by T. M. Catron
“Merchants and thieves? Well, then it’s in the right place.”
Harper had dropped out of the university because she was too advanced for her professors—although Rance could never figure out why the genius wanted to stay on board the Streaker. Since she’d never volunteered the information, Rance had never asked.
She spent the next few minutes convincing herself the whole situation was the result of a random robbery. The drive was worth a lot of money. Anyone who got their hands on a Caduceus Drive would be foolish not to sell it to the highest bidder. Kaau li would make a lot of credits on the transaction.
Essentially, the crew of the Star Streaker had paid Kaau li for the privilege of transporting it.
Irritated, Rance cracked her knuckles. The smuggler was smart. She’d probably laughed them all the way to the Streaker while they carried the heavy metal box on her errand.
It didn’t add up. Kaau li had taken a big chance letting a stranger move it for her. Rance shrugged off the uneasy feeling in her gut. In an hour, they’d be rid of it. She didn’t need to worry about it anymore. Solaris was right—it wasn’t any of her business. Making it her business would get them in trouble. Is that why he’d done an about-face on the matter?
The console in front of her beeped, and the Streaker exited hyperspace in a flash of blue. A large, gray planet took up the entire view in the window. Coru was a barren rock, but it was well-known for its ship-building. The location wasn’t surprising, considering the cargo they were carrying.
The crew strapped in, and Rance asked for permission to enter Coru’s airspace. She broke into a sweat just thinking about what would happen if Coru didn’t clear them to land. But they got permission without trouble.
“You’re lucky that worked out, Solaris,” Rance called over her shoulder. It felt weird that he was behind, instead of beside her. She was used to seeing his face when they flew—even if it was fake.
The way he refused to show the crew his real face still annoyed her. Still, now wasn’t the time to air petty grievances. Things were about to get hairy.
Rance guided the ship down to a barren space port—Station 10—on top of a bleak, gray plateau. Around them, windswept rock stretched as far as they could see with jagged peaks cutting the horizon like crooked fangs.
It reminded Rance of another planet, Colony 25, far away. She’d buried her first CO, Terryn, there.
No, nothing bad would happen to any of them here. They would find Kai lu, drop off the cargo, and leave. Simple.
“You look worried, Captain,” Solaris said.
“Not as worried as you’re going to look if this doesn’t work out.” Rance knew it was a lame comeback, but she had nothing better at the moment.
A small, four-winged Class B military ship sat at the edge of the landing pad with half the hull open and a crew of technicians moving about it like ants on a dead beetle. It wasn’t a working Unity ship, but one of the millions of private security starships. Rance’s father owned a couple himself.
When Rance and Solaris exited the Star Streaker with the closed box hanging between them, a furious burst of icy wind almost pushed them back inside. It howled and whipped them around until Rance’s eyes watered. She wondered how anyone worked outside in it at all.
Wishing she’d grabbed her helmet, Rance leaned into the wind and looked for the port office. A long, low building sat next to a reinforced hangar. Since they were the same color as the gray rock, they had been invisible at first glance. They made their way across the otherwise barren shipyard, the roar of the wind drowning out the sounds of their boots scraping across rock.
Rance’s arm already ached from their first trip with the box twelve hours earlier. This time, her fingers and hand turned numb before they got to the office. She tried to call up a map on her NNR, but nothing was publicly broadcast. Unfortunate, but not unexpected on an outpost that repaired sensitive military ships.
“Kaau li said it was behind the office!” Solaris shouted over the wind.
Rance nodded, her teeth already chattering so hard speaking would be difficult. They passed by the office. No one stopped them. Around the back, a narrow service road branched off with one path leading to the hangar and another going around behind it.
“I guess it’s back there!” she shouted, pointing with her free hand. The more they walked, the more her unease grew. If something went wrong, no one was around to hear a cry for help. Despite her misgivings, the pain in her arm spurred her on, and a few minutes later they stood in front of a reinforced metal door. The gray building was pitted and cracked, a result of the violent wind gusts that threatened to blow Rance over.
She raised her frozen hand to rap on the door. But Solaris turned and grabbed it before she made a sound. Startled, she looked over at him.
“You hear that?” he mouthed.
Rance listened hard. All she heard was the whistle of the wind in her ears. She shook her head.
Solaris walked to the side, looking for a window. Since Rance held the other end of the box, he dragged her along with him. On the far side, the wind abruptly stopped, allowing her ears to stop ringing and to listen more intently.
A row of thick windows ran down the far side of the building, which looked less worn than the other side. Rance and Solaris peered through the grime of the first window. She resisted the urge to wipe a clean spot with her sleeve. There, through the murk, a group of five armored men faced the back of the building—mercenaries.
Facing the mercs were four men on their knees with hands bound behind their backs.
Rance and Solaris pulled back out of sight.
“What’s going on?” she whispered.
He shook his head, and they both leaned forward again, peeking through the window from the sides.
Another man Rance hadn’t noticed earlier yelled and waved an assault rifle around. He didn’t seem to care who he shouted at—the armored soldiers or the captives. His angry tone carried through the thick windows like a muffled roar.
Whatever he said caused the captives’ eyes to widen in fear. One struggled against his bonds but couldn’t speak through the gag around his mouth. The commander walked over to the struggler—a man with dark hair and olive skin—and pointed the rifle at his head. He stopped struggling, clearly too frightened to resist.
This was Kai lu—Kaau li’s brother. Rance thought she would be sick. She leaned away from the window in revulsion, staring out over the barren landscape of rock. On the other side of the hangar, the mechanics worked on the other ship, oblivious to the horror going on nearby.
Solaris watched another moment. They were lucky, Rance thought, grateful he’d stopped her from pounding on the door. She looked down at the box they still held. She resented it for the world it represented, one in which people threatened and terrified others for power and politics.
Drop it and run.
Something didn’t add up. Without a doubt, the armored mercs were looking for this box.
Maybe they could use it to bargain for Kai lu’s life. If they didn’t intervene, the mercs would kill him. Rance didn’t need to hear what they were saying to figure that out. She looked at Solaris, a question on her lips.
Then a light burst through the window. A half-second later, the muffled sound of a rifle thumped in Rance’s chest. Solaris ducked out of the way. For a moment, her heart jumped into her throat. Had they been spotted? Were they firing at them?
But the mercs didn’t fire any more shots. Solaris shook his head. Rance dared another glance inside.
Kai lu’s body lay crumpled on the floor. The commander stepped over it to move to the next man, who was shaking so hard with fear another soldier grabbed his shoulder to steady him.
Rance had seen enough. She turned away in disgust and anger, just as another flash of light followed the vibration thumping in her chest. She tugged on the box, and Solaris ducked under the window as they hurried back for the hangar.
As soon as they came around side of the building, the roar of the wind hi
t them in full force. This time, Rance thanked the Founders for it; she wouldn’t have to hear any more gunshots.
The box weighed them down. Rance worked harder, not understanding why she still held it but feeling like it was important. Solaris must have felt the same because he didn’t suggest they drop it as they made their way around the side of the hangar.
If the soldiers exited the building, Rance and Solaris wouldn’t hear them before they shot them in the back. With this thought, she broke into the fastest run she could manage. The path around the hangar seemed much longer than it had a few minutes ago. They ran over small stones and scree, sending it flying. The wind picked it up and swirled around her feet like miniature sandstorms.
Once, Rance lost her footing. For one heart-stopping second, she scrabbled to gain her balance. Then she got her feet under her again, and they continued. Although the roar of the wind prevented her from hearing anything, she still listened for boots following.
Finally, they rounded the side of the hangar. As she turned the corner, Rance looked behind them. Her heart, already beating out of her chest, stopped altogether. Five dark, armored mercs were running up the path.
They had been spotted.
Since they were still behind the building, Rance and Solaris had about five seconds before the hangar no longer protected them. She linked up to the Star Streaker, sending the signal for Tally to begin takeoff procedures.
“We can drop it,” she panted.
Four seconds.
“Yep,” Solaris said, equally out of breath.
Three seconds.
Neither of them let go of the box. Almost there. A few more steps.
Two seconds.
They launched themselves into the Star Streaker. Just then, two bursts of light flew past Rance’s head and hit the wall of the cargo bay in a burst of sparks.
Abel, who was strapped into his crash chair nearby, yelled out.
Rance dropped the box and flattened herself to the floor. Solaris landed beside her, dodging another glowing round. The door hummed shut as more blaster-fire pinged off the hull. Furious, Rance crawled on her stomach to the closing crack in the door.
“Hey!” Rance yelled. “Stop firing on my ship!”
“Shields engaged, Captain.”
Then the Star Streaker took off, and Solaris and Abel hauled Rance to her feet.
“All in, Captain?” Tally asked over the comm.
“Okay, Tally. Let’s get out of here.” Rance said, panting. The door sealed shut with a hiss.
Once again, they strapped the box to the wall, and then Rance ran upstairs. When she reached the cockpit, everything was running smoothly. They were already in space with the planet behind.
“Any ships follow us?” she asked.
“No, Captain,” Tally said. He sat in the pilot’s seat. Harper sat in the captain’s chair. When she saw Rance, she blushed and moved to unfasten her harness.
“No, you’re okay,” Rance said.
“I thought we might need to jump, Captain.”
“We do, prepare the coordinates, Harper. As soon as we get out of here, I’m taking a nap.”
In two seconds, the wash of blue overtook them, and they were in hyperspace.
“Were they Unity?” Harper asked.
“No,” Solaris said. “Just thugs.”
“No honor among thieves, I think is how the ancient proverb goes,” Rance said.
“I think so, Captain.”
Rance couldn’t shake the image of Kai lu crumpled on the ground. She didn’t know what he’d done but couldn’t help feeling he hadn’t deserved his fate. They’d have to tell his sister. Rance didn’t relish that duty, but she couldn’t see how to get out of it.
Twelve hours later, they landed on Ares. James waited for them at the space port, complaining about missing all the fun. Rance didn’t have the heart to chastise him. Sensing her mood, he shut up.
He and Abel volunteered to go with Rance and Solaris to see Kaau li. This time, Abel and James carried the heavy box. They again trudged through the back alleys to the smugglers’ house. All the way there, Rance ran over in her mind what she would say.
They were too late. The mercs were well armed and killed without mercy. She couldn’t have done anything. I’m very sorry.
Nothing seemed right.
Rance needn’t have worried. The smugglers’ house was empty, the door unlocked. Everything inside was gone. They searched the bare rooms. Nothing. No signs of struggle.
Rance was so sick of the whole thing she wanted to drop the box in the middle of the room and abandon it to its fate.
“Maybe its fate is with you, Captain,” Solaris said.
Rance ignored him. “I’m sick of this whole thing. I wish we’d never got involved.”
She glared at Solaris—Kaau li had been his contact. But then, she was the captain and had had the final say. And she’d ignored her gut instincts all the way. Rance didn’t know what irritated her more—that Solaris had messed up, or that she had let him.
“Let’s get back to the ship and regroup,” she said. They took the box. No matter how much trouble it had caused them, no one wanted to abandon the chip.
“Will those mercs look for us?” Harper asked later. They all sat in the cargo bay of the Streaker, discussing what to do. Rance sat on the bottom step.
“If they’re willing to kill for it, I’m sure they will,” Tally said.
Rance sighed in defeat. Just what they needed—more people hunting them. She made a mental list: her father, Unity, mercenaries. If only they knew what in Triton was going on. They didn’t, though. They knew absolutely—
Rance stood and went to the box. Then she unlocked it. The lid sprang open, revealing the glowing diamond on its black cushion.
“Captain?” Tally asked.
Before Rance could talk herself out of it, she scooped it out, handling it like a baby. “We’ve spent too much time wondering what’s going on. I’m ready to see what the fuss is all about. If we’re putting the ship in danger, at least we’ll reap the benefits.”
“You’re going to use it?”
“Why not?” Without waiting for anyone to answer, Rance stomped with purpose through the med bay and into the control room. She sat down in the little chair, took a deep breath.
And inserted the Caduceus Drive into an open port.
It glowed brighter, illuminating everything in the cramped room, casting shadows from the levers and buttons. The screen in front of the chair glowed white, and lines of code spun over it too fast for Rance to read. The winged staff popped up with its intertwining snakes, which were made of code too. Then it finished, and the screen went dark like nothing had happened.
Below, Harper peeked her head inside the control room. The rest of the crew gathered behind her.
“What do I do?” Rance asked.
“Ask it a question, Captain.”
That made sense. Her father’s house had an AI she could speak with.
“Hello?” she asked, feeling foolish.
Words popped up on the screen in front of her, then scrolled through her optic lens.
My name is Deliverance. How may I assist, Captain?
The Star Streaker could talk.
Want to know more about Rance Cooper?
Check out the next book in the Star Streaker series!
A starship, a proposal, and a stubborn heiress.
What could possibly go wrong?
Find out how it all began!
Join Devri on her journey to becoming Rance Cooper. Be there when she sees the Star Streaker for the first time. Discover a world of old customs, new beginnings, and defiance.
Go here to get Defiance: http://amzn.to/2ni3a53
Extras
Note from the Author
What did you think of The Deliverance Code? I know this one was really short (don’t hate me), but I wanted to write an episode that provided a glimpse of the crew’s lives as smugglers. You know—a normal, everyday anonymous
transporter type of job. Of course, a “normal” mission will never be ordinary with this bunch, but that’s how it started out. Also, I wrote this story because Rance wanted an AI onboard the Streaker. She begged me to install one.
If you can’t wait for more, don’t worry—the crew will be back soon with a full-length adventure in Prometheus Rescue. In the meantime, check out the next book, Defiance (#3). It’s the story of how Rance Cooper got her name, and how she ran away from her father and a marriage to Harrison McConnell.
Now, if you’ve read this far, I hope that means you are enjoying the series! I have a quick favor to ask. Would you take a couple of minutes and write a short review for The Deliverance Code? You’ll make this author very happy. Reviews let me know what my readers want, which in turn helps me create better stories for you to enjoy.
Want Star Streaker news? The crew is in for more adventures big and small! I hope you’ll step onto the ship and go with them. For direct news about the series, sign up for my (non-spammy) newsletter by going to http://tmcatron.com/star-streaker-news.
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About the Author
T.M. (Tiffany) Catron spent her childhood looking for hidden worlds in the back of her closet. When she didn’t find any, she decided to grow up already and write them into existence. If she’s not watching Doctor Who or putting together Star Wars Legos with her son, she’s imagining what trouble her characters can get into next. Tiffany is a coffee-fueled writer of science fiction who believes challenge and opportunity can be empowering. Her books are adventures in gaining strength from adversity, and wisdom from growth. She’s trying to make the world a better place, one book at a time.
