Free Vigilante Series 2: Nebula Vigilante by T. Jackson King

wonder about what happens later, once we are in Alcubierre Translation to somewhere. Where will we be taken? Will there be jobs for us? How can we support our families?”
    “Reasonable questions,” Eliana said. “All I know, from Matt and from our AI Mata Hari, is that after the casino is destroyed, our ship will follow the other starships and head for the heliopause. Assuming we leave before an Anarchate battleglobe shows up to see why no one has done the hourly Tachlink check-ins that the hall’s AI told us are expected.” Sarah nodded, her look of worry deepening. “Our intelligence crystal says the nearest Anarchate naval force is five hours away by Alcubierre Drive Translation.”
    “Will we be exposed to starship combat?” Sarah asked tightly.
    “Yes, we may have to fight as we leave Zeta Serpentis, depending on how quickly the Anarchate ship commanders act.”
    Eliana decided to offer one of her few tidbits of real information. Though it might disturb as much as reassure. “My lifem ate Matthew Dragoneaux is even now asking our starship’s alien-made AI for permission to bring all humans aboard the starship. It is two kilometers long and the Spine hallway has hundreds of apartment-like roomsuites on it, in addition to a large commissary.”
    Sarah nodded briskly, not letting show the concern she must feel at exposing children to combat in space. “That sounds better than filling Nullgrav cargoholds with this crowd, or splitting us up among multiple ships.”
    Eliana admired Sarah’s matter-of-fact acceptance of a reality that she, just months ago, would have been horrified to be part of. “Sarah, please let everyone know that Matt’s starship is more powerful than any Anarchate battleglobe. It has destroyed two of them already. I will be aboard. And I do not think my lifemate would expose me or 152 other humans to peril unless he had a good plan for dealing with any Anarchate attacks. Okay?”
    The grim set of Sarah’s brown face eased and her eyes lit up a bit. “I hope so. I so hope so. I’ll let them know the future is uncertain, but we will all be together. Thanks, Eliana.” The woman turned and headed back to a crowd of twenty men and women who clearly had been waiting for her return.
    Eliana sighed. She wondered—
    “Mistress,” whispered Mata Hari in her ear. “Matthew is returning from our ship. He will be here very soon. And yes, I overhead the conversation with BattleMind. The answer is yes. All the humans will be taken aboard our home.”
    She smiled, feeling happy at both the return of Matt and the news that people like her, though they lacked the prehensile tail of Halcyon’s Derindl tree-dwellers, would share part of their future voyage with her and Matt. At last they would have other human company. And children to spoil.
     
     
    Matt touched the slidedoor entry patch and entered Lounge B of the Arrival Hall, his Suit’s external speakers suddenly going to high pitch as three dozen voices of young and old humans bounced off the metal walls of the lounge. Eliana had heard the slidedoor open and now looked at him. Though still dressed in the yellow combat armor made for her by Mata Hari, her expression looked vulnerable and relieved. He opened his bulky arms as he walked toward her, the clank of his boots drawing notice from nearby humans.
    “Dearest,” he whispered into her silky black hair as his combat helmet retreated to rest atop his rocket backpack.
    “Matthew!” she murmured as she tried to wrap her arms around him. She squeezed him, which Suit told him even though he felt no compression whatsoever.
    He kissed her forehead, uncaring of the fact that half the human refugees now watched them. “As Mata Hari has probably told you, BattleMind has agreed to take our fellow humans onboard. Are they ready to travel? It’s been three point five hours since the pylon was destroyed and it would be nice to depart without further combat. Even if it irritates BattleMind.”
    She