, Benedict was waiting. I rushed to hug him. He squeezed me tight. My twin had stolen all the height I was missing, so when he hugged me and leaned back, my feet left the floor.
“You scared me to death,” he murmured in my ear. “When Ferdinand arrived and I heard what happened, I feared the worst.”
“I’m sorry I worried you. Have you told Father that Ferdinand is found?”
“No. I figured you had some grand plan.”
I squeezed him tighter, this brother who knew me so well. “Thanks.”
Benedict let me go and turned to Ian, his expression cold. “Director Bishop.”
Ian inclined his head. “Lord Benedict.”
I’d had to cut Ian’s pants off while I was trying to save him. We’d managed to sew and tape them back into some semblance of decent, but his shirt had been a lost cause. If confronting my brother while underdressed made Ian uneasy, you’d never know it from his tone.
“What are your designs on my sister?”
I groaned and rolled my eyes. “Benedict, could you not?”
“She’s mine,” Ian said simply. “And I’m hers. I intend to cherish and protect her for as long as she’ll let me.”
“Seems like you’ll have your work cut out for you,” Benedict muttered. I elbowed him in the side. “Ow! You arrived in a Rockhurst ship after breaking into a Rockhurst military compound. While we are at war. You have no reason to elbow me!”
“Respect your elders,” I said with a grin.
Benedict huffed out a breath. “Oh, right. I forgot that extra thirteen minutes makes you a paragon of wisdom.”
“Of course it does.” I sobered and changed the subject. “How is Ferdinand?”
Benedict’s eyes darkened. “We healed what we could and got him fitted with a subvocal microphone and speaker so he can communicate audibly. The ship’s doctors can’t do anything for his tongue. They said it’s possible a lab in Serenity could regrow it from stem cells and reattach it, but it would be a brutal surgery and recovery with a low chance of success.”
“Fuck.”
“Pretty much.” Benedict sighed. “We’re keeping his presence under wraps. Yours, too. I trust my troops, but we are at war and sitting within jump distance of Richard’s battle cruiser. Ian’s ship is ready to jump. I told Ferdinand and the others to meet me here in ten minutes if I didn’t send them a message.”
“So soon?” I asked, stunned.
“It’s not safe, Bianca,” he said gently. “You know that. I would’ve had them come with me, but I wasn’t sure if you needed medical aid first. I have doctors waiting in the hall.”
“How close are you to getting the temporary gate up?”
Benedict laughed. “Not close enough. It’ll be another three weeks, at least. Ian’s mercs explained that you planned to use my emergency jump point. Clever. Dangerous, but clever.”
“So have we really lost the Antlia gate to Rockhurst?”
Benedict’s jaw firmed. “For now. But Rockhurst doesn’t have the firepower to hold it. We’ll see how they like it when the tables are turned.”
“Don’t get in trouble with RCDF,” I warned.
“If they would do their fucking job, I wouldn’t have to waste ships to secure something that should be neutral.”
“I’ll make some inquiries when I get home. I’ll jump a com drone to you and let you know what I find. Be careful.”
The hatch between the landing bay and the rest of the ship opened, revealing Ferdinand, Alex, and Aoife. All three moved easily. Ferdinand showed no hint of the leg injury he’d sported. But he still looked strange with his shorn hair.