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“Your highest-ranking warrior betrayed everyone around him.” The father addressed Strike’s female. “I can’t trust Syndiculs to keep their vows.” He rubbed his tusks. “I can’t trust them to honor the peace agreement.”
“No.” Strike’s female cried out. “No.” She stepped forward. “You have to uphold the peace agreement. Beings will die if you don’t uphold it.”
“Agreements are based on trust.” The father slashed his hands through the air. “Syndiculs have proven they deserve no trust. There’s nothing tying them to their vows.”
Frag. Strike’s nourishment processing system twisted.
The male was talking about war…with his female’s home planet.
That would place her and her much-beloved mom in danger.
“My dad is being dealt with.” The friend tried to repair the damage. “I doubt he’ll be the Minister of Defense for very much longer.”
“And how will I know his replacement has honor?” The father huffed. “How will I know a Syndicul won’t seek to kill my son again? How can I send any Powluk to Syndiculous 5? Or allow any Syndicul to land on our planet? There’s no way to make certain my warriors and my son are safe around Syndiculs.”
Strike’s female spluttered, but she didn’t say anything.
Because her assurances would be worth nothing. The father no longer trusted her kind.
Moments passed.
No one spoke.
Strike’s female looked at him. The devastation on her face sliced Strike to his frame. “Beings will die,” she whispered.
And that prospect, for his soft-hearted female, was soul-damaging.
Strike processed only one way to stop it. “I will ensure your warriors and your son are safe around the Syndiculs.” He stepped forward.
His female gasped. “My male, what are you doing?”
He was protecting her. His jaw jutted. That was what he was doing.
“And how will you ensure my warriors and my son are safe around Syndiculs?” The father lifted his eyebrows. “You’ll be halfway across the sector tracking down the weapon.”
Strike projected he and his female would have been situated, at least temporarily, on Cancri B. They would be seeking to chatter with the male who had obtained the Humanoid Alliance warship.
Cancri B was positioned much closer to them than halfway across the sector.
“My brethren will track down the weapon.” He would delegate that task to them.
His mission would be completed. That had to happen to ensure the safety of everyone he cared about.
But the assignment wouldn’t be accomplished by him and his female.
Other beings would have that responsibility.
“My female and I will remain within monitoring range of Syndiculous 5.” He wouldn’t commit to them always being on the surface of that planet. “We’ll ensure the peace agreement is upheld.”
The father frowned. “How can I be certain you’ll do that?”
The male was questioning his honor.
Strike stiffened. “Because I said we would do that, and cyborgs don’t lie.”
“Yes, I’ve heard that about cyborgs.” The father nodded. “You have honor.” He glanced at Strike’s female. “And you might have some too. As a cyborg has chosen you for his mate.”
Strike’s female’s lips twisted. That was her only acknowledgement of the male’s mutilated compliment.
