Reiji didn’t reply. Instead, he pulled out a handheld unit from the storage pocket on his outer leg and began scanning the walls.
“What are you doing?”
“It’s common for these luxury suites to have escape rooms for their occupants to hide in and evacuate from if necessary. This one is… right here,” he said as the handheld began to beep excitedly. Using a fist, he pounded on the wall. “This is Major Reiji Demeter of Kirs Elite Planetary Defense Force. This ship is now secure. It’s safe for you to disengage the room’s locks.”
It took several long moments during which they retracted the visors on their helmets, but finally, the sound of locks disengaging and seals releasing was heard. The door slowly opened.
“Shit!” Reiji cursed as an elegantly dressed woman stepped out. Her white-blonde hair was artfully arranged around a heart-shaped face with big brown eyes, a petite nose, and enhanced red lips. “I should have known.”
“Hello, Reiji.”
“What the fuck are you doing in space, Pooja?” he demanded. “You hate space.”
“It’sLady Zulfiqartoyou, Major Demeter,” she told him haughtily.
“Ah yes, that’s all you ever wanted to be now, isn’t it, Pooja? To be considered a ‘Lady’ instead of the dirty D-Twelver you are.”
Her arrogant façade faded, and she snapped, “Iama Lady!”
He sneered. “And all it took for you to achieve that was to divorce me and abandon our son.”
“I never…”
“Hello, Mother, or do I need to address you as Lady Zulfiqar, too?” Nas asked, stepping into her line of sight.
“I… what… who… Nasli?” she stammered, the color draining from her face.
“So, you do remember me. I’m surprised since your current husband successfully erased you from every document that connected us.”
“He did that to protect me. He…”
“He did it to protect himself,” Reiji spat out. “So he could be elected Supreme Judge because we all know that never would have happened if it was discovered his wife not only came from District Twelve but gave birth to one.”
“Why is that man calling you mother?”
The young voice had all three heads turning. A young girl emerged from the escape room. Her long white-blonde hair was pulled back by two decorative combs, framing her crystal blue eyes and an elegant little nose perfectly centered in her heart-shaped face.
Pooja recovered her composure. “This doesn’t concern you, Talyani. Get back inside until I say you can come out.”
Swinging his blast rifle around to his back, Nas removed his helmet, exposing short white-blonde hair that matched hers as he went down on one knee. “I call her mother because that’s what she is, which means you’re my half-sister.”
“Stop!” Pooja shrieked, but everyone ignored her.
“Really? I always wanted a brother.” Talyani’s wide gaze looked up to Pooja. “Why didn’t you tell me I had one, Mother?”
“I…”
“Well, you know now.” Pulling off his tactical glove, he extended his hand to her. “I’m Nasli. Nasli Demeter.”
Talyani didn’t even hesitate to slip her much smaller hand into his. “It’s very nice to meet you, Nasli. I’m Talyani Zulfiqar.”
“Nice to meet you, too. So, Little Sis, what are you doing out here in deep, dark space?”
“I’ve been chosen to compete at Worlds.”
Nas knew Worlds was a competition, held every five years, between the eleven countries on Kirs for bragging rights on who had the most talented, beautiful, and intelligent citizens. Winners became national heroes. And the losers? Well, no one ever heard of them again. Why anyone would want to compete in such a thing, let alone allow their child to, was beyond Nas’s comprehension.
“What does that have to do with you being in space?” Nas asked.