by Petra Landon
The woman gave an elegant snort that indicated her derision. “Venn Corp has no intel. The Guards prance around like peacocks in their fancy livery but cannot protect a shipment of Zufon Ventini’s artifacts. Where would they get any intel on Synths!”
Behind the vent, Novi arched an eyebrow. The woman made no bones of her skepticism and poor opinion of Venn Corp’s private forces. These RimWorlders were canny, she mused. Not easily seduced by Venn Corp dangling a pile of money before them. Perhaps, the brutal five year war to fight off a corporate invasion of their homelands had left its mark on the RimWorlders. Novi had heard that no corporations held sway on the Rim Worlds. With a few exceptions, the worlds on the outer edges of the Asteroid Ring were ruled by a local tribal system.
The Captain did not disagree with his guest. Instead, he surprised Novi with his words.
“I’ve had suspicions for a while that Venn Corp and the Guild are getting into bed together. Jerik said the authorization Ventini gave us had the Idriko Mine jumping to co-operate.”
“What do you suspect, Ryf?” she asked, her eyes searching his face.
“That the Guild fed this information about the Synth to Venn Corp, knowing fully well that any threat to the Star Portals would have Ventini put their best assets on it.”
The woman frowned. “We’re Venn Corp’s best assets.”
“We are, Zin” the Captain affirmed, without hesitation. “And I’d wager the Guild knows it. For some reason, the Coalition wants this Synth caught alive. They know we can bring him in. They’re using Venn Corp to hire us to do their dirty work.”
“You’re right, Ryf” she said promptly. “The bounty is gnarly. I want no truck with the Gorath.”
Yes, Novi mused, to the RimWorlders, the Guild was the personification of he who was believed to occupy Hadis. Probably worse, in fact. The devil, at least, needed an invitation to meddle. The Guild had required none to invade the Rim Worlds. Hadis was the Rim Worlds’ equivalent of Hell — what the InnerWorlders called Zeuf.
“The thing is” the Captain paused.
“What?”
“Aren’t you curious why the Guild wants this Synth so badly, Zin?”
“The Guild was just handed its first defeat in a century, Ryf. By the RenWelders. They’re leery of disaffected InvunWelders threatening their dominance here.”
“Perhaps” the Captain said, his tone hinting at his skepticism.
Even Novi knew that the Synths, persecuted, on the run, and with little resources to call upon, were no threat to the financial or military might of the Guild. Not unless the Synths’ circumstances changed drastically.
“The Coalition risks much by manipulating them” he reminded her. “If Ventini gets suspicious, the Guild’s courtship of Venn Corp comes crashing down.”
“It’s not much of a gamble” she countered. “The Guild remains the most powerful entity, by far, on either side of the Asteroid Ring.”
The RimWorlders might have defeated the Guild, but they didn’t underestimate the might and influence of the Coalition. Good, Novi mused approvingly, it would keep them vigilant and on their toes.
“Yes” the Captain admitted. “But don’t underestimate what losing access to the SPL means for the Coalition. The Guild needs the Labyrinth to oversee its empire, Zin. They’ve planted their flag on far-flung reaches of the Invun Welds they could never covet were it not for the portals.”
The woman looked arrested by his argument. “Hmm, if they’re willing to risk portal travel, they must be desperate” she murmured.
“Without the ability to jump, the Guild risks a rebellion in the distant corners of their territory” he reiterated pensively.
The woman straightened. “What are you thinking, Ryf?”
“That if there’s a rebellion to be started, I want to light the spark.”
Her lips twisted. “You’ll get no arguments from me. I’m all in to fan any flames against the Gorath.”
“But how do we untangle this thread?” she asked him.
“Go to the Badlands and ask this Synth why the Guild wants him” the Captain said promptly.
“He’s in the Badlands?”
“By the Azunti system, per Ventini’s information.”
“There have been rumors of Synth ships in the Badlands” the RimWorlder woman acceded.
“Well, if Ventini’s information about Azunti came from the Guild too, then they’ve just shown us a way to contact the Synth.”
For a few minutes, there was silence. Novi couldn’t tell what was going on, except that the woman studied her male companion.
“You think it’s time, Ryf?” she asked softly.
“About time to start prodding for vulnerabilities, Zin.” His voice hardened. “The Guild wants this Synth because he knows something — there’s no bounty for his death.”
“It’s been six months” she said, the blank dark eyes glowing in her face.
“The Edhoran Accord says nothing about exposing the Guild’s dirty secrets” he remarked.
She nodded mutely, her eyes on him.
He raised his goblet. “Justice.”
She raised her goblet without a word and the grief on her face had Novi swallowing her gasp.
For a moment, they sipped their mihado in silence.
“Now what, Ryf?” she asked.
“I tell Ventini that we’ll case the Badlands for the Synth, but no guarantees. He’s eager enough to buy it.”
It was clear to Novi that the Captain had put a lot of thought into his decision.
“We’ll cruise the Ring by Azunti, see if anyone’s willing to carry a message to the Synth” he continued.
“What message?”
“That Ryfkin Soren is interested in a meeting” he said.
“The name alone might pique his interest.”
“I hope so, Zin. The Labyrinth will cut our journey to Azunti by weeks and we have privileges on it. If Ventini checks the portal logs, he’ll assume I went hunting for the Synth.”
“They’re giving us free access again?” she asked.
“Like you said, we’re their best assets, Zin. Venn Corp needs us.”
“I’m grateful to them, Ryf. If they hadn’t come looking for us, we wouldn’t be here” the woman said.
Novi wondered at the RimWorlder woman’s cryptic statement. Zin sounded eager to venture into Guild territory. After the long and hard-fought battle to keep the Coalition off their planets, she’d assumed that the RimWorlders would want to enjoy their Guild-free existence.
“After, we sail to Zufon Ventini’s dig” the Captain said. “To ferry artifacts.”
“It’s the easiest money we make, Ryf. I’m not complaining. Feels good to sleep on something soft, with a ready meal when I want it and plenty of hot water for washing.”
She sighed. “And no bad news to dread.”
Novi could sense the woman’s palpable emotions. The ceasefire had come into effect only six months ago. These RimWorlders were still mourning their losses from the brutal war, she realized.
The Captain changed the subject. “You miss bounty hunting, Zin?”
“It’s what we grew up with” she confessed. “And are feckin’ good at.”
“I’ve been thinking” Soren mused aloud. “Not every corporation in the Invun Welds is like the Guild. Many are smaller, with ill-equipped private forces. They could benefit from our services. Perhaps, it’s time we offered to work for others, not just Venn Corp.”
“I’m game, Ryf” the woman agreed, almost eagerly.
“I’ll put the word out that we’re open to other offers.”
“Just not the Guild” she said emotionlessly
“Never the Guild.” The Captain’s lilting voice hardened again.
For a few breaths, the woman sipped her mihado silently.
“Still trouble sleeping?” he asked quietly.
The woman shot him a look before glancing away. “It’s better, Ryf. Don’t worry about me so.”
�
�Who will I worry about, Zin, if not you?” the Captain countered lightly.
Her expression softened again, the tightly-stretched skin of her face relaxing in a subtle indication of her affection and ease with the RimWorlder Captain.
“I’m eager to go hunting again, like the old times. But it won’t be the same without him.” The Captain’s voice was poignant.
Her dark eyes showed emotion. “No, it won’t.”
There was a quiet despair in her voice that struck Novi, though the woman continued to look blank and emotionless.
“Give it time, Zin.”
The familiar sound of a buzzer echoed through the chamber.
“Cap’n” greeted a lilting male RimWorlder voice.
“All aboard, Kali?” Soren asked.
“Aye, Cap’n.”
“To the Star Portal.”
“Right away, Cap’n.”
Shyte. Shyte. They’re leaving Idriko.
Novi scrambled, scurrying down the passage to the walkway. Then, almost sprinting down the walkway to the hatch into Space Bay. Stopping only to collect her case from beside the toolbox, Novi hurried through the passage she’d originally climbed through. As she reached the access panel in the Bay, the Cruiser seemed to lurch slightly. In the confined space, its effect on Novi was exaggerated.
No, no, no. Please YanTeo. Buy me just a few seconds to get off this ship.
Novi abandoned her camping gear in the hatch to leap down into the Bay. But something, a subtle vibration under her feet, told her that it was already too late. She’d been on enough crafts to recognize the vibrations of a slow-moving vessel. Novi hurried across the Bay to the console platform. There were sensors embedded in the hangar’s space door.
Novi’s heart, already thumping hard, sank as the feed from the Bay door flashed on the console. The Cruiser had undocked from the Star Portico and was moving away. The receding lights of the Portico docks twinkled faintly through the swirling blackness of space. Dread unfurled at the pit of her stomach.
There goes Idriko. Watch over me, YanTeo.
Should have left when I got what I came for. Always too curious for my own good!
Now, she was a stowaway on a Renegade Cruiser heading for the Badlands, in search of a Synth with a Guild bounty on his head. Novi reflected gloomily that on a good day, even a single prospect of the litany that confronted her would be enough to doom her. Of course, combined together, it put her in a colossally catastrophic position. Yet, she had no recourse except to bide her time and wait for an opportunity to present itself. Hopefully, the Cruiser would dock again at a Portico where she might make her escape.
As Novi crossed the Bay to scramble back through the access hatch, she felt a pang. It would be nice to tell Wy that she’d seen the legendary Ryfkin Soren in person. Well, more or less in person, she amended silently. But Wy would not worry about her. She was slated to be off Idriko for ten days. He wouldn’t expect to hear from her. Only after, would Wy make inquiries about a missing employee.
Episode 2 : Through the Looking Glass
Cast adrift
A trapped Novi looks for an escape, though the Star Cruiser and its crew continue to fascinate and mystify her …
The Badlands
Ryfkin Soren strode into view as Novi peered down into Cruiser Control from the access hatch above it. By her estimate, it had been an hour since the Star Cruiser’s departure from the Portico by Idriko. After hauling her case back to the walkway to tuck it behind some tech systems, Novi had made her way to the hatch above Cruiser Control.
“Cap’n?”
A young InnerWorlder strolled into view. Her shoulder-length fair hair framed her face, the edges hued brilliant shades of a licking flame. Novi could only view the top of her head from her vantage point. But the girl appeared young, probably Novi’s age. And moved with the assurance of someone much older.
The Captain turned to her, the lovely RimWorlder cadences in his speech pronounced. “Need a favor, Kidani.”
The girl did not hesitate. “Whatever you need, Cap’n.”
“Spread the word that Ilar’s Justice is open for business on the Invun Welds.”
Hmm, the Cruiser is named Ilar’s Justice.
The young girl had connections on the Inner Worlds. This might explain why the Cruiser sailed with a mixed crew, Novi speculated. The RimWorlders came from the other side of the Asteroid Ring. And a Renegade vessel, especially one captained by the legendary leader of the resistance, would find many doors shut in its face in a slice of space dominated by the Guild Coalition. Perhaps, this is why the Cruiser was discreet and did not advertise its presence on Guild worlds, she surmised. The vessel details had been deliberately left blank at the Star Portico gate.
Soren’s announcement seemed to catch his crew by surprise for the pilot’s head flashed to the Captain.
“Bounty contracts, Cap’n?” the flame-haired girl inquired.
Novi couldn’t tell for sure but she thought the girl too was taken aback by the Captain’s directive, like the pilot. The only other crew in Novi’s line of sight was the gorgeous RimWorlder woman from Ryfkin Soren’s private quarters. She ignored the announcement, her head bent over her station. Novi remembered that the Captain had given her a heads-up about his intentions. And she’d been all for it.
“Security and bounty contracts, Kidani” the Captain said.
“Corporations or private?”
“We’ll work with anyone, except the Guild.”
“I’ll put the word out, Cap’n” she said agreeably.
“Appreciate it, Kidani.”
“You’ll have your pick of jobs once word gets out” she offered. “This Cruiser and its Captain have a reputation on the Inner Worlds.”
Soren shot the girl a glance. Novi wished she could see his face.
“Let’s hope the reputation keeps the opportune away, Kidani. Ilar’s Justice will have no truck with anything unscrupulous or unjust.”
The girl gave him a sharp nod of her head to walk away.
The RimWorlder woman, who the Captain had called Zin, looked up from her station to meet his eyes. She searched his face silently, before turning her attention back to her task.
The Captain addressed the pilot. “How far, Kali?”
“Ten minutes to the Star Portal, Cap’n” said the pilot.
Like the others in the chamber below, Novi could view only the top of the pilot’s head from her perch up in the access hatch. But from his accent, it was clear that he was a RimWorlder. She could now recognize the exotic cadences in their speech.
Soren took the Command Seat directly under Novi to sprawl elegantly, his long legs stretched out before him. For a big man, he moved with a decided elegance, his movements characterized by a loose-limbed grace. Yet, he was a restful man. Where the woman seemed tightly wound, holding her emotions in with grim determination, he was harder to read.
Another lilting male RimWorlder voice rang out, from somewhere outside Novi’s view. “Ilar’s Justice to SPL Authority. Transmitting credentials for portal jump.”
They were about to travel the Labyrinth, Novi surmised with rising excitement. As she angled her head to peer into Cruiser Control, searching for the RimWorlder voice, pat came the response from SPL Authority.
“You have priority on SPL, Ilar’s Justice. What is your destination?”
“Azunti system.”
There was a short silence. Up in the access passage, Novi waited with bated breath, almost giddy with excitement.
“Cleared for transport, Ilar’s Justice. Proceed to portal. You will jump next.”
Novi felt a sharp pain pierce her head. Caught unawares, it took her a few seconds to comprehend that this was more than light-headedness at the prospect of traveling the Labyrinth. Confused, she flipped onto her back to squeeze her eyes shut. But the piercing ache only worsened. The stabs of pain came in waves and made her see stars. Conscious that she was right above Cruiser Control, the fear of discovery had Novi fight to mut
e her pain-filled gasps. Abruptly, the agony in her head exploded with a blinding flash of light. Novi slipped into unconsciousness as her world went dark.
When she came to, it took Novi a few moments to orient herself. A fine sheen of sweat covered her forehead, but the stabbing pain was gone. Thank YanTeo, she muttered silently, to flip onto her stomach and peer carefully into the chamber below. Nothing seemed amiss in Cruiser Control. The Captain still sprawled in the Command Seat, his gaze on the Vista Screen ahead, with the others, she’d noted before, all in their original positions. She frowned, to shoot a glance at her wristband. To the best of her knowledge, she’d been out for a half hour.
Novi shook her head, equal parts confused and astonished by the interlude. To add to her consternation, it was clear that whatever ailed her had not affected the crew.
“How long to Azunti, Kali?” the Captain asked.
“An hour, Cap’n. Another two to the Badlands.”
They’d jumped while she was out, Novi realized. She felt a pang at the thought. She had never traveled the Star Portal Labyrinth. And given how expensive it was, Novi doubted she’d get to transit it any time soon. It would be fantastic to experience a portal jump, even hidden as a stowaway on the Cruiser, as she was.
Novi inched carefully away from the access hatch towards the walkway. Given that she had three hours to the Badlands, she must get the lay of the land before trouble came looking for her. Unpacking her water bottle from her case, Novi crawled through access passages until she found a chamber that appeared unoccupied. Unlike the others, there were no private mementos scattered around the room, but the bed was made with a neat pile of blankets folded on it. Slipping into the chamber through the air vent access, Novi stripped the bed of linens, to pack them, the pillow and a blanket into a neat bundle that she shoved into the access passage. Her camping gear included a sleeping bag, but since she’d intended to sleep under the stars on a warm planet in the middle of summer, she had packed light. The maintenance duct was kept warm by the heat radiating from the tech systems that lined it, but the access passages leading off from the walkway were chilly. Like most vessels plying the stars, ship-wide heating was enabled only when docked at a station with facilities. When in space, only common areas and occupied quarters were kept warm. Fuel was precious. And star stations and fuel depots were scarce when one ventured to the less travelled perimeters of space.
