by M. D. Cooper
“Some will. If we have the Blackadder at our backs, we’ll win. We’ll have this system in a matter of weeks. The other…what are they called…cantons?…will fall in line.”
“You talk like you’ve done this before,” Juasa said. “Have you done this before?”
Katrina laughed as she rose and walked over to Jeavons, signaling him to prepare coffee. “No, not even close. But there’s a first time for everything, right?”
Jeavons prepared several cups of strong black brew, one of which Katrina directed Malorie to drink after waking the woman. The former lady of the castle’s expression was dark, but she didn’t speak as she downed her beverage.
“I guess you two had better change,” Katrina said. “I bet her highness here wouldn’t be caught dead wearing the same thing two days in a row. Not that I care, but we do need some element of subterfuge.”
Juasa laughed as she looked Malorie up and down. “Let me pick her outfit, I think I saw just the thing in her back room.”
“All you,” Katrina said, passing Juasa the tokens to control the autodresser.
“In you go, Mal,” Juasa said with a smirk.
Katrina didn’t check on what Juasa was putting Malorie in, but instead walked to one of the tall windows and looked out over the low rolling hills surrounding the castle. Sithri fields separated by rows of trees stretched as far as she could see, and workers were already filtering out to their fields.
It was strange to see it from this angle. From up here you could almost think that the workers were free men and women, all headed out for their daily labor and reward.
Katrina knew differently. The reality on the ground—as per usual—was different than it appeared from above.
A minute later, her quiet reverie was broken by Malorie’s voice.
“Ju! You cannot be serious.”
Katrina turned and glared at Malorie, causing the woman’s mouth to snap shut.
“Shit…” Katrina muttered. “Looks like Juasa’s selection is enough punishment for your vocal indiscretion.”
Malorie was in a long white dress that was exceedingly tight. Though it was slit at the knee, her thighs were welded together. On top of that, the sleeves were attached to the torso down to the elbow. A high collar that came up under her chin and fanned out behind her head restricted Malorie’s range of motion even further.
Juasa gave a soft laugh. “It’s your dress. If you don’t like it, why do you own it?”
“Jace got it as a joke,” Malorie replied sullenly.
“He’s got a better sense of humor than I’d thought,” Katrina said. “Can you even walk in that thing? Show us.”
Malorie flushed and took small waddling steps across the room.”
“Stars, it’s going to take forever to get to the shuttle,” Katrina said, stifling a laugh.
Juasa had a hand over her mouth. “Stars, Mal, your ass looks like two cats fighting in a sack when you do that.”
Malorie’s shoulders rose and her expression darkened.
“Get back in there,” Katrina said. “We’ll raise the slit so we don’t all have to waddle along with you.”
Juasa snorted and then doubled over with laughter as Malorie wiggled her way back into the autodresser.
“Oh, stars,” she wheezed. “That makes up for not sleeping all night. “Can we make it have no slit instead? We could strap her to a pole, and then Stu and Korin could carry her.”
Katrina chuckled. “Tempting, but no. As much as I want to humiliate her, we need Malorie to look like the haughty bitch everyone has come to know and hate. You can let out your bondage fetishes on her later.”
Juasa grinned. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“I’ve had sex with you, I know what you’re into,” Katrina said with a wink, and Juasa just grinned all the more.
A minute later, the autodresser’s door slid open, and this time Malorie was able to walk properly.
Katrina chuckled.
“We ready then?” Juasa asked.
“You normally wear the same thing two days in a row, Ju?” Katrina asked.
Juasa looked down at herself, still wearing the blue sleeveless shipsuit. “Shit, I totally forgot.”
She stepped into the autodresser, and a minute later walked out wearing a black skinsuit and low boots. A dark grey jacket hung from her shoulders, coming down to mid-thigh.
“The yin to my yang,” Katrina said with a smile.
“Just happy to not be naked or shimmering,” Juasa said. “This is more my style.”
Katrina took Juasa’s hand and walked to the door. She opened it to see Stu and Korin standing on either side of the hall.
“You ladies finally ready?” Korin asked.
“We had to suitably attire her majesty,” Juasa replied.
“Coulda just put her in a sack,” Stu said with a grin.
Katrina scowled at the men.
Katrina gestured for Malorie to lead the way to the lift with Juasa and herself behind, bracketed by the guards.
It was early in the morning, and few servants were about. Katrina suspected that most took routes that avoided passing by Malorie’s quarters.
The ride down the lift was uneventful, but when they reached the ground floor, the lift opened to reveal an agitated looking man wearing a field overseer’s uniform.
“My Lady!” he exclaimed. “I’d been trying to reach you.”
“I was taking a night to myself…well, mostly myself,” Malorie said.
The overseer looked at the guards and two women and nodded slowly. “Uh…OK. We’re not too sure what to do with Liam gone. Should I take Verisa here out to the fields?”
Malorie shook her head. “No, she’s coming with me. With Liam gone, you’re in charge of the fields now, Garret. Are you capable of that, or…?”
“Of course, yes I am.” The words spilled out of Garret’s mouth in a rush.
“Good, now get out of my way,” Malorie said as she walked past the man.
Garret frowned, but as far as Katrina could tell, there was nothing unusual about Malorie’s behavior.
Katrina nodded. That would be nice indeed.
The rest of the trip to the waiting shuttle was uneventful, and ten minutes later, they were lifting off from the cradle.
Katrina sat in a seat facing Malorie, and she could see that the woman was fuming as she stared out the window at the shrinking castle below.
“What’s on your mind?” Katrina asked.
“Oh, do I have permission to speak?” Malorie retorted.
Katrina gave a rueful laugh. “Sure is unpleasant to have the shoe on the other foot, isn’t it?”
Malorie clenched her jaw and resumed looking out the window.
“You think it’s the last time you’ll see Revenence?” Juasa asked from her place next to Katrina.
Malorie looked back at the two women. “I don’t know, is it?”
Katrina shrugged. “Maybe. Maybe not. I hear the fields are down a few workers.”
as a change of heart—once we take the collar off her, that is. She’s good at what she does.>
Katrina wasn’t sure what Juasa was getting at. It sounded like she was advocating putting Malorie back in charge of Revenence Castle and the sithri operation.
Juasa shrugged.
Juasa sighed.
Katrina had known that all along. She had not, however, expected Juasa to be on board with the idea so quickly. Which was why she suspected some sort of strange attachment to Malorie.
It only cemented her belief that Jace’s wife would have to die at the earliest possible time. If Juasa harbored feelings for her—even ones she couldn’t consciously acknowledge—enough time could see Malorie turning Juasa against her.
Juasa sent an affirmative feeling.
Katrina snorted.
Juasa cast Katrina an incredulous look.
Katrina gave a soft, audible laugh.
Juasa looked worried, and Katrina squeezed her hand.
Juasa squeezed her hand back, interrupting Katrina.
Katrina looked out the window as the shuttle lifted past the lower orbitals, and she caught sight of Farsa Station’s massive disk slowly spinning around the planet. They rose past its altitude and moved into the orbital band filled with smaller stations, salvage operations, and manufacturing facilities.
The data Katrina had taken from Revenence Castle allowed her to connect each station with its owners, and she saw that Blackadder controlled just over ten percent of the stations in orbit of Persia.
It wasn’t news to her, but it was something else to see all the activity up here. The Midditerra System was nothing more than a giant chop shop, drifting amongst the stars.
She caught sight of Rockhall Station—an aptly named, hollowed-out asteroid. Large doors were on one end, and several ships were docked at a berthing ring that wrapped around the center of the oblong station.
Katrina brought up its specs and saw that Rockhall was fifteen kilometers long, and three in circumference; just a touch larger than the Intrepid’s habitation cylinders.
Rockhall didn’t spin, though. It didn’t need to, with artificial gravity. She also suspected that stripping ships in zero-g was much easier than doing it with centrifugal force in play.
Of the twelve ships currently at Rockhall, the seven docked at external berths were listed in the Revenence databases as corsairs. They looked like bulky freighters and could probably take on some cargo, but the fuel capacity listed told her that they were primarily used as long haul pursuit vessels. The corsairs also sported more reactors than a ship their size needed, and an impressive armament.
“On final approach,” the shuttle pilot called back into the cabin. “I have an internal berth, as requested. We’ll be at the shuttle lock in fifteen minutes.”
“Good,” Malorie growled.
Katrina was interested in the ships they’d see within. The databank at Revenence only listed them as corvettes with some base specs, which led Katrina to believe that the ships would be all engine and guns. Those were the ones she wanted to evaluate for the inevitable battles to come.
What I wouldn’t give to have Troy’s help. He could take control of those ships in a heartbeat, and I wouldn’t need to cajole their captains into working for me.
That thought led Katrina to one she hadn’t considered before: Sam.
The shuttle closed within five kilometers of Rockhall Station, and its network Linked with the station’s external comm network. Katrina connected to it and crossed over into Rockhall’s general network. Once inside, she examined the subnets and information hierarchy.
Like Revenence Castle, it was less than optimal. Everything was cobbled together in a barely-functional mess. However, it was more secure than the castle’s network, and it didn’t take Katrina long to figure out why.
There was an AI running Rockhall.
It seemed to be restricted to managing basic station function, but Katrina wasn’t certain she could take out an AI on a network that it was more familiar with. Controlling doors in the castle was one thing, but this level of cyber-warfare was beyond her.
It cemented the need to liberate Sam before she tipped her hand to anyone on Rockhall.
As the shuttle approached the airlock and slowed to a crawl, Katrina saw Malorie look down at Persia and sigh.
Malorie gave her a sharp look.
Malorie gave a mental laugh.
Malorie’s eyes widened.
Malorie nodded slowly as the shuttle passed into the airlock and drifted slowly to starboard in the forty-meter space.
Katrina shook her head.
Malorie paled.
Malorie didn’t reply, and Katrina let the issue alone. A minute later, the inner door on the airlock opened, and the shuttle moved into the pressurized interior of the asteroid.
“Wow, didn’t think I’d get all emotional to see the Havermere again,” Juasa said aloud as the repair and refit ship came into view.
The kilometer-long vessel was the largest inside Rockhall, but it was not the only one. The corvettes, clearly light attack craft, were also in evidence. There were five of them in total. Katrina could also make out the hulls of other ships further back. Some appeared to be stripped down, while others appeared to still be functional.
Malorie snorted. “I wonder if Lara will really come to inspect that thing.”
“What?” Katrina asked, turning her head sharply to meet Malorie’s eyes.
“Oh, Lara knows that we’re hunting a Streamer ship. I fed her a line that you escaped and got back to your ship. She suspects that we’re harboring something on the Havermere, or maybe wonders if it really is the Streamer ship.”
“And?” Katrina asked.
“She said that she would send an inspection team to see if she wants to take her right of first refusal on the ship,” Juasa said. “I got the impression she might join them.”
“Dammit!” Katrina exclaimed. “This would have been great to know sooner.”