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Zofie Ked sat in a booth in Phyl's Fill an hour before the bar's usual opening. Phyl granted her off-hours access for the privilege of having a confidant. 'It's us against the universe, girl.' The booth had become Zofie's informal place of business, though business had proved elusive.
The two partners Zofie recruited in the Bohr Confluence a fortnight ago had ditched her once the three of them reached Argosy Station. Her contribution to the alliance had been paying the two men's passage from Bohr to the Realm. More fool me, she thought. The old Zofie would've planned and exacted retaliation by now but the psychologically re-tooled Zofie, courtesy Brother Pious, had no such desire. Their punishment would come or it wouldn't, she would not be dragged into revenge.
Gar Kondradt had at least endorsed a charter to reactivate her brokerage enterprise. No doubt the watchful eye of the Confluence Navy had motivated his generosity. Kondradt had enough on his plate with the peace accord's enforcement not to bother with his former sub-legal commerce and intimidation activities. Rumors indicated he'd avoided conspiracy-to-commit-murder charges in the Confluence through Chancellor Mekli's intervention. His experience and lack of moral compass made him Mekli's ideal choice to deal with the navy's presence in the Chancellor's backyard. She figured Kondradt viewed her activities as a minor annoyance to the Confluence. He hadn't even met her in person; she was too minor a player or he was wary of a direct link. Add enough annoyances together and Kondradt could complete his greater agenda. Whatever it might be.
Kondradt's game was no longer Zofie's primary worry. She scrolled her update screen, looking for opportunities among the arriving and departing jumpfreighters. She tagged possibilities for further investigation. Public data was the first step. She launched her updated worms and burrowed deeper into lading lists. Excise blockers stopped her hacks for three freighters on her radar. She cancelled the inquiries and came in through a backdoor flaw. Two were classified shipments but the profit potential was limited. One had black market possibilities but the legality concerned her. She'd promised Brother Pious to stay legal. Hacking aside.
The lights rose in the tavern. She switched off the table lamp and acknowledged Phyl's arrival.
"Zofie, early bird, eh?" Phyl always looked fresh, no matter how late the customers stayed the previous night or how rowdy they got. The proprietress's red hair spouted like a flame from her head.
"Checking manifests. If I can exploit a few old contacts in the Eddy, I might have some prospects. Wish I had a clone to send to Slate's."
Phyl walked over to her, straightening tables and chairs on the way. "Trust me, Zofie. Neither this cosmos nor spookspace are ready for two of you. Anymore than it could handle two of me. We are unique, girl. I know enough crew who owe me that if you need any confidential messages carried through jumpspace to Slate's, let me help."
"Thanks, Phyl. I'll work up a proposal to send through. I don't mind being in your debt but call it if I overstep my limit."
"We'll stick together. By the way, those two morons you brought from Bohr have already showed their true worth."
"What do you mean?"
"They're in the brig. They picked a fight with the crew from a chartered freighter. You're better off on your own."
Karma showed up quickly, Zofie thought. She didn't have to make it happen. "Yeah. Seems like most days I haven't a choice."
Phyl moved away, humming an old prospector tune.
A new page popped onto Zofie's screen. An audible. She activated her earbud.
"What can I, a stranger in your midst and ignorant of your challenges, offer? I offer guidance, perhaps understanding."
"Pious," whispered Zofie. It shouldn't be a surprise; she knew the brothers were resuming their mission once Penance was refitted. She'd departed before them but now they'd arrived. A practice sermon or taking advantage of the stop-over at Argosy? If they were to be on-station for any length of time, she would pay a visit.
Pious' message continued. "Our mission is to task those who seek inner calm to ask themselves, can I do more? Can I make the sphere in which I exist a better place?"
Pious' counsel in Bohr had helped Zofie cleanse her sins or at least accept them and move forward. Jumpspace nightmares of dead lovers and companions hadn't left her yet but the brother's teachings had eased the guilt. The nightmares' presence might tempt her to use Phyl's messenger mule. One less jump for her. But it would mean giving up control, however small. Her guilt might be lessening but her need to be in charge was not. She'd jump regardless.
"If you require our communion, please contact the Penance. We are currently unable to enter the station but will listen to any and all through the network. One of our associates, Willie Renfrew, is aboard the station but we've lost contact with him. Help if you can."
Renfrew? It rang a bell then screamed recognition. Willie Renfrew had been Carver's alias. Carver was in Argosy and the brothers had lost him. Carver and DualE, working for the mission.
Over two months ago, in a spookspace-induced psychotic state, Zofie had tried to kill them both. She'd been unbalanced by greed, paranoia and jumpspace drugs. Pious' meditation teachings had returned her mental equilibrium. Perhaps she could add a bit more mass to the good side of the scales by finding Carver aka Renfrew.
She walked to the bar and began polishing the fake wood. She met Phyl in the middle. "Phyl, I need your ears."
*
Rowland scanned the hourly reports. He needed two brains to absorb the many incidentals. The incidentals added up to major pieces of his puzzle. Captain Siebe was a loyal follower but lacked the mindset to synthesize the disparate data into victory. Rowland's end game was clear in his mind but he couldn't rely on his subordinates to see it. Leadership required filling multiple roles, information analyses merely one. The minutia consumed him.
At least Denz was taken care of for now. His former agent was safer here than in either Gamma Hub in Bohr or Schoenfeld Eddy. Denz's renown as a prospector could create the wrong distractions in the Eddy and in Gamma he'd be too far from Rowland's control. Argosy Station's brig was perfect.
"Admiral, I have the latest repair status from the station." Siebe's entrance interrupted his thoughts. More details to process.
"Thank you, Captain. Anything else?"
"Indefatigable awaits orders regarding the station and moving on with us or remaining behind, given the attack seems to be singular and finished."
"No change. We move in increments to Slate's Progress and then the Eddy. Cover our backside as we go. But we do go ahead."
"Understood, sir." Siebe saluted and left.
Rowland considered the decline in quality amongst the next generation of commanders. Few of them battle-hardened like himself or...DualE.
He clasped his hands behind his head and stretched neck muscles. How to deal with DualE? She'd be the kind of aide he could depend on, if only her politics weren't so neutral. He must consider her on the opposite side since she wasn't entirely on his.
Did her loyalty lie solely with the missionaries? How much with Carver Denz? She might be levered into an alliance with Rowland's agenda. A useful tool. He could take advantage of her imbedded training but it would alter his plan for Denz.
Two paths lay before Rowland, his initial direct movement and one with subterfuge using DualE. He would pursue both, his confidence assured him he could modify strategies to suit each situation going forward. The only consistent outcome, no matter what transpired, was the inevitable sacrifice. He reconciled losing human pawns against ultimate victory for the good side. His side.
*