by Elin Wyn
“Sorry. What does…‘capisce’…mean?”
The corner of her mouth tugged ever so slightly upwards into a grin, but she managed to hold it back. “It means, do you understand?”
“Ah. Then I capisce.”
“Fine. I’m going to crawl out of the service hatch that’s behind you and go back into the station. I think it’s too small for you, so if you get stuck, well… that’s what happens if you insist on following me,” she said as she reached for her bag. “Your choice.”
I nodded and began to leave. “Hey,” she called to me. “Giving up so soon?”
I looked back at her. “I own this thing, I don’t have to sneak around.” I gave her a quick salute. “Hope you enjoy the exercise.”
I walked away and made my way down. I was pretty sure that if she had a firearm, she would have shot me as I did.
Probably.
I punched in my code at the door, walked off the ship, and made my way to the end of the dock where a small food vendor was set up. I bought two bottles of Gevvukian juice—a carbonated fruit drink that the women had said was similar to something called ‘soda’—two twist-breads, and a big bag of jerky. I paid, gave the vendor an extra credit as a tip, then sauntered back down the dock to the ship.
I leaned against a light post not far away and waited.
I could hardly contain myself as I watched her tiny form ease around the side of the ship as she made her way across the outer hull. She had some gumption, and skill, that was certain.
But my mind raced, throwing up plans only to discard them. If she fell, that was it. We would never be able to save her from falling through the atmo-shield, yet she still methodically climbed her way around.
The bag of jerky crunched in my hand as I watched her, holding my breath, willing her not to fall.
By the time she dropped down to the dock, I had myself back under control. Relaxing, I nibbled on the twist-bread. I smiled and offered her the other bread and drink.
“You look like you could use this.”
That glare really was growing on me.
Aryn
“You really don’t need to be out here with me,” I said to Kovor. “I’ve been fine the last three nights. You don’t need to stick your neck out.” I couldn’t shake the feeling that he thought this was just a game.
There’d be real consequences if the wrong person figured out what we were up to.
“Of course I do,” Kovor said dismissively. “I couldn’t allow a lovely young woman like yourself to dive headfirst into the seedy areas of the station alone. My upstanding sense of chivalry wouldn’t allow it.”
“Oh, is that it?” I snorted.
“We need a cover story.” Kovor and I walked side by side into the station center. Music was flowing, street vendors were lined up, sending delicious smells into the air, and women were already eyeing Kovor.
This time he didn’t appear to notice them. Nice to see he had at least a tiny amount of professionalism.
“Why would we?” I asked.
“In case we’re questioned,” Kovor replied.
“Why would we be questioned?”
Kovor pretended like I hadn’t said anything at all. “Let’s be lovers having a night of romance out on the town.” He gestured with a dramatic sweep of one arm while reaching for my hand with the other.
I sidestepped out of reach and he sighed dramatically.
“You’ve already blown our cover. I thought you’d be better at this.”
“If you insist on having a cover, it has to be one that allows us to blend in,” I insisted. “We can’t be groping one another and moaning with delight.”
“I was thinking we could hold hands and look moony-eyed at each other. But if it’s groping and groaning you want, I’ll happily oblige.” He flashed a dazzling smile and winked.
I rolled my eyes, but that didn’t stop the blush from rising in my cheeks. Thankfully, it was dark, so Kovor wouldn’t see. He might be an obnoxious rich boy who didn’t know his ass from his elbow, but there was no denying that he was handsome.
And thoughtful.
And… I reeled myself back in. “We don’t need a cover story. If someone tries to talk to us, just keep your mouth shut and let me answer,” I said sternly.
“If you insist,” Kovor threw up his hands and sighed. “Walk me through your progress so far.”
“I have a system.” I shoved my hands deeper into my pockets. It wasn’t very crowded this evening. My chances of slipping away from Kovor in a crowd were slim, especially since he was taller than almost everyone else in the station center and would spot me easily.
“Care to elaborate?” He leaned in closer to me when he spoke. I shifted away from him.
“Not particularly,” I replied.
“I’m not going to follow you around all night without a clue as to what you’re planning,” Kovor replied.
“You didn’t have a problem with that last night,” I replied coolly.
“I was almost robbed!” Kovor laughed.
“Were you? I thought you had them well in hand.” I looked over my shoulder and smirked at him.
Kovor let my comment roll right off his back. “We’re partners in this now. You’re going to have to fill me in,” he repeated.
“Fine.” I stopped short. Kovor almost ran into me. “I’ve been working in small circles starting in the station center and working farther toward the outside of this dome with every circle.”
“Why circles?” Kovor asked.
“It gives me more than a snapshot of an area. When I circle, I can see the same area from different angles in a series of moments,” I explained. “Straight line is too obvious, makes it too easy to miss something.”
“Makes sense,” he nodded. “And you start from the station center every time?”
I nodded in response.
“There are several other domes. How do you know the group that’s hunting us operates under this one?” He squinted up at the curved amber dome above is. From here, it was possible to see the honeycomb structure of it. I wondered, not for the first time, what it was made out of. Though that knowledge would serve Maris far better than it would serve me. I couldn’t build anything to save my life.
I’d left Maris out of my plans for the same reason I’d left everyone else out. Maris was like a sister to me. If I discovered anything and she ended up hurt because of it, I’d never forgive myself. She’d nearly died to save my life.
She was all I had. I’d rather die than put her in harm’s way.
“We have to start somewhere, and here we are. First, we have to examine what we know about this group,” I began, when it looked like he was actually listening. “We know for certain that it’s tied to the auctions and it’s tied to the bounty hunting business.”
“Right,” Kovor nodded.
“Now, we have to consider what we know about Qasar Station. For one, it doesn’t have the overt culture of low morals the way Katzul does. Every city has a seedy underbelly, however, Katzul takes pride in flaunting theirs,” I continued.
“That’s why it was so easy to get information about the auctions,” Kovor added.
“Exactly. Here, the station’s internal security is more of a presence.” I looked at the six station guards visible on patrol in the station center.
Kovor followed my gaze, seeing what I saw. “Additionally, a large percentage of the residents are temporary and shelling out all of their funds to afford repairs. The odds of someone having enough money to shop for an exotic alien girl on the side are slim and there’s no way to predict when such a customer will be on the station.”
“Not sustainable for such a business,” Kovor chimed in.
“Exactly. If auctions do, in fact, take place here, they are few and far between. Now, let’s examine the bounty hunting aspect of this.” I urged Kovor forward.
If we stood still for too long, we’d stick out. The best way to blend in was to do what everyone else was doing. In this case, it
was strolling casually and enjoying the sights.
“This doesn’t seem like a great place for a bounty hunting ring to operate, either,” Kovor commented. I tapped his arm, discreetly urging him to veer toward the small path on our right. I hadn’t checked that one yet.
“All those ships in and out, bringing people, information, goods? Easy to book passage on a cargo ship,” I reminded him. “But still, Qasar is out of the way,” I rubbed my eyes. “It’s not impossible. There’s too much we don’t know.”
I scanned the buildings as I talked to Kovor, watching people, how they moved, what areas they avoided.
“You’ve really thought this through, haven’t you?” Kovor asked.
“You have no idea,” I replied absently. “You agree that a bounty hunting business is more sustainable than an exotic alien auction business, yes?”
“Yes,” Kovor replied.
“And that this group dabbles in both auctions and bounty hunting?”
“Yes,” he repeated.
“So, you’d agree with me when I say that a group that already dabbles in multiple businesses likely dabbles in other, smaller ventures to keep the two larger business afloat?” I prompted.
“Makes sense,” Kovor nodded. “What smaller ventures?”
“Ventures might not be the right term,” I shrugged. “I mean things like pickpocketing, petty theft, small scale scams, and the like. Small crimes that don’t leave a big trail but have a decent payoff.” A flash of movement caught my eye. I looked at dark corner between two buildings, ready to move if need be. But it was only a tipsy couple, giggling and groping at each other where they thought no one could see them.
“That’s a logical assumption, but it doesn’t explain why you’ve targeted this area.” Kovor steered back to his question.
“The other domes are industrial. Permanent workshops with permanent workers. Steal from them more than once, they’re going to catch on. But here? With so many people coming and going, the odds are a target will have departed before they realize something’s missing from their possessions. Most people would assume they’d lost whatever trinket while they were out.”
“It concerns me how much you know about this sort of thing,” Kovor said.
“Some of us had to get creative to make ends meet,” I replied.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Kovor asked.
“Don’t feign ignorance,” I snorted. “It’s no secret that you come from a cushy life. I don’t expect you to know how everyone else makes a living.”
“You don’t know anything about me,” Kovor said, his voice low.
My tongue turned into a wet lump of concrete as I tried to make myself apologize. For a brief moment, I cursed my stubbornness. In the end, I let the conversation drop.
We walked in silence for a long while, which is what I’d wanted in the first place.
Didn’t know why it didn’t make me happy now.
Chattiness drew attention. Explaining my method to Kovor was fine, since we were still in a highly populated area. Now, I led us farther and farther away from the station center and into the grimier areas.
The neighborhood we’d entered was run down, even more so than the one I’d picked through last night before I had to rescue Kovor. Hardly anyone was on the streets. Those who were, moved the way I did, even steps, head down.
Kovor walked with his shoulders squared and his head held high. He stood out like a sore thumb. I was about to correct him when I spied it out of the corner of my eye. The mark from the bounty hunter, crudely scratched into a metal door.
It’d be easy to dismiss it as graffiti, as a random doodle, if you hadn’t seen it before.
“Kovor.” I tugged on his coat sleeve and pointed.
“We have to tell Dejar.” He turned around to walk back to the ship, but I lingered.
“I want to go inside.”
Kovor stopped dead in his tracks. He took in a deep breath before turning around to face me. “If we go in there and something bad happens, no one will know where we are. No one will come to help us,” he explained. “I’ve been fine with humoring you thus far-”
“Humoring me?” I sputtered.
“I came along to make sure you didn’t get in over your head,” Kovor replied. “Do I have to carry you back to the ship myself?”
“You can’t keep threatening me with that,” I replied.
“I will if that’s what works.” He flashed one of those charming, evil grins. “I suspect I’d even enjoy it.”
Kovor
“I still don’t see why we have to get the captain involved,” Aryn said as I dragged her down to Dejar’s office.
“How can you not see why?” I said over my shoulder. “They need to know, Aryn.”
“The more people involved, the harder it is to remain unnoticed,” she replied.
“What is it with you and wanting to sneak about so badly?”
I didn’t know Aryn well at all. Since she came aboard, we might’ve said three words to each other up until last night.
However, I had noticed that she didn't like to leave any trace of herself. She moved from room to room like a specter. I still couldn’t believe she’d figured out on her own a way to leave the ship. Crawling through the service vents. Really.
“It’s easier.” She didn’t meet my gaze when she spoke. Clearly, there was more to her than she let on, but that wasn’t something I could focus on right now.
Right now, I needed her to tell Dejar and Aavat what she knew.
Later would be a different matter.
I entered the office without knocking. As usual, Dejar was hunched over his desk, looking at screens, sorting through possible jobs. Aavat leaned with his back against the wall, looking surly.
“Do you need something, Kovor?” Dejar asked without looking up.
“No, but Aryn here has something she wants to tell both of you.” Dejar and Aavat looked from me to Aryn and back again.
Aryn yanked her arm out of my grip with a scowl.
“Is something the matter?” Dejar asked Aryn, looking between us worriedly.
“Nothing, sir,” Aryn replied.
“Aryn.” I pressed my fingertips into the bridge of my nose. “If you don’t tell them, I will. Don’t make this difficult.”
“But that’s what I’m good at.” She batted her eyes at me. How could a creature so pretty be such a pain in the hurg?
“Aryn,” Dejar said, his voice sharper this time.
“I found something when I was walking around the station,” she muttered quickly.
“When you were what?” Aavat pushed off the wall and stalked over.
“Aryn has been taking little unauthorized field trips.” Something in my gut urged me to stand between Aavat and Aryn, even though it was completely irrational.
Aavat would never hurt her. Besides, I knew her. I folded my arms across my chest and stepped in front of the door just in case she decided to make a run for it.
“You left the Rogue Star without permission? How?” Aavat demanded.
Aryn didn’t say anything, so I gave her a nudge.
“You have to tell them,” I urged.
“The service vents,” she mumbled. “I crawled through the service vents.”
Aavat’s expression looked somewhere between outraged and impressed. I understood how he felt.
It was the same way I felt every time I looked at Aryn.
“Why did you leave? You know we’re being targeted. Do you realize the danger you’ve put us in? What if you were followed?” Dejar pushed away from his desk and began to pace the room.
“We should leave you here and let you fend for yourself,” Aavat snarled.
Aryn paled, but her chin rose, lips pressed together. She wouldn’t beg, and this wasn’t the way to get her to cooperate.
“Hold on a moment,” I spoke up. “Aryn hasn’t told you everything yet.” I nodded for her to continue, hoped that she wouldn’t pick now to show how stubborn she could be.
“I know we’re being targeted. That’s why I’ve been sneaking out,” she explained with a sigh. “All we do is sit around, twiddling our thumbs and theorizing about what might be coming after us and what they might do.”
“Aryn,” I warned. “I meant you should tell them what you found, not insult them.”
“I’m getting to it,” she said over her shoulder.
“I don’t know if I’m interested in hearing anything she has to say,” Aavat fumed.
“I went looking for information on the group that’s hunting us. Until tonight, I hadn’t uncovered anything.”
“What did you find?” Dejar asked.
“Kovor and I think we found what might be their meeting place,” she said. I winced as Dejar and Aavat’s angry gazes fixed on me. “It could even be their headquarters. But it’s definitely tied to them.”
“You were with her?” Dejar demanded.
“I spotted her walking around last night,” I explained. “I knew she was going to do it again, so I insisted on coming with her. I thought I could make her see sense and avoid all of this, but,” I shrugged, just to watch Aavat suppress a snarl, “then we found a door marked with one of those intriguing marks. So here we are.”
“Where?” Aavat demanded.
“Station center. Outskirts of the residential area,” I replied.
“I would’ve preferred it if you informed me the moment you saw her walking around unguarded,” Dejar said through clenched teeth.
He couldn’t truly reprimand me since he didn’t have authority over me. If anything, technically, I outranked him.
But he really, really would have liked to.
“I didn’t want to leave her alone,” I replied. “She has a talent for finding the seediest places.”
“That bar wasn’t even close to seedy,” Aryn shot back.
“You’re not helping yourself,” I warned her.
“Enough!” Aavat snapped. He turned to Dejar. “I suggest taking a small group to investigate the potential headquarters.”
“We don’t know what we’re dealing with,” Dejar replied. “I won’t send anyone in blind. It’s not worth dying over.”