G'baena's Pirates (15 page)

“We have permission for a landing party of five. I’ve asked G’tarvey to drop us off and bring the ship back later. If we have any problems, any at all, head for the
Temple
of the Goddess and Tarv will extract us from there.”

Devlin’s gut twisted just a little harder. Hell, if Ben and Trey were setting up escape routes from the planet they should actually be running, things weren’t as straightforward as he’d hoped. He was starting to rethink the whole “demanding justice” idea.

* * * *

Kam felt the tension level increase as several more G’trobian voices contacted them before they could land the small ship. When they were finally allowed to disembark, G’tarvey waved them good-bye just a little too gleefully, and then their transport was gone. Kam barely had time to wonder at the man’s good humor before a very official voice ordered them to follow the green line into the building for processing.

Trey tilted his head toward the door, grabbed G’baena’s hand, and started walking. They’d decided yesterday that it would be safer for all of them if Devlin, Kam, and G’baena hid their relationship while on G’trobia. G’trobian society had very rigid social rules and harsh penalties for those who took a wrong step. There weren’t any rules dealing specifically with same-sex relationships, but there weren’t any openly gay or bisexual relationships, either.

The one about females being forbidden to leave the planet or have contact with alien species could be a problem, though. Kam had almost suggested again that Devlin stay on the ship but knew that his sense of responsibility wouldn’t allow him to stay behind. Devlin’s protective streak was about a light-year wide and included everything and everyone who needed help. It would damn near kill him to stay behind when the ones he loved were in possible danger.

Kam smiled at his own thoughts. He could feel Devlin’s love and affection for him grow each day. They’d shared only a few brief kisses, but the emotions were there, clear and strong for both him and G’baena.

“Name, please,” a singsong, disembodied voice asked Trey as he stepped through the doors of the small building.

“G’Beydeatrey,” he said clearly. There was a moment’s hesitation, a small laugh, and then, “There are severe penalties for impersonating a member of the royal fam—”

“I am well aware of the penalties,” Trey said sternly as he cut off the voice. “Order transportation and an escort immediately!” Even though Kam knew most of the royal family, he’d quickly grown used to seeing the princes as shipmates rather than royalty, so the imperious tone of voice was a little surprising.

There was another brief hesitation before a different voice, this one sounding a little nervous, spoke clearly.

“Yes, Sire, we have arranged transportation. It will be here shortly. Shall I contact the palace and notify them of your visit?”

“Yes,” Trey said, managing to pour all his annoyance into a single word. Kam carefully hid the smile that threatened to escape. Trey’s irritation was more likely due to the fact that, as royalty, he couldn’t follow his own instincts and thank the man for his assistance.

Kam glanced over at Devlin. He was playing the role of bodyguard to the royals—not exactly a lie. Ben and Trey were well armed and quite experienced in protecting themselves, but to have arrived without protection would have caused even more problems. Devlin looked menacing and very, very dangerous but, despite the fact that he understood very little of the G’trobian language, seemed alert, but more relaxed, now than he had back on the ship.

Kam had to hold back another laugh as the transport driver managed to somehow ignore the human’s presence without actually getting in Devlin's way. G’trobians did not have a warm welcome for outsiders, but obviously this one had a strong sense of self-preservation.

Once on board the outrageously oversized and hideously decorated transport craft, Ben and Trey settled G’baena in the seat between them, thankfully acting more like protective older brothers than intended mates. Devlin stood close, his attention on the pilot.

Ben watched out the window, his gaze seemingly on the approach to the palace. He turned and spoke quietly to Trey.

“Devlin, Kam, slight change in plans,” Trey said in the standard traders’ language. “If there is any trouble, stay in the palace. We suspect that if there is a problem, it is more likely to come from without rather than within.”

“How can you be so sure?” Devlin asked, sounding like their pirate shipmate rather than a deferential servant. Kam thanked the goddess for Devlin’s self-designed privacy field that currently shielded them from prying ears. The human really was an amazing engineer.

“We can’t be certain, but it looks like our unexpected arrival is cause for celebration.”

Kam moved from his seat to look out the side window. Almost everywhere he could see was covered in scrambling servants. Many unrolled the traditional green flooring reserved for the return of a royal family member after a long absence. Others dragged huge, deep, green pots filled with green foliage of every description into place as hundreds, maybe thousands, of workers tried to throw together a welcome ceremony with but a moment’s notice.

Kam shook his head at the obvious waste. Didn’t they know there were children dying of starvation on other planets?

The small transport craft hovered over the palace grounds, circling the area but not actually landing. Kam tried not to grind his teeth in exasperation. The pilot had likely been ordered not to land until the preparations were completed. He fell back into his seat. Fuck, this could take a while.

Chapter Eleven

G’baena tried to control the nervousness that currently gripped her. She really wanted to snuggle into Kam’s or Devlin’s embrace, preferably both, but Devlin had warned them that his privacy field only stopped sound from escaping, meaning that the pilot and whoever monitored the surveillance cameras could see them clearly.

She squirmed in her seat, trying to get more comfortable. It felt like they circled the palace forever, but finally the transport dipped lower and landed on the edge of the green flooring. The door opened, Ben grabbed her hand, and together, they followed Trey, Kam, and Devlin outside.

The loud traditional music and cheering crowd gave her a glimpse into what her life may have been like if Ben and Trey hadn’t left the planet. She tried to hide her distaste. These people worshipped the royal family but knew nothing about them. They’d been ordered to celebrate Ben and Trey’s return, so they did.

The kings and their queen stood on the balcony as a herald read a tediously long greeting from an electronic prompter. Judging by the small mistakes in pronunciation and flow, it wasn’t one he’d had time to practice.

She could feel both Kam and Devlin standing behind them. They were both alert for trouble, neither faltering as the speeches went on and on and on. G’baena was certain her legs were about to collapse when they were at last formally invited into the palace.

When the cumbersome ornate doors finally closed behind them, G’baena felt nothing but relief, despite the greeting they were expecting in private. Ben and Trey had warned that their fathers may react angrily despite following royal protocol for the masses to see.

“G’Beydeatrey, G’Bende-anrali, where in the name of the goddess have you been?”

G’baena smiled at the woman’s words as Ben and Trey’s mother pushed past her husbands and confronted her wayward sons. The princes smiled indulgently and greeted her with hugs and soft words. The woman fussed happily, even at Devlin, until her gaze landed on G’baena.

“G’baena?” she asked, sounding confused and looking at her sons worriedly.

“Yes, Mother,” Ben said quietly. “We have much to discuss.”

* * * *

Devlin could barely believe that the royal family was talking in the standard traders’ language in deference to him. Ben and Trey had quickly explained why they were there, and then he, Kam, and G’baena had been welcomed with open arms.

The queen certainly didn’t act the way he’d expected. The little he knew of G’trobian society had given him reason to believe that women weren’t considered equals. Ben and Trey’s mother seemed to have missed that memo because she was clearly a woman with opinions. She’d even demanded the kings take immediate action in seeking justice for G’baena, and within minutes, G’baena’s entire family was being escorted to the palace with a single order from one of her husbands.

“The problem we have,” Ben said casually after his mother calmed a little, “is that we need to maintain our undercover identities if we have any hope of shutting down the slave trade in this area of space.”

“So we can’t execute them publicly?” one of the kings asked.

“I think it needs to be public,” G’baena said quietly. Devlin could read the private agony in her body language and wished that they weren’t talking about her fathers. He moved closer and curled his fingers around her cold hand. To hell with G’trobian protocols. His woman needed him, and he wouldn’t ignore it.

The queen raised her eyebrows questioningly, but when Devlin didn’t voice a defense, she seemed to let it go. She already knew that Ben and Trey had claimed a human woman—a fact she wasn’t exactly pleased about, especially since Tee-ani was not with them—so who G’baena held hands with was really none of the queen’s business.

G’baena twisted her fingers through Devlin’s and then explained her reasons in a clear and concise manner. By the time she was finished, it was obvious to everyone in the room that she’d given a great deal of thought to the matter.

Again, Devlin wished that they weren’t discussing G’baena’s fathers, but she was right. With Keytark trying to gain a foothold on the planet, it was necessary for the kings to deal swiftly and publicly with anyone found to be dealing with slave traders.

The trick would be to protect Ben’s and Trey’s undercover identities, and unfortunately, Devlin could see only one way. He suspected the queen saw it, too.

“Your cousins are returning to the palace later this evening. They have been able to conclude negotiations with the major supplier of weapon and shield technologies in this sector. Hopefully, we can improve this planet’s defensive capabilities,” one of the kings said.

“And,” the queen broke in, “maybe they can talk some sense into you two. I want my sons at home, not pretending to be slave traders.” Tears filmed her eyes, but she held her jaw aggressively, obviously daring Ben and Trey to deny their intentions. When they didn’t, she turned and left the room, head held high, her emotions contained. It was amazing how much she reminded Devlin of his own mother, so strong-willed, so in control. Devlin suspected that, like his mother, the queen would do her grieving in private.

* * * *

Kam was surprised at the warmth of the welcome he received. Apparently, within the royal family at least, being a walking dead man didn’t matter if you were protecting the royal offspring. Considering his status as a displaced son, he’d fully expected to be ignored. The fact that the royal triad listened not only to him and G’baena, but also to an outsider, gave him hope for the future of his people.

If royalty could see past outdated and unfair societal rules, surely the people could learn to change as well. A small seed of hope sprouted in his mind, but as he glanced at Devlin and G’baena, he realized that, even if G’trobia was on the verge of tremendous change, his own future lay elsewhere.

* * * *

“Who are your contacts?”

Devlin maintained his aggressive stance as he watched the conversation unfold. G’baena’s entire family had been escorted to the palace as if they were honored guests. Her mother and sisters were currently in the women’s quarters, hopefully catching up with G’baena and meeting Kam, and Ben, Trey, and Devlin had joined the kings for a formal dinner. G’baena’s fathers had been so busy trying to impress the kings that they hadn’t even noticed the probing questions until they’d dug themselves a nice big hole.

Now, they had no defense, having essentially bragged of their involvement in the slave trade, and they both knew it.

“I…I…We don’t know any n…names,” one of them stuttered.

G’baena’s fathers looked more frightened than he’d ever seen anyone, and Devlin had seen plenty of terrified people in his time. Ben and Trey had dropped the civilized mantle that they’d worn like a cloak since landing in G’trobia and now reverted to the personalities that made them both very dangerous pirates.

One of G’baena’s fathers looked on the verge of wetting himself. The other already had. Devlin huffed in disgust and crossed his arms aggressively. As the casual dinner conversation had progressed, it became more obvious that these men were greedy, ambitious, selfish bullies. Now, it was also obvious they were also very short on courage.