by Rachel Aukes
“Qelle.” He held out his hand.
The woman approached, and placed an electronic device on his palm before taking a step back in a subservient pose. He looked at the device for a brief moment before turning back to Throttle.
“How long do you think you were out?” he asked.
She shrugged. “A couple hours.”
He chuckled. “Not quite. You were unconscious for over two days.”
Two days. Chills climbed through her. Reyne and Boden would be so worried about her. Chills became ice. If they hadn’t tried to rescue her by now, that meant they thought she was dead. Worse, they were dead. A weight settled on her chest, and breathing became a labor.
“You’re not curious as to why you were unconscious for so long?”
Throttle forced a deadpan expression. “You get your rocks off watching women sleep?”
He ignored her. “How about I show you?” He held up the device, and pressed his thumb on its small screen.
Sensation stormed through her legs, and she grabbed them. She felt the warm pressure of her hands on her legs—not just through her hands, but also through her legs. Goosebumps swam all the way down her body, and her legs tingled. She ran her hands across her thighs, noticing the touches felt real and not like phantoms.
Her foot spasmed, and her leg moved. Her leg had moved! Tears welled in her eyes, blurring her vision, and she hastily wiped them away to keep watching her legs. She willed her feet to lift, and they did, though the motion felt foreign.
“The surgery didn’t take long,” he said. “Much of the time was spent rebuilding and strengthening the atrophied muscles in your legs. Go ahead. Try to stand.”
Throttle swallowed, and swung her legs over the side of the bed. She’d spent her entire life dreaming of this moment. Of being able to stand on her own without the help of any wheelchair or braces. Every night, she dreamed of walking onto the Gryphon’s bridge while Reyne watched her, smiling.
Unlike her dream, a stranger stood smiling at her. Not just any stranger. Her enemy.
She didn’t push off the bed. Instead, she remained sitting. It was the hardest thing she’d ever done in her life. She craved to stand more than anything, to run and jump and hop. But she didn’t move.
She took a breath and then looked up at Axos. “Why?”
He cocked his head. “Because I’m hoping we can be friends.”
“That’s a load of bull,” she snapped. “What game are you playing?”
“No game.”
The way he pursed his lips in humor said the opposite.
“So, I can just stand and walk out of here,” she said.
“If you’d like. However, I should caution you that you want me as a friend, not an enemy.” He held up the device and pressed the button.
Fire burned down Throttle’s spine and through her legs. She cried out and clutched her quadriceps. Then, as suddenly as the agony had hit her, it disappeared, leaving a numbing coldness in its wake. She sucked in a breath and squeezed her knees. She felt nothing.
She glared at Axos. “What did you do?”
He wagged the device at her. “See this little thing? It controls the implant in your spine. I can turn the implant on or off with a simple swipe of my thumbprint. I don’t want to hurt you, but you forced my hand when you were unruly.”
She clenched her teeth. “What do you want from me?”
His lips curled upward. “Now, I think we’re getting somewhere.” He pulled up a chair. The woman behind him didn’t move, keeping her gaze directed at the floor.
“My adoptive father, I’m sure you know, is none other than Corps General Michel Ausyar. He asked me to fill the position as stationmaster of Devil Town.” He waved his hand. “Now, it’s not a glamorous job, but it’s temporary, and a means to an end. Once all the space docks are under Ausyar’s command, I’ll no longer need to waste time here in the fringe and can move on to something far more fitting of my heritage.”
Throttle bit her tongue to keep from making a crude remark about exactly what she thought of his heritage.
“That’s where you can help me,” he said.
She frowned. “How so?”
“This Fringe Liberation Campaign is causing delays in our plans. The sooner we can put that little rebellion behind us, the sooner I can return to Myr and you can live a life as a complete person, no longer a crippled colonist. All you have to do is help me find Aramis Reyne.”
He’s still alive!
Relief relaxed her taut muscles, though only slightly. She now understood the reason she was still alive. Axos expected her to be a traitor, bait, or both. She nearly rolled her eyes. “You want me to lead you to Reyne so you can kill him.”
Axos held up a hand. “Oh, by the eversea, no. I need Reyne alive. Ausyar wants a public execution. It will help draw out the remaining torrent leaders.”
His wrist comm chimed. He read a message, sighed, and stood. “Pressing business has arisen. I must be on my way. We’ll continue our conversation later.” He smoothed his clothes and turned to leave. He paused. “Qelle will fetch your meal, as I imagine you’re famished.” With that, he left without another word.
Qelle followed him out, and the door closed and locked behind them.
Throttle was left alone. She rubbed her legs, but they felt no different than they’d felt for the past twenty years. Dead weight.
She could have her legs back. All she had to do was sell her soul to a blue-skinned devil.
She exhaled and fell back onto the pillow. She was never one to feel sorry for herself, and she wasn’t going to start now. Instead, she needed to do something productive, like figure out a way out of here. She was fairly sure she was at the stationhouse, which meant she was a long way from the docks. The room itself didn’t seem too secure. A simple lock on the door would be easy enough to bypass. As for the camera…
She’d known she was being watched by the Myrad’s conveniently-timed arrival within minutes of her waking, and she could guarantee a drom was watching her now.
Throttle looked around. There you are. In the corner, near the door, a small camera hung from the ceiling. The room was small, and a single camera easily covered the entire space. Still, she searched for other cameras, but found none. She winked at the camera.
The camera was a simple black orb, which meant it wasn’t infrared. She assumed all the cameras in the station were the same. Good. If she moved only in darkness, she’d avoid detection—not that she had any idea how to cut power to the room and hallways from where she sat.
Now, the biggest hurdle. Her legs. Even if she could get out of the room undetected, without a wheelchair and a breather mask, any full escape attempt was doomed.
She sighed and leaned back. Without a ship, she was helpless.
The door clicked and whooshed open. In walked Qelle with a tray of food.
The woman eyed Throttle tentatively, and then stepped inside. “I brought you food.” She set the tray on Throttle’s lap and took a quick step back.
“It’s okay. I don’t bite,” Throttle said.
“Axos cautioned me that you may be unpredictable,” she said without making eye contact.
“Qelle, I’m paralyzed. How unpredictable do you think I can be?”
She shrugged.
Throttle turned her attention to the tray with a bowl of black philoseed hash and a glass of an electrolyte drink. Axos had been right about one thing. She was hungry. She ate a spoonful of hash and took another. In between bites, she said, “So, Axos can’t swing any decent grub around here?”
Qelle flustered. “I’m sorry. Everyone except Axos and his leadership team eat hash at every meal. It’s what I eat as well. With the space dock on Darios still out of commission—”
“Don’t worry about it,” Throttle interrupted. She watched the woman for a lengthy moment. Qelle was nothing how Sixx described. Sure, she was beautiful, but Sixx talked about her spirit and strength. This woman seemed devoid of both.
Throttle ate the rest of her meal in silence. After taking a long drink, she spoke again. “You’re even prettier than your picture.”
Qelle frowned and looked up for the first time. “My picture?”
“Yeah, Sixx has one in his cabin. He’s never stopped looking for you, you know.”
“Sixx?” Her confused look morphed into one of understanding. “Oh, I’m not Qelle Sixx.”
Throttle lowered her glass. “If you’re not Jeyde Sixx’s wife, then who are you?”
“I’m not her. I mean, I’m Qelle, but not really.”
“So, you’re not Qelle Sixx of Spate.”
The woman shook her head. “No. I’m from Darios.”
Throttle cocked her head. “But you look just like her. Your name’s Qelle.”
“I’m not her.” She began to speak faster and softer. “He liked her face, but he didn’t like her personality. She made him angry, and he killed her.”
“Oh.” Throttle frowned. Sixx wouldn’t be happy to hear that.
Qelle continued. “Axos designed Qelle’s face on another servant who was more obedient.”
“You,” Throttle said.
She shook her head. “I’m Qelle Delta. There were three Qelles before me.”
“Let me guess,” Throttle said. “They also made him angry.”
Qelle swallowed and then nodded. “He has a bit of a temper.”
“You’re telling me.” She took a drink. This woman was scared of her own shadow and would be of no help to Throttle in escaping.
The woman’s wrist comm chimed, and she jumped. “I have to go. Lily is looking for me.”
“Who’s Lily?” Throttle asked.
Qelle’s eyes went wide. “Oh, I shouldn’t have said that.” Her gaze shot frantically to the door before turning back to Throttle. “She’s Axos’s daughter.”
“Ah,” Throttle said. “And let me guess. Her mother was Qelle Sixx.”
Qelle Delta nodded.
Throttle’s gaze narrowed. “Does Lily know the truth?”
She shook her head in a rush. “And she can’t. Axos would be furious. He wants her to grow up with both parents.”
“Even if one’s a fake.”
“I’d better go.” The woman picked up the tray and hustled to the door. She opened it to reveal a young girl of maybe seven or eight standing there. The girl had auburn hair, green eyes, and the slightest blue hue to her skin.
“What are you doing here, dear? You should be studying.”
“I’m done, Qelle.” The girl then peeked around the woman to make eye contact with Throttle.
Throttle immediately knew who she was. “Hi, Lily.”
The girl gave a quick glance at Qelle before looking at Throttle again. Then the door closed, cutting them off.
Throttle stared at the door for a long time. She couldn’t make out what the girl was thinking, but there was sharp intelligence in those eyes. She hadn’t said much, but what she’d said told Throttle everything she needed to know.
Lily had called the woman Qelle, not Mother. She knew.
Throttle felt hope rise within her, and a plan formed in her mind. Maybe, just maybe, a little girl could help Throttle escape.
Seven
A New Plan
Tulan Canyon, Playa
Heid
Heid plopped down on the chair in front of Vym’s desk. “Only eighty-two Nova colonists have joined my crew. The rest show no interest whatsoever in joining the fight.”
“Do you blame them?” Vym glanced up from the computer screen in her desk. “They’ve faced death and survived. They deserve to enjoy a normal life. We can’t force them to fight. We made it clear: every torrent is a volunteer.”
“I know,” Heid said with a sigh. “It’s just that the CUF outnumbers us ten to one.”
“A hundred more would make little difference. In fact, a hundred more could hurt us if their hearts weren’t into the Campaign. The difference will come from the grassroots torrents who stand for their rights in each of the colonies. That’s who will win the Campaign.” The old woman pursed her lips. “News of your trip to Nova Colony has already made the headlines.”
Heid tried to suppress a grin, but failed. “I saw them.”
Vym raised her brows. “Did you really have to destroy every single CUF drone you came across?”
Heid held up her hand. “I didn’t destroy the drones. The Nova colonists pulled the triggers.” Her smile grew wider. “But it was rather fun.”
“Your fun escalated the Campaign. From what I hear, the CUF is cracking down harder on every colony now. We’ve recalled the specters from Darios and Spate.”
The younger woman waved her off. “The CUF is looking for any excuse to bring down more pressure.”
Vym wagged her finger in a motherly scold. “You and Critch both excel at giving them excuses. I hear Parliament hired private firms to rebuild the Ice Port space docks. Evidently, they’re feeling the loss of rilon production in their pocketbooks.”
Heid’s eyes widened. “What if they discover Tulan Base? This dock isn’t that far from Ice Port.”
Vym’s gaze narrowed. “Believe me, I’m not letting any citizen get their grubby hands on Ice Port. I lost Ice Port once. Never again. Those private firms are going to discover Playa is becoming a well-armed planet with drones of its own.”
Heid straightened, a look of shock crossing her face. “You’ve been building drones? When are you launching them?”
“They’re already in orbit. Your scanners didn’t pick them up because they’re made out of pure rilon, and their electronics are shielded. I learned a thing or two from my time as a stationmaster.”
Heid laid a hand on the desk. “Incredible.” She eyed Vym. “The moment the first shot is fired, the CUF will know our base is here. They’ll bring the entire armada here.”
Vym’s door chimed and Jed Baptiste entered. He strode over, smiled warmly, and clasped Heid’s hand in both of his hands. “Gabriela, it’s been too long.”
“You look great,” Heid said. The older man walked with a limp from his time spent as a prisoner in the Citadel. If he didn’t have the limp, Heid could’ve sworn she was looking at new man. He’d put on at least thirty pounds, and had shaved his beard. At his age, she’d never expected him to recover from imprisonment. She’d also had the same thought about Vym, who’d proven her just as wrong.
“Your timing is perfect, dear,” Vym said. “We were just going to talk about Terra.”
Jed leaned against Vym’s desk. “Excellent. Don’t stop on my account.”
Dear? Heid had known that Vym and Jed spent quite a bit of time together, but she’d assumed their time was spent in managing all the printing operations and refugee camp. As she saw the pair together now, the attraction was obvious, and Heid smiled. Clearly, the old CUF commandant and the Ice Port stationmaster had found time for themselves as well.
“We need to make sure the CUF is stopped at Terra,” Vym said, bluntly cutting into Heid’s thoughts. “Gabriela, I need you to travel to Terra. That’s where we’ll make our stand.”
Startled, Heid looked from Vym to Jed. “Every CUF ship in the armada has orders to attack the Arcadia on sight. If I fly the warship in front of the armada, I’m flaunting that I stole a ship. Even when the Fringe Liberation Campaign is over, they’ll still go after the Arcadia with everything they’ve got. It’s a matter of pride for them. Flying in front of the armada will get me shot. How will that help the Campaign?”
Vym raised a finger. “Terra is a tense situation, but every day we’re reclaiming another block or two of Rebus Station. Soon, we’ll reach the docks. I suspect that Ausyar will not take defeat quietly.”
“Our fleet is no match against the armada in a large-scale battle, but you can take on a single warship,” Jed said. “The Arcadia is our ace in the hole. With the modifications we’ve made to it, your ship can take Ausyar’s Unity in a fair fight. We’ve leaked intel that we plan to attack the citizen planets, which me
ans the other three warships will remain at Alluvia and Myr. If you can reach Terra by the time we take the docks, you can ensure that victory on Terran soil can be matched by a victory in Terran space.”
Vym nodded. “With the Myrad recession looming closer to a depression, citizens have little appetite for an expensive war. If we take Terra, Parliament will be forced to consider a peace treaty.”
Jed spoke. “Critch has informed me that the Unity is the only warship that remains in Terran orbit, but it has frigates and destroyers defending it as well. We can’t risk the Arcadia against a full complement.”
“It can win,” Heid countered.
Vym pursed her lips. “The odds aren’t in your favor.”
“The specters are on their way to Terra, but you will reach Terra first,” Jed said. “While we need to take Rebus Station, we hope to have our fleet there when it happens. We can’t afford losing this fight.”
Heid sat straighter. “I can promise you that I’ll do everything in my power to put an end to Ausyar’s games.”
“I know, but be careful, Gabriela,” Vym cautioned. “If you’re spotted, Ausyar may have time to call reinforcements. If we lose the Arcadia, we lose everything.”
“Don’t worry,” Heid said. “I’ll keep the Arcadia a couple quadrants out from Terran airspace. Ausyar’s radar will never pick us up.”
Jed gave a wistful smile. “If I wasn’t so old, I’d be up there with you in a ship of my own.”
Vym patted his hand. “Oh, Jed. You’re not too old.” She turned to Heid. “He’s staying here to manage munitions production. I can’t manage printing operations and play mother to the two hundred and forty-one additional souls you brought to Tulan Base.”
Heid smirked, imagining hard-nosed Vym as a mother.
The older woman continued. “Later today, I plan to announce a rationing plan. How well do you think that will go over, considering these people nearly starved to death a month ago? Without Darios, I need to a miracle to find an additional food supply line to Playa. I’m even considering using the Matador as a food supply ship.”
