by Skyler Grant
Mara showed up dressed in a stunning red gown, her hair done up with gold combs. The entire ensemble looked as if it must have cost as much as their ship. Quinn for his part was in an outfit Tamara picked up for him not that long ago—fancy dress although with a distinctly classic, First Imperium look.
"You look dashing in that, Captain, I must say," Mara said, looking him up and down before she settled into a seat.
"You're a sight yourself. You carry that outfit with you everywhere you go?" Quinn asked.
"A recent gift. Do you like it? I'm thinking about keeping it."
"You're stunning, but you don't need the dress for me to say so."
"Flattery? I do approve," Mara said, stretching out her neck.
Quinn frowned, there was something different about her. "I don't mean to be rude. But is your nose different?"
"Nose, lips, brows," Mara said, tapping away at the order console. "Red wine?"
"Works for me. You're sure we're free to talk here?"
"There are a few places on this planet selling privacy that don't really deliver. But this is somewhere where people like their secrets. I vetted it, we can talk," Mara said.
"Why are you changing your face?"
"Because we effectively killed the cover of Dr. Marianna Trenchant after what happened at Lord Barr's estate. New face, new identity, I'm in the process of building both."
"Are you going to accept our offer?" Quinn asked.
The wine arrived. Mara took a long sip of hers before setting it aside. "The specials are marked. I recommend trying them. Don't you think your family is large and complicated enough already?"
"If I denied it being large and complicated, you'd be right for calling me a liar. Enough? That I can't say. You're beautiful, and you’re useful, and I have a great fondness for both those things. Mind, I think you're keeping even more secrets than Tamara," Quinn said.
Mara toyed with her wine. "I still think she's Tourmaline, though I can't prove it. Be assured I am investigating."
"Does it matter if she is? Either she's brilliant, manipulative, and kind of scary, or she's what? Still all those things but even better at them?"
Mara smiled wryly. "Captain, you can play it off that you wouldn't be bothered, but I promise you, I more than most know. It is a rare soul who can stomach secrets being kept from them when they finally come to light."
Would he? Did it matter?
"I don't say the family would be happy about it. I expect there are reasons she'd want to keep it a secret though," Quinn said.
Mara tilted her head. "The Imperium has more than a few ancients and they have their rivalries. If she is Tourmaline, she may just be trying to protect you."
"I didn't come here to talk about her or her secrets, but you and yours, and where and if you're going to fit into things."
"And I'm swinging it back to you. Do you care? I know Tamara—Tourmaline, or whoever she happens to be—wants me close and while on a purely practical level, in turn the chance to keep an eye on her appeals. So far, I haven't needed to join your family for that."
Everything so far had gone through Tamara. There were reasons for that—somehow, improbably, she'd convinced all the rest of the family and him as well it was necessary.
Quinn put in an order for a local pasta dish before settling back. "We had a moment, in that pod. Thinking we were going to die. I don't think it was just me."
Mara looked at him over the table. "It wasn't, but it’s a long way from that to marriage."
Quinn gave an awkward shrug. "Normally I'd agree with you, but that isn't the sort of month I've been having. I was broken—hell I'm still broken with a past that won't let me go and a future I don't understand. We're all broken. I like you, I really do, and I just get the feeling you're broken too."
"I'd say flawed more than broken," Mara said, after a pause.
"Go on," Quinn said.
"I'm sworn to something important, Quinn, the sort of secrets I'll die to keep silent. Even if I joined this family of yours I could never be completely honest with you, never completely open. We're having this dinner now because it gets under your skin about what I'm not saying most of the time— and I'm telling you now, that never goes away."
Quinn didn't think pushing things would get him anywhere, and he didn't want to. Mara was right, their family was already big. Still, he liked her, and perhaps even more important they needed her.
"This is always going to be your choice but know that I'm attracted, I like you partly because of your secrets, and it isn't just Tamara that wants you close," Quinn said.
"Why, that was very nearly romantic. After dinner I'll let you take me for a walk under the stars."
"With a planet as well-lit as this is? I'm fair sure there isn't a star to see," Quinn said.
Mara laughed. "You're right, of course, not real ones. But they have a simulated boardwalk. Water, lapping waves, over ten thousand simulated stars and a meteor shower nightly."
"Pretty much perfect and all completely fake," Quinn said.
"Just like me."
"You don't deserve that," Quinn said.
"No, Quinn. If there is one truth I can say with conviction, it is that one," Mara said, shaking her head. "But that was glum, more so than I intended, and not how I want this evening to go."
Conversation remained more upbeat throughout the meal. The food was, of course, exquisite. The stars might have been false but they were beautiful, and the meteor shower even better. Mara might have denied it, but Quinn was convinced the heat behind the kiss that sealed the night was completely real.
14
The rest of the vacation wound down and with a continued lack of work prospects and no better options Quinn had Tamara put in a call to Sofia. The negotiation went on for a good hour and when Tamara finally walked out of the comms room on the Bliss she looked furious.
"It went that well?" Quinn asked.
"The bleeding goes both ways, Quinn, but not so much in the direction that I'd like. Five hundred advance and our fuel and maintenance fees paid for while on assignment. The contract involves playing host to a passenger seeking an item on Sofia’s behalf. Upon acquiring the item and its delivery to Sofia, we receive an independent ship license for Arkstone and ten thousand credits."
Quinn winced.
"I know, I know. It gives her every opportunity in the world to play us again and she would not budge. She tried to start with just the license, and everything else I fought for."
That might be, but just because Tamara had fought for it didn't make it a good deal. Their main concerns dealing with Sofia was either her stabbing them in the back again, or accepting a job like this really some kind of insult and a massive statement of her dominance over their situation.
"What was your read on her?" Quinn asked.
Tamara pursed her lips. "I didn't get the feeling that she was out to cheat us. I got the sense that she thought she was throwing money away. Whatever she's getting us into, I think it’s dangerous and maybe she's already lost ships. She doesn’t expect us to succeed."
If that was true it was good news, in a manner of speaking. It would explain her reluctance to pay up front, and ten thousand wasn't out of line for a high-risk job. It maybe meant that Sofia was just cheap and wasn't planning to murder them.
"Well, I don't like it, but we don't have anything better. And remember, we're picking the meeting spot next time," Quinn said.
"I made that clear. At any rate, our passenger will be arriving before we lift off Arkstone. I understand that she’s something of a scholar. Dame Alexis Throk of the Royal Astrographical Society."
Quinn groaned. "Dela and Jinx are going to love this aren't they?"
They did, members of the Royal Astrographic Society were legends in their own right. Mapmakers, explorers, and xenologists who explored the most savage areas of space and brought their findings back to the Core.
Alexis Throk didn't look that distinguished, with dark brown hair that cascaded in
riotous curls down to her shoulders and warm brown eyes that were alert. Her khaki pants and shirt shimmered a bit more than they should have—Quinn recognized a subtle armor weave when he saw one. The holster and pistol at her hip were both well maintained and well-worn.
"Sorry about the mess," Melody said. The cargo hold was still filled with tools and parts from their various upgrades. The major changes had been completed, but she still had some to finish in-flight.
"Beautiful ship. First Imperium, I thought at first based on the lines it must be a Doxon class, but it isn't, is it?" Alexis asked.
"It is," Tamara said.
Quinn held his tongue. That was on the registration paperwork.
"Maybe, but not standard. D-variant? E?" Alexis asked, frowning. "E. I'm sure of it."
"Lady knows her ships, Captain," Melody said approvingly.
"I feel I'm missing something and I don't like it," Tamara said.
"The Luxor shipyards built the Doxon line of freighters. Your A variant was standard, B repurposed as passenger liners, C as a combat platform, and so on. The E’s were a limited run of eleven built with high quality components for those who wanted something inconspicuous yet with unexpected power," Quinn said.
Tamara sniffed. "Not a lot of original parts left, I assume."
There was something to that. How many times could you replace the parts of a ship before it wasn't the original ship anymore?
"They tried to hide the size of the increased engine core by expanding the midsection of the ship, but the lines don't quite match up," Alexis said. "Lady Alexis Throk, by the way. Royal Astrographical Society. Captain Jade I recognize by the photo I was sent over."
Tamara, Dela, Jinx, and Melody all introduced themselves.
"We've been told you're looking for something, but not what," Quinn said.
"I’m looking for a ship called the Redeemer and its crew, or their remains at least given the length of time. We’re going to need to go past the existing Runestone network. To get there, first we'll require a skimmer drive," Alexis said.
Dela winced. "Good luck there."
Quinn had heard of them, but they weren't around anymore. Runestones hadn't always been the preferred method of interstellar transit. Skimmer drives could still follow the paths of ley-lines and didn't require a stone on either end.
"Do you think that was why we were asked to steal the Longstrider?" Quinn asked with a glance at Melody.
"Makes sense, Captain. It would have had one originally, but been removed like you'd expect."
"Indeed. The Emperor was ... exceedingly thorough in his efforts to destroy the technology. However, we believe we've identified a still-existing version locally. Acquiring it should the easy part, if our information is correct," Alexis said.
Quinn looked to Melody again. "Installation? Safety?"
Melody shrugged. "Wish I could say, Captain. They're really, really, illegal."
Tamara cleared her throat. "Later models were used at the same time as the Runestone network and should be compatible with your drive. They are riskier than Runestone transit, but not greatly so."
"You know an awful lot," Quinn said.
"Let’s just say that I once had a very wealthy client with a desire to push that particular boundary."
"What happened to him?" Dela asked.
"What do you think happened to him? The Emperor had him killed, his ships scrapped, and estate razed."
"Any reason why the Emperor was so down on these things?" Quinn asked Alexis.
Alexis nodded. "The divide, it was his intent to keep everyone well clear of it and where we need to go is right up on the line. Were he still alive I'd never dare to perform this expedition, but with the Emperor dead and the line of succession ... in dispute ... it seems an ideal time."
The divide. The Imperium had once been larger, much larger. A lot of territory had been lost in the great war, the divide was the line separating the Imperium that was from all that it used to be. It was supposed to be a real thing, a magical barrier. None had set eyes on it in millennia so far as Quinn knew.
"Where are we at with this legally?" Quinn asked Tamara.
"The Emperor's edicts aren't invalidated just because the Emperor is dead. That said, this one was a crime that was always referred directly to his attention. Even if what passes for the local law wanted to drag you in for the crime of using one, there’s no longer any court to drag you into," Tamara said. “He’s gone.”
They were clear then, more or less.
"Where are we going to find this drive?" Quinn asked.
"The Margas system. We'll be looking for a wreck called the Innocent Son. An old gunship that slammed into an asteroid and is supposedly still attached to it," Jinx said.
That might be a problem. The Margas system was where they'd gone to make repairs just before doing the museum job. Where they'd painted on the logo of the Ares Mining Consortium. The coincidence of their departure and the raid on the museum wouldn’t have gone entirely unnoticed. And even with the logos now removed, the Centauri Bliss was a memorable craft and they might be recognized.
"Any other leads on one?" Quinn asked.
Alexis gave him a blank stare. "On any other highly illegal, very obsolete technology? No, Captain. Is there a problem?"
"There is, but it’s one we're going to have to work with," Quinn said, hitting the comm and putting in a call for the others.
The next hour was spent putting together a plan. The Centauri Bliss would jump in using an extended jump to a point deep on the outskirts of the system. If the Runestone were being watched for new arrivals, that would get them past it.
If things looked clear they could proceed with the mission, but if it looked as if there might be opposition searching for them in the area, the ship would hold position and send in the Tango with Quinn, Alexis, and Melody to identify the Innocent Son and extract the skimmer drive.
Should things become heated they had some options. The Whiskey had weapons and could put up a fight, and Kara's shopping efforts on Arkstone hadn't been wasted. The Centauri Bliss now had two disabler cannons. A favorite of savvy pirates, they fired charged particle bursts that could overload a ship’s systems and disable weaker vessels, and even against larger vessels might be able to take out whole systems with a shot well-aimed enough to hit a power or control nexus.
With a plan in place they began the journey. It was the better part of a day before they made the system, and as soon as they did Quinn could tell they’d been wise to be cautious.
There were two gunships patrolling around the Runestone, and another three docked at the station. None had been here during their last visit. Someone had suspected a connection between the Bliss and the museum heist, and set up watchers just in case their ship returned.
Quinn had felt comfortable using this place on the expectation of not being back. Now, now it was a situation they'd just have to make the best of.
15
They'd jumped in on the far side of the debris field, which was fortunate as it offered them a great deal of cover. With external lights off and power on minimal it was easy for them to blend into the background. It also made it difficult to get a full accounting of just how many gunships were lurking in the shadows with them.
It shouldn't matter. If all went according to play—it shouldn't matter.
"You've got the helm. Keep it quiet unless it looks like you've been made, in which case move in to come get us," Quinn said to Dela as he slipped out of the pilot’s seat.
By the time Quinn reached the Tango Alexis and Melody were already aboard. With room for two pilots, two passengers and cargo they'd hopefully have enough room for the skimmer drive on the return journey.
Quinn activated the stealth systems and eased away from the Centauri Bliss and into the debris field.
Alexis made cheerful conversation as they went. "That is an Alwalaroo transport. They were wiped out eighty years ago! Oh! A Scaladoni gunship, those are still in service on Gestapol
you know."
The wrecks around them wouldn't be doing service anywhere anytime soon. Most had been picked over dozens of times, vast sections of their hull missing and hollow voids where parts had been removed.
There were several active gunships in the field as well, two slowly navigating the wrecks while a third sat just outside towards the station. Active sensors would have revealed their presence so Quinn was left with what the passives could find—that and the power of the human eye.
Knowing that the Innocent Son had crashed into an asteroid helped them search. There weren't many rocks in the field.
Still, it was half an hour before Alexis nudged his shoulder. "There."
To Quinn the wreck looked much like any of the others, the lettering on the side too faded to make out. The engine compartment was only attached by a single strut to the rest of the ship, and several large tanks appeared ruptured.
"This is going to be tricky, Captain," Melody said, leaning forward and frowning.
"How tricky?"
"Won't know till I have a closer look."
"Well, get suited up and do so," Quinn said.
Melody didn't need an atmosphere suit, but Alexis wasn't a member of the family and it couldn’t be revealed that Melody was an android. Even if a person accepted one crime, it didn't mean they accepted all of them, so it was best to maintain the deception.
"I'm going too," Alexis said.
"Mel is a professional," Quinn said.
"I know ships. I may be a scholar, but I'm not a useless one."
"Lady does know her ships and I've never even seen a skimmer drive before," Melody said.
Quinn nodded, for his part staying at the controls. If they needed to get out of here it would be in a hurry.
Angling the Tango around he shifted to align the airlock hatch with the engine compartment of the ship on the asteroid. Soon two suited figures drifted over, one in red and one blue.
"We've got real problems here, Captain. Worse than I thought," Melody said.