Page 40 of Life-Debt

My eyes widened. “You’re your planet’s heir?”

“Yes and no. Cremora Delta worlds are run through a type of planetary congress. A quarter of the congress is hereditary, with one of the hereditary members leading the congress. My father is the current planetary leader by vote. I’d been sent on the freighter to secure our shiftgem crystals. We’re getting a spaceport of our own rather than relying on the Cremorans to handle our imports and exports. They love the idea because they have to help the Veloc. Let’s just say they’re not ideal at interplanetary trade. Having us become more independent is a good thing.”

Piece by piece, things began to make sense.

How better to prevent change than create a catastrophe for the congress, resulting in the expansion project? I could readily understand how and why those on board the ship would betray Delta—and want to preserve his life. If Delta took the blame, his father fell, too.

I reached into my shirt and retrieved the rainbow black core shiftgem I’d taken from the stash. “Did they tell you what this is?”

“They did. The ship’s mechanic, not that he was good at his job, had smuggled core shiftgems from a planet busting operation. They discovered everything had been a ruse. The straw lots where I drew first? Planned.”

I could guess. “The lots were all marked the same?”

“They were.”

“Why save you? So your dad could take the fall?”

Delta shrugged. “I don’t know. Remorse, maybe? I haven’t done anything wrong. I’m notorious about being a stickler for the rules. Maybe they realized nobody would believe I would smuggle core shiftgems? My father received a comprehensive report from your associates. The authorities overseeing shiftgem production are opting to give the gems to our world, as there were no survivors from the original operation. We have no idea what to do with them, which I think played a part in their decision to give them for us. We have a vault, and they’re going there for now.”

“Stasis revival units and stasis chambers,” I replied. “Medical equipment. Core shiftgems are all about the formation of life. They work best when in those types of machines. You could become a leader in medical instrument research with access to those shiftgems. They’re in so many sizes.”

“And colors. It’s a thought, and I’ll talk to my father about it.”

“What will you talk to me about?”

I recognized Klearno’s voice, and I turned to regard the man, struggling to keep from grinning at his exasperated tone.

“The core shiftgems. Viva recommends we put them to use in medical equipment.”

“I’ll add that to the agenda. Why is it I got a call informing me you were being abducted by a Veloc clan?”

Delta pointed at me. “It’s her fault. She made a statement regarding unattended property on her ship belonging to her, and it turned into a planet-wide brawl over property rights. She’s been adopted by the Crimson Crests, and the other clans are all wanting a piece of me because they can claim kin relations that way. They have decided we’re a pair, and I’ve been instructed to get busy with the romancing, Dad.”

Delta’s father snickered. “And you have no idea what you’re doing because your first love was a book. About butterflies, to be specific. Thank you for bringing Miracle of a Lost Crimson Star home. We were prepared to get involved with her recovery, but we have little in the way of offense. We’re set on the defense, especially with the help of the Veloc and Cremorans. We’ve got a long way to go in everything else. Please forgive my son for his lack of romancing skills, bringing much shame to our Veloc cousins. We figured he was a lost cause. He’s always preferred books and learning over women.”

I understood Delta well enough, then. “I learned to speak Veloci from education modules. I share his condition. It’s non-lethal, but it interferes with normal relationships with sentients.”

“Thus your reluctance to learn names of those you have to share close quarters with?”

I sighed and bowed my head. “It just turns out I renamed him to be Delta, and he seems to like it.”

“He never liked being called Lucas anyway. He bitched and moaned it always sounded like someone was calling him an ass. Nicknames are used on our world, and I’m sure most will start calling him Delta soon enough, especially as he seems to like it. We’ll save calling him an ass for when he’s being one. So, Lucas.”

I snickered at the emphasis on the second syllable of his name. “You’ve done something to upset your family, Delta.”

“I didn’t write, I didn’t call, I ran off with the first ship willing to take me and a few Veloc friends here, and I may have walked out of a meeting when word came down the wire I needed to get to the landport. Oh, that reminds me. Do you know someone named Carthello?”

“I do. Why?”

“He sent the ship when we inquired on transport to Veloci Minor. He had a message?”

Oh, boy. “He’s calling in another damned life-debt again, isn’t he?”

Delta’s shoulders shook from his effort to keep from laughing. “You saved him from being eaten by a clan of angry Veloc, as he was supposed to transport Miracle Star home.”

That explained a lot. Carthello had his defenses, but he would not have appreciated tangoing with an enraged Veloc clan. “But I’d just gotten rid of the last one!”

“You’ll live. That’s what he told me to tell you when you said something like that. He’s rather… unique. I was afraid to ask.”