Rush looked at the unconscious Katrina. The second she’d passed out, he turned to his father and told him he wanted privacy with her.

His father nodded solemnly. “I empathize more than you think.” Then he left.

Caayn, Bruze, Boron, and Rush stayed in the room.

Rush looked at the woman with four arms. Though not common, he’d seen such from her planet before. “She was with you?”

Bruze said, “Persima?”

She nodded.

Bruze turned to Rush. “She’s on our side.”

Persima pushed Katrina’s hair away from her face. “It’s true. Jeweler asked me to.”

Caayn frowned. “Where’s Eph?”

“That wasn’t him outside, a few minutes ago? We heard a fuss.”

Rush looked at Caayn. “That could have been our entrance. We weren’t exactly quiet.”

“And they didn’t know who they were dealing with, at first.” Caayn shrugged. “Katrina is very eager to return to Janus.”

Rush clenched his teeth. “Yeah.”

Persima looked between the two. “You do know why, right?”

“Because she’s handfasting… someone.”

“That’s not why she’s eager to return.”

“No?” Caayn looked puzzled.

Persima proceeded to tell them the story about Katrina’s mother and her sister Misha, a locket, and a deal.

When she finished talking, Caayn looked at Rush. “You have any ideas?”

Rush was perturbed, caught off-guard, and still reeling from the unfolding of Katrina’s story. To think that all this time, she’d carried this burden. He reached for the locket.

Persima put a hand over his. “Do not.”

He paused, looking at her quizzically.

“She said it was designed to show if there has been any tampering.”

He nodded then turned to Caayn. “You have a plan?”

Bruze stepped forward. “Seems the first priority is making sure her mother and sister are safe.”

“How do you propose we do that?”

“I have an idea,” Bruze said.

They all turned toward him. “It involves someone who is from Earth. And a fast ship.”

“I have a fast ship.” Boron’s chest swelled, clearly proud of his Z-Class.

“Why do you need someone from Earth?” Rush asked.

“They need to be able to convince Katrina’s mother and sister to go to Janus.”

Caayn’s eyes narrowed. “I hate to volunteer anyone, but I think I know someone who’d do it. Razor and Branson. They can be convincing.” His smile was wicked. “And if they aren’t persuasive enough, I’m fairly certain they can come up with other means.”

Rush tsked. “I hope her mother and sister don’t have the same disposition as Katrina. She didn’t do well with being abducted.” He couldn’t help the smile that came to his face.

“So what’s next?”

“Next, you convince your father to let us take Katrina and not interfere,” Caayn said. “I’ll go back to the ship. We’ll take Emily onto the Javelin. Razor and Branson will go with Boron on the Z and make a quick trip to Earth to pick up the cargo then return to Janus, where we’ll all meet.”

“I like it.” Rush nodded. Except the part where Katrina was concerned. What about her? Would the government have found someone else for her?

“When we get to Janus and Katrina sees her family, she can turn over the locket so we can find out what the hell is in it,” Caayn said. “And everything will be fine.”

“Except one thing,” Boron added.

They all turned to him. “She signed a contract to handfast.”

Rush was glad Boron brought it up. He didn’t want to be the one who said anything. He wasn’t quite ready to show his feelings.

“I like the way you guys are sitting here plotting my life without even asking my permission or consulting with me.” Katrina’s voice was weak but full of sarcasm.

There was the woman he’d fallen for.

She glared at him while she tried to sit up. “What the hell are you grinning about?”

Persima, who’d been silent during the entire planning phase after filling them in on everything, leaned forward to help Katrina.

Katrina shot her a dirty look. “Don’t go thinking for a moment I don’t know you’re the one who spilled the beans.”

Persima’s eyes glittered with mirth. “Someone had to help you. You certainly haven’t been helping yourself much.”

Katrina harrumphed.

“Are you saying we don’t have a good plan?” Caayn stepped closer to the bed, eyes glued to her.

Clearly, she knew when she’d been beat. She looked down. “If I can have my family here, I’ll handfast Jabba the Hutt.”

But why did she look like she wanted to vomit?

“Who is Jabba the Hutt?” Boron asked.

“You don’t want to know.” Katrina stuck a finger in her open mouth and made retching sounds. “It means I’ll marry anyone.”

“Your contract says Cardinal Few,” Caayn reminded her.

“I’m sure the governor will pick someone. And as long as my mom and sister are nearby, it doesn’t much matter.”

But why does she look distraught? Rush would have thought she’d have everything she wanted once her family was there.

“The contract’s only for a year,” he reminded her. “Then you can dissolve the handfasting to Jabba.”

She reached behind her for a pillow and aimed it at him.

He ducked. “What is wrong with you, woman?”

“Kiss my ass,” she sniped.

Persima put her arms around Katrina. “Men. They are simple beings.”

“Let’s get going,” Boron encouraged, then turned to Rush. “You’ll handle your father?”

He nodded.

Caayn reached for the handle. “Boron and I will take care of something. You get your father in sync then come with Bruze and Katrina after.”

Katrina cleared her throat. “And Persima. You can’t just abandon her to Eph’s mercy. He’ll kill her.”