by Dana Kelly
“Why reject the landing codes?” asked Eridani.
“I’ll tell you after, if we get El Draque,” said Gretchen. “Just remember what I told you.”
Eridani nodded. “Keep him talking and reject the landing codes. Got it.”
Brady manned communications. He was a pale mphuno who wore nice pants and a long-sleeve shirt that buttoned across the right side of his chest. “Incoming message, Captain.” His thick, leathery skin wrinkled as he turned in his chair. Peering around his horns, he made eye contact with Eridani. “We’re being hailed.”
“You’re up,” said Gretchen.
“Thanks, Brady,” said Eridani. “Put it through.”
A moment later, the space station vanished from the viewscreen and filled with a ruggedly handsome man. He sat upon a fanciful throne wrought with iron tentacles and toothsome sharks. Crowned by meticulously styled salt-and-pepper hair, anchored by a lantern jaw, he wore a dark sport coat over a white tunic, and his teeth gleamed as he smiled. “Greetings, Imperium. I’m Tomás del Draque, but I hope you will call me… El Draque. Everyone does.” His light blue eyes twinkled. “Lovely lady, I must speak with your captain.”
“This is she,” said Eridani.
“Delightful!”
“Not as delightful as making your acquaintance, El Draque,” said Eridani. Her display brightened with a request to receive his transmission, but she subtly closed it out. “If half the people on your space station are as charming as you are, we’ve definitely come to the right place.”
He watched his transmission request vanish from his screen, chipping away at his good cheer. “No one is as charming as I am, but you might be as beautiful. What brings you all the way to the Black Doubloon?” El Draque made another attempt to transmit landing codes.
“My business is my own,” said Eridani, and she smiled shyly as she discarded his request.
His expression flattened, but he quickly mustered a smile. “I can tell by your accent that you’re from Rhyon. Northwestern Rhyon if I had to guess. How is it that the local owner of a Colima-class battlecruiser managed to escape my notice?” With a flash of his teeth, he jammed the button that sent Eridani a third transmission request.
“I’ve never felt the need to advertise.” Eridani leaned forward, and with a swipe of her finger, banished the incoming landing codes.
“You…! I just… You know what?” El Draque’s eye twitched. He smiled a crooked smile and seemed about to say something more before he unceremoniously ended the call.
Eridani sat back in the captain’s chair. “Tell me why I just wasted so much of that troubled man’s time?”
Gretchen breathed into her hands and smiled. “Those weren’t landing codes. My friends tell me he sends an adrift-style virus to every ship he’s never seen before. If you’d have opened any of his attachments, the virus would’ve infected all of Imperium’s systems and shut them down.” She moved the viewscreen’s camera to focus on one of the hulks tethered to a salvage crew. “We’d have been left to die out here in the black.”
“Oh,” said Eridani. “I see. Suppose I hadn’t kept him talking. What then?”
“He’d figure you were on to him,” said Gretchen.
“I assume by your tone that that’s bad.”
Gretchen zoomed out to display the faintest of debris rings sharing the station’s orbit. “He’d have torpedoed us. I mean, at least it’s faster than being left to die, but….”
Overhead vents whispered cool air.
Chairs creaked under the weight of their occupants.
“Please thank your friends for the timely intel,” said Eridani.
“I will,” said Gretchen.
Brady quietly cleared his throat. “Uh, Captain? A Bombal Lonnais is hailing us. Want me to put him through?”
“Yes, please. Thank you,” said Eridani.
A round-faced man appeared on screen, wearing a red and black bandana on his head. The maritime throne made him look tiny. “Greetings and salutations, Imperium! I’m happy to inform you that you’ve been cleared for docking. Transmitting the landing codes now!”
Eridani glanced frostily at Gretchen.
“It’s safe,” whispered Gretchen, and she nodded.
“Good,” said Eridani, and she accepted Bombal’s transmission.
◆◆◆
“I don’t feel good about leaving Torsha behind,” said Eridani. She and Eleski lingered in the launch bay, near the Starwind.
“A more reasonable disposition is required in order to avoid needless confrontation aboard the Black Doubloon,” said Eleski.
Eridani glanced her way. “I still don’t like it.”
Gretchen and Katsinki appeared at the lift and approached from across the deck. “Are we cool?” asked Gretchen when she had drawn near. She gestured between Eridani and herself.
“We’re fine, but if we’re going to work well together, you need to be completely honest with me about every tactical consideration you’re aware of,” said Eridani. “Torsha’s my first mate on paper, but you’re functionally my second-in-command. I’ll be leaning on you pretty heavily until I get the hang of captaining Imperium.”
“I’ll be better about that,” said Gretchen. “I promise. Here.” She passed Eridani a wad of black fabric. “You should change into this. Unfortunately, I don’t have any fancy footwear that’ll fit you, but at least your chucks are black, so we can make it work.”
Eridani held up the cloth, and it unfurled into a badly wrinkled dress. “This is too big for me.”
“It’s not that big.” Gretchen glanced between the garment and her captain. “You’re taller than me, but it’s long, so it should fit. No one’s going to take you seriously in a Hawai’ian trench coat and cutoff shorts.”
“I’ll try it on,” said Eridani. “Thanks for lending me your dress.”
“No problem, Captain.”
Eridani excused herself to the washroom across the way and closed the door. Moments later, she emerged wearing the very same clothes she had been wearing, with Gretchen’s dress draped over her arm. “People are just going to have to cope with my crazy style,” said Eridani.
“I could’ve sworn it was long enough,” said Gretchen.
“That’s not the problem,” said Eridani, and she rejoined her comrades. “You have…” She returned the dress and gestured. “…big boobs.”
Gretchen laughed and nodded. “That’s true. Sorry, I don’t wear dresses that often. I guess I hadn’t taken that into consideration.”
“If you are willing to confer your garment, I am able to make adjustments, so it fits,” said Katsinki.
“Sure,” said Gretchen, and she tossed him the dress. “It’s yours now, Captain.”
“One moment, please,” said Katsinki. Softly, his silver eyes glowed, and one of his forearms separated into an assortment of tools. After a flurry of snipping and sewing, his forearm returned to its original configuration, and he handed Eridani the altered garment. “It is ready.”
“Thank you very much,” said Eridani, and she headed back to the washroom. “I’ll be right back.”
She soon emerged, with her day clothes in hand. A thick braid of golden hair fell over her bare shoulders. The dress fit her perfectly. “I hope this will do,” she said as she approached, and she wore a composed smile.
“Shoot me if you don’t look the part,” said Gretchen. “I’ll start preflight.”
Eleski gazed. Her ears and cheeks glowed brightly. “Um, you… Captain. I will, uh…” She pointed at the shuttle. “Help. Help Gretchen. I mean.”
“Sounds like your vocal modulator’s out of alignment,” teased Gretchen. “Maybe you should look into that first.” She stepped into the cockpit and lowered the cargo ramp.
“Please excuse me,” said Eleski. She ran up the ramp and vanished around the corner as she hurried for the cockpit.
“After you, Captain,” said Katsinki, and he followed Eridani aboard. They crossed the shuttle’s cargo compartme
nt to a partially enclosed lift. Affixed to the overhead directly above it, a steel marquis displayed, “VIP Room.” It glowed under a ring of blacklight.
“What a sleazebag,” muttered Eridani. “The more I find out about this guy, the happier I feel about what Torsha did.” She opened the lift’s waist-high gate. “No lecture? This seems like the right time and place for it.”
He shook his head. “You are already aware of life’s inherent value. All of Husthar’s truths were drenched in blood. I neither mourn nor regret his passing. It is unfortunate Ostonk perished by mistake because it robs his victims of justice. However, the summary refutation of his murderous truths is justice enough, I suppose.”
“Sounds like you’re glad they’re dead,” said Eridani, and she boarded the lift.
Katsinki joined her. “Indeed I am.”
Moments later, they set foot on the upper deck. Moving single file, they followed a narrow passage that ended at a door. Eridani opened it into a cozy lounge. Comfy leather couches and a full wet bar lined the bulkheads, and she spent a moment gazing through the crystal canopy as Eleski joined them.
“Gretchen did not require my assistance,” said Eleski, and she smiled awkwardly. “We will need to secure ourselves in a seated position prior to takeoff.”
“Right,” said Eridani, and she entered the lounge. They all sat down and buckled their lap restraints, making themselves comfortable on the rear couch.
“I have never been in this compartment,” stated Katsinki. “It is exceptionally luxurious.”
“I have only been in here to clean it,” said Eleski.
Eridani stretched out. “It reminds me of the limo I took to prom.” She perked up and sniffed. “Did he put…? Is that cologne in the vents?”
Katsinki winced. “Affirmative. I detect traces of jasmine, a well-known aphrodisiac.”
“What a sleazebag!” said Eridani.
Eleski quietly sighed.
“Everyone ready?” asked Gretchen. She sounded loud and clear through the surround-sound speakers.
Eridani scanned the lounge for a microphone but found nothing of the sort. “Not even for karaoke?” she muttered, and she retrieved her phone. “That’s a little surprising.” She selected Gretchen from her list of contacts and typed in, “Yes.”
“There’s a comm system built into each of the sofa arms,” said Gretchen. “You can push one of the buttons on the side to talk to me.”
Eridani quickly found one. “Hey, Gretchen. Yes, we’re ready.”
“Good. Hold on tight!”
Moving slowly, the shuttle taxied out, and the launch rails rattled as they engaged. Warning lights flashed, and claxons blared. Hangar doors glided open, and the alarms fell silent.
“Nope,” said Eridani. “I don’t like this.” She gripped the couch and closed her eyes, jumping when she felt a hand rest gently against hers.
“It will be fine,” said Eleski, and she offered a reassuring smile. “You are perfectly safe.”
“Of course,” said Eridani. “Perfectly safe.”
“Ten seconds to launch,” said Gretchen.
“What troubles you?” asked Katsinki.
Eridani breathed out. “I don’t like roller coasters.”
“Ten… Nine… Eight… Seven…”
“This is a Starwind,” he said. “It is not a roller coaster.”
“Six… Five… Four…”
The launch rails hummed, and the catapult coupled with a loud clank. It clacked rapidly as it winched into place, and Eridani glanced his way. “Are you sure about that?”
“Three… Two… One… Here we go!” said Gretchen.
Sudden acceleration took hold, creating an instant of intense thrill as the launch mechanism flung the shuttle out amongst the stars. Eleski and Katsinki grinned and stifled laughter. Eridani remained completely silent.
The rush faded at last, and Eridani exhaled. As she leaned over her knees, Eleski soothed her back. “Water,” muttered Eridani, and Katsinki passed her an unopened pouch. She inserted the straw and sipped until her dizziness faded. At last, she got slowly to her feet.
“We should arrive at the space station in short order,” said Eleski. “While I am certain the deck plan displayed several images of Imperium, the opportunity to observe her directly is at hand.” She pointed at the canopy, toward the back of the shuttle.
Eridani looked to where she indicated and laid eyes on Imperium’s exterior for the first time.
Bathed in the soft, reflected light of Rhyon’s moon, silver glinted from the blades, the backswept arches, and the serrated edges extending from the sides of the vessel’s hull. A sloping procession of towers rose from her back. Crimson light seeped from thruster nacelles, and her auxiliary thrusters glowed light blue. Imperium’s bow resembled a hammerhead turned on its side, with sheets of reticulated steel that served as bowmaiden and armor. Painted in bands of burnt orange and white, the starship reminded Eridani of a lionfish.
“She’s beautiful,” whispered Eridani. “What’s in those towers? I couldn’t find any information about their contents in the deck plan.”
“Those towers are empty,” said Katsinki. “They are intended to confuse and distract the enemy when firing upon Imperium.”
Eridani gazed as the starship slowly receded. “What can you tell me about her history?”
“Imperium was commissioned by Gobthar as Excrucio,” said Eleski. “As you know, Husthar changed to her name to what it is now when he assumed ownership. As the current owner, you have the authority to submit another change of name, if you so desire.”
“No, I like Imperium,” said Eridani. “Please continue.”
Eleski nodded. “She suffered extensive damage during the Battle of Rocksaugh, but Husthar paid substantial rush fees to complete her restoration as rapidly as possible. As a result, Imperium was re-certified as a spaceworthy vessel four weeks ago.”
Eridani looked doubtful. “It only took a month to repair her? From what I remember seeing on the news feeds, she was virtually destroyed!”
“Husthar paid a lot of money,” said Katsinki. “In truth, I suspect Admiral Schurke may have assisted in the funding.”
“At least she’s young,” said Eridani. “I hope that means she’s resilient. Does she have weapons?”
Katsinki nodded. “She has armaments. Her primary weapon is known as a C-beam. It is a single, forward facing beam cannon capable of disrupting fundamental nuclear forces.”
“What does that mean?” asked Eridani.
“In summary, where the beam penetrates, it converts all matter within its field of effect into carbon,” said Katsinki. “In addition to the beam cannon, she contains eight rocket bays, though it is my understanding neither Gobthar nor Husthar ever purchased any ordnance. There are four unused outriggers capable of bearing heavy turrets.”
“It sounds like her primary weapon is her only weapon,” said Eridani.
“That is effectively correct,” said Katsinki.
“If you wish to arm the rocket bays, I am confident we will be able to purchase ordnance aboard the Black Doubloon,” said Eleski.
“I suppose it’s worth a shot,” said Eridani. “Let me know if you get any leads, okay?”
“Affirmative,” said Eleski.
Suddenly, the shuttle shook.
“What was that?” asked Eridani.
“It is landing control guiding our approach,” said Eleski. “There is no cause for alarm.”
Eridani fumed. “I’d be extremely grateful if even one person on this crew started telling me about things ahead of time!” As the vibrations subsided, she turned around to regard the space station. On the outwardly facing side of the ring, a hangar door scrolled open. Golden light splashed into the darkness.
Matching rotational speed, the Starwind pitched, yawed, and rolled until the vessel lined up with the landing bay. After a moment, dimly lit machinery zipped by, giving way to murky yellow light as the shuttle slowed to a stop. Docking clamps
engaged, and the hangar door locked into place below them.
Gretchen powered down the vessel, opened the airlocks, and dropped the cargo ramp. They all gathered at the foot of it. Shining upon the bay’s grimy exit door, a yellow lamp flickered in the corner as water dripped and streamed from the pipes built into the bulkheads. Drains lined the perimeter.
“No greeting crew?” asked Eridani.
Watchfully, Gretchen scanned their surroundings. “On the other side of that door, probably.” She regarded Eleski and Katsinki. “Time to put on your suits.”
“Affirmative,” they said in unison. Eleski and Katsinki surged in height and apparent muscle mass, until they stood taller than the exit door. Clad now in moistened, dark purple skin, each bore a single meaty tentacle for one arm. Twitching and writhing frantically, three smaller, serpentine appendages protruded from their shoulders, in place of the other arm. Enormous, asymmetrical heads crowned their hunched bodies, and thick, stubby tentacles extended from their beaks. Taking cues from one another, they manifested clothing and refined their individual details.
“You both look professional and terrifying,” said Eridani. “Well done.”
“Thank you,” said Katsinki, his voice low, wet, and resonant.
Gretchen passed Eleski a lockbox. “What is in here?” asked Eleski.
“Unmarked credit fobs,” said Gretchen. “For payment if we end up hiring anybody tonight. It’s keyed to the captain, so make sure you don’t try to give it to me to open.”
“I understand,” said Gretchen, and she pocketed the lockbox.
They crossed the deck, where Gretchen pulled open the door, and they stepped into a wide staging chamber lined with old tubes and crates. A bedraggled fellow staggered toward them. “Beware the… hic! Beware the beast that hides amongs us!” he slurred, and he belched long and loud. He raised an upside-down tankard toward Eridani and looked surprised to notice its inverted state. “Oh no,” he muttered, and he shook the stein.