The Battle of Hollow Jimmy

by Becky Black

  The one who'd called to him, a pale, lanky man, dressed in an overall, slapped him on the back. "We're going to make a night of it. Want to join us?"

  "Make a night of it? Jaff, it's breakfast time."

  "For you maybe." He gestured at the rest of the group, who all wore variations on the overall Jaff wore. "But the boys and girls here think differently. We just got off shift, and we are up for it, right?" They gave a ragged cheer and clinked glasses.

  "Sorry," Chervaz said, not sorry at all. "I have to put the paper to bed." He'd read this expression in an old book. What it meant exactly he wasn't too sure.

  "Ah well, maybe join up with us later?"

  "Maybe." Unlikely. Chervaz came into Dav's often, sometimes with Jaff, when he was off shift. But, much as he enjoyed spending time with his friend, he considered this place work, not fun. He heard a lot of Important if True stuff in here. Rarely even had to interview people, they tended to yell about it.

  Today though he sat there only half listening to the talk around him, gazing off into the middle distance. That trader, Maiga, she had… Something. Well she had a body that was… Yes, but something else too. A mystery about her. A sadness. Perhaps he looked spacier than usual, because after a while Jaff elbowed him in the ribs.

  "You okay?" Jaff asked.

  "Mmm, oh yes, just thinking about someone… thing." Chervaz tried to correct himself. "Something."

  Jaff looked narrowly at him. "This wouldn't be a female something would it?"

  "As it happens, yes."

  "Oh, here we go again."

  "It's not like that," Chervaz protested. "It's that trader who's working with Wixa."

  "Wixa's the old girl you think used to be a spy?"

  Chervaz sighed. "It seems likely. And yes, that's who I mean."

  "Yeah, I've seen her around," Jaff said. "The younger one I mean. She runs round the circuit. Usually in the middle of the night. Pretty hot stuff."

  "I've asked her to let me know about any information she picks up. But she, well, she intrigues me a bit too."

  "Yep, definite case of here we go again." Jaff frowned, putting down his glass. "She doesn't look very friendly to me. When you say you're intrigued, that means you think she's hiding something?"

  "Maybe."

  "The last one that was hiding something got you tossed in the brig for aiding a deserter."

  Chervaz scowled. "Well that's not going to happen now is it?"

  "Maybe not, but knowing your record, this one will have a new and exciting way to screw you over."

  Chervaz sighed, shaking his head. "Why do you have to assume the worst about everyone?"

  "Because you assume the best about everyone. Someone's gotta balance you out."

  Chapter 5

  Maiga dozed in the cockpit. They'd left Hollow Jimmy almost a day ago. She'd caught some sleep earlier, even woken from a dream she couldn't quite recall, but that left her feeling good, relaxed, warm. Now Wixa was back in the sleeping quarters, leaving Maiga time to think, to, actually… not brood this time. Just to relax and drift and…

  An alarm on the control panel shattered her contemplation and she snapped to full alert. Sensors showed something big was coming at them, fast.

  "Identify," she snapped at the computer.

  "Muaan Qacia." The computer come back with, started reeling off the vessel's class. Specs scrolled by on the panel. Maiga slapped the intercom.

  "Wixa, get out here, now. We've got lizards."

  Ten seconds later, Wixa ran into the cockpit and slid into the co-pilot's chair.

  "Military?" she asked.

  "Yes. Patrol ship. He's strayed out of his jurisdiction though. They just pulled us to sub-light with their tractor beam."

  "Cheeky sods." Wixa started tapping on the panel. "We'll see about that."

  "What are you doing?"

  "Wait and see. Damn lizards. What's their beef anyway?"

  "We're about to find out. They're hailing."

  An image popped up in a panel, a Muaan Qacia, an especially big one, his purple scales iridescent in the soft green light they favoured on their ships.

  "Why have you stopped us?" Maiga demanded before he spoke. "You have no right."

  "Quiet, human," the Qacian ordered. "We have scanned your cargo. You are carrying contraband."

  "We are not carrying anything illegal," Maiga said.

  "We will decide that," he hissed. "Shut down your engines, we are bringing you into our landing bay."

  "You have no authority in this sector," Maiga replied. She kept her eyes on him, resisting the temptation to glance at Wixa, who was still tapping at the panel. "This is neutral space."

  "Scan my weapons, woman. There you will find my authority."

  Maiga scowled and cut the connection for a moment.

  "We could just do as he says," Wixa said, still working. "He's just showing off. Probably won't hurt us."

  "We have an appointment to keep. He'll decide to inspect every millimetre of the ship. And then he'll probably confiscate the cargo and the ship. Anyway…" Maiga set her jaw firm. "He doesn't have the authority."

  Posturing. Showing off, as Wixa said. Trying to make life difficult for a couple of hapless humans, for no other reason than he could. Not like the old days, when if you picked on one human, you made an enemy of them all. A fierce, unrelenting enemy. Well she wasn't bowing her head to it. She wasn't going to let them win another of these small battles. Grinding us down.

  "Then get ready," Wixa said, "When I give you the signal, engage the star drive. Maximum speed."

  Maiga stared at her, saw her grin and smiled back. Wixa wouldn't bow to it either. They couldn't fight the lizards. They couldn't even outrun them in a straight race. But Maiga could see the older woman had something else up her sleeve.

  "Open the comms channel again," Wixa said. "Tell the scaly bastards to sling their hooks."

  Maiga opened the channel. "Qacian ship. You have no authority to stop us and I refuse to cooperate with your illegal search. I demand you release us immediately."

  "Or that works too," Wixa muttered. Maiga shrugged. That was military training. Why use one word when five would do?

  "Then we will--" His voice cut off in a buzz of static.

  "Now!" Wixa said. But her order was barely needed, Maiga reacting already as the Friss shivered and then slipped out of the Qacian's grip. It leapt away, in a burst of speed. The distance opened up fast between them. They needed to get out of his sensor range, to prevent pursuit.

  After a moment, with no sign of the Muaan Qacia ship on their sensors, Maiga turned to Wixa, who sat there looking smug.

  "Okay, I'll bite," Maiga said. "What did you do?"

  "Oh, just an old trick I picked up somewhere," Wixa said, inspecting her fingernails in an elaborately casual manner. "Sent a scrambling signal that disrupted their tractor beam and screwed up their comms and even navigation systems. Only works for a couple of seconds, but if you're quick off the mark, that's all you need."

  "And we're quick."

  "We are that." She held out her hand, palm up and Maiga smiled and slapped it. "We don't have to outgun or outrun what we can outwit. See the trick is," she went on, while Maiga plotted a new course to their destination. "To carry the signal as a burst in the deflector shields. Put it on the comms and they'll detect and block it. But, nobody thinks of the deflectors as a threat on a little toy like this. They think they're there to keep the paintwork from getting scratched."

  Maiga had the course laid in, and started setting up the sensors to scan to the limits of their range, in case their lizard friends caught up.

  "It's a nice trick, Wixa."

  "I've got a million of ‘em. Okay, well, I'll leave you be again."

  "Stay," Maiga said, "I mean, if you weren't sleeping."

  "No, just reading. You sure? I'm not disturbing you?"

  "It's fine." Maiga actually felt sociable for a change. Adrenaline rush from that little encounter, she supposed. "Tell
me some more of your tricks. Tell me all of them."

  Wixa chuckled. "Oh, honey, we don't have that kind of time."

  ~o~

  They arrived at the space station Lohitan, the next day. It orbited a colony world that the Chiamajan and the Kitsnujitar had once fought over. The planet had established independence a couple of decades ago, but now the two races had started to argue over it again.

  "Imagine that," Wixa said, as she checked the networks for the latest news when they arrived. "Military build-up all around this area, by the Kits and the Chias. Seems their alliance didn't last too long."

  "And it seems they are quite capable of starting a war without us interfering." Maiga closed down the ship's systems. "Better lock everything up good and tight." Like Hollow Jimmy, this station housed many different species. Unlike Hollow Jimmy--where the money you had in your pocket counted for more than the quantity of your limbs or whether you were furry, scaly or naked--those species seemed to live in a constant state of near warfare.

  "Agreed," Wixa said, "Let's do the trades and haul ass out of here fast."

  After delivering their boxes of decorative feathers to the customer, they went and bought up a variety of goods to take back to Hollow Jimmy. Wixa again did most of the negotiation, while Maiga covered security. That felt like a more serious job than on that human supply base. Various people, humans and aliens, looked at the two women, deciding what crimes they could commit against them Maiga felt sure, and she kept the rifle prominent. There was no look of understanding between her and anyone else's security, no comradely glances that said ‘you behave and we'll behave, nobody wants any trouble'. This time the looks said ‘I'm watching you, pal'.

  Pleased with the prices they'd paid, Wixa did suggest they stopped off for at least one drink, as they passed a shabby, but not too rough looking, bar.

  "Gotta pick up some gossip for your newspaper man," Wixa said, as she bought their drinks.

  "My newspaper man?" Maiga frowned, following Wixa to the table. "Since when is he my newspaper man?"

  "Any time you like," Wixa said, grinning. They sat and Wixa pushed her a drink, and a bowl of small round things, with dark purple skin.

  "What are these?" Maiga asked, giving them a suspicious look.

  "They're fruit. Very tasty. And good for your skin, nails and hair, I'm told. Or was it scales, claws and fur? Oh well, same thing."

  Maiga took out her knife and speared one of the fruits. Some red juice squirted out of it.

  "You don't actually need to slay them first." Wixa picked one up and bit it. "Mmm, we should figure out a way to get a supply of these back to Hollow Jimmy, they'd go down like a bomb."

  Maiga took a delicate bite of the fruit. The flesh inside was soft and dense, almost buttery, like a mango. Mangos. Were there any of those left in the galaxy? Ilyan had told her the best way to eat a mango was in the shower, since by the time you'd got through that tough skin and eaten the thing you needed a shower anyway.

  She sighed, imagining a shower, the play of hot water over her skin, and over his, his long hair soaked. She saw that look in his eyes, of urgency and desire, so different from the cool and half-amused expression he usually wore. His hands…

  "Well, I'll be damned."

  Maiga broke out of her memories to see Wixa staring at the door. A group of humans had just come in. Starship officers, Maiga saw at once, their uniforms intact. They had a couple of big marines with them. Security, Maiga guessed.

  A woman led the group. Younger than Maiga, about thirty, with long blonde hair tied back and wearing a full-length leather coat over her uniform. She strode to a table and sat, while the marines took up position behind her. One of the other officers, a young man with black hair growing out past regulation length, went to the bar.

  "You know who that is?" Wixa bent close to Maiga across the table. "It's her! It's Bara." Now her voice became a whisper. "The pirate."

  Pirate? Maiga looked at the table of officers again. All quite respectable looking for pirates, in their neat uniforms. Some people were having a hard time letting the old ways go, Maiga knew and wondered if this crew were among them. Bara, if it was her, turned suddenly, catching Maiga's gaze. Maiga saw Wixa stiffen, but Bara only smiled and nodded her head in acknowledgment. Maiga did the same, then turned back to the table and knifed another fruit.

  "Well, at least we have something to tell Chervaz," Wixa said.

  Maiga shrugged. Big deal.

  "Maybe we'll get a look at her ship on our way out," Wixa went on. "I'm told it's a beauty."

  Maiga shrugged again and ate her fruit.

  "Looks young for a captain," Maiga said after a while, making Wixa turn away from watching the "pirates". They were quiet, compared to some of the other groups in the room.

  "Yes, she… She's coming over."

  "What?" Maiga looked up, to see Bara had indeed left her table and was walking over to theirs. The two marines followed her.

  "Hello," Bara said, standing with a hand on the back of a chair. "May I join you for a moment?"

  Maiga nodded and Wixa stared.

  "Captain Bara." She shook hands with each of them as she took a seat.

  "Wixa." Wixa gestured at Maiga. "That's Maiga."

  "I'm always glad to run into other humans," Bara said. "Can I offer you a drink?" She gestured to one of her guards, rested a hand on his arm and gave him a smile. "Would you fetch us all another of what these ladies are having? Thank you." She turned back to the table. "I really just wanted to check if you need any assistance at all? Transport? Medical assistance?"

  "We're fine," Maiga said. "We're traders out of Olojimi."

  "Ah, good old Hollow Jimmy," Bara said. "I don't think I've been there since I was an ensign. I remember…" She stopped and laughed. "Well, very little between getting off the ship and waking up again back in my bunk. But I think I had a good time."

  Wixa grinned. "If you can't have a good time on Hollow Jimmy then you need to check if you were actually KIA and the paperwork just didn't catch up to you yet."

  Bara laughed, but turned away from Wixa again quickly. Her bodyguard stiffened as Maiga speared another fruit with her knife.

  "You're a marine," Bara said, nodding at the knife. Standard issue.

  Maiga shrugged. "I have a Marine Corps knife, let's not assume things."

  "What rank?" Bara went on.

  "I don't have a rank any more. None of us have."

  Bara frowned at that, but then smiled again, as the other bodyguard came back and put down three glasses. "Thank you." She gestured at the two marines and spoke to Maiga. "I have a company of marines on my ship, but sadly all their officers were killed in the war. I'm on the lookout for a replacement commander for them."

  "Good luck with that," Maiga said. She glanced across to see Bara's officers watching them. The long haired one sat talking with a black man only a little older than him, and no older than Bara. All so young for senior staff. Interesting. Those two kept glancing in the direction of their commander.

  "So, I've heard Hollow Jimmy is getting pretty crowded these days," Bara said.

  "Oh it will take a while before they run out of space," Wixa said, "Even if we run out of accommodation in the human sector there are old areas of the station the management could open up again."

  "Human sector?" Bara leant forward. Her leather coat creaked as the lights flickering over it gave it a slight violet shimmer. "Is the station segregated then? Into different species?"

  Wixa shook her head. "Not exactly. People do tend to clump together of course, with their own kind. But you know, that's mostly down to time. Cycles of time, I should say. We've got our twenty four hour day, but others have different day lengths, sleep at different times."

  "I see," Bara looked fascinated. "I never thought of that."

  "Makes it a real pain trying to arrange meetings," Wixa said. "And parties, forget about it! Somebody's going to be pulling an all-nighter whenever you choose."

  "How do yo
u keep it all straight?"

  "Oh the station network has a big calendar where you can look at the cycles of all the major species living on the station side by side."

  "So you can arrange your parties," Bara said smiling.

  "Exactly." Wixa laughed. "At least, that's what I use it for."

  Bara glanced at Maiga again, who just ate her fruit from the knife.

  "So, you're traders," Bara said, to Maiga. "Just the two of you alone? Isn't that rather dangerous?"

  "Tell me about it," Wixa said, with a grimace. "We had trouble on the way here, from the scalies. Just throwing their weight around."

  "We have a good ship," Maiga said. "Fast enough to get us out of most trouble."

  "I'm glad to hear it." Bara drained her glass and stood up. "Well, I must get back to my ship. Perhaps I'll get to Hollow Jimmy one day and we'll meet again."

  "We'll buy you a drink," Wixa said. "By the way, Captain." Bara turned back, as Wixa called. "I do like your coat. Is it real leather?"

  "It's lizard skin."

  Maiga grew cold. Wixa went on, her tone impressed.

  "That must have taken a lot of lizards."

  Bara smiled at her.

  "No. Just the one."

  Chapter 6

  "Well, will you look at that." Wixa almost whispered the words as the Friss left the landing bay, half an hour later. Maiga did look at that. At the Trebuchet, Bara's ship, holding position just off the station.

  The ship was impressive, to be sure. It was classed as an escort vessel, once a defender of the convoys of the huge vessels that transported soldiers and equipment. The clean, sleek lines gave it a predatory, hawkish look. Fast, highly manoeuvrable and well armed.

  Of course, the Trebuchet had lost its guns, ripped out by the Chiamajan. The hawk had surrendered its talons as an alternative to destruction. But since then, it had found new ones. Somehow, they had done the same thing back to a Chia ship, and now the alien weapons disrupted the clean lines of the Trebuchet, giving it a jury rigged look.

  "How the hell do they get them to work?" Wixa wondered. "The Chia control systems are totally incompatible with ours. She must have damn good engineers working for her."

  Maiga didn't answer, just shrugged. That was hardly the point. How had the unarmed ship managed to get hold of the Chia guns in the first place? Battle wreckage maybe? Hawks might be hunters, but they'd scavenge too. Not that this particular hawk would admit that, Maiga guessed.