“Perfectly,” Yasmine said, smiling at the kids.
“Then what?” Mrs. Slaite asked.
“I lured Jenx in front of the window,” Yasmine said. “I could see the eye of the drone camera glinting in the starlight just outside. I hoped you all could hear me.”
“I assure you, we could,” Mrs. Slaite said. “What next?”
“I attempted to convince Jenx to stop and surrender his weapon,” Yasmine said sadly.
“You weren’t just buying time for Agent Thomm to line up his shot?” Slaite asked, cocking her head.
“I didn’t want to see Jenx die,” Yasmine said. “I don’t ever want to see another person die.”
“I see,” Slaite said, an unfamiliar note of sympathy warm in her voice.
“But he insisted,” Yasmine said. “So, when I realized there was no other way, I got out of the way and told agent Thomm to take his shot.”
Kreed breathed out a sigh of realization.
“And the Ruler, not knowing what was happening, tried to sacrifice himself to save me,” she said.
Mrs. Slaite looked down and swiped at her notes, as if to allow them an instant out from under her scrutiny.
“But the target never got his shot off,” Thomm piped up. “I took my shot first, and was never in danger of hitting the Ruler.”
“Well done, Agent Thomm,” Mrs. Slaite said with satisfaction.
Yasmine whistled her approval.
“I will forever be grateful for your incredible service to our family,” Kreed said.
“Never could have done it without that whip smart nanny of yours,” Thomm said, winking at Yasmine. “She lined it all up perfectly. I didn’t have a shot at all until she moved him into position.”
“Hear, hear,” Kreed agreed with a smile.
“I told you that you needed someone like her,” Mrs. Slaite said sternly to Kreed.
Yasmine barely stifled a giggle.
“And you should have taken the blaster,” Slaite added, spinning on Yasmine.
“No,” Yasmine said firmly. “I will never carry a blaster again.”
“If I may step in?” a Maltaffian man with magnificent horns said politely, addressing Kreed. “I think it’s time to talk publicity. The feeds are blowing up. Everyone was watching this all over the planet - the whole system, really. They all love her, My Ruler.”
“Can you blame them?” Kreed asked with a smile, reaching over to pat Yasmine lightly on the back.
“There’s outcry,” the man continued. “They’re all saying that after what she’s done, she can’t be allowed to continue as the nanny.”
Yasmine’s heart sank.
Of course. They had only been put in harm’s way because she wasn’t there to stop it from happening in the first place.
“I have no intention of allowing her to remain as the nanny,” Kreed said, smiling at his publicity chief.
The man smiled back, and Yasmine was left wondering what in the world could be happening.
“Can I have the room for a moment?” Kreed asked. “Just family.”