Home Run (Smuggler's Tales From the Golden Age of the Solar Clipper Book 3)

by Nathan Lowell

  Natalya looked at Zoya while the agent’s back was turned. “Are you mad?” Her voice barely reached a whisper.

  “Not yet, but I might be if they keep jerking us around.”

  “That’s TIC, you know,” Natalya said.

  “I know. Trust me on this.”

  Natalya shrugged. “Carry on.”

  “I hope it won’t come to that, but I’ll make a scene if I have to,” Zoya said as the agent turned back to them.

  “We’re waiting on the reply from Usoko Mining,” he said.

  “Call Big Rock,” Zoya said and rattled off a communications address. “Tell my grandfather I haven’t forgiven Furtner.”

  The agent hesitated for about four heartbeats before pulling out his tablet again. “Could you repeat that?”

  Zoya rattled the address off. “I haven’t forgiven Furtner.”

  “That some kind of code phrase?” the agent asked as he tapped the keys.

  “Something like that.”

  “Check the routing through your branch so you’re sure it’s really going where I’ve pointed,” Zoya said.

  Allen glanced up at her, staring for a moment, but nodded.

  He finished tapping and stared at the screen. Natalya could see text scrolling but couldn’t read it upside down and at an oblique angle. Allen’s eyes widened and he seemed to stop breathing for a few moments. He glanced up at Zoya, then turned back to his screen. After a few more moments, his eyes all but bugged out of his head. He looked at Zoya, holding his tablet as if it might blow up in his hand at any moment. “He wants to see you.” He turned the tablet around so the camera faced Zoya.

  She grinned and waved.

  Allen looked back at the screen. He nodded and typed a few characters before holstering the tablet. “Sorry for the delay, Ms. Usoko.” He handed her ID back.

  “Did he say anything?” Zoya asked.

  Allen’s Adam’s apple bobbed a couple of times. “Yes, ma’am. Welcome home.”

  Zoya’s tablet started bipping. “If we’re through, Agent Allen?”

  “Of course.” He turned and almost trotted back to his squad. He formed them up and set a brisk pace out of the docking bay.

  Zoya pulled out her tablet and started punching keys. “Tomorrow all right with you?” she asked, looking up at Natalya.

  “I guess,” Natalya said, not quite sure what she’d just agreed to.

  Zoya nodded and typed a few more keystrokes before stuffing the device back into its holster.

  “Really?” Natalya asked, looking at Zoya.

  “What?” Zoya asked.

  “You had to piss off TIC of all people?”

  “They wouldn’t have believed me if I’d been friendly.”

  “Your family has a bad reputation with the local constabulary?”

  Zoya shrugged. “We have a lot of miners coming and going. Sometimes they get into trouble.”

  “Sometimes?”

  “All right. At least once a week.” Zoya shrugged. “It’s been a bone of contention between the station and Usoko Mining as long as I’ve known.”

  “But didn’t Usoko Mining have the original lease on this system?”

  Zoya shrugged. “Yeah. Something happened so far in the past that nobody can remember what it is. So, TIC gives Usoko a wide berth whenever there’s any interaction. Gram likes it that way so we try to keep the feud alive if we can. It seemed like a good opportunity to let them know there’s another Usoko in system.”

  “Flies? Honey?” Natalya asked. “Sound familiar?”

  Zoya grinned. “Yeah, but this was so much fun.”

  The customs inspector came out of the lock. “You’re clear,” she said. She held out her tablet to Natalya. “If you’d certify the inspection?”

  Natalya pressed her thumb in the indicated box, the tablet bipped, and the agent nodded. “Thank you, Captain.” She glanced at the empty spot where the TIC agents had been. “You convinced Allen you were legit?”

  Natalya grimaced and shrugged. “I wouldn’t go that far. We at least gave him something to think about.”

  The inspector shook her head. “I told him he was staring into a rocket nozzle.”

  “You seem pretty sure of that,” Zoya said.

  The inspector glanced back at the ship before looking at Zoya. “That’s an Explorer class scout. You two hooligans have been stretching your wings out in the Toe-Holds since you graduated or I’ll turn in my customs badge. You’ve done well enough out there or you would have been back sooner. I’d guess you didn’t find anything worth bringing back or you’re heading back out to pick it up. Either way, you’re not breaking any regs as far as I’m concerned.” She looked at Natalya. “You’re the registered owner and have been since the day you docked in Port Newmar.”

  Natalya felt her eyebrows climbing her forehead.

  “Don’t look so surprised. TIC isn’t the only one with good records.” She glanced back at the Peregrine. “Your father gave you this?”

  Natalya nodded, too dumbfounded to speak.

  The inspector nodded once. “That’s one hell of a gift.” She sighed and holstered her tablet. “By the way, the registration is going to expire in a few weeks. You might wanna deal with that before you drop out again. Enjoy your stay.” With that she sauntered toward the entrance to the docking bay and the passage beyond. She stopped short of the lock. “I do have one question.”

  “What’s that?” Zoya asked.

  “What did Furtner do?” she asked.

  “He died,” Zoya said.

  “On your watch?”

  Zoya nodded.

  “Don’t blame ya,” the inspector said. She gave a jaunty salute with two fingers and left the bay.

  Natalya stared after her. “Odd lot you have here in Margary,” she said.

  Zoya snorted. “You have no idea.”

  Chapter 3

  Margary Orbital:

  2368, January 29

  Natalya stared at the functionary behind the counter. “Excuse me?”

  The woman shook her head. “Your last recorded duties show you haven’t worked as a third mate for four stanyers.”

  “But I’ve been an engineering third since I graduated.”

  “I appreciate that, but time-in-grade only counts when you’ve served recently. You only need a stanyer but that service has to be within three stanyers of the time you apply for advancement. You can look it up,” the functionary said. “It’s in your spacer’s handbook.”

  “She’s right,” Zoya said. “I should have remembered.” She held up her tablet showing the relevant passage on the screen.

  “So we’ve got to get jobs? For a stanyer?” Natalya asked. “But I own my own ship. Why would I need to work for somebody else?”

  The functionary nodded. “Sorry, sar. Them’s the regs.”

  “We need two more to go for first after that,” Zoya said, staring into her tablet.

  “Damn,” Natalya said.

  “There’s another way,” the functionary said.

  Natalya stared at the woman.

  “Waiver,” Zoya said, still staring at her screen. “Just found it. You can get a waiver from the senior officer in your division. Chief engineer for you. Captain for me.”

  The functionary nodded again. “That’s it. Get a waiver. Almost nobody does it. It’s rare that an officer doesn’t have the actual time in grade on record.”

  Natalya tried to put a smile on her face. “Sorry to be grumpy. Thanks for your help.”

  “No problem, sar. You’ve been out of the loop for a while.”

  Natalya nodded. “So it would seem.”

  Zoya led the way out of the union office, still staring at her screen. “Suppose we could contact Caldicott?”

  “What for?” Natalya asked. “She’s not a captain.”

  Zoya shot Natalya an impatient look.

  The credit dropped. “She’s data,” Natalya said.

  “Seems a little cheaty,” Zoya said. “But she does have t
he records.”

  “Got any better ideas?”

  Zoya shook her head. “Do the time.”

  “Who’d hire us?”

  Zoya burst out laughing at that.

  “What?” Natalya asked.

  “I might know a guy,” Zoya said. “We need to do anything else here?”

  “Chandlery.”

  “Oh, coffee?”

  “I’m thinking more about getting a line on some beans to take into the Dark, but stocking up isn’t a bad idea.” She paused. “Your grandparents like coffee?”

  “Tea drinkers.”

  Natalya shrugged. “I’m sure they’re nice people.”

  Zoya chuckled. “Chandlery.”

  The clerk behind the counter at the chandlery punched in their docking ID and nodded. “What cha need?”

  “Coffee,” Natalya said.

  “We should restock on meals, too,” Zoya said. “We didn’t before we left.”

  “Good point.” Natalya said, “You have the individual meal packs?”

  He nodded. “Got them in pairs and quads or you can get a case of ten.”

  “Any price break on quantity?” Natalya asked.

  “Go for the pairs,” Zoya said.

  Natalya looked at her.

  “It’s just the two of us and pairs lets us get a wider assortment so we’re not eating the same thing every day for a week.”

  “Good thought.”

  “You’d eat the same thing three times a day every day without thinking,” Zoya said. “I’m a little more discerning.”

  “You say discerning. I say fussy,” Natalya said with a grin.

  The clerk cleared his throat.

  “Sorry,” Natalya said. “Pairs. Thirty packs, random assortment.”

  “Preference on coffee?” he asked while he loaded the order into his console.

  “What’re my choices?”

  “We’ve got some djartmo.” He paused and looked at Natalya. “Arabasti varietal. Pretty popular across the quadrant. Got a good deal on Sarabanda, dark roast. Comes from Gugara and we’re trying to clear away our stock to make way for a new shipment.”

  “Is it stale?” Natalya asked.

  “No, actually. It’s still good but we over-ordered and undersold our last shipment. New one’s due in a couple of weeks.”

  “Any good?” she asked.

  “Sarabanda’s the high-end brand here,” Zoya said.

  “Nice nose,” the clerk said. “The dark roast is the most popular. Has some nice earthy notes without tasting like dirt. Doesn’t have the charcoal afterbite you get on a lot of darks.”

  “You sound like a man who likes his coffee,” Natalya said.

  “Employee discount.” He grinned.

  “How’s it come?” Natalya asked.

  “One kilo bricks in sealed pouches. Singles up to twenty kilo cases. Case lots are cheapest.”

  “Same with the arabasti?”

  “Djartmo?” He nodded.

  “One of each,” Natalya said.

  His eyes widened. “You have a big crew?”

  Natalya chuckled. “Not exactly. I just like coffee.”

  The clerk gave a little shrug and started tapping keys.

  “Can we get that delivered today?” Natalya asked.

  He glanced at the chrono and nodded. “Should be able to get it done before the day shift ends. Need anything else?”

  “I’ll run a normal replenishment order when I get back to the ship. We need water filters and scrubber cartridges, but I need to check the inventories,” Natalya said.

  He nodded without looking up. “Understood.” He tapped one last key with a flourish. “This stuff will be at your lock in a couple of stans. Shift ends at 1800. The crew will be moving fast.” He grinned. “Enjoy the coffee.”

  “Thanks,” Natalya said and led Zoya back into the passage. “We got anything else to do?”

  “It’s kinda early for dinner, but we didn’t get lunch. I’d like to grab a meal we don’t have to fix before we head back to the ship.”

  Natalya grinned. “You know a good place?”

  Zoya shrugged. “Don’t know if it’s still there. I haven’t been here in a while.”

  Natalya’s stomach rumbled. “My tummy likes this idea. Let’s go look.”

  Chapter 4

  Margary Orbital:

  2368, January 30

  Zoya glanced at her console. “Did you remember to file a flight plan?”

  Natalya’s heartbeat spiked and her guts twisted in panic. “Was I supposed to?”

  Zoya grinned at her. “No. It’s not required but local etiquette calls for one when transiting inside the orbital’s orbit on a local flight.”

  Natalya let out her panic-stalled breath. “Jeez, I thought I’d been in the Toe-Holds too long and forgotten how to do the High Line.”

  Zoya tapped a key. “Done. Filed with request for clearance.”

  “We have time for a cup of coffee on this flight?”

  Zoya nodded. “Big Rock is on an inside orbit and running ahead of the Orbital right now. In a few months it’ll be coming around from the other side. The console says we’ll be docking in time for dinner.”

  “It’s barely breakfast.”

  “Space is big, I hear,” Zoya said. “Be thankful we’re not going to the other side of the primary.” Both consoles pinged. “We are cleared for departure.” She looked at Natalya. “You wanna drive?”

  Natalya held her hands away from her keyboard. “You know the way.”

  “And you want to try some of that Sarabanda,” Zoya said.

  Natalya chuckled. “You know me so well. Get us out into space and I’ll make the coffee.”

  Zoya addressed the console, lifted the ship out of its berth, and held station outside the big lock doors until the light turned green and the door slid down. She poked the throttle just enough get them moving and then used the attitudinal thrusters to stop them inside the lock. The lock eventually cycled and they floated out into the traffic pattern around the orbital, following the small ship path away from the orbital.

  “We’re clear,” Zoya said.

  Natalya popped the latch on her seat belt and went aft to start the coffee. She took a moment to grab a good snootful of the beans, then tossed them into the grinder while the brewer filled with water. Natalya leaned out into the cockpit. “You want anything to eat?”

  “We got those ham and egg sandwiches, didn’t we?” Zoya asked.

  “Yeah. Want one?”

  “I’ll start with one, but I can wait for the coffee. We’ll be on auto pilot in another five ticks.”

  “Good old Otto,” Natalya said and dug the food out of the ready freezer, prepping it for the microwave and lining up the covered mugs. The smell of the brewing coffee was driving her mad.

  By the time she got the coffee and sandwiches ready, Zoya had the ship riding an invisible line that would end at Big Rock.

  Natalya handed one of the cups and a sandwich to Zoya. “You nervous?”

  Zoya shook her head and settled back in her couch. “Mostly excited to see them again. Are you?”

  Natalya plunked down on in her seat and took a tentative sip of the coffee before answering. “Maybe. It’s not every day I get to meet rich folks.”

  “They’ll like you,” Zoya said. “I think.”

  Natalya gave Zoya a mock glare. “You think?”

  Zoya grinned around her sandwich and shrugged. “Honestly, I really don’t know what to expect other than a warm welcome. This is the longest I’ve ever been away from home.”

  “You took holidays from the academy.”

  “Yeah, that’s what I mean. I haven’t seen them since we graduated. On our family scale of separation, that’s a lifetime.”

  Natalya nodded and took another sip of the coffee. She let it pool on her tongue and pulled a bit of air through her lips before swallowing. She let the aftertastes roll around in her mouth. “Not bad,” she said.

  “What, the cof
fee?” Zoya asked.

  “Yeah. It’s not bad but I think I got a bit too much expectation on it.”

  “What?” Zoya asked. “It’s good but not great?”

  “That’s it. The flavor’s rather good, in a dark, almost charcoal and apple way. But I don’t know that it’s all that good. I think I still prefer arabasti. What was that varietal? Dartmo?”

  “Djartmo. The ‘d’ is almost silent. Hold your tongue at the roof of your mouth and say ‘jart.’”

  Natalya tried it a couple of times. “Like that?”

  Zoya nodded. “Nobody’s going to complain about your accent.”

  “My accent?” Natalya asked. “I don’t have an accent.” She couldn’t hold the grin back any longer and let it spread across her cheeks.

  “It feels odd,” Zoya said after a few moments. “We’ve got nothing to do.”

  “Well, we’re going to your grandparent’s house,” Natalya said. “That’s not nothing.”

  “You know what I mean.”

  Natalya stuck the last bite of sandwich into her mouth and nodded. “I do,” she said, then focused on chewing and swallowing. “I do,” she said again. “Ever since I broke that damned tea cup, we’ve been either running, hustling jobs, or trying to stay alive while people we never met tried to kill us.” She shook her head. “If it had been a mirror, our seven years of bad luck would be almost up.”

  Zoya laughed. “High Tortuga paid pretty well.”

  Natalya nodded and cradled her cup in front of her face. “Not having to pay docking fees or fuel made a big difference, too.”

  “Should we have left?” Zoya asked.

  “Did you want to sign another contract?”

  Zoya shook her head. “Not really. The new pathfinder teams were dialing in the ships and routes. Ernst had the ships dropping out of the ways almost faster than they could get pilots up to speed on them.”

  “Brian really wanted us to take one of those new boats and fly it for the company,” Natalya said.

  “Yeah, I got that feeling too.” Zoya sipped her coffee and looked into the mug, sniffing at the dark liquid inside. “This is kinda charcoal tasting.”

  “It’s not bad,” Natalya said.