Aurora's End (The Aurora Cycle #3)(46)

“It falls to those of Caersan’s bloodline to end his dishonor. He is your father. You should have killed him already to restore your family’s name.”

The ache of Saedii’s loss deepens then. My mother’s death ringing in the halls of my memory beside it, sharpening my tongue as I meet Lae’s eyes.

“Family is … complicated,” I growl. “Do not dare preach to me about mine. You have no idea what it is to be a part of it.”

“Why the hells are you working with that bastard, Aurora?” Tyler asks, his voice soft with wonder and loathing.

“We need him, Ty,” she replies. “I’m not used to wielding the Weapon yet. He’s had almost a decade to learn how to use it, and he knows the note to play on the Neridaa to return us to our own time.”

“How is that even possible?” Chief Toshh asks. Beside her, Dacca chatters and nods her head, whiskers twitching.

“I don’t know,” Aurora replies. “But I believe him. If we can get back there, we can undo all of this! We can destroy the Ra’haam before it hatches!”

“So why the hells are you still here?” Tyler demands. “If you can—”

“The Weapon is damaged, Brother. It needs repairs.”

Tyler’s second-in-command fixes me with black, gleaming eyes. “How you going to manage that?”

“I do not know.” I rub my chin. “Do you have a home base? Someplace—”

Dacca chatters, tail lashing as she watches me with gold, slitted eyes.

“Yeah, we got a home base, Pixieboy,” Toshh growls. “But Maker damn us all if we’re giving its location to the Starslayer.”

“Even if we did,” the Betraskan continues, “we have no tech capable of working on a device like that. Not many starports that specialize in Eshvaren crystal superweapons floating around anymore.”

“There is one, though … ,” Aurora murmurs, thoughtful.

I look to her in question, brow creased.

“The Eshvaren homeworld,” she says, meeting my eyes. “Remember? It was hidden inside that Fold anomaly. Maybe it’s still there.”

I nod slowly. “If there is one place we might repair the damage, it would be where the Ancients created the Weapon in the first place.”

“Where was this … anomaly?” Tyler asks.

“In the Theta sector,” I reply. “We visited there with Scarlett and Finian and Zila after you were captured by the GIA.”

“You’re dreaming, Pixieboy,” de Stoy says. “Theta sector is completely overrun with Weeds. They’re thicker than sketi on a martuush blossom there.”

“If we move quickly—”

“The Ra’haam’s power is augmented inside the Fold,” Toshh says. “It feels the psychic ripples of any living thing that enters, and sends fleets after it until it’s consumed.”

“There must be a way, Tyler,” Aurora says.

“Traversing the Theta sector is a bad plan,” he replies.

“Maybe for people who don’t have the best tactician Aurora Academy ever produced on their side.” Aurora smiles. “Tyler Jones doesn’t make bad plans, remember? Just less amazing ones.”

But Tyler doesn’t return the smile, his voice grim, his brow dark.

“That was a long time ago, Auri.”

“We need your help, Brother,” I tell him. “Please.”

Tyler toys with a silver ring on his finger, jaw set, anger and betrayal still bubbling beneath his surface. The Rikerite regards Aurora with old eyes, murmuring, “Perhaps we should run this by the council, Commander.”

Lae scowls at that, snapping, “Why do we care? Why do we care what any of them say or do? We cannot aid the Starslayer, nor his son, nor the fool that binds herself to him. We must kill him to avenge our lost—”

“That’s enough, Lae,” Tyler says.

“No!” she shouts. “Commander, the blood of billions is on his hands! Honor demands his death! We cannot possibly—”

“I said that’s ENOUGH, Lieutenant!” Tyler roars.

The pair stare at each other, eye to eye, Tyler’s will crackling against Lae’s. I can feel the rage in her, the fury. But finally, she lowers her gaze.

“Yessir,” she murmurs.

“What condition is the rift drive in?” he demands.

“… The crystal is showing continuing degradation,” she replies softly. “But it is stable enough for now.”

“How soon can you jump us home?”

Her eyes flicker up to his again, incredulous. But she does not challenge him further, instead watching him carefully with those cracked violet eyes. “I need to rest. An hour, perhaps two. And a jump that far with vessels so large … it will be costly. Sir.”

I see Tyler’s gaze soften. “Is it going to hurt you?”

“It always hurts. But if you are ordering it …”

He looks between Aurora and me again, finally settling his thoughts.

“I can’t make this call alone. Not with everything in the balance. We need to get back to base.” His gaze falls on Aurora, his one good eye hard as steel. “You can plead your case to the Council of Free Peoples. If they decide we help you, then we help. If not, you’re on your own.”