by Ravenna Tate
“And then they built the Zoo. And those of their own kind who opposed it—men born as Tyranns or who joined them willingly—were betrayed by friends and family and forced into hiding, or killed. They killed their own kind rather than listen to reason from them. Now, the only Tyranns left are the ones who would see your planet blown out of space rather than go backward. They’re vicious and cruel. Anyone with a conscience has long since left the Tyranns and Voyeur Moon.”
Except your own spies and the Addonian spies. And thank goodness for them, or none of them would have any information to use.
She took several deep breaths, desperate to pull her thoughts back to the present. “But the Addonians and Regum still have contacts working inside the Tyranns as spies.”
“A few. Very few.” He shook his head. “And that is our difficulty. We have so little information now. And it’s also why our own people refuse to believe it has become so bad. It’s why we need the help of Earth women who have actually been there.”
All she’d ever told Petroff and Honora was that she’d been in the holding cells, and had escaped the man taking her to his home on Voyeur Moon when his land craft had mechanical trouble. It was storming, and she’d simply run. He’d lost her in the woods.
They knew where she’d gone after that, and they knew that the couple who had taken her in had contacted the Regum. But they didn’t know how many other men she’d been given to before. And they never would. Not if she could help it.
“That’s why so many Regum are willing to work with Addonians and even former Tyranns to stop this. And that’s why I believe you would be perfect for this position. You have firsthand experience, and you speak several languages fluently.”
He was right, and she knew that. She had to do something. She was only twenty-eight. And while she knew her own planet was practically uninhabitable now and she could never go back, twenty-eight was way too young to give up and have no life. She was grateful for the shelter and the job, but she wanted more. So much more. She wanted things she was no longer sure she’d ever have, but she had to try. She wasn’t ready to give up.
She wanted to fall in love. She wanted to be able to have sex again without the fear of being touched. She wanted friends. She wanted to do all the things she missed doing, with people she enjoyed being with.
If she stayed here, her life would continue as it had been. Safe, but lonely. Boring. Empty. Without the possibility of love or physical pleasure. If she could help others, she had to do it. It would bring healing to her own life, and give her purpose once more.
“All right. I’ll do it. I’ll work for them.”
Chapter Two
Rune and his brother Thane, younger by two years, knew all too well what the past forty-plus years on Sera and Addo had been like. They weren’t Regum, but they had been fortunate enough to have lived over twenty years on Sera. Not only had they grown up with Regum as friends and neighbors, but when Thane was only twenty-one, they’d started and had run together a successful freight company on Addo, with the blessing of the Regum.
Until the day it all came crashing down around their ears. The same day that their friends and former clients, Vaughn and River, were accused of writing software programs to undermine the Regum defense systems. It was a bogus charge, of course, but one which had become all too familiar in their world by then.
Rune whistled as the land craft pulled up outside the Ministry. He turned to face Thane as the two climbed out. “Is it my imagination, or has this place become even more imposing since we left?”
Thane shrugged. “I think it’s your imagination. We haven’t been gone that long.”
Rune grinned. “This is so weird. You and me working inside the Ministry.”
The extreme faction of Tyranns that had grown out of the original group had their hands and their contacts in everything, including commerce on Sera. And if a business owner didn’t play along with a scam, they often found themselves on the wrong end of the Regum courts, by way of false accusations and manufactured evidence.
But in the case of Vaughn and River’s company, it was the Regum who had wanted them to stop writing and selling software programs for the Tyranns. They’d refused. It wasn’t that River and Vaughn agreed with what the Tyranns had become. They hadn’t known. None of them had until after the Regum began putting people in jail for selling to them, or providing them a service such as software programs.
As usual, the Regum had gone about it half-assed backwards. Instead of distributing information to let business and service owners know what was going on, they came in like gangbusters and ordered them to stop selling or trading with the Tyranns. No explanation. The fact that they’d started this department to take back Voyeur Moon, along with others who had similar functions, only proved they knew they’d put the cart before the horse one too many times now. It was a start, but they could do better. Much better.
“Weird,” said Thane. “But I’m excited about it.” He glanced at his phone. “Fourth floor, B wing. We’re to report to Cord.”
“I can’t wait to meet them. Wonder how they look for dead people?”
The two laughed. Cord, Arlo, and the Earth girl named Fallon were the only three people known to have escaped the infamous Zoo. And the Tyranns had promptly attempted damage control by circulating a report that the three had been apprehended and put to death, but the truth had leaked out. And now they ran a branch of the department he and Thane were working for. Talk about karma.
The reason why Rune and Thane had volunteered for this liaison position had as much to do with what the Regum had done to Vaughn and River as it did with the reason they’d joined Jakara and the rest of the Addonians. It was the right thing to do on multiple levels.
After River and Vaughn had lost their business and had been sentenced to prison on false charges, the Regum had gone the extra step and circulated untrue stories about the brothers to discredit them. It had worked.
Vaughn and River had contacted now-legendary Tyrann-turned-Addonian warrior Jakara, who in turn had enlisted the help of an Earth couple who were attorneys. Betsy and Blake Williams had helped prisoners escape the clutches of the Tyrann Zoo and the Addo mines before. They had come to Sera originally to work, but soon decided their negotiating skills were needed more on Addo to help stop the Tyranns.
Blake and Betsy had tricked the Tyranns and the Regum courts into believing that Vaughn and River were headed for the Zoo, in exchange for the charges being dropped. Normally, this kind of scheme went off without a hitch and the so-called prisoners never arrived on Voyeur Moon. They were given new identities, and took their place on Addo among the working class, hiding for the rest of their lives. But something had gone wrong this time, and Blake and Betsy Williams had found themselves in Atkins Prison on Voyeur Moon.
River and Vaughn had become fugitives from both the Regum and the Tyranns, and thus went to work on Addo for Jakara and his band of quiet warriors, working behind the scenes, using their IT skills to combat the threat. Rune and Thane had been instrumental in helping free Blake and Betsy from prison, but that also had come with a price.
River and Vaughn now lived near the ocean on Addo, along with Blake’s and Betsy’s niece, Marianne Kowalski. Jakara and Callie lived in the same house now, as well.
Marianne had had nearly succumbed to the same fate so many Earth women did these days. She’d almost been tricked into coming to Voyeur Moon by the Tyranns because of who she was. They’d sent her a letter on Earth that appeared to have come from the Regum, asking Marianne to join her aunt and uncle on Sera.
In reality, the Tyranns were attempting to round up any remaining families of people like Betsy and Blake, to use those family members as bait. They were desperate to out any Earthlings who dared to work for the Regum or Addonians against the Tyranns.
Because a spacecraft belonging to the Addonians had found Marianne on Earth before a Tyrann crew found her, Jakara and his team discovered the letter scam, and were now working to prevent a
ny more victims of it.
They also worked to infiltrate the Tyranns and pull off daring prison rescues, like Blake’s and Betsy’s, but those had become increasingly difficult as the Tyranns tightened security on Voyeur Moon even further.
But Jakara was too tenacious to let that stop him. After Vaughn and River went into hiding, Jakara had contacted the Regum and laid it out for them. Either they found a way to work with the Addonians to take back Voyeur Moon and eradicate the Tyranns, or this could go on indefinitely.
Jakara wanted all false charges against business owners to cease. He reasoned with the Regum, explaining that if they had better informed their people what was really happening on Voyeur Moon in the first place, business owners would voluntarily stop trading with the Tyranns. And no one would write software for them, or sell it to them. It made sense to the Addonians, and the Regum were finally beginning to listen.
Vaughn and River had eventually been granted a full pardon, although their business had not been restored. In reality, they no longer wanted it. They were far too busy working with the Addonians and enjoying their blissful life with Marianne.
As for Thane and Rune, they had readily volunteered for this liaison position. It was a chance to return to Sera and reconnect with old friends and family, as well as a great opportunity to put both their former and newly acquired skills to use in fighting the Tyranns. After all, the original core mission of the Addonians had been to bridge the gap between Regum and Tyrann.
Now that they realized no such bridging would be possible because the Tyranns would rather kill every Regum and Addonian than work toward a peaceful solution, the Addonians had turned their focus on helping the Regum stop the Tyranns for good. And then, maybe then, they’d find a way to convince the Regum to relax some of those ancient laws that had sparked this whole mess in the first place.
A man could hope, after all.
They found the Propaganda Branch of the Department of Reclaiming Voyeur Moon easily enough, and although they’d never met Cord, Arlo, or Fallon, enough Addonians who had met them had described them so well that Rune knew who they were immediately.
Fallon looked at Cord and Arlo like they’d hung the many moons of Addo, and her blonde hair and sparkling blue eyes were exactly as Rune had pictured them. Cord had a loud mouth, but seemed friendly, and his dark hair and dark eyes reminded Rune of Vaughn. Arlo also had dark hair, but his eyes were as green as emeralds.
The two walked toward the group, and Rune’s attention was drawn by another woman he didn’t know, standing off to the side. She had a lush, curvy body, and her smile was shy but warm. Her dark hair hung in soft curls halfway down her back, and when she glanced at him, her dark eyes held the promise of passion and loyalty. Now he understood what Jakara had meant when he’d described his reaction to seeing Callie O’Doyle for the first time.
Callie was Jakara’s mate. She was an Earth woman that Jakara had been sent to retrieve for the holding cells, before the Zoo was built. Jakara had already opposed the extreme faction of Tyranns quickly gaining power over the entire group, and one look into Callie’s blue eyes had convinced him that his views were the correct ones.
Instead of taking her to the holding cells, he’d first hidden her inside his quarters which at that time were on Addo. That was before the Addonians had formed and kicked the Tyranns off Addo completely. And then Jakara had broken all the rules and hidden Callie at his home on Voyeur Moon. Until a former friend and his own Section Chief had betrayed him, that is. But Jakara had been drawn to Callie with one look at her face, and that was exactly how Rune felt right now, watching this Earth woman.
Who was she? She obviously knew Fallon, Cord, and Arlo. She spoke to them with the easy familiarity of talking to old friends.
“There they are,” said Arlo, coming forward to shake hands with Rune and Thane. “Jakara described you both so well I knew you on sight. Welcome to Sera, again. And welcome to our little corner of the Ministry.”
“Thanks,” said Rune, his gaze cutting to the Earth woman. “We’re happy to be here.”
“Let me introduce you to everyone. This is Cord, and this is Fallon.”
The two shook hands, and then Arlo moved next to the other Earth woman. “And this is Gia Falconetti. She transferred here from one floor above us just yesterday. Gia has been here working in the Ministry about two years, and escaped the holding cells before she was given shelter here on Sera. She’s a translator, and is going to be primarily responsible for writing informational pamphlets and online content to distribute to the people of Sera and Addo.”
“We want to help them understand what’s really happening on Voyeur Moon,” she said, shaking first his hand and then Thane’s. Rune loved her voice. It was dusky and warm, and it had a lyrical quality to it. He could easily imagine it whispering and moaning in the dark, their bodies naked and sweaty as they made love for hours. This woman was captivating. Was she with anyone? He hoped not.
“Well, that’s why we’re here, too,” said Thane. “To let everyone know what’s going on.” Rune cut his gaze toward his brother, grinning. He looked like a dog in heat, not that he could blame the man.
“Well, come on in,” said Cord. “We’ll show you to your offices.” Rune and Thane followed him to two empty spaces that barely had room to house a desk and chair, but it didn’t matter. They were used to working anywhere and everywhere, so to have a dedicated space with actual walls and a door made Rune feel like royalty.
“My office is right next door to both of yours,” said Gia. “And Fallon, Cord, and Arlo are around the corner.” She swept her hand in a small circle. “And here’s the rest of it.”
He smiled at her, then followed her gaze around the remainder of the tiny department branch. There was a water cooler, and next to that a small refrigerator and sink, with a coffee machine on the counter against one wall. A large conference table with eight chairs around it dominated the spot near the other wall. No windows. They must be in the center of the building.
“Where’s the rest of the department?” asked Thane.
“Next door,” she said. “And no, it doesn’t look any more lavish than this.”
“We could use some color in here,” said Rune. “Maybe a painting or ten?”
“I asked if we could paint the walls, but apparently that’s not allowed.”
“They want us to focus on our work,” said Cord, rolling his eyes. “Not on art or color.”
Rune nodded. “That’s the Regum, all the way.”
“We’re all having lunch together today,” said Arlo. “So don’t make any plans.”
He looked directly at Gia. “Sounds good to me.”
She returned his smile. “Apparently they have some great restaurants close to the Ministry. So, welcome, and I’ll see you both later.”
She disappeared into her office and shut the door. Once Rune finished setting up his desk, which took all of ten minutes, he and Thane went into Arlo’s office and closed the door.
Rune didn’t waste any time. “Is she with anyone?”
Arlo frowned. “Gia?”
Rune nodded. Please say no.
“Be careful there. Both of you. I saw the way Thane drooled over her, too. She was in the holding cells and was chosen by a Tyrann fighter pilot. He was taking her to his house in a land craft when he had some kind of mechanical trouble. She got away by knocking him out with a large tree branch, and then she ran for miles through the woods, in the middle of a storm. By the time she was found, she had nearly died from hypothermia and dehydration.”
Rune swallowed hard. “I didn’t realize that.”
“And that’s not all. She was in the holding cells for weeks, and there are rumors this man who took her that night wasn’t the first one to choose her. But she never talks about it, so don’t ask her. The reason we pushed to steal her from her former department is because of what she went through. She’s the perfect person to write this content for us because she has firsthand experience. She un
derstands all too well what they’re doing on Voyeur Moon. So does Fallon.”
“What about Callie?” asked Rune.
“She does, too. We’ve been trying to convince her to write for us from home, and then we’d have Gia translate it, but Jakara said she’s not ready to relive those days again. He isn’t sure she’ll ever want to do it.”
“How do you know Gia is ready?” asked Thane.
“We asked her. Her former department head, Petroff, laid out for her what we wanted her to do, and then she came here to talk to the three of us, and agreed right away. All Gia has done since she came to live and work here on Sera is work. She lives in the apartments attached to the Ministry. Petroff once asked her whether she didn’t want to buy a home or at least find a condo to lease, and she told him she feels safer right here. She doesn’t even have to go outside to get home.”
“She’s still afraid,” said Rune.
“Very.” Arlo gave them each a stern look. “So please tread carefully. It wouldn’t look right for a Ministry worker to harass an Earth woman working in a department branch trying to inform our people what animals the Tyranns are toward them.”
Rune agreed with him, but he still wanted to get to know Gia. He’d glimpsed so much depth in those beautiful brown eyes. She was in there, just waiting to be set free. And he was determined to help her do that.
Chapter Three
Thane managed to finagle a seat on one side of Gia while Rune took the other one. They sat across from Cord, Arlo, and Fallon in a restaurant down the street from the Ministry called Imàgo. Gia chuckled softly at the name, and Thane asked her why she found it funny.
“It’s a very famous, upscale restaurant in Rome. Or at least, it used to be.” She frowned, and his heart went out to her. What must it be like to have your planet invaded and ruined? And then brought to another one, and endure whatever she’d gone through?
“Tell me about the restaurant you knew,” he said, closing his menu. He knew what he wanted to eat.
