Crossfire (Star Kingdom Book 4)

by Lindsay Buroker

  “You can call me Linh.”

  “And you can call me Casmir.”

  A beep came from the console, and they both jumped.

  “What happened?” Nguyen asked.

  “The pirate ships still show dark.” Casmir touched the display. “But the Kingdom’s warships are moving. They’re firing…”

  “On us?”

  “No,” Asger said grimly from behind them. “On the pirates.”

  Casmir spun and stared at him. “But they don’t have power. They’re already hanging dead in space.”

  “I know.”

  “They’re completely defenseless.”

  Asger’s lip curled. “Hence why Ambassador Romano has decided to be opportunistic and wipe out one of the most notorious pirate families in the Twelve Systems.”

  The four warships blasted into the pirate ships, tearing them to pieces, annihilating them and all aboard. Casmir had a thought of sending them the antivirus, of trying to help them get their power back online so they could at least flee for the gate, but it was over too quickly. Target practice on a range at defenseless bales of hay that couldn’t fire back.

  Casmir’s legs went weak, and he slumped down to the floor. This was horrific. Manslaughter. Even if those pirates had been criminals…

  “It isn’t right, Asger,” he whispered. “You’re supposed to capture criminals and rehabilitate them, not… murder them without a trial, without warning. Without anything.”

  “I know, Casmir. I don’t disagree.”

  Casmir dropped his head into his hand. Asger’s agreement wasn’t enough.

  24

  Kim led Rache and Zee—and almost a hundred hostages—into a government building and through an open bookcase door. She’d gotten the directions, if very tersely, from Casmir. When she’d messaged him to ask if the pirates had been driven away, she’d gotten the word “Yeah” back, along with a map showing his location. That was it.

  Kim wasn’t sure what she expected when she walked down the long corridor, passing an open metal security door, and into a control room that looked like the bridge of a ship, but it wasn’t for Casmir to be sitting on the floor with a fifty-something-year-old woman she’d never seen before resting a hand on his shoulder.

  At first, he looked like he’d been drugged, with his chin slumped to his chest, so Kim was relieved to spot Tork and Asger. But Asger, with his arms crossed over his chest, radiated anger. Kim glanced toward a large display showing the stars outside, and she worried the pirate ships would be looming within spitting distance, but all she saw was a lot of wreckage floating around.

  “I’m going to have to get out of here soon,” Rache murmured.

  Kim glanced at him. “Do you know what happened?”

  “Yes, I just got an update from my men. The pirate ships all lost power at once, and the Kingdom ships destroyed them. I don’t think they know the Fedallah is out there, but I need to take my shuttle and leave so it stays that way.”

  “Lost power?” Kim mouthed, then focused on her friend. “Casmir? The virus?”

  He looked up at her for the first time, his eyes haunted.

  “I didn’t know the warships would attack,” he whispered, the words so soft, so pained, that she almost missed them.

  “Oh. I see.” Kim saw, but she didn’t know what to say. Her pragmatic side wanted to point out that Casmir wasn’t to blame, but she knew him well enough to know it wouldn’t matter. He would blame himself for playing a role, however inadvertently.

  “He saved the station,” the woman said firmly.

  “Secretary Nguyen,” one of the freed hostages blurted, rushing past Kim and Rache. The man gripped her shoulders. “I’m so glad you’re all right.”

  “I’m glad you are too.” She—Nguyen—patted the balding man. “You and I, Secretary of the Treasury Esposito, may have to put the station back together.” Her eyes narrowed. “Will President Chronis fight us, do you think?”

  “President Chronis is dead. Some of the hostages blamed him for everything and killed him the first night we were locked up together.”

  “Ah.” Nguyen did not appear overly upset. Or maybe she was too numb to react.

  Kim couldn’t tell if she’d been aligned with the Bakas Vengers or not. And she didn’t much care.

  She walked forward and crouched on Casmir’s other side. “You’re not injured, are you?”

  “No, I’m fine. Uninjured, anyway.”

  Kim rested a hand on his shoulder as Nguyen moved toward the control console. Zee came to stand in front of Casmir, his silent protector.

  “Vice President Woods died in the initial fighting,” Esposito added to Nguyen. “It truly is just the two of us, I think. Until we reestablish order and hold elections. We can’t just assume to take their positions.”

  “No, but for now, we have to do their jobs.”

  “Does it even matter?” Esposito asked. “The Kingdom warships are out there. They must have come to take over the station, to impose their will on us.”

  Nguyen looked at Casmir. “We’ll see about that.”

  She tapped a comm console, and a man’s voice that Kim didn’t recognize replied.

  “This is Ambassador Romano, King Jager’s representative in this system,” the deep bass voice said. “We have annihilated the pirate threat for you and hope you are appropriately grateful. Is President Chronis yet available, and is he willing to speak about the possibility of Tiamat Station joining the Kingdom under our protection?”

  “Chronis is dead. I’m Acting Vice President Linh Nguyen. Acting President Esposito is also with me here.”

  Esposito shook his head and waved his hands, clearly not wanting the job. Nguyen’s expression said too bad.

  “We’re aware,” Nguyen went on, “that you killed the pirates only after your rogue roboticist planted a virus on their ships that rendered them defenseless.”

  Kim thought Casmir would crack a joke or at least smile at the term rogue roboticist, but he didn’t even lift his head.

  “We are grateful to him,” Nguyen added.

  “Excellent,” Ambassador Romano said. “He is not a rogue. He is a respected professor and civilian advisor from our home world.”

  This time, Casmir reacted, lifting his head, an incredulous expression on his face.

  “Are you and your acting president willing to speak about the possibility of Tiamat Station joining the Kingdom under our protection?” Romano repeated, as if he wasn’t fazed at all by Casmir being credited.

  “We don’t believe we need your protection in light of recent events.” Nguyen nodded at Casmir, who nodded back, though his expression remained grave. “But we must look to the future, and—” she took a deep breath, “—it is possible that an alliance with the Kingdom might be worth considering. However, we will only negotiate with Professor Dabrowski.”

  Casmir’s mouth drooped open in surprise.

  “Dabrowski is a teacher, not a diplomat.” Romano sounded irked for the first time. “He has no training in negotiations, nor any authority to represent the king.”

  “Perhaps you should go back home and see if you can get that authority granted to him, because he’s the only one we’re talking to.”

  Kim grimaced. How had Casmir gotten himself into this situation? Not only would this irk the ambassador, but she highly doubted Jager would be pleased about the development.

  “He is busy advising on another mission right now,” Romano said. “As are we all. We can’t go home until that is completed.”

  “We’ll wait,” Nguyen said cheerfully.

  Romano didn’t respond, and Kim checked to see if the channel was still open. It was.

  “It’ll give us time to get our station back in order and hold elections,” Nguyen added.

  “At which point, someone else might win the position of president?” Romano sounded hopeful.

  Esposito got over his fear for long enough to lean forward and say, “Acting Vice President Nguyen is very well
liked here on the station. If she runs for president, I believe her victory will be assured.”

  Nguyen’s lips twisted, as if she wasn’t sure this endorsement was good for her future. But she didn’t shy away from the statement or imply she wouldn’t take the job if she got it.

  “I see,” Romano said. “I will pass along your demands to the king.”

  “Excellent. I look forward to hearing from him and to seeing Professor Dabrowski alive and well again, and here on Tiamat Station to negotiate a deal. We are very pleased with him for the role he’s played in saving the station, and I must reiterate that we will only deal with him.”

  Now, Casmir’s lips twisted. Kim assumed Nguyen was trying to make sure no assassin’s blade found his back due to his work here or anything she’d said.

  The channel closed without another remark from the ambassador.

  Asger cleared his throat. “Ishii wants us to come back, Casmir.” He nodded to include Kim. “We need to return to our original mission, especially since it’s been rumored that there’s some competition in the area.” He looked blandly at Rache, which Kim assumed meant he’d reported Rache’s presence on the station as soon as he’d shown up.

  “I understand.” Casmir pushed himself to his feet. “Sorry, Kim. I didn’t ask. Did you find your colleague?”

  “I did.” Kim waved to the corridor, which was loaded with the curious hostages, all peering into the control room. “And we also found Dr. Peshlakai’s parents.”

  “That’s good. I’m glad something positive came of all this.”

  His expression remained bleak, and Kim was tempted to give him a hug, since she doubted anyone else here would. But she couldn’t make her body do it with so many people around. She patted him on the shoulder again, hoping it was enough.

  “How are you feeling?” Yas asked his young patient.

  He had treated Princess Tambora for a concussion and a sprained wrist, and he was tempted to ask if he could do a full exam of her legs, because he’d glimpsed swelling and numerous bruises before she’d settled in her float chair and draped her long dusty dress over them. But there was a limit to what he could do hunkered behind the reception desk in the bombed out building.

  “It’s been a while since the last jolt,” Tambora whispered hopefully.

  “Let’s hope there won’t be any more.”

  “And that the station hasn’t been taken over by pirates. The Kingdom would be better than that. These people…” She shook her head, a few of her long braids spilling off her shoulders and down to her waist.

  Yas bristled a little since these people were his people. “The Kingdom’s culture is far too stifling for most of Tiamat Station’s populace.”

  She rolled her eyes. “They could have accepted the offer of protection without giving up their culture. That’s what negotiations are for. That’s what my mother the queen is in talks with Jager about. Accept their protection, marry some Kingdom noble to cement it, but get it in writing—in blood—that you’re allowed to keep your religion and culture and way of life. That’s better than waiting for someone to conquer you. Those pirates out there aren’t even the real dangerous guys. The Miners’ Union and coalitions forming in System Cerberus—they’re trouble. If they take your habitat by force, you don’t get to keep any of your freedoms. You just become some slave in their system. Better to deal with the known enemy who’s willing to make concessions than wait until you’re usurped and have no choices at all.”

  Yas didn’t know whether to argue with her or be surprised by the cogency of her words. He’d first thought the princess around eighteen, but he decided she might be older than that.

  “I hope Abidugun and Ibironke are all right.” She raised her float chair to peer over the reception counter. “The last I heard, they were pinned down by robots in Bay 3 and hadn’t been able to figure out the code to get into the ship. I’m afraid Ibironke will get in trouble when we get back. For leaving me. I told her to go instead of hiding in the lab with me, but she’s my bodyguard, so she’s not supposed to leave. I’ll try to defend her, but my mother the queen is so… difficult in these matters. In all matters.”

  “Maybe that’s why she’s able to make headway in negotiating with the Kingdom.” Yas didn’t think his own people had heard any hint of the concessions she mentioned.

  “She is taller and scarier than King Jager.” Tambora smiled, then pointed at something, and lowered her chair below the desk. “The people in black armor are your people? That was Tenebris Rache before, wasn’t it?”

  “Yes.” He was surprised she’d figured that out—Yas didn’t think he or Kim had said his name. He lifted his head as an armored man strode toward the building’s front doors. Chaplain? As promised?

  Doctor, a message came from Rache, are your parents as arrogant and snooty as you are?

  They’re urbane, well-educated people.

  I’ll take that as a yes. We’ve found them—and the rest of the hostages. Chaplain is coming to escort you and the princess to our shuttle bay. I’m sure you’ll want to see your parents so you can give them hugs and kisses before we leave. Which needs to be soon. Now that the pirates have been destroyed, someone unfriendly may have time to notice our shuttle docked.

  “The pirates are destroyed?” Yas blurted out loud before realizing it. Tambora stared at him. The Kingdom ships attacked them?

  Eventually, yes. It’s a long story.

  Is there any chance— You know I’d hoped to clear my name.

  Yes, I haven’t forgotten. I asked Casmir to take care of it.

  Casmir? Yas blinked in confusion. Your, uhm—the roboticist?

  What did Rache’s clone brother have to do with justice on Tiamat Station?

  Yes, he’s Secretary of Education Nguyen’s new best friend. And apparently, she’s most likely to become president after your people hold elections. Oh, did you hear that Chronis is dead?

  I don’t know what to say.

  You can give Casmir hugs and kisses too.

  Yas snorted, not fooled by Rache’s indifferent sardonic comments anymore. Rache had left his men and risked himself to help Yas. Yas and Kim. Watching him flirt—if one could call it that—with Kim had been strange, but Yas decided it humanized Rache. When he wasn’t around his subordinates, he was a lot less stiff.

  Tambora poked him. “Doctor, tell me about the pirates. Nobody is doing news updates for this station now. I checked.” She waved toward her embedded chip.

  “They’ve been vanquished, and the Kingdom roboticist who made that announcement earlier played some role in it. He’s made friends with what remains of our presidential cabinet.”

  “That guy was from the Kingdom? He sounded geeky.”

  “He is. The Kingdom has geeky people.” The Kingdom was large enough that Yas was certain they had every type of person represented.

  “Does it really? I know not everyone is a knight, but I thought that was what they all wanted to be. Sports celebrities and knights. Princess Oku always makes it sound like she’s surrounded by those types that want to woo her. I’m not supposed to be envious, but I am. Men on Shango are supposed to be meek and let the women handle the fighting. Otherwise, they end up being asked to leave or work in the mines. Even the muscly ones are polite and avoid eye contact.” She wrinkled her nose.

  Yas didn’t know how much of that was the culture that had developed at Shango Habitat over the centuries and how much was because Tambora was royalty. Yas would avoid looking into the eyes of royalty, too, at least royalty with bodyguards that had instructions to thump people who were too direct.

  A black-helmeted head looked over the reception desk. “What’s going on back there, Doc? You sexing it up with a cripple? Kinky.”

  Yas gaped at Chaplain in horror. The man hardly ever spoke, and now that he had something to say, that was what came out of his mouth?

  “She is a princess, Corporal,” Yas said, afraid and ashamed to look at Tambora’s face.

  “Yeah? Way
to go, Doc.” Chaplain gave him a thumbs-up. “I’ll wait outside for you to finish up, but I got some people out here who want to see you, and the captain said not to dawdle. We got a mission to do and too many hostiles in the area.”

  The helmet disappeared, and Chaplain walked whistling back to the front door. He was in a better mood than usual. Yas wondered how many men he’d killed while collecting submarines for Rache. He also wondered what people might be with Chaplain who wanted to see him. Someone injured? Someone else with a dubious mole?

  “I’m so sorry about him, Your Highness,” Yas said, stepping out from behind the desk and offering her a hand.

  When he risked looking at her face, hoping she was closer to amused than offended, he caught a pained expression there. Yas wanted to punch Chaplain for calling her a cripple. He wasn’t positive that was the reason for the expression, but he wagered it was hard to be disabled in a habitat full of warrior women.

  Tambora smoothed her face into a mask that didn’t seem right on her—her eyes had been determined and lively when she’d been suggesting political tactics for dealing with the Kingdom. “It’s not your fault, Doctor. Please have your man lead the way to the shuttle bay. I’m anxious to make sure my bodyguard and advisor weren’t injured in the fighting.”

  “Understandable.”

  Fortunately, the streets and corridors were quiet when they stepped out of the building, where Chaplain waited with two people Yas hadn’t expected to see, at least not so soon. Their stances were weary and beleaguered, both appearing to have aged ten years in the six months since he’d last seen them, and each had fresh gouges where their chips had been removed, which explained why he hadn’t been able to get in touch.

  “Mother!” Yas blurted. “Father!”

  He rushed forward to hug his mother and, he hoped, get a customary handshake from his stoic father, but faltered, fearing they didn’t know he was innocent of the president’s assassination. But his mother crossed the distance and smothered him with a hug. His father came up and patted him on the shoulder.

  “Look here, boy, why didn’t you ever contact us?” he asked gruffly.