Galaxy's Way

by E. R. Paskey

  Before Anna could shoot him a glare and ask if he wanted to tell the story instead, Indinara said dryly, “We have as much time as it takes to unload the cargo I brought as a cover.” He nodded to Anna; she took a deep breath and launched into the story.

  She didn’t look at Colin as much as she wanted to over the course of the next fifteen minutes; she knew she had to engage the entire cargo hold. But her senses remained keenly attuned in his direction.

  By the end of her tale, everyone but Lobai looked grim.

  Viktor shook his head, folding his arms tightly across his chest. He looked like a forbidding statue, incongruously dressed in spacer clothes. “Never would have suspected that of Thabati. Not after everything over the past few years.”

  “Never underestimate the power of sheer greed,” Captain Gou Eun Jou said sharply. “I hate to admit it, but how many of us wouldn’t have been at least tempted to consider that offer?” She nodded to Viktor. “Not you, for obvious reasons, although I could see you simply giving Bear up.”

  A muscle in Viktor’s jaw twitched. “I could see me giving him up too,” he said roughly, “after what he pulled. But with his kid — ” He broke off, shaking his head again.

  “It puts a slightly different angle on things.”

  Everyone turned to look at Colin, who had hitherto been very quiet.

  He shrugged under their combined scrutiny. “Bear has a child he actually cares about. Can’t say I can fault him for that.” He smiled wryly. “Even if I am now wanted for murders I didn’t commit.”

  Anna blew out a breath. “Which we should be able to get sorted out when all this is said and done.” She turned to Indinara. “How much longer until we can blow this joint? I’ve had enough of this planet.”

  He spoke into his comlink and then nodded to her. “Ten minutes, tops.”

  “Oh, good.” Anna started to move toward Colin, but something about the way Viktor remained standing with his feet planted solidly on the deck and his arms folded across his chest gave her pause. Her mouth went dry. Oh, galaxies. She knew that look.

  “The real question is,” Viktor said, in a level voice that carried throughout the cargo hold even though he did not raise his tone, “where exactly are we heading from here?” His dark eyes remained firmly fixed on Lobai, challenging and assessing all at once.

  Lobai’s mouth curved into that sharp, glittering smile again. “That, my dear captain, I will be more than happy to share when there are fewer ears about.” He rapped his cane on the deck. “Afraid I have a few trust issues, these days, y’see.”

  “You and everybody who’s ever worked for you,” Indinara said, but he shooed the rest of his crew away. “All right, people, back to work. We’re taking off and I don’t want Lysa Spaceport Control to have any reason to flag us.”

  Viktor was still staring at Lobai. “How did you get that thing through Customs?” He jerked his chin toward the device.

  “Oh, don’t trouble yourself on that account, my boy.” Lobai waved a beringed hand. “Customs only cares what you bring on the planet. In my experience, they’ve never cared what you take with you when you leave.”

  Jou gave him a sharp look that made his bodyguard bristle. “This had better work, old man. I’m not interested in being the first to find out otherwise.”

  Lobai’s answering smile sent chills down Anna’s spine. “Oh, it will, dearie.” He clasped both hands over the head of his cane. “It will.”

  Anna glanced back in Colin’s direction to find him closing the distance between them. Her heart performed a little jump in her chest. His bearded face was grim, but his eyes lightened a little as he looked down at her. “When we get a chance, lass, you and I need to finish that conversation.”

  Anna’s heart flipped over again; she could only nod jerkily.

  Colin settled a hand on the small of her back, frowning in the direction of Viktor, Jou, and Indinara, who had gathered into a small knot and were debating something fiercely. Indinara kept waving his hands. “What do you think they’re discussing?”

  “Oh, probably the best place to keep the device.” Anna fought the urge to close her eyes; his fingers were warm. Abruptly, she snaked an arm around his midsection and turned toward him, burying her face in his chest. “I really am sorry I had to knock you out.”

  He was quiet for a few seconds, and then she felt his cheek press against the top of her head. “Me too. Try not to make a habit of it, eh, lass?”

  “I’ll try.”

  “Anna!” Viktor’s voice popped the bubble that had descended on them. “We’re going to the cockpit.”

  Suppressing a sigh, Anna pulled away from Colin and flashed him a rueful smile. “Duty calls.” The satchel felt heavy against her side.

  Colin scanned her face, as though searching for something, before he inclined his head in nod. “Let’s get to it then.”

  He kept a guiding hand on the small of her back the entire way to the cockpit. Anna remained intensely aware of him, but there was a level of comfort to the gesture that hadn’t been there before. The fact that he was touching her meant he was alive‌—‌and not a frozen corpse floating in black space outside Calamia.

  As it turned out, the cockpit wasn’t large enough for all of them. Indinara threw the rest of his crew out of the main living compartment and settled Lobai and Norin in a corner under Viktor and Jou’s watchful eyes. Colin and Anna took seats on a couch nearby.

  For someone who was depending on a group of angry pirates for protection and help, Lobai was remarkably calm. “Once you’re free of Ydris’s gravitational pull, Captain Indinara, set a course for the Arrin sector.”

  “And then what?” Indinara folded his arms across his chest, almost, but not quite, glaring at the old man.

  “When we arrive, I’ll give you the next piece of the puzzle.” Lobai shook his head. “The less information to fall into the wrong hands, the better off we’ll all be.”

  “Unless this is all a giant scheme and you’re leading us into a trap,” Viktor said darkly. “Again.”

  “Seriously?” Anna shot him an annoyed look. “This is an awful lot of trouble to go to for a trick.” She glanced briefly at Lobai. “I believe him when he says they’ve got his wife.”

  Pressing his lips into a thin line, Viktor subsided. He wasn’t happy about it, however, judging from the way he slumped back into his chair with his arms crossed tightly over his chest.

  “Fine.” Indinara exhaled heavily. “Arrin sector it is, then.” He departed the living compartment, shaking his dark head.

  Awkward silence descended on them. Out of the corner of her eye, Anna saw Colin turn his hand, which was resting on his leg, palm up in a mute invitation. He had taken the seat on her left. She only hesitated a second before tangling the fingers of her real hand with his. She could feel his pulse through his fingertips, and that, too, was comforting. Feeling eyes on her, she glanced up to find Viktor giving her a slightly disapproving look.

  Raising her chin, she boldly met his eyes. I like this man, she told her brother silently. And I think you’ll like him too, when you get to know him.

  After a few seconds, Viktor’s stern expression cracked and melted into something half-rueful, half-resigned. He flicked his eyes toward Colin and shrugged, as though to say she could do worse.

  Some of the invisible weight pressing down on Anna’s shoulders lifted; she smiled and tightened her grip on Colin’s hand.

  A few minutes later, Indinara’s voice crackled over the comm system. “Brace yourselves‌—‌we’re taking off now.”

  The Hand of Fate handled a lot more smoothly than Thabati’s Solace, Anna couldn’t help but notice. Once they emerged from Ydris’s atmosphere, she leaned back in the couch, her shoulder pressing comfortably against Colin’s.

  Lobai finally broke the silence. “Well, it would seem for the moment we have successfully outmaneuvered Thabati’s employers.”

  “We better have,” Viktor said flatly.

  Anna
glanced up at Colin’s profile, struck by a sudden thought. She dropped her voice. “Deek and the others know you’re all right, don’t they?”

  He gave his head a minute shake. “Haven’t had a chance to message them.” He offered her a half-smile. “Don’t worry, they’ll be all right.” For a split-second, he looked like he wanted to say something else, but he shook his head again and the opportunity passed.

  Over the next two hours, Lobai fed Indinara a dizzying array of coordinates and destinations. Privately, Anna marveled he could remember all of them. At last, the old man asked for the return of his comlink.

  “It’s time to arrange an exchange. The device for my wife and your freedom.” He waved a hand to the living compartment in general.

  Colin’s fingers tightened on Anna’s. They were still holding hands. She didn’t want to let go, and neither, apparently, did he.

  Anna would have really liked him to kiss her again, but she knew full well this was hardly the time or place. Soon, she promised herself, anticipation thrumming inside her. We’ll get another chance soon.

  Pleasant thoughts of kisses took a back seat when they dropped out of hyperspace at the last set of coordinates Lobai gave Indinara. Anna took one look out the viewport at the space station practically bristling with lights and weapons armatures and her insides turned to ice. Through dry lips, she demanded, “What is this?”

  Viktor rose from his chair to tower threateningly over Lobai. “You didn’t say anything about a Federation space station!”

  In an instant, Norin was between them, growling, “Back off.”

  “Oh, didn’t I?” Lobai asked innocently. “I could have sworn I mentioned it.”

  “You didn’t,” four voices said at once.

  Lobai shrugged eloquently, but before he could open his mouth, Indinara’s voice came over the comm again‌—‌hard and edged with razor blades. “Ask the old man what in the galaxy he means by dropping us out of hyperspace in range of a Federation space station!”

  Chapter 39

  “MY CONTACT IS HERE, OBVIOUSLY.” Lobai waved in the general direction of the viewport. “Believe me, I’ve no wish to be any closer to such a monstrosity as any of you, but it cannot be helped.”

  Anna glanced sideways at Colin to find him looking back at her, the same question reflected in both their expressions. What did this mean for them?

  “Old man,” Viktor began menacingly, “you’d better — ”

  “Hush.” Lobai held up a hand for silence. “Remember we’ve all got a vested interest in this turning out well, boy.” His eyes glittered with anticipation. “They’ll be hailing us any second. You’d best put me on the comm.”

  Indinara’s voice flooded the compartment again. “They’re hailing us. What in the galaxy am I supposed to tell them?”

  Lobai’s lips curled back in a sharp smile. “There’s my cue.”

  Viktor’s expression remained one of deep suspicion, but he led Lobai and his bodyguard out of the compartment without a word.

  Anna instinctively tightened her grip on Colin’s hand. Her fingers were going numb, but she couldn’t bring herself to care. What were numb fingers in the face of a Federation space station that could‌—‌quite literally‌—‌turn them to a scattered collection of heat and atoms with the press of a few buttons?

  A second later, a sense of urgency propelled her to her feet. She looked down at Colin. “After everything we’ve been through the past few weeks, are we really going to miss this?”

  The corners of his eyes crinkled as he shot her one of his devastating smiles. “Not a chance, lass.”

  Hand in hand, they dashed out of the living compartment and pelted through the corridors separating them from the cockpit. They caught up with Lobai, Norin, and Viktor just as they passed through the hatch. Viktor’s face registered surprise‌—‌but only for a second. He nodded to Anna just before he stepped inside.

  Colin’s hand rested against the small of her back as they filtered into the cockpit behind her brother. It was larger than the cockpit in the Galaxy’s Way, though not as large as that of the Iliana’s, but seemed smaller because it was so crammed full of people. Captain Jou gave them a perfunctory glance, before immediately returning her attention to the viewport.

  “Unidentified ship, this is your final warning,” said a stern voice. “Identify yourself and state your business, or we will have no choice but to open fire.”

  “Friendly bunch, are they not?” Colin murmured in Anna’s ear. She nodded in response without taking her eyes off the tableaux unfolding before them.

  Lobai stood beside Indinara’s pilot, leaning over the console with one hand braced against it and the other wrapped around the knob of his cane. Indinara stood beside him. With a look at the old man that promised dire retribution should anything happen to his ship or his crew, he toggled the comm. “Tapan Station, this is Captain Indinara, of the Hand of Fate. I have a passenger who says he’s been summoned by one of your officers.”

  Anna expected this to require digestion, but to her surprise, the comm officer responded immediately.

  “Passenger’s identity and reference details?”

  Everyone turned to look at Lobai as he nodded to Indinara and reached for the comm. “Tapan Station, this is Kon Waybash.” He rattled off a string of numbers and letters, before adding in an obsequious tone that suited him ill, “Major Abram Jokal stressed the importance of arriving on time, and I’ve done my best to comply.”

  A long pause ensued, during which Anna felt her heart climb into her throat. Colin rested a hand on her hip; she leaned back into his solid chest without giving it conscious thought. Please work, she thought, briefly closing her eyes. Please, let us in and let this work. After all this effort, it had to work.

  Tension in the cockpit was so tight that when the comm crackled again, they all jumped, even Norin.

  “Hand of Fate, you are cleared to dock.” The comm officer transmitted an approach vector and added, “Mr. Waybash, an escort will be waiting to take you to Major Jokal when you arrive.”

  “Thank you,” Lobai replied.

  Indinara nodded to his pilot, who proceeded to settle into their assigned approach vector.

  While the space station loomed ever larger in the viewport, Lobai straightened and turned around to face everyone. His dark eyes found Viktor, Anna, and Colin in turn. “I think it will be best if the three of you come with me.”

  Anna felt Colin tense behind her. He and Viktor spoke at the same time. “Why?”

  Lobai did not even bat an eye. “I should think that much is obvious.” When stony silence greeted his words, he huffed impatiently. “Aside from myself, the three of you have the most at stake here.”

  “Need I remind you that you were the one who got us into this mess in the first place?” Colin asked dryly. “Surely you don’t actually need our presence to arrange for everything to be straightened out.”

  Anna’s eyes found her brother’s. “Lobai’s right,” she said apologetically. “We ought to be there.” She shrugged one shoulder. “You know how the Federation is about paperwork. One spelling mistake and we’re screwed.”

  Viktor’s mouth flattened into a thin line, before he blew out a resigned breath and scrubbed a hand through his dark hair. “That and I can’t say I trust the old man.” He favored Lobai with a scowl. “You screwed us all over once in an attempt to create this elaborate rescue plan‌—‌personally, I think I’d like to make sure you actually hold up your end of the deal.”

  For a second, Anna thought Lobai would make a sharp, biting retort, but to her surprise, the old man merely smiled. “That’s probably your wisest course.”

  Captain Jou tipped her head toward Tapan Station. “And you’re sure he’s holding your wife here?”

  “He’d better be,” Lobai said flatly, “or I promise you there’ll be hell to pay.”

  A chill danced down Anna’s spine at the cold menace contained in those few words. It was at that moment that she
remembered she’d been in the same clothes for the past two days. Panic jolted through her; she did not want to meet Federation officers in this condition. Only trouble was‌…‌she didn’t have anything else to wear. Hygiene products she could borrow, but clothes? That was a little trickier.

  Colin noticed her distress. His arm tightened around her as he bent his head toward her. “What’s the matter, lass?”

  Anna turned to look up at him, her dark eyes huge. After everything, it didn’t even occur to her not to tell him. “I don’t have any clean clothes.”

  His blue eyes swept her up and down. “You look fine to me.”

  Only the sincere appreciation coloring those words kept her from smacking him in the chest. “I mean,” she dropped her voice, “I’ve been wearing these clothes for two days and I don’t have anything else to change into.”

  “Oh, is that all?” Colin’s expression cleared. “Well, lass, you’re in luck. Your brother brought your rucksack with him after Thabati kidnapped us.”

  A wave of relief swept through Anna, so strong it nearly buckled her knees. “Where it?” she gasped, her fingers tightening in the material of Colin’s shirtfront.

  “Anna — ” he started to say, but she cut him off with a raised finger.

  “You may not care, but I do.” She cast a glance toward the rest of the cockpit. “And we don’t have much time.”

  Colin considered her for barely a second before he nodded. “As you wish.”

  Turning, he led the way out of the cockpit‌—‌snagging Anna’s hand along the way. He tugged her down a series of corridors, back to the very cabin he’d been locked up in earlier.

  Anna spotted her rucksack lying on the deck beside the bunk and sent up a silent prayer of thanks. Swooping down on it, she whirled around to face Colin again. “Nearest hygiene unit?”

  He tipped his head toward the corridor. “Down the corridor to the right.”

  Correctly judging the concern in his eyes, Anna gave him a mischievous smile. “Don’t worry‌—‌fastest shower in the galaxy, coming up.”

  True to her word, she was in and out of the water in less than three minutes. Pulling on clean clothes was the work of a moment, and then she was stepping out of the hygiene unit to find Colin waiting for her, leaning up against the bulkhead with one foot propped flat against it.