Page 66 of Reformation
“And we still can’t raise the interstellar comms”—because it took a while to get the generators back up to full capacity, and comms for people who weren’t in charge were low on the list of priorities—“so hestilldoesn’t know we’re okay. He doesn’t know we’re safe. He’s got a whole lotta nothin’ but hope and fear right now, and I hate that he’s got to deal with it alone.”
Cody’s shoulders were shaking with the force of his quiet sobs, and Jonah unfolded his arms with a sigh. “C’mere, bucko.” He held his son and kissed the top of his head and tried to make sense of everything he was feeling, the good and the bad.
There was joy there, pure joy at having his boy with him and safe, at Lacey being fixed up, at the battle being won.
But there was worry too, and sorrow, andanger, anger at circumstance and fate and even at his son, for leaving Garrett swinging like that. Jonah knew his husband, he knew him well, and if Garrett was getting through this completely fine, then Jonah would eat his damn boots.
“I love you. I know you thought you were doin’ the right thing, and who knows? Maybe that’s what it’ll turn out to be. But I wish you’d trusted your dad a little more.”
“He’s going—to be—so angry at me—”
“Nah, probably not.”
Cody shrugged helplessly. “Maybe heshouldbe an-angry with—with me!”
“Maybe, but he won’t be. He’ll be happy you’re okay. And that I’m okay. And that’s all he’ll say about it, which is whyI’mtheone talkin’ to you right now, son.” Jonah pulled back just far enough to tip Cody’s chin up. “Because you’re part of a family, and it goes beyond you and me. Okay?”
“Okay.”
“Good.” Jonah squeezed his kid tight again, then let him draw back. “How about we open the door before Ten decides to hack it, and you can tell me some more about your time on the ship. Did you remember much of it?”
“Not really.” He shrugged. “But Grandma was still a raging bitch.”
Jonah nodded fatalistically. “Well, time can’t change everything.”
Chapter thirty-nine
Garrett
Hmm, his nails could use a trim.
“There’s fighting in the Senate.”
Maybe a coat of polish too. “What a shame.”
“Open fighting. Just fists so far, but I wouldn’t be surprised if someone pulls a weapon or sets their bodyguards on another senator before the morning is done.”
Garrett shrugged as he glanced up from his inspection of his hand. “You can’t expect me to be bothered by any of this, Sigurd.”
Admiral Liang’s sharp, knowing gaze stayed fixed on him. “I just wondered if you had any idea how far you want to see things fall in the end. Political chaos is inevitable, now that President Alexander’s demise is being broadcast on every holo station across the system.”
“Along with evidence of his perfidy,” Garrett added. “You’re the one who helped me dig that all up and make it public.Everything they’re reporting on about the dark fleet, the money laundering, the attacks on the Fringe—that’s coming directly from your investigation. If you were really all that concerned about instability, you would have waited until someone else had consolidated power to release that information. I wouldn’t have stopped you either way.”
Sigurd inclined his head. “I know. And timing wise, if we’re going to prevent another regime from springing up among the former president’s followers, it had to be now. But you can’t simply run away from the mess you helped make.”
“Watch me.”
“Settling back on the Fringe isn’t a long-term plan, Garrett, especially not now that the planets’ legal status is unclear. There will almost inevitably be power plays made out there that the fleet can’t respond to. There will be interplanetary war, every pirate or Drifter with enough people and ships making a bid to increase their status, not to mention conflicts between the planetary governments themselves.”
“It’s a good thing that a good portion of the fleet is out there already, then, isn’t it?” Garrett drawled. Jonah snickered next to him, and he resisted the urge to smile. “And that they’ve got you as their commander in chief.”
“I don’t command the entire navy,” Sigurd said.
“But you do have ultimate authority over the Academy and its cadets, who are doing the patrolling out here. The rest of the fleet might be powerful, but it’s scattered. You’ve got a nexus of power recovering at Pandora, and better yet, you’ve got thechildrenof people in positions of power. Nobody’s going to move against you with that kind of leverage, and while Alexander’s dark fleet might have been a trial for Alliance forces, no real pirates or municipal navies will be able to muster anything even close to that level of firepower. You’re the king of the Fringe.”
The other man’s sharp jaw tightened further. “I don’t believe in monarchies.”
“Well, I hope you believe in a benevolent dictatorship, at least for a while, because that’s what I’m putting you in position for.” Admiral Liang’s gaze narrowed, and Garrett hastened to explain himself. “It’s got to be you. You already know that. There’s nobody else in the entire government who comes close to your level of trustworthiness, and your reputation is unassailable. And let’s be frank, so are you.
