by TR Cameron
“I’ve never seen a pool table on a ship this size.”
“Sometimes it’s the only thing that keeps me sane. We’ll have to play for money. I’m really not that good.”
He laughed. “Yeah, right. I’m sure of it.”
She headed for the next doorway. “And finally, training.” She led him into a room with exercise machines attached to the walls and a wide-open space in the middle.
He nodded. “Nice. I can see why you’re proud of her.”
Cia grinned. “She’s the best.” Her wristcomm buzzed. “And it’s time for us to get up front again. We’re ready to jump.”
Chapter Fourteen
The jump worked as it was designed to, instantly transporting them from one spot in the universe to another without worrying about the whole “in-between” part. Several very smart people had tried to explain the physics behind it to Jax on multiple occasions, and while he’d grinned and nodded, he didn’t understand it. He’d decided early on not to let that disturb him. If something went wrong in a jump, there was nothing he could do to make it better. Besides, as far as anyone knew, you were dead and gone before you were aware of the problem.
The nav computer had given them a flight duration of a little over two hours before they’d need to be back in their seats for the descent to Surya. The initial clearances with the Confederacy frigate stationed at the edge of the system had already been handled, along with a promise to permit a full inspection on the ground before disembarking.
With time to kill, Cia had revealed some food she’d stolen at breakfast, and they’d made sausage and egg sandwiches with it. Then she said, “Teach me something.”
He laughed. “What?”
She shrugged. “Whatever. What do you think is most important?”
“That’s a profound question.” He thought about the mission at hand, in which they were basically glorified couriers. If a negotiation was on the docket, he might have been able to give her some pointers on playing mind games on the other side, but since all was already arranged, that didn’t seem like a useful option. But what if things go sideways? Maybe we should work on combat skills. “How are you at knife-fighting?”
Cia grinned. “Now we’re talking.”
It took the ship’s 3-D printer in the workshop area only a few minutes to make two safe practice knives from flexible plastic, and they headed into the training space. He instructed her in the basics of how to hold the weapon reversed along the forearm to allow for both stabs and slashes, and how to quickly transition it into a straight-on grip. They practiced that maneuver while they warmed up, circling one another slowly.
He asked, “So, do you know anything about this job that I don’t? Or are we just simple delivery people?”
She shook her head. “Not a thing. That’s how the Professor works.” He thrust the knife at her face, and she flinched back to avoid it. Then, with a grin, she said. “Oh, so that’s how it is. Okay, bring it.”
He circled again and feinted once, stamping his foot on the floor. She responded unexpectedly, showing the aggressiveness he’d seen when she was fighting others by slipping toward him instead of away and dipping to stab upward at his groin. He lifted a foot to block the knife, then pivoted on his support leg and tapped the side of her face with the laces.
Cia retreated with a scowl. “Okay, your feet are dangerous.”
“No, all feet are dangerous. I noticed you prefer to move in close, which isn’t a bad idea, but you tend to stay there. Unless you can get around to your opponent’s back, closing the distance won’t help. Knees and elbows will damage you as much as or more than fists and feet.” She nodded with a look of concentration like she was recording the advice in her mental database for later. He asked, “Have you done these sorts of runs before?”
“Yes, once or twice.” This time, rather than waiting for him to initiate, she stepped left and then dashed right, looking to take advantage of his weak side. Long training had largely eliminated any such disadvantage, but it was a clever move nonetheless. He let her get close and dropped into a sudden spinning sweep to cut her legs out from under her. When his heel failed to connect during the moment his eyes were off her, he dove aside. His roll was barely in time to avoid the knife that stabbed down into the deck where his support hand had been.
He rolled up to his feet, wearing a grin. “Nice move. I didn’t see that coming at all. So, you’ve got unarmed experience, clearly.”
She nodded. “We were trained in several martial arts growing up. ‘Builds character,’ my father liked to declare whenever we complained. It’s proven useful from time to time.” She spun the knife in her hand and moved into a back stance, ready to defend.
Jax said, “Tell me about your last courier gig, then.” He stepped in and sliced at her front arm. She drew it back and tried to stab him as he broke off the attack. He didn’t mention the part where his prosthetic limb would give him an advantage since he could easily take a cut there in exchange for one that would do actual damage to his foe.
She growled, “A lot like this.” She shuffled forward, and he moved back the same amount. He had her just about where he wanted her. “The Professor paired me with some random jerkwad and sent us to pick something up.” He slowed imperceptibly so she could close the distance. “Everything went fine.” Cia jumped inside his guard, giving in to the temptation he’d been offering. She brought the knife around from outside to slash at his torso, and he snagged her wrist as it passed. She had the presence of mind to scrape at it with the blade, but by then he was pulling her in for a knee strike to her sternum that would have taken her out of the battle.
Cia dropped the knife. “Right. Quit depending on getting close. Good lesson. Jerkwad.”
He snorted in amusement. “I think this would be the moment the Professor might remind you that all learning is valuable or something like that.” She made an obscene gesture at him, and he laughed harder.
She headed forward with a parting jab. “Jerkwads shower second, and they only get cold water.”
A thick shroud of clouds blocked any useful view of the surface of Surya during their approach. He’d checked out the place ahead of time, as he would any world he was visiting. The haze was constant and unchanging, and without it, the radiation from the nearby star would cook the inhabitants. Incoming ships circled their way down to avoid any chance of creating a hole in the protective layer.
In practice, that meant getting down to the surface took longer than it would have on any other world he’d ever visited. Finally, though, they landed in the spaceport outside the capital city. They’d dressed in clothes appropriate for independent traders before leaving the Academy, and those passed muster without question. He thought he cut a pretty good figure in the tight black pants, bright blue tunic, and black leather jacket. Cia had chosen an almost identical outfit, except her tunic was bright red. Both of them wore civilian sidearms, or so it appeared. In truth, they were more advanced than most military gear. The pilot had explained that the Professor didn’t like to send his people out defensively unprepared.
The Confederacy officials looked bored as they wandered the ship, opening every hatch and cabinet along the way. When they were finished, the one in charge handed her a tablet and a stylus. “Sign here to indicate you’re aware that any attempt to traffic in contraband will see you and your partner here executed.” Jax lifted an eyebrow while she signed and the inspectors headed off, presumably to harass the crew of another ship.
“What’s that all about?” he asked.
Cia shrugged. “They’re pretty serious about black-market trading, at least officially. Unofficially, I’ve been told that there are some who can be bribed.”
He nodded. “Told, you say.”
She frowned. “Yes, told. My family doesn’t do business with people like that. Neither do I.”
He stifled his first astonished comeback because of the severe look on her face. “Wait, you’re serious?”
“Completely.”
“I thought all traders had to color outside the lines, so to speak, now and again.”
She pointed to the hatch. “Go. And no, some of us do things the right way.”
He climbed down the stairs that had been rolled up to the ship. “So, you’re saying that it’s never okay to break the rules? What about bending them a little?”
Cia sighed. “Not in trading. Rules are rules, and ultimately, all you have to bring to the next deal to make it happen is your reputation for keeping your word. I’m surprised it’s not the same in your occupation. There are policies and procedures for everything, right?”
His brain replied, Sweetheart, rules are guidelines at best. Sometimes you do what you have to do to get the job done and let that nonsense slide. But most of him understood where she was coming from. He’d had a similar perspective until experience had beaten it out of him. Apparently that was one hill she had yet to climb. Out loud, he said, “Let’s put a pin in that. We’ll have plenty of time to discuss it on the way home after the mysterious package we’ve been sent to get is safely in our hands.”
He started humming as they walked toward the door. Cia frowned and asked, “Is that the song from those old Impossible Mission movies?”
Jax grinned. “It’s Mission Impossible. And maybe.”
Her voice dripped with sarcastic scorn. “You’re. Doing. Your own. Theme music.”
He laughed. “Maybe.”
Cia rolled her eyes. “Jerkwad.” But she was smiling and relaxed again, the tension the previous conversation had generated no longer present. Impossible Mission accomplished.
Chapter Fifteen
The spaceport was at the edge of the developed parts of the city, and their destination was somewhere in the middle. They followed the signage to a maglev train and bought tickets. The interior was plush and comfortable, with seats of various sizes to accommodate the bodies of humans and members of the alien coalition alike. It had been a long while since Jax had been in a place that wasn’t human-centric—for any reason other than combat anyway—and it looked strange to his eyes. He adopted a neutral expression that wouldn’t reveal his thoughts, one he’d worn on countless infiltration missions in the past.
Cia didn’t seem affected. She led him rearward from their entry point, and they found a pair of seats isolated from the other passengers. The car was only about half full, so it wasn’t difficult to do. She sat in the window seat and he twisted to face her, both to look out at the passing scenery and to be able to speak quietly. “Have you been here before?”
She shrugged. “Not this planet, as far as I can remember. In the family business, we traveled a lot. Most of the Confederacy cities have a similar feel to them. Could be it’s in the assumptions incorporated into their design or something.”
He chuckled. “Or maybe the people who formed the Confederacy wanted to be sure they were doing everything differently from the place they’d left, on general principles.”
“Could be.” She looked out the window and lowered her voice. “So, you seem worried. Is there a reason for that?”
“Worried isn’t the right word. Wary is a better one. I don’t have any cause to think things won’t proceed as the Professor said they would, but my, uh, life experience tells me there’s a significant chance that any given situation might spiral out of control unexpectedly.”
“Including this one.” It was a statement, not a question.
“Right. I didn’t set it up, so there’s no way I’m going to trust it.”
She chuckled. “So, if you don’t do it personally, it’s suspect?”
He nodded. “Of course.”
She twisted to look at him and asked, “You’re serious?”
Jax stared at her and repeated, “Of course. Are you telling me you’re comfortable with the situation we’re headed into just because someone you think you trust planned it?”
Cia frowned. “Not completely, no. But yes, I trust the Professor.”
“Do you trust everyone who works for him?”
“No. How could I? I don’t know everyone who works for him.”
He nodded. “Logical. Now, are you certain it was the Professor who set this up? Personally?”
He saw resistance to the ideas he was pushing on her flicker across her face. After several seconds she replied, “No. I can’t be positive about that.”
Jax shrugged. “See? Even when our first inclination is to believe, we need to ask more questions. Eventually we wind up at a place where we can’t be sure. So, no, not worried, but wary.”
“Okay, let me ask you something, then. How do you know the jobs you’re given are right?” He heard “orders” where she said jobs because they were both being careful not to reveal too much to any ears that might be listening. He wouldn’t put it past the Confederacy intelligence services to have bugged the trains. To be fair, he wouldn’t put it past the Alliance intelligence services to do the same on the planets they controlled.
“There are checks and balances built into the system.”
“Ones that you’re not personally privy to. An idea goes in at the top, makes its way through the process, and comes out at the bottom to be handed off to you.”
He frowned. He hadn’t thought of it in those terms before, but it wasn’t an inaccurate assessment. He imagined the military hierarchy probably wouldn’t like hearing it described that way, though. “Fair enough. Lacks a little detail.” He smiled to show he wasn’t offended.
She nodded and grinned back, but the air of serious inquiry didn’t leave her. “So, you believe in the jobs because you trust the system, even though you don’t know all the working parts. I feel the same way about what the Professor tells me to do.”
“Can’t argue with that, but I will say this: I’m wary about all the jobs, not just this one. And you might want to be, too. The two can coexist.”
Cia shook her head. “You can’t simultaneously trust and not trust.”
He chuckled. “Well, I’ll admit it requires a level of suspicion bordering on paranoia sometimes, but it’s possible. The way I explain it to my teammates is that we’ll hope for the best—that the information is correct—while at the same time preparing for the possibility that it might not be.”
She sighed. “I hear what you’re saying, but I’m not sure I’m cut out to live like that.”
“Nothing wrong with that.” A noise at the front of the car caught his attention, and a pair of uniformed Confederacy officers entered through the door from the next car forward. They sauntered down the aisle, talking, then took a seat about halfway back. He raised an eyebrow.
Cia gave a small eye roll. “Coincidences happen.”
“Hoping for the best.” He turned in his seat to face the front of the car and yawned. “In any case, looks like we’ve only got about ten more minutes until we reach our stop. Going to rest a bit.” He closed his eyes and considered the details of the mission ahead. Hope for the best, but plan for reality to screw it up.
They disembarked at an unremarkable station and took the escalator down to street level. The area was a mix of residential and commercial buildings with colorful facades and inconsistent styles, with the maglev track acting as a chasm between structures that rose skyward on either side. Jax looked around in appreciation. “Impressive, given that the Confederacy is only a century or so old.”
Cia nodded. “They had a pretty solid head start on everything, compared to your average colonists, though.” The mass exodus had included people from all walks of life, some of them the UCCA’s leading scientific minds. They’d also made off with all the resources the departing group could lay their hands on legally or otherwise, the most valuable being a number of military ships. The history books he’d read said they were in the wrong, but he’d always taken that with a large grain of sea salt. I bet their books say something different and are no more objectively true than ours.
The move had been a total surprise to the Alliance, which was all that allowed the newborn Confed
eracy to survive. The government was modeled after one on Earth, with a ruling monarch advised by a representative parliament. Judging by the prosperity he saw in every direction, it was going nicely. His wristcomm fed data to his glasses, which had turned dark in the bright haze that crept through the cloud layer above and provided a solid yellow line leading toward his destination.
Jax observed, “Seems like they’re doing well on this planet.”
“Agree. Most of the Confederacy worlds I can recall being on had that appearance. Of course, maybe they don’t let visitors land on the ones that aren’t as successful.”
He chuckled. “Good point.” They passed a trio of green-skinned humanoids walking in the opposite direction, and he frowned at their backs as he took a second look. They appeared human other than their coloring but clearly hadn’t been raised on any of the colonies he was aware of. He shrugged and refocused ahead. Their destination was only three buildings away. He leaned over and spoke softly. “We’re going to go past, then cross the street to check if anyone’s following us.” His glasses had given him a 270-degree view thanks to cameras on the temples, but it was always possible that someone with significant skill at surveillance was on their tail. He led her through the maneuver, crossing quickly, then stopping to read a restaurant menu on the other side.
Nothing hit his radar as a danger. “Okay. Let’s head inside.”
Cia took the lead as they strode to the building and entered through a screen door. The shop was filled with strange odds and ends, and the old woman on the high stool behind the counter looked to be at least eighty, though healthy in her wrinkled grayness. His partner asked, “Do you have a package here for the Professor? He said you’d be waiting for us.”