The Blarmling Dilemma (Hearts in Orbit Book 1)

by S. C. Mitchell

  Well, he wasn’t, so he’d go and get whatever it was fixed, then go play in the trees with Kirtl while he pondered how to get Phoebe back. The way the suns were shining outside, it looked to be a beautiful day to swing among the branches and watch the lingbats.

  That thought made him stop short. He really was becoming a Blarmling.

  Chuckling, he threw on his clothes and sprinted toward his ship, which now rested in a recently cleared patch of forest a hundred meters from his new home. The change in the flight deck took him by surprise. He hadn’t had time to check on Oolo’s progress. The old cell was completely gone, and in its place, comfortable seating to accommodate up to eight passengers. Rigel would be responsible for transporting the first wave of Blarmlings to their new posts in embassies and justice centers around the galaxy.

  His heart warmed. Soon, no criminal would be able to lie his way out of a sentence, and no innocent would ever again be sent to the prison worlds. If Phoebe had had a Blarmling at her trial, Rigel was sure things would have turned out much differently.

  As he warmed up the ion drive, he scanned the clearing for stray Blarmlings. He didn’t want to frighten any of them by blasting off too suddenly.

  He didn’t see Kirtl anywhere and he wondered where the boy had scampered off to. Then he laughed. Kirtl was probably monitoring his brain and lying in wait nearby somewhere, just waiting for Rigel to start looking for him. So many times he would pop up just as Rigel started thinking of him. First nurture had truly created a close bond, and he’d grown to love the boy.

  Pulling his thoughts back to his current situation, he checked his trajectory against the speed of the incoming starship and plotted a new intercept course. It would feel good to blast off into space once again. Maybe one day he’d take Kirtl with him, and show the boy what Blarm looked like from space.

  He’d like that.

  Oolo and Lart were off at a nearby village, or he’d have asked them to ride along. There really should be a Blarmling present for any changes in the documentation. Then again, he was a Blarmling, wasn’t he, and the legal ambassador.

  He still wondered why Oolo and Lart—all the Blarmlings in fact—had been so insistent he be their ambassador. Now that they could communicate, it really wasn’t necessary. They probably figured the job would keep his mind off Phoebe.

  Fat chance of that.

  He thought about her constantly.

  He was so lost in his thoughts that he almost missed the indicator light on the ion drive display turning green. Shaking his head, Rigel closed the hatch, and prepared to blast off. One final check showed no one in sight. Lifting off, he set course to the orbiting Federation starship.

  There it was again . . . that feeling. The feeling of being watched.

  Phoebe looked up from the cooling unit she was working on, scanning the streets and buildings around her. Two Laserbats, yes, but they were always around watching. This felt different . . . malevolent.

  The past months had been productive for Phoebe. With Constance’s help she’d been able to build a list of good, dependable clients who needed and appreciated her repair skills. It felt good to be working, getting paid. It didn’t fill the void created by the absence of Rigel, but it did help, and kept her busy. She knew it would be a long time, if ever, that she saw him again, but she wasn’t ready to let him go.

  Constance had shown her holos of Rigel as a young boy, and shared so many stories. Phoebe felt closer to him than ever, despite the light years and security measures that separated them.

  “I’m well enough off,” Constance had told her. “You can just stay here. I like having someone around. It’s no bother. You don’t need to work.”

  But she did. Sitting around his mother’s home just made Phoebe miss Rigel more. And she wanted to contribute. So she’d used her small funds to advertise her repair business, and with Constance to help her choose what jobs to take, and what people to avoid, she’d begun to make progress in her new world.

  But lately she’d felt the eyes on her. People passing by, or checking her out from a distance. She’d started to recognize some of the faces. The Scarred Man, Princess, and the Toad. Nicknames she’d given them because she didn’t know their real ones. She’d run into them time and time again, separately or together. Always they watched her, making no secret that they were, to the point that she felt their presence sometimes even before spotting them.

  Just yesterday she’d finally broken down and asked Constance about them, describing them in detail.

  “Ghent’s people,” Constance replied. “Stay away from them. Nothing but trouble.”

  She didn’t doubt that.

  Movement caught her eye in the shadows by the appliance shop. Toad crouched, looking much like the creature she’d named him for, his eyes on her. Did she dare confront him?

  Damn it, she’d had enough. They were prisoners the same as her. Surely the laserbats watched them as well. What did she have to fear?

  “Hey!” She stood, pointing at Toad. “Why do you keep following me?”

  The hunch-backed man rose. Heavy set, he teetered on legs that looked too thin to support his girth. But he just smiled, his yellow, misaligned teeth and wide glaring eyes creating a mask of malevolence across his face.

  “What do you want?”

  The man just stood there, smiling at her.

  “He won’t talk. Ghent told him not to, and he’s a good puppy.” The feminine voice came from behind her.

  Phoebe turned to find the Princess standing in the roadway behind her. Tall and willowy, the woman exuded an air of confidence and entitlement.

  “Then what do you want?” Phoebe was sick of this game playing. There was a laserbat not ten feet from the woman. It was time to have this out.

  The Princess chuckled. “It’s not what I want. It’s what Ghent wants.” The woman had a wooden club in her right hand, and started patting it in the palm of her left. The gesture was threatening. Surely the laserbat would react.

  But the droid just stood there. On closer inspection, Phoebe noted that the ocular sensors were dark. The droid had been deactivated. That was not supposed to be possible.

  What the hell?

  The Princess and Toad started moving toward her. At least she had an alley behind her to retreat to. She spun and almost ran into the Scarred Man. He carried a club similar to the Princess’s, and the droid behind him was also deactivated.

  “Sorry, sweetheart. Nap time.” He swung so fast Phoebe never had time to duck. The world spun and stars exploded in front of her eyes before everything went black.

  Rigel extended the docking tube toward the hatch of the KXL Grotto. With a thunk it connected. As oxygen filled the tube, Rigel made his way to the airlock door. His blaster hung in its holster on a hook by the door. He’d missed its gentle weight at his side, but government dignitary types didn’t really appreciate weapons in negotiation sessions.

  The Grotto wasn’t a large ship, but was still ten times the size of The Blarmlings’ Hope. A quick scan showed only five life forms onboard. Two on the bridge, two pacing in a conference room, and one waiting at the other end of the boarding tube.

  He opened the airlock door, noting the small man in the plain gray business suit waiting to greet him on the other end of the tunnel. Rigel chuckled. The man didn’t look very threatening.

  Leaving his blaster hanging on the hook, Rigel strode the ten meter tube, extending his hand to the man at the other end as he went. “Welcome to Blarm.”

  “Thank you for coming, Ambassador Antares,” the man said accepting his hand. “It’s a small matter, really. I don’t know how it slipped through. Please follow me.”

  The man turned and led Rigel into the ship. “My name is Snergol Rampton, under-assistant to Senator Paxton of Argolese.”

  A tingle of suspici
on tickled the back of Rigel’s neck. “I wasn’t aware Senator Paxton had anything to do with our negotiations.”

  Snergal pulled open the doorway to the onboard conference room. “Actually, the Senator is not aware I’m even here.”

  He held the door, and motioned Rigel in. “It’s these gentlemen that are in need of addressing the issue.”

  The shadows on the floor told him two men stood ready to greet him in the room to his right. Rigel entered but Snergol stayed outside the room, closing the door.

  A familiar face stepped into view as Rigel heard the door locked behind him. Captain Djon le Piere held a blaster aimed right at Rigel’s chest. Behind him, Clarence O’Callaghan fidgeted.

  “So good of you to join us, Antares. Sit down.” Le Piere motioned to a chair in the center of the room.

  Rigel sat. “What do you want, le Piere?”

  The pirate smiled. “Closure.”

  Keeping his blaster trained on Rigel, le Piere leaned against the wall casually. “I had O’Callaghan make your life a living hell. You should have begged to join me, Rigel. Why didn’t you?”

  Rigel’s gut twisted. “I’m not a criminal.”

  Spittle flew from O’Callaghan’s mouth as he yelled. “You’re a damn spacer! You did time on Theiler.” The heavy man brought his hand down hard, thumping the conference table, then leaned in, glaring at Rigel. “You are a criminal.”

  “I was born there.” Hadn’t O’Callaghan ever thought to check it out?

  Shocked silence filled the room for long moments, then le Piere chuckled.“ An honest man. Probably the last one in the galaxy. Well that explains it. I never had a chance with you, did I?”

  A handheld data pad beeped and O’Callaghan pulled it from his belt pouch.

  “They got her,” he said.

  Le Piere shook his head. “Callista doesn’t do me any good now.”

  Phoebe? They had Phoebe?

  “I was hoping to use her as a bargaining chip, lure you back into my fold. But, an honest man? I have no use for an honest man.”

  Le Piere turned his head toward O’Callaghan. “Terminate her.”

  No!

  Rigel launched himself toward le Piere. But there was too much space between them. Before he was half way to him, le Piere looked back. The pirate’s eyes went wide, as Rigel tucked and rolled. A blaster shot rang out, and Rigel braced for the hit, but it never connected.

  When Rigel flipped back to his feet he found le Piere in a crumpled heap on the floor, his blaster, unfired, lay at his side.

  “Don’t even think about it, O’Callaghan,” a high-pitched Blarmling voice shouted. Rigel turned to see a silver figure in the doorway.

  Kirtl, held Rigel’s blaster, pointing it right at the quivering galactic marshal. “And don’t think about that either,” the boy added.

  Rigel spun, balling his fist, and swinging it right into O’Callaghan’s jaw. The tubby officer staggered back, but Rigel grabbed him by the collar, dragging him forward.

  “Tell me you didn’t send that last request.” Le Piere had ordered Phoebe’s termination. Could he really have that much influence? She should have been untouchable on a prison planet.

  Gibbering, O’Callaghan shook his head.

  “He’s lying,” Kirtl said. “He sent it.”

  Rigel’s heart froze. What was he to do?

  Chapter 36

  Phoebe woke to a pounding headache, but she had enough presence of mind to keep her eyes closed and feign unconsciousness. Her hands and feet were tied, and she was lying on a mattress.

  “So . . . now what?” She recognized Princess’s voice.

  “We wait.” There was agitation in Ghent’s silky tones, and Phoebe heard someone pacing.

  What did the man want with her? Why had he pursued her so ardently?

  “We’re out of the disruptors your friend sent. If the laserbats get any hint of this we’re all dead.” She couldn’t identify the male voice that spoke, possibly Toad. She’d never heard his voice before.

  Phoebe cracked an eye open slightly, just enough to see Ghent, Princess, the Scarred Man, and Toad as she’d expected. She was lying on the bed in Ghent’s guest room. She’d been in here once to work on the wiring.

  “No, I still have a few more of the disruptors, but I’d rather save them if possible,” Ghent said. “You three clear out. I can handle things from here.”

  Princess laughed. “You? Get your hands dirty? That’s almost worth the risk of staying around to watch.”

  “Le Piere never said anything about hurting her. We’re just supposed to hold her until he tells us what to do.”

  “With the laserbats on patrol?” Princess asked. “Good luck with that. Le Piere either wants her dead, or some information from her before you kill her.”

  Le Piere? Even here the man could extend his reach. That thought caused her stomach to knot. She’d probably cost him a lot when they’d blown up his data fortress. What would he do to her?

  She quietly tested the ropes binding her hands and feet. They seemed secure.

  Phat photons. I’m in trouble.

  She heard the footsteps of the others leaving. The bed depressed by her head. Ghent must have sat on the edge.

  “Oh, Phoebe, Phoebe, Phoebe. What have you done to anger the most powerful pirate in dark space?”

  His hand slid through her hair, pushing it back from her face. Phoebe continued to feign unconsciousness, though his touch made her cringe.

  “It could have been magical between us, if that bitch, Constance, hadn’t interfered. Now I suppose . . .”

  Soft blipping issued from the other room. Ghent sighed and left her.

  Like Constance, Ghent had a spacenet connection with mail access. All mail was scanned for content, but she didn’t doubt le Piere used some kind of code or algorithm to cloak his messages.

  Phoebe heard him muttering under his breath. “Such a pity. Such a waste.”

  Peeking with one eye, she saw Ghent slipping a long kitchen-chopping knife from a drawer.

  The Blarmlings’ Hope disengaged from the KXL Grotto to head back down to Blarm. Pushing the ion drives to full, Rigel was eager to get back, drop off Kirtl, and figure out what he was going to do about Phoebe’s situation. He wasn’t sure how, but he had to get to her.

  He’d found Snergol Rampton hiding in the engine room of the Grotto. Kirtl informed Rigel that the under-secretary hadn’t known he’d been set up as an accessory to murder, but was very guilty of accepting bribes for favors.

  The two ship pilots were basically honest men, completely out of the loop. Rigel had them contact Senator Landus for what to do with the three prisoners.

  “Lock them in a room and bring them here,” the Senator said. “I’ll see that justice is done. Oh, and, Rigel, the treaty has been ratified. Welcome to the Federation. An assassination attempt on a planetary ambassador should bring a hefty sentence.”

  Rigel thanked the Senator. After securing the three prisoners he took Kirtl back to The Blarmlings’ Hope. His brain was busy on the ride back down to Blarm, going over everything that had just happened.

  “You hid in my secret compartment in the cargo hold?” While grateful for the save, Rigel was furious with Kirtl for putting his own life at risk.

  “It’s not very secret,” the boy answered. “You think about it often.”

  It was no wonder Blarmlings were so open and honest. It was impossible to keep anything secret from them.

  “What made you hide away on my ship?” The boy hadn’t shown a truly mischievous streak, but then again, he was entering the Blarmling equivalent of his teen years . . . weeks.

  “You wanted to bring me anyway. Show me Blarm from space. You said so.”

  Rigel remembered he had been thi
nking about that. “I thought it. I didn’t say it.”

  Kirtl emitted a frustrated sigh. “What is the difference? Sometimes you are so confusing.”

  Sudden realization hit Rigel. Kirtl had never lived in a time when Rigel wasn’t part of the Blarmling community. He knew Rigel was human, but had no knowledge of human society. The boy didn’t have any other source of reference other than Blarm, so he’d assumed what was right for one Blarmling, was right for another. Even the one human Blarmling.

  “But you are different, aren’t you? It’s what Oolo and Lart keep trying to tell me.” The boy seemed contrite. “There is so much to learn.”

  Rigel shook his head. “Well, if you hadn’t done what you’d done, I’d be dead right now. I owe you.”

  Kirtl shook his head. “No you don’t. You saved my life. I save yours. We are even now.”

  “No,” Rigel fumed. “Phoebe saved your life. I just brought Lart home.”

  The only thing Phoebe could think of to do was kick out, try to surprise him, when he got close to the bed. Still, she was tightly tied. It didn’t look good.

  As he entered the bedroom, Phoebe heard the front door open.

  “Premises search.” A cold metallic voice announced.

  “No,” Ghent said under his breath. Kicking the bedroom door shut, he lunged suddenly forward toward her before she could move.