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— References to human slavery
— References to past abuse of heroine
— Toxic parents
— Some on-page violence
— Pregnancy (honestly if you’ve read my books before, this will be zero surprise to you, but I thought I’d include it anyhow)
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1
STRAIK
A water bath is the ultimate luxury in space. Potable water is always at a premium, and sitting and stewing in a bath until the water gets cold around me? Some might call it selfish. Up until a few days ago, that never bothered me. I come from the sa'Rin family. I am Straik sa'Rin, Fifth of the Name. My family has always been accustomed to fine things. To demanding privilege. To expecting more, simply because of who I am.
Up until a few days ago, I would have smirked at concerns. I would have deliberately wasted more water, perhaps, simply to show that I am not affected by such trivial concerns.
But that was before I learned the truth about my family. About sa'Rin credits. And now I'm questioning everything.
I lean back in the cold water, unwilling to get out just yet. The tub in my private quarters is enormous, as I'd requested when I had The Darkened Eye built. Just because I'm going into a life of piracy doesn't mean that I don't want to live in luxury, after all, and if I'm going to live on my ship, I want my comforts. My bed is twice the size of the quarters the a'ani crew is assigned. My clothing, while all black, is of the finest make, with black embroidery of my house symbol around the edges of every sleeve and collar. My weapons are top notch. My ship is of the highest caliber. My crew is well-trained and loyal.
Even my bath soaps are of rare and expensive makes. I pick up a cake that's shaped like a rare jewel from trandashi lands. It stinks, but the soap itself is expensive, so I've just gotten into a habit of using it. It's my mother's favorite. I turn the cake in my hand, considering it, then throw it across the room.
It makes a thoroughly unsatisfying splat on the wall. As it does, the wall panel lights up. "I'm sorry," the AI chirps. "I didn't understand your request, Lord Straik."
"Kef off," I snarl, sinking into the water again. My tail flicks against the surface and I scowl, feeling like a sulky boy.
How many slaves were sold to finance this ridiculously sized tub I'm lounging in? To finance my ship? How many were stolen away from their homelands and sold into drudgery so I could have keffing stupid soaps that smell like keffing flowers? I hate flowers.
Right now, actually, I hate everything.
I glare at the water, my tattoos just visible under the surface. I'd poured oil into the bath, and then I'd stopped and thought about the oil. And the bath. And the soap. And everything else.
It's been eating at me for days now.
The proud sa'Rin family are slavers. My family's wealth? From slavery. Everything I own? Paid for on the backs of slaves.
It's…disgusting.
I knew our family had credit problems when I was younger. My mother was always insanely jealous that the head of the Rin House, Lord va'Rin, was swimming in wealth while our branch of the family struggled with inherited debts. It's not uncommon for some old, respected Homeworld families to have debts, but I assumed ours were taken care of because after a while, the worries about funds just…drifted away. Anytime I've asked for anything in my life, it was granted without a second thought.
And now…well.
Now I'm just another keffing Homeworlder with filthy hands.
I growl in frustration, finally getting out of the tub and drying off. The towel is fluffy and soft, of the finest make, and I'm torn between flinging it away from me and actually using it, since the credits have already been spent. Getting angry at a towel now solves nothing. All of my anger solves nothing.
But I need answers of some kind.
I need to understand why. I need to understand how long this has gone on. I need to understand exactly what it entails and how deep the sa'Rin family is into this nightmare.
Maybe it's not too late to pull us out of this…shame.
I'm already knee-deep into it. I towel off, my head full of noise as I think about the faces of the va Sithai brothers when they discovered I abandoned them on the Buoyant Star.
I just…I can't let news of the Star get out and sink my family into shame.
I thought when I was hunting the missing ship down that it'd be full of silks. Isn't that how we make our credits, after all? Isn't that what I've always been told? That an expensive shipment of silks and spices was lost en route to its location, and the cost to our shipping business was staggering. That the amount in the Star's belly would be enough to buy several small planets. As someone newer to piracy and looking to establish my reputation (more than the rumors I've paid to have spread, of course), it seemed like the perfect quest. And initially, I was elated to find the Star. Not only would the recovery of the ship be a fantastic boon to my family's fortunes, but the cargo would ensure that my name was legendary. Didn't matter if I had to split the wealth with the va Sithai. There would be more than enough to go around.