“I doubt it. Whoever they are, they must be out there watching us. It’s too much of a coincidence,” said the commander.
“Sir, it was just one cruiser,” objected the man.
“That is all it takes to spy on someone. Prepare the fleet to move in three waves. Send scouts ahead to the beta rally point. If it’s clear, send most of the rest through the jump, but leave some ships behind in case the cruiser reappears.”
“And if it does?”
“Destroy it quickly. We can’t risk discovery,” said the commander.
The man nodded and left after that.
“I think we have used up more than our share of luck. Let’s go,” I sent.
She was reluctant, but followed me off the ship and back out into space. The fleet was continuing its search, but I expected that Master Dusty would be long gone by now.
We flew through space side by side for a while in silence, heading along the route that Nemesis should be on. What are you doing? I asked myself. I had spent my life alone and resigned to it; now I was neck-deep with these magi and developing a relationship with a female for the first time in my life. Why in the name of the Emperor would you tie yourself down like this?
“Thank you,” she sent.
“For what?” I asked.
“This has been the best day of my life,” she sent.
Yes, that’s why, I thought to myself, smiling. Maybe being tied down was not so bad after all.
It took a long while to catch up with Nemesis. I was impressed by how fast they could fly while cloaked. Their speed was much greater than I had ever seen achieved by any cloaked vessel. Once back on board, I told them about the conversation we’d overheard and then we searched the database that we had downloaded.
“Is it possible this was a coincidence, after all?” asked Jade as we worked.
“We are following a lead given to us by Henrick. I doubt if anything we see is a coincidence,” said Master Dusty.
“Looks like all we have so far is medical records,” I said.
“Nemesis, can you partition the data into two sections, one with the medical data and one with whatever else we have?” asked Saraphym.
I kept forgetting we had a spirit living inside a computer that could do this kind of task much faster than any person could.
“Sure!” he said and got to work.
“He is always so excited to help,” I privately sent to Saraphym.
“Nemesis spent his whole existence alone, hiding from everyone who wanted to destroy him, until Master Dusty and Master Spectra found him. He is happy to have a home now,” she sent back.
I smiled at that. “A bit like the rest of us misfits.”
“Yeah. I guess if you’re a cat married to a fish, you tend to have eccentric tastes in friends,” she sent back.
As Nemesis sorted the data, we dug into the nonmedical information, looking for anything of interest. “I found their flight log,” called out Jade.
“Great,” said Master Dusty. “Let’s overlay it onto the map.”
When their flight path was displayed, I said, “They are heading to the same destination and coming from the same station that we came from.”
“What?” asked Master Dusty.
“Master, they must have left that station before the attack, but their route is definitely the same as ours,” I said.
“So that kills the idea that this could have been a coincidental meeting,” said Jade to no one in particular.
“With Henrick, there are no coincidences,” said Master Dusty.
Chapter Twenty-Six
After leaving the fight at the bar, I found a hotel that asked no questions and prepared to hole up there for a while. I prepaid for a week’s stay and told them not to disturb me. They were used to clientele like me and were happy to oblige for a fee. The room was obviously used for the kind of client that was interested in renting the room by the hour instead of actually staying in it. It was just the kind of slum hole I grew up in, so that did not bother me at all.
I changed out of my armor and crashed in the bed to study the datapad. For three days I left the room only to buy food; the rest of the time I spent poring over the information in the pad. There was a great deal there concerning the history of my targets and their time in the Academy. Through their history, I was able to taste a little of what it must have been like to get into that prestigious school. I had never learned why my application was rejected; I assumed it was my criminal record, but no one ever heard back unless they were accepted.
Once I felt I had learned everything I could from the datapad, I erased it and tossed it in the recycling chute where it would be broken down into raw materials, guaranteeing that the erased information could not be retrieved.
The information I had was that they would be heading to a space station not far from where I had been dropped off, but this was a secret military outpost. I would not be able to gain access to it, but there was a major supply hub along the route they should be taking. There was a good chance they would stop there, either on the way out or on the way back. I just needed to find my way there.
I gathered the few belongings I had and headed down to the maintenance bays to see if anyone was hiring and found an older trade hauler parked in the bay with its engine covers removed. I took a chance and approached the foreman. “I hear you’re looking for a star-grade mechanic,” I said. I had no idea if there was even such a thing, but I had served on enough haulers to know my way around an engine.
“Star-grade, huh?” he asked. “What’s your price?”
“Not much; I need a ride to the hub. I assume you’re heading that way?” I asked.
“Yeah, but we don’t do passengers,” he said.
“Not a passenger; I’m offering to trade my skills as a mechanic for my passage,” I said.
“Tell you what: if you get those engines running before the station crew gets here to fix them, you’ve got yourself a deal,” he said.
“Sounds fair,” I said. I figured I had plenty of time before the station got around to helping them. They were too small a ship to warrant any real effort from the dockhands.
I looked over the engine and couldn’t see anything wrong at first, so I started dissembling it with the tools I found nearby. Once I’d removed a few parts, it became painfully obvious what the issue was: the exhaust ports were packed solid with carbon and other grime. They would take some time to clean, but at least I did not actually have to be a star-grade mechanic to fix them.
I worked for several hours on each of the four main exhaust ports. As I worked, a young male human came up and was watching me very closely. “You got a name?” I growled at him.
“Yeah, Feron,” he said.
“Look, I don’t do shows. If you’re going to hang around, I’m going to put you to work,” I said. I had hoped that would run him off.
“Sure. What can I do?” he asked.
“Grab that black pipe there, and clean it until it is shiny and silver,” I said.
As we worked, I explained to him some of the basics of engines; it prevented any awkward silence. “All engines, no matter how fancy or simple, have several key systems. To work on any of them, you just have to find the parts and tackle each one separately,” I said and walked over to the fuel tank. “You have the fuel system, which in this case is a chemical fuel. From there, the fuel is fed into the engine core.
“Once the fuel is in the engine core, a reaction takes place which accelerates particles, which move on to the next system, which are the thrusters. They channel the particles out the back of the ship, which pushes the craft forward.”
“I get it, but what about the waste?” he asked.
“The waste is our problem today. The slower-moving particles that make up the waste are pushed out of the exhaust system, which has a tendency to get dirty. Once it is clogged, the exhaust can’t get out of the way fast enough for the next reaction to happen, so you have a l
oss of power. ”
“Doesn’t all of that get hot, though?” he asked.
“Sure, and that heat becomes the fuel for the system that creates power for the ship’s computers, light, and other electrical systems. That works on the same basic principle of fuel, reaction, power, and exhaust. Those four parts are the key to every normal space engine ever created.”
To my surprise, he was a hard worker and did the filthy job without complaint. With his help, I was able to get the four secondary exhaust ports cleared in half the time the primary ones had taken. Then we reassembled the engine and I fired it up in a diagnostic mode. “Now, we are just about finished with these parts, so let’s run some tests and see what kind of progress we’ve made.”
The foreman walked over while I was running the tests. “Thirteen per cent efficiency? Those engines have not been running at over five in a year. I guess you weren’t bluffing after all.”
Thirteen per cent efficiency didn’t seem like much to be proud of, but I was not going to say that. “So we’ve got a deal?”
“Yeah. You and the boy will work in the engine room. We leave in an hour,” he said and walked off.
“I guess you’re hired, too,” I said.
“Good thing, since that’s my dad,” said Feron, grinning.
“Great,” I said and put the rest of the engine back together. “I guess we’d better get on board and find out what I’m going to be dealing with.”
“Pretty much more of what you saw out here,” he said.
“Show me,” I said.
On board the craft, he led me to the engine room and started pointing out various controls and relays that were all jammed or broken due to lack of maintenance. “We’ve had no one down here in years. I’m a bit surprised she still flies.”
“You seem to know a thing or two,” I said, “so why don’t you take care of it?”
“They don’t usually let me down here,” he said.
“Oh?” I asked.
“Yeah. I guess I’m too young or something. Nobody ever told me why,” he said.
I found a place to stow my bag and hang up a makeshift hammock. “I think I’ll just stay down here.”
“Might as well. There are no bunks available anywhere else,” he said.
Once we were in space, I started working on prioritizing the repairs the ship would need. Feron was a great help, since he knew a lot about what was broken already. I figured I would start with all the parts that just needed cleaning and hope that would carry me all the way to my stop.
“Okay, Feron, if all goes well we should be able to get to at least twenty or twenty-five per cent efficiency by the time we make port. If we pull that off, then I will tell them that I’ve trained you so that you can take over after I leave. You just make sure that foreman leaves me alone and that I am well fed. Deal?”
“Deal,” he said with a big grin.
I didn’t know if the crew would follow my recommendation, but at least I had someone to help me who was small enough to climb into the tighter places to clean them. I suspected he knew more about engines than I did, which was a bonus.
The trip to the hub took a couple of weeks, and we worked ten- or twelve-hour shifts every day. I took time to explain to him some of the parts of the engine that he did not know, and showed him where in the engine’s database he could find the repair guides that would get him through most of the trouble he could expect out here.
He never once tried to teach me anything that he knew, nor did he ever tell me to skip over material which he obviously already understood. Occasionally the foreman would look in on us, but Feron would just smile, wave and look extra busy until he’d left. Feron kept his part of the bargain and made sure I was left alone and had enough to eat. I never left the engine room and had no desire to meet the crew of the hauler. I had met too many hauler crews over the years to want to deal with another one. Usually they were fiercely loyal to each other, and hated outsiders with a passion.
When we finally made port at the hub, the captain and several of his officers came down to speak to me as I was packing up.
“So you’re the one that fixed us up?” asked the captain.
“Yes, sir,” I said. “She needs a lot more work, but I have trained Feron here. He can carry on in my place.”
“You sure we can’t convince you to stay on a bit longer? This ship has not run this well in a decade,” he said.
“I have some things I need to handle at this stop, and I don’t know how long it will take. Besides, Feron here is an excellent worker, and you should see continued improvements as he works through the necessary repairs,” I said.
The captain looked over at Feron, who was doing his best not to beam with pride, and then back at me. “All right, have it your way; but if you change your mind, come find us.”
Once they were gone I turned to Feron. “Don’t know if that did any good, but I hope so.”
“You tried, at least; no one else would have,” he said.
“Hey, I meant what I said. You can do this, so suck it up and get back to work,” I said and left him before he could argue.
On the way out, the foreman stopped me and said, “You know, I figured you were bluffing when you signed up, and I had my kid watch over you the whole trip, figuring sooner or later you would slip up. Guess I was wrong. But tell me, do you really believe what you told the captain about him?”
I noticed that several of the crew were wandering around, listening in. “He is smart, he knows the basics, and I left him with instructions on how to continue the repairs you need. All he needs is a chance and for someone to have a little confidence in him, and he will be a great engineer.”
With that I walked away. I was not interested in continuing the conversation, but as I walked away I felt good. I knew that helping that boy get a start was the right thing to do, and I did it. For the first time in as long as I could remember I had done something right.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
“Tea, my love?” asked Kellyn.
“I am hurt!” I said in a false pained tone. “I thought you loved me!”
She chuckled, handed me a mug of my favorite coffee and snuggled in with me.
I felt a shift in power nearby and said, “Shadow and Flame will be here soon.”
“Oh!” She jumped up and started picking things up. “I really wish you would give me more warning!”
“Then you would just fret for longer. Really, the place looks fine,” I said, knowing the effort was pointless. I had long ago given up trying to prevent her from striving to make the place look perfect for company. Instead, I just found a place to sit and drink my coffee out of her way. Sitting there, watching her tidy up, my mind drifted to Dusty and his team. I knew they were on the edge of something which would once again shift the balance of power in our realm, but I had to let things play out. Any interference from me could make things much worse.
“Come in, Shadow,” I sent as I felt them approach.
Shadow opened the door and said, “Hello, Grandmaster.”
Then, as Flame walked in, Kellyn exclaimed, “Congratulations!”
I turned to ask what she meant, but Flame cried, “You mean it?” and then they were hugging and crying. I looked to Shadow but he seemed just as confused as I was.
“When?” asked Flame.
“Oh, you are not very far along yet. I would say they will arrive in a little more than eight months,” said Kellyn.
“Wait … eight months … do you mean?” exclaimed Shadow.
“Yes, Shadow, you’re going to be a daddy!” exclaimed Flame.
“But h-how … ?” he stuttered.
“Now, surely you know how children are made,” chided Kellyn.
“No, I mean … yes, of course, but how can you tell?” asked Shadow.
“I can see their life forces growing in her womb,” said Kellyn, and then she and Flame wandered off, making all kinds of plans and talking
far too rapidly for me to keep up.
I walked over and guided the very surprised Shadow into a chair. “Well, congratulations.”
“Thank you, Grandmaster, but now what?” he asked.
“What do you mean?” I asked.
“How does one prepare for something like this?” he asked.
I laughed and said, “You cannot. Just embrace it and you will be fine. You two will make great parents.”
Suddenly something struck him, and he said, “Will Kellyn be able to do the delivery?”
I laughed. “Do you think I could stop her?”
He smiled. “Good point.”
“I will be on hand also. You just need to relax and be her husband.” I understood his concern. Flame was a very powerful pyromancer, and the stronger the magus, the higher the potential for uncontrolled power to be released chaotically during a time like labor.
“Relax, yes,” he said.
Before we could continue the conversation I felt a presence. “It appears that Mantis is also coming to visit.”
“Officially? Should I leave?” asked Shadow.
“Yes, I am sure it’s an official visit, but please stay,” I said. I sensed that he was bringing bad news. “Come,” I sent to Mantis.
Mantis appeared, looking exactly as he did the very first day I had met him over a half a century previously, wearing the same floppy hat, grey beard, and impossibly colorful purple robe. “Hello, old friend.” There was a sadness in his voice that I had heard much too often lately. “And Shadow! You have the look of someone with news.”
“Well, nothing major, just that Master Kellyn has informed us that Flame is pregnant,” he said, beaming.
Mantis smiled. “That is great news! Congratulations!”
“Ale?” I asked, offering Mantis the warm, spiced drink that I knew he loved.
“Thank you, I think I will.” He took a long draft and then sighed. “I hate to have to bring this message on such a joyous day.”
“I understand. I was expecting it,” I said. “Time continues its march forward without any care for those trapped in it.”
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