“We've got a doctor now,” I said. “Don't risk it.”
“You're right. I was nervous until I talked to Lee.”
“Nervous about what?”
“About the Star Marque. I thought Endellion might not meet the requirements, and who knows what would happen after that? But Lee told me everything. It's frustrating that the superhumans yank Endellion around like this. Although, it never really stops her.”
“Hm.”
Noah shrugged.
Unwilling to continue the conversation, I patted both of them on the arm. “Glad to see you're doing better, Mara,” I said. “Keep up the good work.” I started to walk past them, but she held out a hand.
“Demarco,” she whispered. “At some point I need to speak with you. In private.”
“What for?”
“I wanna talk to you about Yuan. And Endellion.”
I gritted my teeth. “Later. I can't hear this right now.”
“On the Star Marque?”
“Fine.”
I knew Endellion had done a million questionable things. I didn't need my thoughts mired under yet another bombardment of facts. I already regretted agreeing to her plan. I wondered what Noah and Mara would have thought if they knew why we were returning to Capital Station. I doubted either of them would have been ecstatic to hear the news.
“Demarco,” Sawyer said in my ear. “You should calm down.”
“I am calm.”
“You suit provides readings of your physical condition. You know that, right?”
“In theory. What do you want?”
“You're anxious.”
I stopped walking and held my plasma rifle close. “You know what's going on, Sawyer. How can you be so calm? Did you hear Mara and Noah? They think this shit is locked down. They think Endellion has already won.”
“She has.”
“Don't give me that. Why do you suck her dick so hard, Sawyer? You know killing Felseven is a terrible idea. You must. Tell me you think it's terrible.”
“I think it's a fine idea. I know Endellion will pull it off, and then she'll become governor.”
“Why?”
“Why do you have to question her?” Sawyer snapped. “You know what she's capable of. She's not going to lose now.” Sawyer only got that heated when she talked about Endellion. I hated her fanaticism.
“Forget it,” I said. “I don't need this.” I switched off my comms and marched around the defects, my blood at its boiling point. We had six months before we reached Capital Station. Maybe I could convince them to change course. Or maybe I was just kidding myself.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
DEAD DROP
Drinking with the others took my mind off the present.
We lounged around the mess hall, testing out the new stock we'd gotten from Vectin-14. I'd had no idea alcohol could come in so many varieties. The guys on Capital Station had claimed their synthesized shit tasted as good as any brewed beverage found planetside.
They were wrong.
“This has a hint of ranberry to it,” Lee said, staring at his pouch like he was going to make out with it.
“What's a ranberry?” I asked.
“A fruit they have on Vectin-14. Real good. Sweet. You can taste it. C'mon, try.” He handed over the pouch, and I gulped down the rest. I had no idea if it had ranberry in it or not, but I liked it. Sweet and potent, though it didn't burn like the powerful stuff. Seemed like something I could drink for a long while and not even realize I was getting drunk.
Quinn cracked open another pouch—her fourth, more than usual for her—and she gave me a sidelong glance. “How long have you and Endellion been hooking up?”
Everyone at the table stopped their side conversations, not sly about their curiosity in the least. Lee leaned heavy on his elbow, Noah widened his eyes, and Mara knitted her eyebrows together.
“We've been at it for a bit,” I said with a shrug. “Long enough.”
“No wonder she promoted you to vice-captain,” Lee said, lifting his pouch in a toast. “Sleeping with my boss hasn't gotten me any perks. Yet.” He and Quinn laughed before lightly pressing their lips together for a quick kiss. Then another. They didn't keep at it for long. After a few seconds, they both resumed their drinking. We had a lot of pouches to test out.
The PAD on my arm lit up with a message: Clevon Demarco to the bridge. I tapped it away and stood, drawing the attention of the others.
“Leaving?” Noah asked. “We haven't gotten to the expensive flavors Quinn bought us.”
“Save some for me,” I said. “I'll be back.”
Although I'd had a decent amount of alcohol, I knew I was capable. I exited the mess hall, walked through the narrow corridors of the Star Marque, and headed straight for the lift. The enforcers I passed greeted me with enthusiasm and a quick nod or exchange. I took the time to answer each one, but the more recognition I got, the more I had to keep up pleasantries to maintain it. And I was just on an enforcer starship. I could only imagine what Endellion went through. She was famous enough to have assassins on her tail, after all.
I reached the bridge, my mind returning to everything I was trying to ignore. Endellion stood in the center of the room, the screens and monitoring systems displaying a Federation cargo ship. She motioned me to her, and I complied.
“We found our target faster than I expected,” she said.
“One of Ontwenty's assignments?” I asked, knowing the answer to my question already.
“Yes.”
After seeing the shape of Endellion's room planetside, I knew she didn't appreciate Ontwenty's games. Ontwenty had played her; I was willing to bet my life on it. If I were Endellion, I wouldn't have continued to run errands for the woman, but there we were. Ontwenty wanted us to shake down a few starships suspected of smuggling goods or leaking information to competing companies. Maybe even the rebellion.
Ontwenty could have gone through official channels to get that cleared up, which made our involvement suspect. Ontwenty wanted us to do something unorthodox.
A screen flashed and revealed the face of a haggard woman. Her non-military-grade jumpsuit told me she was a civilian, but the cross insignia by her collar let the universe know she was still a captain.
“This is Captain Tavilla,” she said, “of the cargo vessel, Pegasus Star. Is there a reason you've detained my ship? I have clearance. I'm transmitting the codes to you now.”
“Thank you, Captain Tavilla,” Endellion said with a smile. “But we'll be boarding your starship and searching the cargo.”
“You can't do that.”
“I can and will. I've already included the authorization in the information I've sent. Any resistance will be taken as an act of aggression toward the Federation.”
Captain Tavilla tightened her mouth into a straight line. The screen flickered off. No farewell or end statement of any kind.
“Sawyer,” Endellion said. “Have you finished scanning the area?”
“No,” she replied over the comms.
“No?”
I lifted an eyebrow.
“The asteroids in the area create massive ambipolar fields,” Sawyer said. “These electric fields interfere with standard mapping and scanning technologies. It's probably why they chose this location to do their dead drops. I need more time to narrow down the possibilities.”
“Very well.”
“Dead drops?” I asked.
“Locations at which to pass on valuable information. By leaving it in a physical location, there's no risk of leaving an electronic trail. One person drops off their illegal information, and another person picks it up at some point in the future.”
“Ontwenty suspects they're passing her research on to others?” I asked. The woman might have been paranoid.
Endellion said nothing.
I stood at her side while the Star Marque maneuvered into a docking position. It didn't take much, but everything had to be exact. The seals and latches were important for stabil
ity while making bridges, and no one wanted to find themselves lost in space. It seemed longer when watching the process, however. Lysander and his ground enforcers needed to cross over and check the ship.
“Not going this time?” I asked Endellion, quiet enough for her, and her alone.
“There's no prize to be had on the starship,” she said.
The Star Marque made contact with the Pegasus Star, and I wondered if anyone would cause any trouble. I doubted they would, but I was still worried. Endellion showed no sign of anxiety, not a bead of sweat. Although it had taken me days to reconcile Yuan and Advik's death, she'd never mentioned them again. Was I the weak one?
From the bridge we could monitor the number of enforcers on the Pegasus Star, along with the decks they had searched. Lysander provided copious amounts of information, and the ground enforcers operated in a quick and efficient manner. I had trained with Lysander a handful of times—no more than ten sessions—but I could already see how his methods paid off. Everyone had a place. Everyone knew their place. The squads completed their jobs without delay.
However, on the second deck, a squad requested backup. Lysander and 20 others converged at the location, and even though I wasn't watching a video feed, the numbers and diagrams got my blood pressure up. I wasn't even that fond of Lysander, but the thought of the event turning bloody did make me agitated.
The confrontation lasted longer than I liked. The computers and scans said no rifles or lasers were involved. Whatever had happened couldn't have been too bad.
“Commodore Voight,” Lysander said over the comms. “We've apprehended four individuals. Their ID chips match records we have for criminal activity. Although not linked to the rebellion, they have surrendered and confessed to aiding them.”
“Take them to the brig,” Endellion commanded.
“They claim starfighters are out in the ambipolar fields. From what they said, the people piloting the fighters are their associates. They had a falling-out. Half went to complete a dead drop, and the other half stayed on the cargo vessel. They're asking us to show the fighters mercy.”
“And the people you have in custody—they're also starfighter pilots?”
“Yes, Commodore.”
“Tell them I'll offer their fellows mercy if they surrender, but I can't make any guarantees.”
“Yes, Commodore.”
Endellion stared at the screen, her gaze distant. “Sawyer. Give me the information for the four that Lysander apprehended.”
“Melba Bennett, Hattie Andler, Jermaine Chun, and Haruto Asahi,” Sawyer replied. “I don't have much because they don't have a long list of crimes, but three of them worked for Garton Metals as transport guards. The company went under, and that's the last known date of employment. Jermaine is the only one who seems to have had multiple jobs, everything from pilot to miner. He killed a few people in a workplace accident. Since then, he's received two counts of terrorism in relation to the rebellion.”
“And what about the area? Have you finished scanning it yet?”
“I've narrowed down the location. It's small, but if they only have a shuttle and a few starfighters, I think it's the place.”
Sawyer still impressed me with her ability to multitask. Reading four people's personal history and scanning the area for potential hideaways wasn't a problem for her. I couldn't imagine Endellion running the rig without Sawyer's help.
Endellion turned on her heel and motioned for me to follow her. “Send me the coordinates,” she said to Sawyer as we exited the bridge. Once in the corridor with the door shut, she glanced at me. “Send our starfighters to dispatch anyone they find at Sawyer's location.”
“You're not going to hail them first? Show them mercy?”
“We can't hail them if they're in a patch of electrical disturbance.”
“You didn't even try,” I said. “It might work.”
Endellion stopped walking and locked her hard eyes with mine. “We couldn't hail them.”
It only took me half a second to understand, but I was still surprised. “All right. What if they try to surrender when they see a bunch of enemy starfighters?”
“They won't surrender. They'll attack, and we'll destroy them. Understand?”
Oh, I understood. No mercy. It was all for show. “Whatever you say. But I'll handle it.”
Endellion glowered. “Not you. Send the others.”
“I'm a better pilot.”
“I know. That's why you should send the others.”
I cocked an eyebrow. “Oh, yeah?”
Endellion started walking again, her gait fast and powerful. I kept up, but her anger came across in each hard tap of her boot on the metal flooring. “Don't start with me, Clevon. I play with risks all the time. I risk losing a starfighter here. If I had to lose one, I wouldn't want it to be you. You're talented beyond the cockpit, and I need those talents for the future. There are others—less talented, more focused on a single skill—whom I can replace if they fail me on this mission. I'll risk them instead.” Endellion waved her hand, like the conversation had ended, but I took a few steps and blocked her path, forcing her to stop and meet my gaze.
“There's no risk if I go,” I said. “Because I won't fail.”
She said nothing.
“The others have been drinking, and I can handle a couple starfighters and a shuttle.”
Instead of waiting for her response, I walked away and headed for my starfighter. If she could pull that shit, then so could I. Talking about the others like tools didn't sit right with me. Perhaps that made me a poor candidate for leader. I might have been selfish—because a good crew didn't operate without knowing they could die in the line of duty—or maybe, it was just the timing. Right then, I didn't want to see anyone else lost to the black tide.
I jumped into the cockpit of my fighter and settled in.
“Demarco,” Sawyer said over the comms as the screens flickered to life.
“Yeah?”
“You don't want to take someone else with you?”
“I've got you, don't I?'
Sawyer snorted back a laugh. “Be careful.”
Once the starfighter suctioned me in, I broke away from the Star Marque and headed toward the coordinates on my screen. Asteroids floated in the nearby area, many without spin or much motion at all. My screen indicated the dark sides had electrical fields created by the solar winds. If I stayed out of the charged areas, there wouldn't a problem.
I zipped toward the largest in the area, the one with the most disturbance and energy. Since my scanners couldn't detect the ships, I switched my attention to the screen displaying the outside. My naked eye would have to pick up the slack.
Sure enough—just as Sawyer had predicted—a shuttle and three starfighters were attached to the dark side of the asteroid, at the bottom of a sizable crater. I kept clear of the electrical tail floating off the back of the asteroid, but I circled around enough for them to see me. If they left their spot, it would be easier to shoot them as the asteroid and its electricity made it difficult for all my targeting instruments.
But they didn't move.
The crater must have been their dead drop.
“What're you waiting for?” Sawyer asked.
I had no love for the rebellion or their associates, but I did prefer a fair fight. I circled around, and this time I fired a torpedo at one of the smaller asteroids. The resulting impact sent millions of fragmented rocks in every direction, filling the area with obstacles and debris.
I'd gotten my message across. Their starfighters took off from the asteroid's surface.
Sawyer sighed. “You gave them time to prepare?”
“I like it better this way.”
“Endellion made it clear she didn't want you to die.”
“I won't die.”
The two starfighters flew in opposite directions. At first, I thought they would try to escape, but then I saw they were wrapping around for a pinscher attack.
I sped toward one
fighter like we were playing a game of chicken, accelerating faster than my target. Before we collided, he fired a torpedo, but I twitched my side-stick and dodged. Centimeters from the enemy ship, I streaked over and twisted back around, freeing myself from an attack on both sides. I fired my torpedoes, catching the fighter and destroying it instantly.
The second guy unloaded everything he had.
Fifteen torpedoes filled my screen. The move shocked me, but I twisted in time to avoid the barrage and sailed around the light side of the asteroid. I worried the other guy might have hyperweapons, so when I whipped around, I opened fire, giving the asshole no time to breathe.
He flew sideways and sailed around a cluster of porous rocks. My two torpedoes trailed off, missing him, and when he came back around, I knew I would have problems. I preemptively moved to the side, accelerating for cover, when a blinding flash of light filled the area. His hyperweapon had cut a hole through the asteroid I was flying behind, damn near clipping the side of my U-shaped fighter.
With my teeth gritted, I looped back around. The moment I exited cover, I launched a series of torpedoes. Two to get him to dodge in a specific direction, one to follow through, and a fourth to finish the job,once I was a few meters from him. The fourth torpedo caught him before he could turn away, and I sailed by his wreckage, sad to see a talented fighter go, but exhilarated I had come out on top.
Nothing beat the rush of living through a dogfight.
The passenger shuttle never left the asteroid, not even during the fight. I used two torpedoes and destroyed the damn space rock, crushing the shuttle with the resulting explosion and debris.
“Not bad,” Sawyer said. “A needless risk to fight them, so I'm not sure you deserve credit, but I'm still impressed.”
Hearing her voice relaxed me. “Sawyer. Join me and the others for a drink sometime.”
“I don't drink.”
“Don't worry, I'll drink enough for the both of us.”
She laughed.
I flew my fighter back to the Star Marque and went through the docking procedures without the need for conscious thought. Once in place, I relaxed against my seat and waited for the cockpit to release my legs. “C'mon,” I said. “You never socialize, but you've got the wit for it.”
Star Marque Rising Page 34
