Maddison stepped back again, but this time it was to buy enough time for her to rebalance her stance. She raised the staff, keeping her left hand low. When he came at her, she stepped to one side and swept the upper portion across his path. She aimed for one of his horns, but she never landed the blow.

He blocked it easily, wrapping his fingers around the end of the shaft and holding it so she couldn’t pull away.

“Good form, but you didn’t put any force into it. If you need to swing at someone, then do not hesitate. If you don’t hurt them, they will hurt you.”

“You’d never do that, though. Knowing that makes it hard for me to treat you like a threat.”

He nodded and released her weapon. “You have a gentle heart, little star. That will make it difficult for you to practice on me.” He looked thoughtful for a few seconds, then grinned. “Would you be reluctant to hit my brothers? I could ask Venge to act as your training dummy.”

She burst out laughing as she reclaimed control of her staff and set one end in the dirt. “Lores would probably volunteer him for the job if we asked her.”

“Then we’ll do that. Later.” He caught her around the waist and pulled her in so she was pressed thigh to chest against him. His cock was already hard beneath his kilt. “For now, I think we should work on your grip. Remember what I told you. Hard and tight.”

Maddison managed to give him an innocent look as she slowly slid her hand up the length of her staff. When she was near the top, she locked her fingers around it the way he’d taught her. “You mean like this?”

“Good technique, wrong shaft.” He rocked his hips so that his cock bumped against her stomach.

“Oh!” She tried to sound surprised and failed completely.

“I’ll make you say oh, little star. Over and over again.” He bent down to kiss her, and she could already hear the first low rumbles of a purr rising from his throat.

Two seconds after their lips met, her comms beeped. The new devices had only arrived a few weeks ago, and the unfamiliar sound startled her so much she almost dropped the staff.

Maddison untangled herself from him sufficiently that she could pull the comms out of her pocket.

“No one mentioned how annoying these things would be,” Havoc grumbled. “We were busy!”

She smiled and swiped the screen to activate it. “Hold that thought. I promise this won’t take long.”

“It better not. I have plans for you.” He pointed to the stairs that circled the trunk of a nearby tree. At the top was their home, newly expanded to include a small office for her and more storage space for their food supplies.

She blew him a kiss and then turned her attention to the screen. A text message from Bysshe appeared.

Today’s incoming message cache arrived. This was tagged as a priority communication for you. I noted the sender was an office of the Galactic Legion. I hope it contains the news you’ve been waiting for.

Bysshe.

Maddison exhaled and looked up at her mate. “A priority communication came in. Bysshe sent it along right away.”

Havoc put an arm around her waist and squeezed gently. “If the Gal-Leg fails to administer justice, I will see to it myself.”

“I know.” She leaned into his side and felt a wave of gratitude for everything she’d found here. A home, happiness, and a mate who loved and supported her without hesitation.

He waited patiently for her to take the next step and open the communication. He knew how important this news was. Not only for herself, but for the entire group.

She tapped the screen and ignored the way her hands shook as she opened the message. It was from the Galactic Legion’s Justice Department.

This was it.

She read the first few sentences, gasped, and read them again to be sure.

“Donny was found guilty on all charges. They’ve held him accountable for the deaths of the passengers and crew and the loss of the Harvest. There’s a long list of other charges, too. He was convicted of everything.”

“Good. How severe is his punishment?”

“According to this? He’ll die in prison. He’s serving multiple life sentences.”

“That makes no sense.” Havoc said.

She’d thought the same thing herself when she’d first read up on galactic law, so she had some idea what might happen. “It means he will stay in jail for the expected lifespan of every person who died when the Harvest was shot down. That’s hundreds of years. It’s a complicated way of saying he’ll rot in prison until he dies.”

She hadn’t been sure how she’d feel when she heard the resolution of her ex-husband’s charges. It turned out, most of what she felt was relief that it was over.

“This is good news. Do you want me to ask Risk for some of that chocolate pudding he keeps talking about? Would that be a good way to celebrate?” Havoc asked.

His question made her smile. “Chocolate is an excellent way to celebrate.”

“Then I will demand Risk share his stash. I have been curious about why he likes something made from plants so much. It’s time I tried it.”

“If you don’t like it, I’ll happily eat your share.” Chocolate was one commodity their little community couldn’t easily acquire. That would change in time, but for now, there were some luxuries the women simply made do without. The lives they lived now were so much richer than the ones they’d left behind, none of them cared about the little things.

Havoc peered down at the tablet. “What else does it say?”

Right. She hadn’t finished reading.

She skimmed through several paragraphs of legal terminology so dense she wondered if she could use her translator to make sense of it. Then, she found what she was looking for. A single word stood out from the rest. Restitution.

She read the entire entry. By the time she’d finished it, her hands shook so hard the tablet was vibrating. “Fuck me,” she whispered.

“I will do that soon,” Havoc answered immediately. “But first, what does it say?”

“They ordered all of Donny’s assets to be sold. Once that’s done, they’ll disperse the proceeds to his creditors. That includes me. It says I will receive restitution for the loss of the Harvest and all future income the business could have generated.” She lifted the tablet so he could see the screen, and then pointed to the amount she’d been awarded.

Havoc’s eyes widened. “So many zeros.”

“So many,” she agreed. “Enough for us to buy a new ship and launch my new business. It won’t happen quickly, but this means it’s possible. Once this place is ready for visitors, we can bring other women here to start a new life. Some of them will find mates. Others will find security and a chance to thrive. This will work!” She bounced on her toes, already envisioning what that future might look like.

Havoc had already heard her plans and supported them. They would change this world. Instead of a prison planet, it would be a sanctuary, not only for themselves, but for others. The gyr had claimed most of the verexi’s territory, and this world now belonged to them. They wanted to make it into a recreation world, like the one that Havoc and his brothers had been taken from. Maddison wanted to do more than that. Why not have humans here as well as gyr?

Bysshe and his wife were onboard with her idea as well. Quen was as kind, generous, and insightful as her husband. Together, they were the heart of the fa’rel settlement. Between them all, Maddison was certain they could make her dream into reality.

“You will make it work, and I will help.” He tapped the screen. “This is a good way to use that asshole’s money. We should send him a note telling him what you used it for.”

She chuckled and nodded. “That is an excellent idea.”

He puffed out his chest. “I come from a long line of intellectuals. My ideas are always excellent.”

Havoc’s parents were both well-known academics. His mother specialized in military history, and his father taught classes in naval tactics at one of the gyr’s foremost military academies. Both had made the trip to try to find their missing son. They’d returned to gyr space for now, but they kept in contact and another visit was already being planned.

“Is there anything else of importance in there?” he pointed to the screen.

“That’s everything. I’ll read it again later. Maybe I’ll ask Quen or Bysshe to explain the legal jargon.”

“You can ask them later.” He plucked the comm out of her hand. “Now, it’s time to practice your grip.” He tossed the staff away. “And I don’t mean the way you hold your weapon.”

He scooped her into his arms and jogged toward the stairs.

She didn’t protest. There was nothing she wanted more than to spend time with Havoc. Laughing, loving, and living well.

Loris had been right. That was the best revenge of all.

The end