by Rachel Aukes
Birk took the jug from her. “That’s because we haven’t had anything in a while.” He took a drink and winced as badly as he had the first time. He handed the jug to Nolin and leaned closer to Throttle. “Sylvian and Finn’s wedding, that was nice.”
“It was,” Throttle said.
He leaned closer to whisper in her ear, “I think we should do that sometime.”
Throttle smiled. “Sometime.”
Aubree got to her feet.
“You can’t leave until the jug’s gone,” Birk said.
Aubree held up her hands. “One round was more than enough for me.” She turned to Throttle. “May I have a word with you?”
“Sure.” Throttle wheeled her chair alongside Aubree as she strolled from the gazebo.
“It’s weird getting used to never having night or day around here,” Aubree said.
“Yeah. Can’t say I’m used to it yet,” Throttle said.
Aubree stopped walking and breathed deeply. “With Sylvian and Finn’s wedding, it feels like a good day for new beginnings. So I wanted to clear the slate. I lied to you when I first met you, and I don’t want any lies between us.”
Throttle watched her.
Aubree shrugged. “I’m not a doctor. I told you I was so I could join the crew, but the truth is, I was just a medical assistant who just finished an internship before applying for the crew.”
Throttle smirked. “I know.”
Aubree’s face blanched. “You knew?”
“Remember our first week into the flight when I crunched my knuckle between my wheelchair and the wall?”
“I do. It was the first time I ever did stitches,” Aubree said.
“You were horrible at doing stitches. I still have the jagged scars to prove it. But it was the way you looked at your equipment—I could tell you were trying to figure out what was what. I knew there was no way you could’ve been a doctor.”
“Why didn’t you say something?”
“Because I thought you would tell me when you felt the time was right,” Throttle said.
Aubree was silent for a long moment. “Thanks for not giving up on me.”
“Aubree, I’ll never give up on you. You’re one of mine.”
The medic hugged Throttle. “I’ll see you tom—”
An explosion rocked the ground that nearly shook Aubree off her feet and Throttle out of her chair. Throttle spun around to find the gazebo in flames.
“No!” she screamed and raced toward the blaze.
Aubree grabbed Throttle’s wheelchair and clasped her shoulders. “Stop. It’s too hot. You can’t do anything. It’s too late.”
“No,” Throttle said, her voice breaking. She searched around the gazebo to see if anyone had gotten clear but saw no shapes. She peered within the flames but couldn’t make out anything. Her eyes watered. Her ears rang. Her face stung.
Birk.
Nolin.
Garrett.
All gone in an instant.
Her body shook.
Throttle sobbed.
It didn’t make sense. What happened? Even if the booze caught on fire, it wouldn’t have exploded like that.
Bomb.
It was a bomb. The gazebo was a simple platform with a top. Someone had to have planted the bomb under the platform. She remembered the carpenters. She remembered why the second carpenter looked familiar.
Hinze. The ghost. But he didn’t have the resources to sneak into Canaan and plant a bomb all by himself.
Her shivering became steely ice.
She wiped her tears.
She stared at the fire that’d consumed the love of her life along with two of her closest friends, vowing vengeance on the ghost and on the woman who’d sent him.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Throttle was sitting on the same hill, overlooking the town, when Chief Cormac Roux’s bootsteps crunched on rocks behind her. She glanced over her shoulder. “I wondered when I’d see you again.”
“I heard what happened. I’m sorry for your loss,” he said as he came to a stop at her side to gaze over the colony.
“It was Anna East. She used a pawn, but it was the queen who did it,” Throttle said.
The chief gave a simple nod. “She always had a mean streak and is known to bear a grudge. She loved her brother, so I imagine she holds the biggest grudge of all towards you.”
“His death was an accident, but I don’t regret it.”
“Nor should you. He’d hurt plenty of good people in his own right.” His chin lifted as he looked to the sky. “Do you know why Jade-8 split under Jakob and Anna in the first place?”
Throttle shrugged. “Jakob said she was power hungry.”
A crooked smile formed briefly on the chief’s face. “That’s a far oversimplification. No, Jade-8 was left to the pair to lead together, and everything went okay for the first couple of years. But Anna loved her brother too much. One night, she climbed into his bed. The next day, she was sent to live on the other side of Jade-8, and Anna East as we know her was created.”
She looked up at the chief. “Will you arrest me when I kill her?”
“I can’t turn a blind eye to someone breaking the law.” He turned his gaze on her. “You could go after her on your own and become a vigilante. An outlaw. Or you could go after her with a badge, resources, and the law on your side.”
She smirked. “I doubt it’s as simple as that.”
“It’s not. Any marshal on my team takes the cases I give them and has to abide by the law, but you’ll also find that the laws grant flexibility in the outer star systems like this one. Even though the laws are flexible, you can’t go on a murder spree for vengeance. We’ve been building a case against the West family for some time, and it’ll take some more time, but we’ll take Anna down legally. You could be a part of that team.”
She narrowed her eyes. “If I join your cause, I can go after Anna East?”
He nodded. “Yes, but only legally. As a marshal, you’d have plenty of other assignments to handle as well. All Peacekeepers manage full workloads.”
“And my crew?” She winced and swallowed. What’s left of them.
“The Peacekeepers are always short-staffed. Everyone who passes Peacekeeper training will find many opportunities waiting for them, from software specialists to hardware specialists, and yes, marshals not afraid to face danger. The vast majority of Peacekeepers are specialists. Regardless of job title, all recruits, including yourself, go through extensive training, though marshals go through an entirely additional training program. My Peacekeepers are the best in the galaxy because they train harder and longer than any other division.”
“And my disability won’t put me at a desk job?”
“No. You’ve likely had to work harder than others to accomplish the same things in life. The Galactic Peacekeepers is a merit-based system. You’ll get out of it what you put into it. You won’t be behind a desk unless that’s where you want to be.”
“It’s not where I want to be.”
“I know. During training, recruits select their specialty. I already have a feeling you’ll go the marshal’s route.”
She took a deep breath. “I’ll think about it, and I’ll mention it to my friends.”
He handed her a memory card. “If you decide to come, here’s your access code to dock at Free Station—that’s the Peacekeeper headquarters for the Ross system, and it’s right up there, in Hiraeth’s orbit. Come when you’re ready. Take your time to grieve.”
He departed, and she stared out at the colony. Buildings were replacing tents. The crops were shoulder high in the fields. A bridge over the river was nearly finished. The colony was moving forward.
Throttle wasn’t.
What had initially brought her hope now only brought forth painful memories. She rolled down the hill for the last time. It didn’t take her long to pack her things. What took longer was staring helplessly down at Birk’s bag, not knowing what to do with it. The tears came back; even thoug
h it’d been over a month, the tears would come every few days.
“Hello?”
Throttle hastily wiped the tears away and turned to see Aubree enter.
Aubree glanced at the floor, blinking hard, before returning to meet Throttle’s gaze. “It’s still hard, I know. Every day, I feel like I’m missing a part of me. I know it’s worse for you since you and Birk were so close.” She added quietly, “I miss them.”
Throttle nodded, as she had no words that wouldn’t crumple her façade. “What’s up?”
She pulled an otoscope out of her bag. “House check. I wanted to see how your ears are healing.”
Throttle motioned Aubree closer and tilted her head.
“Are you having any symptoms?” Aubree asked while she looked into one ear, then the other, before taking a step back.
Throttle shrugged. “A little pain here and there. I still get the ear ringing and the pounding, especially when I lie down.”
“They’re healing, but you still have a ways to go. There are a couple of small perforations that are healing slower than I’d like, but the cold winds here don’t help with that.” Aubree noticed the bags on the cot and turned to face Throttle. “Where are you going?”
“I’m joining the Peacekeepers. There’s room for you to join, too.”
Aubree motioned widely. “Thank you, but this is where I belong. They need me, and I can make a real difference. For the first time in my life, I have a home. I hope that you will find yours someday.”
Throttle gave a small smile. “If you ever change your mind, I’d love to work alongside you again. You know that.”
“I know that. Thank you.” She sobered. “I hope you’re joining for the right reasons.”
Throttle’s lips thinned. “Whether I join up or not, I will go after Anna East. Might as well do it wearing a badge.”
Aubree’s expression grew sad. “Be careful out there, Throttle. Vengeance will eat away the good in you. You go too far down that path, and you’ll lose who you are.”
“Take good care of these Canaanites,” Throttle said, forcing a subject change. She and Aubree had always had different views on the world. Aubree, the pacifist, believed in trying to save anyone regardless of what they’d done. Throttle believed that some folks simply needed to die.
The medic gave a weak smile. “I will. Take care of yourself and don’t be a stranger. You’d better stop by for visits.”
“I will.”
They embraced and Aubree left. Throttle grabbed both bags off the bed and left the tent that she and Birk had shared. Sylvian and Finn’s tent was next to hers, and she called out, “Hey, Sylvian? Finn? You around?” When there was no answer, she rolled her wheelchair several blocks to the building they’d been helping to build, and found the newlyweds pounding nails into two-by-fours. When they saw her, they walked over.
“I’ve decided to join up with the Peacekeepers,” Throttle blurted out. “Sounds like they have openings for every kind of skill in case either of you are interested. I’d be lying if I told you I wouldn’t want you with me.”
The couple looked at each other before Sylvian spoke. “Chief Roux already spoke with us.”
Throttle gave a wry smile. “I figured he probably had.”
“The marshal gig piqued my curiosity,” Finn said.
“Chief Roux mentioned that he needs software specialists more than anything,” Sylvian said. “When do you plan to head out?”
“Tomorrow morning, though I’m heading to the Javelin now to start prepping for departure,” Throttle said.
“So soon?” Sylvian asked.
“Are you going after Anna East?” Finn asked.
Throttle looked at him straight on. “Damn straight I am.”
His lips thinned. “We’ll have an answer to you by morning.”
Throttle bowed her head and then went down the main road that led out of town.
“Leaving without saying goodbye?”
She turned around to see Mutt headed her way, with Axe two steps behind.
She gave a half-smile. “I’m off to Free Station.”
“I figured that’d happen one of these days.” He smirked. “Can’t say having connections with a Peacekeeper isn’t going to come in handy. Keep in touch, will you?”
They shook hands. “I will. I’ll stop by when I can.” She waved to Axe, who gave her a simple, single wave.
The Javelin sat on a flat area of rock a couple of kilometers out of the colony. The orange glow of the star gave the ship a warm glimmer. She rolled up the ramp and through the airlocks.
“Welcome back, Captain.”
“Thanks, Rusty.” She took a deep breath as she gazed at the sign in the hallway. Fortune favors the bold. “It’s good to be back. You ready to start working again?”
“I’m looking forward to it. Eddy and I have been modifying my hardware. He has many ideas. Some are rather odd. He’s also been helping me with my linguistics, and I have been learning about music.”
“Oh yeah? And what have you been listening to?”
“A wide variety. My favorite is the genre labeled classical music.”
“I could see that,” Throttle said. “Where’s Eddy now?”
“He’s in the galley. He’s installing a coolant system to preserve open food packets.”
“A fridge,” she said and went to the galley. There, she found Eddy on his back, lying under the counter. Several exposed wires were poking out from the open space.
“Hey, Eddy,” Throttle said.
“Hey,” he said without looking up.
“I’m joining up with the Peacekeepers. Heading up to Free Station tomorrow. You want to join up, too?”
“Yeah. Sure. Now, can you come back later? I’m in the middle of something here.”
She smiled and left Eddy to his project.
Her smile fell as soon as she left the galley and headed to her bunk. She was glad only Eddy was on board, so no one saw her tears as she cleared out Birk’s things to make way for the new path in her life.
She woke in the morning feeling the most rested she had in a month. She stretched, slid into her wheelchair, and got ready for the trip. As she rolled out of her room to head to the bridge, she met Finn and Sylvian walking through the airlock, each carrying their bags.
“We want to come, too,” Sylvian said.
Throttle smiled. Her spirit lightened. “It’s good to have you. Both of you.”
“Welcome aboard, Sylvian and Finn. I’ve missed you,” Rusty said.
Sylvian grinned. “Hi, Rusty.” She turned to Finn and chuckled. “I’ve missed him.” She cocked her head. “I mean, I’ve missed it. I’ve been around people so much lately that I’ve forgotten how to talk to a computer.”
Rusty spoke. “It’s all right, Sylvian. I don’t mind the usage of a masculine pronoun. In fact, I find that I prefer it.”
Throttle grunted. “Okay. Our computer’s a ‘he.’ Who knew?” With that, she headed to the bridge and began running through the preflight checks.
Once all the system checks completed, Throttle buckled in. She threw a glance at Sylvian, who returned a smile, and everything felt right. Throttle knew she’d never fully recover from the wound left in her heart when Birk, Nolin, and Garrett were murdered, but she knew that she’d move forward and, eventually, the pain might be a little less—or maybe she’d just become more numb to the ache. Either way, as long as she made herself move forward, she knew she’d be doing what Birk would’ve wanted her to do.
She’d help her crew—what remained of it, anyway—to move forward as well. They needed one another. They were in a system where no one wanted them, but there was no way to go back to the Trappist system, even if they’d wanted to…and Throttle didn’t want to. They were joining a peacekeeping force, which would place them on the opposite side of the law than they’d been most of their lives. They didn’t fit in anywhere and with anyone, but that was no different than what Throttle had been her entire life as a paraplegi
c in a galaxy of people who could walk and run.
They were black sheep in every sense of the label. She smiled. It was far better to be a black sheep, living a life by her own design, than being one of an endless herd of sheep living monotonous lives that were already laid out for them from birth to grave.
She tapped the ship-wide intercom. “All right, Black Sheep. Get ready for takeoff. We’re about to start a new journey in our adventure.”
“If I may, I’d like to offer a correction to your statement, Throttle,” Rusty said.
“What’s that?”
“I believe the journey is the adventure.”
Epilogue
Anna East lay naked in bed, draped over Skully Pete, her on-again, off-again lover. With a contented sigh, she rolled off him. She propped herself up on an elbow to look at him and ran a hand through his cropped hair. He opened his sleep-filled eyes.
She smiled sensuously. “I never would’ve guessed how nicely you clean up.”
He grumbled, “It’s not me.”
“I like it. Keep it short.”
“No,” he said.
She pouted. He was one of the only people she’d ever met to tell her no, and it was the quality she liked most—and least—about the pirate captain. She ran her fingers across his chest. She liked how he stayed fit. Her fingers brushed over the scar line near his neck. She’d given him that that mark when he’d said no to her the first time. It’d been over something she no longer remembered. All that she remembered was that she’d tried to slice his throat and nearly succeeded, and they’d ended up making love, with his blood dripping onto her.
They were alike, she and Pete. They each had ambition. Though she didn’t care for the collection of skulls in his room—which was why he always came to her room—she cared very much for his dedication to her. He was the only person she trusted. She’d trusted Jakob, but now they’d never get the chance to reconcile.
She danced her fingers over his scar. He grabbed her hand and held it against his chest.