by Sam Coulson
“Twiggy?!” Ju-lin seethed. “Dad, we don’t have to put up with this, we can just take his damn ship and—”
Loid drew his gun and had it primed steadily at Ju-lin’s face before she finished the sentence.
“Now that’s not a neighborly way to talk,” Loid’s smile was gone.
“Enough,” Lee tensed. “Lin, back off. You, Loid, put that thing away.”
Loid considered for a second, and slipped the pistol back into its holster.
“See, much more neighborly.” Loid smiled once again.
“I’m Lee McCullough, that’s my daughter Ju-lin, and the other is Elicio.” Lee said. “I’m the Governor of the Downs.”
“McCullough?” Loid interrupted. “Like the whiskey?”
Lee paused a second, “My grandfather owned a distillery back out on Pentos. It burnt down back when I was just a kid and he never rebuilt.”
“A shame he didn’t,” Loid laughed softly to himself. “Sorry, go on.”
“The Downs is one of the colonies on the far side of this world. I’m sure that you, being the good neighbor that you are, saw the Celestrials bombing one of our colonies last night. Eli and Ju-lin were off visiting the other colony when the attack hit, and the Draugari captured them in the Carrack. So we overtook it and killed them.” Lee finished.
“And a marvel you’ve done with it,” Loid nodded back at the wreck. “Remind me never to let you three do any of my valet parking.”
“Pompous bastard,” Ju-lin blurted. “He watches innocent people die and then he mocks us—”
“Look,” Loid stopped her, his tone turned from jesting to earnest. “There was nothing I could do about the colony. Lee here was right, I was doing some surveying and picked up the Celestrials the next system over, and then saw the Draugari coming in behind. I kept my distance. I was halfway across the system when the bombing started. Even if I was closer in, my odds alone against three Celestrial fighters would have been slim, and against the Draugari with that Carrack even worse.”
Lee considered him a moment. “That’s true enough.”
“And about the Carrack,” he continued with a flash of his smile returning. “Well you can’t argue that it has seen better days. But I will say, I hadn’t expected to see anyone crawling out of that wreck. The inverted burn was a nice touch. I’ll have to remember that one.”
“Thank you,” Ju-lin said haughtily.
“You’re the pilot then? So you’re the anxious young woman eager to prove herself to the verse.” He raised his eyebrow. “You, Gramps-er-Lee, is the Governor of a tribe of outcasts on this little spinning marble, gruff, ex-military, running from civilization. All that fits, and then you, Elicio? Odd name. The evidence suggests that you killed one of those Draugari with your bare hands, that’s quite the thing now isn’t it. What’s your story?”
I wiped my hand against my pants absently as I fumbled with something to say.
“He’s the muscle,” Lee responded for me.
Loid looked over my thin frame with a half-raised eyebrow, “Indeed.”
“The Carrack is yours,” Lee said. “With conditions.”
“Well there isn’t much left of her,” Loid shook his head slowly. “What are your conditions?”
“You allow me to use your coms to contact the colony and get a skiff out here to pick me up,” Lee responded. “And some food and water would be good.”
“Easy enough so far. I’ll even throw in some bandages for that shoulder and let you use the shower rigged over on Tons’ port side for you all to clean up, you all need it.” He added looking at me, “Especially you, you reek of Draugari.”
Lee nodded.
“You said a skiff to pick you up,” Ju-lin broke in. “What about us?”
“And safe passage for these two,” Lee kept his focus on Loid. “You will help them backtrack that attack group to Celestrial space and find some answers.”
“You want us to go with him?” Ju-lin was incredulous.
Lee ignored her, keeping his focus on Loid.
“I’m no baby sitter,” Loid countered.
Ju-lin opened her mouth to respond, but Lee caught her by the shoulder and pulled her back once more.
“Lin,” Lee finally turned toward her. “We don’t know why they attacked, and they may be back. The colony isn’t safe. That’s about 8,000 innocent lives. When we moved here, we took on responsibilities. We need to know why the Celestrials were here, and why they attacked. This shoulder is a mess, and I need to attend to the colony. And after what’s happened, it only makes sense that you and Eli are the ones to go looking.”
“’What’s happened’,” Loid echoed Lee’s words. “Hey, now that’s sounding a bit serious, besides, a smoldering wreck in exchange for me to chauffeur some pups out into hostile Celestrials territory isn’t exactly what I consider a favorable exchange.”
“We’re not sitting in a giant crater, which we both know means that the munitions on that Carrack are still intact,” Lee responded dismissively. “The Draugari load up their own ordinance when they take a ship, and their warheads will sell well on the Celestrial black market. And judging from the Celestrial Empire’s markings on your tail fins, and that your cargo hold is half packed with crates of Kevarian Ale. Isn’t that one of the Celestials’ preferred Protectorate bootlegs? I’d think it’s a pretty safe bet that you were heading that way, and that you have a few useful contacts that wouldn’t have a problem tracking down who sent the ships.”
I followed Loid’s gaze as he looked back at Tons-o-Fun’s open hold. Squinting, I could just make out the label on a crate of Kevarian ale. He looked back from Lee to Ju-lin, and then to me, momentarily at a loss for words. I’d read that smugglers who travel between the Earthborn Protectorate and the Celestrial Empire were rare, but not unheard of.
“We have a deal?” Lee pressed.
“The warheads will get them out to Celestrial space, but then I’m left with an empty hold,” Loid quickly recovered. “One of your colonies has a sizable logging operation going. If I do this, when we get back you fill up my hold with some treated oak. I have a guy on an orbital mining colony who will pay top dollar for some real oak paneling on his mining station. A Collective guy, Noonan-Olsterian cross-breed I think, a bit temperamental, but he’s got a fancy for hardwoods. Something about making his station more livable.”
“Deal,” Lee responded.
“Good then,” once again Loid smiled widely. “Twiggy, the bandages and food are in the secondary hold, stay to your left. Take care of Gramp’s shoulder.”
“Do not call me ‘Twiggy’.” Ju-lin countered.
“So, muscle is it?” Loid turned to me, ignoring Ju-lin. “Then you won’t have a problem giving me a hand sorting through this wreck, will you? Careful though, Draugari missiles are almost as temperamental as some young ladies.”
Ju-lin gave Loid an icy look as she started off toward Tons-o-Fun.
Loid winked at me as he watched her go, then he nodded to me. “I’m serious though, be careful. I’m not interested in getting vaporized today.”
Chapter 14.
Even through my environmental suit, the softness and unevenness of the dirt beneath my boots felt unnatural and uncomfortable. I missed the steel floor and the knowing embrace of a fuselage. I wanted to make this landing as short as possible.
I walked across a meadow. The fine grass got caught between the scale-joints of my boots. I would have to clean that. I cringed in disgust. Dirt. Grass. Rain. Wild animals. I wondered at how the humans lived like this. Why would anyone want this kind of life?
I kept walking in the direction of the wreck. I had not been part of the battle, but they said there was little glory in it, anyway. When we approached, the fighters fled, leaving the transport alone against our clan. Typical human cowardice. The transport took damage and went down on the surface. I was sent to search the remains.
When I crested the hill I saw what was left of it. It had not gone down well. The angle w
as too steep. A black trail of fire and debris fifty meters wide and two hundred meters long spread across the little valley. I activated my visual scanner which indicated that most of the remains were biological. Deceased. A passenger ship. We should have known, the human mercenaries stay to protect the cargo ships. They always run when escorting passenger vessels. Their loyalties never lie with the living. There would be nothing useful here. I turned back to begin the walk back to my ship.
While searching the wreckage of the Carrack, Loid and I managed to recover nearly a dozen warheads. Though the missiles themselves were damaged, he expertly separated the smaller explosive payload from the casing and packed them up. Aside from the warheads, we found a number of other useful items, a case of rations, a spare plasma rifle, and two sleeping pods that had managed to come through more or less intact. After loading up the equipment, I helped Loid secure the warheads into Tons-o-Fun’s secondary storage area.
“I take passengers every so often,” Loid noted as we lifted the second sleeping pod onto the wall-mounting. “Most of the time they are the less-reputable types trying to get off their worlds fast. You know how it is, so I haven’t bothered with any fancy accommodations. They are happy enough with a bulkhead to lean against. But, seeing as these pods are ripe for the taking, we may as well grab em’. Besides, afterwards I may be able to use these to help smuggle a higher class of refugee.”
“You usually travel alone?” I asked.
“For the most part, yeah,” Loid leaned around the corner into the galley and pulled out two cold bottles of Kevarian Ale. “Want one? Personally it’s not my favorite. Cheap local brew from Epsilon Minor, but the Celestrials pay top dollar for it, and it’s cold.”
Loid used a notch in the butt of his pistol to pop the top off the bottle and slid the gun back into his holster fluidly.
“Cheers,” he held up his bottle.
Unsure what to do, I lifted my own. He grinned, clinked the bottles together, and took a large swig. I did the same and almost choked as the taste hit my tongue.
“Ha!” he said. “Don’t worry about that, the first kiss is always a bit awkward, but it’s the gateway to better things, as my daddy used to say.” Loid paused to take a long swig of ale. “Anyhow, yeah, I travel alone a lot, Tons and I can get along just fine between the two of us, and as long as it’s just me, I don’t have to split my profits. Every now and then I end up out at Smugglers Run and partner up with some rogue or another if the pay is good or the customers are too rough. But, I’m a simple man who does simple things. Now you, you’re interesting. You’re an outsider, yeah? Twiggy and Gramps seem like they’re looking out for you, but you don’t quite fit. From what he said on the coms when he called in to get picked up, it sounds like the colonies are full of refugee miners. You’re no miner.”
Loid stopped drinking and seemed to be taking me in. Measuring and calculating. I took another drink, this one going down only slightly smoother than the first swig.
“No,” I answered. I made a mental note not to gamble against him.
He waited for me to say more, but I didn’t.
“Fair enough,” Loid shrugged as he finished off his bottle. “I can respect a man who keeps to himself. The fact is I made a deal with the old man to help you out. There’s money in it, and I’ll admit, I am a bit curious as to why the Celestrials and Draugari are so interested in this rock. It’s unusual for either of them.”
“What do you mean?” I leaned back against the bulkhead, trying to mimic Loid’s casual stance.
“The Celestrials are a deliberate people. I doubt they ever wipe their asses without planning how many up and down strokes they intend to make. Though, come to think of it, I’m not sure if they wipe their asses at all. Hm. Anyhow, the Draugari may seem like mindless killers, but they are all about honor of the individual and the needs of the Clan. Something brought them both here. We’re far from Draugari space, and we’re on the wrong side of the Furies, and a few fluxes too close to the Protectorate for the Celestrials to go traipsing about. That’s more than a bit peculiar. Whatever they want, they want it bad. There may be some real money to be made in all this, but there’s probably also a few plasma bolts to catch. If I were you I’d think twice about getting too involved, I know I am. Once we see what we can find out, I’m taking my cargo and shipping off.”
“Thanks, but I don’t really have a choice.”
“No choice? Everyone has a choice. What is it? The girl? Duty?” Loid shook his head and took a long swig of ale. “Look, kid, I’m not one to tell another man his business. But, let me give you a bit of advice: You don’t belong here, that’s clear enough. Gramps and Twiggy may be your friends, and she’s not bad looking if you’re into the skinny ones, but that will only last as long as you are useful, and that’s the cold hard truth of the verse. Loid’s first rule: always look out for your own neck, because nobody else will. It’s a good rule, one that’s kept me alive longer than I care to say. You would do well to remember that.”
The console on the wall lit up.
“Ah, saved by the bell,” Loid said as he accessed the terminal. “Looks like a skiff approaching. Gramp’s ride finally got here. Good, we can load up and get moving.”
When we returned, Lee was resting comfortably in the shade of Tons-o-Fun’s bow sitting on a folding chair that Loid had supplied. Ju-lin had treated and bandaged his shoulder the best she could, but she was pretty sure that there were fragments lodged in the bone from the Draugari weapon. Lee had shrugged her off, and promised to go directly to Chen once he returned to the Downs.
“A skiff is approaching,” I told Lee as we approached him.
“Good,” he was still pale, but the strength in his voice was returning. “When I got him on the wave, Marin said that there were over 300 dead in New Haven. A damned shame. Most of their supplies were vaporized, so the construction skiffs are packing up the colonists and moving everyone to the Downs.”
“300?” I repeated. “That’s almost 15 percent of the population.”
“Yup, and they lost seventy percent of their supplies.” Lee answered. “Poor devils. Naturally their Governor Growd is just fine, and intends to make my life as difficult as possible, no doubt. Marin managed to delete the weather-sat feeds that showed you and Ju-lin near the cave, and then came up with some story about how I ended up in a crashed Draugari ship 3,000 kilometers from the colony.”
“Now that’s interesting,” Loid broke in. “Deleted weather-sat footage? Sneaking around caves? You will have to tell me more about that one.”
“No, we won’t,” Ju-lin was walking toward us from the wreck. She had recovered her homemade plasma torch, and had added a laser pistol to her belt.
“Hey, Twig-er, sorry, what was your name again?” Loid asked.
“Ju-lin,” she said flatly.
“Right, well, if you want my help, I will need to know at least something about what’s going on. Sure, the Celestrials flew into this system with guns blazing, but tracking down where three ships came from won’t be easy without some more information.”
“I remember seeing a four-pointed silver star on the tail fins of the Celestrial fighters,” I could recall the image of the fighter strafing past me in in a hail of plasma fire.
“Now,” Loid raised an eyebrow. “How in the seven Hoken slums did you see the tailfin? I thought you said you were on the ground when the Celestrials hit.”
“They made a few low runs,” Ju-lin threw me a quick glance as she lied to cover for me. “I saw it too.”
“Right,” Loid looked from Ju-lin and back to me. “Because we all know it’s easy to see a tail marking on the top of a speeding starship in the dead of night from below. If you two keep lying to me, at least be creative about it.”
“There was a four-point silver star on the tail,” I affirmed.
“Oh, I have no doubt about that,” Loid replied, looking back out over the horizon. “Your skiff is coming in. I’m going to start prepping the ship so we can
get off this rock. The sooner, the better.”
As Loid disappeared back into the ship, Lee turned to us his expression was deathly serious.
“I need you two to understand, this is not a game,” Lee said. “People are dead, and more will die. The Celestrials will be back. I need you two to find out what you can, but I also need you to stay safe. Make up a story of where you came from when you’re out there. Not here, that’s for sure.”
“I don’t trust Loid,” Ju-lin said.
“Good,” he said flatly. “You shouldn’t. But as long as there is profit in it for him to get you there and back, he’ll do what he promised. His ship is light on supplies and in need of some repair. He may act confident, but he needs the credits. He’ll get the job done as long as there is money in it for him.”
“I don’t like just leaving you here,” Ju-lin pressed.
“That discussion is over,” Lee replied.
While Loid and I sifted through the wreckage of the Carrack, I had looked back several times to see Lee and Ju-lin had been arguing. Ju-lin later told me Lee had grudgingly promised to request help from MineWorks in hopes that they would help set-up defenses around the planet. When Ju-lin had pressed and suggested petitioning the Protectorate for help, he had spat on the ground and flatly swore he had come out this way to get away from the long arm of the Protectorate’s bureaucracy, and that he would never go to them for help.
“I still think it’s a bad idea for you to stay here, you have no defenses until help arrives,” she pressed. “I don’t see why you can’t go with us.”
“The safety of the colony is my responsibility. We’ve been over this, and I’m not leaving.” he replied with finality as he turned to meet the incoming skiff.
The parting was brief and unceremonious as Lee boarded the skiff. It was larger than the one Ju-lin and I had taken to the cave, and I didn’t recognize the driver, he must have been one of the refugees from the New Haven colony. Lee gave Ju-lin a tight embrace and a few quiet words. Both tried to try to appear tougher than they really were. Ju-lin wiped her eyes as she took a backpack of her clothes that someone had loaded into the hover for her. They didn’t bring anything for me. All I had was my blue jumpsuit back at the barracks anyway.
