The Phoenix hung on the edge of normal space a few seconds too long before sliding through. A huge explosion ripped through the ship as the sublight engines came on line. Clark swore and punched buttons. Twyla didn't bother with the swearing. She hit the reverse thrusters, dumping speed as fast as she could. Beryn jumped out of the fourth seat and headed for the engine room at top speed.
Jasyn leaned across the cockpit, running the scanning equipment. "At least we're in the right place. What happened?" She shouted into the com over the sound of whining engines.
"Looks like the main thruster control port blew and took out half the other systems," Ginni's voice came back. "Darus is a bit shaken but fine. Give us a few minutes to get the fires out."
The com clicked off.
Jasyn switched over to the scanning seat and called ground control on Tebros. They were much too far out. She sent a signal burst and set the com to standby.
"Anything on the close screen?" Clark asked her.
She flipped the system over and ran a check. "You're clear on this heading for quite a ways."
"Good, because it's going to take us a couple of days to get to Tebros."
"Engine temperatures are still rising," Twyla said.
"Ginni?" Jasyn said over the com.
"It's pretty bad down here," Ginni answered. "Give us five minutes. And drop all the speed you can."
"You heard her," Clark said to Twyla. The two of them worked on slowing the ship as much as practically possible. It was difficult with the main thrusters offline.
Louie began to shriek in his cage behind the cockpit. Jasyn went to fetch her son. The lounge was hazy with smoke. The air filters labored to remove it. More clouds of thick smoke rose from the engine room. She left Louie screeching after her as she went down the stairs to the engine room.
"Over there," Beryn shouted. Loud hissing drowned out the rest of what he said.
Jasyn went back to Louie. There was little else she could do. She picked him up. He clutched her shirt, still wailing. She patted his back until he calmed down. By then the fires were out. Darus and Beryn ran checks on all the systems, tabulating the damage to the ship. Clark and Twyla had it moving slowly towards the distant planet of Tebros. Ginni ran back and forth, relaying messages. The com system had gone down sometime during the fire fighting.
Jasyn shifted Louie to one hip and worked on fixing something for them to eat. They were in for long shifts all the way to Tebros. Louie reached for the cookies as she got them out. She handed him one and sat him in his special chair wedged at one end of the table. He gummed the cookie happily.
"What happened?" she asked when Darus and Beryn finally came up from the engine room. Twyla sat at the table with her, watching Louie smear damp cookie across the table and his face.
"We've been pushing the engines hard for too long without an overhaul," Darus said tiredly. His face was streaked with soot and grease. "The main valve blew and took out most of the cooling system and the main sublight engine. We're going to be stuck on Tebros for at least a week." He dropped into a chair. "The ship wasn't built to take the punishment we've been giving her. She's a good ship, sound, but she isn't built for long jumps. It was bound to happen sooner or later."
"We're still going," Jasyn said.
"All the way to Linas-Drias if we have to," Darus agreed. "But it's going to take a lot longer than you wanted."
"You did your best," Jasyn said. "We all did."
"What do we do at the border?" Twyla asked. "I heard rumors at the last port that they had some kind of border satellite system deployed."
"The border was at Besht," Beryn said. "That's still a ways away. We'll think of something by then."
No one spoke for a long time, except Louie. "Adaba," he announced as he squashed the soggy cookie on the table.
"How long until we make Tebros?" Jasyn asked.
"Eight days at our current speed," Twyla answered.
"Give it a chance to cool down," Darus said. "We might be able to cut that in half if we push a few things. It depends on how badly the engines are damaged, but I can't tell for certain until they cool so I can take them apart. We're going to have to get the hyperdrive realigned at the very least."
"We're still good for cash," Jasyn said. "But we should take cargo if we can."
"That should help our cover story," Beryn put in.
"What are we going to do, exactly, when we get to Linas-Drias?" Twyla asked. "I know Dace is there and mixed up in something of Lowell's. But from what I read, she's only getting married."
"To Vance," Jasyn said as if it were a disease.
"And?" Twyla prodded. "Doesn't she have the right to marry whomever she chooses?"
"She'd never pick Vance, not on her own," Jasyn said.
"So what are we going to do? Crash her wedding and tell her what a big mistake she's making?"
"If that's what we need to do," Jasyn said. She let her chin sink into her cupped hands. "I don't know what we're going to do. I just know Dace is in trouble and I'm tired of sitting here, wondering if she's ever coming back. If she chooses not to come back, then that's her decision, but I have to hear it from her."
There was another long silence.
"I'm going to wash up," Darus said. He left the lounge, headed for his cabin.
Louie threw his cookie across the lounge and squirmed in his chair. A bad smell filled the air around him. Jasyn sighed as she reached for him.
"Let me," Twyla offered. She scooped up Louie and headed for the cabin Jasyn had turned into a nursery. Louie didn't seem to mind.
Beryn excused himself. Jasyn sat alone at the table for a long time, staring at nothing. She finally stirred and collected a mug and a handful of cookies. She took them into the cockpit.
Clark sat in the pilot's chair, staring out the viewscreen at stars. He glanced over his shoulder at her. She handed him the mug and the cookies.
"How bad is it really?" she asked.
He shrugged. Half the lights on his board were red or yellow. "It could be worse. At least we're still moving."
"Darus says we can boost the speed later. Maybe."
"The message blurb came in. You aren't going to like it."
She took the seat in front of the ship's computer and pulled up the data log. She was very quiet as she read the headlines.
"It's real war now."
"I don't know if we can get across the border," Clark said. "We may be stuck on this side."
"We'll find a way across. There are people on Tebros we can contact." She scrolled through the news feed. "This scares me more." She tapped the screen. "They're confiscating ships and crews, at least on the Empire's side. So far, the Federation is outraged by it. But how long until they start using the same tactic? Since it's come down to actual shooting, they'll both be looking for all the ships they can get. Either way, we're never going to make it past Besht."
"Jasyn, let's wait until we can get more information on Tebros. Leon was supposed to leave us a message there."
She rubbed her face. "And what if we're too late? What if we don't make it?"
"Would you rather turn and run the other way?"
"I'd never forgive myself, and you know it."
"When we get closer, I'll get a list of ships in port. Maybe we can get some help."
"We called in our favors already. We'll owe them for their help." She stared out the viewscreen. "I'll find some way to pay them off. Eventually."
"Jasyn, you don't have to do this alone."
"I know. I've got you, Trevyn. And Darus. I don't know if the others really understand."
"They do, or they would have been kicked out with Finn." He reached across the space between them and squeezed her hand. "We'll get there in time, if we have to steal a Patrol cruiser to do it."
That got him a wan smile.
They sat in silence, watching space crawl past. Clark occasionally tweaked the controls, keeping them on course and the engine as cool as possible. Jasyn dozed off in the copilots chair.
She looked tired, her face shadowed. He reached over and brushed her long hair back. It was mostly braided, but it kept escaping, leaving long strands to soften her face. He knew how important Dace was to Jasyn. Somehow they'd find a way to get to Linas-Drias and talk to Dace. The woman in the news sheets was not the same person they'd said goodbye to on Viya Station so long ago. He flicked through the news to the society section. There was Dace, again, her picture filling half the first page.
She was smiling, her face in a polite mask. Right there, he knew something was up. Dace had never been good at bluffing, no matter how much she deluded herself about it. Her emotions were plain to read on her face. But not now. The woman in the picture was a stranger.
Her hair was set neatly, a smooth style that flattered her. She wore a simple dress, but expensive and elegant. She held Vance's arm, exiting some dinner party or other. Clark frowned at the picture as he adjusted the engine settings again. It was all wrong. The woman was not the Dace they knew. He wondered if that Dace still existed.
Either way, he wanted answers as badly as Jasyn. Finn had been right about one thing, They had to move on. It was time to either let her go or get her back.
He erased the image, dumping the news feed into the ship library for storage.
"Clark?" Ginni eased her way into the cockpit.
"What?" he answered quietly. He nodded at Jasyn, warning Ginni to let her sleep.
"Darus wants you to cut the thrusters completely and drop speed in half. He's taking the engine apart, as far as he can."
Clark didn't say anything as he shut down the thrusters, switching them completely off. He reached across his board to the copilots board and slowed the ship. Jasyn stayed asleep.
Ginni popped off the front panel for the com unit. She prodded at the circuits inside with a test wand. Clark watched her work. Ginni was very good at what she did. She was even smaller than Dace, looking more like a child than an adult. Clark knew better than to underestimate Ginni. She was tough and fierce and very loyal. She was almost too much like Dace, even getting certified in the same fields. She pulled out a burnt fuse and replaced it. The com light blinked green. She flashed him a quick grin as she left.
The message light started blinking almost immediately. Clark reached around Jasyn and hit the button to answer the call. It picked up in midtransmission.
"…waiting for reply. Repeat. Fellmarchant calling Phoenix Rising. Reports indicate damage to your ship. Do you wish assistance? We are standing by, waiting for reply. Repeat."
He broke into the message. "Fellmarchant, this is Phoenix Rising."
"That you, Clark?" The voice was vaguely familiar.
"That's me," Clark answered. "Who am I talking with? I don't recognize the ship name."
"Wouldn't expect you to, Major. Remember a junior pilot named Yancy Bearmarton?"
"Is that you, Blackbottom Bear?" Clark grinned.
"One and the same," Yancy answered. "Although I still hate the nickname. Can we pretend that little incident never happened?"
"You mean that time you almost ran a cutter into the Admiral's flagship?"
"With you screaming at me the whole way to change course. That little incident, yes."
"Never happened." Clark grinned wider. Blackbottom came later, after the Admiral's dressing down of the entire crew of the cutter. "So what kind of ship is the Fellmarchant?"
"A big old tugboat straight out of the shipyards on Tebros. Your message burst came in as a priority. I checked the ship manifest and what do I see? My old officer's name on the list. What are you doing in a junk freighter?"
"The Patrol couldn't match the job offer I got here,. What are you doing flying an overgrown thruster pod?"
Yancy laughed. "Better job offer. What kind of assistance do you need?"
"We're running a check of the systems now. We had to wait for the engine to cool before we could find out for sure what was wrong. Hold a minute." He flipped the com to standby and hit the button for the engine room. "Darus? We got a status report yet on the engine?"
Beryn answered. "Darus is up to his armpits in coolant right now. As far as we can tell, the whole thruster system is shot. Other than that, it's pretty minor. Still take us at least a week to dismantle the engine and check."
"Tell Darus we've got a tow into Tebros. He can shut everything down."
"Will do." The com clicked off.
Jasyn was watching him with her violet eyes, the color of amethysts. She didn't look happy. "They sent out a tug for us? We don't need it."
"We can easily afford it, Jasyn. And it can get us to Tebros in less than a day instead of over a week."
She sighed. "I know. It's habit."
He flipped the com back on. "You still there, Yancy?"
"Still waiting for the word, Major."
"It's not Major anymore."
"And it never was Blackbottom."
"What kind of linkup do you need?"
"I can just attach a magcable and pull you back, or I can pull you in all the way and hook up an airlock. Depends on how bad your systems are."
"Life support is fine, it's just our engines," Clark said.
"Give me about half an hour to secure everything and we'll get you moving. We should reach the drydocks at Tebros in about five hours. Your ship isn't loaded, is it?"
"Holds are pretty much empty," Clark admitted.
"Sounds like an interesting way to fly a freighter. Don't you usually try to haul cargo?"
"Usually, yes."
"You want to explain?"
Jasyn kissed him on the top of his head and left the cockpit. Clark watched her for a long moment.
"You still there, Clark?" Yancy asked.
"Just waiting for the owner to leave the cockpit."
"You fly with the owner on board? That's asking for trouble."
"You don't know the half of it. I married her."
"You got married? Congratulations. I hope."
"I've never been happier. You ought to try it sometime, Yancy."
"Already did. It was great for about a week." There were a series of clanking noises across the hull before Yancy continued. "She lives dirtside. I see her every weekend. It works for us. We got three kids so something must be right. She says she's happy if I'm happy."
"Three, Yancy? You work fast."
"I've been married going on six years now. Ever since I got out of the Patrol and settled here at Tebros. Check your main lines. I think I've got everything set."
Clark glanced over the indicators on his board. "We're clear. Engines are shut down. What's left of them at this point."
"I'm green on my side. Powering up."
The Phoenix shuddered and groaned as the cables tightened. The ship lurched to one side then steadied.
"Looks good," Clark said.
"Increasing speed," Yancy said.
The chorus of metallic groans subsided. The lights flickered briefly as the main engine core went offline. They would be good on backup sources for a month.
"Everything's holding," Clark informed Yancy.
"You got a vidfeed?" Yancy asked.
"I think it's fried. It's low on the priority list for repairs."
"We'll just have to meet up in a bar and talk over old times. Or maybe I'll invite you and the wife down to meet my family. You got any kids?"
"One," Clark said. "His name's Louie."
"That sounds like the proud daddy speaking. I've got three girls, all the sweetest little things you ever saw. At least when they're sleeping."
"I know how that goes," Clark laughed. He leaned back in his chair. The control panel in front of him slowly went dark. Light after light winked out. Only the life support continued to show green.
"So where are you coming in from?" Yancy asked.
"The back end of nowhere."
"Sounds entertaining."
"What's life like in the Federation?" Clark asked, fishing for information. The news sheets only told part of the story.
"About the same as it was in the Empire," Yancy answered easily. "A little looser on the rules in some ways, but pretty much the same."
"What's the border like?"
There was silence for a long moment, filled only with static. "You don't want to cross that. Take my advice and don't get any closer."
"Why?" Clark waited through another bout of static.
"We shouldn't be talking on an open channel like this," Yancy said suddenly. "My boss will knock me into next week if he picks it up on his scanner. We're getting in range of the equipment on Tebros. I'll call you when we're ready to start maneuvering."
"Any chance of actually landing?"
"With no engines on your ship, no. Sorry, Clark. We'll find a berth in the orbital docks. There's a pretty good shuttle service to the planet."
"Thanks, Yancy. Good to talk to you again. And I'll take you up on your invitation. I look forward to meeting your family."
He switched the com to standby. He swiveled his chair around to find Jasyn watching him. She held two mugs. Steam rose lazily from them.
"Twyla was cooking," she said as she held one mug out to him.
He took it and sniffed. "Mother's recipe," he said, surprised.
"I take it that was an old friend of yours," she said, gesturing towards the com.
"We served together for a while. I was his training officer for his flight certification." He waited while she seated herself in the copilots chair. "He had some interesting news to share."
She stared out the viewscreen, sipping her soup, saying nothing as she waited for him to continue.
"He's married, with three girls. He invited us to visit."
"That isn't what had you frowning."
"No, I'm looking forward to seeing him again. Come with me, Jasyn. It will do us both good. And Louie will enjoy playing with someone else for a change."
"You think I'd turn you down, Trevyn? And miss an opportunity to get stories on you? Not a chance. I thought Dace was bad at not talking about herself."
"You couldn't bribe Twyla?"
"She was easy, but she didn't know much after you left home for the Academy. You could save me the trouble and just tell me."
"And bore you silly?"
"Never. So what did he say that has you worried?"
"He warned me not to try to get any closer to the border with the Empire."
"Interesting."
"That's what I thought. I wonder what the news sheets aren't saying."
"I'll talk to Leon's contacts on Tebros. We own quite a few businesses there. Trailblazer clan is running them for us. They should know the real story."
"And it won't cost us much from them," Clark said. "Jasyn, have you looked at our bank account lately?"
"Any time we make a planet."
"One with connections to the rest of the galaxy. It's been months since we last got that close. I accessed the account while you were asleep."
"How much did we lose across the border?"
He shrugged. "We'll have to wait until we're inside the Empire to really find out, but from what I can tell, we're making more under the Federation than we ever did in the Empire. All of the businesses that report to the office on Tebros are still ours and all of them are doing well. War is good for business."
"I'll pass on the war, despite the money it makes."
"Anyone with half a brain would think the same. The point is that we don't have to worry about money. We could buy a whole fleet of ships if we wanted."
"I like this one," Jasyn said.
"So do I."
"We'll need a lot of cash, Imperial currency, for bribes," she said, watching steam curl from her mug.
"We'll need more than cash. We're going to need a lot of luck."
"That's what Dace is for."
"I meant good luck."
"As Lowell put it once, she's very lucky. Bad luck when it comes to staying out of trouble, but very good luck at surviving whatever she gets into. Let's hope some of her luck rubbed off on us."
"The trouble has," Clark said. "So the good luck must have, too."
She actually smiled at him for that comment.
"Here's to finding Dace. Soon." She raised her mug.
"As soon as possible," Clark agreed.