Anghad was a lean Pogona with scarred, ruddy brown skin and a chin full of sparkly stones, connected by gold and silver loops. Like his guard, he wore a highly polished, inscribed sword that I had no difficulty believing he knew how to use.
He was more interested in Tabby’s exchange with Thuga than he was in meeting a daughter he hadn’t seen for a long time and that concerned me.
“A misunderstanding we’re willing to chalk up to differences between species.” I took a half step in front of Tabby, attempting to deflect unwanted attention.
Anghad refused to look at me and held Tabby’s gaze. I dared a glance. Tabby had a closed mouth and a half smile I recognized as anything but friendly. She cocked her head slightly as Anghad pushed a hand in my direction.
“What is she? Warrior or property?” The menace in Anghad’s voice was clear and quiet fell across the welcoming party within his tent.
“Frak,” I breathed as Anghad’s hand came into contact with my shoulder.
“Mate,” Tabby said, pulling a bo staff from beneath her robes and bringing it to within a centimeter of Anghad’s wrist, without striking. A collective gasp reverberated as the once jovial crowed pulled back in expectation of violence.
It was more than Anghad’s guard could take and three of them pulled swords. Rough hands grabbed me, forcing me backwards. A startled squeak warned that Jala had also been grabbed.
Instinctively, I grabbed the hand that had reached over my shoulder and dropped to a knee, rolling forward, throwing the Pogona over my back. A second pair of hands reached for me and I brought my elbow back into the owner’s crotch, dropping him to the ground. I rolled away from the chaos toward Jala and flicked my nano-blade to full length, punching the one who held her, but careful not to strike either with the blade. With my free hand, I grabbed Jala’s robes, pulled her to me and waved my nano-blade threateningly in a circle, creating a buffer around us.
“Tabbs?” I called, not immediately finding her.
“Just a minute,” she replied over tactical comm, trying to sound unconcerned.
A body flew backward from a few meters away. I swished my blade, clearing a path in the direction of the chaos. A clear path opened to Tabby, who was fending off a group of robed guards, her staff a blur of action. She was mostly defending her flank, but occasionally landed a crushing blow, dropping a combatant who was quickly replaced. The main pole of the large tent at her back provided her a small amount of cover.
“Jala, why is he attacking?” I asked, backing her into the circle Tabby had established.
“He is angry at my return,” Jala said. “You should not have brought me; I have endangered you. Ameek was wrong. Anghad has no room for forgiveness.”
“I can work with that,” I grunted, swinging around to meet a large swordsman who charged the two of us. I gave a silent prayer and fended off his sword strike with my forearm and plunged the point of my nano blade into the left side of his hip. My attacker’s eyes widened in surprise at my choice of defense. It must have looked suicidal to him, but while he easily sliced through the dress robes from Nuage, my grav-suit hardened, deflecting the blade. I winced as the nano-blade exited, plowing its way free.
“I’m trying not to kill ‘em,” Tabby said. “There are too many.”
“Frak this.” I turned and sailed up, driving my blade through the narrowing center post, three meters beneath where it met the thick, tent material. “Lights out, Tabbs.”
Where there had been chaos before, there was now pandemonium as the tent’s inhabitants realized we were bringing the house down. Struck from behind by a heavy cable, I flailed, trying to adjust my flight. I struck the ground hard, knocking over a few unlucky bodies.
The center post had fallen to the side, but was caught in cabling and material. Above the fray, Tabby lifted off, surprisingly carrying Jala in one arm and blasting her way through the top of the tent with a heavy pistol. That way out was good enough for me and I squirted up behind her. I grunted as I took a stinger in my side from small arms fire. A moment later, we were free of the tent, making all possible haste for George.
Seconds are often the difference between success and failure in battle and today was no different. Unfortunately, this time we ended up on the short end of the stick.
When we got close to the ship, we were greeted by several drift-board crafts. The crude vehicles had caused me little concern while inside George, since their single guns were no match for our larger vehicle. Grav-suits, however, lacked speed, making us easier targets and I doubted very much we’d live through a lucky turret strike. Three boards raced to our position and fired over our heads, forcing us to the sand.
“Kneel.” The command came from a particularly surly Pogona who saw fit to jam the stock of a rifle into my back once he’d pushed us onto the deck of his drift board. A second Pogona clamped manacles to our wrists and ankles, effectively holding us in the kneeling position as he sailed back to the tent city.
The drift board came to rest in front of Anghad and a small group of his armed guard.
“Mate, you say,” Anghad said. “Are you truly the same species as the humans of Zuri? No human has ever been known to cause such a … I cannot think of a word.”
“Ruckus,” Tabby offered defiantly, straining against the chains that held us in supplication. The deck buckled where her chains were attached, but didn’t break.
Anghad tossed his head back and guffawed, hand on hips. “Such a wonderful word from a spirit of war. Is there a cell that could hold this one? Does she mate like she fights? One such as this cannot be bound. She must be killed or released, to do otherwise would bring ruin.”
“We came to you offering a trade,” I said. “There is no reason for hostility.”
“You destroy my tent and yet talk of trade. You are either clever or stupid. Why would I trade with the one accompanied by my daughter, the thief? Did you think my head would be turned by the efreet in your presence and I would forget of the trespasses of my own blood?”
“I bring you a grandson, Father,” Jala said quietly, her head bowed. “Arijeet is of age.”
“Do not speak in my presence!” Anghad’s hand struck more quickly than I’d have thought possible. His knuckles contacted Jala’s chin and snapped her head to the side. She collapsed on the deck in front of him.
A loud crack startled the chieftain causing him to jump back as Tabby pulled one chain free from the deck. Her action was met by the shuffling of weapons by a nervous guard.
“Hold spirit!” Anghad said, regaining his composure. “Weapons down.”
Tabby spat at the closet guard, whose gun barrel shook ever so slightly.
“We can work together and profit, Anghad,” I said. “Or we can fight each other and both lose great blood. My crew will not leave us on this planet and they will certainly rain down hell on your people if we are hurt.”
“Thuga said there was a boy. Is this true?” Anghad asked.
“There are two. Arijeet is on my ship. Meel of Tulvar took the other, Gunjeet.”
“You will return the thief to your vessel. Bring my grandson to a feast. We will speak of the ship you seek.”
After being released from the shackles, Tabby and I picked the still unconscious Jala up from the deck and carried her back to George where we treated her wounds. Arijeet was aloof, seemingly unconcerned for his mother’s condition. We ignored him as we worked.
“That was messed up,” Tabby said. “He could have killed her.”
Jala’s eyes fluttered and she murmured. “I am surprised to live.”
“He is lucky to be alive,” Tabby said. “I thought about ending him when he sicced his goons on us.”
“Arijeet, we have a date with your grandfather. Apparently, this trip was all about trading you so your mother could get back into his good graces,” I said, standing and walking from the bunk room where Jala lay. “We’re throwing fifties.”
Tabby choked down a laugh at my pod-ball reference. We’d be givin
g the kid to Anghad, but there would be no forgiveness.
“I do not fear Koosha.”
“Perfect,” Tabby said, locking Jala into the bunk room.
I pulled off my Nuage clothing and left it in a pile in the hallway. I was done playing dress up. We were here to trade. I mounted my quick-draw chest holster and lined up a strip of grenade marbles and FBDs along my belt.
“Ready?” I turned to Tabby, ignoring Arijeet.
“You’re sexy when you get all riled up,” she said. “We should do this more often.”
I shook my head. I wouldn’t give us fifties at surviving the next two hours yet somehow I was turning her on. In retrospect, her confidence made me feel invincible, if only for the moment.
A single guard stood outside George when we disembarked. He pointed down the sandy hill we’d already traveled. In the short time we’d been aboard, a larger cutter had landed next to George — no doubt insurance against us leaving early.
The people of Koosha were curious and peeked out to catch a glimpse of the people who’d caused so much trouble. As we came even with them, they would disappear, only to reappear behind us.
“Captain Hoffen and his efreet. You’ve brought the boy who would be my grandson.” Anghad’s voice boomed as he welcomed us with a wide smile. He waved at an old woman who rushed up to Arijeet and grabbed his arm. Arijeet pulled it back only to have her roughly grab it again. “Do not resist, boy. If you have my blood, you will have nothing of which to worry.”
Arijeet allowed the woman to jab him with a device that she had kept hidden in the folds of her clothing.
“He is born of Anghad.”
“Is he of age?”
“He is, Master Koosha,” the old woman replied.
“Come to me, my boy. Take your place by my side. You are the first in my line to come of age.” Arijeet smiled. It wasn’t a surprised smile, but rather more of a conniving smile. “Tell me. I hear that your older brother, Gunjeet was given to Meel of Tulvar by these humans. What would you have me do with them?”
My heart sank. Arijeet was no friend and he’d already ratted us out to Thuga on Pooni.
“My brother died many years ago. So says my mother. So says my father,” Arijeet said. He wasn’t quite able to wipe the shite-eating grin from his face as he said it. “Captain Hoffen has treated us well and acted with honor. He will confirm the statement of my father, Ameek of Koosha.”
The look the boy gave me was clear. He wouldn’t throw me to the wolves if I backed up his claim. I still remembered the feel of Gunjeet’s knife as it entered my side, I owed him no loyalty.
“What the boy says is true, Anghad,” I said. “I witnessed Ameek of Koosha say to the one I believed to be Gunjeet that he was not his son.”
“Why did you say otherwise when we met?”
“My tongue stumbles on Pogona names,” I said, twisting the truth. “Meel of Tulvar was quite insistent that the one I thought to be Gunjeet belonged to him.”
“Let it be settled. Young Arijeet, what would you have us do with your mother, The Thief?”
“Would that you find some capacity for her to earn a humble place at your fire as even a servant,” Arijeet said. “She has confided in me that she regrets deeply her trespass.”
I looked at Anghad. Surely, he had to know that everything Arijeet had said was rehearsed. It was too well said for a boy of his age.
“Five lashes and it will be as if she had never left. I will not abide my favorite daughter to live in rags any longer. Fetch your mother, The Thief. Redemption will be our entertainment tonight,” he said. “Now, let us eat!”
He clapped his hands and dozens of people sprung to life, moving tables, chairs and musical instruments.
I dared a glance at the post I’d cut through with my nano-blade. A temporary cable had been wrapped around timber splints. The fabric sagged, but it looked like a reasonable, temporary fix.
“Your clothing leaves little to the imagination,” Anghad turned to Tabby and me as we were seated next to him. “It is a remarkable material that would stop my swordsman’s blade so easily.”
“I’ll tell you a secret, my suit didn’t stop the blade entirely.” I pulled the sleeve back where a long cut was healing on my arm. “How is your man? We have technology that would aid in repairing his hip.”
“I do not believe any Koosha were wounded.”
I raised my eyebrows at his obvious lie and was grateful that Tabby either missed or ignored it.
“I understand it is customary for a visitor to bring a gift that shows his respect for those he visits,” I said, standing.
“You have brought nothing but Arijeet. I would otherwise see it on your person. But, I accept this gift with gratitude,” he replied.
I placed my hand on my chest over my pistol. Guards who had tried to remain inconspicuous, raised their weapons threateningly. Anghad motioned them to back away.
“This gun is made in my home galaxy, which is called Milky Way. The manufacturer of this weapon has been crafting these guns for fifteen centuries.” I ejected the clip and pulled the slide, releasing the bullet from the chamber, catching it. “I used this very weapon to kill an adult Kroerak warrior. I have fought with it in a war defending my homeland and against pirates who have attempted to take what is mine. I present this gift to you, Anghad, so that you know how much I would value our friendship.”
I seated the clip back into the Ruger pistol and slid it over to the man. Apparently, I’d gotten his attention with the grand gesture and he nodded his head in appreciation. He picked up the weapon and inspected the slide. “Pull this back?” he asked, intuiting its function.
“That’s right,” I said. “I’ll warn you. It’s loud and has a kick.”
He scrunched his eyes, questioningly. I hadn’t seen chemically propelled weapons with Pogona, so I wasn’t sure they’d taken the gun powder path in their development. He took aim at the tent’s center post and pulled the trigger. There were more than a few surprised screeches at the blast and his arm flew back, as he’d been unprepared for the kick. A sizeable chunk of wood splintered from the post where the bullet struck.
Anghad looked back at me. “A most thoughtful gift, Captain Liam Hoffen. Please accept my apologies for your earlier treatment. There is more to you than I might have expected, traveling in The Thief’s company.”
“Ada, call everyone back,” I said, lifting off from planet Kushala’s surface. “Are we resupplied?”
“Locked and loaded, Liam. I’m placing the recall now. What’s going on? Is everything okay?”
“We have intel on that Kroerak ship. Koosha tribe has a ship following at distance. They reported in ten hours ago,” I said. “We’ve got to go!”
“Where is it?”
“I’m transmitting the data now,” I said.
Chapter 26
Sprung
“Lashes?” Marny asked.
“He called it entertainment,” Tabby said. “I’ll give it to Jala, she didn’t cry out until the third one broke open her skin. It was horrible. I’m saving a bullet for Anghad of Koosha.”
“You don’t mean that,” I said. “Jala asked for the lashing. She wanted to come home.”
“You’re an idiot,” Tabby retorted. “Jala is his daughter and he whipped her so hard we could see muscle. Nobody wants that, even if she agreed to it. He’s a monster.”
“Ada, can you get any more speed out of Intrepid?” I asked. We’d argued about this too many times already.
“No. Dragging George on our belly isn’t helping, either,” she said.
“Cut it loose,” I said. “We can come back for it. If Koosha tribe comes through, we’ll be handing it over anyway. Might as well leave it in the Tanwar system.”
“If we cut acceleration, I could put it on a vector no one would ever guess,” Roby said. “We’re far enough away from Kushala no sensor could pick it out of the dark.”
“Do it,” I said. “This might be our only chance to find J
onathan.”
“And Sendrei,” Tabby said.
At the mention of Sendrei’s name, a shot of adrenaline soured my stomach.
Twenty minutes later, Ada cut the engines. Roby and Sempre scrambled to release George and give her a nudge in the right direction after shutting down all systems. She was nothing more than one more tiny piece of junk in a vast sea of black.
Without George, Intrepid accelerated even more quickly and in four days we arrived at the wormhole leading to Adit Pah.
“Three ships, Cap,” Marny said. “Ten thousand kilometers. I don’t think they’ve seen us yet.”
I’d already called for general quarters, although with the dwindling crew it wasn’t necessary - everyone knew the drill.
On my holo display, three larger sloops sailing in formation arced gently around the wormhole at fifty kilometers. It was a good distance. If something too big came through, they could easily run off. Anything smaller wouldn’t have a chance to spool up and run before the pirates would be on them.
I ran the different options through my mind. They hadn’t seen us, or if they had, they weren’t letting on. We’d dropped hard burn at fifty thousand kilometers and still needed to burn off speed to zero out with the gate, but we’d had enough problems that I wasn’t about to give away both our approach and the advantage of speed.
“How many seconds of burn do we need to enter the gate?” I asked.
“Twenty-three,” Ada answered.
“Marny, can you predict when they’ll have visibility on the unmasked portions of the hull?”
“Aye, Cap, eight degrees, should put us right about there.” She flicked a ghost image of Intrepid onto the forward holo.
“Ada, what’s that do to your twenty-three seconds if we start burn at that point?”
“We’ll overshoot two hundred kilometers,” she said. The AI picked up on the conversation and showed a third Intrepid overshooting the gate.
Corsair Menace (Privateer Tales Book 12) Page 31
