Forged (Star Breed #10) - Elin Wyn Page 0,8

minutes to surrender the access codes and sign over all rights to the station and its processes. Otherwise, we will be forced to start taking out targets in earnest.”

“I don’t understand,” I said, hands shaking just a bit. “What’s going on?”

“We’ve got to go. Now,” Hakon said, eyes fixed on the screen.

He turned away from the console and grabbed my shoulders. “Whatever your mission is, it’s clear this wasn’t part of your parameters. You’re not going to do anyone any good if you stay here and get killed.”

“No,” I said, the steel in my voice surprising even me. “I have a job to do. This doesn’t change that.”

If anything, it made my timeline even shorter.

I could find that file. I could find it and deliver it to my uncle.

Same plan, just accelerated.

Fifteen minutes.

No one would be watching internal security with the ExaTek flagship right outside.

I wouldn’t have to try to be sneaky about it.

“Is it worth—”

With a beep, the communications screen reactivated and split to show the both the bridge of Foil and the Command Center of the station, as Serrup started rambling on about his rights, about corporate sovereignty, about how important he was.

It would have been funny, if he wasn’t actually in charge.

Uncle Ran liked word games. In another mood, he would have cheerfully ran verbal rings around Serrup until the poor fool ended up swearing allegiance to ExaTek while still believing he was faithful to Desyk.

But from Uncle Ran’s tone, this wasn’t one of those times.

Alcyon stood beside Serrup, no doubt whispering lines that Serrup refused to parrot.

A third man stood to the side, tall with silver hair brushed back at the temples.

“Dammit,” Hakon growled. “What is Thalcorr doing there? Why isn’t he back on the Kodo Ragir?”

I glanced over at him. “Who is he?”

“Even more of a pain in my ass than you are,” he snapped. “And unfortunately, my responsibility.” He studied the screen. “I haven’t been there. What’s the fastest way?”

“Use your access card, tell the lift ‘priority override’, Command Central.” I turned back to my own work and shut off the comm channel.

I couldn’t afford the distraction.

Somewhere, no matter how well hidden, were the files I needed.

And despite Hakon’s arguments about wanting to help, I was clearly on my own.

As usual.

Hakon

I should have thrown her over my shoulder and carried her out of there.

Instead, I went tearing up to Command Central, waiting for the blasted lift to make the ascent.

Void, I could have climbed through the decking faster than their ‘priority override’ speed.

But all the while, I kept seeing that face.

Not the old man with his threats.

Or the young man standing beside him who bore a disturbing similarity to Yasmin.

But the merc standing in the back to the left.

Jenke.

Not the best angle, but surely, that was Jenke.

Somehow, I needed to get over to that ship. Ideally, without being fired on.

But by the time I reached Command Central, it seemed more likely that Jenke would be heading our way as part of a boarding party.

Serrup’s eyes nearly popped as he ran from one console to the next. “Why don’t we have weapons?” he shrieked. “Are you saying we can’t defend ourselves at all?”

“We’re a small manufacturing station.” Alcyon stood still in the middle of the room, watching his nominal supervisor with narrowed eyes, not even bothering to hide his disdain. “Having weapons would have made us a target earlier. The risk wasn’t worth it.”

“But I’m worth it!” Serrup yelled, pushing an operator out of the way, desperately looking for something, anything that would save him.

“You!” He whirled on Ambassador Thalcorr. “Doesn’t your ship have weapons? Why aren’t you doing something to save us?”

I stepped between the idiot and the ambassador.

It might have been tempting to let them hash it out, but then I’d have to explain it to Vandalar.

Or worse, Ronan.

“The Kodo Ragir is lightly armed, nothing near what would be needed to take on the flotilla you’ve got outside.”

Ambassador Thalcorr stepped to my side, nose in the air. “Additionally, we are here on a diplomatic trade mission only. This appears to be an internal sector affair between two legitimately recognized entities. We have no cause to be involved.”

Huh.

Maybe the old man had more spine to him than I’d thought.

Serrup lunged towards Thalcorr, but backed away at my growl, deciding instead to run in circles around Alcyon again.

“Internal affair or not, maybe you should get back on board the Kodo,” I suggested quietly.

Thalcorr sniffed. “Apparently the docking mechanism was the target of the first attack.