God, the things I do for my friends. They'd better fucking appreciate this.
Straik holds out another piece of fruit to me. "I need you to tell me about the Star."
This time, when I take it, I make sure my fingers brush against his. "What do you need to know?"
22
STRAIK
She's being far too amenable. I don't trust it. Or her. How does she go from spitfire and hellion to soft, gentle thing after a single meal? Either I need to keep her stuffed with sweets constantly to bring out her good side, or it's a trick.
Doesn't matter. I can use this. "I want you to tell me about the males that woke you up on the Star. Who were they? Did they have names? Anything particular in their appearance you can tell me about? Can you identify them?"
The soft, sly look in her eyes disappears and vulnerability flashes across her face. She seems to hunch smaller in her seat. "Why?"
It's obvious that they hurt her and that even the memory of them makes her worried and unhappy, and that bothers me. A lot. "So I can murder them myself."
"Okay, I like that answer." Ruth relaxes a little. She wraps her arms around herself, thinking, and eventually begins to speak. She tells me a little about the crew, but she doesn't know their names. That they were mesakkah, that one wore an eyepatch, that one had an arm that looked “wrong” (probably a cybernetic replacement of some kind), that all of them had scars, and that they were…unpleasant. She can't give me much to go on, though, and I feel like a keffing ass for forcing her to relive what are obviously painful memories.
It's clear these males hurt the females, and the thought just enrages me even more. To think that someone entrusted a ship full of sleeping people—helpless slaves to boot—to these pieces of shit. The fact that it's my family that's responsible makes it twice as bad. I reach out and touch her small hand. "I'm sorry they did that to you. We won't let them get away with it."
She grips my fingers, holding tight to me, and I feel…strange. The guilt and anger are still there, along with something else. I stare down at our intertwined hands and…that's a problem.
I pull away, getting to my feet to pace again. "I know you're going through a hard time right now. I'm sorry to bring up your past, but I wanted to see if the men you described sounded like anyone I know of."
"And do they?"
I purse my lips, frustrated. "No. So either my family is hiring secret crews to run things, or it's pirates. Kef me, I hope it's pirates."
"Do pirates normally handle that many slaves?"
No, and that's the problem. Slavery is rampant, despite the fact that it's illegal. It's because there are so many places for slavers (and corsairs) to hide out and skirt the laws. It's also because so many houses are willing to look the other way as long as it makes them money. I've always thought that House Rin was different, and I'm disgusted that we're not. My uncle is familiar with this sort of thing, though. He's helped so many human slaves find freedom on his personal lands. He'll know what to do.
And we're close to Risda III. The sooner we get there, the better.
I glance over at the female. She's still wearing my tunic, though it only has one sleeve. It fits her like a tent, reminding me just how fragile and small humans truly are compared to mesakkah. Even the stab wound she gave me was little more than a prick into the shoulder. Humans are far too easy to enslave and subdue and that makes me feel…yet more guilt.
I'm not responsible for the entire universe, but damn, I like to keep my corner of it tidy. I scrub a hand down my face. I'm not going to let her leave my sight, but that doesn't mean I have to be a monster. "What do you need?"
Ruth looks up at me in surprise. "Me?" When I nod, she shrugs. "My friends? To return to the Star?"
"What do you need that I can provide you?" I emphasize.
Her expression grows bleak. "Nothing. Nothing at all."
I think for a moment and decide I can do a little better than that. Even though she's going to be in my quarters with me, there's nothing that says I can't at least bring her lover in here to keep her company. If I can show her that I'm a good male, that I'm scrupulous and trustworthy, she won't go around stabbing everyone and causing problems. I need to win her over so my crew can go back to normal. So my men don't think I'm a monster. So no one turns on me when my mother inevitably sends her people to check up on us.