Aurora Rising (The Aurora Cycle #1)(93)

“Ra’haam,” Zila murmurs.

Kal nods. “Beware.”

I don’t like where this is all heading. Government conspiracies and cover-ups and Maker knows where else. But we’ve got bigger problems.

“Bellerophon is within comms distance,” Scar reports. “They’re hailing us.”

“Main display,” Tyler orders.

The image of the Octavia system dissolves, replaced with a figure in a white suit, white shirt, white gloves. The winged crest of the Terran Defense Force is embossed on the wall behind it. Its face is a featureless white mirrormask.

“Good morning, Princeps,” Tyler says.

“Legionnaire Jones,” the figure replies. “You are responsible for the murder of Global Intelligence Agency personnel, aiding and abetting a wanted fugitive, and violation of countless Aurora Legion regulations.”

“It’s been a funny couple of days, sir,” Tyler agrees.

“You may find yourself less glib once incarcerated at Lunar Penal Colony,” the G-man replies. “You are hereby ordered to power down your engines and maintain position to await our boarding party.”

“And if I refuse?”

“We will destroy your vessel,” Princeps says.

“I’m sorry, sir,” Tyler says, shaking his head. “But with all due respect, I don’t believe you. I’m afraid you’re just going to have to follow us to the Octavia system.”

Princeps raises its voice for the first time since we’ve met it. “That system is under Galactic Interdiction by order of the Terran government!”

“Exciting, right?”

“You will—”

Tyler makes a cutting motion across his throat and I kill the signal, reverting the image back to the Octavia system. The whole bridge is quiet except for the thrum of the engines. Scarlett has her eyebrow raised at her baby brother, and I can’t help but stare, too. In all the years I’ve known him, I’ve never seen Tyler buck authority. Not once. But in the last couple of days, he’s gone from star academy pupil to wanted interstellar fugitive.

And Maker help us, I think he’s getting a taste for it.

“Hell of a gamble, Bee-bro,” Scar says.

“Not really,” he says. “From the beginning, the GIA has been about capturing Auri. They were willing to kill anyone who knew she was in their custody. And this is what it’s all about.” He gestures to the display. “There’s obviously something at Octavia that the GIA doesn’t want us to see. And whatever it is, it’s connected to Auri’s new abilities. Her trances led us to the Trigger, and the Trigger is leading us to Octavia. Now, I don’t know if Battle Leader de Stoy and Admiral Adams knew it’d come to this, but I believe we were meant to be here. I believe there’s something way bigger going on than any of us realize.”

He looks around the bridge at all of us.

“But we’re stepping over the edge here. I won’t blame any of you if you want out. We’re fugitives from the Terran government now. But if we cross a Galactic Interdiction line, we’re going to be wanted by every government everywhere.”

Tyler’s right, and everyone knows it. Galactic Interdiction is the hardest of hard-core codes. It’s only used on the most dangerous sectors in the galaxy—systems ravaged by outbreaks or infestations that present an imminent threat to the rest of galactic civilization. The Lysergia plague. Selmis pox. Temporal storms. You don’t mess around with systems under GI. You break it, they don’t court-martial you. They vaporize you on sight and try not to get any on their shoes.

Tyler looks us all in the eyes. “Anyone who wants to leave, head down to level three, hit the escape pod, and abandon ship. No hard feelings.”

Scarlett puts her hand on her hip. “You’re kidding right?”

“I mean it, Scar. We don’t know what we’re going to find once we get to Octavia. This isn’t what any of us signed up for.”

She walks across the deck, places both hands on Tyler’s shoulders, turns his chair to face her. This close, even though they’re not identical, I can see how alike they are. The unshakable bond between them. Deeper than blood.

Leaning down, Scarlett kisses her brother’s cheek.

“I signed up for you, dummy.”

“An Ace backs her Alpha,” I say.

I meet Tyler’s eyes as he looks up at me.

“Always,” he replies.

I smile in return. “Always.”

“I am not normal,” Zila says into the quiet that follows.

We look at her, her eyes downturned, toying with the gold hoops in her ears. I realize they’ve got tiny pizza slices on them. Her curls are a dark curtain around her face, her voice a murmur.

“Zila?” Scar asks.

“The only places I fit are the places inside my head,” she continues. “It is as you said, sir. I do not understand people.” She looks around the bridge. “But I believe of all the places I have not fit, I fit here a little better.”

Scar smiles. “Who wants to be normal when you can be interesting instead?”

Zila looks at Scar and nods. “I will stay.”

Kal speaks up from his place by the weapons console. His knuckles are scabbed, his eyes burning as he looks to O’Malley.