Excerpt from: Karavan's Dawn

Va'Heta never saw Reeza leave. His eyes were fixed on the man before him, not wanting to acknowledge the recognition on his face, unable to escape it.

Kr'Enza grinned, but his gun hand didn't waver. "Hey. Finally come back to the life?"

He should lie. By now, he was good at it. He should tell his old companion that yes, he was here on a different ship and why didn't they split the spoils. But his mind was filled with the look on Reeza's face when the child had raced around the corner; with the determined way she'd walked away herself, certain that this new attack would be defeated; with the way she'd felt in his arms.

And he found he couldn't lie. "No," he said.  He kept his laser trained on the other Ekalnite's chest, but knew that he couldn't fire.  This was a man he'd talked with, laughed with, once called 'friend'.  Even knowing what that friendship had resulted in, he couldn't take his life.  "Get out of here. Take your crew and leave."

The pirate's amused expression faded into a guarded hostility. "Or what?"

Now he could lie. "I'm here with a group of Voorians. They were off-world when their home was flooded. They've returned for their hub. They're heavily armed. If you all leave now, you won't be killed."

Kr'Enza shrugged. "Fair enough. Any other advice?"

Va'Heta knew the other man wasn't serious in his request, but he went on anyway. "Yes. Leave the children behind. They're of no use to you."

"You're wrong. The people on Almoro will pay a very good price for them."

"Slave trading?" Va'Heta said, keeping his voice light even though he felt sick. "You've certainly changed."

"I'm not alone in that. And I know you aren't going to kill me. So I'm going to take what I want, and then I'll go."

"Kr'Enza--don't move!"

The other Ekalnite grinned.  "That girl you were with?  She's running right into an ambush.  She'll be worth a lot."  The grin grew nasty.  "Or maybe we'll just keep her for ourselves."  He raised his hands.  "Now, now.  You want to stand here and glare at me, or go warn her?"

Va'Heta swore, then started to back away, glancing behind him as he started around the corner, making sure that he wasn't headed into an ambush himself.

In that instant, Kr'Enza fired and, sensing the tactic, Va'Heta shot him.

The pirate clutched at his chest, smoke seeping between his fingers as he fell.  Knowing he didn't have time to see how bad the wound was, Va'Heta simply turned and ran.