“Hey, E.V., here. We’re in the middle of an emergency, what do you need?”
“E.V., any of you boys got ships?”
“Just little stuff, why?”
“Surely you’ve got some ore haulers around,” I said.
“Well, duh, sure we do.”
“So the Red Houzi’s making off with all your ore and your asteroid. We’ve taken out their escort and their darts. About the only thing they’ll have left will be stationary heavy blasters. Tell me your boys can’t outfly that?”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean, what if you were to load up some containers, maybe take full ones even, and fly ‘em at that hauler. If you let them go at the right time, I’d bet you could put it out of commission or at the very least get ‘em to change their mind about things.”
“Frak me. You say that frigate’s down?” E.V. was starting to understand my plan.
“That’s what I’m saying. And … the hauler is out of darts.”
“Let me round up my boys.”
“Go get ‘em, E.V.,” Ada said.
End comm.
“They’re gonna beat the ever-living shite out of that hauler,” I said.
“How long you been planning that?” Marny asked.
“Forgiven?” I asked.
“Tell me you didn’t just think of that,” Marny said.
“I won’t tell you anything of the sort.”
“Ada, I want you to stay in the freighter. We need someone to stay mobile. I don’t like Nick and Jordy being tied to a ship that isn’t movable without some sort of backup. Okay?”
“Yes, can do. You know you’ve got a lot of blood on your face?”
I hadn’t thought about it for a while, but my face and ear had taken a beating from Red and his buddy.
“It’ll have to wait,” I said.
“What are you thinking, Cap?” Marny asked.
“I’m taking a chance, but I think it’s a good one. Flark still has crew on the station, I think that’s where he’d go. He wants distance between him and that hauler.”
“Wouldn’t they just take him to where he was going?”
“If his destination is a base, I doubt whoever picked him up had the range. Flark’s a rat jumping off the sinking ship. I bet anything he’s holding onto Qiu as a bargaining chip.”
Arriving back on station, we saw that the damage was significant. Between our missiles tearing apart the control station and the frigate’s broadside, Jeratorn had seen better days. I hoped there wouldn’t be any legal fallout for us.
“There’s a short-term pier over on Tower B,” Ada said.
“Want to take us in?” I asked.
Ada took the controls and expertly guided us in to what was nothing more than a ledge on the side of the tower. For our purposes, however, it would work just fine.
I hadn’t brought my blaster rifle along, but still had my flechette pistol. Marny had her rifle and Tali was wearing a pair of pistols in holsters at her waist. I knew they both had more weapons. I was pretty sure I was down to the steel knife and my pistol. I’d removed my belt of grenades because I felt I was a lot more likely to do harm to myself than to someone else.
Inside the tower, the few people we saw in the open were running to their destinations. A soft red light pulsed at the top of the hallway but the warning klaxons had, fortunately, been turned off. I wanted to tell these people that most of the danger had passed and they should get back to business. But, I couldn’t really guarantee that yet.
“Tali, how about we turn that nanite sniffer back on?” I said.
“I hope this works,” Marny said.
“Agreed,” I said.
I was disappointed to find that all of the nanite traces we found in this area looked to be secondarily planted - brought along on other people’s clothing or shoes.
“I think we should work our way over to Tower A,” Tali said.
We followed her to the airlock connecting the two towers. Surprisingly, the lock was once again functioning. During the attack, the first thing that should have happened was shutting down all of the connecting passages.
We were on the back side of Tower A and finally starting to pick up older nanites that were actual first-hand traces of Qiu. I was still disappointed that we couldn't see any current trace of her.
“Up or down?” Tali asked.
“Think they’d take her back to the brig?” I asked.
“No chance,” Marny said. “Not with the Navy on the way. They’d need to hide her good.”
“I’ve got an idea,” I said. “Let’s go check out The Welded Tongue.”
“You want a drink?” Marny asked.
“Yeah, I’m feeling real thirsty right now.” I punched the button to call the elevator car. We only had to go a few levels down to find the Welded Tongue. Once again, there was no new trace of Qiu anywhere.
“I’m hoping someone in the bar will have had contact with her,” I said, giving away my big plan.
“It’s more than I’ve got,” Marny said.
The Welded Tongue was an amazing place. Two hours after being attacked by pirates, the restaurant/bar was at least thirty percent full.
“Maybe we should talk to Beth Anne, see if she knows anything,” I said.
“I wouldn’t trust her any further than I could throw her,” Tali said.
I caught the arm of a server. He was a young kid, probably no older than twelve. “Could you ask Beth Anne if she has a moment? Tell her Liam Hoffen’s asking.”
“Okay.” His voice was shaky.
I’d expected some attitude, but … then I looked at my companions, decked out in armored vac-suits. I also considered my face, which was probably a bloody mess. We had to look like hell.
Beth Anne, dressed in another of her tight fitting dresses that displayed her feminine attributes to their best advantage, sauntered out from the doorway where the kid had disappeared.
“Captain Hoffen, you do look a fright. Oh, and we don’t allow weapons in the bar. I’ll have to ask you to take those outside.”
“Just a quick question and we’ll be on our way,” I said.
“Nothing’s free, Captain. What do you need to know, and how badly do you need to know it?” Her voice was sweet, but I wasn’t at all fooled by it this time.
“Harry Flark has come back to the station and I need to know where he is,” I said.
“Hmm, wish I knew that one. I’d be able to sell that info all day long. Afraid I can’t help you. Maybe I could interest you in a cold drink?”
“No, we just need to find Flark. Anyone you can ask? Poke around for us?” I asked.
“Sure, I’ll poke around.” She stretched out the word ‘poke’ suggestively.
I sighed, “It’d be worth a lot to me.”
“Well then, I’ll pay it special attention. Anything else?”
“No. Thank you.”
Beth Anne walked away. Hope drained out of me.
“You see that?” Tali asked.
“What?”
“Look at the carpet.”
I looked at the carpet. There were bright-green, perfect-looking little shoe prints that led up to our table and back again to the bar. It’d been the path Beth Anne had walked.
“Why didn’t she have any on her?”
“She’s been wearing a vac-suit. Wherever she changed, she walked through a bunch of ‘em,” Tali said.
“Let’s go,” I said.
We started walking toward the bar, catching the attention of three large men who’d, up to this point, been hanging out, and ignoring us. They all had their hands on the butts of blaster pistols. They clearly didn’t want to draw them, but were letting us know they had lethal power.
“You need to leave,” the biggest one said to me.
Marny didn’t even hesitate. She pulled her Bo Staff off her belt and snapped it to full length. The fastest of the three almost got his gun drawn before she thwacked his wrist, causing him to drop it. The other two
were nursing the sides of their heads where Marny’s staff had struck them.
“Two ways this can go boys,” Marny said. “You can leave now, or I can finish it.”
“She’s getting away,” I said.
One of the men started to bend down to pick up his weapon. I suspected he simply wanted to retrieve it to take with him, but Marny read the situation differently. She smashed the back of his head violently with her staff. He dropped on the ground hard, completely limp. The other two decided they didn’t want to stick around to see what was going to happen next and made a run for the door.
Tali, pistols drawn, peeked into the back room. “Let’s go,” she said.
Marny stowed her staff and pulled the heavy blaster over her shoulder. “Take number two spot, Liam. I’ve got the rear. Just be careful of civilians.”
The green tell-tales of Beth Anne’s shoe prints led straight out of the back of the bar’s storage area. Her strides had lengthened significantly. The woman was running in high heels.
We followed her trail right up to an airlock plastered with green nanites, way more than if they’d just come from the bottom of Beth Anne’s shoes.
“Frak, we’re right on her,” I said.
We cycled through the airlock. It was a tight squeeze for the three of us in armor but time was not on our side if they escaped to a ship …
Establish comm with Ada.
“Hiyas, Liam. Need me so soon?”
“Yes, we’re chasing Flark down and I think they’re going for a ship. Lower side of Tower A. Can you intercept?”
“On it,” Ada said.
We made it through the airlock onto a private docking bay with a pressure barrier. There was enough room for three small runabout-class vehicles. An eight-meter boat was dropping through the pressure field.
“It’s coming out now,” I said.
“I see ‘em.”
I heard Ada talking to the AI. Hail runabout.
“Small craft, pull back into the dock or I’ll be forced to fire.”
The small ship ducked back up through the pressure field and into the docking bay. Marny aimed at the craft’s forward view screen. She sidestepped around the bay, keeping aim on the pilot. Flark’s enraged face shone through the glass.
Hail runabout, I instructed.
“Flark, give it up. You’re not getting out of here.”
“I’ve got Lieutenant Loo.”
“Let’s make a deal,” I said.
“You can’t do that,” Marny said, a vein popping out on her forehead.
“My command, my rules, Bertrand. If you don’t like it, then get another job.”
“What the frak?”
“You let me pass, I’ll give you Loo,” Flark offered.
“I frakking quit,” Marny said.
“I accept both offers,” I said.
Tali looked from me to Marny and back. For the first time since I’d met her, she had a stumped look on her face.
“Cover me,” I said to Tali. She nodded, holding her pistols on the door of the runabout.
Flark pushed the door open and green nanite trackers spilled out of the doorway and on to the docking bay floor. He didn’t even have her in a vac-suit.
“Come out with your hands up. There’re some itchy triggers out here,” I said.
“I’m coming out. She’s on the bench.”
Flark’s chubby frame exited the craft. He had green trackers all over him. Tali switched off the view, apparently it was bugging her as well. He stepped around me and looked over to Marny and Tali.
“I can’t believe we’re gonna let this happen,” Marny said, pissed.
“Not sure what you’re whining about,” I said. “You don’t work for me so you don’t have to abide by my commitments.” I looked over my shoulder at Marny, her anger turning to a smile.
“Why you little turd …” She turned to Flark who was gingerly walking past her and jammed the butt of her gun into his face shield. Ordinarily, the helmet of a vac-suit can take a pretty good pop and to its credit this one didn’t split open, but apparently the contents were jostled somewhat and Flark crumpled to the ground.
I rushed into the open vehicle. Qiu was slumped into the seat, breathing roughly. Perversely, the first thing that went through my mind was just how many nanite trackers were being sprayed all over my body.
“We got her Ada. Tell Nick and Jordy we found her,” I was elated. Whatever came next, I would be okay with it.
CLEANUP
It was misery helping Qiu into her vac-suit. Flark had brought it along, but just hadn’t taken the time to get her in it. She was burning up with fever and groaning painfully, so we worked as gently as possible.
“We’ll take the runabout over to the frigate,” I said. “They’ll surely have medical kits on board.” We loaded onto the small ship.
“Ada, we’re coming out in the runabout, Qiu needs attention.”
“Okay, right behind you,” Ada said.
Establish comm with the frigate.
“What do you have, Liam?” Nick asked.
“We have Qiu on a small runabout. We’re headed your way now,” I said.
“There’s an infirmary on deck three,” Jordy said.
“Just don’t shoot us,”
The little vehicle had good acceleration and we got to the frigate quickly. The large hauler was still not completely out of enhanced visual range and a flotilla of small ships was buzzing the behemoth. I suspected they would eventually be successful at destroying the hauler. What I wasn’t sure of is if they would be able to bring the co-op’s asteroid back. Personally, I’d try negotiating with the hauler at that point.
“Check Qiu’s seal, I’m going to evacuate the atmo.” We weren’t going to land in a pressurized environment and it would take sixty seconds if I wanted to evacuate it without causing all of our ears to pop.
“We’re all green,” Marny said. I was glad she was talking to me.
“Qiu first? Then we can take Flark over?” I said.
“I’ve got Qiu. I’ll take her right down to the infirmary,” Marny said.
“I imagine Tali and I can handle Mr. Flark.” It was a little bit of a joke since he was still unconscious. I hoped Marny hadn’t killed him, but for all the death and destruction he’d caused, I wasn’t sure I cared that much.
I also wondered what had happened to Beth Anne Hollise. We really didn’t have anything on her directly. She’d stepped into some of the nanites, but then so had a lot of people. We’d chased her tracks straight to the docking bay, but when we’d gotten there, she was nowhere to be found. I’d thought she might be on the runabout, but that also wasn’t the case. It was a mystery I wasn’t interested in at this point.
I sidled up next to the larger ship and Tali pulled open the runabout’s door and jetted across to the airlock to start it cycling. I was suspicious of Flark’s prolonged unconsciousness, so I surreptitiously watched for him to make a move. Sure enough, with Tali out of the vehicle, he made a grab for Marny, just as she started to lift Qiu.
I pulled my flechette pistol and fired several times, point blank into his shoulder. I didn’t want to kill him, but I’d be satisfied with a good maiming at this point. I was surprised at the impact the flechette darts had. I’d been shot several times with flechettes and aside from feeling like I’d been stuck by a needle – which, coincidentally, was the entire point - I hadn’t taken too much damage.
To be fair, Marny had mentioned that this particular flechette pistol was not in the same class as those smaller weapons I was used to. She made sure this one carried a significant punch. I felt terrible as I watched Flark’s body spin, out of control, into Marny’s legs as she was trying to get out of the door, carrying Qiu.
“What in … You got him, Cap?” she asked.
“Yeah, sorry, more punch on this flechette than I’m used to.”
“I told you. You’ve really got to start listening to me on these things.”
Flark was drifting away
from the vehicle and flailing, obviously in pain. His vac-suit had no doubt sealed back over the now well-embedded darts. I jetted out toward him and grabbed his arm to stop his spin. I’d removed his AGBs, so he had no capacity to steer himself. If I gave him a little toss in one direction or another, he’d just keep going that way until someone saw him or … heck, it could be a long time.
I came even with his mask, “Try anything else and I won’t come for you next time.”
He nodded his understanding.
Tali and I cycled through the airlock with Flark. It was unnecessary with Tali along, but I kept the flechette pointed at Flark just the same.
“Should we segregate him?” I asked.
“I wouldn’t think so. All the big boys went over to the hauler. Be good for him to spend some time with the rank and file,” Tali said.
I put cuffs on his hands and sat him down next to one of the other prisoners. Once on the ground, I cuffed his ankles. We were getting low on restraints at this point, but I thought we were probably just about finished.
I hugged Nick when I saw him.
“Good to see you on the other side,” I said.
“You too.”
“Marny might be a little pissed at me. Maybe you could put in a good word with her?” I asked.
“Really?” He looked at me, surprised.
“Yeah. Any idea who the Navy sent?”
“Kuznetsov.”
“Seriously? Oh shite. She’s gonna be pissed.” Commander L. L. Sterra was in command of the Navy’s Corvette Kuznetsov. She was the namesake of our now foundered ship.
“Probably not, since we recovered Qiu and Flark.”
“Are you okay with all that?” I asked.
“My objection to the plan was never the ship. Does it suck that we ruined a ship we’d restored from the brink of the boneyard? Yes. I estimate our loss to be just south of a million m-creds, none of which is insured, by the way. My objection was that it was too risky. We can’t keep taking risks like this, Liam. The odds are going to catch up with us.”
“I don’t know how to step back. I couldn’t leave Qiu. You saw her - she wouldn’t have made it.”
“I know. I get it. We shouldn’t have been out here in the first place. I’m the one who wanted this job and it nearly cost us everything. I’m just saying we have to be more careful.”
Privateer Tales 3: Parley Page 25
