by Petra Landon
The Captain and Kali directed their attention to Vizir. Novi couldn’t tell whether they were surprised by the RimWorlder’s reading of the situation. She could see how a minor corporation might be willing to hire Ryfkin Soren’s crew to clear their worlds of heavily-armed outlaws. Financially, it would be a fantastic deal for the corporation, far easier than finding the right forces or training them.
“He nearly backed out when you said you couldn’t make the transfer tomorrow, Cap’n” Kidani chimed in.
“Something changed his mind” Soren murmured. “I wonder what.”
He turned to the pilot. “Kali, work with Kidani and scour StarWeb for Deziti Corporation. If anything seems gnarly, let me know.”
Kali gave the Captain a sharp nod. “You got it.”
“Shall I reach out to my sources, Cap’n?” the girl offered.
He nodded affirmatively.
“It’s short notice but if they’ve heard anything, I’ll know” she assured him.
“I want to build a business in the Invun Welds not solely dependent on Venn Corp” the Captain remarked. “And on paper, Deziti is our ideal customer. Deep pockets and untrained private forces should make for recurring business for us.”
He paused. “But short notice or not, we do due diligence. Ilar’s Justice must always honor its name.”
The Synth
Novi bit ravenously into the loaf. It was slathered with a thick pâté of vegetables and lentils. Her eyes closed blissfully as she savored the taste of the fresh bread and the thick stew. The flame-haired girl was an amazing cook, Novi sighed. Her sigh held an equal measure of relief and satisfaction. It had taken her eight hours to successfully sneak any food today. Eight long hours that Novi had spent waiting for her chance. With the Captain away, the five remaining crew had been off duty. They’d crawled all over the Cruiser, making it near impossible for the stowaway to risk venturing into the Rec Chamber. With no nourishment all day, except sips of water from the unoccupied chamber she’d adopted as her own, her stomach had growled demandingly.
Novi had waited impatiently for the coast to clear. First, Kidani and Kali had taken over the Rec Chamber. The flame-haired girl had busied herself in the cramped kitchen, while the big RimWorlder lounged and exchange quips with her. Once Kidani was done, they had pored over their tablets. From what Novi could tell, it was research, per the Captain’s orders — public information about Deziti Corp available on StarWeb. Finally, much to Novi’s relief, the two had retired to the Space Bay to play some of kind of game that involved an oblong-shaped ball ricocheting around the vast hangar. However, before Novi could slip into the Rec Chamber, the rest of the crew had tromped in for their evening meal. Novi had hissed with impatience as they lingered over their meal, discussing the upcoming gig and studying the details transmitted to the Captain by Deziti Corp. As if to add insult to injury, Kidani and Kali had returned to the chamber to share a boisterous meal with the others, all while Novi’s stomach grumbled so loudly that she had to make herself scarce from the access hatch by the Rec Chamber, lest she be overheard by the crew. In the end, the chamber had emptied only after the Captain’s return from the feast. He’d given the order to sail and the crew had scattered to their duties. But Novi still had to wait for Kidani to clean up and retire to her quarters.
Her hunger finally satisfied, Novi made her way to Cruiser Control for a last look, before settling down for the night herself. Despite her singularly frustrating day cooped up in the maintenance duct, she felt optimistic. Her shot at freedom loomed close. The Captain had given his word to be on Zubiko Ethera by sun up in one day. That would be her chance to slip away. Though Novi had never heard of the world, it didn’t alarm her — there was no reason to be familiar with Zubiko Ethera. Panthera sector did not adjoin Idriko.
But she would miss this ship, Novi admitted to herself. And, in a strange way, the crew. The Cruiser and its crew led an interesting life. They travelled the stars to take on interesting jobs all over the Inner Worlds. In the two days she’d spent aboard as a stowaway, they had jumped the Star Portal Labyrinth, dodged asteroids in the Badlands, rendezvoused with Zufon Ventini at his latest dig, accepted an interesting convoy job and were readying to dash through the night to meet with a Synth. The life seemed to embody all of Novi’s dreams. And the camaraderie between the motley crew stoked her admiration and envy. Above all, they were led by Ryfkin Soren, the hero of the Five Year War — the man who’d bloodied the Guild’s nose, to strike a blow for oppressed InnerWorlders and RimWorlders alike. It had been fun to sail with them, even hidden away as a stowaway, she mused with a pang.
In Cruiser Control, Jerik sat in the Pilot Seat. The Captain was absent. In his place, Commander Jeryn occupied the Command Seat, engrossed in the console attached to it. Angled up as the console was, Novi could make out some kind of map on it. Every now and then, the Commander would respond to a comment from a discombobulated voice with the exotic RimWorlder cadences. The night crew was doing their homework on Zubiko Ethera, Novi guessed.
It was time to rest while the Cruiser slumbered. Novi made her way back to the jumble of bedclothes and sleeping bag she’d left in the passage by the unoccupied chamber. She wished fervently that the crew had stashed Zufon Ventini’s carved box somewhere other than the maintenance duct. Whatever strong energy emanated from the box was starting to give Novi a powerful headache. Between fighting her instincts to break into the strongbox and the persistent migraine the proximity seemed to cause her, Novi was exhausted. Drained, she slipped into weary slumber.
She was awakened once during the night with the piercing pain that seemed to squeeze at her head. Like before, the agony was fleeting. Novi fancied that she saw stars, swirling around her head with dizzying speed, before she lost consciousness. When she woke up next, her watch told her that it was late morning. Slipping into the unused chamber, Novi washed up and completed her ablutions, before climbing back into the duct to crawl to Cruiser Control.
Cruiser Control was busy this morning with an almost full complement of crew in attendance, from what Novi could tell. Kali was back in the Pilot Seat, with a RimWorlder in the Co-Pilot Seat beside him. They were on approach to the Badlands. Soon, if the last time was an indication, they’d commence what the Captain referred to as RimWorlder Ring protocol, with hot weapons, a skilled crew and eyes peeled in all directions to watch for hurtling asteroids, while Kali maneuvered the big Star Cruiser through the treacherous Ring. When that difficult endeavor commenced, Novi was determined to sneak into the Rec Chamber in search of nourishment. Like most ships, the Rec Chamber was one of the busiest rooms on Ilar’s Justice. And she was determined to not be forced to fight off hunger pangs all day again, like yesterday. Novi already had a migraine to deal with. She fancied that it’d abated a little after a night’s rest. Yet, it still persisted, a nagging throb in her head that made her vaguely nauseous and singularly irritable. While the thought of leaving the Cruiser caused her a pang or two, Novi would be glad to see the last of the maintenance duct. Between the constant and extraordinary pull of the strongbox, her nagging headache, the persistent lack of warmth in the access passages and the nightly agony and oblivion, she’d be glad to see the back of it.
An hour later, as the Cruiser began its treacherous sail through the Asteroid Ring, Novi made for the Rec Chamber, hoping the flame-haired girl’s fascination with the Badlands and her interest in watching her pilot friend navigate the ship would draw Kidani away. Novi was confident that everyone else would be in Cruiser Control. Every RimWorlder on the crew had a part to play during the Cruiser’s perilous journey into the Badlands. As for Jerik, Novi guessed that he was dead to the world, asleep in his quarters after piloting the Cruiser through the night.
To Novi’s relief, Kidani was absent from the Rec Chamber. She was able to slip into the room to sneak a bit from the freshly cooked afternoon meal and a few snacks to last her the day. As always, she was careful to take only small quantities of food, to avoid arousing the s
uspicions of the girl in charge of the kitchen and the crew’s meals.
After a hearty and satisfying meal, Novi dragged her blanket over to Cruiser Control. Swathing herself in the blanket, she lay on her stomach to peer down into the chamber below. Novi knew the Cruiser was stationary. The unique vibrations of the ship when it sailed were noticeably absent. She guessed they were idling in an oasis in the Badlands, like before, waiting for the Synth to make contact.
Down below, the Captain, his attention on the console mounted on the Command Seat, was speaking. Everyone in Novi’s sight in Cruiser Control — Kali, the RimWorlder co-pilot and Commander Jeryn — was intent on their respective stations.
Soren stabbed his finger onto his console. “Here’s the bank.” He traced a path on the map with the tip of his finger. “And here’s where we drop the payroll.”
“Not the Shuttle Vestibule, Ryf?” The Commander sounded startled. “The map shows a Vestibule on Zubiko Ethera.”
“Deziti maintains a stable of private docks for their ships, Zin. The payroll goes to the docks.”
“What about us, Cap’n?” asked one of the crew.
“Benito has reserved a slot for Ilar’s Justice at the Vestibule” the Captain confirmed.
“The white dashes on the map trace the route the payroll convoy takes” he explained. “The cash travels in an official Deziti Corp vehicle with six liveried and armed escorts.”
“The route skirts all settlements on the planet” the RimWorlder in the Co-Pilot Seat remarked. “The bank is the only settlement the convoy hits. Once they load up the cash, the route goes through farmland and some steep mountainous country until the docks.”
“The two red crosses on the map represent the brigand attacks on the convoy” the Captain interjected.
“Both by the remote mountain, away from farmland” Kali murmured.
“Aye” Soren confirmed.
“What if we skirt the mountain?” suggested a RimWorlder voice.
The Captain shook his head. “It would take too long to avoid the mountain.”
Commander Jeryn threw him a glance. “Avoid the brigands or confront them, Ryf?”
“If Vizir is correct that this is an audition, then let’s show Deziti what we can do” the Captain’s response came pat, without any hesitation.
“Confront” the Commander murmured, clearly pleased by the prospect.
Her voice held a note of eagerness. Zinera Jeryn was excited about the job, Novi surmised.
“Can’t wait, Boss.”
To Novi’s astonishment, it was Jerik’s voice that rang out. He’d joined his crewmates in Cruiser Control. Clearly, the enthusiasm about taking on the brigands was not limited to just the Commander.
“So, Ryf” the Commander inquired, with a smile in her voice. “What’s the plan? I know you have one.”
“We make a minor change to the route” he said promptly. “And use a decoy.”
“A decoy?” Kali asked the question.
“Deziti’s official vehicle follows the route we mark for them” the Captain explained. “With two of our guys in their six-person convoy.”
“But they don’t carry the payroll” the RimWorlder in the Co-Pilot Seat commented perceptively.
“Correct, Vizir. We follow a half hour behind the official convoy. With the cash.”
“Use the decoy to flush out the brigands” murmured the RimWorlder the Captain had referred to as Vizir.
Novi recalled that the Captain had put him in charge of weapons during their first treacherous sail into the Badlands.
“If they show, the decoy engages them” Kali murmured.
“And the convoy, following behind with the payroll, provides backup” Commander Jeryn interjected confidently.
“That’s the plan in a nut shell” the Captain agreed.
He glanced at the man in the Co-Pilot Seat. “You had the most time to look over the details, Vizir. What do you think?”
“You talked of changes to the convoy’s route, Cap’n?” Vizir inquired.
“A precaution. Reroute through a few settlements, nothing major. If the brigands hear of Deziti hiring outsiders to protect the payroll, they’ll believe that we made some changes.”
“Replacing two guards in the decoy and altering the route will allay any suspicions” Vizir agreed.
“I want them to go for the decoy” Soren reiterated. “If they’re suspicious, they might not.”
“It’s a good plan, Cap’n” Vizir confirmed. “Simple and effective.”
“Kali?” The Captain turned to the pilot.
“It’ll work.”
Novi watched avidly as the Captain solicited his crew’s comments to refine the plan.
“A couple of sharp-shooters should even the numbers against any marauding outlaws” the Captain declared. “Zin and Vizir are our best sharp-shooters. So, we split them up. Jerik will join Vizir in the official convoy, while Zin, Yukon, Burok and I follow with the payroll. Let’s keep our Hailers hot, not just depend on Deziti’s communicators.”
“You’re leaving me behind?” Kali exclaimed.
From the reactions in the chamber below, Novi surmised that something about this was unusual.
The Captain met the RimWorlder’s eyes. “To watch over Ilar’s Justice, beron.”
The pilot seemed to still at what he saw on Soren’s face.
“I’m a paranoid pitzuke at the best of times, Kali” Soren admitted softly to the pilot.
“Any particular reason, Cap’n?” Kali asked.
The Captain shrugged. “Just being careful with an unfamiliar client.”
Kali gave the Captain a nod. “I’ll watch her.”
The Captain’s voice lost its intensity. “With Kidani and you, I know she’s in good hands. And, the job doesn’t require a full contingent. You’ll both ride along on the next one.”
“I’m content to watch the Cruiser, Cap’n” Kidani piped up. “Hot and dusty worlds, with armed brigands around the corner, are not my thing.”
Soren chuckled, along with some of the crew, as Kali flashed her a smile. “You don’t know what you’re missing, Fire Hair.”
“What about the bank employees, Ryf?” the Commander interjected, attempting to tie up the loose ends. “They’ll know the official convoy is a decoy.”
“The bank is owned by Deziti, Commander” Kidani responded. “Most of the planet is.”
“I’d trust them, if they’re Deziti employees” the Captain remarked. “Anything gnarly crop up about Deziti Corp?”
Kali shook his head. “It’s small fry, even in the sector. We found nothing suspicious on StarWeb. However, there were no reports of brigand attacks on the planet. In fact, there’ve been no reports of any kind of lawlessness on Zubiko Ethera for the past few months. Kidani and I checked.”
Zin frowned. “Perhaps, Deziti hushed up the reports?” she suggested.
Kali shrugged. “It’s not exactly a lawless world, Commander. It’s agrarian. And farmers are not a boisterous lot.”
“Hmm” the Captain murmured. “Anything from your sources, Kidani?”
“No one’s heard anything bad, Cap’n” she said. “Frankly, most of my sources have never heard of Deziti Corp.”
Soren straightened in his seat. “Then, how in feckin’ Hadis did Deziti hear about us? Only your contacts know about us soliciting jobs.”
“Should I dig deeper?” inquired Kidani.
For a moment, the Captain said nothing.
“Ryf?” the Commander glanced at him. “Is it the Soren instinct? Should we pass?” The simple query denoted her utter confidence in him.
He shook his head. “We shouldn’t pass. But something’s off.”
Novi, watching the exchange, realized that she hadn’t misread him before. He was suspicious about the gig on Zubiko Ethera.
“It’s a convoy.” Soren shrugged, as the Commander continued to hold his gaze. “Not a feckin’ fire fight.”
A discreet beep had Kali and the co-p
ilot turning back to their consoles.
“Someone’s hailing us, Cap’n” Vizir announced.
“Video enabled” Kali added laconically.
“Put it through to my console” the Captain directed.
Novi could sense the palpable anticipation in Cruiser Control. It didn’t surprise her — she was eager for this meeting too. No wonder the crew was so pumped up. Only the Captain seemed unaffected. He wasn’t a man to wear his heart on his sleeve, Novi had noticed. Even less than the other RimWorlders who were all fairly poker-faced. Compared to the more emotional InnerWorlders, the RimWorlders lack of expression stood out starkly. Novi could always tell what Jerik thought of a particular situation, but rarely guess at the Captain’s, or the other RimWorlders’ take on it.
Down below, the map on the Captain’s console was being replaced by the face and shoulders of a fair-haired man. Novi peered down, attempting to see him clearly. But the angle of the console defeated her. However, his voice came through loud and clear over the speakers.
“You’ve been looking for me, Captain Soren?” An InnerWorlder male voice filled Cruiser Control. “I’m Serak Vedino.”
“Thank you for agreeing to meet me.”
Serak Vedino got straight to the point. “You have information about the Guild, Captain?”
The Captain was equally direct. “The Guild has a bounty on you, Mr. Vedino.”
For a moment, the man on the console was silent. “I wasn’t aware of a bounty” the Synth acknowledged. “But I’m not surprised the Coalition wants my head.”
“Not exactly” the Captain interjected. “The Guild wants you captured alive. It’s been made clear that no bounty will be paid if you’re dead.”
This time, Novi sensed that the Synth was surprised. There was absolute silence in Cruiser Control, with everyone’s rapt attention on the Captain. While no one could see Vedino, they could all hear the conversation.
“That is news to me” the Synth admitted. Then, something about the Captain’s words seemed to strike him.
