“This is all well and good,” Kuv broke in, “but soon we’re going to have people wondering when their next payday is. Which leads me to my original question. How is this going to affect that?”
Rei winced. “It’s going to be a balancing act, but we’re just doing this between jobs. It might be my quest, but even I know better than to get in between this crew and their credits. Luckily, there should be a few promising freighters to target near Bruatin and that’ll have to do.”
“Then let’s hope that Chia will be able to make our connections,” Kuv said.
“Why wouldn’t I?” Chia demanded.
“You were removed from your position on the planet.”
“What did you do anyway?” Foniac asked. “Blow up a lab? You’ve been through three on this ship so I wouldn’t be surprised.”
“When I was done the whole complex had blown.” A dark look filled Chia’s eyes. “I might do things in the name of knowledge, but there are some lines even I refuse to cross. Things like, testing on unwilling people, like our Captain, for example.”
“She’ll pull it off,” Rei said.
“I’ll make contact first thing in the morning. That way it’s done and I can finish the last things I need for our project without worrying about it.”
“What time do are you going to do that?” Rei asked.
“Afternoon would be best unless something else causes us to need to push it back. And yes—you should be there.”
Rei nodded. “I’ll look forward to your summons then.”
“Great, now if you’ll excuse me.” Chia leapt from her chair. “I have work to get back to.”
They watched as she vanished into the crowd. “Now who’s really our boss here?” Foniac joked.
“Like you don’t do the same thing when she calls you down to her workshop,” Rei shot back.
“Of course, I do. I value my knees too much to leave it to chance.”
The table filled with laughter and Rei could feel the tension leave her body. Nalju had joked about there being honor among scavengers, but hers had that in abundance. Their attitudes during her announcement spoke volumes toward that. They’d been through too much together to work with the Federation. Not even the temptation of easy credits would change that.
“What are you smiling about?” Yeke whispered.
Rei drained her glass with a smile on her lips. She eyed him mischievously. “The new round of drinks you’re buying.”
~*~
Rei stumbled through the dark, quiet hallways with only the hum of the powered engines to keep her company. The gathering had broken up long ago, but she had no intention of struggling with sleep quite yet. Rei leaned against the cool metal of the wall. A quiet giggle escaped her lips, growing until it reached a full-blown fit of laughter. She inched down until her knees were the only things that held her upright. Finally, the fit subsided enough for her to resume her stumbling walk through the ship.
Farther down the hall, she fell against the lift controls. Rei flung her body inside and into the opposite wall.
“Cargo level!” She laughed.
She felt her stomach drop as the lift began to descend through the levels of the ship. Rei bounced on her the balls of her feet, humming a little tune. The doors popped open and she stepped into the short hallway that led to the cargo bay. Inside the bay, she walked along the rows of crates that held the Kathya’s supplies, running her hands along the crates.
“I wondered,” a quiet voice brought her to a stop, “how long it would take you to find me down here.”
“What trouble do you have for me this time, Gen?” She scrambled to get a hold of her gun, missing a few times before she gave up on the effort.
A man emerged from between a tower of crates, his long, dark coat flowing in his wake. Gen’s face was hidden from beneath his hood and cast his features in shadow. “You act like my advice wasn’t profitable to you.”
“You have your moments, but lately your help has left a lot to be desired,” Rei shot back. She leaned against the crates to keep steady.
“When have I led you the wrong way? You wanted information about them, I delivered,” Rei didn’t reply, so he continued. “I have a job that I think you’ll be interested in. But first–” he reached in a pocket and tossed a vial of liquid at her “–drink that.”
Rei caught it easily but didn’t obey. “Why should I hear you out? I’m too busy figuring out the last wild goose chase you sent me on to be interested in anything else you have to offer me.” She set the vial down and turned to walk away.
“Before you leave, you should know that if you take this on, your profit will make your past hauls seem like change in comparison.” Rei didn’t stop. “It will ensure your crew stays out of harm’s way.” She faltered slightly. “And if you don’t, the Federation will be the least of your worries.”
“Is that how we’re going to do this now?” Rei growled. She whirled around with balled-up fists. “Blackmail? I thought you were better than that, Gen.” She unholstered her gun and let it charge at her side until the chamber was full of her Essence. Her arm rose slowly until the gun was aimed at his head. Gen didn’t flinch. “Well?” Her hand shook in her fury; she could feel the Essence flow unbridled within her.
“It’s not blackmail; I’m just making sure you know the stakes. Do this job, or your crew will be looking over their shoulders for the rest of their lives.”
“I’m still having a hard time seeing the difference.”
“Maybe a clearer head would help.” Gen gestured to the vial with his hooded head. Her gaze followed but she kept her weapon trained on him.
Rei cast her Essence over it to check for any hidden secrets. If he was insulted by her precaution, she didn’t care. The vial and stopper shot off in opposite directions. Grasping the vial with her free hand, she tipped it back like a shot of alcohol. The liquid tingled to the point of burning as it slid down her throat, but she immediately felt steadier.
“What’s the job?” she asked after a few moments.
“I won’t bog you down with the specifics of how it works, but the Federation’s been eyeing priceless gems that are infused with untold knowledge. We believe there are seven in total,” he said. “They’re from an ancient civilization that existed centuries ago. Interestingly, the Federation believes that they hold the key in duplicating the success they had in creating you.”
Rei’s grip tightened to avoid dropping her gun in her shock. “Where are they?”
“We’ve only pinpointed two of them so far. This–” he held up a crystalline chip “–has their locations on it.”
“And why hasn’t the Federation stormed in already?”
“It’s not common knowledge yet. I’m offering it to you since your crew has proven themselves to be quite adept at getting through most challenges that are presented to them.”
Rei’s eyes narrowed. “You’re Federation. Why don’t you want to wait for them to find it?”
“Call me a sentimental idiot, but I don’t want them to succeed in creating another of you. No one deserves that type of life. Why do you think I made sure that you escaped?”
“And I’m grateful for the chance.” She cleared her throat. “Still doesn’t explain things though.”
Gen seemed to ignore her request. “They are held near other treasures this civilization left behind. That’s your payment for getting rid of the data these gems hold. There should be enough to keep your pirates motivated to complete the job.”
“It’s that good, huh?” Rei folded her arms across her chest with a frown. “And let me guess, I’m not allowed to tell my crew a damn thing if I agree to do this for you?”
“Tell them as little as possible since I doubt that they’ll trust me. So, by your question, I assume that you are taking the job?”
“I could still kill you right here and let the dominos fall where they will.”
“But we both know you won’t do that, Rei. In that regard, their experiment was
a failure.” He shook his head. “You’re not a heartless killer and you give a damn about the rest of the universe.”
“And you’re sure that the Federation isn’t not looking for them yet?” Rei asked, redirecting the subject.
“If they were as strong as you, they’d be already charging in. But the Federation’s being overly cautious on this one. These people make them nervous for some reason.”
“A massive galactic power is afraid, and you think my crew has a shot at pulling this off.”
“I know they will. With you at the helm, it's essentially in the bag. Remember, you were designed to be perfection.” He shrugged. “Mark my words though. They get their hands on that knowledge...” He offered the chip.
He wasn’t giving her any options and Rei knew it. Just like he knew that she couldn’t take the chance of the Federation succeeding. Not with her crew at stake.
“Where are they?” she asked, taking it.
“Not too far off your current path. But like I said, we only know the location of two of them. As soon as they discover the others, I’ll pass the information along. One is on Ietaeta and the second is on Seletta.”
“How do you know our path?”
He laughed. “For being pirates, you’re so law-abiding. Your ship filed a flight path to Bruatin under the guise of a supply run. Good cover story. They’re none the wiser and, of course, that’s where your trail will end.”
“It pays us well to be law-abiding.”
“And that’s why it’s always a pleasure doing business with you.”
Rei lowered her gun. “I’ve taken your job. Now get the hell off my ship.”
He gave a nod before he pulled his coat tight and started to walk away. “What will you tell your crew?”
Her Essence flooded the chamber of the gun. “That’s for me to decide.”
He vanished among the crates with a knowing smile. Rei waited until she was sure that he had gone, then turned on her heel and walked back to the main areas of the ship, the gun held loosely at her side. She knew she had to calm down in case any of her crew were about, but she couldn’t stop her hands from shaking. If only Gen didn’t know so much about her... If only she could tell her crew the truth behind their new mission... Rei leaned against the wall, her eyes closed tight. A lone tear trailed down her cheek.
“Damn you, Gen,” she whispered. “Damn you.”
Eventually, Rei found herself standing in front of her quarters. She walked through the door with a sigh and flopped on her bed.
“Lock the door,” she ordered the ship’s computer, setting the gun on her bedside table, “and only open only on my voice command.” The system beeped in compliance. Her eyelids felt heavy, but sleep remained distant. She rolled over, staring at the Vantan buildings outside her window. Eventually, as the last light she could see faded, exhaustion finally won out.
~*~
Rei awoke with a start to loud bangs on her door.
“What in the galaxy?” she muttered. She scrambled out of bed and reached for her black silken dressing gown that was draped over a chair.
“Illusion!” Aede’s voice shouted in her ear as she strode to the door. Rei winced and reached for the headset she forgot was there. “I don’t care what form you have, just do it and make it different!”
“Unlock,” she ordered quietly. The door slid open to reveal Yeke standing with two heavily armed soldiers. One held his rifle aimed at her chest, but she didn’t flinch. “Yes?” she asked with strained politeness.
“Planet of origin?” one of the soldiers asked stiffly. She had to agree with Nalju’s assessment; though their eyes were hidden from sight, it was like she was dealing with an early model automaton.
“Secorna,” Rei replied.
They looked at one another and then back at her. She fought to keep from squirming under their scrutiny. “How do we check her?” the second asked at last.
The first looked her over. “Should be easy enough. Where’s your clan mark?”
Panic raced through Rei’s heart as she tried to remember the various marks she had seen during their brief visit there. “Here,” she said, turning her arm to reveal a symbol stamped into her arm.
They peered at it and she could feel them probe with Essence to see if it was an illusion. Her eyes met Yeke’s and she knew he sensed the same. They wouldn’t detect her illusions; she had long ago mastered the art of deception against most Essence wielders.
“You’re clear,” the first announced. He turned to Yeke stiffly. “Any more quarters on this floor?”
“No, she was the last,” he replied.
The soldier frowned, speaking into his radio in Imperial, the official language of the Federation. “They’re clear on the other levels,” he told his partner in Banal.
“Good.”
“So, we’re free to continue our business?” Yeke asked.
“Yes, but like we said, if you see her, alert someone immediately to her presence. She’s a danger to anyone who encounters her.”
“Right.” Yeke’s eyes fell on Rei.
“I’ll escort them out, sir,” Kuv appeared behind Yeke.
Yeke nodded and waited until they were out of sight before shaking his head in disbelief. “I’m not sure if I should be amazed at your ingenuity to come up with a cover story on the spot or disgusted at which one you chose.”
“It was convenient,” she replied. “They can’t check the information since the planet blew and the survivors are protected because it’s a rare disaster that the Federation actually accepted blame for. I was a bit nervous when they scanned me for illusions, but they weren’t too thorough.” Her features changed back to normal. “What’s explanation they’re giving for searching ships without cause?”
“Pretty much the same as what you said last night. They’re after someone who looks similar to you, powerful, and will kill you without hesitation. They seem to think you’re going to take the fastest way off this rock once you see they’re onto you.”
“Do it once and they think that’s your go-to method of escape.”
“You do favor it.”
“I do not!”
“Can you say your methods have changed since we’re leaving later today?” he asked.
“Yes, because doing that would’ve been leaving as soon as I returned from Nalju’s yesterday.”
Yeke folded his arms across his chest. “So, when are we leaving?”
“As soon as we can without looking too eager. But first, let’s take a second to have a sober conversation about what we discussed last night.”
“I’ll gather the troops,” he saluted.
Rei closed the door and quickly threw on her typical ship clothes of a shirt and jeans. Maybe it was for the best she had agreed to help Gen despite it still leaving a taste of blackmail. At least some far-flung corner of the galaxy would put the needed distance between herself and the Federation. Now hopefully her crew wouldn’t protest too much about her agreement.
The door locked behind her as she entered the bustling corridor. Most of the crew were on their way to their stations while the children of the ship were enjoying a delay in their lessons. Rei let out a quiet sigh of relief. At least the Federation coming aboard hadn’t caused too much trauma it seemed.
“Are you coming to the game today, Captain Rei?” A young girl skipped up to her, green eyes sparkling.
“Another time, girls,” Rei replied. “I, unfortunately, have Captaining to do today.”
“Bummer, but we’ll hold you to that!” Her pigtails trailed behind her as she ran to catch up with her friends.
Keeping your distance won’t stop anything. Gen already knew how to get you to work for him, a dark voice teased her in the back of her mind. You’re too close. You better hope doing this job will keep you out of their sights or you’ll lead the Federation right to them.
She pressed the controls for the transport and tapped her fingers against the wall as she waited. The sound seemed to echo in the sudden s
ilence.
“Did you see?” she heard someone ask farther down the hallway. Out of the corner of her eye, she watched two crewmembers walk toward her, both clad in medical garments.
“Yeah,” their companion said. “My son thought the Federation was going to take all of us to their training camps for powerful Essence wielders.”
“Poor kid,” the first medic replied with a shake of her head. “Did you get him calmed down after that?”
“Yeah, I would’ve stayed home if I hadn’t. I can’t help but wonder why the hell they were aboard anyway. We’re always careful, but they were clearly looking for something.”
Rei pressed the controls frantically as though it would let her escape faster.
“What do you think it was?
“I wasn’t stupid enough to ask. Aede told me that we’re not the only ship they searched. Apparently, everyone who was docked was looked at.” Rei glared at the transport as they neared her position. “Did they ask you a bunch of crazy questions about your planet of origin?”
“Yeah, it was strange.”
The door opened at last and Rei flew inside the empty lift. Her hand reached for the controls to close the door manually when the medics joined her.
“Morning, Captain,” they greeted.
“Morning,” Rei muttered, hoping her tone would be enough to indicate she wasn’t in the talking mood.
“What did they ask specifically for?” the first medic asked.
“Just what planet we could claim as being our homeworld and what our family name was.” He shook his head, diamond colored eyes wide in fear. “I hope we’re leaving soon.”
“We’ll be gone in a few hours. Just need to do some checks before we take off,” Rei assured them.
“Thanks, Captain.” The medic smiled, though worry still filled his eyes. The door opened to a floor and they scrambled off the lift. Left in solitude, Rei released a breath she didn’t know she was holding in. On the next floor, the lift filled with Chia’s eager engineering team. Rei pressed herself against the wall, silently attempting to follow their conversation about Chia’s grand plan for their ship. Suddenly, just as she thought she was in the clear, she found herself surrounded as they seized the opportunity to bombard her with ideas.
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