by M D Cooper
“Here you go. Two Tropic Breezes.” Roz placed the cocktails in front of Terry and Cyrus.
Cyrus could see from the dark color that she’d made the drink extra-strong, just how he liked it. He thought about warning Terry, but he decided it would be more entertaining to see her uninhibited reaction to a first taste.
Blissfully unaware, she took a sip. Her eyes went wide, and her lips puckered, but she managed to swallow and set the drink down without spitting it out.
“That, um, wasn’t what I was expecting,” Terry said, eyeing the cocktail suspiciously. “I thought it would be more…tropical.”
Cyrus grinned. “It’s a bit deceptive. One part dark rum, two parts whiskey, and one part pineapple juice—that’s the tropic bit. The breeze comes in because most people spit it out at gale force.”
Terry took a more cautious second sip. “That makes sense. I actually kinda like it.”
Cyrus patted her on the back. “You never cease to amaze me.”
He nursed the potent drink over the next half an hour, not wanting it to go to his head before he could talk to Roger.
He’d just gotten a refill from Roz when the old man entered the bar, accompanied by several younger men and women, as well as his second-in-command, Mona.
She still had sharp eyes and a straight posture despite her age, and Cyrus had no doubt she’d still be a worthy opponent in a fistfight.
Roger stopped just inside the door. “Cyrus?”
“Hi, Roger. I see retirement didn’t stick.”
The old man waved it off. “What good is retirement while everyone else has all the fun?”
“I’m not sure I would call what’s going on now ‘fun’, exactly.”
“The houses are going to war! Most excitement we’ve had in these parts since Thermodes lost its place at the High Table.”
Cyrus couldn’t help but be taken aback by Roger’s direct statement about the impending conflict. “What have you heard about a war?” he asked.
“You should know better than most,” the old man replied. “Your family has been cozy enough with Nebracken as of late. Boy, I wouldn’t want to be aligned with House Laurentia right now!”
Terry shot Cyrus a worried look.
“I don’t know if Laurentia can be written off quite yet,” Cyrus replied with the hope of getting more out of Roger.
“Well, between us, I just finished a run to Mesophis for some tech I wouldn’t want to be on the receiving end of.”
“What kind of tech?”
“Client privilege. I’ve already said more than I should.”
If nothing else, smugglers knew how to maintain discretion in their business dealings. Frustratingly, that worked against his present aim to get information.
“I heard about a shipment of androids to Laurentia a little bit back. Is it anything like that?” he ventured.
Roger shook his head. “I believe the houses have moved past those kind of cloak-and-dagger games. I’ll just say that I wouldn’t want to be near Acadia anytime in the near future.”
“You don’t mean a bomb?” Terry blurted out.
“Oh, no. I’d play no part in anything like that. This is much more precise.”
Cyrus didn’t want to press his luck with more questions on the matter that might scare Roger off. From what little he’d said, Cyrus could guess that the weapons were either of the sniping variety, or potentially a poison that could be coded to specific genetic codes. Either way, a ‘precise’ weapon meant there was a specific target in mind, and being advised to steer clear of Acadia suggested that Kristina might be on that list.
“If I were to hang around Gallas, would that be a better place to be?” Cyrus asked.
Roger motioned to Roz for her to prepare a drink for him. “I honestly couldn’t say. Based on how much I’ve seen of your sister around Mesophis, I’d wager you don’t have much to worry about, though.”
“Jeslan, you mean?”
“She and Silvan are quite close, rumor has it. Well, more than rumor, if Shira is to be believed. Then again, Shira had other things to say that didn’t add up.”
It still turned Cyrus’s stomach to think of his sister willingly being with Silvan Nebracken. Pharis—post-engagement—had described him as a ‘vile creature’ when it came to his personality, though he hadn’t encountered anyone with objections to his looks. Given Jeslan’s own personality deficiencies, the two were probably perfect for each other.
Roger got his drink from Roz, and headed toward the back room. Cyrus followed behind, gesturing for Terry to follow at a slight distance.
“What else was Shira saying?”
“That Toni hasn’t been seen since her last meeting with Silvan and Jeslan, but I’m sure she’s just out on a run.”
Cyrus’s chest constricted. It wouldn’t surprise him if Silvan or Jeslan had something to do with Toni’s unexpected absence.
“Where is Shira now?” he asked.
“Left the system, as far as I know. A couple of days ago, I got a message from her saying what I’ve already told you, and that she didn’t expect to be around much until things quieted down.” Roger shrugged. “I thought she had a future in the business, but some people can’t take it when it comes down to living the life.”
“Yeah, it has its unexpected twists,” Cyrus agreed as they entered the back area of the bar through a doorway concealed by a sliding wall panel.
Roger took a seat at one of the large, wooden tables arranged around the room, each with padded benches and seats well-suited to extended conversations.
Cyrus sat down next to him before one of Roger’s posse could take his preferred spot.
The old captain eyed him suspiciously. “What are you after?”
“In the interest of new and continuing business, I was hoping to chat with you about what’s been going on,” Cyrus said.
Roger grunted. “I’m not a personal career consultant.”
“That’s not in the way I meant it. Rather, I wanted to get your thoughts on some planned activities behind the scenes to see if you’d like to be a part of it.”
“House business?”
“Unofficially,” he replied. “I think you’ll want to hear it from me before it becomes common knowledge.”
“Be quick. I have my own business to attend to.”
Terry sat down next to Cyrus. “I’m Terry, by the way.”
“She’s a career mechanic for House Charlemis, at the port,” Cyrus explained. “Her perspective has been an important part of crafting our plan to disrupt the leadership of the High Table.”
Roger almost spit out his drink. “You’re planning to what?”
“House Nebracken is on a path to take over the entire system and bend each and every person to their will. Is that really something you want to be a part of?”
“That’s not what’s happening at all.”
“It’s not?” Cyrus questioned. “Every bit of news I’ve heard points to Nebracken stockpiling resources and forging alliances.”
“Of which your family is a part.”
“Some members of my family. I’m not so willing to sell my allegiance the way Jeslan has.”
“Regardless, Nebracken isn’t the only house fortifying itself. You don’t have much faith in your own house, if you’re already convinced that Nebracken will win even before a fight has begun.”
Cyrus folded his arms on the table and leaned forward. “It’s not a lack of faith. Just that I understand how the house leaders operate, and I’ve played out the scenarios in my head based on the pieces I’ve seen.
“I think it will go something like this: Silvan and Jeslan will announce an alliance between Houses Nebracken and Charlemis, possibly without express permission from the two house leaders. Then, to avoid looking like they can’t control their own children—and thereby call into question their ability to govern an entire moon—the house leaders will go along with the alliance. After all, two Great Houses working together toward a common goal has a
lot of upside.
“But that act of acquiescence will provide an opening for Jeslan to usurp our mother, and officially gain control of House Charlemis. At this point, the two houses will effectively be one, House Nebracken. The combined forces will easily be enough to remove House Laurentia from power.
“Really, Kristina is already in a precarious spot, even without such a massive swing in power. Once they’re removed, there will be an opening at the High Table for Thermodes to resume its position, and be in Nebracken’s debt. With three Great Houses so closely aligned, Mepholec and Paladis would be unwise to oppose them. Once that authority is established, it won’t take long for Nebracken to worm its way into everyone’s business and do whatever it wants.”
Roger’s brows drew together. “Sounds bad for the other houses, but I don’t see what that has to do with us. Nebracken has always been a good employer.”
“Sure, while there’s competition. What happens if they control everything, and there’s no question of their power? Not a lot of need left for lucrative smuggling runs.”
That angle got Roger’s attention.
“Say I do buy your logic—which, at present, I don’t,” he grumbled, “but what could any of us do to upset Nebracken’s plans?”
“They’ve stockpiled supplies, but the smugglers and dockworkers know where all of those items are,” Terry chimed in. “The houses would never admit it, but they rely on us to keep our heads down and go along with whatever they ask us to do.”
“But you—we—know their secrets,” Cyrus continued. “With only minimal effort, we can stop them from making their big moves, because we know how to hit them where it can cripple their ability to respond.”
Roger processed the statements in silence. He looked between Cyrus and Terry while sipping his drink.
See the opportunity, Cyrus willed him. Don’t be afraid like everyone else.
The old man cleared his throat. “I can hear your passion, but I don’t see the point of what you’re planning. Replacing current overlords with new ones? Within a few years, it will be the same way it is now. The heartache between now and then isn’t worth it.”
“It won’t be the same!” Cyrus appealed. “New leaders will bring new policies that can make life better for a lot of people.”
“Perhaps,” Roger countered. “I wouldn’t be around to see it, more than likely. And I’m too old to chance my final years on radical changes.”
“You’d rather see the system devolve into a state of war?” Terry asked, her tone bitter.
“I’ve made my stance clear. War is good for business. That’s a landscape I know how to navigate.”
“What about the rest of you?” Cyrus asked Roger’s posse. “Would any of you like to see things change around here?”
One of the female captains he recognized but didn’t know by name propped her elbows on the table. “Kid, we’ve seen idealists come through here spouting their ideas for how we could take over and make things however we damn well please. The plans are different, but one thing is always the same: assurances that ‘this new leader will be different’. They never are, no matter what you say. As long as the High Table stands and there are oligarchs of any name, it makes no difference to us. We’ll do our business in the black, and everyone else can do whatever they want.”
Others around the table murmured their agreement.
“Sorry, Cyrus,” Roger said. “Until I see proof of any meaningful kind of change, I’m just going to keep doing what I do.”
“What would it take to change your mind?” Cyrus asked.
“Not sure. I’ll know it when I see it.”
Could be anything. Or nothing. He held back an aggravated groan, not wanting to make matters worse. “Thank you for your time.” He stood to leave.
Terry remained seated. “What if the dockworkers went on strike?”
Roger cocked his head. “Pardon?”
“What if there was a mass strike of the dockworkers at the ports? Would that be a big enough gesture for you to join?”
The old captain nodded thoughtfully. “I’d consider it.”
“With your connections, you can cut off the supply lines. Block the military ships’ movements,” she said. “When it starts, show them we have the power. Make them listen.”
He bowed his head. “I’ll be watching.”
DIFFERENT TACTICS
STELLAR DATE: 12.22.8938 (Adjusted Years)
LOCATION: Celestiana, near Gallas, Serenity System
REGION: Orion Freedom Alliance, Perseus Arm
Terry slid onto the benchseat in the Celestiana’s galley and combed her fingers into her hair at her temples. “Why is everyone so unwilling to act? Don’t they care about what’s going on?”
“It’s not that they don’t care,” Cyrus said, sitting down next to her. “They’re scared the revolt will backfire.”
“It’s worth a shot, isn’t it? We have the right people involved for it to work.”
“I agree, which is why I keep pushing to make it happen. But I get where people are coming from. For us, we can hop in a ship and get out of here if things go sideways. For everyone else…”
“Yeah, I guess I would have been a lot more resistant before I got the Star Ember and met you,” she realized. “Having an escape plan makes all the difference.”
“It does. Even when I was in deep with Cam, I still had the option of running back to my family if it came down to it. So I’m not one to talk about feeling trapped, but I have known people who’ve done things they swore they never would because they thought they had no other option.”
Terry nodded, her heart heavy as she thought about her own experiences. “It’s true. If you’re already living on the edge, it’s natural to be afraid of losing what little you have.”
“I don’t feel right trying to convince people to take a leap of faith that this will work out. It very well may not.”
“It definitely won’t if we can’t take the first step,” she said.
She wished she could isolate what had made her join the crew of Sabrina when they offered to take her out of Serenity—and then replicate that courage and pass it on to others. She’d had no guarantees then, either, but she’d left everything and everyone she’d known to travel between the stars. If she could do that, there had to be a way to convince people to fight for the future of their homes and loved ones.
“Smugglers are a tough crowd to convince,” Cyrus continued. “They thrive on chaos. What we’re suggesting would bring order in the long run.”
“But Nebracken gaining complete control wouldn’t be good, either.”
“No, but they don’t seem to believe it’s possible that they’ll end up with that much power.”
“I don’t want to believe it either, but it’s too scary a possibility to risk.”
“At minimum, I want to avoid a future where Jeslan is the face of House Charlemis. I know it’s selfish to have a systemwide revolt centered around that one goal, but that’s the truth.”
“Stars, she terrifies me too,” Terry admitted.
“She and Silvan have to be planning something. We need to get ahead of it. I wish I knew how,” he said.
Terry scooted closer to him and placed her hand on his thigh. “We’ll figure something out.”
“I don’t know what else to suggest.”
“There’s still a chance the Gallas dockworkers will be willing to strike. If that could sway Roger and he could get others…”
“Terry, they’re not going to do it. Let’s be realistic.”
She slumped. Desperately, she wanted to hold out hope, but she knew he was right. They would have enthusiastically responded to her initial proposition if it was what they wanted. The fact of the matter was that people were so stuck in their ways that they didn’t see a need to aspire for any other way of life.
“I’m sorry.” He put his arm around her shoulders and pulled her into a hug. “We still have the payout from the upgraded pulse rifles. We can g
et out of here and start over somewhere quiet.”
“What about Pharis?”
“I don’t know. Maybe she should leave too.”
“I’m not ready to give up.”
“What else can we do?”
“We just need to find the right spark to make people unwilling to stay quiet. There has to be something that would outrage or inspire them to demand a change in leadership at the High Table.”
“I have no clue what that thing might be.”
“I thought I did, but maybe I’ve been thinking about it wrong.”
“We’ve explored a lot of angles.”
“But all of them are future-focused,” Terry mused. “Maybe we need to help them confront the present.”
“Why would that get different results?”
“It only takes one small gesture,” she murmured. “I’ve been trying to figure out what made me willing to change my life and leave behind everything that had been familiar and comfortable…and it comes back to a single handshake.”
Cyrus raised an eyebrow. “Hmm?”
“When I met Jessica, she shook my hand—without gloves or anything. No one outside of other low-level workers had ever done that before.”
“Stars, I guess I never thought about how that felt to people…”
“Yeah, the highborn keep their distance in lots of ways. But anyway, Jessica had the look of a fancy lady, and she reached out and shook my grease-covered hand without any hesitation. That moment changed my life.”
“Huh.”
“Pharis could do the same. I know she doesn’t want to seem involved, but if she went to the docks, and treated people like she was one of them—”
“Shake hands. That might be all it takes.”
Terry shrugged. “Maybe. It’s the best I’ve got. When words fail, gestures speak louder.”
“You know, I think that might work.”
“Will Pharis go for it?”
“If she’s worthy of our support as a leader, she will.”
FAMILY DRAMA
STELLAR DATE: 12.23.8938 (Adjusted Years)
LOCATION: Charlemis Estate, Gallas, Serenity System