The League: Born Of Betrayal Part 34

Ushara ground her teeth as she swept a look over them all. "From the moment your mother crawled inside her grief over losing you, Jullien was an abandoned orphan left to find his own way, with no one there for him. Your father was so busy trying to save your mother from the drugs your grandmother was feeding her that for years he ignored Jullien completely. So Jullien was left alone to deal with a brutal grandmother who had coldly murdered her entire family, including her husband, children, siblings, and their children, as well as anyone else she viewed as a threat to her power. And while Tylie always adored you and your mother, she bitterly despised and belittled Jullien. Why? Because he happens to physically favor her brother who tried to murder her... as if he could help that. From the moment of his birth, everyone around him plotted his a.s.sa.s.sination. By the time he was twelve, nine attempts had been made on his life. Three of them by his cousin Merrell. But no one would ever believe him, and he couldn't prove it. When Jullien was ten and tired of being threatened and living in a constant state of fear that his own family was going to kill him, he begged your father to let him live on Triosa with him, and do you know what your father said?"

Nykyrian paled. "I can't imagine."

"'I don't have time to fight with your grandmother for your custody. It's not worth the battle or upset. Besides, you won't be any more welcomed on Triosa than you are on Andaria. As you know, my parents don't want you here and it would be awkward for you to live with us full time. You're much better off on Andaria where you kind of blend in with the population.'" Ushara let out a bitter laugh. "You probably don't remember your paternal grandparents since they died before you returned to Triosa. Count yourself lucky in that regard. How I wish Jullien had been spared their bitter cruelty."

Her eyes flared with rage as she swept her gaze around the room. "All of you mocked him for his obesity, but the only comfort he ever had was from an old Andarion cook he'd sneak off to see, and while she wasn't kind to him, she wasn't hostile either. His words... she tolerated me with a semblance of compa.s.sion. And when your grandmother found out about it, she had her executed for making Jullien weak and unattractive."

Dancer growled low in his throat. "That still doesn't excuse what he did to us in school."

She turned on him. "Jullien didn't crash your pod, Dancer. Chrisen did. When Jullien started back inside to save you, Chrisen grabbed and held him so hard that he still bears the scars from it. It's what they argued over. And while that accident damaged you, it saved your life. Merrell and Chrisen had planned to kill you when you joined the armada, just as they'd done your brother Keris. It was why Jullien hacked your League files and disqualified you for military service. It wasn't just because of your sister-in-law. And he picked on you around them because had he ever truly befriended you, War Hauk, they would have murdered you instantly... as they did every friend he tried to make, and both the females he'd been pledged to. Dear G.o.ds, by the time he was exiled from Andaria, he was afraid to even sleep with a female for fear of what they might do to her. And don't think for one minute, they spared him from their cruelty. Like your mother, he was drugged most of the time he lived at the palace. You all a.s.sumed he chose that lifestyle, but he didn't."

She turned toward Nykyrian. "As for the stolen ring incident when you were in school together, he was trying to save both your lives. Had your grandmother discovered you were alive then, she'd have executed you both. Merrell and Chrisen were already plotting how to murder you and him before anyone recognized you. He thought jail would get you out of their sights and keep you from their reach. It might have been misguided, but he was a child and every move he made was highly monitored and always reported. And let me reiterate that they kept him drugged out of his mind most of the time."

Nykyrian folded his arms over his chest as he glared at her. "And handing my wife over to my enemies?"

"Your adopotive brother, you mean? The man who was the stepfather of your daughter and an old friend of Jullien's? Aksel went to him and promised Jullien that he wouldn't harm Kiara. He'd sworn that he was only going to use her to get you out of the way and that she would be released unharmed. Jullien never meant for her to be hurt. And yes, Jullien did want you dead just as you wanted him dead. He's not proud of that, but when you returned and your mother and father threw him aside for you, he felt like he'd lost what little he had. Need I remind you, it was your picture, alone, your mother wore over her heart. Not Jullien's. Your mother, your aunt, and your father turned on him when you came back, as if he was the one who'd sent you away. And your grandmother made it quite clear to him that if he didn't get rid of you, she'd kill you both."

"And a.s.saulting Talyn?"

Fain arched a brow at Galene as instantaneous rage tore through him. "What was that?"

Galene nodded slowly as she gestured toward the mark on their son's neck. "When Talyn was a.s.signed to his personal guard, Jullien had him branded a traitor, scarred as an Outcast, and thrown into prison. They broke both his legs and left him for dead on Onoria." Angry tears glistened in her eyes. "My baby was barely twenty years old and had never done anything to Jullien."

Ushara swallowed hard. "I know, Commander. I know. Merrell and Chrisen played on Jullien's insecurities and jealousy where his mother was concerned. She doted on you and Talyn, to the exclusion of her own son. And it cut Jullien to the root of his heart. Sadly, the whole horrible event started as a stupid prank Jullien was put up to by Merrell, that got way out of hand and quickly escalated to an extremely regrettable level. Merrell was the one who scarred and branded Talyn, not Jullien. And yes, I know it doesn't excuse it. Jullien knows it can't be forgiven. It's why he's intentionally stayed away from all of you for years now. He understands that his presence is nothing more than a bitter reminder of a past all of you are better off not remembering. And that you deserve to live without him around to steal even the smallest bit of happiness from your lives. He doesn't expect you to forgive him or even tolerate him. We accept the fact that we will never be a part of your family, that by his own actions, he lost that right long ago. But for now, you need him to keep them safe so that you can do what you have to, to ensure all your futures. All he wants is for you to understand that you can trust him. That he will die before he allows any harm to come to your families. We wouldn't have entrusted our children to you, nor would we have talked Trajen into joining the Alliance in this war if we weren't behind you and your cause one hundred and ten percent."

Suddenly, there was pounding on the door, followed by a shrill scream. "No! Let me go! They could be hurting her! Mama! Mama! Ma-ma!"

Ushara rushed to the door to open it and stop the hysterical screaming. An identical copy of Viv fell into her arms. "I'm okay, bobkin. No one's hurting me."

The little girl clung to her mother as she pa.s.sed a belligerent glare at the rest of them. "Don't you hurt my mommy! I mean it!"

Nykyrian closed the distance between them and held his hand out to the girl. "No one here would ever harm you or your family."

"Not true for your paka," Caillen said under his breath. "His throat, we'd cut."

Chayden slapped him in the stomach hard enough that it made Caillen grunt in response.

Nykyrian pa.s.sed a glare at him before he turned back to the girl. "I'm your uncle, Nykyrian. You're what? Five?"

"Almost."

He pulled out his link and turned it on, then scrolled through it and held it toward her. "I have twin sons who are your age. Would you like to see your cousins?"

Forgetting her fear, she left her mother's arms to look at his pictures. "They look like us."

"They do," he said gently. "They're named Tiernan and Taryn."

She smiled. "My favorite doll is Taryn! My name's Mira and... and my sister's Vivi. And... and... I have a mean brother named Visi."

With the grimace that was Nykyrian's version of a smile, he pulled the girl into his arms and gave her a hug. "Nice to meet you, Mira."

Ushara took her hand. "Now will you go and play while I take care of some things?"

"Okay. Sorry, Mama."

"It's fine, my heart. But Mama has some important things to do." She kissed Mira's cheek before she gently guided her out of the room.

Nykyrian rose to his feet, then turned toward Galene. "All right, Commander. We put you in charge for a reason. My brother has given us a rare opportunity."

She nodded. "We will take full tactical advantage of it."

As they left Ushara's ship, Scythian Nights, they met Ryn and his mother, who were leading a small, regal group of Wasturnum toward them.

Fain couldn't help smiling as he noted how markedly different Ryn's group was from Venik's Porturnum, and even the Gorturnum group they'd just left. But then each Nation of the Tavali tended to draw a certain caliber of individual to it. And everything from their style of ship to their Canting, names, markings, flightsuits, and battlesuits tended to reflect those various personalities.

The Septurnum, like Chayden, were their in-your-face, annoying gutter rats an almost psychotic lot who sought the more questionable jobs that others pa.s.sed on. If there was danger to be had, they were the suicide jockeys who wanted to embrace it with both arms, and c.o.c.k out. They were the Tavali troublemakers who lacked all semblance of self-preservation. And if a Tavali was running afoul of someone's laws, and in particular The League's, you could lay odds they owed t.i.the to Gadgehe Hinto.

Venik's Porturnum were much more cautious, as a rule, and very paranoid because of the enemies they gleefully toyed with. They tended to be double-dealers, con artists, and fast-talkers. Always plotting something and out to make a quick cred. You had to watch your back with them, and were never quite sure where you stood. If you gambled with the Porturnum, you'd best count all your fingers when you left the table, 'cause you'd probably be missing one.

Maybe two.

Next were the Gorturnum the original Nation that all the Tavali had evolved from. And as such, they were held with a certain reverence by the other pirate Nations. But that being said, their members were mysterious and extremely antisocial. So much so that their motto claimed they played hard to get along with. Like mythical phantoms, they moved swiftly and silently through the galaxies. In and out, quicker than anyone could blink. If you needed something done fast and with no witnesses left alive, you contracted with them. While others sought fame, the Gorturnum kept to themselves to an almost psychotic level.

Out of all the Tavali, they were the most loyal and secretive to their order.

And then there were the regal blue-bloods... the Wasturnum. Dignified. Honorable. They lived by Tavalian Code and Council, and brooked no slackers. Their members bled decorum and refinement, and yet there was also a barbarian undertone that said they could and would cut your throat while smiling in your face. That dichotomy was actually extremely unsettling. Like sitting down to have dinner with a lion, and you were never quite certain if you were going to eat with him or become part of his dinner should you say the wrong thing.

Or use the wrong piece of cutlery.

Even so, Fain had a lot of respect for the Wasturnum. As a rule, they operated aboveboard and you didn't have to constantly stand with your back against the wall for fear of a cheap shot.

And they were led by the infamous Hermione Dane. The ruler of their United Tavali Nations.

It'd been a long time since Fain had last seen her, yet eerily, she never seemed to age a single day. She was still youthful and seductive. Lethally graceful and elegant. As the supreme admiral of the Universal Tavali Council, she was their version of a queen. But it wasn't a position she'd inherited. All of the ruling Tavali positions were earned by deed, combat, service, and honor, and they were held by maintaining those, and could be taken away at any time.

By one mistake or challenge.

Citizenship, names, and Canting were honors that all members of their Nations held in sacred trust. You didn't violate Tavali Code. Not if you wanted to live.

Fain struck his Tavali salute and bowed his head respectfully to one of the few political leaders he truly revered. "My Lady Grand Empress and Supreme Admiral."

Her golden eyes were bloodshot from the tears she visibly struggled to hold back. To pay further tribute to the pa.s.sing of Darling Cruel and his family, the white stripes of their black leather Wasturnum battlesuits had been electronically dulled to a dim gray a Wasturnum custom of mourning, along with the red ribbon that was tied around their sleeve Canting.

For her and Ryn, the ribbons held a memento of Darling's that was special to them. Hermione's was a lock of red hair she must have kept from Darling's first haircut another Wasturnum tradition. Ryn's ribbon held the ring from an explosive device marked with Darling's Sentella insignia. Darling's signature FU that he'd always left for the League prime commander to make Kyr lose his mind.

Fain was amused by Ryn's choice, and he recognized it for what it was. Not just a memento of Ryn's beloved brother, but a promise of vengeance against Kyr for daring to take Darling's life. While Ryn and Darling hadn't always gotten along, and though they were only united in blood by their father's lineage, they were forever brothers.

And they would kill or die for one another, without question.

Likewise, Hermione couldn't have been more upset had she been Darling's birth mother. Ever elegant and regal, with her cape slung casually over one shoulder, she was fiercely defiant and a creature of absolute power. Her long, dark red hair was braided down her back and she kept one hand casually draped over the blaster on her left hip.

"Commander Hauk." She bowed her head in greeting. "It's a pleasure to see you again." She placed a kiss to Fain's cheek. Then she grabbed Nykyrian into a motherly hug and choked on a sob. "I'm so sorry for your loss and ours. I can't believe Darling's gone."

Ryn stepped forward in case she needed him.

Nyk held her and whispered in her ear.

While Nyk did that, Fain pulled Ryn back from them.

When he started to protest, Fain cupped Ryn's jaw and leaned down so that he could whisper intimately to the Tavali amba.s.sador without anyone else overhearing him. "What Nyk's telling your mother is something you cannot react to. Brace yourself and stow your expressions to show no emotions whatsoever... Darling is alive and well. As are his wife and son. Everyone was pulled out before The League bombed the palace. Now act upset." Fain stepped back.

Like an award-winning actor, Ryn choked on a sob and patted Fain on the arm. "Thank you, brother. I appreciate your sympathy in my darkest hour of need. I won't forget it."

Fain inclined his head, but he saw the relief in Ryn's eyes as well as the fire that had returned to Hermione's. Now that was The Tavali queen he knew and loved.

Hermione clutched at Nykyrian's hand. "From the moment he drew his first breath in this life, Darling has always been a son to me. For his father alone, I would have given up my Canting and name, and renounced Tavali citizenship." She cast a furious glower around the bay. "May the G.o.ds have mercy on the soul of whatever Tavali dared bring harm to Darling and his house, for I will not. Rather, as my esteemed ancestor Hestia Waring-Dane once did, I will rain down h.e.l.l's wrath upon them and take not just their Canting and name, I will have their throat. Tell Brax he better deliver their heads to me or else I will have his on my wall, and his b.a.l.l.s as my earrings."

Ryn smirked at Fain. "That's my mom. Now you know why I'm still single."

Hermione pa.s.sed an irritated glare at her son.

He gave her a charming wink. "Just like you, Mom. Independently owned and operated."

Chayden laughed. "Hey, it's better than me. I can't tell if I'm still single 'cause n.o.body likes me, or because I like n.o.body."

Caillen snorted at that. "That's easy. Definitely the former more than the latter."

Chayden pa.s.sed a threatening look at him, which Caillen must have caught, along with a sudden memory of the fact that before Caillen had married Chayden's sister, he'd slept with Chayden's fiancee, and that was the sole reason they'd split up.

And why Chayden remained unmarried to this day.

Caillen quickly put Fain between them for protection.

Ignoring them, Hermione released Nykyrian and met Galene's gaze. "I stand at your ready, Commander. Let us know when and where to attack. My forces are at your disposal."

While Hermione headed up the ramp to greet Ushara, Ryn stayed behind.

"You're sure about Darling?" he asked Fain in a barely audible tone.

"Absolutely. He wanted us to make sure you didn't do anything stupid his words while he was in hiding, and cost him his empire."

Ryn cracked a half smile. "That's my little brother, Dumba.s.s. And not like I could screw it up any worse than he did. I'm not the idiot who declared war on The League by telling their prime commander that I was going to raid and pillage the village and burn that and I quote motherf.u.c.ker to the ground and there ain't nothing you b.i.t.c.hes can do about it end quote."

Dancer laughed. "Yeah, not one of his better days. But definitely one of his more entertaining speeches."

Ryn snorted. "Yeah, right. Let's hear it for the Cruel family's standard of diplomacy."

"Brother, I hear you. There's no problem so large that it can't be solved by an adequate supply of explosives," Chayden finished for him. "That's always been one of my favorite things about Darling."

Fain shook his head. "Yeah, you would like that, Psycho Bunny."

"And you..." Ryn swung around toward Talyn, who met him with an arched brow. "I hear that we have a new son to welcome to our family group. It's an honor to see you again, boy."

Talyn extended his arm. "It's good to see you, too, Amba.s.sador."

Taking his hand, Ryn pulled him in for a hug. One that Talyn accepted without complaint. "Family don't shake hands. We maul like the G.o.ds intended... and I'm so glad I kept Ven from shooting you all those years ago."

Talyn clapped him on the back. "Me, too. It would have seriously screwed up my future plans."

Laughing, Ryn stepped back, then remembered he was supposed to be in mourning. He cleared his throat and sobered instantly. "Congrats on the unification."

"Thank you."

As Fain turned toward Galene, a sudden explosion rumbled and then rocked through the station. Alarms blared and lights dimmed. Their comms went off with warnings and summonses.

Fain paled as he read his link and his entire world tilted out of control.

No...

"It's the orphan decks... where War and Vega are housed." Without waiting on anyone, Fain took off at a dead run. His heart pounded in terror as he tried to call them.

No one answered.

Over and over he told himself they were all right as he kept trying to get through to them. That the lines were down or overloaded by others trying to contact loved ones.

Yet when he reached the section where they lived and saw the cordoned-off area that had been blown out and sealed so that the rescue teams could help the few survivors, he knew better.

No one in their building was left alive.

No one.

Chapter 14.

F.

ain fell to his knees as pain racked him harder than any blow he'd ever felt since that day in the locker room when Galene had shattered his heart and left him barren and alone. He couldn't breathe for it. All he could see were the faces of the kids when he'd first found them, starving and terrified.