by Aaron DeMott
Tomed grinned. “I’m pretty sure I could find other methods.”
Jake grunted. “Well, I don’t have your tricks now, do I?”
“All right.” Tomed rested his arms on the table and leaned in closer. “What have you got for me?”
“Have you—” Jake looked around the bar, leaned in, and lowered his voice, “—ever heard of a bloke by the name of Max Loker?”
Tomed leaned back in his chair and tensed his jaw. “Hmm. Seems I’ve heard that name somewhere. Pirate?”
“Close. He’s a mercenary who hires himself out to the highest bidder. I saw him on Alpha Centauri Station. Sorry about the short message I left you. I didn’t have much time.”
“So what have you learned since?” Tomed asked.
“Not much. Max was hired to do some big job, but no one knows any details. He drummed up a bunch of low-lifes to raid the resort’s monthly supply ship. It’s due to arrive day after tomorrow. I managed to get myself signed onto the job just in time. Some of the men think the supply ship is the big job but—”
“—the supplies are most likely for the real job,” Tomed finished.
Jake flagged down a waitress and ordered a cup of coffee. “My thoughts exactly. Max hasn’t been anywhere near here.” He grinned. “We do, however, have a set of coordinates where we’re supposed to drop off the loot. So—” Jake took his coffee from the waitress and gulped it. “Do you want to raid the heist on the supply ship or see if I can find out anything when we get the supplies to the rendezvous point?”
Tomed drummed his fingers on the table and tried not to inhale. The smell of burnt coffee didn’t improve the other smells that infested the bar. “Hmm. We don’t know anything right now, but if we let the supplies go we still might not learn any more. And the resort will be in a bit of a fix.”
Jake grinned. “So a bunch of rich snobs are inconvenienced for a while...”
Tomed ignored the comment. “When’s the cargo supposed to be delivered?”
“Two weeks from now, including travel time.”
“Hmm, the Goddard should be ready by then.” Tomed cocked his head. “Do you think you can get access to the ship that’s supposed to deliver the stolen goods?”
“Assuming you lock up the rest of the ruffians? Sure, no problem.”
“All right. I’ll notify the authorities here about the threat to the supply ship, and then we’ll show up and see who’s there to take the goods.”
Jake frowned and downed the last of his coffee. “I like where you’re going with this, but I have a suggestion or two.”
“Oh?”
“Let me ‘get away’ during the raid. We can load the ship with surplus supplies, and I can take it to the rendezvous point and make up some story about barely escaping. That way we see what else they’ve got going.”
Tomed rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “Good idea. I’ll be close by with the Goddard as a contingency plan.”
“Sounds like fun.” Jake looked around, “The place is starting to fill up. You don’t want to be seen with me for this to work, so you should get going.”
“See you around.” Tomed tossed some credits on the table before he left the bar.
Tomed crouched behind a crate in the cargo hold of the supply ship. Twenty security officers from the resort were scattered throughout the rest of the hold. Tomed glanced at his belt-comp. The pirates should be here any minute now. The belt-comp vibrated once, Jake’s picture on the display. Tomed grinned and clipped it back to his belt. The fun was about to start. He signaled to the security officers and turned to watch the door.
Red alert sounded as the ship shook under the first barrage of the pirate attack. As the captain had been told to expect the attack, he surrendered after the initial volley. Moments later the door to the cargo hold burst open. Jake and ten other men burst in.
Tomed waited behind the crate until the last pirate entered. He stepped out and pointed his blaster at the group. At the same time, he reached out with his mind and felt for the power packs in the raiders weapons. A million minute threads of quantum energy held the charge in the power back. Other threads held the program that told the weapon how to operate. Tomed flicked one of those threads and spun it with his mind. Now the weapon wouldn’t be able to access the power pack.
“All right, everyone freeze,” he said.
The pirate closest to Tomed snarled and pulled the trigger on his blaster. When nothing happened, he cursed and flung it at Tomed.
The Psygen caught it easily, re-activated it, and fired a blast at its former owner’s feet.
Jake growled and ran at Tomed. Tomed caught him and flung him back toward the door. Jake rolled as he hit the floor, and then stood and wobbled for a second before he collapsed. Tomed took a split-second to reach out mentally to ensure his friend wasn’t hurt before he signaled for the security forces to come out of hiding. Once it became clear the pirates were outnumbered, they laid down their weapons and surrendered.
After the prisoners were taken out of the cargo hold, Jake stood up and brushed off his jacket. “Crikey, you didn’t have to throw me that hard.”
“Yeah, sorry about that. You okay?”
“Eh, I’ll be fine. It looked good to those bushwhackers, and that’s what counts. They’ll be telling the whole sector about it.” He stood and headed out the door. “Come on, the ship’s this way.” Tomed smiled and followed him down the corridor.
Bast jerked awake. She listened carefully and again heard a soft crunch come from the suite down the hall. She stepped off the bed and slipped quietly out of the bedroom. Rrrark’s barely discernible form crouched by the door.
Did you hear that too? Bast asked him.
Yes. Sounds like it’s coming from the SeQish ambassador’s suite.
What do you think it is?
The sound of another soft thud echoed through the night air.
Come on! Rrrark slipped into the hallway. Be as quiet as you can. Once we enter the suite, take a moment to assess the situation before we act.
Should we get Nilre?
I’ve been trying. I think she’s asleep.
Oh.
When they reached the ambassador’s suite Rrrark lifted a paw and tried the handle. It turned easily, and the door swung open.
Um, it shouldn’t have let us in without voice access, right? Bast asked.
The security system must be disabled. All the more reason to be cautious. Rrrark said.
Rrrark twitched his whiskers and slipped inside. Bast took a deep breath and tried to keep her legs from trembling as she followed him. Rrrark crouched close to the floor and pressed his side against a table. She crept over and huddled next to him.
The patio doors straight across from them were wide open. Four humans in dark clothing climbed over the side of a hovercraft just beyond the patio. A fifth man held the patio door open. The glass next to the door handle had a large hole in it.
None of the burglars wore anything that could identify them, and they all wore something that covered their faces. Two of them took positions on either side of the door to the bedroom. Another stood in front of the SatNet access terminal. Once they were in place, the remaining thug pulled a gun out of a bag. He pulled out a vial of liquid, filled a dart, and inserted it into his weapon.
The gunman stood in front of the door and took aim. One of the sentry thugs opened the door. The gunman entered and fired a shot. He signaled to the other three who followed him in.
Bast heard splashing before the men returned from the bedroom. They carried Ambassador Kclntc between them.
All right, we’ve seen enough. I still can’t contact Nilre, and we can’t let them take the ambassador, Rrrark said. You take the two on the right, and I’ll get the two on the left, okay?
Okay. Bast took a deep breath and swallowed. Do you want me to kill them or just disable them?
Disable them for now. Nilre may want to question them.
On Rrrark’s signal, Bast pounced at her target and sank
her teeth into his leg. He screamed and dropped the ambassador. Bast turned to get her other target but the first pulled a knife from his belt and slashed at her. She screamed and jumped backward. Her attacker advanced, but she darted behind him and slashed at his knife hand with her claws. He dropped the weapon with a squeal. Bast smacked her paw into his head, which sent him reeling across the room.
Rrrark squared off with one of the intruders, who was also armed with a knife. The other two loaded the ambassador onto the hovercraft. Rrrark was one of the best fighters in her clan; he could handle the one thug without her help. She leaped at one of the men who carried the ambassador and sunk her teeth into his thigh. He growled in pain and let go of Kclntc. Bast sunk her claws into the thug’s back and flung him backward.
The remaining men had almost got the ambassador aboard the hovercraft. She grabbed at a hand and tried to pull one of them back onto the patio. As she struggled, her opponent kicked her back into the room. She rolled to her feet and shook her head. The hovercraft started to pull away from the patio. Rrrark roared and leapt onto the craft.
Bast ran out onto the patio as the craft dropped away from the building. She roared in frustration as it shrank into the dark.
“RRRARK!”
Nilre woke to someone banging on her door and a loud screeching sound.
“Who is it?” she mumbled. More screeching answered her. “Ugh.”
Nilre sat up slowly and turned on the light. “I’m coming.” She slipped into her robe and stumbled to the door.
As soon as she unlocked the door, Bast ran into the room and meowed urgently at her.
“English, Bast, if you please.”
Bast blinked and took a deep breath. “The SeQish ambassador has been kidnapped, and Rrrark tried to stop him, and they got away with him too!”
Nilre’s mouth dropped open. This was not a good way to start a morning. She glanced over at the clock on her nightstand. It was only four o’clock. “What happened?”
Nilre poured herself a cup of instant tea and listened as Bast recounted what had transpired.
“What do I do, Nilre?” Bast asked.
“Our first priority is to find Rrrark. When we find him we’ll also find Ambassador Kclntc.”
“Can Tomed come back to help?” Bast asked.
Nilre shook her head. “He’s out near the Antar system right now, trying to foil a pirate plot. It wouldn’t surprise me if this kidnapping has something to do with it, too. Tomed feels that the pirates are up to something big, and may only be hired guns for whoever’s really behind it. I’ve advised him of what’s going on, but it’s up to us to rescue Rrrark and the ambassador.”
Bast whined. The strain caused wrinkles in the delicate skin around her cat eyes. Nilre moved to the chair next to her and rested her hand on Bast’s head.
“Don’t worry—we can do it.” Nilre offered a reassuring smile before she finished her tea and stood. “I’m going to go get dressed now. I need you to go to the lobby and try to find Rrrark.
“How can I do that? I’ve tried to contact him with mindspeak, but he won’t answer.”
“You have to keep trying, Bast. Just close your eyes, think about Rrrark, and let your mind drift.”
“Can I stay with you? I’d rather not be alone, please.”
Nilre frowned and studied Bast. The Meskka stared at her with large, round eyes, and her tail lashed back and forth. Nilre took a deep breath.
“All right,” she said.
Nilre went back to her bedroom and opened her closet. She ran a finger down the sleeve of a kimono, sighed softly then reached over and pulled out a black pair of pants and a shirt.
Bast paced back and forth in the room, alternating between growls and soft whines. Nilre shuddered. She had never liked to change in front of people. She returned to the closet, squared her shoulders, and dressed as quickly as she could.
Bast took a deep breath and pictured Rrrark in her mind as Nilre had instructed her. She let her breath out as slowly as she could, then filled her lungs again. After a few shaky breaths, she felt the darkness around her fall away to a soft light. The image of Rrrark started to fade. Bast fought to keep it in view. Stars shone above and a building in front—
Don’t look at the building, focus on Rrrark. Nilre’s voice echoed all around her.
After a few seconds the whole world condensed into a small marble and she opened her eyes to find herself back in Nilre’s bedroom.
“What happened?”
“You followed Rrrark’s mental signal to his physical location. I followed you and looked around enough to figure out where he’s held.”
Bast jumped to her feet and leapt to the door. “Let’s go!”
“We need to eat first. It’s been over an hour and that kind of activity burns more calories than you’d think.”
“An hour?” Bast turned around and flicked an ear. “But it only seemed like a minute at most!”
“Yes. Time can pass quickly when one is concentrating.” Nilre smiled at her, stood, and walked out of the room.
“Huh.” Bast shrugged with her ears and followed her.
After breakfast, Nilre and Bast took a car to the spaceport. Nilre led her to a small hangar at the far end of the complex. It housed a small, sleek craft that smelled of oil and grease. It’s outward appearance was much like the craft Tomed had used to fly her and Rrrark from the Space Elevator.
“No, it isn’t inertia-dampened.” Nilre squared her shoulders. “But we need to travel as quickly as possible.”
“Shouldn’t we call the Rangers, or whoever your authorities are?”
“I already did while you were eating. They’re going to go arrest the men you incapacitated at the hotel.” Nilre pointed to the jet. “We have to hurry to get to Rrrark and the ambassador while we still know where they are.”
Bast sighed and climbed into the jet. “Now I regret eating breakfast.”
“If it helps, I don’t like taking these either. They don’t make me sick, but I don’t enjoy them.”
“It makes me feel better, but it might not keep my breakfast down.”
Nilre punched in the startup sequence, and the engines fired up with a soft whine. Two meters out of the hanger, Nilre aimed the nose of the jet straight up and they accelerated past the clouds.
Bast moaned as quietly as she could manage. It felt like someone had shoved a hand into her stomach and was attempting to tie her guts into a fishing net. She was just glad she managed to keep her food down. The jet leveled out shortly and Nilre turned around to face Bast.
“This won’t be a long flight, but we’re going to have to dive down and land quickly. It won’t be pleasant.”
“What’s the plan when we get there?”
“Try to get in the building, find Rrrark and Kclntc, and see if we can get them out of there. We’re going to have to make it up as we go.”
“Wouldn’t it be better to have more help?”
Nilre smiled sweetly. “Don’t worry. You and I can handle it.”
The landing was even more unpleasant than Nilre had implied. Bast staggered out of the jet and collapsed. Nilre frowned and rested her hand on Bast’s head for a moment. Bast felt her stomach settle almost immediately. They stood in a small clearing before a thin line of trees. A large square building lay beyond. It was one story tall, and covered in metal sheeting.
The entrance is around the corner. Run up to the side of the building and flatten yourself against the wall. I’ll be right behind you.
Bast ran the two hundred meters to the building as fast as she could and was surprised to find Nilre had edged ahead of her. Bast caught up and flattened herself against the corrugated siding.
That way’s clear. There are three guards behind the door. Wait three seconds and then follow me. Nilre said.
Nilre ran out and around the corner. Bast counted to three and ran after her. Nilre was ten meters away from the door and ran straight at it, faster than Bast thought any human could run. A met
er away from the door, Nilre launched herself and crashed into it with both feet.
The door flew in and crashed into a man on the other side. At the same time, Nilre jumped into the air and kicked her legs sideways to take out the men who stood on either side of the doorway.
Wow! Bast climbed over the broken door and into the building.
She looked around. There was another heavy steel door farther down a short corridor. Bast glanced over her shoulder at Nilre. The Psygen breathed heavily and held the head of one of the guards.
Are they alive?
Yes. I’m finding out where Rrrark and the ambassador are.
Oh.
Nilre stood and walked down the hall. Come on. We have to hurry. I’ve disabled the security triggers, but they’ll know something’s up.
She stopped at the end of the hallway and frowned as she surveyed the massive door. She ran a hand over it and drummed her fingers on the handle.
This would be a nice time for Tomed to be here. He’s better at this sort of thing than I am.
Can you open it? Bast asked.
I think so. Give me a moment.
Nilre knelt and closed her eyes as she rested her hand on the plate next to the handle. After what felt like an eternity, Bast heard a faint click.
Is it unlocked now? She asked Nilre.
Kind of. The security bars are withdrawn, but the lock is still sealed. I think I can open it now. She backed a meter and a half down the hall. Please get behind me.
Bast moved behind Nilre and watched as she knelt, closed her eyes, and breathed deeply. Bast could almost feel power radiate from the Psygen.
Suddenly Nilre jumped up and yelled as she kicked the handle, then spun around and delivered several more blows. On the fourth kick, the door cracked. Nilre then backed up and slammed her shoulder against it. The door flew open and crashed into the wall.
Nilre bent over and rested with her hands on her knees. She wiped the sweat off her forehead, then stood and ran down the hall. Bast bounded right behind her. After following a series of twisting passages, Nilre stopped and flattened herself against a wall.