Galaxy's Way

by E. R. Paskey

  A brief pause, and then a suspicious, “Who’s asking?”

  “I’ll take that as a yes. Are Viktor Drayek and the Iliana there?”

  A longer pause. “Listen, lady, I’ll give ya one last shot. Who’s asking?”

  “Anna Drayek. Viktor’s sister. You’d better tell him.”

  Silence fell over the comm again, but this time, Anna thought it held a surprised quality. She glanced down at Colin with confidence. “They’ll let us in. There’s no way they haven’t heard the story by now.”

  He was looking up at her with raised eyebrows, faint amusement crinkling the corners of his eyes. “You come here often?”

  She lifted one shoulder in a shrug, suddenly aware of their proximity. She found herself wishing briefly it was her flesh-and-blood hand that was touching him; her prosthetic hand was not as good at registering the warmth of another human body.

  Berenger cleared his throat, but nobody paid him any attention.

  The comm crackled to life. “Anna? Anna, is that you?”

  At the sound of that dear, familiar deep voice, tears sprang to life in Anna’s eyes. She blinked furiously to keep them back, but was unable to help the giant smile that spread across her face. “Viktor! Yes, it’s me‌—‌I’m here.” She cleared her throat. “Tell Harvey to put that missile away and let us in.”

  “Missile lock is gone,” Deek announced five seconds later.

  “Oh, good,” Colin said softly.

  Viktor’s voice flooded the cockpit again. “Tell your captain to bring her in for a landing. Docking Berth 5.”

  “Thanks, Vik.”

  A pause. “You okay?”

  “I’m fine. Tell you all about it in a few.”

  “Roger that. Over and out.” The comm crackled and fell silent.

  “You might want to sit down, lass,” Colin advised.

  Nodding, too happy for words, Anna let go of him and fumbled for her own seat. She flopped into it, fierce joy flooding her body. He’s here. He’s actually here.

  Everything was going to be fine now, she just knew it.

  ~oOo~

  Anna could barely sit still long enough for Colin to dock the freighter. She drummed her fingers against the arms of her flight seat, filled with a sudden burst of restless energy that had nowhere else to go. As soon as she heard the familiar thump of the Galaxy’s Way’s magnetic clamps in the landing gear attaching to the docking berth, she launched herself out of her seat. She was out of the cockpit and halfway down the corridor by the time Colin finished docking.

  She didn’t care what it looked like; Vik was the only family she had.

  Just as she reached the hatch that would lead her to the docking tube that had extended from the side of the Galaxy’s Way to connect to the Polygon, a stray thought flew through her mind. What if this a trick too?

  Her footsteps slowed; she dropped the hand that had been outstretched to verify the integrity of the docking tube before she opened the hatch. That’s impossible, she told herself. Viktor is here. I spoke to him.

  The voice, which irritatingly enough sounded like Berenger, brought up another point. Don’t ignore protocol just because you’re excited to see your brother. What would Viktor do if he was docking on the Polygon?

  Anna blew out a breath and tipped her head back to glare up at the glowpanels in the overhead. Impatience thrummed in every nerve, but she forced herself to stand still. To wait. Given the Polygon’s usual clientele, it was smarter‌—‌and safer, in the long run‌—‌to verify a few things before one went about opening hatches.

  “Anna!” Colin’s voice bounced down the corridor toward her, seconds before he came barreling around the corner. “You — ”

  His words died in his throat as he caught sight of her slouched up against the bulkhead to one side of the hatch, her arms folded across her chest and one foot pressed flat against the metal bulkhead to support her. His blue eyes widened in something she could only describe as relief before he forced it away. “You didn’t open the hatch.”

  “Nope.” Anna uncrossed her arms, letting her foot drop to the deck. “You’re the captain, and this is your ship.” She offered him a wry smile. “Plus, I figure you’re better off if I take you in. Seeing as how you’ve never been here before.”

  “You might be right about that,” Colin conceded as he closed the remaining distance between them. His eyes never left hers. “I told Deek to stay with Bear in the cockpit‌—‌if anything goes wrong, he can get Tatiana and Mondego out of here.”

  “It won’t,” Anna said confidently, turning away and moving up to stand in front of the hatch, “but it’s a good idea.”

  “Anna … ”

  Colin’s fingers brushed her shoulder, drawing her attention. A fine jolt of electricity shot through her; she tried not to shiver. “Hmm?”

  His expression was serious, and even in the artificial light, his blue eyes looked deep enough to drown in. “Whatever happens next, wherever we go from here, I’m glad it was you Lobai threw in that lake and not somebody else.”

  Anna wanted to shrug it off, wanted to make a quip about how could he possibly know she’d be better company than a nameless, faceless other person, but his gaze held her fast. “I — ” She cleared her throat and tried again. “I’m glad it was you and not somebody else too.”

  For a second, she could have sworn his eyes dropped to her lips, and her heart sped up in anticipation, but then he was reaching past her to hit the hatch release. She barely had time for a startled, deflated exhale before the hatch slid aside to reveal the tube linking them to the Polygon.

  Colin started to pass through the docking tube ahead of her, but she blocked his way with an arm across his chest. “You’d better let me go first.”

  Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a muscle in his bearded jaw twitch, but he dipped his head. “Very well, lass. After you.”

  “Thank you.” Anna let her arm drop and started down the tube. Colin fell in step behind her, close enough that she could feel his presence. There would be no denying the fact that he was arriving with her. Her stomach fluttered, though whether it was from that particular notion or simply nerves, she couldn’t tell.

  Then the hatch at the other end of the docking tube was irising open, revealing warmer, not quite so sterile light ahead of them.

  Anna passed through the hatch and down the ramp with sure, purposeful movements. She’d learned a long time ago that to betray fear or uncertainty was a bad idea, but today, she didn’t even have to pretend. With Colin behind her and Viktor no doubt waiting for her in the off-loading area, she felt well nigh invincible.

  The Polygon’s off-loading area, such as it was, had not altered much in the time since her last visit. The metal walls were still rust-shaded gray, and a few of the glowpanels mounted in the overhead still needed to be replaced. The recycled air still bore a faint whiff of engine grease and stale sweat, but if it meant seeing her brother again, Anna would have endured far worse.

  A welcome committee had come to greet them, armed‌—‌naturally‌—‌to the teeth. Colin lengthened his pace a fraction, just enough to allow him to flank her even more efficiently. Anna recognized a few of the half-curious, half-suspicious faces peering at them, but her dark eyes scanned for — ”

  “Anna!”

  There he was.

  Chapter 26

  EMERGING FROM A BROAD DOORWAY behind the welcome committee, Viktor shouldered several men aside and burst forward to engulf her in the tightest hug she had ever received in her life.

  “Viktor!” she half-gasped, half-laughed, twining her arms around her brother and squeezing for all she was worth. The familiar scent of the Iliana’s laundry detergent and engine grease enveloped her. “You’re here!”

  “I was afraid — ” Viktor cut himself off to hold her at arm’s length, his eyes scanning her from head to toe for any sign of injury. “Are you all right?”

  “I’m fine.” Anna beamed up at him, relief pulsing through her in
little waves. “I’m perfectly fine.” She took in the stress and weariness written into the lines of her brother’s face and bit her lip. “You look terrible, Vik.”

  Viktor waved her concern aside. “I’m just happy you’re alive.” His mouth tightened. “When I realized what Bear did … ”

  “Yeah, well … ” Anna didn’t particularly want to get into that right this moment. “As you can see, I’m fine.”

  Her brother had yet to release her shoulders. He shook his dark head, swallowing. “How did you know to come here?”

  “A mutual friend.” Anna glanced left and right, realizing for the first time there were a good many more people filling the loading area than she had realized.

  “Let me guess. Mal?”

  Anna just shrugged and smiled.

  Viktor nodded over her shoulder, finally letting go. “Who’s your friend?”

  “Oh!” Anna started; for a second, she’d forgotten all about Colin. Turning, she motioned to Colin with one hand. “Viktor, this is Captain Colin Dupree. My hu — ” she caught herself in time, “ — new captain. Colin, this is my brother, Viktor.”

  The two men shook hands, though Viktor’s face remained reserved. “New captain, eh?” He shot Anna a look.

  She just rolled her eyes. “It’s a very long story.”

  “Anna!”

  Three of their crewmembers worked their way through the crowd and threw their arms around her in a three-way hug.

  Anna hugged them back, laughing, and then waved them off. “All right, all right.” She turned to Viktor, still smiling, but her expression sobered quickly. “We need to talk.”

  “Yes, we do.” The levity faded from her brother’s expression, though his relief lingered. He tipped his head toward Colin, who had yet to say anything else. “You haven’t signed a contract with him or anything, have you?”

  Anna froze, her mouth going suddenly as dry as the sands sweeping the Whirlwind’s planet. “About that … ”

  “She did sign a contract,” Colin said quietly, “one from which I will gladly release her, but I’m afraid it’s not quite that simple.”

  Viktor’s face did not change. “I’ll say, considering you’re wanted for murder. I liked Scarlet.”

  Anna felt as though somebody had driven a pile hammer into her chest; words wouldn’t come.

  “Good news travels fast.” Colin glanced around at the armed men and women still keeping a close eye on him before turning his attention back to Viktor. “Will it help if I swear I’m innocent?”

  “No offense, but we get that a lot.”

  Anna finally found her voice. “He didn’t do it. Deek‌—‌that’s his first mate‌—‌and I were with him the whole time.”

  Viktor spared her a glance. “You’re not mentioned on the warrant.”

  “Which should be suspect right there, considering three of us walked in that office,” Anna said tartly.

  Her brother passed a hand over his face. “Anna, if he gets caught, you know you can’t exactly go testifying for him, right?”

  “She can’t regardless,” Colin said evenly.

  Anna shot him a wide-eyed look. What are you doing? She hadn’t planned on breaking the news about the accidental marriage until they were safely away from prying eyes.

  He glanced at her briefly before turning his attention back to her brother.

  If there was any doubt that Mal had refrained from telling Viktor about the marriage but had teased him with it instead, it evaporated as Viktor folded his arms across his chest. “What do you mean?”

  “Can we not discuss this here?” Anna waved to the curious bystanders still waiting to see what was going on. “Please, Vik? This is going to be a rather involved situation.”

  Her brother gave her an inscrutable look, before nodding curtly. “Fine. Follow me.” He shot Colin a wary glance. “Both of you.”

  Anna could have sworn there was a smug undertone to the otherwise grim look Colin sent her as he fell in step behind her and her brother. “What are you doing?” she hissed under her breath. “Are you trying to get my brother to beat you up?”

  Colin just shook his head, one corner of his mouth tilting up in a strange smile, before he leaned down toward her. His lips just barely brushed the shell of her ear as he whispered, “Don’t tell him about Bear. Not yet.”

  He drew back before Viktor, darting a suspicious look over his shoulder, could see him invading Anna’s personal space.

  ~oOo~

  Instead of taking them aboard the Iliana, Viktor led them to a back corner of the cantina. The trip took longer than it should have; they ran into a surprising number of people Anna knew. Bewildered, she moved closer to her brother. “Did everybody and his brother decide to descend on the Polygon all at once?”

  “A lot’s happened while you were gone.”

  She snorted. “I know. I lived through some of it, remember?”

  She darted a look around the full table Viktor was approaching, wondering how in the world they were going to find a chance to tell him about Bear‌…‌let alone recruit people for their plan. She tugged on his arm. “This is not what I mean by ‘private’, Viktor.”

  “Cool your engines, Anna. There are a lot of people who’ve been worried about you.”

  Her eyebrows shooting up in surprise, Anna glanced sideways at Colin in time to see him give her a considering look. His eyes asked a silent question; she shook her head, slightly bewildered. “Like who, Vik? It’s not like we know that many — ” She broke off as they reached the table.

  A few of the expectant faces she found looking back at her, she recognized. The rest were unfamiliar.

  Viktor stepped aside to give everyone a clear view of her‌—‌and Colin, who was still flanking her protectively‌—‌and waved to the table with a little flourish. “Anna, I’d like to introduce the rest of the contractors, pilots, pirates, and smugglers Lobai has screwed over in the last couple of weeks.”

  “We should hand out membership chips,” Colin said, just loud enough for her ears.

  “Everyone,” Viktor nodded to Anna. “This is my sister.”

  “Heard Berenger kidnapped you,” said a man Anna vaguely recognized as one of the other pirates with whom they occasionally did business. “Glad to see you’re in one piece.”

  Part of Anna was tempted‌—‌insanely tempted‌—‌to drop her marriage bomb on Viktor now, in front of everybody. She held back, however, with an effort, and slid her arm through Colin’s to tug him forward. It was a somewhat intimate gesture for her, but at the moment, she felt the situation called for solidarity in numbers.

  “That would be partly in thanks to Captain Colin Dupree, here. He and his crew were also double-crossed.”

  “Dupree?” piped up a voice from the back. “As in the guy wanted for murder?”

  Colin brushed the question off as though it was only a minor annoyance. “I’m innocent. I’m sure it’ll all be straightened out eventually.”

  All eyes swung to Anna, who nodded. Their arms were still linked. “It’s true. I was with him the whole time‌—‌Scarlet and Lacy were both alive when we left her office.”

  Only half of the people looked convinced, but since Anna knew for a fact that at least three of them had warrants out on their own heads, she didn’t bother worrying about it.

  Viktor pulled out a chair, motioned for Anna to sit. “Tell us the story.”

  Anna did not budge. “I’d rather talk to you first.”

  A crease formed in her brother’s forehead. “Anna, this is important. We’ve figured out what Lobai is doing with all the components he bought.”

  “We did too.” Colin did not move, but something in his stance settled in for the long haul. “I’d advise you listen to your sister.”

  Anna glanced at him, surprised by the steel in his voice.

  Viktor was not amused. “You’d best stay out of this, Captain. I’ll take care of my sister. It’s none of your concern.”

  “I beg to diff
er,” Colin replied coolly. “I’m the one being framed for murder here, on top of being double-crossed, cheated, and left for dead. Besides which — ”

  He paused, and Anna’s heart leapt into her throat. Her eyes widened, but she couldn’t speak. She could only chant inside her head, Don’t do it, don’t do it, don’t do it‌…‌

  “ — as Anna’s husband, this is every bit my concern.”

  The table fell silent; Viktor turned as white as a sheet in a sterile med lab. “What?”

  Anna felt the bottom drop out of her stomach. He did it. He actually did it. Some of the blood drained from her cheeks, but she directed a solid elbow to Colin’s ribs. “Colin! You weren’t supposed to tell him yet!”

  If anything, Viktor turned even paler.

  Colin shrugged, unrepentant. “After everything you’ve gone through trying to get back to him, lass, he shouldn’t talk to you like that.”

  Viktor’s mouth worked several times before he found his voice. “Anna?” He stared at her, betrayal written all over the planes of his face. “It’s true?”

  This time, Anna gave in to the impulse to bury her face in her hands. “Oh, galaxies,” she muttered. “What a mess.” She raised her head long enough to fix her brother with a scowl. “This is why I wanted to talk to you privately.”

  Viktor stared at her for a long moment; she could see the exact second when shock and betrayal gave way to anger. Directed, not surprisingly, at Colin. His hands tightened into fists and he took an aggressive step forward. “You. What did you do to my sister? If you’ve laid so much as a finger on her — ”

  Colin met the full force of Viktor’s glare without flinching, but Anna spoke before he could. “He didn’t do anything, other than help save my life!” she said in frustration, stepping in between the two men and facing her brother. “It was an accident, Viktor. We haven’t done anything.”

  They had the attention of practically everyone in the cantina now; she felt a hot flush creeping up the back of her neck. When she got Viktor in private, she was going to kill him for putting her through such public embarrassment.