“You don’t have to worry. I know where Hale’s going next,” Zaya announced to Coran and everyone else present inside his glorious chambers.

The Rhisi showed no signs of being surprised by this information. He only continued to stare at her.

Zaya crossed her arms. “This is where you offer me something in return.”

Coran chuckled darkly. “Oh, I intend to.”

She waited for him to elaborate.

“I’m paying you significantly more than I should,” Coran said.

Zaya shook her head. “I need more… a down payment.”

“Hmm.” Coran considered her statement. “Are you saying you may not find him? Is that why you need money first?”

“It’s a guarantee that I will. I just want half now. That’s how I operate.”

Coran stood up from his chair, something he rarely did during a business meeting. He stepped down from the platform his chair was set upon and began to pace around Zaya.

“I have a system. And this system is why my business operates so smoothly. As my employee, you must adhere to this system.”

Zaya refused to show that Coran’s tactics were intimidating her.

“The benefits of being my employee are the number of jobs offered to you and the high pay. You must simply perform as requested. And then you receive pay.”

She knew to keep silent.

“I will not pay half for job half done. A job half done is worthless to me and will not be rewarded by any means,” Coran stated. “You may speak.”

Zaya could have punched him in the face hard enough to make him fall. He deserved it. But she knew that would end up with her being arrested or killed. “I understand.” And she stopped there. She didn’t want to say something she would regret.

“Good,” Coran said.

He stepped away from her and sat back down in his chair. “Now tell me, how do you know where Hale will be?”

“As you know, he and I go way back. Hale has never been good with managing his money. He’s always in debt to someone,” Zaya explained. “I happen to know who Hale owes the most to. And he isn’t a nice guy. I have a feeling Hale plans to meet with him soon. Very soon.”

“Who is this man?”

Zaya hesitated. This was information Hale would consider personal. But Zaya smiled. It didn’t matter now because she didn’t work with him anymore. His personal business was no longer a concern of hers.

“Your second biggest rival, I’m afraid. Trey Iziri,” Zaya said.

He waited a moment, thinking. “I see.”

“I’m not sure how Trey would feel about your ships lingering nearby his base,” Zaya said.

“He wouldn’t approve to say the least. What do you suggest?”

Zaya was shocked that he asked her opinion. “I would recommend telling him what our purpose is there prior to our arrival.”

“He’ll most likely want something in return,” Coran replied. “Especially if we are capturing someone who owes him. He’s going to want his money somehow.”

“I have a suggestion,” Zaya revealed.

“Proceed,” Coran said.

Zaya exhaled slowly to calm her nerves. “You could promise to keep your business out of the fifth quadrant for a month.”

Coran’s eyes widened. “Does Hale really owe that much?”

“Wouldn’t surprise me.”

Coran sighed. “This is not an ideal situation. But this is our only option. I cannot allow Hale to get away with what he has done. It would harm my reputation.”

Zaya hardly believed Coran was accepting her plan. She wanted to smile, but she had to force herself to stay expressionless.

“I will attempt to work this deal out with Iziri immediately. And hopefully, within the next few hours, you and a squad will leave for Hale’s capture and death,” Coran said.

Zaya swiftly left Coran’s chambers and went back to her suite. Inside, she fixed herself a drink and started packing. There wasn’t much to pack up, only her extra change of clothes and weapons. All of which fit neatly into one backpack.

She knew Trey Iziri would accept the deal she accepted. There was no way he wouldn’t. It would benefit him financially more than Hale could by paying off his debt. Zaya didn’t understand why Trey had let him borrow so much in the first place. Hale should have been thankful that he was still alive. That was a miracle.

But on this job, Hale was finally going to meet his doom. Not by Trey’s hand. But by her hand.

Coran wanted her to kill him...

Zaya wanted to kill him.

Lorelei wanted her to spare him. The woman had some weird attachment to him. Zaya didn’t understand why she wanted him when she could have nearly anyone else.

Lorelei herself was a sight to behold: dark red hair, hourglass figure, green eyes, and pouty lips. With all her assets, she could easily find a man to replace everything that Hale was. It wasn’t that hard to find an attractive male in an enormous galaxy.

But no. She had to have Hale Verdun.

Lorelei promised to pay Zaya an absurd amount just to keep him alive. How Lorelei had that much to throw away was something Zaya wanted to know.

The amount of credits she was offering was so tempting. But Zaya also wanted Hale dead. She would have to decide what was more important, money or revenge.

When Hale had left with Pandora, he betrayed Zaya. She told him to stay away. Pandora was her business. Zaya wasn’t surprised that he didn’t listen. Not at all. But this was the last straw. Revenge was what her soul craved.

However, revenge wouldn’t keep her alive. Money would. Sure, she had a stable enough income since she was working for Coran. But if she added what Coran was offering plus Lorelei’s, the total was nearly two million credits. That sum wasn’t easy to ignore.

If she did decide to spare Hale, she would have to lie to Coran about it. She would have to tell Coran that Hale was dead when he wasn’t. And how would she prevent Coran from finding out that Hale was still alive? Lorelei was also Coran’s girlfriend, which made the potential lie have a higher chance of being discovered. Then Zaya’s neck would be on the line. Yet again because of Hale.

All the money she would receive if she found away to work for both parties was still calling her. She wouldn’t have to worry about lack for a good while. But if Coran ever found out (and it was likely that he would), Zaya would have something much worse to worry about than lack.

So what should she choose? Money or revenge?

* * * *

Hale waited beside Malcolm as Queen Suzu’s guards opened the single large crate. The guard set the lid aside and uncovered stacks of paper money. Hale had never seen physical money in all of his twenty-seven years of life. The government had switched to virtual currency ages ago. Why would the senator bring useless money?

Unless...

Hale fired both pistols off his belt at the two guards closest to Malcolm. Just in time too.

Moments after the guards had opened the crate, they pulled shotguns out of it and began firing at Malcolm’s crew.

Jake unholstered his gun as quickly as he could; and when he looked up, the two guards were on the ground, both dead by Hale’s hand. Hale was proud to prove that he was still faster than Jake.

Hale glanced behind him and took notice of the transport vehicle. Malcolm must have purposefully placed it close to them. Hale and Jake protected Malcolm as they ran back for the transport.

Once Malcolm was inside, Hale and Jake stood in front of the door shooting at the senator’s men. Malcolm opened a few crates in the back and pulled out a rifle for himself and a rocket launcher, which he threw at Jake.

“What is this for?” Jake yelled over the gunfire.

“Aim for the center of the fight. But don’t hit the government cruiser.” Malcolm shouted as he jumped out the transport. He found cover from a large rock and fired his rifle every chance he got.

“I’ll most likely hit some of his guys,” Jake said to Hale.

Hale stopped shooting for a moment to reply. “He’s aware. Now hurry up”

Hale boosted Jake atop the transport. Jake situated himself in a secure position, locked onto his target, and fired the canon.

Up until flames burned past him from the rocket, Hale had forgotten about Pandora. But with the rocket closing in, he began to frantically search for her with his eyes. He should have told her to stay inside the transport. Hale did spot her eventually. Too late, of course. The explosion hit. And he watched her fly off the ground, into a cliff’s wall. Luckily for Pandora, she was far enough away from the blast to survive. She might have a few broken bones. But he knew she was still alive.

In the aftermath of the explosion, once the dust had fallen, the only sound they heard was the rustling wind. Not a single person stood. Hale, Jake, and Malcolm ran over to the site and checked over the people. All of Queen Suzu’s men were dead, their bodies in pieces. Four of Malcolm’s men died from the blast. There were two with severe injuries, but they would survive. The other four crew members were able to stand once they regained consciousness.

“Help the injured to the transports,” Malcolm ordered Hale and Jake.

Malcolm himself carried the dead bodies of his men only onto a transport to take them back for a proper burial. The four members without severe injuries were each responsible for driving the transports.

Malcolm stood beside Hale and Jake. “Thanks for your assistance. If you two are ever in need of a job, let me know.”

Hale looked around at the destruction. “Exactly what did you get out of this?”

Malcolm pointed at the ship behind him. “Exactly what I wanted. A government cruiser in perfect condition. Do you know the price these are going for currently?”

Hale smirked. “I should’ve known.”

“Anyway, it was a pleasure to do business with you. And an even greater pleasure to finally meet the notorious Hale Verdun,” Malcolm said. He waved goodbye and went aboard his new ship.

While Jake stood watching the others leave, Hale sprinted across to Pandora. He stood over her and stared. She was still unconscious and was covered with dirt.

He kneeled down. A single scratch marred her cheek, but he knew it wouldn’t leave a scar. He slid one of his arms around her back and the other beneath her knees. As he picked Pandora up, she opened her eyes, which glimmered in the dim sunlight.

“What happened?” She asked softly.

“An explosion,” he replied.

“I think I can stand on my own,” she said. “Thank you for helping me though.” She placed a hand on his shoulder.

Hale didn’t offer a response. And he was glad his helmet masked his blushing face and stupid grin. He stepped back a foot from her, but was ready to catch her if she fell from dizziness.

Hale watched the confusion on her face grow as she looked around.

“Where is everybody?” Pandora asked.

“Malcolm left,” Hale responded.

She gasped. “Are those dead bodies?”

Before he answered, Pandora dashed over to the fallen men. She began to cry.

Hale kept his distance. He didn’t know how to help her or what to say.

“These were innocent men, sent by their leader to capture Malcolm,” she muttered. “They’re dead. Their bodies not even whole.”

Hale was still silent. She acts as if she’s never seen a dead body before, he thought.

“We have to bury them, Hale. We can’t just leave them,” she demanded.

Hale looked up at the sky. He wanted to get back to his ship before dark. It was dangerous out here, especially at night.

“We can’t,” he said.

Pandora stood up and walked over to him. She stared at him with tearing eyes. “We have to.”

“We can’t,” he said again.

She gripped both of his shoulders. “We have to,” she said firmly.

“No. We don’t even have the right tools.”

“We can leave to get some and come back,” she argued.

“Not happening. I have to leave Dunwar today.”

“Why?”

Hale pushed her away. “It’s not your business.”

“I don’t understand why we can’t bury them!” she shouted.

Hale tightened his jaw. She angered him so easily. But at the same time, he wanted to do whatever she asked. He couldn’t explain it.

“Answer me, Hale!”

Hale threw off his helmet. All of his frustrations were building up in his mind. He ran his fingers through his hair as he paced back and forth. When he turned to Pandora, he found her eyes overflowing with tears. She was too upset to notice his anger.

“You need to calm down,” he said firmly, without sympathy in his tone. He led her by the hand to a large rock where she sat. “I have somewhere to be. And I have to leave now. If you want to come, you will have to leave them here.”

He watched Pandora blink her tears away. She looked at him, into his eyes, and then looked back at the dead bodies of the senator’s men. And when she looked up at him for a second time, he knew she had made her decision.

She opened her mouth to speak. But she stopped short. Her eyes darted behind Hale, and her face contorted into an expression of horror. She started shouting.

But Hale couldn’t hear her. He couldn’t hear anything. By way her lips moved, he determined she was screaming his name. Why couldn’t he hear her?

He noticed her gripping his shoulders, but he couldn’t feel her touch.

His vision began to blur. He watched her features slowly look less like hers until he saw nothing. Until there was only darkness.

He couldn’t hear, feel, or see anything as he fell to the ground. And his heart stopped beating.