Joel scratched his head. “Still doesn’t explain why the other ships didn’t show up. They can’t have been in and out in the time we were cloaked and unable to see them.”
Brock sighed. “We can only guess at this point. Either they saw us heading in, or something changed. Somehow they managed to communicate with each other and change their rendezvous point, either as a result of catching onto us, or just through paranoia. Meredith checked their job system, and nothing changed on there. No alerts or anything… so I’m assuming the latter.”
Joel bobbed his head. “Okay. Does Molly know?”
Brock shook his head. “She’s still busy with Princess Federation.” He chuckled at his own joke. “But Oz will be letting her know as soon as she gets a moment.”
Joel sighed, heaving himself off the stool. “Okay great. I’m gonna shower and get some rack time. Sounds like we’ve only got a few hours at most before we need to head back out again.”
Brock got up too. “Good plan. Don’t forget to leave your boots by the door. When we get the go we’re going to have to literally jump.”
“Yeah,” Joel muttered, dragging himself across to the stairs. “Let’s hope I get at least forty winks.”
Paige watched him go. “Hang in there,” she encouraged. “It’ll be over soon, and then we’ll be back to routine.”
Sean and Karina had been talking among themselves. “Don’t say that!” he called over. “We’ll never catch a moment’s peace.”
Karina grinned. “I never had you pegged as superstitious!”
Sean chuckled, clicking the final piece of his weapon together. “New habit,” he confessed. “Since things just seem to be jinxed.”
“Okay,” Paige declared. “I need to get back up there. Pizza should be ready soon if you’re hungry. Grim is cooking and so far, it’s smelling a-ma-zing!”
There were excited grunts and exclamations about the home-made pizza as Paige made her way back to the stairs and followed Joel back up to the safe house.
Base conference room, Gaitune-67
Looks like we’ve got a lead. On the Skaine ship, anyway.
Tell us, both, Molly instructed him.
Oz’s voice came over the conference room audio. Molly noticed that Nickie wasn’t at all taken aback by it. Nor did she seem particularly impressed.
“There have been reports of a Skaine shooting at a nearby trading post. Sources are saying it looks like a bar brawl that got out of hand.”
Molly shook her head. “That’s original.”
Nickie agreed. “Skaines,” she hissed through gritted teeth. “And how many innocent bystanders have been killed just because they drank too much?”
“I don’t have a report on that yet. This is still just chatter. Station police are arriving on the scene right now.”
“Looks like we have a beat on where the Skaines might be,” she determined. “But no way of knowing whether the Leath have taken possession of the weapons yet… or if the Skaines still have them.”
“How are we so sure it’s our Skaines?” Nickie asked.
“It’s the nearest trading post to where the exchange went down.”
Nickie interjected. “And if the Skaines are in a bar it’s probably because they’ve got their score, which means they’ve already exchanged their weapons for money.”
“Shit. Well, that’s your target identified.” Molly cursed, hands back in her hair. “Now we just need to find the Leath.”
“Well,” Nickie got up from the table and started toward the door. “Looks like I’ve got my work laid out for me. I’ll just grab my crew and get going.”
She stopped in her tracks. “But I am curious… about how you know my aunt.”
Molly narrowed her eyes, an idea striking her. “Well, I guess if we were friends, we’d be able to sit around and talk about it. But it sounds like we both have work to do...”
Nickie hesitated. “Well… hang on. What about if I help you get a jump on the Leath? After all, it wouldn’t hurt to look like you had some Skaine muscle behind you, and honestly? You’re more likely to get close with a Skaine ship than a Federation one.”
Molly thought for a moment. “Well, that would be pretty cool.”
“Great.”
“But what about the Skaines?” she asked.
Nickie waved her hand. “No biggie. I’ll catch up with them eventually. And besides, if they’re at the bar, they’ll be a while sleeping it off and then getting drunk all over again. That kind of cash from the weapons they were selling will keep them going a while.”
Molly frowned, just realizing something. “So what, you’re some kind of Skaine hunter?”
Nickie scoffed. “Not really.” She paused, her eyes looking up and to one side. “Well… actually, yeah. Maybe I am. Though I prefer to think of myself as more a lone ranger.”
“With friends.”
Nickie chuckled quietly. “Every ranger needs a crew. Gets tedious otherwise.”
“Which brings us back to the question of why you’re impersonating a Ranger…”
Nickie looked awkward. “Well, it’s complicated.”
“Try me.” Molly watched her adamantly.
“It’s not entirely an untruth,” Nickie started to explain slowly. “I was trained by my aunt. She was Ranger Two. And she gave me her badge when she left… so… I just picked up where she left off. That’s all.”
Molly studied her. “So you’re admitting you’re part of the Federation after all?”
“Empire, but yeah. My grandfather was in with the Empress herself. One of the Bitches. The personal guard.”
Molly sat back down, glad to have Nickie finally confirming what Meredith had already told them. “And you’re… enhanced?”
“Yeah.”
“With a computer in your cortex and everything?”
Nickie nodded, and then frowned, leaning forward a touch to look at Molly more closely – as if peering into a mirror. “How did you get yours?” she asked. “Are we related?”
Molly shook her head and smirked. “No… mine happened in a completely unexpected, non-Federation kind of way.”
Nickie waved her hands indicating at everything around them. “So how come you have all this?”
Molly leaned back and threw her hands in the air. “Sometimes I ask myself that question too. I guess there was a position going and I just fit the bill. Right time, right place.”
Nickie narrowed her eyes. “I’m not sure I believe that. And I’m not sure you truly believe that either. Knowing Uncle Lance…”
“Uncle Lance?”
“Yeah. But not by blood, obviously. But, you know. The kids of the Bitches all grew up around this Empire-or-call-it-Federation-if-you-want shit and so we’re all treated like the nieces and nephews of the others. You know.”
“Yeah…” Molly said slowly. “There’s only one other person I know who calls Lance Uncle though.”
Nickie sat up. “Oh yeah? Who would that be?”
Molly shook her head. “We’ll get to that. Maybe. Right now, bigger fish to fry.”
“Like tracking down those Leath?” Nickie said.
Molly nodded. “Exactly. And I think I have an idea. But you’re probably not going to want to be here for the next few minutes.”
“Why? What are you thinking?”
“I’ve got a plan, but you’re going to owe me big-time, because this is going to wreck my otherwise perfect record of always getting my guy.”
“What are you going to do?”
“Why don’t you head back to your ship and pull off the exact ship registration number for the Leath we’re after, and ping it back to me on my holo?”
“Ok,” Nickie agreed, suspicious again.
“Then head up to the safe house, I’ll meet you there.”
Nickie nodded abruptly and then strode out of the conference room.
You’ll help Meredith find her way around?
Yeah. She’s already tapped into the wireless. I’ve allow
ed her access to basic layout and schematics. Nothing more.
Good. Thanks, Oz. Now let’s see if we can get a quick meeting with the General.
Aye, aye, Captain!
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Base conference room, Gaitune-67
The three-dimensional holoscreen opened out from the center of the conference table and unfolded to display an image of Lance’s office.
Molly waited, peering curiously at the empty office. She heard a scuffling off camera, then a thud, like a box of books hitting the floor.
Lance appeared through the open door from his main office.
“Ah, Molly. Hello.” He sat down at his console chair and settled in. “To what do I owe the pleasure?”
Molly braced herself internally. “I need some help, sir.”
Something flickered across his face. Was it a smirk? “Help with what?” he asked innocently.
“With tracking down a particular Leath ship,” she admitted.
He raised his chin, contemplating. “I take it the exchange went ahead, then?”
“Yes, sir. We ran into some… hiccups.”
“Hiccups?”
“Yes, sir.”
“And what form did these hiccups take?” he asked, looking more and more interested by the moment.
Molly racked her brains and spoke fast. “It was a delicate operation. The slightest timing discrepancy would have had it fail. However,” she continued quickly, “we still have the element of surprise. Neither party knew that we were there, or that we’re onto them.”
Lance regarded her carefully. “Well, by the sounds of it, if you’re asking for the Leath location, you’re not onto them.”
Molly’s gaze hit the desk in front of her. “Yes, sir.”
Lance steepled his hands and sat forward. “Well. I suppose I could call in a favor and get you the coordinates. All on the down-low, of course. If anyone were to ask where you got them, it can’t be from me.”
“Of course, sir. So, you have a way of getting them?”
“I have a guy who can pull their tracking data. Send me the ship’s registration. It may take a few hours, but you need to be ready to move. Once we have them there is no guarantee they’ll stay at that location for long. Especially not if they’re carrying a payload.”
“Yes, sir. Of course, sir. And thank you.”
Lance leaned forward to terminate the call. He paused as if having another thought. “And Molly?”
“Yes, sir?”
“Let’s not screw up again.”
“Yes, sir.”
The screen went blank and folded itself away. Molly exhaled slowly.
Looks like we got away with that one.
Barely.
You think he suspects anything?
Like ‘the penitent granddaughter’ being in our mix?
Yeah.
I wouldn’t like to speculate. There is one thing ADAM is really good at though, and that is knowing everything all the time.
That’s true. You think he might be testing us to see if we come clean?
Maybe.
Is there anything in any of those rules and regs that say we have to report on any contact with Federation personnel, on leave or otherwise?
Nope. Already checked. Nada.
Molly slumped back in the chair for a moment, her hands on her head and fingers interlocked. Well… I guess that’s decided then.
She heaved herself up wearily. Lemme know the second we get those coordinates and put the crew on standby for a quick turnaround.
Aye, Captain.
Molly smiled to herself. I’m going to join the others for food.
Kitchen, Safehouse, Gaitune-67
Grim, Durq, Nickie, Paige and Maya sat around in the kitchen eating. It appeared that cooking together was an excellent bonding exercise.
“So then what happened?” Paige and Maya watched transfixed as Grim continued the story.
“Well, I’m not sure. I was still slipping around in the kitchen, trying to get my shit together. Meanwhile, her highness,” he gestured at Nickie who was slurping on a smoothie, “managed to get all the way to the control room, past goodness knows how many Skaines.”
Nickie tried to suppress a grin, with the straw in her mouth.
Grim soaked up the captive audience. “The next thing I heard was a bunch of explosions and weapons going off. By the time I got to the bridge she was already declaring to the space-station’s commander that she needed refueling!”
Maya and Paige laughed hysterically. Even Nickie was amused and enjoying the moment.
Molly arrived just as Grim finished his story. “Sounds like it’s all fun and games up here!” she remarked.
Grim jumped to his feet. “Please sit, Molly.” He set a bowl in front of her and then ran back to the cooker where he had a pot on the boil. “I’ll have some more pizza ready in a moment, but in the meantime, try this.” He scooped a liquid into the bowl. It was a relatively natural and healthy-looking color.
“What is it?” she asked sniffing at it skeptically.
“Grim’s not a warrior,” Nickie explained, “but he is a damn good cook. Just try it.”
Molly picked up a spoon from the center of the table and tasted it. Flavors exploded on her tongue and the soup trickled down the inside of her throat almost as if it was already nourishing her. “Wow! That is amazing!”
“See,” Nickie said, victoriously.
“I do!” Molly agreed, taking another spoonful.
Grim blushed. “Just something I rustled up from a few things you had in the stores already.”
Paige interjected. “I was going to order pizza like you said, but—”
“I insisted,” he continued. “Least I could do after all your hospitality – and, you know, not shooting us on sight,” he added only half-jokingly.
Nickie breathed out through her nose, marginally entertained now.
“So,” Molly said between spoonfuls. “It looks like we might have a way to extract the current location of the Leath vessel. As soon as we receive it we’ll need to go.”
Nickie pulled her mouth down at the corners. “Impressive. How did you manage that?”
“Oh, you know. Friends in high places,” she responded, winking.
Nickie nodded, wary of steering clear of any conversation which might prompt more questions about her history with the Federation. “Friends in the Federation?” she ventured.
Molly smiled. “I cannot confirm nor deny that statement, but let’s just say, it was better that you weren’t in the room.”
Nickie’s face softened for the first time since she’d arrived on Gaitune. “Thanks,” she said gently.
“Any time.”
“So,” Paige continued pulling Molly’s attention to the next topic. “It looks like we’ve had some progress on the ground with the Academy.”
“Oh?”
She grinned and then shot a look in the direction of their uncleared guests. “Details will have to wait until later, but it appears our impending doom has evaporated away.”
Molly’s next spoonful slopped back in her bowl, her hand and mouth coordination forgotten. “What happened?”
“Ben’or,” Paige responded simply. “And your Mom.” She smiled again. “Details later. But I figured you should know so you can chillax.”
Molly returned her attention to her soup and mopped up a splash with her napkin. “Yeah. Wow. That’s a huge relief.” Just hearing the news, the others seemed to relax too. It was like a weight had been lifted from all of them, freeing them up to focus on the newcomers and their impending mission.
Grim sniffed the air, getting up to shuffle back around to the oven. “I think that this second pizza is just about ready.” He donned the oven gloves and retrieved the molten cheesy delicacy, carefully placing it on the countertop.
“Nom nom,” Durq muttered as the smell wafted through the kitchen. Molly noticed that even he looked more relaxed now, albeit probably on account of the lack of guns
being waved in his face.
“Okay, who wants the first piece?” Grim asked. There was a clattering of chairs and plates as everyone got up to receive their next slice of heaven. Grim chuckled, thrilled that his culinary skills were being so appreciated for a change. “Next one has to go down to our friends’ downstairs,” he warned them.
Safehouse, Gaitune-67
“Okay, folks,” Oz announced over the safe house and base intercom. “We’ve got the coordinates. Time to move out.”
Joel was in his quarters, lying on his bed, eyes closed. He opened one eye, then shut it again. He was exhausted. That last mission had taken it out of him for some reason, and the prospect of such a fast turnaround sucked.
He took a deep breath, willing himself to push the tiredness aside. Counting to three in his mind, he opened both eyes and swung his legs off the bed.
“No rest for the wicked,” he mumbled to himself, grabbing his boots and slipping them on as he had hundreds of times before. A minute later he was heading down the corridor, zipping up his atmojacket.
“Pizza?” Grim asked, offering him a box from a stack of boxes he had ready in the common room.
Joel took the box. “You packed some up for us?”
“All part of the service,” Grim replied with a slight bow.
Joel couldn’t believe his luck. He took a sniff of the amazing food smell coming from the package and realized just how hungry he was now. “Wow. That’s really decent of you. Thanks, Grim!”
“Of course. And good luck out there. Whatever the plan is. I’ll be staying out of harm’s way. I’m a cooker, not a fighter!”
Joel chuckled. “I guess staying safe is a good plan, then. Thanks, Grim. I hope we get to spend more time together at some point when this is all over.”
“As do I, Mister Joel.”
Joel patted the Yollin on the shoulder and then strode down the hall to the workshop door.
Meanwhile, everyone else seemed to be collecting their special packages of home-made pizza and heading in the same direction.
Joel followed the crowd through the safe house, down the basement stairs, through the workshop and back out into the main base. When he arrived onboard the ship, Molly was already there doing up her belt in the lounge. The ship was already humming, ready to lift off as soon as the doors were closed. Joel made his way straight to Molly and sat down next to her.
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