Memories that he couldn’t dwell on. For the sake of the crew, he had to lead them forward. He only doubted if he could lead them well. He didn’t know if he had the capability.
Sora reached the round table at the center of the room. A holographic image of Graig’s crater hovered over the table but he stared past it, taking in the people around him. Selas Taban stood to his left. Sora still had trouble recognizing him with his new look. Selas gave up his armor in favor of a black tunic and black pants to match his hair color, even disposing of his helmet and cutting his hair after the Bombard. Any resemblance to Talek Dano or Anziar Wraith vanished. Selas gave him a greeting nod.
Fi Kal stood next to Selas, followed by Trika Trok, Kossk, Chok, Nait Gash, and Scout Gash. Just the sight of the crew comforted him. So much had changed, but the crew looked the same and that familiarity eased him. Selas’ style and name may have changed, but when he looked at his face, he still saw the same honorable man that he’d welcomed to the Killer crew. The teenagers looked older than they did even a month ago, but Sora still saw the faces of the kids who changed the crew’s lives.
The kids who changed their lives for the better. The kids who gave them an opportunity to overcome their complicated pasts and strive for something better. Sora lost his longest friend when Viktor died, but these friends remained and that motivated him to keep pursuing this cause for justice. He no longer had a choice. He had to obtain justice for them and for Viktor.
Ursun Taylor stood at the other end of the circular table. The man’s black helmet rested in front of him, revealing his dark skin, buzzed head, and small goatee. Otherwise, black armor adorned his body, and any gaps in the plates only revealed a layer of mesh that covered his skin. The armor looked old and worn, indicating the array of experience that Ursun had gained in his twelve years of pirating.
“About time, Sora,” Nait said, smirking and patting his stomach. Sora could still spot the large bandage underneath Nait’s tan shirt. Nait shook his head like a disappointed parent. “Feels like we’ve been standing around this table for hours.”
“Yeah, way to waste our time while you were who-knows-where,” Trika said, scoffing. She blew a blue hair strand out of her face.
“You know where he was,” Fi said, lowering her voice and narrowing her black eyes. She stared straight ahead, not bothering to give Trika a glance.
“Oh,” Trika said, clearing her throat and brushing her long blue hair out of her face. “Whoops. Uh, sorry, Sora.”
“It’s alright,” Sora said, dismissing the awkwardness with a wave. He smiled and looked at Ursun, who’s eyes darted from one crew member to the next. “Sorry about the delay, Ursun. We’re ready when you are.”
Ursun placed his knuckles on the table. “Yesterday, a news report from an independent reporter circulated in a few solar systems where the Queen’s grip isn’t as tight. According to our limited scans, it’s already been removed from any airwaves, but a potential connection forwarded the recording. It mentions the Bombard, so I doubt that it got the Queen’s stamp of approval.”
This man didn’t waste any time with greetings or small talk. Since Sora first delivered that weapons shipment to Con months ago, Ursun made his stance against Queen Bettina clear. He’d grown used to convincing people to strike against Bettina, but Ursun never hesitated. Whether he worked with Chief Bosnan or the Killer crew, Ursun focused on action more than discussion.
That meant, for now, that Sora would listen to the next action that Ursun wanted to take.
Scout scoffed. “Doubtful. Nothing in the media goes anywhere before it hits the palace. The media still doesn’t know that Parliament was killed and you expect us to believe that they know something about the Bombard? Doesn’t matter how many reporters or news outlets there are, all of them only know what Bettina wants them to know.”
She was still not as open-minded as him, but Sora appreciated that about Scout.
“See for yourself,” Ursun said, clicking a button underneath the table and motioning to the table. A thin, professional man replaced the image of the base. “Someone smelled that something was off.”
“It has been over a month since the Bombard was sighted on its usual patrol path, and sources tell me that planets are growing unnerved by its absence,” the reporter said, gulping after he finished. Sora thought he saw a brief shudder in the man’s shoulders. “The palace hasn’t even acknowledged the disappearance of its premier flagship and other reporters haven’t mentioned it, either. Suspicious much? It seems to me that Queen Bettina wants to cover up some kind of blunder on her part, but the public deserves more. Stay tuned for more updates from Ardol Vent, a reporter for the people.”
“Seems like a struggling journalist trying to boost his ratings,” Selas said, scratching his chin. He kept his attention on the stilled image. “However, he is adept at picking a good story. Perhaps this indicates a growing willingness to speak out about Bettina’s regime. A very slow-growing willingness, I fear.”
“Not after Bettina offs this guy, which she probably already has,” Scout said, crossing her arms. She looked back to Ursun and leaned forward. “So what if one reporter did simple addition and figured out that the ship’s gone? Doesn’t get us anywhere.”
“You mentioned a potential connection,” Fi said. She pursed her lips. “Who?”
Ursun nodded. “That’s what gets us somewhere. An information dealer sent this to me with an offer. She claims that a planet sees this as an opportunity to move while Bettina is weakened. The dealer wants to broker a meeting between myself and the planet’s leader, but I think that she should talk to you.”
Sora glanced at the crew again. They thought that planetary help left the equation after Adli. Governors cowered in front of the Queen and submitted to her to keep their people safe, so he hadn’t anticipated any response along these lines. He didn’t know if they could trust this response. They didn’t have good history with allies.
“Even the phrase ‘information dealer’ sounds seedy,” Naos said, clearing his throat and frowning. It surprised Sora that Naos hadn’t spoken before now. “I mean, do you know this lady? We can’t just jump in with anyone. It’s risky for her to even know who we are.”
Scout nodded. “It’s already concerning that she went out of her way to contact you. What’s in it for her? Money?”
“When people want resources, pirates are an easy, neutral third party,” Ursun said. He leaned against the table and crossed his arms. “I know of her, yeah. Her name is Kit Vel Aath and she’s been in this business for several decades. People like her work between the cracks of the Nebula, buying and selling information that benefits other organizations somehow. The info could be anything, but it always gives a profit. Knowledge is power.”
“If the knowledge is real, yes,” Selas said, furrowing his eyebrows. He looked at Sora. “What are your thoughts, Captain?”
Sora should’ve expected that Selas would force an answer out of him. He wanted to hear the crew’s perspective before he fully formed his own. “It does sound a little shaky, Ursun. We have to be assured of someone’s motivation and goal before we join with them, considering what we’ve been through. Why not go forward with the meeting yourself?”
“I’m not saying I won’t,” Ursun said with a slight shrug. “But I haven’t fought against the Queen. You’ve done that more than anyone else in the galaxy. If this planet wants a real resource against her, then that resource is you.”
Sora caught Scout inhaling and looking down at the table. Selas gave a barely noticeable nod, while Naos sighed and pressed down on his blonde hair. Ursun made a point none of them could deny. Kossk, Nait, and Fi turned their eyes to him, expecting an answer. Sora didn’t like that, but he understood what they were getting at.
He opened his mouth, but Trika interrupted. “Yeah, guess we did bend over a third of her army…”
Sora heard Nait snort and Chok snicker, but he wouldn’t call it that. His memories displayed a much different outc
ome when he recalled facing her soldiers. He rubbed his chest, feeling the hint of soreness that remained.
However, Ursun’s point remained valid: They faced the Queen, regardless of outcome.
“If we can be a real resource,” Sora said, looking to his right. Natalia smiled and he didn’t know what that meant. She hadn’t given any reaction until now. “Then that alone makes the offer worth consideration.”
“Careful consideration,” Natalia said, directing her smile at Ursun. “But yes, consideration. We can at least speak to her.”
“Senator—” Naos said, holding up a hand.
“She may be an information dealer, but I doubt any of those deals involve the Queen,” Natalia said, motioning for Naos to put his hand down. “She’ll want something from us, so that means she won’t sell our location out to Bettina. At least not yet.”
Sora smirked. Natalia always found herself as the negotiator, but considering her career, he suspected she liked that.
Scout finally looked up, nodding and patting her hands on the table. Brown hair dangled in front of her eyes. “She’s right, Blondie. Let’s give it a shot.”
“Tony,” Ursun said, beckoning to his second-in-command at a console at the end of the room. “Contact Kit Vel Aath.”
A shrill beep followed as the recording vanished from the table. A few seconds later, it repeated, establishing a pattern. Ursun continued to lean against the table, looking unconcerned yet somber, while Sora noticed each member of the crew straighten their backs. He brushed hair behind his ears, pressed a wrinkle off his green jacket, and craned his neck in both directions, trying to give his muscles some movement before he would have to freeze them for several minutes. They wanted to look as professional as possible, after all.
More importantly, they couldn’t give this woman any hint of unease. He’d grown far more strategic in his negotiations with people than when all of this started. He attributed some of that to Natalia’s wisdom and some of it to his newfound range of experience.
“You trust her?” Nait said, nodding to Ursun. Another beep followed his sentence. “Like, you really think she means well?”
Ursun shook his head, which caused Sora and Nait to raise their eyebrows. “Intentions don’t matter, kid. Neither does trust. I just need to know that she can do what she says.”
Sora didn’t like the vague morality. It reminded him too much of Felicia and that period in his life. Nonetheless, they had no one else to trust.
“Bosnan did what he said,” Nait said, scoffing and picking at the acne on his face. “Look where that got everybody.”
The beeping stopped and another screen projection materialized above the table. Dots formed one at a time, revealing a full picture of an elderly woman standing in an empty, mundane-colored room. Sora could detect Scout’s look of disdain without even glancing her way, but even he wouldn’t have expected a sight like this. The woman wore formal robes that didn’t have a distinguished color and her short black hair sat in a neatly-tied bun.
Her face didn’t give a reaction as she stared at the crew. Her thin eyes didn’t blink.
Sora heard a hard swallow from Selas. He glanced to see his new first mate’s fingers drumming underneath the table. He assumed that Selas didn’t know what to make of this sight, either.
“Ursun, this is the crew you speak of?” Kit Vel Aath said. Her voice sounded gentle and unemotional. As she took a step forward, he noticed the cane at her left side.
“Yes, they’ve agreed to hear your offer,” Ursun said. He still leaned against the table, as if this carried no weight. “I’ll spare you the details, but the Killer crew survived many encounters against Queen Bettina and others. I wouldn’t have them in my own base if they weren’t a great asset.”
“Miss Vel Aath, my name is Senator Natalia Valie,” Natalia said, bowing her head in respect. “I was a member of Parliament befo—”
“Your identities are unimportant to me,” Kit said, waving her hand dismissively and closing her eyes. “As mine should be to you. It is only important what you see.”
Sora raised another eyebrow, glancing to the crew. Scout, Nait, and Naos all tossed wary looks to each other. Kossk touched his claw to the table and turned his yellow eyes back to him. Chok seemed unconcerned, but his furry body barely stood taller than the table, so Sora couldn’t really judge his response. Fi still looked neutral, while Trika’s furrowed eyebrows indicated confusion. Sora looked to Natalia, who’s face hardened.
“We’ve seen more than most people,” Natalia said, sounding firmer than before. “As Ursun said, that’s why we’re speaking now.”
“We’ve seen everything,” Selas said, sighing and looking to the ground. He rubbed his temples. “Unimaginable horrors.”
“Then you see the truth,” Kit said, opening her eyes. Sora couldn’t tell if she focused on one member of the crew or if she glanced between them all. “The truth about the Nebula.”
Nait withheld a cough and lowered a voice. “Okay, the cryptic statements are getting a little weird…”
“The Nebula is changing,” Kit said, also lowering her voice and taking another step. Her face encompassed most of the screen. “I’ve worked on the outskirts of the galaxy for years, watching as events transpired and selling pertinent information about those events to benefit my trade. In all of that time, I’ve never seen something quite like this.”
“Okay, yeah, really cryptic,” Scout whispered, putting her hands on her hips.
Without hesitation, Kit made eye contact with Scout. “It shouldn’t be that difficult to decipher, girl. A massacre of the largest part of the government. A construction of a secret army beneath a city. A simple freighter crew having more encounters with the monarch than most criminals. Tidal waves of this magnitude are unprecedented.”
She knew about Bosnan, which indicated that she had legitimate connections.
“Crap happens,” Scout said, shrugging.
Kit paused, looking away from Scout. “Ursun would not have recommended me to you without sound logic. He informed me that you have worked for him for the last month. According to that report, the Bombard disappeared around the same time. I suspect that is no coincidence.”
Sora tensed and silence fell over the room. None of the crew looked at each other, probably because it would tell too much. He heard the footsteps of pirates in the background, taking care of their duties. The seconds seemed like minutes. They had an opportunity to tell the truth, potentially compromising their safety, or to lie to this woman, potentially making an enemy if she realized it.
Sora opened his mouth, pushing past the dryness forming on his tongue. “Yes, we were there.”
Kit’s lips creased upward, ignoring Naos’ sigh and Selas’ inhale. “I do not need your recount of the events. It proves what I already thought: You are an asset to anyone striking back against this growing darkness.”
“We are the people striking back against that darkness,” Selas said, moving his shoulders as the last words came out of his mouth. Sora saw Fi’s hand slip to his side out of the corner of his eye.
Kit’s smirk remained as her eyes locked onto Selas. “Indeed, you are. Perhaps the only people doing so, but not anymore. That is the opportunity I present to you: Unity underneath a common goal. Logic dictates that this goal will be more attainable with more people working together to achieve it. A planet wishes to ride these waves before they wipe them out, and now, you can join them in that.”
“What planet?” Natalia said, leaning closer to the projection. “Your offer hinges on that.”
Kit’s lips parted, but she didn’t speak. She put both her hands on her cane and glanced from Selas to Natalia. The old woman didn’t look concerned, but Sora didn’t know what thoughts ran through her head. He didn’t know if she had uncertainty about dealing with them or if she just wanted to keep stalling them in useless conversation.
“Ondon,” Kit said. She glanced to the rest of the crew. “Of course, you understand their anonymi
ty remains of great importance.”
Scout, Naos, and Nait all looked at each other. Sora could tell that none of them wanted to talk, but he saw the small shrugs from each of them. Nait furrowed his eyebrows, while Scout and Naos both frowned. Sora leaned in their direction, wanting to ask what they meant, but he knew they wouldn’t want to say too much in front of Kit.
Scout looked directly at Natalia. “Uh, Senator, what do you think?”
Natalia crossed her arms and didn’t take her eyes away from Kit. “Ondon’s always been amicable toward Queen Bettina. The planet has a sizeable planet-side militia, strictly for protection, but its Senator was the governor’s wife. So, I suppose this is…logical.”
Sora’s attention drifted back to Scout, who’s shoulders relaxed. She gave a slight nod. “I get it. Everybody’s got someone to avenge.”
“You understand the motivation, you understand the offer,” Kit said. Again, her eyes didn’t rest on any particular person. “I can arrange the meeting for two days from now. Ondon has offered to host. Will you join us?”
Sora expected Natalia to answer, but he felt her elbow hit his side. He blinked and noticed that she stared at him, tilting her head toward the screen. “Sora?”
He thought that he’d hear Naos or Trika speak up. He thought that Nait or even Kossk would have some sort of input. He looked to his left and only saw that everyone’s eyes now focused on him. Naos’ face didn’t express any hint of enthusiasm, but nonetheless, he stared at him. Fi, Kossk, and Chok had blank stares, which Sora took as neutrality. Nait shrugged, while Trika shook her head. Scout looked at him and motioned to Kit’s projection.
Selas nudged him. His narrowed eyelids indicated concern, but within Selas’ eyes, Sora only saw trust. “What’ll it be, Captain?”
Sora forced saliva down his throat. He wanted a roundtable decision, not a one-man answer. He felt the involuntary slouch in his shoulders. This decision could advance their fight in ways he didn’t think possible an hour ago by offering them the support they wanted from Adli and Chief Bosnan. This decision could send them down another path of betrayal and it could lead to a worse outcome than before. An outcome that could end their fight.
Unleashed Page 3
