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Kidder let out a low whistle once he’d stepped off the shuttle.
“Nice. And there’s only the two of you to crew a ship big enough for a hangar deck this size?”
“It’s a wonder what modern AIs can do,” Decker replied, locking the small craft to the deck. “Plus, my partner’s a pretty good pilot, and I’m a wizard when it comes to gunnery. You could say that I’ve mastered it.”
“He’s a master at something alright, but I’m still trying to figure out what that is,” Talyn said, ushering Kidder into the corridor. “I’m going to ask you to stay in your cabin until we’re on our way. We have a lot to do before we break orbit.”
“Of course.”
They stopped in front of an unmarked door which opened at Talyn’s touch, revealing a sparse compartment with two sets of stacked bunks, a row of lockers and a table with chairs.
“Just to make sure you don’t inadvertently wander around, we’ll lock you in. I hope that doesn’t present any issues.”
Kidder nodded once, “No problem. I understand.”
Then he stepped into his quarters.
“Thanks again for taking me with you. Andoth would have become pretty uncomfortable after the cops saw me talking to you.”
“We’ll discuss business later, Ser Kidder.”
She shut the door and nodded towards the bridge.
“Time to get going, master of gunnery and other fun activities.”
“You think Kidder’s decided that I have more than a passing resemblance to his former commanding officer?” Decker asked, taking his seat at the tactical station.
“I’d say so. The people you brought back probably have your ugly mug permanently engraved in their memory and while your disguise might fool the opposition, it won’t fool your friends all the time. Anyway, mannerisms will give anyone away to folks who’ve known them well, and you have some pretty distinctive ones.”
“Tran’s smart enough to go along with whatever story I feed him. He’ll figure I have my reasons, and he knows I’d never screw him over, not after what we went through together.”
“Loyalty is a commendable sentiment,” she retorted with a sharp tone. “Don’t let it get in the way of the mission.”
“I think this time it might coincide with the mission, little Miss Sociopath. Are you going to get us away from here or are you waiting for something magical to happen?”
“Sublight drives need time to spool up, buddy. You’d know that if you truly were a master of anything other than shooting off your big gun.” She turned to face him. “What makes you think Kidder might be involved with the Garonne rebellion?”
“Let me see.” He began ticking off the items one by one on his fingers. “He’s a former soldier and a good one, with no known ties anywhere in the Commonwealth. He’s looking for a shipper willing to take risks in one of the places the analysts figured might be connected to the supply pipeline. We know the rebels have been recruiting former soldiers suffering from an excess of idealism and last but not least, I don’t believe in coincidences.”
“That was my take as well.” She nodded. “I’ll add that he was quick to take you up on the offer to hitch a ride, meaning whatever he’s doing isn’t something he wants to advertise.”
“Sure.” Zack nodded. “That one was so obvious, I didn’t think it needed saying.”
She made an obscene gesture, but before he could retort, the AI chimed softly, drawing her attention back to the helm console.
“We’re ready,” she announced.
“And we’re going where exactly?”
“Right now, I figure we’d lose ourselves in the outer system, just to make sure we don’t get unwanted company, like those Shrehari marauders who mistook us for a yacht. Then, we’ll have a nice long chat with your friend Tran.”
“I recognize that tone, Hera. You’re not interrogating him. If Kidder’s involved with the Garonne bunch, we’ll have a better chance of tracking down who’s behind it by becoming part of their supply pipeline.”
“And I recognize that look in your eyes, Chief Warrant Officer Decker. We are not going to get involved in the rebellion, no matter how noble the rebels and how nasty the colonial administration. If the central government decides to intervene, it’ll send the next available Marine Regiment.”
“Aye, aye, Commander Talyn, sir.” Decker tossed off a mock salute. “But my idea is still a good one, so we’ll go with it.”
“For now,” she conceded.
“If the Coalition is trying stir up something that’ll further destabilize the sector, then it’s our job to sort it out. Just keep in mind what we saw on Marengo. They’ll be going down the same path as Garonne if we don’t find out what’s really going on. And after Marengo? Heck, Cimmeria could be next and wouldn’t that make the Shrehari howl with joy.”
Talyn sighed.
“I get the picture, Zack. I’m just afraid that your sense of honor, duty, and doing the right thing will make you lose sight of what our job really is.”
“Defending the Commonwealth and its citizens?”
“Making sure sweethearts like the Coalition don’t undermine the system to the point where we find ourselves fighting a third migration war.”
“Yeah.” He nodded. “And that would tempt the Shrehari into trying a do-over of their last invasion. Enough talking, Captain Pasek. Let’s get Phoenix away from this damned place so we can let Tran out of the brig.”
“It’s a cabin, Zack.”
“Does he have access to a bar? No? Then it’s a brig.”
**
“Please sit, Ser Kidder,” Talyn gestured towards the table in the ship’s saloon. “Can we offer you some refreshments?”
“Coffee would be nice.”
“Bill?” She glanced at Decker. “Could you whip up some of your good stuff?”
“Sure. Give me a moment. Want a splash of something in it. We have a palatable rotgut that won’t make your hair fall out.”
Kidder instinctively touched his head, now covered in a thick shock of black and Decker smiled.
“I’m glad to hear that, Ser Whate. I’ve grown rather fond of my mop. Yes, a small splash would be welcome.”
After he’d served the coffee, Zack’s and Kidder’s redolent of whiskey, Talyn broached the subject that sat heavily in everyone’s mind.
“At present, we’re headed outwards, but with no particular destination in mind - just trying to get some distance from Andoth. I think there are a few things you need to know before we discuss what you’re looking for. We’re essentially mercenaries, Bill Whate and I. Phoenix carries more firepower than you’d expect, which is handy when we’re carrying stuff that attracts greedy eyes. We’ve got plenty of cargo space for a ship this size, but less than most of comparable tonnage because we traded it for weaponry.”
Kidder nodded. “That actually makes hiring you more attractive than less.”
“Okay, so far, so good.” Talyn nodded before taking a sip. “We don’t come cheap, but we’re willing to go further than most free traders. We can actually outfight what we can’t outrun.”
“A Shrehari trader tried his marauding sideline on us near Kilia Station recently,” Decker said. “The atoms that used to make up its crew might get back to the Empire in a few million years. We can be good friends with the right people and dangerous enemies to those who try to fuck us over.”
“I was getting that impression, Ser Whate, after what you did to Syko and his crew.” Kidder nodded solemnly. “The people I represent can also be very good friends or very deadly enemies, though we like to think of ourselves as being on the side of freedom.”
Talyn and Decker exchanged quick glances. Perhaps Zack’s old comrade and fellow former slave soldier had become involved in the Garonne rebellion.
“You’ll have to excuse me,” Kidder continued, “if I’m a bit scarce on details. I’m sure you can understand the need for operational security.”
Decker nodded.
“Sure. We can do business without knowing everything, but if we come up against something you didn’t mention, and it puts us at unacceptable risk, the contract is either renegotiated or terminated.”
“Understood. I’d feel the same in your place, Ser Whate.” He took a long sip of coffee, evidently framing his next words carefully.
“When I first approached you, I was looking for a fast transport that could land on a standard planet with an atmosphere and without needing a spaceport.”
“Smuggling?” Talyn raised a questioning eyebrow.
“Yes and no, Captain.”
“Let the man continue,” Decker growled, “otherwise we’ll be in interstellar space before we figure out where we’re going next.”
“Sorry. Please go ahead, Ser Kidder.”
“Now that I’ve seen your ship, and you’ve informed me of your status as mercenaries, I’ve been thinking about the possibility of hiring you not only to transport a few things but to escort the other ships we’ve hired. Your experience with the Shrehari marauder wasn’t an isolated bit of piracy. We lost one of our contracted freighters a few months ago.”
“Marauders?”
“We don’t know.” Kidder seemed pained. “The ship carried some people I worked with. Losing them set us back quite a bit. They were some of the most experienced folks we had.”
“We can fight off single ships or even a pair if they’re not too big, but we won’t fight the Navy, ever,” Decker said. “And we’re not getting involved in anything that’ll have the Commonwealth authorities looking for the nearest tree to hang us.”
“You needn’t worry on that account, Ser Whate. The Navy has no interest in what we do and the freight we’re looking to ship doesn’t involve drugs or slavery.”
“Then why not hire a regular shipping line?”
“As I mentioned, we need ships that can land just about anywhere.” He bit his lower lip, carefully mulling over his next words. “You should know that some planetary governments consider what we ship illegal or borderline illegal, and that’s about as much as I can tell you right now.”
“So you’re saying that provided we keep away from those governments, our risk is just regular piracy and the like?”
“Pretty much.” He seemed relieved that Decker didn’t pressure him for more details on the contraband.
“Sounds like something we can handle,” Talyn said.
She quoted a fee that might have seemed outrageous, but Kidder didn’t even flinch, possibly evidence that someone with deep pockets was financing his organization.
“I’ll have to get my superiors’ confirmation, of course, but we’ll hire you under those terms.” He examined Zack’s face again, frowning. “Ser Whate, you really do remind me of someone I once knew, a man who saved my life; an excellent soldier.”
“They say we each have a doppelganger somewhere in the universe.” Zack shrugged. “The only life I’ve ever saved is my own and maybe, if she’s not too nasty, I might save my partner’s. I’m not what you would call a generous man.”
“I can vouch for that,” Talyn added. “I’m sure the day I kick him out of my bunk is the day he won’t save my life for love or money.”
Kidder looked at the two operatives in turn, and then nodded.
“Understood.”
“And where do we go from here, Ser Kidder?” Talyn asked.
**
“I’m not feeling the warm and fuzzies right now.” Decker stared glumly at his readout.
They had made a long passage out of Commonwealth space and now orbited what he’d charitably described as a useless hunk of rock.
“If there were any way to get out of landing, it would have my vote.”
“Your buddy Kidder isn’t worried. Why should you be?”
“You can stop rubbing it in any time now, Hera.”
“I’m a sociopath, as you keep pointing out. I have no empathy for your feelings.”
“Bull. You were feeling things just fine last night.”
“Sex and emotions are two different things, lover boy.” She turned and blew him a kiss.
“Maybe in your twisted world.”
“You’re living in that same twisted world now.”
“Sadly.” He nodded at the main screen, which showed their destination on the planet’s surface. “The term hive of scum and villainy comes to mind, though I’ll be damned if I can remember where I picked up that expression.”
“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.
