by Skyler Grant
Tamara met them on the way. The latest of Core fashion had been thrown away for something far more classic, a sharp-fitting suit vest and blouse over a skirt and heels. Quinn thought it suited her. Dela was with her, in tight-fitting leather pants and a khaki shirt open to reveal good bit of her chest, and a thoroughly unnecessary faded brown hat that was completely useless in space.
There was no sign of Mara and Kara. They were no doubt off making their own plans.
"You two were fast. Have anything for us?" Quinn asked.
"Walk with me. You should have a look for yourself," Tamara said.
With Tamara and Dela leading the way they guided Quinn to what made up the museum. It was a good quarter of the station. Interior walls had been removed to create a huge room so real starfaring ships could be on display.
There were vessels of the First Imperium, several alien craft, and even older designs marked as being from the original Empire. There was also a surprising amount of security. Quinn counted eight guards. What they seemed to lack in discipline they made up for in equipment. All were sporting hardware just shy of military.
The electronic safeguards were good too, not quite top of the line, but not so out of date as to have become a joke.
It was a worrying combination because it all spoke to one thing, money. The con approach relied on someone being greedy, always desperate to score a good deal and willing to make a stupid decision.
The wealthy weren't immune to a con, far from it, but what they coveted tended to be different than what the poor needed—and Quinn had figured they'd be dealing with a museum struggling for funding. Instead, this display spoke of someone’s private collection made public.
"As you can see. Given the maintenance of exhibits is already well undertaken, the curator has little interest in our offer," Tamara said smoothly. "I fear you might have come all this way for nothing, Captain."
Good, she was maintaining her cover in case they were being monitored. Quinn meanwhile was studying the interior and thinking of alternate strategies. Under normal circumstances they'd have had a chance to scope out the terrain before making a plan, but the rush to get this done for Taki’s skae hadn't allowed it.
Worse than that, Quinn didn't much like the odds of any backup plan either. Kara was almost an irresistible force of nature, but just the visible defenses were formidable, and if they had anything in reserve it would be worse. The same went for the security system. While Mara was without doubt brilliant, to get past this with certainty would require a master thief. Tripping alarms would bring the guards and their overwhelming firepower.
"Guess I should be heading back then, if you don't need me for transport. Unless you've got any reason for me to stick around?" Quinn asked.
Quinn hoped that Tamara would pick up on the cue. This was still a performance for the sensors, closing out this little charade without them getting suspicious.
"We’ll be in touch," Tamara said.
Quinn returned to the ship. As soon as he was aboard he had Melody send a private transmission to Mara's implant to abort any backup plan they were thinking of implementing. Taking a few hours between them to make things less suspicious, eventually everyone was back aboard the Bliss.
Quinn called a meeting over dinner to discuss the next steps.
Kara said, "I'm telling you. I can get it. I've got a few charging rounds that will go right through that pretty armor of theirs."
"We didn't want to kill people in the first place. I'd still rather not. Did anyone get an eye on the ship we're supposed to steal?" Quinn asked.
"Single person scout. Old—very old—probably pre-Imperium. It isn't even built to use Runestones. Stasis for a pilot. They'd ride a ley-line directly, crazy stuff," Dela said.
"So whether it’s fueled up doesn't matter. We're not getting it out of the system without pulling it out anyways. You know the section of the museum it was in?"
"I can show you," Mara said, bringing up her holographic emitter and a blueprint of the building. Marking a spot she said, "There. Right alongside a bunch of other pre-Imperium relics."
"If you're not letting me shoot, how are we getting it? Can you get past their defenses, Mara?" Kara asked.
"Going in blind ... maybe a thirty percent chance I’d do it without setting off an alarm? Give me a week to pull the schematics from the Core and study them, and I'll give you eighty," Mara said.
"Too long for our purposes. When I was there I saw they'd deployed what looked like drop walls like they use in docks. If there’s an atmospheric breach they drop right down to isolate the museum from the rest of the station," Quinn said.
"Probably because of all the internal bulkheads they knocked down. I can confirm they're definitely drop walls. What are your thoughts?" Mara asked.
Quinn shared his plan. Twelve hours later they executed.
Stage One involved Mara setting off their alarms remotely. Controlling and disabling their systems remotely was one thing, but just making some noise she could do far more easily.
It sent guards running towards a far end of the museum. That was when Mara triggered her next surprise and sealed the hanger around them, then dropped the atmospheric walls surrounding the relics. Her intention wasn’t really to keep the guards away. Rather it was to keep them alive in what happened next.
Kara had taken the Tango and used its stealth abilities to get close to the outer hull of the station and carefully place charges. When the walls dropped she triggered them.
The explosion blasted a hole in the station just outside the display area containing the Longstrider, the vacuum sucking it and the rest of exhibits into space. The Bliss was waiting.
Dela and Melody were in the cargo bay, the hatch open and grapple guns ready to secure as many artifacts they could. First things first, Melody flung herself out into space to attach a tow line to the Longstrider.
Less than five minutes after the first alarm had sounded they were heading for the system’s Runestone, dragging the Longstrider behind them and with a hold full of miscellaneous relics.
Quinn was glad they'd gotten what they needed, but the thought of robbing a museum wasn't sitting well with him. And what should have been just one stolen ship had become a lot more. That it had been a private collection made him feel a little better, especially one that few had the chance to see.
Hauling another craft meant they couldn't pull off an extended jump. It was a tense few hours watching the scanners for any ships in pursuit, and three smaller jumps later until Quinn finally felt it was safe to set the Bliss into orbit around an uninhabited moon.
Quinn hit the comms. "We look to be clear, everyone. Smart people, I want to find out if there is anything particular on that ship they're looking for. Melody, I want some way to camouflage it when we head into Arkstone."
"With a few modifications it will fit in one our shuttle docks," Melody said.
Quinn liked it. One of the shuttles could be deployed anyway. With the Tango he could try to sneak in some backup to whatever kind of meeting might be arranged. Given he still didn't trust their latest “clients” at all, that was a very good idea.
Quinn put the ship on autopilot and went down to the hold. Dela was hard at work, Jinx helping. Small piles of artifacts were on the deck.
"You doing some organizing for them?" Quinn asked.
"Some of this is valuable, some significant, some simply old. Figuring out what’s what is fun work," Dela said with a grin. "Know what we're doing with any of it?"
"Not yet—" Quinn said.
His words cut off as a sudden flare of light filled the hold.
It was a stone obelisk that would have been considered merely ornamental seconds ago. Right up until Jinx tried to move it. Runes glowed now, shimmering the brilliant blue of mana. They weren't just on the obelisk, Jinx's pale flesh was covered with them as well as if they were markings upon her skin. An intricate display that went back and forth between her and the stone before fading—and Jinx slumped.
/> Quinn rushed to catch her.
"Get Tamara and Mara," Quinn told Dela.
10
Mara was the first to respond. She knelt beside Jinx and listened to Quinn and Dela explain.
"Keep the object away from her just in case, but from what you describe she should be fine," Mara said.
"You know what happened?" Quinn asked.
"I have an idea. Magic in the wild isn't something you see much of in the Core, but then again we're no longer in the Core."
"I handled the obelisk earlier. It didn't shock me," Dela said.
"Magic sometimes reacts to magic, and the royal line is especially reactive," Mara said, scanning Jinx with one of her bracelets. "Vitals look good."
Tamara came running in, stopping short at the sight. "What happened?"
"Alien artifact in what we took from the museum had a magical imprint," Mara said.
"It had a long crack in it earlier. It doesn't now," Dela said, studying it.
Mara pursed her lips. "Unexpected, but we know why. The abilities of the royal line are capable at healing more than just bodies."
"Although healing people is usually the extent of it. She's apparently strong," Tamara said.
"So it would appear. Which is further good news for her, it means she has a lot of power propping up her health. The royals have never been easy to kill. It’s a part of what makes recent events so very surprising," Mara said.
A few minutes later Jinx opened her eyes, seeming none the worse for the encounter. From what she described, she experienced a sort of overwhelming rush of sensations, none which quite made sense or had any context.
Quinn ordered the magical artifact sealed up and tucked into one of the smuggler compartments of the Bliss. The rest he had Dela create sale sheets. Meanwhile, Melody made alterations to the ship, including modifying the shuttle dock so the Longstrider could take its place inconspicuously.
They hadn't found anything that made the Longstrider worth stealing. Nothing hidden in any compartments. And although it was old it wasn't especially valuable—some of the other artifacts were worth more. On Mara’s suggestion they made a copy of the Longstrider’s original sensor data.
Then it was on to Arkstone. So far they'd only heard about it, the closest thing to a Core world in this part of the Rim, except far less welcoming.
The instant Quinn entered the system he was being hailed and told to enter a queue. Imperium vessels were alongside mercenary vessels, and others bearing a host of company marks, all drifting close to one of the system’s five Runestones.
"Nothing like being told to hurry up and wait," Dela said.
"Time to make a call," Quinn said, hitting the keys for Sofia Delcoro’s frequency.
The call was answered quickly, a dour-looking, balding man in red robes on the other end.
"One moment ... ah, yes. A delivery, you have our merchandise and are in system?"
"I do. You're not who I dealt with before," Quinn said.
"Yet here I am answering your call. Which stone and queue number?" the man asked.
"Third. Queue thirty," Quinn told him.
The man could be heard tapping at keys. "You should get clearance momentarily. Transferring you docking information."
The link closed.
Abrupt, but professional. A few minutes later Quinn got permission to enter the system traffic patterns. The landing data was for a small station orbiting the third moon of the sixth planet.
On approach they were scanned several times by narrow-bodied fighter craft. Mara and Tamara were out there somewhere in the Foxtrot. Even knowing they were there Quinn couldn't detect them. The stealth rigging on the ship had been good before, and Mara had since made a few upgrades to make it even better.
Quinn was glad the ship was there, but already he was thinking about how they could recall the Foxtrot and make an escape, if they needed to. He thought it might be relatively easy. While this station might be owned by a specific crime family, it was obvious this system had a lot of factions, and judging by all the gunships, a fragile peace was maintained by a mutual restraint of firepower.
A hard burn of the engines towards any cluster of ships, particularly mingled ships of different factions, should make it too risky for anyone to open fire.
Quinn maneuvered the ship into a third docking bay. The station only had room for four ships of their size and two of the docks were already taken.
The comm beeped again. No visual this time. "You're in. We'll have your crew member here, but you can't approach. Talking to them is fine. We'll send someone aboard to inspect our cargo. Feel free to point guns at him, but kill him and he won't be the only one to die. Everything checks out, we make the exchange. An invitation is extended for drinks later and to discuss real business."
It wasn't leaving a lot of room for negotiation, but the terms were about what Quinn had expected.
Quinn and Dela had pistols in hand when they opened the hatch. Tamara was in the pilot’s seat in case they needed a quick exit.
As the hatch lowered there were a dozen rifles pointed at them, well-dressed men and women all of whom wore a red scarf somewhere on their person. A figure approached the hatch, hands up.
"I'm Andrew, I just need to confirm you've got it.
Behind everyone Taki stood unshackled, although a woman stood at a distance with a shotgun aimed in her direction.
"Good to see you, sir," Taki called out.
"You okay? They mistreat you?" Quinn asked.
"They punched back when I punched them. Apart from that it’s been downright civilized."
Quinn held his position while Dela guided Andrew inside the ship.
"You all really didn't have to get dressed up on our account," Quinn said.
"How will people know they're supposed to respect you, if you don't look the part?" This came from a woman behind the crowd of guns. Sofia Delcoro.
Dela and Andrew returned.
"They've got it. Bit dinged up from being shot into space and squeezed into a hangar," Andrew said.
"Well, now that we know everybody is acting in good faith here, how about we all lower our guns?" Sofia said.
"Last time we tried to deal with your folk all civil-like, they shot at us. Guns are staying out," Quinn said.
"Then we'll drop ours," Sofia said, and the weapons facing them were lowered, not that those wielding them looked thrilled about it.
"Come have a drink and we can talk further business," Sofia said.
"Not a good idea, sir," Taki said, stepping forward.
"Of that I have no doubt. Still want to hear what they have to say. You get back aboard and get checked out. Tell Tamara I want her out here," Quinn said.
Quinn waited until Taki boarded the ship and moments later Tamara stepped out.
The lawyer took a look at the pistol in his hand sniffed. "Is that really necessary? If they start shooting, that won't do you any good."
"It will do me a little good," Quinn said.
Tamara rolled her eyes. "Conceded on being technically correct, barely."
Sofia led them into the station. It was nice if a bit gaudy, in an absurd number of cherubs on everything kind of way.
A small study had been set up for drinks. Sofia poured three glasses before taking a seat in a chair facing a chaise that she offered to her guests.
"You wanted to discuss further work?" Tamara asked.
"First just want to confirm. You haven't interfered with the Longstrider? I'm sure you were curious," Sofia said.
Quinn was certain Mara had been careful to cover her tracks.
"Of course not. Figured you might not take kindly to that," Quinn said.
Sofia took a drink. Quinn tried his, brandy, not to his taste but not bad.
"That is why I like you. Smart, and a smart woman with you. You two an item?"
"Married," Tamara said.
Sofia nodded. "See, you find a good thing, you nail it down. You're from the Core, it’s why my boys thought th
ey could rip you off and why nobody would shed a tear if you died. We've had it rough out here, we cleave to our own or those who are vouched for."
Quinn saw how it was going and he wasn't interested. But it needed handling carefully.
"If you're trying to sell us on joining your family even after the bad blood we've each spilled, it's mighty civilized, but it’s not what we're looking for," Quinn said.
Sofia waved a hand. "Not what I'm offering anyways, not now. Maybe down the road you'll reconsider and you'll be worthy, but not now. Jobs, though, for an able ship? You need someone like me. They won't even let you land on Arkstone Prime unless you're spoken for and I can do the speaking. For now, go check out the planet—on me. Figure out if you really want to be standing alone out in the cold."
11
Sofia paid Quinn in Arkstone credits, but with a local branch of the Galactic Bank they'd have no trouble changing those into something more useful. Despite the reservations Quinn had going in, they were allowed to leave the station without problems.
Quinn called the family together.
Taki said first, "I’d like to get out of this system. Out of this whole sector of space. Nothing has gone right since we've come and we don't have friends here."
"She's got a point. I don't mind us getting a bit beat up if the money is good, but it isn't," Kara said.
As usual, they had gathered around the dinner table. Melody prepared seafood nachos, a culinary invention that hadn't turned out very well at all. Not that it stopped Kara and Jinx.
"Coming here was my idea. I can't make you stay, but if you leave, I need to stay here," Mara said.
"We wanted somewhere we could get a fresh start away from what’s happening in the Core. We've found it. Just because that fresh start has been rocky doesn't mean we should run away from it," Tamara said.
"We're surrounded by history and I've barely gotten to see any of it," Dela said.
Taki raised her hand. "I get it. I'm outnumbered and I admit, getting taken could happen anywhere, but I'm not wrong about things being rough here."
Quinn nodded. "I agree, which is why I wanted us to talk things out. We have an offer from Sofia on the table. I admit, we've had our disagreements and they are deep, but she paid prompt this time."