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  Reaching out, he grabbed Vas toward him, too.

  Only then did he move them toward the exit.

  Ushara wasn't sure which of them was more rattled by his martial skills. And as the females began to scream and demand heads, she knew there would be an inquest and arrest over this. "We have to get you out of here."

  Jullien hesitated.

  "Now!" She forced him to leave the grounds before the HCs arrived to take him into custody. He'd been extremely lucky that they hadn't run his prints or DNA for the earlier fight. No doubt her brother had kept them from it since Davel was known and well liked at the station, and the crew they'd attacked had been outsiders. But this was different. Jullien was the outsider now and the Zarens were a long established Tavali family on this base.

  She might be able to pull strings, but the best thing would be to get him away from here and out of the line of fire as fast as possible.

  As they headed home, Vasili was completely subdued and quiet. Jullien didn't speak either. He kept his arm around Vas as if to assure them both that her son was safe and that no one could harm him again.

  Ushara kept glancing behind them, waiting for the HCs to show up and arrest him. "What happened back there?"

  Vasili rubbed at his eyes. "They called me a coward. Said Paka died because I ran like a scared mouse, and that I'm an embarrassment to you and both my lineages. That I shouldn't even be here. I should have died."

  Jullien stopped and started back toward the house.

  "Hey!" Ushara grabbed him. "What do you think you're doing?"

  "I'm already going to jail. We know that. Probably my execution. So if I'm going to die, I'm going to make it count and take those bastards with me."

  "Really?"

  "Told you I was a contentious bastard."

  She arched a censoring brow at him.

  Jullien shook his head. "No one hurts you or Vas. They have no right to insult him like that. I won't stand for it. Ever," he snarled.

  For the first time, she saw tears in his eyes. "Jullien?"

  His breathing ragged, he pressed the heel of his hand against his forehead and doubled over.

  "Mum?" Vasili passed a fearful look to her.

  "It's a panic attack, Vas." She moved to cup Jullien's face in her hands and forced him to focus on her. "Jules? Can you hear me? Where are you?"

  Anguish furrowed his brow before he covered her hands with his. A single tear fell down his cheek as he finally met her gaze. "I just want to keep you safe. I don't want you insulted or hurt. Neither of you."

  She placed Vas's hand in Jullien's and cradled them together. "We're safe and we're here with you. See? No one's hurting us."

  He nodded, then growled as his gaze went past her shoulder to focus on something behind her.

  She turned to see a group of HCs heading for them. Crap at their timing.

  Jullien went into what she now recognized as his assassin stance. With his legs apart, he had one hand on his blaster and the other at the center of his back where she knew he kept additional weapons. God help them if they came at him when he was in this mood. They had no idea what they were stepping into. No doubt, this was when he'd ripped that poor guy's ear off in the bar fight.

  Honestly, she was only just learning exactly what her tiziran was capable of, and it terrified her.

  Bracing herself for the confrontation, she faced them. "Can we help you?"

  Their captain jerked his chin toward Jullien. "We're here to arrest him. We have a complaint against him for assault."

  "No, you don't," she said calmly, trying to diffuse the situation before it exploded. "I was there for the entire event. Dagger was extracting my son, who was being brutalized in their home. If they wish to pursue charges against Dagger, then I will be forced to do the same with their entire family for what they were doing to my child."

  She gestured toward Vasili's battered face and torn clothes. "You can see for yourself what they did. Dagger acted in defense of a minor. He was well within his rights to do what he did on my behalf. I fully sanctioned his actions. If they have issue with him, then they need to take it up with me in my office tomorrow."

  The captain hesitated before he inclined his head. "Very good, Admiral. I'll tell them." He turned around and left.

  Finally relaxing his stance, Jullien raked his hand through his hair. "You can't keep doing this."

  "Doing what?"

  "Putting your neck out for me." He glanced at Vas and shook his head. "I screw things up, Shara. Ruin lives. It's what I do. It's all I do. Everything I touch goes to Tophet. Your grandmother was right. You hang with me and you'll be hanged beside me. And I can't let you do that to yourself. You deserve better."

  He turned to leave, but Ushara grabbed his coat and held him by her side.

  "You're a fighter, Jules. One of the fiercest ones I've ever seen in my life. So why are you so willing to run now when you have something worth battling for?"

  "Because I don't care what happens to me. I never have. But you and Vasili..." He looked from her to her son, and growled. "I can't stay and risk you." Grinding his teeth, he tore himself from her grip. "I can't do it, Shara. I won't."

  Vas began crying as he walked away from them. "Don't go ... Paka. Please!"

  Jullien froze at Vasili's whispered words. Barely audible even to him, they struck him like a fist in his gut.

  Don't you dare turn around and look at him. You keep going, you stupid halfwit, hybrid bastard, and you leave. Now! For once in your sorry life, do the right thing!

  But no matter how much he told himself to go--that this was the best for them all, he couldn't do it. He turned to look at Vasili and saw the tears streaming down the boy's face. Saw the agony in those white eyes that he'd learned to love.

  Worse, he saw the tears glistening in Ushara's pale eyes and the pain that was etched on her face.

  Against all odds, they wanted him as worthless and broken as he was.

  And he was done for.

  How could he leave the only two beings who'd ever given a single shit about him? How? In all the universe, they were all he loved.

  Before he could stop himself, he opened his arms and Vasili ran to him. Jullien caught the boy against his waist and held him while the boy wept against his chest and broke his worthless heart. His own throat tightened to the point he barely kept his own tumultuous emotions reined in.

  With a ragged breath, he watched as Ushara closed the distance between them and placed her hand on her son's head. Jullien sank his hand in her hair and laid his head on her shoulder.

  "I will stay," he whispered.

  She kissed his cheek and smiled up at him. "And we will teach you what it means to be part of a family that doesn't seek to harm you."

  Nodding, he gave Vas one last squeeze before he let him go and screwed his face up at her. "Just be patient with me. You know going into this that I'm one fucked-up animal. If I go too far, promise me you won't hesitate to put me down before I damage your life or reputation in any way."

  "Jules..."

  "I mean it, kira mia. I would rather die by your hand than live knowing I'd caused you to shed one single tear in my name."

  She choked on a sob as she realized that she had the most coveted type of Andarion male in existence. A straleneur ... a stralen heart. And Jullien's was completely virgin. Never touched or claimed by anyone before her. To be so worldly and jaded, so hardened, he knew nothing of relationships. Nothing of being loved or of loving.

  He was hers, alone.

  Taking his hand, she led him and Vasili home.

  Once they were settled inside and safe, she put a pot of tea on while Jullien tended Vasili's injuries at the counter with her first-aid kit. Though they were minor, it infuriated her to the point, she was glad Jullien had torn through the Zarens.

  Unlike Chaz, she'd never been a pacifist, especially when it came to her son. Had Jullien not been there, she would have beaten them herself. Granted, not to the extent or success he had, but she would have put forth her best effort and most likely shot a few of them.

  But what surprised her was how well Vas tolerated Jullien's care. He normally whined and complained whenever she tried to wash or bandage his cuts. He didn't even hiss when Jullien brushed alcohol over the deepest injury on his brow.

  "This one needs a stitch." Jullien scowled as he examined it more closely. "I can do it, but it might be better fused by a medtech."

  "You can do it," Vas said bravely.

  Jullien passed an adorable grimace to her. "I leave it up to your matarra."

  Skeptical, she glanced at them. "Do you have any experience stitching wounds?"

  "Four years on myself. At least with Vasili I won't be doing it one-handed or in a mirror." He winked at Vas. "Besides, scars are sexy. Qeres like them."

  "Jules! Don't teach him that!" Qeres was the Ixurian term for low caste females of easy virtue who often traded sexual favors to the nobility for a night out in expensive clubs and restaurants.

  "What?" he asked innocently. "Don't act so offended after I spent an entire afternoon being mauled by your sisters, and hearing how they view males and talk about us."

  Vasili snickered as the teapot sounded.

  Unamused, Ushara went to pull the kettle from the stove and pour the tea. "That's beside the point. And you forget that we're Andarion. We don't like scars on our males. They're hideous and gross." As she turned back, she caught the hurt and stricken expression on Jullien's face. Too late, she remembered how many scars lined his body. "Jules..."

  Completely somber, he moved away from her. "I should be going. I have an early shift."

  "Jullien?" But it was too late. He was out of her home before she could apologize.

  "Mum? What happened?"

  Furious at herself for being so thoughtless, she cupped her son's chin and sighed. "I accidentally hurt his feelings. I forgot that Jullien has a lot of scars that bother him."

  "How could you forget?"

  "'Cause I don't see them, Vas. They don't matter to me." She brushed the hair back to look at his brow and was about to take him to the doctor to have it stitched when she realized that Jullien had already done it. "He stitched you?"

  Vas nodded. "He did it so fast, I barely felt it."

  She should have known that Jullien wouldn't have left with it unfinished. Sighing, she kissed Vas's bandage and hated that she'd hurt Jullien's feelings. "Come on, honey. Let's get you cleaned up and ready for bed."

  *

  "Don't you ever sleep?"

  Jullien cursed as Trajen startled him while he worked. "Don't you make any noise when you move?"

  "No. I like that sound of horror people make when I sneak up on them."

  "Not people."

  "You're half people."

  Jullien snorted. "Is your sole purpose here to insult me?"

  "Not my sole purpose. Just a nice bonus."

  "Awesome. Well since you are here, can you be useful and toss me that wrench over there?"

  Trajen used his powers to teleport it to Jullien's hand.

  Jullien didn't comment as he continued working on the Stormbringer while trying to ignore Trajen's presence.

  "So what happened tonight?"

  Jullien growled in frustration. "You're a Tris. Don't think I have to relive it. Pretty sure you've already plucked all pertinent details from my mind. Among other things that I probably didn't want you to know about."

  Trajen laughed. "I don't intimidate or bother you at all, do I?"

  Jullien crawled out of the panel and sat up on the ship's stabilizer so that he could meet Trajen's dark gaze. "Not really. I lived my whole life with everyone spying on my most intimate moments, every second of the day, right down to how often I jerked off. They all thought they knew what I was thinking. It's actually refreshing to have someone who truly does. Besides, I'm not that complicated a creature. When pushed, I shove. When confronted, I attack. I rabidly protect what few things I care about. And I strive to be left alone.... Simple."

  "Yet if there's trouble to be found, you sniff it out like pigs on truffles. And hump it like a dog on a fresh leg."

  Jullien let out a tired sigh at something that was all too true. "That I do."

  "Two massive fights in one day. You know that's a record, even for this station."

  Jullien rooted through his toolbox and grabbed his water. "Can't help it. Everywhere I go, there's always an asshole."

  "Well you know the old saying?"

  "If everyone's an asshole, maybe the real asshole's you?"

  Trajen laughed again. "Paraphrased, but yeah, that's the gist of what I was going for."

  Not really wanting to think about the truth of that statement, Jullien wiped his hands off and took a drink. "Yeah well, I resemble that remark, so I'm not even going to defend myself. Are you here to arrest me or ask me to leave?"

  "Neither. Just wanted to give you a heads up."

  "On?"

  "The fact that the family you attacked tonight is rather highly connected. They're old Tavali and they don't think much of Ushara as my vice admiral. In fact, a lot of the Gorturnum weren't real happy with her as my choice of adjutant. They've always thought she was too young for that much responsibility, especially after the way her husband died."

  Jullien frowned at the odd note in Trajen's voice. "How did he die?"

  Trajen materialized to sit by Jullien's side on the ship, and held his hand up, fingers spread.

  Jullien hesitated. He wasn't sure if he wanted to be that personal with Trajen. It was one thing for the Trisani to rifle through his thoughts without his consent or knowledge. It was another for him to lock in with Trajen's and to share them and his emotions.

  But he did want to understand what had happened with Ushara and Vasili, and he'd refrained from asking either of them since it would have forced them to remember the death of someone they loved. Having lost his brother, he knew how brutal those memories were. The guilt. The anguish. He'd always hated whenever someone asked him probing questions that brought up a bitter memory.

  So he set his tools aside and placed his palm to Trajen's. The instant their skin touched, he felt an electrical jolt as the Trisani's mind merged with his. For a second, he thought he might vomit as everything spun around. It was extremely disorienting--like the worst sort of carnival ride.

  He saw flashes of images he couldn't place. Though some he was sure belonged to Trajen's distant memories.

  "Breathe steady, and focus." Trajen's voice soothed the churning in his gut. "Don't fight me. Just follow my lead."

  Jullien took a deep breath. Suddenly, he was inside a Tavali freighter that was docked on a Starken outpost, alongside a large group of other Tavali ships. Most of them were Gorturnum by their Canting and flags, but a few were Wasternum. He had no idea which one was Chaz until he saw Vasili. Even though Vas was only five in this memory, he knew the boy instantly.

  He was the perfect five-year-old-male version of his mother, with bright, curious eyes and the happiest disposition Jullien had ever seen on any child. Vas was running mad circles around the adults, laughing while he did so.

  How adorable.

  "Vasili!" his father snarled. "Stop it, this instant!"

  Freezing in place, he opened his mouth like a fish. "Like this, Paka?"

  Jullien laughed at the boy's game. But his father didn't find it amusing. Instead, Chaz picked him up and spanked him for it. Then set him down hard in a seat to cry.

  "Don't move again. I mean it! And stop that noise, or else I'll give you a real reason to weep!"

  Fury shortened Jullien's breath at those harsh words.

  Ignoring his son, Chaz went back to the group that was meeting on the ship. He returned to the starchart. "Are you sure we can take him by surprise? Trajen's a slippery bastard. No one's been able to get near him since the night he murdered my father."

  "You're his FA. When you make your report, you'll have to take the shot. You're the only one who can get close enough to him for it. He won't let anyone else into his offices."

  Chaz nodded, then glanced over to one of the Wasternum pilots. "What about Dane?"

  "I've got my agents in. I can move on Hermione and her bastard immediately. After they're gone, and you're in place, we'll let the Septurnum take the fall for it--then we can put in one of our own to lead them. At that point, the Council is ours. Venik's already said he won't interfere so long as we keep his name out of the takedown and stay out of his business. We'll rule the other three Nations and they'll tithe to us. You'll have vengeance for your father, and I won't have to take anymore shit from another Dane ever again."

  Chaz shook his arm. "Sounds good." He glanced to the others. "Are we all in accord?"

  One by one, they nodded. Until he came to a Wasturnum who was off to the side. Tall and athletically built, he still wore the face paint and mask that they used whenever they were hauling illegal cargo that kept their identities hidden from enemies and authorities. He stood with a slightly taller member of his Nation. The two of them exchanged a frown.

  "What do you think?" the taller one asked.

  The shorter one let out a heavy sigh. "I don't know ... I got a little problem with the plan."

  Chaz glared at them. "What?"

  The shorter one lowered his mask to reveal his chiseled, patrician features, dark olive skin, and long, wavy dark red hair. "For starters, that you're planning to murder my mother, you fucking bastard. Secondly, Trajen's a friend of mine. You go for my brother, you go for me. Oh, and yeah, that's the third thing. You're coming for me, too." Ryn Dane drew his blaster at the same time the others opened fire on him.

  Vasili started screaming in terror as total chaos erupted. Shots flew thick. Two struck Ryn's armor as he ran to save the boy Chaz had abandoned to the fight while Ryn's friend covered him.

  Somehow, Ryn managed to get off the ship with Vasili in his arms. He handed the boy off to a blue-skinned woman before he locked the ramp with the others trapped inside the ship.

  "Blow that bitch in six!" he snarled into his link. "I don't want a single one of them left alive. Make sure we're clear and that no one gets off it. Then we'll call Trajen and let him know he was right to be suspicious."

  "Hey, Dane?" the woman whined. "What do I do with this? Not maternal and it's leaking and loud! Did you break it?"

  He cursed under his breath. "It's a child, Yra, not a poisonous reptile."

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