by Eric Thomson
“In the last hive of scum and villainy you visited?”
“That would be Tortuga Station, of ill fame.” He snorted. “Though I’m sure the folks there remember my visit with a lot less fondness than I do.”
“You have that effect on a lot of people.”
“Those two ships with the sleek look aren’t honest. I’m sure we outgun them once I drop the camouflage plates, but that’s not going to do us much good on the ground.”
“Maybe we should do a strafing run before landing, you know, to clear the way.”
“Don’t tempt me, woman.”
“And that’s another thing you didn’t mind about me last night. I’m sure we’ll be okay. These places can only exist because they keep the various parties from killing each other when they’re in port.”
“The Navy ought to run a clean-up sweep one of these days.”
“Why? It’s a great place to get intel, run covert ops, and generally put stuff into circulation that makes the bad guys’ lives miserable. If it didn’t exist, naval intelligence would have to invent it.”
“And there’s that twisted world again.” He rubbed his chin, looking at the image with narrowed eyes. “You know, it wouldn’t even have to be much. A couple of the close in defense missiles, no warhead, coming in at hypersonic speed and we’re done. Kinetic strikes are a lot of fun if you do them right.”
“No.” Talyn shook her head emphatically.
“In that case, I’ll deploy the calliope turrets once we’re on final approach. That ought to keep most semi-functional morons from trying something stupid, unless of course, this is the place where the universe invents better idiots.”
“It might be, but let’s stick to the plan. You can show some of our muscle, but try not to let your fingers slip and turn large objects into smaller ones.”
“I am a master gunner, my dear.”
“That’s what I’m afraid of.” She touched the helm controls, sending Phoenix into a controlled descent towards Rakka, a self-proclaimed free port in the heart of the Protectorate zone wedged between the Commonwealth and the Shrehari Empire.
Zack reached for the intercom.
“Tran, time to strap yourself into your bunk. We’re heading down.”
“Roger. I’ll try to enjoy the ride.”
“Good man.” He cut the transmission and pulled out his own seat restraints.
Kidder had been diffident to the point of self-effacement during the passage from Andoth. He’d used the ship’s entertainment library extensively; he’d also joined Zack and Hera on the hangar deck for daily physical training, but had so far refrained from exploring any touchy subjects.
“Why is it that every planet we visit on this mission is pretty much useless for sentient life?” He asked, eyes on his sensor readout. “The atmosphere is breathable, but that’s the only positive thing I can say about the place. It’s dusty enough to make Nabhka look like one great oasis, where it isn’t frozen over, that is.”
“If it were a paradise, it would have been overrun with colonists by now. The people who founded Rakka wanted to stay far from honest sentient beings. Now do me a favor and chat with the AI if you feel the need to complain. I’ve got to land us without breaking anything.”
**
“That was fun,” Decker said an hour later, removing his seat restraints. “The calliopes are out, and you’ll be glad to know they’re not quite pointing at the reivers parked on the other side of the tarmac.”
“Be thankful the AI was quick enough to stabilize us when that damned wind shear hit. Otherwise, we might have seriously dented the landing gear.” She stood and stretched, loosening her tense shoulder muscles. “You may wish to let Tran know he can get out of his bunk now.”
“Right.”
They met Kidder in the corridor moments later.
“Where do we find this colleague of yours and the contraband she’s supposed to have bought?”
“I tried calling her.” He pulled out a compact commo device. “Your ship’s hull is not bad at blocking my transmission so I’ll have to make another attempt once we’re ashore.”
“Are you carrying?” Decker patted the Imperial Armaments blaster at his hip.
Kidder lifted the side of his jacket.
“Needler.”
“Good. I’ve set a hard security lockdown on the ship, some of it really nasty if you don’t have the magic password, so don’t ever try to get aboard without us once we button her up, okay?”
“Understood.”
Talyn touched a control panel and part of the keel dropped slowly to form a ramp. A swirl of dust rose up through the opening and enveloped them. Decker sneezed heartily, and then cursed with equal enthusiasm.
“And we’ve found another excellent place for a very brief visit. Let’s get this show going so we can be off before my nostrils are terminally gummed up.”
Once on the ground, Talyn pulled out her small tablet and, with a single touch, sent the ramp back up into the hull, sealing Phoenix.
“Security is on,” she confirmed.
“Time to make that call, Tran.” Decker tapped him on the shoulder.
Movement on the other side of the spaceport caught his eye and he slowly swiveled his head.
“Seems like some folks are interested in us. I might get to see the security system do its magic up close.”
He nodded towards a trio of humans emerging from one of the reiver ships.
“Neutral ground, Zack. We’re here for a job. They can look at Phoenix all they want, provided they don’t touch.”
“Give it enough time. One of them is going to force us to clean up this place before we leave.”
“Hah!” He barked out a laugh when he saw the reivers stop and change course.
“I forgot to tell you that I put the calliopes under the AI’s control to track any bastards who come too close. Looks like it scared the living crap out of them.”
She shook her head with a small snort of laughter.
“My one-man wrecking crew.”
“Okay, thanks.” Kidder pocketed the communicator. “She’s waiting for us in town. I got directions.”
“And the merchandise?”
“She didn’t want to say over the communicator, just in case someone was listening in.”
Decker stared at the cluster of dun-colored, low-rise buildings in the distance and sighed theatrically.
“We traveled God knows how many light years in an FTL-capable starship, a marvel of modern technology, only to end up walking the last bit like our Stone Age ancestors. Isn’t life full of wonderful ironies?”
With a final glance backward at the quickly departing reivers, he trudged off towards the town, Talyn and Kidder on his heels.
TWELVE
An aroma of ripe bodies, stale booze, and bad food washed over them when they entered the tavern. Half buried in the ground, the dome-shaped structure reminded Decker of an abandoned ammunition bunker from the First Migration War.
He sniffed the air and grimaced.
“My memories of Andoth are getting better by the second.”
“For once, I agree with you,” Talyn replied, following Kidder down the half-dozen steps from the street.
They shoved their way through a mass of bodies, many of whom protested loudly until they got a glimpse of Decker’s angry stare. Ignoring his companions, who had found an alcove with empty seats, he wedged himself between an ursine Darsivian and a shorthaired, muscular human at the bar. The woman, of indistinct heritage, had a long scar down her cheek and a cynical smile affixed to her lips. The Darsivian growled something at Zack in his language that made her laugh.
“He thinks you’re too cute for this place,” she said in a raspy voice.
“Coming from a rug with legs, I’ll take it as a compliment.”
“I’ll take a pass on translating that. You might not be too pretty after he’s done.”
Decker snorted derisively.
“They’re big, but they’
re slow and not just up here.” He tapped the side of his head. “Bill Whate, by the way.”
“Miko Steiger,” she replied with a nod. “You a merc?”
“Do I look like one?”
“You’ve got the vibe and this joint is pretty much the Rakka clearing house for mercs between contracts.”
“I’m just a free trader with a decent right hook.” He caught the attention of the bartender and pointed at a twisted green bottle. “You?”
“Merc through and through.” She indicated her scar. “I didn’t get this from a haircut gone wrong. You looking for cargo?”
“Nope.” Decker took the mug and tossed a few cred chips on the bar. “Skoal.”
As he drank a healthy swig, he glanced at Talyn and Kidder on the far side of the room.
“Friends of yours?” She asked, following the direction of his gaze.
“Business associates.” He wiped his lips with the back of his hand. “Who’d have figured this place serves decent Shrehari ale.”
“The Shrehari who ship it in?” Steiger’s sardonic tone made him look at her more closely.
“What?” She continued, chuckling. “We’re in Rakka. Anything ever produced in this part of the galaxy eventually finds its way here, legal, illegal, and anything in between.”
Then, surprising him, she nodded towards the alcove.
“I guess Kidder’s waiting for me. I should probably go say hi.” She laughed at his startled expression. “I guess you’re half of the crew that’s here for my toys.”
He followed Steiger over to the others, their approach watched intently by Talyn, whose hand never strayed far from her holstered blaster. She slid into the booth beside Tran and blew him a kiss while Zack took a seat at the end of the table.
“I’m Miko Steiger,” she nodded at Talyn, “Kidder’s contact here. You must be Pasek.”
“I guess I am. The first name’s Pru.”
“How are you, Miko?” Tran asked, visibly relaxing.
“Still one ovary missing and the other firing blanks.” She winked at Decker. “Battle damage. Good thing I don’t like kids. Big boys on the other hand...”
“We provide the shipping, not the entertainment,” Talyn said with a faint smile.
“You’re kind of cute too,” Steiger replied, grinning briefly before her face lost any hint of merriment.
“All kidding aside, I have two containers filled with the kind of kitchen implements that’ll let our friends whip up a storm and I need to get them out of Rakka yesterday.”
“Why the hurry?” Talyn asked.
“You noticed those needle ships on the tarmac? Some of their crew got wind of my merchandise and have been sniffing around the warehouse district to see if they can’t lighten my load.”
“How did they find out?”
“The man who sold me the merchandise has a drinking problem; had a drinking problem, to be precise. When he drank, he talked too much, and places like this have ears growing out of the walls. Sadly for him, a few days ago he decided to get in a Shrehari trader’s face after one too many; a losing proposition as it turned out, but by then, the damage had been done.”
Decker barked out a laugh.
“Nice place.”
“Stupid gets you killed pretty much anywhere. The threshold is just somewhat lower around here.” Steiger shrugged. “I’m thinking my snooping reivers might wait until I try moving the merchandise to the spaceport before playing their hand.”
“Makes sense,” Zack said. “They got interested in our ship when we landed, but my calliopes seem to have discouraged them.”
“Calliopes?” Steiger asked.
“Close-in defense guns, eight barrels per mount. Chew up a grounded reiver in no time.”
“Too bad we can’t put your ship down by the warehouse.”
“There are four of us. If we need something heavier than the weapons we’re carrying, I’ll fix that. Your merchandise can be aboard Phoenix whenever you want it to.” Decker downed the rest of his drink. “I’m ready to move. What are you packing, Miko?”
She moved her jacket aside and smiled broadly, revealing sharp, white teeth.
“Nice,” he said, admiring a nearly identical copy of his own Imperial Armaments blaster. “Chambered for our rounds?”
“Of course – fifteen millimeters.”
“Good. I can provide reloads if the bastards get too busy.”
“Before the gun love-fest gets into full swing,” Talyn said, rising from her seat, “we should probably see what we need to shift and then figure out how to do it. I’m going to hope that you have access to some haulers, Sera Steiger.”
“Of course, Captain Pasek. I’d be of little use if I couldn’t rustle up the necessaries.”
“Glad to hear it. Shall we?”
They headed for the door, eyes carefully searching for anyone paying them more attention than they warranted. If there were such beings, they kept their interest carefully hidden.
**
Steiger led them to a semi-decrepit warehouse on the outskirts of Rakka, halfway between town and spaceport. One of many in the area, it bore no signs that it was any different from the others.
“Cheerful,” Decker said, looking around when they came to a stop in front of an unmarked entrance. “Another perfect place to spend an hour or so of shore leave.”
“If we don’t have to do our annual qualification shoot on the run, I’ll take it,” Talyn replied.
“Cheap date.”
“Sure. And you’re complaining?”
Steiger and Kidder exchanged looks.
“You get used to it,” he murmured.
The mercenary touched a panel, and they heard several loud clicks as massive locks released the door.
“You know, if those reivers who were sniffing around had more energy and brains, they’d just burn through the walls,” Decker said after they’d entered the building.
“True.” She stopped and held up her hand. “Tell me if they’d have come close to those containers without losing a limb or three.”
Zack pulled out his souped-up sensor and scanned the area.
“Nice.” He nodded. “I can barely pick up your little traps. You’ll forgive me if I stay right here until you disarm them.”
“What did you find?” Talyn asked.
“Improvised security. Very nicely done. Very professional. Lasers covering the area; a few IEDs, that kind of stuff. I think I’m in lust.”
“Getting amorous with a high-powered automatic laser isn’t going to help your love life.” Talyn’s tone was bone dry.
Steiger pulled out a small tablet and stroked its screen.
“There. My playpen is deactivated. No more danger of Ser Whate losing parts he’d rather keep.”
“If you don’t mind,” Decker said, “I’d like to look at what’s in your containers. Since they’re coming aboard Phoenix, the good captain and I need to be happy it won’t either blow us up when we go FTL or get us thrown into a naval brig if we’re ever inspected.”
Steiger locked eyes with Kidder and nodded towards the far corner of the warehouse. When they were out of earshot, she glanced back at Decker and Talyn.
“Are you sure we can trust them?”
“As sure as anyone can be under the circumstances, Miko. Whate reminds me of an old comrade, a hell of a soldier. He saved my life and that of two hundred others who were left to die on a planet in the ass end of the universe.”
“That doesn’t mean he’s trustworthy like your ‘hell of a soldier,' now does it?” The mercenary’s eyes shone with open skepticism.
“I’m going with my gut on this one. You didn’t get to meet the other candidates I spoke with. Whate and Pasek are the cleanest of the bunch and quite frankly, Phoenix is exactly what we need. She’s heavily armed and could be our own one ship navy if we can convince them to fight for us.”
She stared at Kidder for a long time in silence, and then nodded decisively.
“If they pla
y us false, I can always shoot them, the big guy first.”
“Don’t think Pasek’s a pushover, Miko. I get the sense that she’s as dangerous as a Shrehari assassin and not nearly as scrupulous, and that’s when she smiles at me.”
When they’d rejoined Talyn and Decker, the mercenary jerked her chin at the containers.
“Feel free to inspect, Ser Whate. Which one would you like to look at?”
“Both,” Decker replied, holding up a hand-held sensor. “I gave them a quick once over while Tran was bending your ear. You did a good job masking the content.”
“Why thank you, kind sir.” Steiger sketched a brief bow. “This isn’t my first rodeo.”
She undid the locks securing the nearest container’s door and pulled it open before stepping aside.
“You might have some problems getting in. If you want to haul out some crates, be my guest, but try to resist the urge to empty the whole damn thing.”
“No. This is fine,” he replied, looking at his sensor’s readout. “With the door open, I can see what’s in the boxes. Fascinating. Can I infer that the ammunition and power packs are in the other container?”
“Yep.” Steiger nodded. “Mighty good piece of gear you have there. The crates are supposed to be shielded.”
“I have this talent when it comes to making things work better.”
He turned back to look at her.
“A lot of your ordnance seems to be Shrehari-made. Did you get it re-chambered for standard ammo?”
“Definitely. There’s an armorer in Rakka who’s a wizard at it.”
“I hope you test-fired a sample of his work.”
“What I did and didn’t do is my business, Ser Whate,” she replied with an edge to her voice.
“Meaning you didn’t.” He nodded knowingly. “If you want, I can check them out for you once we’re in space. It’ll cost extra, of course, but I’m the best small arms expert you’ll find within thirty parsecs. You can close this one up. I’ll look inside the other container now.”
“As you wish.”
A sharp beep broke the ensuing silence and Steiger looked towards the door with alarm.
“Someone’s skulking around close enough to trigger my detectors.”