Galene frowned at the word. "It's the name he uses. Does it have a special meaning?"

Hadrian nodded. "They were a sect of Trisani priests who voluntarily withdrew from the world. It was said that they were able to master their powers and do things with them that made a mockery of the rest of us." He looked at Fain and Talyn. "Apparently, it wasn't a myth."

Nero shook his head. "And here I just thought he took our term to use because he thought it was bada.s.s."

Hadrian snorted bitterly. "Well, a lot of people use it for that reason. Who would have thought?"

Sighing, Nero returned his attention to Ushara. "Is Julia a part of your Nation, too?"

Sympathy darkened her eyes. "No. I'm sorry. She died a long time ago from their cruelty. It left Trajen shattered and brittle. Completely mistrustful and withdrawn. Just be patient with him. He's harsh, but he is a good man."

Dancer scoffed. "Brothers, huh? What a minsid pain in the a.s.s they are."

Fain draped his arm over Galene and laughed. "Tell me about it. You should have mine."

Hadrian flashed a grin at Talyn. "Feeling left out, little buddy?"

"Yeah, I got nothing to add to this. No ability to relate."

Jayne laughed. "You and Sway. My two lonely onlies."

"Ah, it's fine. I don't mind."

Hadrian sucked his breath in sharply. "Ooo, T. Have a care with that word. It always gives me chills."

Talyn frowned. "What word?"

"Fine. I hate it."

"Seriously?"

"Uh, yeah. Are you out of your mind? I live with Jayne and two daughters. The most terrifying four-lettered f-word a woman says in my house is 'fine.' I swear, every time I hear it, I cringe."

Nero laughed. "Jayne? What have you done to my brother?"

Kissing her cheek, Hadrian flashed a teasing grin. "Let me put it to you this way... G.o.d forbid anything should ever happen to her, but if it does I'm under orders to chain and lock her coffin shut during the middle of the funeral just to freak everyone out."

They all laughed.

Until the engineers sealed off the damaged part and cleared the brig.

"How many did we lose?" Galene asked.

The head engineer pulled his face mask off. "None this time, Commander. High Admiral Thaumarturgus saved the ones who were trapped. We were extremely lucky he was here."

"Yes, we were," she agreed. She gave Fain a hard stare. "We have to arrest Malys."

"I know. Believe me, I could kill her myself right now." Fain sank his hand in Talyn's braids. "No one threatens what I love."

This time, Talyn didn't protest when he hugged him. He actually hugged him back.

Galene choked on her tears as she watched Talyn and Fain embracing.

Jayne put her arms around her shoulders and hugged her. "It's so sweet I could barf."

Galene laughed. "You're awful."

"I know." She kissed Galene's head. "Now let's go kick some Tavali a.s.s."

Together, they headed for Venik's quarters.

By the time they reached them, Ven was there with his oldest daughter, Circe.

Fain hesitated just inside the door. "Where's Malys?"

Ven swept his gaze over their group. "You know I can't let you arrest her."

Fain tsked at him. "Ven, she planted bombs on your station. She almost killed Hermione, thinking she was having an affair with you. She's plotted with Eriadne. You don't want the blowback from this to land on you, too."

"We've already banished her. Stain and Payne have taken her off-station where she can't cause any more trouble."

Galene gaped. "Are you serious?"

"She's my wife. I can't let you hurt her. Sorry." He pa.s.sed a smug look to Fain. "I know you understand."

Fain slugged him.

Circe stepped forward, but Galene cut her off.

"Honey, you're not that big or tough. To get to him, you have to get through me."

The Tavali held her hands up and wisely stepped back.

Galene sighed. "Well... given everything that has transpired, I think you'll understand my next course of action." She tapped her link to an all-alert status. "Attention all troops and commanders, this is Prime Commander Galene Batur-Hauk. Effective immediately, we are pulling out of the Porturnum station. I want all gear packed and all ships capable of flight to be launched within the hour. I'll transmit our new base coordinates on a secure channel in twenty-three minutes. Prime Commander out."

Ven made a pain-filled noise. "You can't do that!"

"Oh yes, I can. We're not safe here. We can't trust you. Furthermore, I want the kill switch you have for Fain, or so help me G.o.ds, I'll shoot you myself."

"The who, what?" Dancer gasped as the others burst into similar exclamations.

Fain cringed as she exposed his secret. "Precious, you weren't supposed to talk about that."

"And I'm not leaving you at his mercy for another second." She faced Venik with steely determination. "Hand it over or your wife will never again have to worry about your pickle finding a new jar. I will take care of that for her. Permanently."

Ven glared at her. "Fine." He pulled the trigger out and held it up for her to see. "Take it. But before you do there's something you should know."

"What?"

He pressed it.

"No!"

Fain cringed and waited to die in a painful burst.

But nothing happened.

Nothing.

"What the h.e.l.l, man?" It was his turn to glare at Ven.

Ven tossed the switch at Fain, who caught it in one hand. "When you became Rogue, it deactivated it."

Fain gaped at that. It actually made sense that the neuromapping might have bypa.s.sed the programming and deactivated the device, but... "You knew and you didn't tell me?"

"Of course not. I'm not stupid. You would have killed me without hesitation."

Fain digested that slowly. "Then out of curiosity, how did you find out it was no longer working?"

Ven turned sheepish. "Really rather not answer."

Rage exploded inside Fain. That could only mean the b.a.s.t.a.r.d had tried to use it to fry his brains. Furious, he grabbed him by the shirt. "I just might kill you yet!"

"You can't. You still owe me a t.i.the."

"You canceled my t.i.the."

"Did I?"

Fain narrowed his gaze. "Ven..."

He cracked an arrogant grin. "Just jerking on you, Hauk. Get a sense of humor." He broke Fain's hold. "Go on. I gave you your freedom. Now would you rather risk it by attacking me, or do something better with it?" He cut his gaze toward Galene.

Honestly? Fain wanted to beat the c.r.a.p out of him until his fury was spent.

But...

Ven was right. He'd much rather let it go and be grateful he was alive and had his family with him. "You're fortunate I have to help my wife pack her gear, and mobilize an army. Otherwise, I'd be slipping on your entrails right now."

And with that, they left Ven to tend his own house. There was nothing more they could do here. It was time for Fain to put it all behind him, once and for all.

"Well," Caillen said with an amused grin, "we've destroyed half of Venik's base. I think our work here is done. Chayden will feel extremely vindicated when he sobers up. Anyone know how to fly his ship?"

Fain pa.s.sed an amused stare to Galene. "Qory."

Talyn shook his head. "Nah, that's not a good idea. He was beyond past drunk when I left them. So much so, he couldn't even make confident obscene gestures at Venik."

Morra let out a tired laughing sigh. "I'll get them. I can tractor beam Chay's ship to mine. So long as someone covers me."

Nykyrian inclined his head to her. "We have your back, little sister. Always."

"Thanks, boss. So who wants the hernia that comes with helping Qory walk?"

Laughing, Talyn lifted his hand. "I'll take it. I already had one large object fall on me today. What's another?"

"Yeah, you should be careful," Nero warned. "We can't do another round yet to lift him off you. We have to have a good day of down time to nurse our head wounds, and I doubt Ushara can talk Tray into another heroic deed." He pa.s.sed a questioning brow to the Fyreblood, who was being strangely quiet in their wake.

"Yeah, I'm not the safest bet on that. Jullien has much better luck when it comes to moving the immovable object known as Trajen, than I do." She screwed her face up into a becoming frown. "Not sure how he does it."

Nykyrian actually stumbled at that. "Really?"

Ushara nodded. "Your brother can be quite the diplomat when he wants to."

Nyk pa.s.sed a frown to Dancer. "One day I hope to meet this Jullien you describe."

Dancer snorted. "Hope you're not disappointed by the little b.a.s.t.a.r.d when you do."

Jayne slapped him on the stomach. "Play nice."

Grimacing, Dancer rubbed his stomach and grumbled. "I was. That was actually the edited version of what went through my thoughts."

Laughing, Jayne rolled her eyes.

When they reached the landing bay, Galene stopped Nykyrian, Syn, Dancer, and Jayne. Ushara paused alongside them.

"So where do we set up now, Highness?" Galene asked.

Nykyrian swept his gaze around the bustling ground crews as they rushed to prepare the ships to launch. "My grandmother still holds Andaria. We can't go there."

"Lorens has taken Xera V back. For now, they're holding the outpost. I have reinforcements en route to them."

Nykyrian stroked his chin in thought. "Until this ends, I want our families secured and out of harm's way."

Ushara rubbed her stomach protectively as if she couldn't agree more. "I know a place, but you won't like it. And I will need a.s.surances from you and your mother that my people will be granted amnesty from your troops and laws."

"We are not my grandmother. Neither my mother nor I bear any malice toward the Fyrebloods."

"Then I can offer you shelter in our lands. No one will find you there."

Nero exchanged a bitter grimace with Hadrian. "Won't Trajen protest?"

"Probably. But he needs his brothers. Sooner or later, his sh.e.l.l will crack and he'll let you in." She paused. "Or he'll kill you."

"Oh goody!" Hadrian said in a falsetto. "I can't wait! Jayne? Can we go get slaughtered by my brother I never knew I still had? Can we, please?"

She snorted at her husband. "Yeah, he has a head injury. And he's about to get another."

Nero ignored him. "Is Trajen married?" he asked Ushara. "Does he have kids?"