by JN Chaney
“What about the rest of—”
“Leave it. We’ve got enough. Let’s get back to The Star,” I said, beginning to do just that.
We moved as fast as we could through the tunnels, but the lack of gravity made for slow progress.
After we reached the shuttle, I had the two of them board and get strapped in. I hit the com, closing my door and starting the engines. “Siggy, we’re heading back. Get ready to punch it as soon as we’re onboard.”
The shuttle lifted off of the asteroid, hovering for a second before finally taking off. We maneuvered through the belt, bypassing several hulking rocks that could have easily crushed us.
“We’re nearly there,” I told the others.
“Sir, be cautious,” warned Sigmond. “The other ship is moving closer to your position. They do not seem to be aware of us, but—”
At that moment, I felt the shuttle rattle violently as a torpedo nearly struck our side.
It blasted a chunk of rock from an asteroid, shattering the stone and sending us into a spin. “What the fuck!” I yelled as we began our descent back toward the same rock we’d only just left.
I hit the stabilizer and took manual control, trying my best to steady the ship. It nearly worked, but there wasn’t enough time. Instead of leveling out, we hit the surface and slid four dozen meters until we slammed straight into a small cliff.
The sides of the doors and the dash released a white puffy material, shielding our bodies from most of the impact.
Freddie screamed, hitting his head against Abigail’s seat. I could already see the blood from his nose.
When the commotion finally stopped, I looked at Abigail. “Are you okay?”
She was breathing quickly, confusion still in her eyes.
“Hey, Abby. Look at me.” I put my hand on her arm. “Focus on what I’m saying. Look at me. Hey!”
She turned and tried to focus on my face. Her eyes were swirling. “What…happened?”
“Hold on.” I reached beneath the dash and took out a small red medical box. I took the scanner inside and activated it, running the device along her head and chest, checking for any signs of damage or swelling.
Fred kept his head up and elevated, covering his bleeding nose with his hand. I grabbed his hand. “Let it bleed, you idiot!” I barked. “You’ll give yourself a pulmonary embolism that way!”
“S-Sorry. Is Sister Abigail okay?” he asked, apparently more concerned with her than himself.
“It looks like she has some bruising, but nothing’s broken,” I said, closing the scanner. “Abby, are you with us?”
The disconnected look in her eyes was finally gone. She blinked several times, staring back at me. “I-I’m here. I’m okay.”
“Goddammit,” I said, punching the seat. “Who are these bastards? I’ll have Siggy fire a hole clean through their—”
“Attention intruders,” said a voice over the com. It sounded like an automated message. “You are encroaching on Sarkonian territory. Prepare to surrender your vessel.”
“Who are the Sarkonians?” asked Fred.
I tapped the com. “Who the hell is this? I want to speak to your representative right now.”
“Please prepare to surrender your vessel,” repeated the voice.
I cursed and hit the seat again. Next to Fratley, Sarkonians were probably the last thing I wanted to deal with right now. They liked to confiscate ships and property that they felt were in their territory, but since Sarkonians had no defined borders, their claims often had them entering systems that they had no jurisdiction over, including this one.
“Siggy, run a scan on that ship and tell me what we’re dealing with.”
“Are we in trouble?” asked Fred.
I raised my finger to quiet him. “Not if I can help it.”
“I’m detecting one quad cannon, but only a second-grade hull,” said Sigmond.
Freddie pulled the cloth away from his nose. “Is that bad?”
“Only for them,” I said, kicking open the door. “Siggy, get ready to blow that piece of shit out of the sky, you hear me?”
“I do, sir,” said the AI.
I got to my feet and stared into the asteroid belt at the oncoming Sarkonian vessel. “Time to show these assholes why you should never fuck with a Renegade.”
* * *
Standing with my pistol in one hand, I waved at the enemy ship. “That’s right, you fucks. Come right over here.”
As the Sarkonian ship neared us, they opened their bay door. An unmanned shuttle exited and began making its way towards us. No doubt, if they had their way, we’d wind up working in an ore mine by the end of the day.
Too bad Siggy and I had other plans.
Before the shuttle could get more than a hundred meters from the Sarkonian vessel, The Renegade Star decloaked from beneath another large asteroid, firing at the enemy ship.
The quad-cannons unleashed a string of rapid-fire shots, taking them by surprise. The ship withstood the many hits, much to my own surprise, and returned fire at The Star. Thanks to Siggy’s inhuman reaction speed, he managed to maneuver behind another asteroid, allowing the rock to shield most of the damage.
Chunks of stone broke apart, scattering in every direction, including towards us. “Get out of the shuttle!” I ordered, reaching my arm inside and grabbing Abigail by the hand.
She and Fred stumbled out of the door, scurrying on the hard surface of the asteroid and together we attempted to flee, back towards the mine.
Three large ship-sized rocks spiraled towards us, smashing into the ground and, incidentally, crushing our shuttle. I cursed under my breath at the loss. Those things were expensive and on top of all the other debt I had, this would only add to it.
I pushed the thought out of my head and decided to be pissed later. For now, I ran, hoping I didn’t trip and rip my damn suit in the process.
As we reached the giant eye-shaped monument near the mine, I called for Sigmond to fire a second wave.
He did, and the missiles hit the Sarkonian ship right in the same spot they had before, puncturing their deck and sending pieces of cargo into space. I watched the entire event unfold on my visor as Siggy broadcasted it to me.
The enemy vessel opened a slip tunnel, no doubt in an attempt to flee, but I gave the order to fire one last volley.
Sigmond did as I said, sending a final wave of six missiles towards the enemy ship. Two collided with a cluster of smaller asteroids, but the remaining four managed to get through.
The Sarkonian vessel could do nothing to stop the barrage from penetrating their hull, obliterating the ship from the inside. The vessel splintered, exploding into a cloud of wreckage, scattering in all directions.
“Oh, my gods,” muttered Fred, gawking at the obliterated ship.
I looked at Abigail, who was watching the whole mess unfold. “You good?” I asked.
She still looked fairly dazed, but less so than before. “I just want to get out of here.”
“Sounds like my kind of plan,” I said.
The Renegade Star came down through the asteroid field, rising above us, hovering momentarily. “Are you ready to depart, sir?” asked Sigmond.
“Is the ship going to be able to touch down?” asked Fred.
“There’s no solid surface wide enough for it, but I’m sure Siggy can make it work.”
“Stand clear,” said the AI.
I waved the others back as the ship approached, stopping a few meters from the surface.
“Bring it closer,” I ordered.
“Not possible,” Sigmond replied.
The base of the ship was a short distance above us, but not close enough to reach by hand. We’d have to float up to reach it.
I waved at Abigail and Freddie to join me. “Time to go,” I said, pointing to the ship.
They both looked up at the cargo lift door. “I take it we’re supposed to jump,” said Freddie.
“And hope you make it,” I added, clasping my hands t
ogether. “Come on, I’ll give you a boost.”
Freddie placed his foot between my fingers, and I pushed him up, watching as he floated towards the door. He waved his arms around, frantically, before finally catching the base of the lift. “I have it!”
I breathed a sigh of relief, then looked at Abigail. “You’re up next.”
“I can manage,” she assured me, squatting to the ground. She took a slow, deep breath, and jumped.
I watched her confidently sail towards the ship, perfectly aimed. She reached it easily, grabbing the railing with her whole arm, attempting to swing herself around. As she did, she seemed to react, partially losing her grip.
Freddie reached for her, taking Abigail’s hand and pulling her onto the deck. “I have you!”
“What’s wrong?” I asked.
I could hear her breathing heavily. “Nothing, it’s just…” Her voice trailed off. “Sorry, my shoulder was hurting. It’s fine now.”
“Must have been from the crash,” I said.
“Are you ready, Captain?” asked Freddie.
I crouched, placing both my hands on the rock beneath me, then pushed my feet down, extending my body and launching myself straight up towards The Star.
I nearly passed the opening as I floated, but a hand grasped at me, yanking me back. “Got you!” said Abigail. She held me tight, squeezing my fingers.
Fred took my wrist as well, and together the two of them pulled me inside. As I entered the cargo deck, the ship’s artificial gravity took hold and brought me straight down on my ass, knocking both Abigail and Fred on their sides.
“Welcome back, sir,” Sigmond said inside my ear as the lift began to close shut. “Shall I chart a course to Taurus Station?”
“I think that’d be a fine idea, Siggy,” I said, feeling a sudden ache in my lower back.
Fred ran over and offered his hand. “Now what?”
“Now nothing,” I said, then waited for the oxygen to fill the cargo bay. Once the doors were sealed, I removed my helmet and took a long breath. “I think we’ve done enough for one day, don’t you?”
Fourteen
After a long, hard sleep and a cup of coffee, I went to check on Abigail. She needed more medical attention that I thought. The scanner I used had missed the concussion, which wasn’t a surprise. I found that thing in a pawn shop over a year ago, but never had to use it. Go figure it barely worked.
I found her with Octavia, who had a decent bit of experience with patching wounds, as it turned out. “How’s she looking?” I asked when the door opened.
Octavia motioned at the sleeping woman in her bed. “She’s resting, but she’ll be fine.”
“How’d you learn how to handle that?”
“I used to be in the Union Guard,” she explained.
“You?” I asked.
“I wasn’t always Dr. Hitchens’ assistant. In my other life, I was a patriot.”
“Is that what they call dogs of the military where you come from?”
My bluntness didn’t faze her, or if it did, she didn’t let it show. “The Union isn’t cruel to every world, Mr. Hughes,” she said. “I was born on Androsia.”
Androsia was the capital of the Union, so I knew the name, despite never stepping foot on its soil. “Boy, talk about a silver spoon,” I said. “That must have been an easy life for you.”
“It was,” she admitted. “I used to think the whole Empire was like that. I thought everyone was happy. It wasn’t until I saw the outer colonies with my own eyes that I began to understand.”
“I’m not sure if I should be happy for you or not,” I said. “Seems like you gave up a lot just to be someone’s assistant.”
She nodded. “I suppose I did. My father was a surgeon on the richest planet in the Union. We had enough money to last a lifetime. But living an easy life isn’t the same as being fulfilled. It doesn’t mean you’ll be happy. I gave it up because I felt a need for something more. I wanted to study history, to explore.”
“You felt confined,” I said.
“Living in the capitol, I had my entire life planned out. I was to do my duty and serve the Union, then go to medical school like my father. No one asked me what I wanted. It was like living in a really comfortable box where all your needs are met, except you can never leave. For most people, that’s enough. For me, it felt claustrophobic. You seem like you understand that.”
“I might,” I said, but didn’t elaborate. “How long before the nun recovers?”
The sudden question didn’t throw her. She leaned back, looking at Abigail’s bed. “Miss Pryar needs to rest a while. Give her a day.”
“Thanks for handling it. I’ve got enough to do as it is.”
She gave me a slight smile. “I’m sure you do, Captain.”
I started to ask what she meant, but left it alone. I returned to the lounge, mulling over our haul from the asteroid. I had no idea if it was worth anything, but with some much-needed luck, Ollie might be able to find me a buyer. Probably a sucker on the prowl for antiques. I just hoped we’d get enough to cover the debt.
In the lounge, Hitchens sat with Freddie and Lex, watching one of the old Foxy Stardust cartoons. I took a seat, but didn’t say anything. Lex had a wide-eyed expression on her face, totally engrossed in the show. Hitchens was on his pad, reading an article, while Freddie just sat there, eating an apple.
It would be strange, once this job was done, to return to such a quiet ship. It wouldn’t be the first time I’d carried so many passengers, but this mission had certainly lasted longer than most.
I expected them all to leave once we arrived at the station. No doubt, they’d try to charter a new ship, one with a less dangerous captain at its helm. I was in over my head with Fratley, and after the shocking display back at Arcadia, I was sure they’d want to avoid the bastard at all costs.
Whatever they ended up doing, I hoped they didn’t get themselves killed.
“Excuse me, sir,” said Sigmond, speaking in my ear. “Please report to the cockpit. There’s something you need to see.”
“What is it, Siggy?” I asked, surprised that he wasn’t speaking through the speaker.
“We may have a problem.”
I casually took my leave of the room and headed to the front of the ship, saying nothing. After closing the door to the hall, I took a seat.
A few moments ago, The Star had come out of a slip tunnel, so the space outside the ship was still and quiet, glowing dots in the distance. No sign of trouble. “What’s the deal? You see something I don’t?”
“I’m detecting a Union star cruiser near the other end of the next slip tunnel, sir. I believe they are entering soon.”
I blinked. “A cruiser? And they’re heading here?”
“Yes, I believe so.”
A series of questions hit me all at once. Could they be looking for us? Had the Union discovered our location and found a way to track the girl or my ship? Was it some new directive, as part of their recent border expansion program? I’d heard rumors about them going into the Deadlands a handful of times, but that was so rare. They generally kept to their own space.
Could Lex really be so important to them?
I hoped I was overthinking it, and this was something unrelated. With any luck, we’d pass each other in the tunnel, off to our own destinations. Scans didn’t work in slipspace, so if the cruiser continued on its course, we’d have nothing to worry about. The only concern was whether they had a means of penetrating our cloak. We could see them from here with our long range sensors, which normally would mean the same for them, but only if they had a means of detecting the cloak. If not, then we just might be able to make it through without any trouble.
“They’re entering the tunnel,” said Sigmond.
“How long?” I asked.
“They will reach our present location in approximately three hours.”
“Enter the tunnel as soon as they do. Wait until the cruiser is fully inside. We don’t want them to see
us when we drop our cloak.”
“Actually, sir, it may not be that simple.”
“Why is that?”
“If we enter at the same time as the cruiser, we’ll most likely leave at the same time. If anything, they will emerge slightly before us. If that happens, we won’t be cloaked in time to shield ourselves.”
I knew he was right and cursed myself for not realizing it sooner. If we entered the tunnel now, the cruiser would emerge before us. All they’d have to do is scan behind them to see us coming out the same point they entered. Even if we waited an hour or two, there was still a risk that they’d see us when we emerged.
“We could remain cloaked in this position and wait,” suggested Sigmond.
“No, there’s gotta be another way that doesn’t involve us waiting here for a cruiser to arrive. I don’t want to risk them detecting us through the cloak.” I flicked the side of my chair, weighing the options. There were other tunnels running through here, certainly, and we could take any of them we wanted, but the detour would prolong our arrival at Taurus, possibly by a day or more. “Siggy, what if we stay on this tunnel until we’re out of scanning range? Where would we come out?”
“That would bring us inside Union-controlled space.”
“Would we be near anything? Any planets or colonies? Space stations?”
“None, according to the galactic map.”
“How long to return to Taurus with only standard warp thrusters?” I asked.
“Six hours,” Sigmond said.
“And if we use one of the other tunnels nearby? How long would that take?”
“There are three tunnels besides this one, but the detour would add another three days to our travel time.”
I thought about Abigail in her bed, knowing she needed better treatment than what my ship could provide. If we waited too long, she might end up suffering. “Fuck it, let’s take this tunnel and bypass Taurus. Once we get there, cloak us and turn around.”
“Right away, sir.”
A beam from our ship split a tear in space, opening to reveal the jade-colored lights of slipspace. “In we go,” I said, leaning back in my chair.
Our cloak dropped and The Renegade Star pushed into the rift.
