The heat and humidity pressed down on Rebeka from all directions. With each breath, the heavy air squeezed her chest like a giant snake. Sweat sheened her face and crept along her stubbly scalp, making it itch. The pinpoint light of the distant sun made her wonder how it could be so oppressively hot.
A chittering noise brought her attention back to the cargo in front of her. She frowned then shifted her glare from the rattling crates to Sera Fox. Her old comrade-in-arms looked as cool and crisp as if she'd just stepped out of a chiller, which just made Rebeka more cranky. "It's illegal."
"It's not illegal." The statuesque blonde tore her predatory gaze from Alek, who peered out over the rippling swamp grass. She sighed theatrically in Rebeka's direction, tossing her hair over her shoulder. "They're just bugs."
"Smuggled bugs." Rebeka brought her hands to her hips, and a breeze caressed her armpits. She sighed at the slight cooling sensation, then the breeze disappeared. Her shoulders slumped.
"Bugs that can make you hallucinate," Tink mumbled as she checked the seal on one of the crates, jumping a step back when it rocked towards her. "Alive bugs."
"The gourmands want them alive. It's just good business. Besides, what harm can bugs do? As long as you don't eat them. Or lick them." Her mouth opened then snapped shut before she spoke again. "Maybe avoid touching them." Sera's gaze shifted over Rebeka's shoulder, squinting as she homed in on something. "You really do travel well these days, Mino."
Rebeka turned to see what had caught Sera's attention. Kandi strode down the gangplank, weapons strapped to hips, arms and thighs. "Sera, we could get in trouble if we're stopped."
"I have a permit."
"A clearly forged permit."
"I have an official in my pocket." Sera shrugged a shoulder. "In my pants actually." Her voice dropped to a purr. "He quite likes it there. Call him if you run into any trouble." She flicked her attention from Kandi back to Rebeka, arching an eyebrow as she held out a tablet. "Do you want the job?"
Rebeka's jaw clenched, and she stared hard at her former troopmate. A skimmer flew overhead, causing them both to look up. She squinted but couldn't tell if the sleek, unmanned craft bore Dominion markings or none. And she couldn't decide which was worse.
Sera's lips quirked into an almost smile. "Some habits never die." She jerked her chin and the hand holding the waybill towards Rebeka.
Rebeka grimaced but swiped the tablet from her. "You swear we don't have to open the crates?"
"As long as you deliver them within the fortnight, they'll be fine. The tablet contains care instructions, though they don't need much. They're alive but dormant."
A crate almost jumped at Alek as he reached down to load it onto the hover cart. "You call that dormant?" He straightened up and stepped back.
Sera's predatory gaze came back, joined by a wolfish grin. "You should see them when they're wide awake. If there's a swarm of them, you become dinner." Her eyebrows twitched.
Alek's eyes slid from her to Rebeka, clearly unimpressed. Rebeka couldn't disagree with his assessment, but they didn't have much choice. They needed food and fuel to get them the hell out of the Green Zone and back into the oppressive but orderly Dominion-controlled sphere.
She gave Alek a sharp nod. He stepped back up to the crate, giving Tink a lopsided smile as she joined him.
"Let's get 'er done." Tink took hold of her side. "Sooner we load them, sooner we're rid of them."
"You're sure you can trust her?" Alek asked, nodding towards the closing cargo bay doors. A clank sounded, shutting out the sweltering haze of the moon. Though now the cargo bay felt like a swamp, stuffy and damp and smelling slightly of rotten vegetable matter.
Rebeka slid her gaze from the door to the pilot. "No." She turned around to the overstuffed bay. "But she loves profit more than plotting. And there's no profit in turning us over to Dominion customs officers."
"You're sure about that?" Tink came to stand on her other side. A crate rattled and chirped. Something dropped from above them, landing with a thud. Grim's weight bore down on the crate, his eyes fixed on it as he made a chirruping sound.
"She'd lose her cargo and gain notice of the authorities." Rebeka tried to make her voice sound more certain than she felt. "Shoo, not for you." She waved her hand at the cat. "There's plenty of bugs already on the Lyra to keep you busy." Grim's green eyes peered at her as he waggled his rump before settling onto the pile of boxes.