by T. M. Catron
“Don’t you have a Zeus Neural Network Relay?” Rance asked him. “I would think it would be standard tech for a Galaxy Wizard.”
“I always wanted one,” Solaris said, stopping to look down a narrow side alley. It looked more like a dark, dusty tunnel with a lone door at the end. Wisps of fabric, suspended overhead by lines stretched from one building to the other, blew in the breeze. Solaris jerked his head in that direction and turned down the alley. It was so narrow Rance had to walk behind him, which she didn’t like one bit. If they were ambushed, they wouldn’t have room to maneuver.
“And?” she prompted.
“Magic interferes with them. It’s pointless.”
“You assured me it wasn’t magic.”
“Did I? I don’t recall being that concrete about it.”
“You have been annoyingly vague about your interesting talents. You’re the one who mentioned magic on Doxor 5.”
“I must have been trying to impress you.”
Before Rance could ask Solaris what he meant by that, a door opened in front of them and—at the same time—boots hit the ground behind. She turned, grabbing Solaris’ jacket to signal him. He halted.
An armed man stood at the end of the alley clad in light armor and a closed helmet. He would have looked like light infantry if not for the absence of insignia on his armor. He didn’t leave the entrance. Rance assumed he was there to make sure they didn’t leave unless he wanted them to.
That didn’t make her feel any better.
“Captain, you all right?” Solaris whispered.
Rance quickly let go of his jacket. She had grabbed Solaris to stop him, not because she was afraid or nervous. “I’m fine—I just wanted to evaluate our situation.”
“Understood. Permission to continue?”
“By all means, don’t keep them waiting.”
Rance’s excitement mixed with caution into a heady combination of emotions that left her on edge. Her fingers twitched near the stunner at her hip—she was ready for anything at this point.
Solaris walked again. Rance looked forward over his shoulder. The door at the end was open, but it was so dark inside she couldn’t see anyone or anything. She straightened her shoulders and steeled herself for confrontation. Smugglers were predisposed to them—something about the way everyone thought everyone else was going to get the better deal brought out the worst in people.
Rance had dealt with their type before, and the only answer to the strutting and chest-thumping was strength and confidence. With a hand on her sidearm, she stood at the entrance with Solaris. She angled herself so she could watch the armored man at the end of the alley while Solaris peered inside.
“Enter,” a voice said from within.
Together, Solaris and Rance ducked their heads and entered a small room. With a hiss, the door closed behind them, sealing them in.
Chapter Ten
Without the bright sunshine obscuring their vision, the soft light inside the room revealed three armed men and a Triterarian. The Triterarian had long arms, a tail, and three eyes. The wary intelligence in all three eyes said he would recognize a trap if they tried to spring one.
All were armed like mercenaries, complete with wild beards, laser weapons, blasters, and plain old-fashioned knives. Tattoos covered every inch of their bodies. When Rance stepped forward, they flexed their bulging muscles.
“Who’s in charge?” she asked.
The men looked from one to the other, but no one stepped out to claim command. The Triterarian grunted and whistled in his own tongue, but her NNR failed to translate. It had picked a perfect time to glitch. Unfortunately, Rance wouldn’t know if he was telling the men to attack or to go play ball.
They were trying to unnerve her with their silence. Rance recognized the tactic and waited. The first meeting was always a game of wills. Who would back down first? After a minute of them looking around the room like they were lost, Rance changed tactics. Obviously none of them were in charge, and she wasn’t about to barter with minions.
“Well?” she asked. “Do you want my business or not?”
They all exchanged glances with each other like they’d lost their cargo in the vacuum of space and didn’t know how to tell their boss.
Solaris stood beside her, calm and serene as ever. Even though he had arranged this meeting, he seemed content to let her take charge. But Rance wanted to see his skills in action. She turned to him, giving him permission to speak.
Solaris turned to the men. He sized them up, adopting the air of one who didn’t play trite games. When he spoke, he used the same commanding tone Rance had heard a few times before. “If Kaau li can’t be bothered to see me, remind her of who saved her from that messy situation with the Wizards.”
More silence. The men didn’t squirm, exactly, but they looked even more confused. Rance wondered if they spoke the Common language at all.
To the left, a door opened. Rance didn’t want to take her eyes off the mercs, but she couldn’t help but glance over.
A tall, muscular woman stepped out of the shadows. She held herself with grace, and her fine clothing and composed, stern face left no doubt she was the leader they had been waiting for.
She was dressed in more expensive clothing than Rance had expected. Her gown, light and flowing, draped down to the floor, and although the fabric wasn’t as fine as what Rance had worn in Davos’ house, it was luxurious indeed for a smuggling den on Ares. Kaau li carried herself like a noblewoman with equal parts power and grace. Rance would have bet she had an interesting story to tell.
“If it weren’t for you, Solaris,” Kaau li said, looking only at him, “I wouldn’t have had to deal with those Wizards in the first place.”
Rance tried to keep from gaping at Solaris, who’d somehow forgotten to tell her this woman knew his true identity.
“I always hoped I would find you again,” Solaris said.
What did that mean? Rance’s curiosity piqued.
“…because I thought if I did,” he continued, “I’d be able to make you answer for your crimes.”
“And yet,” Kaau li said, “here you are, asking for a favor.”
“It’s not a favor. We’re willing to pay.”
“Oh, you will pay. Unless you want me to reveal who you are and tip off Unity.”
Rance’s stomach did a funny flip. Why had Solaris thought this was a good idea? And why had she let him take charge? Oh yeah—a test. Well, he’d failed.
The captain kept her hand on her sidearm and watched Kaau li like a hawk watches a snake. While they spoke, Rance’s ZOD finally worked and measured Kaau li’s heart rate, her twitching muscles, and anything else that would signal a double-cross.
No alarms went off in Rance’s head. Her NNR drew attention to fine patterns on Kaau li’s skin, hidden in the half-darkness she stood in.
“You have a lot to lose, Kaau li, if you do that,” Solaris said, breaking the silence.
“Not as much as you, I think,” Kaau li said. She moved out of the shadows to stand in front of Rance and Solaris. Up close, a multitude of tiny scars on her arms and hands stood out against her olive skin like lines on a star chart. They didn’t follow a pattern or look ritualistic. Had she been tortured? Or been in an accident involving a pile of razor blades?
“However,” Kaau li continued, “I’m willing to work with you, but I require something extra.”
Oh great. Rance couldn’t wait to hear what came next. She resisted the urge to roll her eyes. If she weren’t desperate to get a new registration, she would have turned on her heel and stormed right out of the room. As it was, they didn’t have many options. And she couldn’t let the Star Streaker sit on the landing pad long without a new fake signature. It was already at risk.
“The registration you seek will be flawless,” Kaau li continued. “Even if you go to Triton, it will not be suspected. And if you ever need it changed, all you have to do is enter the passcode.”
Rance had to fight to keep
the surprise off her face. “Where did you get a registration like that?”
Kaau li smiled, but her eyes remained on Solaris. “Your captain asks valuable questions. Such a marvel comes at a price.”
Rance’s heart sank. Of course it did. She had some money but doubted it would be enough. “How much?”
“Three million credits.”
“Three million? You must be joking, Kaau li,” Rance said, keeping an eye on the grunts at the corner of her vision. “I could buy a new ship for that, and then I wouldn’t need a new registration at all. Come to think of it, I could buy two older ships for three mil.”
“And yet you are here.” The woman turned and walked to the back of the room. The Triterarian moved out of her path, revealing a small metal box in a corner. “You want to keep your ship, no? I will tell you what I’ll do…”
Kaau li paused for effect. Rance had the distinct feeling the woman was winding them up. The anticipation was all some kind of joke to confuse them, knock them silly, and run off with whatever valuables they had. Rance resisted the urge to play with her braid. Instead, she straightened her shoulders and concentrated on staring down the smuggler.
Kaau li heaved the box up with one arm and carried it to them. “When you contacted me, Solaris, I realized I had an opportunity. I was angry, yes. But I found a way you can help me and pay me back for some of my trouble.”
“And what is that?” he asked smoothly.
“I need a smuggler myself.”
Solaris smirked. “A smuggler needs a smuggler?”
“Correct. Happens all the time, or didn’t you know? Anyway, I have something that needs to go to Coru. It’s a mere twelve-hour jump from here. I’ll even give you a registration that works for the jump, just to show my good faith.”
“Why can’t you take it yourself?”
“My ship is under repair. We ran into a gang of pirates last week. Your timing is perfect, I must admit.”
Rance scoffed. “Pirates on Coru, no doubt.”
“No, not on Coru.” Her eyes shone with triumph. Rance couldn’t figure her out.
“Hang on,” Rance said. “You’re saying you’ll waive the price of the registration if we agree to transport whatever is in that box to Coru?”
“I never said I’d waive the price. I will reduce it by one-third.”
“Two million credits. Are you crazy?” Rance turned to Solaris. “This is nonsense. We’ll find someone else.”
Solaris half-turned with Rance, ready to obey, but he kept his eyes on Kaau li.
“There is no one else on Ares,” the woman said. “At least, no one else willing to work with you. Not when they find out I offered you a deal first. I have influence here, you see.”
Kaau li had them in a corner. Rance was miffed with Solaris. So much for his skills.
She turned back to the smuggler. “One million, and we don’t ask what’s in the box.”
“One point five. And you better not try to get into it. It’s booby-trapped to deliver ten thousand volts of electricity to unauthorized persons who attempt to open it.”
“One point three,” Rance said. One point three mil would set her back, barely allowing her to restock and fuel the ship. Little money remained from the Streaker’s last job before they took on Solaris, and Rance would be forced to dip into the credits she had saved to upgrade the ship. The trip to Doxor 5 had proven unsuccessful in so many ways.
One point three million credits was still an exorbitant sum, but Rance was curious. If the registration package delivered as promised, she could change it as often as she wanted.
“Done.” Kaau li nodded to one of her minions. He pulled out a handset, and the next second Solaris’ set beeped with a contract. Rance’s did too, and the contract pushed through to her ZOD as well. She read through it, making sure everything was in order. When satisfied, she nodded at the box.
“Where do we take it?”
“Station 10 on Coru. There’s a small mechanic’s shop near the landing pad. Land there and ask for Kai lu. They will direct you to the right place.”
“Kai lu?” The name was too close to their hostess’ to be a coincidence.
Kaau li nodded. “My brother.”
“How do we know your brother won’t shoot us once we deliver the package?”
“I’m a smuggler, Captain, not a butcher.” Kaau li smiled, and this time it was genuine.
Rance grinned; she’d used the same line herself a few times. Maybe Kaau li wasn’t so bad after all.
Her curiosity about the box grew. What were they transporting that a mechanic needed? She pushed the question aside. Rance was a professional smuggler herself, and as long as the box didn’t explode once they boarded the Star Streaker, she didn’t care what was in it. She made a mental note to scan it once they cleared the alley—just in case it was rigged to explode.
They sealed the transaction by transferring the credits and the registration code. Rance hated to part with so much money, but they needed to stay hidden, and this was the opportunity of a lifetime to outfit the Streaker.
Rance and Solaris hefted the metal box between them. Rance’s first thought was that Kaau li was stronger than she looked, to have lifted it with one arm. Her second thought was to be grateful the Streaker wasn’t far away.
“You didn’t say you knew Kaau li personally, Roote,” Rance said once they left. She used his alias. They were in a public alley, after all.
“I don’t,” Solaris said. “Not really. She got into some trouble after we captured her, and I helped her out of a tight spot. She should be grateful. After the way I helped her, she should have paid us to transport this thing.”
He jerked the box upward as if it offended him.
“Then why didn’t you drive a harder bargain? That was my money!”
“Actually, you impress me, Captain. You did quite well. She never would have come off the price so much if it had just been me. I think she hates me.”
“Yeah, well, I’m not an amateur,” Rance mumbled.
As if to prove it, she performed a cursory scan of the box using her NNR. The initial results scrolling across her ZOD said no explosives were present. When they reached the ship, Harper would do a more extensive check. “I distinctly remember that you wanted to take point on this transaction.”
Solaris looked chagrined. “Kaau li may have looked all composed and eager to work with us, but she’s still angry with me. I hadn’t anticipated that.”
“What’d you do? Kiss her and run away?”
Solaris snorted with laughter and almost dropped the box. “No, Captain.”
“I sensed a thing between you two.”
Solaris’ ears reddened. “No, you didn’t.”
“Aha! Yes, I did.”
They left the alley, which was devoid of armored guards. In fact, if they hadn’t been carrying the box, Rance would have thought she’d dreamt the whole encounter.
“Do tell,” she said as they again wound through the back alleys of the city, guided by Rance’s ZOD. When Solaris didn’t respond, she said, “You can’t leave me hanging! As your esteemed Captain, I order you to tell me.”
Rance wasn’t sure how Solaris would react to her questioning. She meant it in good fun, and it would satisfy some of her curiosity about him. When he didn’t speak right away, Rance feared she’d crossed a line somewhere. Of course, she would never make him tell her anything personal. Her fears abated when he smiled.
“When you put it that way, I suppose I don’t have a choice. After we caught her, Kaau li hinted that she knew the Pirate Kaur.”
Rance’s mouth dropped open. She’d been expecting a gossipy tale of star-crossed lovers doomed to go their separate ways, not a story about pirates. Kaur was the most feared pirate in the galaxy, bar none. And Solaris had mentioned the name like he was talking about the weather.
Solaris ignored her shock. “She was name-dropping, of course, trying to scare us. I think it was out of fear of going to prison for the rest
of her life. Instead of scaring us into letting her go, her claim to fame backfired. Orion slammed her into a torture chamber to find out what she knew.”
Rance shuddered. Maybe that was how Kaau li had gotten those scars. “This Orion guy sounds better and better every time you mention him.”
“He’s not all bad, I don’t think. This was one instance where I heartily disagreed with him.”
“I should say so.”
“The world isn’t all stars and space cruisers, my dear Rance.”
It was the first time Solaris had used her first name. Rance thought about it a moment and decided she wasn’t offended. Solaris’ way of speaking meant she could take anything he said as a compliment, even a threat to cut off her hands.
Right now, her hands felt like they were about to fall off. She could have sworn the box they were carrying weighed as much as the Star Streaker. She adjusted her grip. “I don’t agree with the Empire on the torture of suspected pirates and the aliens who consort with them.”
Solaris frowned. “Some of the pirates we caught were brutal murderers and torturers themselves. But putting politics aside, I didn’t think Kaau li had much to do with Kaur. She was desperate and said whatever she could to get away. I intervened.”
“How?”
“I marched in there and got into a fight with one of Orion’s Enforcers. It wasn’t pretty, and neither one of us got out unscathed. I still have some unfortunate scars.”
Rance hefted the box and looked at Solaris, wondering where the scars were.
“You won’t see them,” he said, rolling his eyes. “They’re not on my flight suit.”
“Just curious—what happened?”
“Orion was furious. Ordered me back to the Temple and Kaau li onto a prison transport where they continued her torture. I didn’t have a choice, and I was awaiting punishment in my cell when I began having those visions.”
