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you planning to deliver it yourself? He let a chuckle fill his mind.
    If I have to. I am hoping that she chooses to stay. I have made arrangements for her if that is what she chooses.
    Audril, what did you do?
    Made a few offers to the right people. Trade with Dhema is restricted since the Alliance has refused Nyal entrance, I simply offered to grease some wheels, as it were.
    I have known you for well over three decades and you have never offered to do that.
    I want my grandchild nearby. Sarah gets whatever she wants to make that happen. The set of her mouth was adamant. She wanted it near and she would make war on the Nyal Imperium to get it if she had to. 
     
    * * * *
     
    Yup. They were having a conversation. They had occasional glances and Audril huffed enough for an attacking bear. Whatever their silent discussion was about, it was ticking the dhemon off. Her husband was going to get it when they were alone. Sarah could tell.
    She tried to look at the planet that they approached, but her mind kept drifting to one particular view, that of Athon leaning over her right before he thrust into her that last time. It was a good memory.
    Sarah didn’t delude herself with the thought that he was still unattached after all this time. She could hope, but she wasn’t going to hang her future happiness on it. She would have their child and raise it using the considerable stipend that she had earned as a scorcher. She didn’t care where, she just wanted to spend her time with her baby. She wondered if he would have his father’s horns? 

 
     
     
     
     
     
    Chapter Nine
     
     
    Time stopped as they landed on a private field. It must have been the Captain’s private airfield because shuttles were not allowed to land willy-nilly planet-side. Sarah took a deep breath as the baby started kicking madly, it seemed happy to be back in stable gravity.
    “Sarah, this way please.” Audril was gesturing to a winding pathway that led to a house on the side of a mountain. The views from the home would be lovely.
    With an eye to the steepness of the climb and another to her belly, she nodded to begin the arduous hike. She was absolutely sure that her lungs were going to pop out and kill her by the time they reached the summit. But she had been right. The view was lovely. “Well, that will keep you in shape.”
    Kathak smiled at her and led her gently by the arm to a nearby bench on the outside of the massive deck. “We have a skimmer, but it is out for repairs right now. The grade on the other side requires it.”
    “Well, that explains the hike.” A servant came rapidly to her with a beverage covered with condensation. It was similar to lemonade and it went down just as smoothly. The servant was Nyal and female, but her demeanour was that of a beta female. A subservient member of the community, but probably a first rate housekeeper. “Thank you.”
    “You are welcome.” She bowed formally and then left, just as she entered the house she turned and winked.
    “That is Ona. She runs the house, even when we are here. Her husband keeps the grounds for us and used to keep an eye on Athon when he was young.” Kathak winced as he mentioned his son’s name and she obviously reacted.
    So this was where he had grown up. On the side of a mountain amidst wild beauty. No wonder he was such a strong fighter, she would battle, too, to return to a place like this. Unlike the plague worlds she frequented, this one was fresh, clean and alive. She gulped down the rest of the beverage and set the glass aside. “This is lovely and all, but why am I here?”
    Audril took up a seat on her right, which left Kathak on her left. “We are here to offer you a home on Nyal. We want you to raise our grandchild here, where its father grew up.”
    “Whoa. And for that you hauled me off of a job and across the galaxy?” She rubbed her belly protectively. The child was quiet now.
    “We applied for a replacement for you and got permission for you to