by Skyler Grant
"With the good news being the skimmer drive is mostly intact," Alexis said.
Quinn keyed the comms, keeping things short-range. Again, wary of the other ships that prowled the field. "Can you resolve them?"
"I was afraid cutting the drive free would sever the engine compartment. It will be dangerous for both us and the drive. It’s even worse though. The fuel tanks ruptured and the fuel has crystallized all along the interior compartment," Melody said.
"Torch enough to ignite it?" Quinn asked.
"Might be. We can try to scrub up the fuel, build an extra support. Both take time."
"Whatever the situation I suggest you do it. We will not have another shot at a drive like this. We were extraordinarily lucky to find this one," Alexis said.
Quinn ran through the possibilities in his head. The safest option by far would be to return to the ship, get out of the system and let some time pass. Whoever they’d robbed couldn't keep surveillance in the system forever. Eventually they'd pull those ships away and the Centauri Bliss could move in and do the salvage properly. The wildcard in this case was Sofia. Already volatile and dangerous, it was risky to put off what she wanted done.
They could try to stage a distraction elsewhere, draw off those ships and get the work done while they responded. Doing things safe seemed like it would take a fair bit of time though, likely more than their distraction would buy them.
"What about a smash and grab? We attach a tow line and tear it out of there?" Quinn asked.
"Shuttle wouldn't have enough thrust. The ship could do it. And we risk damaging the drive," Melody said.
"Get back aboard. We're going to try it," Quinn said. Before making the attempt he guided them to another edge of the field, planting several detonation charges in the wreck of an old cruiser. The Tango returned to the Centauri Bliss and they got what they needed ready.
Melody and Kara would be in the cargo bay, suited up and ready to attach the tow line and wheel in their prize at the appropriate time. Quinn would be at the controls with Dela. He was the best pilot on the ship and she was growing to be quite a competent copilot. Alexis was told to stay put in the Bliss. She’d only get in the way.
When they were ready Quinn keyed the explosive. In the distance the field lit up for a moment, the flash of explosives igniting what remained of an old ammunition stockpile aboard. Without oxygen the spectacle was short-lived but still attention-getting.
Quinn allowed two minutes for the gunships to respond and then lit up the Centauri Bliss, engines going hot and sensors active. They'd drawn one of the gunships away and one towards the perimeter, but another was still close. Too close.
Quinn flicked the comms a moment after hitting the thrusters. "We might be doing this under fire. Make it quick."
Navigating a ship the size of the Bliss through the debris was a lot more challenging than the shuttle had been, numerous clangs shaking the hull as they drew near. The gunship was smaller and more agile, and it used that to intercept them, the hull rattling several times more as cannon fire raked it.
Quinn fired off a shot from one of their new disruptor cannons but it went wide, a hulk behind the gunship rippling with energy as the blast hit. It still forced the gunship into evasive action. It would have to be enough.
"Go," Quinn said.
The sensors reported the opening of the hatch. Melody and Kara were on their way. Meanwhile, the gunship came back around for another run. Tracking Kara and Melody with the external cameras Quinn made sure they were clear before banking the ship, using the bottom hull to soak another blast of cannon fire and shield them from the shots.
With the pilot likely too intent on attacking the Bliss, the gunship plowed into a chunk of debris, what looked look discarded hull armor, knocking it off-course with its weapon still firing. The wild rounds struck the hulk of the Innocent Son in the asteroid and a shock wave flung both ships backward as the crystallized fuel ignited.
"Mel? Kara?" Quinn asked frantically. The gunship, scorched on one side, drifted before the Centauri Bliss and this time Quinn's disruptor shot didn't miss, blue sparks wreathing the ship before it spun away deeper into the debris field.
An alert, the hatch was closing.
"We're aboard," Melody said.
There was nothing attached to the tow line, and what they'd come for wouldn't have survived that flaming wreck. Quinn wanted to go himself and make sure that they were okay, but there wasn't time. Already more gunships were closing on them.
"Jinx to the cargo hold," Quinn ordered before flaring the engines and setting a course towards the nearest Runestone. Dela was already plotting the jump, her fingers flying over the keys.
It was risky for anyone to do an extended jump injured—and Quinn had no doubt two of his people were hurt.
A second gunship closed on them before they reached the point. Quinn avoided fire this time with deft timing from the side thrusters.
"Jinx? We're in Runestone range. We good to jump?" Dela asked.
"Her suit is melted around her. I ... no, no we're not," Jinx reported.
"We can't linger. Kara is tough," Quinn said.
"She'd better be," Dela said, hand moving towards the glowing rune and triggering the ship.
Reality warped and melted. Quinn for a time was a ray of light, traveling the cosmos. A warlord, a poet, and then reality formed back around them.
16
Quinn put another standard jump between them and any pursuit before parking them in orbit around a desolate moon in a dead-end system. Only once they were safe did he tell Dela to keep watch before heading down to the cargo hold.
It was a mess, scorch marks over most of the interior. Kara was sprawled out on the deck. It looked as if Melody had been cutting the suit from her one piece at a time and between Jinx and the alien's natural regenerative healing ability patching her up as they went. So far Kara seemed about three-fifths healed and one part badly disfigured. Melody was having similar problems. If either of them had been human it was doubtful either would have survived.
"Are you two going to be okay?" Quinn asked.
"I don't like being exploded," Kara said with a groan.
"Cosmetic damage. My self-repair routines can fix it, but it’s going to take a few days. We just need to not let our guest see me in the meantime," Melody said.
"You can be injured and healing up in your quarters," Quinn agreed and then added, "I'm sorry. This was my plan."
"No blame, stud," Kara said with a grunt as Melody tore another strip of the suit from her flesh. Black blood oozed, Jinx resting a hand on her shoulder and a blue glow of magic suffusing the wound.
"You're getting better at that than you used to be," Quinn said.
"Part practice. Part getting shocked by that artifact. It’s like it pushed a door inside me open a little wider," Jinx said.
That was something. Quinn wasn't sure he liked it. All the trouble Jinx was in started when she'd got her magic. Getting more of it just seemed like inviting more to find them. Still, it might also have just helped to save Kara's life.
"There isn't another," Alexis said.
They'd gathered for an impromptu dinner meeting, everyone except for Melody who retreated to her quarters to do her repairs. Without Melody to cook, Taki had tried her best and they had noodles with fish and vegetables.
"There have got to be other scrap yards," Quinn said.
"All over, but not ones that got their inspection interrupted. A clerical error combined with a fluke left us a drive to find, and you ruined our opportunity, Captain," Alexis said, coldly.
"Mara?" Quinn asked.
"I'd love to argue that she’s wrong, but she isn't. The Emperor was thorough," Mara said.
Quinn rubbed at his eyes. "Fantastic. Is there any other way that we can get you to what you were searching for?"
Alexis gave a wan and bitter smile. "If there were, I wouldn't have needed you in the first place. No, unfortunately not. We have to consider the expedition a fa
ilure.
Quinn looked to Tamara. "You always have another play. Maybe one of those rich clients of yours that hide their prizes away?"
"I usually do. Not this time. I'd reach out to my black market connections if I thought there even a chance, but I don't. I do think Mara isn't being as helpful as she could be though," Tamara said.
Quinn thought that Tamara was probably right. Mara had proved to have resources and connections well outside anything they could expect. She had also made it clear before they came to this part of space that they wouldn't have access to those resources. She'd played it fair with them, or as fair as she could, and if she wasn't offering her help, pushing her wasn't going to get it.
"Probably," Quinn said with a nod. "But it was us that took this job and us that screwed it up. If we can't complete it, we need to let Sofia know."
Tamara grimaced but nodded, rising to her feet. "I'll go do so. Despite our expenses I feel we should return her deposit to try to keep things amicable."
Quinn nodded and Tamara slipped off.
Alexis said, "You can let me off back at Arkstone then. A shame, I was looking forward to seeing the divide."
"Perhaps the secrets there are best left hidden," Mara said.
Alexis tilted her head and squinted at her. "There are no secrets best lift hidden. You know of the divide?"
"More than you do in all likelihood. The Emperor was thorough in his purging of history. We are close to what was the heart of the First Imperium. Trust me, if we find our way blocked from reaching it there’s likely a reason for it," Mara said.
Alexis frowned. "Conspiracies, I loathe them as much as I hate secrets. Knowledge should be shared." The words were harsh, angered, she wasn’t letting this go.
“I am more sympathetic than you might think,” Mara said.
Tamara returned, looking somewhat paler. "That did not go as desired."
"She's pissed?" Quinn asked.
"An understatement. During our repairs she said a transponder was fitted in our ship. We have forty-eight hours to leave her space or to turn ourselves in at Arkstone for slave-collar fitting before she starts sending kill-teams."
"I should have shot her," Kara said.
"Seems so," Quinn said, rising from the table and looking to Alexis. "We'll need to let you off at the nearest port."
"Captain, I'd be a poor guest if I didn't assist in your hour of need. I know vessels and if your engineer is wounded I can help to find this transponder," Alexis said, sighing.
It was true, she did know ships, and it was a civilized offer.
"Finding it shouldn't be a problem. I can do a sweep and locate it in a few hours. I doubt they'll have left it easy to extract," Mara said.
"Can we block it?" Quinn asked.
"Depends on what they used."
Quinn focused on Alexis. "If you want to stay and help I'd be mighty grateful, but I need to let you know there are things you’ll see that are going to require your discretion."
"I know you’re criminals, I'm not ignorant to who offered their help to my expedition. You've already agreed to help me find something deeply illegal, do you think you have anything left to shock me?" Alexis asked.
"Your word," Quinn said.
Alexis let out a snort of frustration. "As you will. On my word of honor, I'll keep your secrets."
"Melody is a sentient cyborg. Still a might disfigured right now with being blown up and all," Quinn said.
Alexis blinked. "Really?"
"We're that kind of ship."
"We've got a space princess too," Kara said, and Tamara gave her a warning look.
Alexis narrowed her eyes at that. "Jinx, I thought I felt a mana echo, but I wasn't sure. My family’s gift is not the sort actively used."
"What is your gift?" Quinn asked.
"Languages. I speak them, all of them. It is a useful skill for an explorer."
Kara opened up with a string of harsh, guttural consonants that were nearly shouted and after a moment Alexis replied in kind.
"Kind of badass," Kara said, impressed. "The human throat can't even do our tongue. You're kind of missing a few parts in the throat. That was good."
Alexis tilted her head. "My abilities aside, the transponder? We may have more to talk about, but it must come first."
At Mara's instruction they split up into teams, sweeping the ship. It took them around two hours before they found it. By that time Melody had joined in, and neither she nor Alexis looked pleased at the location.
"They installed it behind one of the thruster upgrades. Getting it out the way it went in is going to require venting the fuel tank, and removing the thruster. We're talking days, Captain," Melody said.
"What about getting it out from the inside?"
"We'd have to go in through our main power conduit. It would require rerouting everything. Again, days."
"Shield it with its own broadcast core ...” Mara suggested half-heartedly. “No, we might be able to drown it out on its channel, but that’s just hiding someone screaming out your location by trying to scream over them."
"We've got a fancy disruptor cannon. Can we unmount it, turn it on ourselves?" Quinn asked.
"Intriguing idea, but this near to your power conduit you'll blow out all your systems," Alexis said.
"Lady is right, Captain," Melody said.
"There has to be something we can do," Quinn said.
"Run with our tails behind our legs and return later to wreck terrible vengeance?" Tamara asked.
"There is only one real route in and out of this sector of space. If she means to play dirty, ships are already there waiting and even with extended jumps they'll get a piece of us," Quinn said.
Alexis cleared her throat. "If Jinx truly is a princess of royal blood I may have an option."
Mara narrowed her eyes. "Do tell."
"We go beyond their reach. We complete our original mission," Alexis said.
"I thought you said we couldn't get another skimmer drive?" Quinn said.
"We can't. I think we can do much, much better."
17
It was an hour later and everyone had gathered back around the table once more, this time for a briefing from Alexis.
"What we need is aboard the wreckage of the Righteous Fist," Alexis said.
"Lost over a century ago with Princess Elias and all crew in a war with the Vrill," Mara said thoughtfully. "You think you know where it is?"
"Volkora," Alexis said.
Mara tapped at her comm and a holographic star chart appeared over the table. A blinking red light indicated the Volkora system and a moment later a blue dot joined it marking their current position. It was a good stretch from them. Even pushing things they'd need a few days and to stop for fuel at least once.
"What makes you think so?" Dela asked.
"The Bluescar pirates have been increasingly posing a threat to local interests. When one of their ships is captured, it usually shows they’re making use of scavenged Imperial military tech or salvaged Vrill gear. Even their home system, Volkora, is said to have been home to a major Vrill base purified towards the end of the war," Alexis said.
"That doesn't add up to your conclusion. The Imperium might have lost a lot of ships during that final purging run," Dela said.
"I agree. What they wouldn't have is Princess Elias' sabre. A gift from her father upon her graduation from the academy. The hilt is inset with Altezar topaz, and engraved with her initials and the date of her graduation. Found on the hip of a certain Captain Bloodfist after he was killed in a raid six months ago."
"Distinctive. I suppose it’s the sort of thing easy to duplicate, but why would a pirate bother?" Dela mused.
Tamara wore a distant look. "Imperium officers’ weapons were often found on the captains of captured pirate ships from that clan. Likely a badge of honor given out to those trusted."
"None of this actually answers how this helps us. Would this ship have a skimmer drive?" Quinn asked.
Mar
a said carefully, "I know what she’s thinking. The royal family has something better, although it isn't well known. Alexis is talking about a runic sphere. It allows the transport of a ship with precision and without the need of a Runestone or even ley-lines—if you’re of royal blood."
"You're incredibly well-informed," Alexis said, with her eyes narrowed.
"I say that all the time in a similar tone," Tamara said.
Jinx said, "Do I need to remind all of you that I am not of Octavius' bloodline? If you're looking for a princess of that blood you're looking in the wrong place."
Now Alexis frowned at her. "They said you were a princess."
"Jinx is the direct line descendant of Empress Opalia," Tamara said.
"Well, that is completely worthless," Alexis said with a blink. "You're not even a noble at this point and there isn't enough mana in your blood to light a candle."
"She can mend. Anyone with a legitimate claim can, now," Tamara said quietly.
"That would mean ..." Alexis said, and she turned pale. "They can't be. Not all of them."
"We don't know. Even my extremely well-informed self just doesn't know. Regardless, there is good reason to think if there still is a runic sphere upon that ship, Jinx certainly would be capable of using it," Mara said.
"That sounds very impressive, but you're getting way ahead of yourselves. If this system is a pirate haven they're not likely to lay out the welcome mat," Quinn said.
"Could Ice arrange a meeting? She's pretty infamous now," Melody said.
"We are not calling that woman for a favor. Again," Taki said firmly.
"She went to ground after that anyways. Monk is still flying with her. I tried to reach out a few times and I'm just getting silence," Dela said.
"Tamara?" Quinn asked.
"There are firms specializing in piratical undertakings and acting as ransom intermediaries. I didn't work for one," Tamara said.
"We'll have to improvise then."
"Against a well-equipped pirate fleet? Bad plan, sir," Taki said.
"You always say that."
"And I'm usually right," Taki said.