Chase melted against the cables and hoses and closed his eyes in thanks. Finally, their first piece of luck since they’d left Parker’s home on Trucon. He tried to climb out of the cabinet, when he realized that, just like in the container, there was no way to open the door from inside.
“That was you?” Maurus cried. “You tore a hole in the side of the spaceship? Were you trying to kill us?”
“You wreck my ship, stupid girl?” screeched the captain. “You sneak aboard? I throw you into space!”
“It was the only way I could board. You were already starting your ascent when I arrived at the port, so I jumped off the sidewall and caught you midair. I made as clean an entry as I could—I’ll fix it for you when we land again.”
Maurus groaned. “So you’re the stowaway that ground control meant. How did you even know—”
“Who is this, Maurus?” the captain demanded.
“This is the android I told you about,” said Maurus.
“You said you sell android!”
“I did.” Maurus turned to Mina. “What have you done? How did you find me?”
“I wasn’t yours to sell, so the sale was technically invalid. When the electrostruct reanimated me, I left.”
“You just … left?”
“They put up a small fight. I may have broken someone’s arm.”
“And you followed me here?” asked Maurus.
“Actually, I was following him,” said Mina. She turned and pointed at the storage cabinets. Chase felt a prickling flush rise in his face.
“What?”
“Come out,” Mina called.
There was a pause, and then Parker’s muffled voice sounded from the next cabinet. “We can’t, we’re locked in.”
“What on Hesta’s seven suns?” shouted Maurus.
Mina marched across the cabin and yanked open both cabinet doors. Parker tumbled out and jumped to his feet. Chase crept out of the cabinet, looking around at the other occupants of the cabin. The captain stared at his new passengers with disgust. A small, piggish creature with greasy pink skin and perky, brown-crusted ears huddled at his side.
“How did you get out of the cargo hold?” Maurus asked, shoving his hand through his hair.
“You mean out of the container where you left us to suffocate?” Parker stormed across the cabin. “Right after you locked us up to be sold to slave traders?”
“Sold to—I was trying to get you out of there!” Maurus looked like he wanted to throttle Parker. “I locked you in the container to get you past inspection, and then I told Vo which one to grab before hiding myself on his ship.”
“Where are you taking us?” Chase asked.
“This ship’s going to Lyolia.”
“What? Why are you taking us there?” shouted Parker.
“I’m going there—you’re just along for the ride! Would you rather have gone with the Goxar? I hear it’s a fine life aboard their slave ships, the week or two that you’d have left!”
“So you’re escaping to your homeworld now, you coward?” asked Parker.
With a shout of rage, Maurus took a swing at him, clipping him in the chin. Before Parker could strike his own blow, Mina grabbed each of them by the elbow and squeezed hard enough to make them both gasp.
Maurus tugged in vain at Mina’s iron grip. His arrogant eyes and fierce scowl suddenly seemed less vicious. Had he really admitted to saving them?
Vo sat back in his chair as he watched the scene, and now smacked his fleshy lips and narrowed his eyes. “I understand you, Maurus. You most-wanted man in the universe, so you kidnap two Earthan boys to take with you back to your homeworld. Boys make good collateral, maybe? You owe me extra now for more passenger.”
Of course. Maurus hadn’t saved them out of the goodness of his heart. He’d taken them along as a sort of human shield. The Fleet wouldn’t attack if they knew he had children on board.
Vo leaned forward, jowls wobbling eagerly, and reached out with one of his long bronze limbs to take Maurus by the chin. “But you stupid too,” he sang. “You greedy. You sell android to most dangerous man on Qesaris for big money, and then have her return to you. Now you have Rezer Bennin’s money and Rezer Bennin’s android. You must have real death wish!” A smug smile spread across his face, and he rubbed his overhanging belly with his humanoid arms. The pig-like creature jumped up and down in excitement.
Maurus gritted his teeth, still yanking against Mina’s grip. “I didn’t plan it like that. None of this was supposed to happen!”
“Maybe I take you back to Rezer Bennin, see if you can sell android a second time, pay for extra passengers?”
A beep sounded from the console. Still chuckling, Vo glanced at the screens. The folds of his fat face drew together in a sudden frown, and without another word he turned to the controls.
“What is it?” asked Maurus. The alarm in his voice sent a shiver down Chase’s back.
“Someone hailing us,” Vo muttered. “Not good, not good.”
“Who is it?” Mina released Maurus and Parker and joined Vo at the consoles.
“Someone’s followed us. Get us out of here,” Maurus hissed.
The center panel of the windshield shimmered and became a screen showing the grizzled face of a gray-haired man with pitted cheeks. Maurus threw himself against the side of the cabin, his eyes locked on the screen. Out of instinct, Chase did the same. He didn’t know who the man was, but he knew the fact that he was contacting them was bad.
“Salutations, this is Captain Lionel Lennard, commander of the IFF Kuyddestor,” said the man on the screen in an oily drawl. “Prepare to surrender your vessel.”
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
“We are circling you from a distance of two parsecs, and we have the entire nuclear capacity of our starship aimed directly at your vessel. If you do not surrender immediately, you and everyone on board your ship will be destroyed.” Captain Lennard’s cold eyes pierced the screen, and although Chase knew he was outside the frame of view, he still felt like the Fleet captain was staring directly at him.
Vo raised his arms from the console, his fat chin trembling. “I not do nothing. Just commerce vessel.”
“The entire Federal Fleet knows that you are harboring the galaxy’s most-wanted fugitive. More ships will arrive in just a few minutes. Hand over Lieutenant Maurus now, and I’ll make sure you live.”
While Lennard spoke, Maurus dropped to his knees and crawled up to the control console. He stayed just out of sight as he squeezed in front of Vo and started entering information on the screens.
Parker leaned toward Chase and whispered, “We have to turn him in.” Chase frowned and shook his head. He wanted nothing to do with the Fleet to begin with, but something in his gut told him they needed to stay far away from Captain Lennard.
Vo did an admirable job of keeping his face impassive as he kicked at Maurus in front of him. “I know not what you talk about, Captain. Only myself and Lakito deckhand on board.”
Captain Lennard shrugged. “If that’s how you choose to play it, then prepare to meet your maker. In five, four, three, two—”
Parker took a step toward the screen, and Chase grabbed a handful of his shirt.
“Okay, okay!” Vo screeched. “Surrender!”
Maurus leapt up and yanked down on one of the levers surrounding the captain’s chair. With a savage twist, the air collapsed around Chase, but this wasn’t like any other fold he’d experienced. Just as the compressed feeling started to fade, it amped up again, over and over in waves. There was a tumbling sensation, as if he were falling down a spiraling hole. Bright colors and black abysses flashed through his vision, and he was paralyzed, unable to grab his whirling head or reach out for help.
When it finally stopped, everyone was sprawled on the floor except for Vo, who gripped the cables around him with every limb available. Chase rolled onto his side, pressing his hands against his pounding temples.
“Never touch my controls again!” Vo barked. “
I kill you!”
“What was that?” moaned Parker.
Maurus was already on his feet. “Kathadaxus maneuver. That’ll buy us five minutes, tops. We need to turn off the trackers and fold once more so he can’t follow us.”
“Impossible,” said Vo. “With no trackers we fold into solid object. Everybody die!”
“We have to take the risk, just this once. The odds of catastrophic fold are infinitesimal.”
“Odds of catastrophic death high! Deal over, Maurus. Take back your money. I turn you in.”
“It’s too late for that, Vo. What do you think, they’re just going to let you go after this? I saw what you’re carrying in the cargo hold—they’re not going to let an annirad missile smuggler just slip through their hands.”
Vo’s eyes rolled wildly in his head. “Stupid human!” he raged. “You ruin me!” Heaving and slobbering a little at the corners of his mouth, Vo glanced around the cabin. “Have to leave now! I eject you into space!”
“Vo, you’re outnumbered,” said Maurus. “And if you try to touch any of us, there’s a very powerful android here who will stop you dead in your tracks.”
“I’m here to protect the boys, not you,” said Mina flatly.
Maurus glanced at Mina with a small frown. “We’re running out of time. Turn off your trackers, make the fold.”
Vo muttered to himself in a high, angry voice and turned back to his console. He folded his humanoid arms. “No.”
“Well then—” Maurus reached toward his belt and pulled out a handblaster. “I’ll take out your trackers with this.”
Vo turned in his seat and stared at Maurus with his mouth slightly ajar, an expression of astounded fury crinkling his delicate pointy nose. “You dare…” He turned his beady gaze on Chase, who stood just behind Maurus.
Suddenly two of his long back limbs shot out and snatched both Chase and Parker by the necks, dragging them across the cabin. Chase wrenched free with a terrible burning, tingling sensation, but beside him Parker screamed as the pincer-like device on the end of Vo’s limb clamped down on his shoulder.
“Let him go!” shouted Maurus. Another of Vo’s long limbs came up from behind and cracked him in the elbow, sending his handblaster skidding across the cabin floor. Vo’s pig-like crewman darted forward to grab the weapon, but Mina kicked the creature aside as she grabbed the limb attached to Parker’s shoulder. There was a cracking sound, and with an ear-piercing shriek Vo released his hold.
Chase dove across the floor and grabbed the handblaster. On his knees, he whirled around, pointing the surprisingly light weapon at the ship’s captain. Maurus took a step toward him.
“Very good, Corbin, now just give the weapon back to me,” he said softly. He reached out to take it.
Panicking, Chase pointed the blaster at him.
“No!” Maurus shouted.
Vo’s long limb was already traveling through the air toward the weapon. Chase swung the weapon back at him, his heart pounding. Vo froze in place.
Maurus raised his hands. “You don’t have to give the blaster to me. But you have to take out the trackers, or Captain Lennard will catch up with us and we’ll all die. Just blast that comm box.” He pointed at a metal box on the corner of the console.
“Don’t listen to Maurus, he’s lying!” shouted Parker. “He wrecked Trucon, he destroyed my home! Shoot him!”
“Kill him,” barked Vo. “He die, trouble gone.”
Maurus’s dark, intense eyes locked on to Chase, holding his gaze. “Whatever you think I am doesn’t matter. Just think of yourself. I know Captain Lennard, and he is a vicious, brutal man. Even if I agree to go easily, he’ll kill everyone on this ship just to cover his tracks.”
Chase gripped the weapon tightly, paralyzed by the decision. If Maurus really was responsible for the destruction of Trucon, he was probably lying now to save his own skin. Based on the other things he’d done—stealing Mina, leaving Chase and Parker stranded—it was entirely probable that he was just trying to trick Chase into letting him escape.
But he’d also saved them from being sold into slavery, and probably saved their lives. If he was telling the truth about Captain Lennard and Chase ignored him, it would be a fatal mistake.
“Just shoot him!” screamed Parker. “He’s only trying to save himself!”
“Think of your friends! Save their lives!” yelled Maurus. “Do it now, you’re almost out of time!”
Even if Captain Lennard let them live, they would end up in the hands of the Fleet. It was better to travel with the devil they knew than the devil they didn’t.
Chase raised the weapon and pulled the trigger. The comm box exploded into black, twisted metal.
Vo screeched.
“You jerk!” Parker stormed across the room and tried to take a swing at Chase’s face. Dodging him, Chase tripped backward, the blaster falling from his hand with a clatter. The little pig-like creature darted forward to grab the weapon and scuttled back behind Vo’s seat.
“Fold!” called Maurus from the console, where he had already shoved Vo out of the way. The warping air caught Chase by surprise, and he fell to his knees as the ship jumped through space.
Parker slid down the wall beside him. “I hate you. You’re as much a traitor as he is.”
Chase didn’t answer. He was already second-guessing his choice. By choosing to travel with the most-wanted man in the universe and run from the Fleet, had he made them criminals now too?
“We’re safe,” said Maurus. “Vo, start a course for Lyolia.” Vo bared his teeth and hissed, cradling the limb Mina had squeezed. “Do it. And tell your deck hog to give me back my sidearm as well.”
Raising his humanoid limbs in indignation, Vo barked an order, and the blaster slid out from under his seat. Maurus picked up the weapon and examined it. “He’s removed the munitions chamber. This is useless!” Vo ignored him, and Maurus holstered the weapon with a frown and returned to his seat near the console.
Parker glared at the back of Maurus’s head. “You’re just going to sit there like everything’s fine, aren’t you?” he asked. “We all know what you did. You killed thousands of people—you ruined an entire world. For what, Lyolian politics? For the stupid Karsha Ven?”
Maurus whipped around. “You believe everything you see on the news, do you?” He shook his head. “Do you think I’d bother helping two stupid Earthan boys if I’d just killed thousands? I’m not a traitor. I serve the Fleet.”
“Oh really?” countered Parker. “Because I’m pretty sure that was the Fleet who just tried to kill you. If you’re so innocent, why are you running away to your homeworld instead of staying to defend yourself?”
A shadow crossed Maurus’s face. “I’m protecting myself,” he muttered, turning back to watch Vo’s movements at the console.
Again Chase wondered if he had made the wrong choice by helping Maurus escape the Fleet. He looked up at Mina. “Can you contact Asa now?”
She shook her head. “Not since you shot the trackers. That box held the entire communication system for the ship, so you’ve left us unable to contact anyone.”
Chase’s heart sank. “I did?” He could feel Parker’s angry eyes boring into the side of his head.
“No communications, even if emergency happen,” added Vo over his shoulder. “Better hope ship not break down.”
“I’m sure there’s a distress beacon in your escape shuttle that we can activate, if need be,” said Maurus. Vo made a rude noise and turned back to the console. “You can communicate with your people as soon as we reach Lyolia, Corbin.”
“We’ll figure it out,” said Mina. “And his name is Chase.”
“What?” Maurus glanced back, frowning.
“His name isn’t Corbin.”
Maurus stared at Chase for a moment. “Whatever. Take them down to the bunkroom and keep them out of my way.”
“I should probably stay up here and help you navigate,” Mina said. “With the trackers down, the ship will
be more vulnerable.”
Maurus shook his head. “We’ll be fine. Vo’s not going to leave the control deck because he’s afraid we’ll lock him in his cabin, so I’ll stay here to make sure he takes us to the right place.”
Mina stepped beside Parker, who was still sitting on the floor. “Come on, let’s go downstairs,” she told him. Chase thought Parker might fight to stay on the control deck, but he jumped to his feet and charged straight to the exit.
Chase followed him down to the back of the ship, past the cargo room they’d escaped from. At the end of the hall was a cluttered bunkroom that smelled like sour old sweat. Six bunks lined one wall, and a rickety table and chairs stood opposite them. The back of the bunkroom was filled with stacked boxes that Parker immediately began to search through.
Chase pulled out a chair and sat, putting his head in his hands. He spoke at the floor. “I’m sorry. I didn’t have any better choice. And he did save us from getting sold to those slave traders.”
“It’s great, yay, we’re saved,” muttered Parker. “We’re traveling with a mass murderer who’s wanted by every government in the galaxy, and thanks to you, we have no way to contact anyone if we need help. I feel safe, don’t you?”
“That’s not fair,” said Chase. “We don’t know if he had anything to do with Trucon.”
Parker looked up at him with narrowed eyes. “You’re right. I don’t know. Actually, I don’t know much of anything right now. I don’t know where I’m going, or where Asa is. I don’t know who decided it would be a good idea to set my homeworld on fire. And I sure as shooting stars don’t know what you are.”
The distrustful look on Parker’s face sent a cold feeling into the pit of Chase’s stomach. “I told you, I don’t know how I got out of the container. Do you really think I’d lie about that?”
“I don’t know what I think anymore.” Parker slid one stack of boxes out of the way and started on the next row. “All I’ve got is my gut, and my gut tells me that you are not normal, and that Lyolians are huge liars who can never be trusted.” He slammed the box he was holding onto the floor. “I can’t believe you sided with him!”
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