《Drifter》


 Chapter 1: Vengeance & Justice

    A grey sky hung over a dying landscape. Sudden gusts of wind kicked up ashes. The burned-out shell of what had once been a great tree loomed over a mass grave, the mosaic of bones left uncovered by the killers.


    Blackened wrecks littered the blasted ground. Some were recognizable as pieces of American military equipment. The origins of others were less clear.


    A vehicle raced along, leaving a long trail of dust in its wake. Its design was sleek, hailing from a lineage that was beautiful and yet, other than human. The red paint job was worn and chipped. There was an emblem on its hood, a column of three crescent moons that aligned perfectly.


    Two men in full body armor sat in the back, their faces hidden behind blackened visors. The sign of the triple crescent was painted on their chest plates. The driver wore the same garb, along with the insignia of an NCO. All three kept rifles close at hand. The thing that sat in the passenger¡¯s seat wore ornate robes on top of a black material that resembled leather.


    He had a pale, ghoulish face. There was no trace of hair on his bulbous head and he lacked a nose, having only a pair of thin slits. The pointy tips of his ears were nearly flush with the top of his head. His Nosferatu face was further twisted by growing fear. If his silver rings weren¡¯t enough to indicate his status, he wore the rank of his military¡¯s equivalent of a colonel.


    ¡°Drive faster,¡± the being in the passenger¡¯s seat commanded, ¡°That man has killed five high ranking officers.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s too late. The transport is on the other side of these rocks,¡± the driver pointed ahead to a gap in a wall of solid stone that stretch out of sight in either direction.


    Memories flooded in. The team they sent to help had sent pictures. The mangled, lifeless bodies of a personal security team. And much more disturbing, the remains of those vicious things that did not belong on that plane of existence. Not even a sorcerer was safe.


    The officer shifted his void black eyes around uneasily. He lifted one of his sleeves, examining a long line of small tattoos on his wrist. He took comfort in the symbols and what they meant, what he had done to earn them.


    ¡°There he is!¡± one of the soldiers riding in the vehicle¡¯s back shouted.


    An object had appeared, coming at them from behind a mound of debris off to their right. It was another vehicle, a battered muscle car. Most of the dark blue paint had been stripped away. He was close enough that they could just make out the driver through the windscreen. He wore a gas mask, an older, military model.


    ¡°He¡¯s coming up fast!¡± the colonel observed.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. We¡¯ll be on the ship by the time he catches up,¡± the sergeant reassured him.


    As if it was in response to what the driver had said, the distant figure raised his right arm. From just below the elbow, it was artificial, a crude thing made of flat black plastic and metal, a work of functionality and nothing else.


    This hand clutched a silver cylinder. On the lower end there was a long rod. On the upper end, a red disk protruded.


    ¡°What¡¯s in his hand?¡± the officer hissed.


    ¡°It¡¯s a detonator!¡± the sergeant yelled.


    The robotic thumb pressed the disk in. Their heads swiveled back to the front as a massive boom hit their ears. The gap in the cliff was consumed by a storm of shattered rocks and a rapidly expanding cloud of dust.


    The blast wave struck the vehicle. It went airborne, came down hard on its nose. The front crumpled when it hit the ground. It ended up on its roof, sliding along for a few long moments, before coming to a halt.


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    The occupants started hauling themselves out of the battered wreck. Their pursuer closed the distance. One of the soldiers raised his weapon and fired, sending a blast of energy at the pursuer. It melted through the windshield and struck the driver square in the head. A lightshow of swirling red bands absorbed the attack.


    ¡°He¡¯s got a shield! Those Atlath bastards gave him a shield!¡± one of the soldiers cried out, on the verge of panic.


    The sergeant was quick to respond, ¡°It looked like a Type-19. He should only have two charges left. If that¡¯s too much for you, then go kinetic!¡±


    The bands of red light came to a stop. The driver swerved away as the aliens opened fire.


    He veered back at the last second. The sergeant tried to move out of the way, the driver adjusted course. The sergeant tumbled over the top of the car, landing in a crumpled heap. Dust flew as the car drifted around to the other side of the alien¡¯s wrecked vehicle, coming to a halt.


    Like a phantom, the masked man strode out of the haze. He wore blue jeans, a red tank top, a long black coat, and a pair of combat boots in the jungle style. A large pistol sat in a drop holster. On the left side of his pistol belt there was a flat box with beveled edges. It was OD green, chipped and scratched. A flat, white square sat in the middle.


    The masked man had a gun in each hand, neither of which looked like it was meant to be used in that way. Running, he fired the weapon that was in his left hand at the closest trooper. The bullets ricocheted off of the alien¡¯s body armor in a shower of sparks. The final round flattened itself against an armored plate. The bolt locked itself to the rear, exposing the cavernous chamber.


    The barrage had staggered the trooper, allowing the masked man to reach melee range. He delivered a mighty kick, knocking the soldier into the dirt. Months of training and years of experience kicked in. The trooper looked at the flat box on his belt, found that it was coated in a thick layer of dust, more than enough to block the shield emitter. The man in the mask raised the gun in his right hand and fired. The volley of rays blasted away smoldering chunks of armor, flash incinerated what it had failed to protect.


    The other trooper rushed in, pulling a long knife from its sheath. The man in the mask did the same. Savagery met elegance as the two slashed, stabbed, dodged, and parried.


    Finding an opening, the man in the mask stuck the blade in the thin space between the chin of the helmet and the top of the neck armor, slid the edge across the sliver of exposed uniform fabric. Blood poured down, washing across the soldier¡¯s chest, coating the emblem.


    The officer stepped out from behind the cover of the crashed vehicle and raised a brick of a pistol. The human threw the knife. It stuck him in the chest, sinking to the hilt. The weapon fell from his hands. He clutched the handle of the blade, slowly sank to the ground.


    The man in the mask picked his gun up and ejected the mag, replaced it, and let the bolt slam back into place. He walked over to the kneeling alien, kicked the gun he had dropped away.


    A wave of acceptance washed across the officer¡¯s face as he looked up at the human, ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡±


    To the man in the mask, the alien¡¯s speech sounded strange, like the language of a hostile land played backwards. The translator in his head did its work without command. He just kind of knew what the words meant, even as they boiled out of the alien¡¯s mouth like blasphemy from the stars.


    ¡°Eli,¡± the human said, his voice, gruff, laced with hints of something dark.


    ¡°Let me see your face. I want to look into the eyes of the one who slays me.¡±


    One strap at a time, the mask came off, revealing a handsome, rugged face of about thirty years. Under the goggles, half-deranged eyes had bore into their prey. He sported a 5 o''clock shadow. His hair was black, somewhat short, and on the right side, those grizzly trails that white hot shrapnel left.


    And there was a brand on the left side of his neck. It was that same column of three crescent moons, the symbol of the Sad¡¯Daki. Under this brand, a row of three smaller symbols had been tattooed in black ink.


    The alien saw the markings on the human¡¯s neck, ¡°So that explains it, that explains your ferocity.¡±


    ¡°The money that your enemies are giving me doesn¡¯t hurt either.¡±


    The officer looked at the earth, ¡°I do love humans so much. You have so much potential. You could, with the proper guidance, stand beside us. Such a shame that you chose to be defiant.¡±


    A drawn-out roar poured over the cliff. The alien silently watched as a bulky ship appeared. Its landing gear retracted. Afterburners kicked in and it rapidly gained altitude.


    Eli pointed his weapon at the officer¡¯s head, ¡°Looks like you just missed the last transport. Less than a year ago, your people controlled the Earth. Now, you are running away with your tails between your legs.¡±


    The alien rocked his head from side to side, his people¡¯s equivalent of shrugging, ¡°It wasn¡¯t worth it anymore. Besides, there are other victories to be had, other resources to be gained.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll be stopped.¡±


    ¡°You know that isn¡¯t true,¡± the invader grinned, ¡°Just as you know that you¡¯ll never really be free.¡±


    ¡°Wrong,¡± Eli said, before squeezing the trigger.

 Chapter 2: Lone Wolf

    Eli drove into the ashes of a dead city. Supports jutted out of flattened structures like bones out of a rotting carcass. Holes had been blasted out of or melted into nearly every building. Derelict vehicles lined the crumbling streets.


    A single wall stood amongst a pile of rubble. The windows had been completely blasted out, creating a surreal silhouette against the grey sky. He spotted a small ship coming in for a landing at the baseball diamond. This meant that it was an aid worker. The more opportunistic extraterrestrials had set up their landing site on what had once been the parking lot of a big box store.


    A bazaar had been set up in the parking lot of a burned-out grocery store. It was sparsely populated, with more stalls abandoned than occupied, and a precious few customers browsing. The stalls were ramshackle, their goods ranged from canned food to purified water to pieces of Jerry-rigged equipment.


    The people moved cautiously, kept an eye on their surroundings. They wore a mixture of ragged clothes and survival gear. None was without a weapon of some sort.


    Eli quickly found the stall he needed. The woman who ran it wore something that looked like a cross between body armor and a hazmat suit. The tank on her back bore a symbol, which the translator told him was for argon.


    She greeted him warmly, ¡°More Sad¡¯Daki salvage, Eli?¡±


    He placed a bag on the counter, ¡°Of course. This¡¯ll be the last batch.¡±


    ¡°Oh really? Why is that?¡± she asked, counting out strange pieces of currency.


    ¡°I¡¯m moving on.¡±


    ¡°What? Why?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve run out of targets.¡±


    ***


    Eli approached a bombed-out building located in what had once been a lovely little town. He could feel the gunsights on him as he walked.


    He entered the building, it looked a little better on the inside. Things had been cleaned up a bit, but it was still a ruin.


    Men with guns stepped out of the shadows. They knew him, let him pass without objection. Mercs, what would they do now that the war was over, and their benefactors would move on?


    Eli moved deep into the structure, ducking under fallen beams and stepping over debris. He navigated these half-demolished halls until he found a little room that had been furnished. A single light in the center provided the only illumination. On the edge of the light, he could just make out the shapes of a bed, a wardrobe, and a weapon rack.


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    A woman in a ragged cloak stepped out of the darkness. The pinpoints of her eyes glowed when she moved, as if the shadows revealed a fire within her. Her face had exaggerated, angular features, but otherwise she looked human.


    Without a word, Eli tossed a transparent plastic baggy to her. She caught it, took a few moments to examine its contents. The rank insignia gleamed, differentiating themselves from the dull plastic of the ID chip and key cards.


    The translator did its work when she spoke, ¡°Congratulations. You¡¯re quite the hunter. We chose you well,¡± the words had elegance and weight to them, as if thousands of bloody years could be felt in each syllable.


    The two embers moved as she strode forward. Now in the light, the beady little eyes no longer shone. They were just two black dots. The sharp features were severe, but she would be able to pass for a human.


    She handed him a case. He didn¡¯t bother opening it to make sure that it contained the promised sum.


    ¡°There¡¯s something I want to talk about,¡± he stated.


    ¡°First thing¡¯s first.¡±


    She dropped the cloak, revealing a suit of formfitting body armor. This was marred by battle damage, most of which had been repaired using field kits.


    ***


    Eli sat on the edge of the bed, tying up his boots, tucking the laces, ¡°I want to go off world, some place where I can purchase a ship.¡±


    She lay under the covers beside him, ¡°You think that you have enough for that?¡±


    ¡°I know that I do. I know about the wider universe. I¡¯ve read things on the invader¡¯s terminals.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure that you have. And what are you going to do when you get up there? You won¡¯t last long if you hunt them in their territory.¡±


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll find some other place that they¡¯ve conquered and fight them there.¡±


    Irritation in her voice, ¡°Why not stay here and help your people rebuild?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the point. The Sad¡¯Daki destroyed everything that they didn¡¯t take. There¡¯s nothing left for me here.¡±


    ¡°Revenge is satisfying but it will only get you so far.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not just vengeance, it¡¯s justice too. Besides, you pay me to kill them because they are your empire¡¯s greatest rival. You don¡¯t want me to keep taking them out?¡±


    ¡°I do, but I don¡¯t want to see you throw your life away either.¡±


    ¡°I know that some people are being taken off world. I just want to go with them, that¡¯s all.¡±


    ¡°Make a fresh start?¡± she said coyly.


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    ¡°And if you just so happen to run into any Sad¡¯Daki during your travels?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll deal with them in the proper way.¡±


    She let out a low hiss, her people¡¯s version of a sigh, ¡°A shuttle is taking off this evening. I¡¯ll see to it that you are on it. From there, you can get to a populated system where you can buy a ship.¡±


    ***


    The shadows were long. The half-dead sky livened up for a few precious minutes, burning with pinks and oranges. Eli placed his luggage in the cargo hold and took his seat aboard the ugly but functional craft. Before long, it took off, rapidly climbing.


    The ground below was a blur of grey and black. Then they popped out of the upper atmosphere.


    The stars. The infinite wonder and horror of countless lights. A vast array of colors and formations. Pale blue, cold white, red and orange infernos, a long trail of green running across lovely purple clouds. The majesty of the cosmos stood before him. He grieved for those that had been denied its splendor.

 Chapter 3: Apogee

    In orbit above a gas giant there was a space station. Numerous docks jutted out from the hull, as if it had been subjected to torture, the implements left in place. Countless bays dotted its surface, each a little pinpoint of light.


    In the center of this station, there was a massive concourse. Plants grew tall, long, neon-colored petals flowed from their crowns. Walkways linked platforms, each hosting some new curiosity.


    Above, a transparent dome gave a view of the starships as they came and went. Fat tankers, colossal freighters, and sleek cruisers sailed past fairytale lights, past dreamy nebulas and blazing constellations.


    The crowd was thick, strange. Local miners on leave. Salvage crews that picked the old battlefields that dotted the length of the Golden Road. Peddlers of drugs that were said to bring salvation and ruin in equal measure. Bounty hunters on the trail of renegade potion makers. Blue skinned mercenaries dressed in medieval finery grinned sadistically, lunatic glee in their eyes.


    It walked along on tall legs, its mouth a cluster of obscene barbed tongues. A line of beings in red robes marched along, their faces reptilian, their eyes a glimpse into forgotten tombs. Wrinkly giants strode past portly fuzzballs. Chrome armor, orange scales, sucker lined fingers. Predatory eyes scanned the throng of extraterrestrials through wide visors.


    A lone human stroud through the crowd. Countless eyes and other sense organs were drawn to two things, the prosthetic arm and the markings on his neck.


    He wore a backpack. In one hand he carried a brand-new gym bag. In the other, he hefted an OD green duffel bag that was both badly faded and covered in a assortment of seemingly random letters and numbers, each rendered using a stencil. This luggage was stuffed so full that each piece looked like it was about to burst open.


    The man moved through the crowd with a purpose. He heard snippets of their conversations. As each word was said the translator did its work. He could feel this. It wormed its way around in his brain, searching for the correct words, considering shades of meaning. And it was quick. The words that the aliens spoke kept their sounds, with English not so much layered over them, as simultaneously understood.


    The translator, known as the tadvash, did the same for the concourse¡¯s many signs. On every level there were stores. The translator spat the names and specialties of each into his awareness. Everything from pawn shops to dealers in exotic minerals could be found.


    At last, he reached his destination. The signage identified it as a dealer in new and used starships.


    He approached the counter and sat his bags down.


    ¡°How can I help you?¡± the salesman asked, a little hint of nervousness in his voice. His language consisted of shrill and short words. He glanced at the markings on his neck.


    ¡°The Apogee class,¡± he answered.


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s still available.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll need to take a look at it first.¡±


    ¡°Of course. And your name is?¡±


    ¡°Eli Cisneros.¡±


    The pair made their way into the adjacent hangar. There they found a variety of ships. The Apogee class sat alone in a corner.


    The lines and curves of the main fuselage weren¡¯t too dissimilar from a terrestrial attack helicopter or perhaps some extinct species of seaplane. The nose seemed to have been designed to convey meanness. He took note of the portholes located along the sides, as well as the two airlocks.


    A pair of wings sat at the top. They gently curved downward and sported a pair of small engines. He could see that each wing had three sets of hardpoints for additional weapons. At the moment, they were bare.


    These wings were connected to the craft by a thick, oval shaped neck, which had several portholes, including a large one at the front.


    The rear of the craft had two stacks of engines mounted on a pair of vertical fins. Between these fins there was a boarding ramp.


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    The ship sat on a trio of landing gear. A freight elevator was positioned in the middle of the belly. Just forward of that, there was a basic tractor beam. The hull was painted white with a set of blue racing stripes running over the top and bottom.


    The craft looked like it had undergone numerous cheap and ugly repair jobs. The paint was badly scratched. Countless dings and dents marred the vessel. Sections of the light armor plating that lined the hull were damaged, several of them outright missing.


    A salesman spoke with the kind of pride someone that was actually involved with the ship¡¯s design should have had, ¡°The Apogee class combat utility transport.¡±


    ¡°There are a lot of them flying around?¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir. This model and its predecessors have been mass produced for a long time. It¡¯s seen service in countless militaries, security teams, police forces, PMCs, and other groups. Due to the craft¡¯s versatility, there are a lot of variations.¡±


    Eli carefully studied the read out, the alien letters meaning conveyed to him by the translator in his mind. The strange words that they made were converted into concepts that he could understand.


    The Apogee class could be outfitted to serve as anything from a gunship to an ambulance. This one seemed to have been configured to carry troops and cargo. It also sported front and rear mounted energy shields, both of which had a respectable six charges.


    A pair of guns were mounted on the nose, flanking the cockpit. He brought up the data on them, found that they were a common class of directed energy weapon. Not much firepower, but better than nothing. And there were hardpoints where other weapons could be installed once he acquired them.


    That was when he noticed the transponder code. The ship was named Cavalier 3-1. The actual word was Zumkark, the dream logic of the translator in his mind chose cavalier as the closest equivalent.


    ¡°Cavalier Three One?¡± Eli questioned, as much to himself as to the salesman.


    ¡°This is a decommissioned military vessel. That was its callsign. I can change it, if you want, free of charge.¡±


    ¡°No. I kind of like it. And besides, isn¡¯t it bad luck to change a ship¡¯s name?¡±


    ¡°Depends on which culture. In some places, it¡¯s done frequently.¡±


    ¡°Then just cut out the numbers.¡±


    The salesman promised that he would. They walked up the ramp at the rear and entered the vessel.


    The ramp led into a sizable cargo hold. Racks lined the walls. Storage nets were bolted to the ceiling. A series of squares were positioned on the floor. These were lined with clamps, so that pallets or containers could be secured. Caution stripes had been painted onto the deck plates to cordon off these areas. Despite the fading, the colors were still psychedelic, at least to Eli¡¯s human eyes.


    As they moved deeper into the vessel, the layout split into two decks. The bottom deck was home to a work area, complete with a bench, tool chests, equipment lockers, charging stations, and a 3D printer. There was a single person latrine toward the front. The freight elevator was also located there, connected directly to the cargo bay.


    On the second deck there was a large room that the design specs referred to as a ¡°multipurpose compartment.¡± It was set up to be adapted to any number of uses. At the moment, it looked to have been converted into a barracks bay, as evidenced by the rows of bunkbeds. There was also a compartment that contained the various life support systems.


    Eli and the ship dealer inspected the neck that connected the wings to the hull. A small kitchen and dining area were positioned at the very front, where they overlooked the cockpit through a large viewport. A pantry and crew supply storage sat behind this. A pair of cramped crew quarters sat behind those, along with a set of latrines. And at the rear, a retractable docking arm.


    They entered the small bridge. Like the rest of the vessel, it was designed to be adaptable. It currently had two stations, in addition to the pilot¡¯s seat. These stations were equipped with a number of screens and controls, the functions of which could be switched. There were several more spots where additional stations could be installed.


    The pilot¡¯s seat was at the very front, suspended on the end of a short arm. In this perch it was practically encased in a shroud of viewports, monitors, and controls. Small viewports were positioned at the pilot¡¯s feet. More viewports above and too the sides. Monitors that displayed feeds from the many external cameras sat at every angle, pressing against the many banks of buttons, switches, and touch screens.


    Eli gave the controls a once over, found that the ship operated similarly to those Sad¡¯Daki craft he had piloted in the past, although the aesthetics were different, tending toward simplicity. He turned on one of the monitors and found the manual. After a few minutes he decided that he could operate the vessel.


    Eli turned to the salesman, ¡°I think we¡¯ve got a deal.¡±


    The pair returned to the office to fill out the paperwork.


    ¡°I¡¯m required to ask where the money came from,¡± the salesman said, his tone pained. Eli got the sense that he had asked this question thousands of times and never liked doing it.


    Eli pulled out a plastic card that was covered with alien symbols, ¡°It¡¯s all on here. I¡¯m licensed by the Skoga to collect Sad¡¯Daki military salvage and bounties on HVTs.¡±


    Again, the being¡¯s eyes shot to the brand and tattoos, ¡°As an official Atlath contractor you have reciprocity with many other groups. I¡¯ll go ahead and register you. You¡¯ll have PMC and privateering rights in a large number of systems.¡±


    ¡°I appreciate that.¡±


    ¡°Where are you planning to go?¡± the salesman asked, before hastily adding, ¡°If you don¡¯t mind me asking.¡±


    ¡°No clue. I¡¯m just going to go where things take me.¡±

 Chapter 4: Wanderer

    Eli took the duffel bag to one of the crew cabins, as it contained his clothes and toiletries. He took the backpack and the gym bag to the workbench. There, he proceeded to empty them. Devices and weapons of every shape and size were placed in the lockers. Most of them bore the hallmarks of Sad¡¯Daki craftsmanship. Few other objects in the universe had such uncanny features.


    When he was finished, he grabbed one of the items. The device was a simple hand-held scanner. He began to move the scanner up and down, covering every surface. This process was handled with brutal meticulousness and a sharpened sense of paranoia.


    He stepped out of the ship and repeated the process on the outside. When he was done, he gave those areas which he judged to be particularly vulnerable a second pass. Then he set about the task of getting properly settled in.


    Eli had owned the ship for about three hours when he was finally ready to launch out of the station¡¯s hangar.


    ***


    Crates of foodstuffs to Yorp. Workers and gear to the mines on Phonat IV. Ammunition and power cells to the new settlements on Eisteg. Pilgrams to the temples on Narain Prime. Soldiers of fortune to the rising conflict on Sadaris. The profits went into restoring the armor plates on his ship¡¯s hull and fixing some of the sketchier repair jobs.


    Light cargo hauling work took him a good distance up the Old 1-7. With the profits, he purchased building materials. Cavalier silently orbited a dead moon for about two weeks, while Eli converted the barracks bay into a group of eight little passenger cabins. These cabins were designed in such a way that they would quickly and easily be converted into holding cells.


    Passengers to a new settlement on Wilczy. He used the profits to upgrade his ship¡¯s internal security. Mercs to the growing conflict on the largest moon of that world. He used the profits to upgrade his ship¡¯s guns.


    He pushed on, heading up a half-forgotten hyperspace lane. A massive nebula stood before him. The Well of Forsaken Souls beckoned the solitary traveler. Its light filled his ship¡¯s viewscreens. The radiance stretched across a vast swath of outer space.


    Here, and in places beyond, he would find wonders and horrors enough to satisfy him. Temples to forbidden gods. Deep seas, strange moons, vast wastes, mysterious forests, and sacred deserts. Stars where the light enchants everything they touch. And worlds where the night does not end.


    Bathed in the light of the colossal stelar object, Eli searched the alien communications frequencies. He found music from across the cosmos. The lone human allowed the sounds to wash across his awareness, to advance upon the innermost parts of his mind and soul.


    This was a joy he had not felt since he strangled the life out of that Sad¡¯Daki warlord. Before that, there was only a blur of pain and loss.


    A war fleet of the Atlath empire cruised past. Reveling in its magnificence, he found something like a soaring, marching opera. This he let take hold, offering total surrender to its glory.


    ***


    The next few weeks were spent racing across the nebula, dodging asteroids and navigating around radiation fields. The danger meant that he could charge more. When a client hinted at smuggling opportunities, the profits went into upgrading Cavalier¡¯s engines.


    Strange, shifty eyed beings loaded a nondescript pallet into Cavalier¡¯s cargo hold. He took the long way around some of the area¡¯s more organized systems. The profit went into a second set of guns, mounted on the nose near the other set.


    ***


    The bazaar on Sai. A maze of stalls and tents stretched out across an ancient courtyard. Weird beings walked eagerly from one vender to the next. Starships flew overhead, silhouetted against the weak light of a dying star.


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    A charmingly smarmy looking arms dealer beckoned Eli, ¡°Take a look! Take a look! Take a look! Come, come, come. I don¡¯t recognize you. But that¡¯s good. Good for you! I always give my new customers a discount.¡±


    Eli looked upon the collection of weapons with awe. Swords, knives, and clubs of every shape and size. Guns of every configuration and caliber. Weapons that had been mass produced by governments. Blades and even guns forged in ritual chambers and blessed for use by holy warriors. Ugly things made out of desperation and only suited to those beings who wished to appear insane. The functional and the ornate and the grotesque. Armaments which were at once industrial and medieval. He looked upon them all with the purest joy and deepest reverence.


    Eli examined a select fire rifle. It had been identified as a tried-and-true workhorse. Simple design, play between the parts to prevent jams, basic iron sights and a wooden buttstock. No mistaking it, this was the known universes¡¯ equivalent of an AK-47.


    He admired the scratches, the wear on the end of the buttstock. A manufacturer¡¯s seal was engraved near the selector switch. It was a depiction of the face of a horned beast, locked in the apex of a mighty roar.


    He inspected everything from simple pump-action shotguns to advanced directed energy weapons. A healthy amount of his profits went to this exuberant merchant of death. The arms dealer made a gesture of cheerful parting, ¡°Be sure to come back! I always give my returning customers a discount!¡±


    ***


    Eli sat on a stool in the middle of a long line of stools. Another eatery in another bustling waystation. He scrutinized the menu, scanning UPCs with a small device, about the size and shape of a thumb drive. His goal was the same one which he always had at such places: to find something that both looked edible and wouldn¡¯t kill him.


    The buildings and those beings that wandered the streets pressed in tight. Eli checked to make sure that everything on his person was secured.


    He passed the device over the code that sat under a picture of a plate that had a pile of lilac-colored leaves on it. A symbol appeared on the display, a series of connected lines, much the same as letters. A kind of dream logic took hold, as the translator conveyed the sign¡¯s meaning to him. If he ate the stuff, it would kill him, no question about it. The device¡¯s creators feared the ravenous, blue scaled leapers of their home world. Because of this, the symbol was blue.


    Next, he tried a bowl of yellow cubes, each flicked with neon-orange deposits, like tiny gemstones. A new symbol appeared, this time it was green. This one wouldn¡¯t kill him, it would only make him shit his brains out.


    ¡°Third time¡¯s a charm,¡± he muttered to himself.


    The third time did not turn out to be a charm. Eli was left wondering why there was even a symbol for liquification of the internal organs. The fourth attempt was successful. When the dish arrived, he scanned the food itself, just to make sure. He took a small, cautious bite out of the strip of metallic blue-grey tape.


    It tasted like one of those rectangular hashbrowns you get at a fast-food place, only if it had been dipped in mustard.


    He sat there, silently eating, eyes moving between his surroundings and one of the many monitors on the walls. He had just about begun to figure out the rules of the ball game he was watching when the two beings sat down on either side of him.


    The one on his left had a skeletal frame. In fact, it very much resembled a skeleton, one which was close to human. It was colored like polished chrome. Patches of a translucent substance were stuck all along its frame. This substance was an angry shade of pink, resembled veins or perhaps tumors. Eli realized that they were pulsating ever so slightly.


    The other one had a similar body, a skeleton of something not quite human, only this one was colored in a flat shade of black. And it too was covered with those things. This one must have been a member of the same species, but of a different race, as the lumps were a particularly cool shade of blue.


    The chrome one spoke, its voice mechanical and high, ¡°Good evening. I¡¯m Kirjen.¡±


    The other one chimed in, its voice mechanical and low, ¡°I¡¯m Jussco. And you are?¡±


    There they were, the names of his contacts.


    ¡°Eli Cisneros, captain of the Cavalier,¡± he said matter of factly.


    Kirjen spoke with an approving tone, ¡°Alright, good. You came highly recommended. We¡¯ve got several shipments lined up for you.¡±


    ¡°Shipments that require,¡± Jussco added, ¡°Discretion. And should that fail, a combination of speed and tenacity.¡±


    Eli took a long swig of his drink before speaking again, ¡°You¡¯re in luck. I¡¯ve got all three.¡±


    ***


    Eli listened to music while he unloaded the pallet. It took him three songs to get all of the boxes off of it. He placed the case he had been hired to discreetly move on it and put the boxes back on the pallet.


    During the journey he poured over the Apogee class¡¯s schematics. Every nook and cranny was taken note of. Then he researched ways to discreetly jam scanner systems.


    Three star systems, three inspections, no one bothered to unpack the pallet. Once again, he invested his profits. This time, he had an anti-pursuit mine launcher installed at the rear of the ship, tucked between the fins that housed the main engines and the fuel tanks that fed them.


    A cargo run took him the long way around a particularly nasty sector. No passengers, just the cold and distant lights.


    Eli went to his little room. He inspected the weapon rack, which contained his favorite pieces. He opened his footlocker, moved a few things, removed a small, void black obelisk. A column of sinister symbols were etched into each face.


    Without hesitation, he took a potent stimulant and stripped to the waist. He placed the thing on the ground in the cargo hold and labored to direct all of his hatred at it. Chants which were beyond the Tadvash¡¯s ability to translate escaped his mouth.


    He arose, proceeded to dance and perform strange rituals, casting those very curses his enemy had taught him back in their faces. He began to hear wondrous music, although none of his devices were turned on. When the frenzy reached its apex he blacked out, awakening hours later, cold and wide eyed.

 Chapter 5: Evasion

    Eli¡¯s attention switched between two screens.


    On one screen, the ship¡¯s scanner data. At that moment, it was close to blank. A few small gas clouds, a scattering of small asteroids, and the wreckage of a battle carrier. From what he could tell, it was very old, and had been picked clean by scavengers long ago.


    On the other screen, green things danced and made merry under the light of a magenta sun. Even with the tadvash, Eli struggled to follow the show¡¯s plot, was unsure if it even had one.


    He glanced at another screen, double checking that his transponder had been disabled. Then he picked up a slice of the food he had prepared in the ship¡¯s little galley.


    He had purchased the item because it looked like a pizza and because the food scanner said that it wouldn¡¯t kill him, but mostly because it looked like a pizza.


    It did not taste like pizza. Eli struggled to figure out what it did taste like. He finally decided that it was the nasty chemically taste of artificial grape.


    The show came to an end. He checked the scanner screen again. No patrols. No sign of his contact either. Letting out a sign of frustration, he queued up a few songs that he hadn¡¯t heard yet.


    Loud chirps interrupted the music. Red flashes across the scanner monitor. A vessel had dropped out of hyperspace. It wasn¡¯t near the local hyperspace lane. Leaving the hyperspace lanes was something he had been told not to ever so much as consider doing. Many spacers believed that it led to a fate worse than death.


    The thing was a bulk freighter, easily a dozen times bigger than his craft.


    The com came to life, ¡°Attention, unknown craft, I fear the magic dragon.¡±


    Eli gave them the countersign, ¡°The twenty eyes are always open.¡±


    ¡°Hard copy. Prepare to dock.¡±


    ***


    Strange shapes were wrapped in worn clothing. Odd appendages hovered near holsters and sheaths. The subdued paint jobs on their battle-damaged armor clashed with brightly colored skin and scales, even feathers. Their eyes and other sense organs moved around in shifty ways. Several of them had shield projectors.


    The retractable docking tunnel was meant for the transfer of personnel. The process of wrestling the cargo down the tunnel in zero-G was long and frustrating. Dozens of nondescript plastic boxes and metal cases were slowly but surely brought in and sat on an empty pallet.


    ¡°No crew? It¡¯s just you?¡± one of them asked, eyeing his surroundings. His thin face was a dark shade of blue, his eyes completely black. He wore what looked like a flight suit, with a few seemingly random pieces of armor over it.


    Eli didn¡¯t reply.


    A beeping sound came from one of them. She pushed a button on her wrist, ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve got incoming! It¡¯s a Bharan navy strike cruiser!¡±


    ¡°We paid them off!¡± she shouted back.


    ¡°They¡¯re saying that it wasn¡¯t enough.¡±


    She let out a string of curse words, the translator flawlessly transforming the nonsense into foul concepts. She started moving toward the docking arm, motioning for her crew to follow. Eli waited until they had all made their way out of the cargo hold. Then he ran to the cockpit.


    A quick check of the scanner screen confirmed the presence of a strike cruiser. The thing was a sleek collection of sensor systems, engines, and guns. A trio of fighter craft launched out of a little hangar bay.


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    Eli checked the internal cameras. The last of the freighter¡¯s crew started the climb up the docking arm. He watched and waited. The fighters closed in. The cruiser sent out a series of increasingly hostile messages, demanding compliance. Hidden gunports opened all along the cargo ship¡¯s hull and sent a barrage of light at the hostile cruiser.


    The freighter disconnected and pulled away. Eli hit the switch that retracted the dock and turned to flee. He fired every engine up, going all out. Cavalier shot away from the freighter just as the fighters opened fire on it. He set course for the wreck of the carrier.


    Eli took a second to make sure that the ship¡¯s shield emitters were working properly. Then he hit the button that closed the shutters on the craft¡¯s windows. Metal sheets slid into place, reducing the view to a narrow slit. This was made up for by the craft¡¯s many external cameras.


    The freighter exploded, the fireball expanding out like it was some force hellbent on consuming all that was or would ever be. The light silhouetted the incoming fighters.


    ¡°Unidentified craft, stop and prepare to be boarded.


    Eli didn¡¯t respond. The derelict began to get bigger. The hollow places that had once been hangars could be made out along the twisted remains of the hull. Even from that far out, he could tell that the vessel had been gutted by heavy weapons fire.


    A pulse of light raced past the cockpit, a warning shot from his pursuers. They sent him another message, a final warning. Eli ignored this, focused on weaving his ship around. They took the hint. More flashes of light were sent in his direction.


    Eli jinked his ship around wildly. Bolts of energy filled the space around Cavalier. They tried to lead their shots, getting near misses. Eli rapidly changed course, moving in random directions, but always keeping his craft moving in the general direction of the wreck.


    A hit was absorbed by the shield. Eli looked at the indicator, despite the fact that he knew what it would show. A shield charge was gone.


    They were much closer. Their shots were getting more accurate. Eli moved a panel out of the way, revealing a hidden display. An icon sat in the center, a simple representation of a spaceborne proximity mine. On its left side there was the number five. On the right there was the word arm, which Eli pressed, it changed color. Under the icon there was the word deploy. Eli straightened the craft out for a few moments and pressed the button.


    One of the enemy¡¯s shots hit Cavalier, draining one of its shield charges. One of the fighters must have struck the mine, as it exploded. The remaining two swung out wide, getting away from the rapidly expanding cloud of flames and superheated vapor.


    Now the hidden display said four. Eli armed the next mine, although he would have to wait for the right opportunity to use it. They were keeping a distance, trying to keep from flying directly behind him. With the extra breathing room, he was able to reach the wreck.


    Eli pointed the nose at one of the gnarled openings. At the last second, he changed course, going for another opening. The feint worked, the fighters blasted the area around the first hole to pieces, before following him into the second opening.


    The interior of the wreck was a mangled mass of debris. Splayed metal plates stabbed into subsystems. The flayed remains of power systems hung open like ghoulish horror show displays. The smashed-up remnants of internal supports stretched across gaps. Eli sat about the task of maneuvering his way through that warped hellscape.


    Eli aimed for a clear spot. Another hit to his shields told him that they were still on his tail. He did not dare take the time to look at the rear camera display. He weaved past a series of obstacles. Pulling back hard on the stick, he only just managed to skim along the surface of some internal section of the big ship. Then he zipped through a sequence of small gaps, rough holes in jagged sections of broken hull.


    Out of the corner of his eye he saw a flash of orange light in the rear camera display. He risked a quick glance. Sure enough, one of them had lost it, crashing into a substructure.


    Ahead, there was a small opening. He would have to thread the needle if he wanted to survive. But in this challenge, he saw an opportunity.


    Eli weaved his way through more obstacles. The final fighter sprayed wildly, shaving off another shield charge. At last, he reached the narrow gap. He shot through the opening and hit the button that engaged the mine launcher.


    The last remaining fighter maneuvered into place, saw the incoming mine, swerved out the way just in time. The pilot tried to get back into position. A wing clipped the edge of the opening. The ship spun into the wall, shattering into a hundred flaming pieces.


    Eli found a breach in the dead carrier¡¯s hull. He shot out of the metal corpse, checked the scanner. It was still just the one cruiser. Good, he could outrun it, get out of the range of its sensors and make a quick dash for one of the hyperspace lanes. As soon as he was in a safe position, he would give Kirjen and Jussco a call, let them know that one of their assets had been taken out of the game. Then he would deliver the goods.


    An alarm sounded. The motion sensor he had installed in the corridor that led to the bridge had been tripped. The security camera automatically activated, one of the monitors switched to its view. The overly curious man with the blue skin was on the move, weapon in hand. He must have stowed away during the chaos.


    Eli pressed the lever that moved the pilot¡¯s seat back, simultaneously pulled the hatchet out of the sheath he had attached to the side of one of the control boxes. The intruder entered the bridge. The hand axe sailed across the room, embedding itself in his face. He toppled over backwards.

 Chapter 6: Pure Hunger

    Trippy music washed across Eli¡¯s mind as he came out of hyperspace. A magenta sun bathed eleven planets in its strange light. He set course for the fourth world. An orange sphere came into view. This was where he had been hired to take a shipment of supplies.


    As he got closer, dots of other colors became visible. These were the failed attempts at terraforming, carried out by a dozen different species. Now there was only a lone trade station. When he reached high orbit, Eli hailed the little outpost. No response was given.


    Low orbit, the planet took up most of the viewscreen. Mountains and the dry remains of what had once been great oceans took shape. Scars from asteroid strikes could be made out. Another attempt to raise the station failed.


    Eli started the atmospheric entry sequence. The mottled orange turned into endless fields of stone, broken up by canyons and mountain ranges. Soon, he spotted the little settlement, a cluster of boxy shapes. Still no response.


    The final approach. Now the outpost¡¯s layout was clear. Eli was able to identify residential structures, storage areas, research facilities, and a group of landing pads. All of it was linked by tube ways. Even as he sat the ship down, the coms stayed silent.


    No one was on the landing pad or in the little terminal. Eli thought about bringing a rifle and vest but decided that it would be more appropriate to just stick to his shield belt and sidearm. Afterall, they were probably just hungover or something.


    Eli walked through the place¡¯s primary storage bay. There were stacks of provisions and equipment. He noticed that a group of crates had been broken open. They bore warning signs which demanded that people keep their distance.


    Near total silence as he walked down corridors and through tube ways. His breathing began to drown out the faint background hum of the equipment that kept the outpost running.


    He rounded a corner. A body lay sprawled on the floor. A pool of lilac colored blood had spread out from it. Eli drew his sidearm and flicked the safety off.


    The thing was a brick, even bigger than the M9 he carried during his time in the U.S. army. It had to be, as this weapon had a special function.


    The gun was biomechanical. It was hard to tell where the mechanical parts ended, and the organic components began.


    An inscription was etched into the slide, ¡°To Count Shingor, in recognition of acts of valor and efficiency in the name of the cause.¡±


    A flash across his mind. The count¡¯s face morphing from arrogance to horror. He failed to draw his sidearm in time, only just managing to clear the holster. Gut shot, slow, agonizing way to die. Was it the same for the Sad¡¯Daki?


    And then the look of satisfaction on the Atlath agent¡¯s face as she paid him. More satisfaction later when he joined her in her quarters.


    The magazine that was currently loaded into his gun bore the symbol of the Atlath Empire, a top-down view of a flying creature with two sets of wings, a barbed tail, and a crested head. There was also a warning written in Skoga that they were prohibited for private use. These were high-capacity mags, good for sustained combat.


    Eli moved forward with slow, deliberate steps. The casualty didn¡¯t move, didn¡¯t appear to be breathing. He reached the body and looked around cautiously, saw no threats. Another man lay against a wall, his stomach slashed open. Yet another body lay nearby, exhibiting savage wounds. Eli looked around again before stooping down to examine the first body¡¯s injuries. He decided that the nasty lacerations were more than likely claw marks. All of them wore jumpsuits which sported the outpost¡¯s seal.


    Spent brass on the deck plates, small caliber, about a dozen of them. Someone had gotten some shots off. He located the weapon, one of the fallen had it in a death grip. The slide was locked back, meaning that he had emptied the whole mag. Had he missed? Had any dead or wounded been carried away? Other than a preference for melee attacks, he still had no clue who or what was behind these killings.


    One thing was for sure, he needed to call for backup. The system he was currently in had a provisional government on the third planet. They had a few patrol craft that could come and help sort things out. He just needed to get back to Cavalier. And while he was there, he¡¯d grab a bigger weapon and his body armor, maybe a few other toys, even the playing field a little.


    He turned around and took off down the corridor. Luckly, the signage was clear. He wouldn¡¯t have any trouble getting back to the hangar.


    Down a tunnel and back into the cargo bay. And there it was, the cause of the problem. A dozen large beasts looked at him and let out a salvo of savage roars.


    The creatures¡¯ hides were such a dark shade of black that at certain angles hints of blue could be perceived. They moved on all fours, and yet, the front arms were tipped with clawed hands. Spiked tails curled and coiled behind them. Their mouths were masses of long, gleaming razors. And the eyes, glowing like embers under a starless sky.


    Eli took aim and squeezed the trigger. The feeling of the slide slamming back and then chambering another round as it slams shut again. The sound collided with his ears, the echoes that traveled down the corridor drowned out by the subsequent shots.


    Rounds struck the charging creatures, piercing their hides. Blood vomited forth from the wounds. And yet, they kept coming.


    He grabbed a fresh magazine off of his belt, double-stacked hollow points. He emptied it into the horrors as he fell back. A few fell, letting out cries of agony and rage as they died. This did nothing to slow the survivors.


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    His last mag, these were larger rounds, specially made to pierce armor. He heard a faint hum, felt the unknown mechanisms move as the internal parts adjusted to fit a different type of magazine and a different size ammunition. The completion of this process was indicated by a satisfying click.


    The muzzle flash was long, jagged, expanded out like a ring at the tip of the barrel. The fantastic punch of the recoil. The mighty thunder of the report. One fell stone dead. The others kept chasing him, bleeding and drooling. Liquified guts and hunks of shattered bone exploded out the backs of the creatures. Six moments of extasy and glory, and then the mag was dry.


    And they still came. Eli dropped the empty mag and sprinted down the corridor, taking the corner, pushing off the wall and into another dead sprint.


    A bloody body splayed across the floor. She had died fighting, but there was still a mag left on her belt. Eli dove, sliding over the deck plates. He reached out, tearing the mag off of the dead woman¡¯s belt. As he jumped back up, he slammed it into the well and hit the switch that made the weapon reconfigure itself.


    He emptied this mag. Another fell, then another. He dashed around a corner. None followed. And that was when he spotted it. The hull of a spent shotshell lay there in the middle of the hallway, red on grey. Someone had a shotgun. With a shotgun, he could lay waste to his foes.


    Eyes darting from the floor in front of him to his six, Eli jogged down the corridor. A trail of ejected shells led him around corners and through a workshop. Even as he spotted the body of the man that had wielded the shotgun, he heard one of the creatures closing in on him.


    A broken scattergun lay beside the headless corpse. One shell left on the sling, one last chance. Eli fought to work it into the chamber of his pistol as the killer beast appeared. The weapon expanded its mechanisms as far as they would go. The creature closed the distance.


    It finally accepted the shell. Eli closed the slide and pointed it at the creature. He fired pointblank, the pellets shattering teeth before blasting out the back of its skull.


    More growling, coming from a nearby corridor. It sounded like there was only one left. Only one left, that was one more than he had ammo for.


    Eli looked at the body, inspecting it for anything that could give him an advantage. Nothing. He could find no weak points or vulnerabilities.


    More growling. He took a look around, hoping to spot another source of ammunition. The outpost¡¯s dining facility was nearby. Maybe he could find a knife or meat cleaver. That¡¯s when the idea came.


    He reached into the pocket where he always kept the food scanner. Making a mental note to remember to reattune it to himself if he survived, he held down the switch that reset the device. When it indicated that it had been zeroed out, he set about the task of calibrating it to the creature.


    A thin needle popped out of the device. He found a softer area on the beast¡¯s hide and stuck the needle in. Then he ran one of the sensor pads across the inside of the thing¡¯s terrible maw.


    The growling sounded closer. Lights on the gadget turned on and off, forming a pattern, the sequence getting faster and faster until it suddenly came to a halt. A wave of relief when the device displayed the symbol for complete.


    Eli jumped up and darted into the dining hall, shutting the door behind him. A quick glance at the control panel, he flicked the switch that shut off the automatic function. He sprinted past the remains of several half-eaten beings and straight into the kitchen. He was very disappointed to see that it had big open windows that exposed it to the dining area.


    Quick and efficient, he searched for anything that looked like it might pique the interest of the creature. He ripped open the door to a walk-in freezer, found rows of meat, slabs and massive cuts of the stuff. He scanned a few, found something that the device said was edible. It was some kind of flying creature. The head was still attached, its beady eyes locked open. The thing¡¯s serrated beak looked menacing.


    The problem was it likely wouldn¡¯t want to eat it in the state that it was currently in.


    He hauled the frozen bird out of the freezer and slammed it down on the nearest stove top. He was looking for a pan when he spotted something that he guessed acted like a microwave. The sound of the beast slamming into the door. It would have to do. He set it for maximum power and started the search for the next thing he would need.


    The door began to buckle as he methodically scanned every barcode on everything in the place¡¯s well stocked spice rack. No luck.


    The creature forced its way through the remains of the badly damaged door as he frantically checked a cabinet full of sauces. The only thing that came up was something that would make it sick, but nothing lethal.


    Lines of drool fell from the creature¡¯s mouth as it stalked across the dining area, splattering on the simple patterns of the tiles. Eli kept low, opened the door of a drink fridge. One by one he scanned barcodes. One by one, the device gave him the symbol for safe.


    The thing stepped closer. It briefly stopped to inspect one of the dead. There was a terrible crunching noise when it carelessly stepped on one of their heads.


    Joy when the symbol for deadly poison appeared. Unscrewing the lid, Eli made a beeline for the cooker. He used his artificial hand to pull the steaming bird out. The smell was pleasant enough that he made a mental note that if he survived, he¡¯d see if it was edible.


    Grabbing a baster, he dipped it into the bottle and sucked up as much of the liquid as it would hold. He could hear the creature at the kitchen door, and yet, he made sure that he emptied the tube. Eli fought to keep his breathing steady as he dropped the bird in front of the door and ducked behind the nearest counter.


    The door swung open. He risked popping a hand up out of cover to grab a long knife. With his other hand, he drew the K-bar that he kept on his belt.


    The thing stopped, sniffed at the half-cooked fowl. Eli cautiously peered around the side of the counter.


    It took a bite out of the bird, chewed. Eli watched from behind his hiding place, waited for the creature to spit it out.


    It swallowed, went in for another bite. Before long the whole thing was gone, bones and all. The second that it was all down, the creature turned and looked dead center at Eli. Something beyond the eyes, pure hunger. This thing only existed to consume. Realizing that he had been caught, Eli stood up. The thing took a few steps forward.


    Fuck it.


    Eli dashed into range, slashed with both of his blades. They slid across the creature¡¯s hide, opening ghastly wounds. It let out a screech of pain and anger. Eli reared back to take another swing with his K-bar; the thing wrapped a clawed hand around his wrist. He thrust the kitchen knife into the beast¡¯s belly. Another cry of pain. The next thing the human knew, he was sailing like a ragdoll across the room.


    Eli hit the back wall, landed in a jumble on top of a pile of boxes. The creature moved forward, the blade still stuck in its belly. The human struggled to get up, kept slipping on the countless bottles and jars that fell out of the broken boxes. He ended up on his back, pointing the tip of the blade at the rapidly advancing creature.


    The creature let out a yelp. This was followed by a series of guttural cries. The thing was in total agony. Such was the noises and movements that it made, that Eli started to feel sorry for it. At last, it collapsed. The hunger left its eyes, probably for the first time since it had left the womb.


    Eli returned to his ship and called for help. Then he searched for survivors, pump-action at the ready.

 Chapter 7: Guns Blazing

    ¡°This is Cavalier. I¡¯m inbound with a load of frozen meat,¡± Eli said into the mic.


    The response was instantaneous, ¡°Cleared for immediate landing in Bay Four.¡±


    Docks and hangars were arrayed around the ship¡¯s twisting surface. Jagged angles met gentle curves. The lines of the hull bulged and tightened again in a seemingly random fashion.


    Eli flew into the designated hangar. The interior was similar. He noted that they preferred open spaces.


    The things themselves were about as tall as him. They walked on four legs, which were positioned around a torso that had features that reminded the lone traveler of both reptiles and insects. The larger pair of arms were tipped with razor pincers. A smaller set were positioned in the front, these having hands which were more utilitarian in nature.


    The aliens manned their odd-looking forklifts and quickly unloaded the shipment. Eli was cordially invited to dine with them. He accepted, his upbringing demanded it. The egan food tester was put to heavy use as Eli sampled meats from across the galaxy.


    As they dined, they talked about the places they had seen. The ship had recently been to a world where several spaceborne species had fought a war in high orbit. The bones of those void bound warriors now orbited that world, forming a grim ring.


    ¡°You are a mercenary?¡± the aliens¡¯ leader asked Eli.


    Eli finished chewing up a hunk of beef, ¡°I can be.¡±


    ¡°It is a supreme sin for us to kill one of our own, even when they are in the wrong.¡±


    ¡°And you know some of your kind that are in the wrong?¡±


    ¡°A certain clan has gone rogue. Their love of carna has taken them to dark places. Intelligent beings have fallen victim.¡±


    ¡°Send me the coordinates and I¡¯ll take care of it,¡± he said flatly.


    ¡°And your payment?¡±


    ¡°Fifty thousand Atlath Sterling, and a cut of this stuff,¡± he pointed at a slab of something that tasted a lot like Buffalo meat.


    ***


    ¡°This is Cavalier. I¡¯m inbound with a load of frozen meat,¡± Eli said into the mic.


    The response was instantaneous, ¡°Cleared for immediate landing on Pad Two.¡±


    The site consisted of a single building, a wide structure that was roughly U-shaped. There were several landing pads in the middle of the U. Cargo containers were haphazardly stacked. Shuttles and small freighters sat at refueling stations or in maintenance areas.


    Cavalier touched down. The boarding ramp lowered. The rear doors opened. A Trio of aliens scuttled up to it.


    The hold full of delicious meat was absent. Eli stood there in fatigue pants, a drum fed grenade launcher in his hands, the business end pointed directly at them. A shotgun was slung across his back. The loops on his armored vest were full of shells.


    He squeezed the trigger. The first shot wasn¡¯t technically a grenade. It was one of the special canister rounds that basically turned the weapon into a massive shotgun.


    The gigantic blast tore the trio of aliens to pieces. Bloody chunks were blasted off of their shredded bodies, the remains of which didn¡¯t so much collapse, as lost their structural integrity.


    The cylinder rotated, bringing the next round into place, good old HE. A group of them were standing around a pallet of equipment. Eli put the grenade into the center of the gathering. The rapidly exploding cloud of flame and smoke mixed with a mist of green blood and yellow gunk. A pincer sailed across the pad, imbedding in the side of one of the spacecraft that was parked there.


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    A group of them moved into position, bringing weapons to bare. Next, Eli hit them with a barrage of three frag rounds. Shrapnel ripped them apart.


    One of them charged toward him, armored plates layered over its exoskeleton. The final round was a slug. The hunk of metal punched right through the target.


    Smoke drifted across the landing pad. Blood ran across the deck plates. Eli dropped the empty launcher, picked up a light machine gun, and exited the ship.


    Enemies poured out of the building¡¯s main entrance, responding to the disturbance. Eli put long bursts into them. They were cut down in bloody swaths. The sound of the gunfire echoed off of distant hills. He picked his way past the dead and entered the building.


    The first room was large, multi-tiered. It had likely been the lobby of a proper corporate facility before the current residents acquired it. Enemies scrambled across walkways and onto balconies.


    Eli worked his way across the chamber, spraying, ignoring the shimmering lightshow as the incoming energy bolts unraveled themselves upon his personal energy shield.


    The belt ran out. Eli dropped the LMG, unslung his trusty shotgun, a simple pump-action whose model had seen service across the known universe. He was deep inside the base now. A network of corridors and small rooms lay before him.


    A blast of buckshot. Blood and shredded organs splattered against the wall of the corridor. He racked another shell into place. Another blast. Another shower of gore. Methodical movements as he worked his way through the facility.


    Eli looked at the computer on his wrist. It was wirelessly linked to the flat box on his left hip. His shield only had two charges left. He checked the field emitter integrity, reached down and wiped the fine mesh screen on the front of the box off. Even a thin layer of dust would disrupt the field.


    His opponents were using energy weapons, which were powerful, but could be blocked by a shield, so long as it had charges left. He avoided this issue by sticking to projectile weapons, although the nearly guaranteed one shot kill that an energy weapon provided was certainly tempting.


    One of them managed to get close. His arm was slashed open before he could bring the shotgun to bare. Letting out a cry of pain, he stepped backward and blasted the thing¡¯s head clean off.


    Eli reached into one of the pouches on his vest and grabbed a tube. Moving a guard aside, he flicked a slider, a thick needle popped out of one end. Coldly, like this was a totally normal task, he stuck the needle into the wound and pushed a button. He filled the laceration with a green gel. The colony of specially modified bacteria that was the Iredell worked to stop the bleeding, heal the wound, and kill the pain.


    Thumbing more shotshells into the internal magazine, he approached an important looking room. One charge left on his shield. One more chance left.


    The memory flooded back, managing to briefly bob to the surface, past the carnage around him. The explosives were planted. He turned and fled. The plasma round struck his arm just below the elbow. The super-heated tissue exploded. He sat there on his knees, staring in disbelief at the sharp ends of the bones, the smoldering meat, the flayed skin, the tattered sinews, the spurting blood. Sad¡¯Daki troops surrounded him.


    Eli automatically pushed the memory away. One blast at a time he cleared the control room. The last charge was used up, its absence signaled by a screeching alarm. He still fought, ducking behind cover to press more shells into the scattergun.


    Shrieks of pain and rage filled the room. Blood splattered against the gleaming silver walls, ran down controls and across screens. Reaction fire drills had honed his skills. With each blast he called upon those skills, killing the enemy before they could get a shot off.


    The final enemy charged. The shot blasted a gaping hole in its chest, yet, it kept coming. The feral alien crashed into him. The shotgun was torn out of his grip. It clattered to the floor.


    Pinchers closed around his torso. He let out a primal shout as they squeezed down hard. The only thing keeping his body from being ripped open was his combat vest. Panic threatened to set in as he struggled to breathe.


    He tried to draw his sidearm, found that he couldn¡¯t reach it. More shouts as he punched the alien in the face with his powerful robotic arm. A jet of blood sprayed out of its mouth. An eye exploded into a blob of nasty jelly. More blood as the exoskeletal skull fractured.


    The thing finally dropped him. The human landed on the floor, gasping painfully. The alien staggered backward. Even as his body fought to take in the air it had been denied, Eli drew his pistol and dropped the wounded enemy.


    ***


    Eli walked down the line of cages, unlocking each. He didn¡¯t look at the prisoners. They avoided looking at him. Those glimpses he got were of dirty, ragged individuals, each near or past the breaking point. They began the process of seeing to it that those that were injured were treated. Others went to the landing pads to prepare their captors¡¯ ships for departure.


    As soon as he was satisfied that the situation had been resolved, Eli collected his weapons and headed back to his ship. In one of the little bathrooms, he cleaned the blood off of his face. In the mirror he caught a glimpse of the brand on his neck, of the three tattoos under it. The translator forced him to understand their meaning, as it always did when he saw his reflection.


    War Slave ¨C Most Dangerous Grade ¨C Susceptible to Conversion

 Chapter 8: Be Careful What You Wish For

    On the edge of a poorly explored and sparsely settled sector of space, Cavalier took on a full complement of passengers. A statistician, a professional gambler, a prospector, a comedian, an accountant, a teacher, a lawyer, and a mechanic filled the cabins.


    One at a time the passengers reached their destinations. With every stop, they got further into poorly charted sectors of space. They landed at far flung outposts and half-built colonies. After two weeks, only the lawyer was left.


    The pair passed the time with games of strategy. The lawyer¡¯s name was Quibib. The man¡¯s species was humanoid but sported an extra pair of smaller arms on the chest. He was very skilled at every game they played. It didn¡¯t help that Eli was unfamiliar with all of them.


    ¡°It¡¯s a world where the original inhabitants died out,¡± Quibib explained, ¡°Something that is far more common than I care to see.¡±


    ¡°And now it¡¯s been settled?¡± Eli asked.


    ¡°No. The only thing we¡¯ll find there is archaeologists. They have an outpost next to one of the more important dig sites.¡±


    ¡°What do archaeologists in the middle of nowhere need with a big shot lawyer?¡±


    ¡°They didn¡¯t say. The message only said that it was urgent. The down payment told me that it is serious,¡± he let out his people¡¯s equivalent of a sigh, ¡°Probably some squabble over the legal rights to a discovery. But who knows what such persons get up to on the fringes of civilization. The being that hired me has had several run ins with a rival at his university, a Professor Holukeen. It could have something to do with that.¡±


    A few more long days and a sad, nearly lifeless world filled the cockpit¡¯s windows. It took a worryingly long amount of time to raise the archaeologists¡¯ camp. They told him to pick a landing pad and to do it quick. The woman on the other end of the brief conversation sounded scared.


    Eli circled the camp several times before landing. No one contacted the ship to question this. He insisted that he escort Quibib into the main building. The lawyer hinted that the camp¡¯s occupants might object to him being armed. Eli kept his gun belt on anyway.


    A woman with cyan colored skin and long, dark hair sat against a wall, rocking back and forth, babbling to herself, the tadvash unable to interpret much of the gibberish. A few words got through, talk of rivers of blood, of piles of dead bodies, of vicious hunters.


    A man with a centaur like body stumbled around. It was clear that his eyes had been removed.


    ¡°Are you okay? What happened?¡± Quibib asked.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t want to see anything ugly ever again,¡± he answered mournfully.


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    As Eli and his passenger pushed their way deeper into the ruin, they found more people. Most of them were in some way injured. Many seemed to have gone mad. One sight brought them to a sudden halt, a room full of body bags.


    They pressed on, eventually finding a room that had been well furnished. A few people sat around listlessly. One of them took notice when they entered, ¡°You¡¯re the lawyer?¡± he asked.


    This man was a member of a species Eli had seen a few of here and there, a doughy people with glossy, bright yellow skin, like that of a banana. A tag on his jacket identified him as Ulo. The tadvash translated his facial expressions just as it did his words. He was scared.


    Quibib approached him, ¡°Yes. What happened here?¡±


    ¡°We found the vault about two months ago. It¡¯s old, among the oldest structures on this world. Even with modern tech, it took till a few weeks ago to get inside.¡±


    ¡°And you found treasure? There is a dispute over the rights to treasure?¡±


    ¡°No. I wi-¡± Ulo stopped, sounding like he had caught himself slipping up in some way that wasn¡¯t immediately clear, ¡°It would have been for the best if it was.¡±


    ¡°Then what did you find? Why have you asked me to come here?¡±


    ¡°Him. We found him,¡± with that, he raised a hand, pointing his index finger at one of the people in the room.


    It was humanoid, appeared to be male, wore immaculate and ornate robes. His face looked for all the world like that of a human, by far the closest to it that Eli had seen so far. But all of that took a backseat next to his wide grin, the grin of someone that is doing what they love the most in the world, with zero negative consequences.


    ¡°At first, we were shocked,¡± the archeologist explained, ¡°How could anything be alive after being locked up in that place for so many thousands of years? Then he spoke. We understood him and he us, despite the fact that the tadvash treatment had not been administered. It couldn¡¯t have been. The Sad¡¯Daki only developed it a few centuries ago.¡±


    ¡°And what did he have to say?¡±


    ¡°He began to make offers, saying that he could grant any wish, anything that we desired.¡±


    Eli and his passenger sat and listened as Ulo the archaeologist told them what had happened.


    An old man whose best years were well behind him wished not just to regain his lost youth, but to have eternal youth.


    ¡°Done,¡± the grinning entity said, simple, but somehow sinister.


    As if by magic, the old man disappeared, his clothes falling out of midair, pooling on the dusty stone floor. From that pile of clothes and gear, the crying of an infant began.


    The nearest members of the dig team moved the garments. Sure enough, a baby lay there, his species matching that of the man in question.


    Where could he have gone? And where could the baby have come from? This had to be some trick, some high-tech illusion. But how could this being have known what was going to be asked of it? Perhaps it was some educated guess. Afterall, eternal youth would be a common wish.


    ¡°What did you do with him?¡± one of the expedition members demanded, drawing a pistol and placing it against the being¡¯s forehead.


    It showed no trace of fear, just kept on grinning as it gave its answer, ¡°I granted him his wish.¡±


    ¡°Tell me!¡±


    ¡°I already did. I granted his wish. I could grant yours as well.¡±


    ¡°I wish that I knew what the hell was going on!¡± the man raged.


    The change came slowly. His eyes widened. The arm that held the gun fell to his side. The mouth that had made threats, became locked open in horror.


    The others asked him what was wrong. He gave no answer, letting go of the weapon and staggering around, hands held to his head. Before long, he let out cries of pain and terror.


    ¡°I know everything!¡± with this proclamation his head exploded, spraying blood and gore in all directions.

 Chapter 9: Be Careful What You Wish For Part 2

    The members of the expedition cried out in horror. More cries of terror followed as several of them drew their sidearms and opened fire. Whether rays or slugs, nothing had any effect on the strange being from the vault, dissipating harmlessly or pinging off of him, failing to so much as damage his robes.


    Another member of the team strode forward, an arrogant smile on his face, ¡°I have a wish!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t do it, it¡¯s a trick,¡± Ulo warned him.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± he assured Ulo, before turning to the grinning being, ¡°I wish for wealth. How could being wealthy ever be a bad thing?¡±


    A cold stare and that same grin from the being, ¡°Granted.¡±


    The man that had wished for money went to a nearby com terminal. He cheered and danced when he discovered that his bank account now had a tremendous amount of money in it, enough to buy several star systems.


    Next, a bright-eyed young womon approached the mysterious being, ¡°I am a historian. I wish to have total knowledge of my people¡¯s history,¡± then she quickly added, ¡°As long as that knowledge isn¡¯t too much for my mind to contain.¡±


    The grin stayed in place as the entity from the vault granted the wish.


    Pure joy on the woman¡¯s face, ¡°The gardens of Hakeen! The palaces on the endless plains! The painters of Tenold! It¡¯s all so wonderous!¡±


    The gathering looked around at each other in satisfaction. The wheels in their minds began to turn.


    But then her expression changed to horror, ¡°The massacre at Bellant! The massacre at Sacred Orchard! The Fifth Unification war! Oh God! The Rutan-Kat war! The trenches! Three decades in the trenches! The dungeons under the palaces! They were so desperate during the siege of Vaarren that they ate each other! Oh God, the death squads during the purge of Goltarka!¡±


    After that she fell into a stupor, staring at nothing and ranting in a low voice. She had needed to be fed and cared for by others since then.


    A beeping sound signaled to the horrified onlookers that an urgent message had been received. Someone went to the coms terminal. The man who had wished for wealth was under investigation. The authorities wanted to know why his account had suddenly gained so much money.


    But it got much worse. The sudden appearance of so much money had caused an economic crash on his home world. Rioters filled the streets and there had been several terror attacks. Worst of all, the man¡¯s wife and child had been killed when the police raided his home. He drew his sidearm and ended himself on the spot.


    Over the course of the next few days there were many other failed wishes. Just when they had thought that there wouldn¡¯t be any more takers, another would fall victim to the temptation. And the being from the vault was always trying his best to entice them into asking for something.


    ¡°It¡¯s a Monkey¡¯s Paw,¡± Eli proclaimed, briefly pausing so that they could consider the translator¡¯s explanation of the story, ¡°I¡¯m going to sit this one out,¡± then he turned and started walking toward an unoccupied cot.


    ¡°Captain Cisneros,¡± the grinning being called out, ¡°I could give you anything. All you have to do is ask.¡±


    He kept walking, ¡°Thanks, but no thanks. I¡¯ve already got everything I need.¡±


    ¡°I could destroy the Sad¡¯Daki. I could restore the Earth. Or perhaps revive your fallen comrades.¡±


    Eli said nothing, just kept on walking.


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    The being from the vault kept going, ¡°I could bring back your loved ones.¡±


    He stopped and half turned, bringing the being into view. The smile seemed to somehow be even wider, maybe even a bit vicious. After a few long seconds, Eli broke out into riotous laughter. No one joined in his maniacal display of mirth. Still chortling, he settled down onto the cot.


    Quibib the lawyer turned back to his client, ¡°I still don¡¯t understand why I¡¯ve been asked to come here.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s simple. This being sabotages every wish, just like how your friend said. You are an expert in legal matters. You can, just as you would draft a clause in a contract or a piece of legislation, properly word a wish that this demonic thing can¡¯t find a way to corrupt.¡±


    The lawyer sat there in silence, contemplating this strange new assignment. Eli watched as the man¡¯s disposition gradually morphed from confusion to dread. It was as if whatever passed for the alien¡¯s blood slowly froze.


    The grinning one spoke, ¡°I can help you, all you have to do is ask.¡±


    Resolve replaced the trepidation on the lawyer¡¯s face. He sat down and got to work.


    ***


    After four long hours the lawyer read the final draft of the wish, ¡°I, insert keyword here, for exactly one hundred million Atlath sterling to be placed in my immediate possession in such a way that it cannot be taken from me except via purchases, which all authorities or any other persons will believe to have been obtained via legal and totally legitimate means, and that those means in themselves carry no negative consequences, lethal or otherwise, for myself, my loved ones, any innocent individual, any and all communities or organizations of any size, up to and including the entirety of this or any other universe or time period.¡±


    Satisfied that nothing had been left out, Ulo carefully read the paragraph, inserting the word wish.


    The being¡¯s grin stayed in place, even as it gave them a look of resignation. A pallet appeared in the room. It was stacked high with ornate boxes. Ulo approached it cautiously. With great trepidation, he opened one of the boxes. It was full of the little silver bars that served as the currency of the Atlath empire.


    The lawyer and the archaeologist stood there waiting. Eli¡¯s gaze moved back and forth from Ulo to the pallet of money. Ulo seemed fine. Nothing happened to the money. The coms terminal made no sounds. The pair gave each other looks of pure joy. The smiling thing could be beaten!


    The pair sat about formulating the next wish. After an hour Ulo approached the smirking being, ¡°I wish that my body will immediately and painless be of exceptional beauty according to the standards of my people, that it has great athletic prowess, that it have no negative health issues, that it not experience undo pain, that it not age, that it should be hardy, that my genitals be of a size and shape that females of my species find most pleasing, that no part of my body emit a foul odor or liquid, and that I be able to resist any and all diseases.¡±


    The change was instantaneous. Ulo jumped as his body suddenly underwent a drastic alteration. Although Eli thought that he still looked unsightly, the archeologist now looked like he could take on an army or win any contest of strength or endurance.


    ¡°What about the others here, the ones that were harmed by poorly thought out wishes?¡± Eli asked. They ignored him, focusing on the wording of the next wish.


    After a few minutes Ulo spoke triumphantly, ¡°I wish for a woman of my species, of exceptional beauty, who has a great personality, who is extremely loyal, who carries herself well, who is a skilled lover, but is also still a virgin, who is young and healthy, and will always remain so.¡±


    The woman appeared out of nothing. Eli didn¡¯t find her to be attractive, but the archeologist certainly did. He moved toward her with great haste. The two embraced. Suddenly, she drew a hidden dagger and thrust it into his heart. Ulo fell dead.


    ¡°That was for Professor Holukeen,¡± she yelled, before fading out of existence.


    ¡°What happened?¡± the lawyer asked, in total shock.


    Eli got up, ¡°He got greedy, took too many chances. The wish was that she would be loyal, but you forgot to specify that this loyalty should be to him. Come on, let¡¯s gather up the survivors and get off of this planet.¡±


    They did just that. The being from the vault tried to tempt them the entire time. Even as the last person was helped up the boarding ramp, he stood there making offers.


    They took off and went into low orbit. There they sat while the lawyer carefully prepared a warning message, which would be broadcast by a beacon they would leave behind. It would circle the planet for millennia, alerting travelers to the danger below.


    Eli told Quibib that it was a pointless effort. No matter what warning they left, some people would see it as an attempt to hide something. They would think that whoever left the message was trying to scare them away from some treasure. Many would see it as an invitation.


    The lawyer agreed but kept working on the message anyway. When he finished, they set course for a more populated star system, one with decent medical facilities.

 Chapter 10: Preferably Dead

    Eli stepped into the room and took a look around. The walls were covered with shelves and where there were no shelves, there were paintings.


    The shelves were controlled chaos. Trophies stood beside knick knacks. Skulls which were etched, or lacquered, or bejeweled. A small wooden animal. A helmet with a broken visor. An assortment of ornate daggers.


    The paintings varied. A tall, pale woman in a dark, stone walled room. A lovely landscape on a verdant world. A simple still life.


    A male humanoid in a set of dark brown robes sat behind a massive, cluttered desk. The hood was up, black and grey hoses hung out of it, stretching down to a metal box on his chest and around to his back. The being¡¯s face was not visible, the hoses simply disappeared into darkness. No skin was visible; he wore a pair of black gloves. This was a fixer known as Chiron.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad that you came,¡± he said, his voice otherworldly, his language like something out of the fever dreams of fairies, ¡°I¡¯m always looking for new talent, new and better resources, and you have come highly recommended.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s no problem.¡±


    ¡°I see that you¡¯ve had a lot of success as a bounty hunter.¡±


    Dead Sad¡¯Daki faces flashed across his mind. Blood, eyes locked open in horror, mouths twisted in agony. He was as much an assassin as a bounty hunter. And yet, this hadn¡¯t always been true.


    Then his father¡¯s words struck him as hard as any physical blow, ¡°Your wife is six months pregnant, and you get yourself dishonorably discharged from the army!¡±


    But it had all turned out okay. Uncle Hector had come to the rescue.


    ¡°But I don¡¯t know anything about this job!¡± Eli had protested.


    ¡°You can learn. You hunted people in the army, right? It¡¯s easy.¡±


    Chiron brought him out of his reverie, ¡°Your target is a male from an unknown species. His name is also unknown.¡±


    ¡°What did he do?¡±


    ¡°To put it bluntly, he¡¯s a serial killer. The maniac has racked up sixteen victims that we know of. He frequently changes location, so there are likely many more. Several law enforcement organizations and the loved ones of his victims have pooled their money together. A hundred thousand Pygram Work Credits. dead or alive. It was hinted to me that dead is the preferred outcome.¡±


    ¡°No objections from me. Physical description?¡±


    ¡°Humanoid. That¡¯s it, I¡¯m afraid. No one¡¯s managed to get a good look at him. You¡¯ll see why when you take a look at his record.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s his last known location?¡±


    ¡°A woman was murdered in Asimon city, on Rudat. Local police launched what looks like an honest and competent investigation, and yet, they found nothing. Modius Operandi matches your target.¡±


    ¡°Sounds like I¡¯m chasing a rumor. What kind of a threat do you think he could be?¡±


    ¡°A considerable one. He managed to flatline a tactical police team on one of Yarvon VII¡¯s artificial moons. The report on the incident is classified but rumors suggest that he has some sort of power, the nature of which is unknown.¡±


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    ¡°Power? Like the Sad¡¯Daki?¡±


    ¡°As I said, it is unknown. Quirks of evolution, strange technologies, and evil magick has given many beings a variety of dangerous abilities. I suggest that you proceed with caution.¡±


    Eli stood up and started making his way toward the door, ¡°Always do.¡±


    ***


    The man cried out as he was dragged along the ground by his bound wrists. Eli and his captive entered the police station. The sobs and frantic pleading caused the officers to look up from their computers.


    ¡°Eallin Gawolf,¡± Eli proclaimed, ¡°Got two hundred on his head.¡±


    A man who wore the rank of captain frowned, did his people¡¯s equivalent of shaking his head, and disappeared into a back office. A woman stepped forward, not even trying to hide her amusement as she got the suspect onto his feet and escorted him to the station¡¯s detainment area. Another cop opened up a safe and counted out the reward money.


    Eli took the money, ¡°Thanks. I¡¯m interested in another suspect, was wonderin¡¯ if I could get some information about him.¡±


    ¡°Who is it?¡±


    ¡°The suspect in the Nanni Stheel murder.¡±


    The officer didn¡¯t respond immediately. He froze up for a moment, became agitated, ¡°You¡¯re going after him?¡±


    ¡°Why not? Someone¡¯s got to stop him. And besides, they¡¯re paying me well to do it.¡±


    ¡°Fuck it,¡± another officer declared, getting up from her desk, ¡°Let¡¯s give him a copy of the casefile. It¡¯s out of our hands now anyway.¡±


    ***


    Eli sat in Cavalier¡¯s cockpit. He had the casefile displayed on the largest monitor.


    She was a young and beautiful humanoid, just like all of the others. Her purple skin had been sliced and pierced many times. The investigators had dutifully cataloged every injury.


    A sharpened metal spike had been slowly driven into her shoulder, right up under a certain bone, an attack designed to be excruciatingly painful. Blades of various lengths and designs had been used to cut and stab every part of her body.


    Her mouth had been sewn shut. Investigators believed that this was the first thing that the perpetrator did to her, as none of the people in the other apartments reported hearing any screams. And yet the strings or wires were absent. They had been unable to find any fibers or any other trace of what had been used to savagely silence her.


    None of the implements used were found. No traces of blood were discovered, other than those caused by arterial spray. It was as if the suspect had immediately cleaned his weapons or perhaps put them in cases.


    Other than those of the victim, no shoeprints had been found. No hairs. No skin flakes. No scales. No saliva. No slime. Nothing that couldn¡¯t be matched to the victim or one of her acquaintances.


    Several witnesses reported seeing a strange red light coming out of her window. At the time, they wrote it off as a party.


    All of this tracked with the reports on the other victims that he had been able to obtain. A long procession of dead women and shattered lives. These horrors had been his focus during the journey to Rudat.


    No one had ever figured out how the bastard managed to enter and exit the location of the murder, which tended to be the victim¡¯s place of residence. No murder weapons were ever recovered. And always that strange red light. It had been seen at every killing.


    Eli focused on the Stheel report again. No witnesses to the crime itself. The residents of neighboring apartments were interviewed, claimed that there wasn¡¯t anything out of the ordinary.


    Her friends said that she had been worried about a stalker. They couldn¡¯t remember how long ago it had started, maybe a week, maybe a month.


    A man that wore a ragged cloak had harassed her outside a bar. A search of local homeless camps and other areas where vagrants frequented had turned up nothing of use. The name Zartog was thrown around by a few, but he had recently skipped town.


    A starship crewman named Petty Officer Belize had been seen talking to her at a club when he was on leave. Investigators tried to match the route of his vessel against the previous murders. This information was denied to them, cited as a matter of security by the military he was a member of.


    A well-dressed man that went by the name Kolache had flirted with her in a nightclub, given one of them bad vibes. A brief check failed to identify him.


    An ex-boyfriend, Winjaa, was checked and cleared. He was proven to be on one of the planet¡¯s moons at the time. Their breakup had been especially nasty.


    A man named Arden had been caught in the act of killing a young woman. He escaped from a supermax on Kin¡¯pon. A BOLO had been put out for him and he¡¯d been spotted in the city two weeks before the murder. But nothing concrete linked him to the crime.


    Nothing solid. It was time to do his own investigating. Eli would pay a visit to the crime scene.

 Chapter 11: Hunter in the Darkness

    It was night, a scant few lights fought against this. Eli wore a long grey cloak, similar to a poncho. His jungle boots clomped on the pavement.


    The door to the apartment was broken, the simple wooden frame smashed in where the deadbolts were positioned. The victim¡¯s father had done this to get inside when his daughter didn¡¯t answer. The only thing that kept the crime scene secured was a few strips of police tape, the color the teal of the planet¡¯s most violent native animal, the symbols that adorned it screaming authority and the agony that it can unleash. Eli entered, the tape tearing away with little resistance.


    It was a nice enough place. The amount of space was acceptable, and it was clean. The tops of the shelves and dressers were lined with statues and models. She had maintained several house plants.


    The walls were covered with posters. Glory and fame silently screamed out of the images into the darkness of what had once been the home of a dreamer. Such colors. Such beauty. Such adoration.


    The words of his uncle, ¡°The secret to being a skip tracer is to know your target.¡±


    He knew practically nothing about his target. The only thing that Eli knew about him was his victims. He supposed that his choice of victims told him something about his quarry. The bastard was a coward that murdered innocents, made them suffer first. A sick, broken man.


    Eli paced around the room, searching for anything he might have missed. The window offered a wide view of the sprawl below. Endless rows of lights stretched out into the distance, in the voids between them he could just make out brutish works of metal and brick.


    He spotted something interesting, the ruins of a half-completed building, seemingly abandoned. From there, the whole apartment complex would be visible.


    ***


    Eli entered the decaying shell. It was pitch black, so he put on a pair of night vision glasses. They looked nothing like the bulky goggles he had worn during his time in the military. These resembled sunglasses and didn¡¯t play havoc with his depth perception.


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    Shoeprints in the dust, a lot of them, all identical. A squatter? He knelled down and took a picture of one where the tread pattern was well defined. He took note of the little logo located in the center of the heel. Another gift from the Tadvash translator, a burst of fever dream visions, luxury and excess.


    Eli moved slowly and silently, following the trail of shoeprints to the nearest flight of stairs. They went up thirty floors.


    The prints went out into a hallway near one of the outer walls. They moved back and forth, entered a few rooms. Eli checked three, before he found what he was looking for.


    The dust in that room had been stirred by countless footfalls. This was especially true near the rectangular hole where the window would have been had the structure been finished. And the prints were also thick near something else, something on the floor near the window. He couldn¡¯t quite make it out.


    He gave the room another look, took a few steps forward. It was someone lying on their back. Pushing away the urge to dart forward and see if they were okay, he checked his surroundings again. No one was hiding in the shadows. No signs of traps either.


    It was a manikin, one in a female humanoid form, carved from a light-colored wood. The thing looked to be brand new, and yet, it was badly damaged. Deep slices and gouges had been cut into its surface. Metal wire was sewn through the lips.


    Eli went to the window, pulled out his binoculars, swept them across the apartment building. There, a perfect view of her apartment.


    The killer had watched her from this room, leered as she went about her day. How long had he watched her? Days? Weeks? He must have gotten to know her well, picked up on her habits. He¡¯d know when she would leave and when she would return; when she would eat, when she would go to bed.


    Eli returned to the manikin, brought the case files up on his computer. Just as he had suspected, the marks on the manikin matched the victim¡¯s wounds. The freak had planned it all out in detail, charting out each attack.


    Where had the coward gone?


    If Chiron was correct, the target was a wanderer. He had no roots in that place or perhaps in anyplace. He wouldn¡¯t stay with friends or family; he might not even have any.


    Only one kill per place. He fulfilled his sick need and moved on. He¡¯d likely head to another world. That left a lot of options.


    He called Kirjen & Jussco.


    It was Jussco that answered, ¡°Eli! Looking for work?¡±


    ¡°Not this time. I need some information. I¡¯m in the Lajuun sector. I need to know who has purchased an item.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll check with the legitimate side of our business. Got a part number?¡±


    He checked the manikin and found one on the underside.


    Jussco gave him the info. A pallet had been shipped to a dress shop on Phiiung. A whole cargo hold to a convention center on Tarang. A crate full had been sold to an individual, delivered to the local spaceport, to a starship named Impractical Desire. He signed for it as Kolache Laamb.


    Eli thanked Jussco and headed to the spaceport.

 Chapter 12: The Lap of Luxury

    Impractical Desire was a yacht. Its hull was long, sleek. Any and all sense of practicality had been belligerently and wantonly rejected. The paintjob was a tribute to brazen acts of racing and the violent results that often come from it.


    Eli was able to access a navigation beacon that had recorded the ship passing. From there, he searched a cluster of heavily populated star systems. The trail was still warm. Kolache was looking for fresh hunting grounds. He would find them soon enough in that sector of space.


    Cavalier¡¯s com system picked up the half-dissipated remains of a transmission. Impractical Desire requested and was given permission to board a massive space station, Aus 4.


    Eli contacted the station, warning the local authorities. They gave him a canned response.


    The station was a hulking lump of metal. The thing bordered on being an artificial planetoid. The hangar bay was cavernous. Craft were parked on a warren of landing facilities. Despite this, the hunter found the ship quickly; the thing stuck out like a sore thumb.


    Eli watched the garish vessel for half an hour, took note of the lack of movement. Was everyone on shore leave or out running errands? He began to wonder if the yacht even had a crew.


    A call to one of his smuggling contacts got him the information he needed on how to bypass the ship¡¯s lock. The manufacturer had added a backdoor, which had been discovered by certain crafty beings.


    Eli entered the vessel, a sawed-off double barrel shotgun in one hand, a scanner in the other. The boarding ramp led into a small foyer. The area was finely furnished, decorated with sculptures made of precious metals.


    The intruder saw no cameras, a fact that confounded and worried him. He came to a halt and closely examined the room.


    There, a motion sensor mounted on the wall. The thing blended in well, could have been mistaken for just another piece of hardware. It was located right where someone moving beyond the boarding ramp would set it off.


    Eli examined the sensor, being careful not to get into its range. There was a little bud on the side, a receiver. The device likely switched off when Kolache got near, or rather, the transmitter that he kept in one of his pockets.


    How to get around it? Eli had no clue how the device worked, so tampering with it wasn¡¯t an option. He thought about ways to cover it but figured that this would only end up setting it off. Popping it off of the wall would more than likely lead to the same result.


    Eli grabbed a multi-tool off of his belt and started unscrewing a nearby panel. Just as he had hoped, this led to a gap through which he could squeeze. He shimmied along, in total darkness, keeping as quiet as possible. The walls pressed in on him. He was forced to duck or step over protruding pieces of equipment. After unscrewing another panel, he found that he was past the motion detector.


    The bounty hunter pushed deeper into the ship. More signs of money greeted him. The chair that sat at the end of the table in the galley caught his eye. The design screamed Talgar. They¡¯d been wiped out thousands of years ago, consumed by the rest of the universe when the weight of their sins became unbearable. Kolache must have truly been wealthy to be able to afford such a thing.


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    Still no sign of a crew. Perhaps the killer liked his privacy.


    Eli found the killer¡¯s quarters. It was well furnished, sporting a king-sized bed and a walk in closet. A computer sat atop a desk made of darkly stained wood.


    Eli checked it for booby traps, then he checked to see if the target had taken some step to make sure that any tampering could be discovered. When he was satisfied, he started searching.


    A folder on the desktop, right out there in the open. It teemed with photographs. The smiling faces of victims in throbbing nightclubs or seedy bars, on neon blessed streets or dreamy beaches. On a walkway that cut through the heart of a spectacular carcass of a city, Asimon.


    There he was, Kolache, smiling along with his prey. He was handsome indeed, razor cheeked and bright eyed. If certain minor features could be ignored, he could be mistaken for a human. There it was, the face that smiled as he sat on that thrown in the ship¡¯s galley, as a young lady settled down onto his lap.


    They never stood a chance, never saw him coming. Now Eli had a face to go with the reputation. Who else¡¯s face could it have been?


    Eli plunged deep into the system. Hidden in a folder within a folder within a folder he discovered a journal.


    The first entry: ¡°I could no longer resist. The urge has become a need. I had to do it,¡± a picture of a young woman¡¯s face had been attached to the entry.


    Eli skimmed through the entries, bearing witness to several more acts of pure evil, before coming upon this entry: ¡°I¡¯ve been found out! They found shoe prints and fibers from my jacket. I have managed to make it off world. Now I need to keep a low profile and gain distance. I fear that I will never be able to return to my home planet.¡±


    The next few pages spoke of odd jobs onboard starships. Then he found another interesting entry: ¡°I think that the captain suspects me. This is the third passenger that has gone missing since I was hired. I¡¯ll change over to another vessel when we reach Berghov Station.¡±


    This continued for several more pages, months passing. Then Eli reached this entry: ¡°We discovered a shipwreck. The captain says that it¡¯s old, very old,¡± the proclamation was capped by a video.


    Eli took a look around, listening closely, nothing. He played the video.


    Someone was filming through the porthole of a spacecraft. In deep space, a dead ship lay in the grave that was infinity. And again, the design screamed Talgar.


    The video cut to the interior of the vessel. Members of a scraggly looking starship crew picked their way through ruined corridors. The only sources of light were the glow of lanterns and the beams of flashlights. This light illuminated strange machines, their purposes unclear, if not unfathomable.


    A beam swept across humanoid forms. The beam stopped, hovering on the unmistakable skeletal frames of those things that had once terrorized the known universe, Talgar war drones. The video came to an end.


    Eli read the final entry: ¡°We brought the salvage aboard. It¡¯s more than enough to make us all rich. But only I will live to sell it. They were doomed the moment they volunteered me to do tonight¡¯s cooking. I won¡¯t sell all of it. There are a few things I will hold onto, one above all else. With the device I¡¯m able to do whatever I want. My need can at last be fulfilled. The setbacks of the past are behind me. I will never have to run or hide again. They cannot touch me.¡±


    Suspicions began to form. All he needed was one or two more pieces and the puzzle would be solved. Eli did another sweep of the ship but found no one.


    The target was out and about. No doubt on the hunt for his next victim. And now the terrible question: how to proceed? He could wait on the ship and ambush Kolache when he returned. This gave him the greatest chance of success. But it could very well come at the cost of someone¡¯s life.


    He decided to place a few tracking devices on the yacht, just in case. Then he headed out to try to pick up the killer¡¯s trail.

 Chapter 13: Stalking the Sprawl

    The station was an exercise in showing off. The hollowed-out space in the middle was home to a city. Time and a long string of economic failures had turned much of the silver and majesty into misery and decay.


    Buildings pressed tight against one another. People wandered aimlessly up and down trash covered sidewalks. Crowded trains made their way from one crumbling station to the next. It was the perfect place for someone like his target, a hunting ground waiting for an apex predator.


    The station¡¯s night cycle reached dusk. The artificial sky burned, before fading out. The fake sun was replaced by fake stars. Something was lost when the light hadn¡¯t spent thousands of years traveling to reach his eyes.


    The night brought with it a sacred daze. This took hold of people, killing inhibitions and permitting the fulfillment of darker needs. Clubs sprang to life. Neon and magic colors joined the false stars and the dull streetlamps.


    Eli strolled through the entertainment district. His eyes found potential prey just as they found other hunters. Glazed eyes moved up and down him, some assessing him as a threat, others as a potential thrill.


    The bounty hunter made his way through crowds of drunken revelers. He searched seedy bars. He scanned throbbing masses of drug fueled dancers. The night began to work its way into his mind. Memories from when he was stationed in Germany flooded back. The temptation to reject these past joys was overwhelming, to write them off as the experiences of another man. That man wasn¡¯t dead. He had been irrevocably altered, but he remained.


    There was Kolache, dressed to the nines in a fine, if somewhat flamboyant suit. The sighting was sudden, knocking Eli out of his bout of introspection. The killer was standing across the street, in front of the darkened windows of a store. His awareness was completely focused on a gaggle of young women. In that moment of sick pleasure, they were the beginning and end of his universe.


    Nothing behind the target but an empty store front, clearly closed for the day. Eli brought his arms out from under the cloak, revealing a pair of submachine guns that were strapped to a chest rig. He pointed them at the murderer and held down the triggers.


    Stray bullets screamed through the window, blasting the room with glass. They ripped through the items that were displayed there. The girls screamed and ran. Kolache took a hit to the side before he could react, another to the chest as he turned to see what was happening. He stumbled backward, toppling over onto his ass. His back against the building, he went still.


    Eli released the pressure on the triggers. The guns were much lighter. Spent brass was piled up around his boots. Keeping his sights locked on the target, he slowly moved forward.


    In the blink of an eye Kolache drew a little holdout pistol and discharged it. The slug struck left of center, flattening out against the strike plate in Eli¡¯s vest and knocking the wind out of him. The killer scrambled through the shot-out window.


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    Eli recovered from the impact. He darted into the store. Movement, Kolache was making a break for it, running down an aisle. Eli emptied his guns at the fleeing man. Boxes exploded, items were torn to pieces.


    Kolache took a round in his left thigh. He let out a cry of pain. His run turned into a hurried walk.


    The guns ran dry. Kolache reached the end of the aisle. He turned, raised his left arm, a red light shot out of his wrist. Eli dove, the pulse of light narrowly missing him.


    Kolache adjusted his aim, fired the weapon on his wrist again, before ducking into the back of the store. The pulse of light struck a box that sat near the edge of one of the shelves. It began to glow with that same strange light. Eli paused, looking at the glow. It was unearthly, not quite like anything he had seen under the Sad¡¯Daki or during his travels. The only thing that he could match it to was from the witness reports he had spent the last few days studying.


    Without warning, the box exploded. The force of the blast threw things off of the shelves, shredded containers and sent shrapnel flying. Eli found himself without cover. He instinctively raised his artificial hand to shield his face.


    Eli gave himself a quick once over. Bits of jagged metal were imbedded in his prosthetic, but these didn¡¯t go far below the surface. He reached into the cloak, which was now covered in tears. A decent sized chunk of metal was stuck in his armored vest. He ripped this out and tossed it aside. Surveying the wreckage, he determined that he been very lucky. If he hadn¡¯t stopped, he would have been caught by the full force of the blast.


    Eli could have sworn that there was another blast, which went off at exactly the same time. It was difficult to tell, but it sounded like it came from the direction that his target had fled to. Perhaps he had laid a trap and accidentally set it off.


    The bastard must have had a protective vest on under his dress shirt. And what was that mysterious ray that he had fired at Eli? It certainly didn¡¯t function the same way as the other directed energy weapons he had encountered.


    Weapons reloaded and at the ready, Eli moved into the back of the store. There was a single exit. He went through it.


    The corridor was only lit by a few overhead lights, which were spaced far apart. There was a hole in the wall. Fragments of some piece of equipment were scattered on the floor. The damage looked like it had been caused by a small explosive device, perhaps a hand grenade.


    Tracks in the dust, shoe prints with a certain symbol on them. Eli followed them around a corner and down another hallway. The discarded suit jacket lay on the floor. Eli put a burst into it, hoping to disable any traps that it might have concealed. There was nothing.


    Eli passed through a door at the end of the hall, found himself inside of a colossal dome. He was standing atop a low wall that ran around the outside of a park. Pathways weaved through high foliage. Trees which looked like they could have been from Earth stood beside alien abominations.


    And there was Kolache, limping through a clearing, nearing the edge of a tree line. Now that the back of his belt was exposed a row of small explosives could be seen. And there was a very expensive looking shield projector. Despite its reduced size Eli had no doubt that it held many charges.


    ¡°Hold it right there!¡± a confident voice called out.


    A group of six individuals wearing the uniforms of the local police entered the area via the same way that the two foes had. They moved with a purpose, quickly reaching Eli. They came to a halt there, hands hovering near their sidearms.


    The lead cop spoke again, ¡°Mr. Cisneros, thanks for the tip! You thought that you could get us to do your job for you. Well, you just screwed yourself out of a paycheck. This is our collar. You got it?¡±


    Eli gestured toward his target, ¡°Be my guest.¡±

 Chapter 14: Duel of the Hunters

    Kolache faded into the trees, firing the weapon on his wrist at the police officers as he did so. The officers leapt down and took off after him, one of them had been enveloped by the strange red glow.


    Shots rang out, the sound coming from within the trees. Eli couldn¡¯t see Kolache, but one of the officers was hit none the less, the same one that had been hit by the weird weapon. Superheated tissue exploded out of his chest, as if he had been hit with a ray gun. This was in spite of the fact that he wore a shield projector on his duty belt.


    The surviving officers disappeared into the trees. Eli stood there, watching, analyzing. The sounds of energy weapons being rapidly discharged were frequently drowned out by shouts of pain and terror. The occasional stray shot busts out of the trees.


    An officer stumbled into view. That same red glow had enveloped his body. He marveled at his hand, followed the light up his arm. He looked himself over, tried to brush it away. Out of nowhere, with no discernable cause, his head fell off. Blood sprayed as it rolled away. The body crumbled to the ground. The strange glow vanished.


    ¡°How many charges does that shield have?¡± one of the officers shouted, before screaming in agony.


    The leader bolted out of the tree line, the terrible glow enveloping his entire body, shouting at the top of his lungs, ¡°No! No! God, please no!¡±


    There were two simultaneous explosions. One was well back inside of the trees. The other was the officer. He wasn¡¯t hit by a munition. An explosive didn¡¯t go off on or near him. He simply exploded.


    The sounds of battle and slaughter waned. Eli undid the tattered cloak, letting it fall to the ground. The sawed-off sat in a bulky holster on his left side. He unclipped the SMGs and jumped down into the foliage. He strode forward, finding his opponent leaning up against a tree, injecting the wound on his leg with an Iredell. He had one of the fallen officer¡¯s sidearms tucked under his arm.


    The trees swayed in the breeze, artificial wind for an artificial forest. There was a sharp drop off nearby. The sound of a gentle stream could be heard coming from it. A few flying animals chirped but could not be seen.


    ¡°I know the secret of your power,¡± Eli taunted, ¡°I know a lot of things about you.¡±


    Kolache said nothing. He spun in the bounty hunter¡¯s direction, throwing a long knife.


    Eli dodged the attack, ¡°You murdered a woman on your home world, fled into space, took whatever jobs you could find to get by. One of the freighters that you were serving aboard took a short cut through poorly charted space. They found a derelict Talgar vessel. You took things from that wreck.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t touch the drones!¡± he shouted, ¡°I¡¯d never do that! I left the war drones alone¡± he sounded desperate, like he was pleading.


    ¡°Maybe that¡¯s true. But you did take things. You made a fortune off of that salvage. And let¡¯s not forget the device on your wrist, the one that entangles things on the quantum level. You can make it so that two objects are joined. What effects one effects the other.¡±


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    The killer smirked as he stepped backward into a patch of tall, leafy plants. Eli followed him into the thick foliage.


    ¡°That¡¯s how you were able to kill your victims without leaving behind a trace!¡± Eli called out, ¡°You didn¡¯t need to be in the same room as them. You were able to torture and kill at your leisure. You even used it to keep them from screaming.¡±


    Pure venom in the killer¡¯s voice, ¡°Nothing¡¯s going to stop you from screaming!¡±


    It sounded like he was right on top of Eli. He opened fire, peppering the foliage. He kept firing until the guns went dry. Then he dropped them, drawing the sawed-off and the biomechanical pistol he had taken off the body of a Sad¡¯Daki officer he had killed.


    A bolt of light struck the side of his head, his shield absorbed it. He turned but saw no sign of his quarry. Another pulse of pure death hit the shield. This time it came from a different direction. This could not continue. His shield would run out of charges.


    Eli hunkered down low, called out into the trees, ¡°I gotta say, your taste in women sucks!¡±


    The verbal attack must have flustered him. Eli detected a rustling sound. He didn¡¯t even look, discharging both barrels in the direction of the noise. Without hesitation, he sprang forward, hoping to finish his prey off.


    A branch was shaking violently. It was enveloped in the glow caused by the Talgar device. Realizing that he had been baited, Eli whirled around, desperately searching for his opponent.


    The thing that gave Kolache away was that his weapon was glowing. Eli managed to duck out of the way as he swung a sturdy looking tree branch. The other branch moved in time with it, slapping against the nearby plants as Kolache mounted a savage assault. Kolache used the entanglement device on Eli. The branches lost their glow. Now the bounty hunter was enveloped by it.


    Eli tried to bring his weapon to bare. Kolache dropped the branch and pulled a blade, moved in close. Eli was able to grab hold of the knife hand. Now the pair wrestled. The tip of the blade came perilously close to Eli¡¯s throat. He used the strength of his prosthetic, slowly pushing the knife back. Seeing that the effort was futile, Kolache swept Eli¡¯s legs. The bounty hunter ended up on the ground.


    Kolache kicked him as he tried to get up. The killer moved away. He shot a nearby boulder with the entanglement device, binding it to his opponent. It was way too far away for Eli to reach it in time.


    ¡°You¡¯re finished!¡± Kolache snarled, priming a grenade.


    ¡°You might want to check where all of the things that you entangled are,¡± Eli said, grinning wickedly, ¡°Be a shame if you were bitten by your own pet.¡±


    This made him pause. Kolache noticed that he could see reflections of the glow coming from behind him. He slowly turned; the glow moved with him. He reached behind his back, fumbled around until he found the Sad¡¯Daki pistol Eli had tucked into his belt while they were locked in hand to hand combat. By the time he had found the gun and tossed it away, Eli had gotten up and closed the distance. The flying tackle sent them over the edge of the drop-off.


    Eli clawed at the edge of the drop. His natural hand slipped, slid down the length of a root before he was able to gain purchase. With a series of determined grunts, he hauled himself up and over the edge using the strength of his robotic arm.


    Kolache landed in a patch of deep mud. The grenade plopped down beside him. He raised his muck caked face, grimaced when he saw how it had fouled his suit. Then his expression turned to pure terror when he spotted the grenade. It went off, bringing an end to the murderer.


    Eli got up. The glow had ceased. He retrieved his weapons, pondering what he would spend the reward money on. Then he found a way down to the creek bed. The entanglement device had been caught in the blast, reduced to tiny pieces of smoldering scrap. He decided that he would spend his earnings on a new and improved sensor system for his ship.

 Chapter 15: Risk vs Reward

    Another workman clambered up the scaffolding that had been erected around Cavalier¡¯s nose. They were finishing up the installation of the new sensor suite. Despite the fact that the thing wasn¡¯t a weapon, it somehow looked vicious, like the face of some undiscovered deep-sea creature, or like the sense organ of an insect native to an impenetrable jungle.


    Kirjen and Jussco looked on, as Eli studied the manifest they had given him. While the front of the vessel was being modified, forklifts carried pallets up the boarding ramp at the rear of the craft.


    ¡°The stuff gets certain species high,¡± Kirjen explained, ¡°It¡¯s still legal here.¡±


    Jussco cut in, ¡°At least until the Freedom party wins, but that¡¯s beside the point.¡±


    Kirjen held up his left hand and moved his fingers up and down, his language¡¯s equivalent of shaking their head, ¡°You¡¯ll have to forgive my partner, Captain Cisneros. He gets upset when profits are put at stake.¡±


    Eli gave him the tablet back, ¡°Understandable.¡±


    ¡°But anyway, it¡¯s still legal here, but it isn¡¯t in the next sector. Bypassing that sector would be a pain. So, we would like you to get it through to a place beyond it.¡±


    ¡°A place where it¡¯s legal.¡±


    ¡°Yes. Our contact sells it to the local government.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t like the sound of that.¡±


    Jussco moved his hand over his right eye, the equivalent of nodding, ¡°You¡¯re perceptive as always. Your destination is a large space station called Megau. Its rulers claim that it¡¯s a utopia.¡±


    Eli smirked, ¡°The word that the translator is using was originally from a satire. It meant a place that doesn¡¯t exist.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s smart to be skeptical, as long as you keep it in moderation. But yes, the drugs are used to help control the populous.¡±


    ¡°The carrot, but what about the stick?¡± Eli asked.


    The translator imparted the meaning of the question. The two brokers looked at one another. Kirjen spoke, ¡°I can assure you, there will be very little risk. Just deliver the goods to the contact. The customs process will take a few hours. In and out. Simple.¡±


    ***


    The ship¡¯s new eye peered far and wide. Patrols and raiders fell under its gaze. Speed and the willingness to enter dangerous parts of space kept them at bay. His only companions were terrible memories and the Sad¡¯Daki artifact. He found himself searching the available com networks for merc jobs against his old masters. After a long week, the space station that called itself paradise appeared on the scanner screen.


    Eli contacted them, stated his business, was immediately granted permission to enter one of the many hangar bays. He landed and instructed the attendants to refuel his ship.


    The contact eagerly greeted him as he walked down the boarding ramp. His employees were ready, driving their forklifts up the ramp as soon as he stepped off of it. Before long, the cargo bay was empty.


    The population was mostly made up of one species, the Tigue. The general layout of their bodies reminded him of a praying mantis, only they lacked wings. Instead of pinchers, their long arms were tipped with hands. He did not like their toothy, mandible lined mouths. Where the eyes would normally be, there was a pair of what he guessed were their equivalent of noses.


    On top of their heads there sat something like a crown. It was shaped like an artichoke. Under each leaf, there was a pinpoint of light, a little eye. The leaves would unfurl and then fold back up one row at a time, moving up the crown to the top and restarting at the bottom again. This way, a row of eyes was always open, providing 360 degrees of continuous vision.


    The contact spoke in a language that consisted of short, one or two syllable words, ¡°The customs agents will expedite this shipment. You can pass the time in the shopping district. They have an excellent selection of food and drink. You¡¯ll just need to convert your currency, but it doesn''t come with a fee.¡±


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    ¡°Thanks. Maybe I can finally find something good to eat.¡±


    They shared a laugh and Eli set off, but he was quickly brought to a halt by the contact¡¯s sudden words, ¡°Wait, no weapons are allowed on the station! You¡¯ll have to leave your side arm and shield on your ship. They¡¯re very strict about these sorts of things.¡±


    ¡°I bet that they are,¡± Eli said sourly, heading back into his ship. He hung his pistol belt on one of his bed¡¯s posts, which is where it stayed when he slept. Then he retrieved something from his desk drawer. It was a small metal cylinder, not much bigger than his thumb.


    Eli went to the gate that separated the hangar from the rest of the station. There, he endured a security screening. The agent opened the metal cylinder. A colorful collection of pills fell out onto the tray. He dutifully scanned each of them, found that none were dangerous. Then he allowed Eli to return them to the case and put it back in his pocket.


    Guards watched over the process. Scale mail plates hung from their weird mantis bodies. They held spears. When Eli got a better look, he saw that the blades had wires running across them.


    There was an emblem on the security guards¡¯ armor, which looked kind of like a pinecone, only there were countless dots on it. He realized that the symbol was a depiction of the alien¡¯s strange sense organ, every leaf open, every eye simultaneously exposed.


    Eli finished the check and entered the station proper. He was one of the few non-Tigue, but no one seemed to have a problem with it. The layout was open, the corridors feeling more like high roofed tunnels. Some rooms were rather large, sporting vaulted ceilings. And the place was clean, silver and white surfaces gleamed in the artificial light.


    Everywhere he looked, that same symbol, sometimes stylized, other times rendered with straight lines and mechanical precision. Screens displayed long reels of faces, their mandibles positioned into what was their equivalent of a smile. Signage advised the citizens to remember to take their ration of the calming drug. Its bliss would wrap itself around them, helping them to lead a happy and productive life.


    A group of guards were escorting a man that was locked in hand irons. There was a look of cold resignation on his face.


    Eli found a food court. After many misses, he discovered something edible, although it certainly didn¡¯t look like it. He purchased the dish. The price appeared on the register¡¯s display, then, an additional charge was added to the ticket.


    ¡°What just happened?¡± he asked the attendant.


    ¡°Every purchase that you make carries with it a risk. This is one of the reasons why this place is a utopia. Everyone is given more than enough money to survive, but every time that they use that money, there¡¯s a risk. It simulates the harshness of nature. This way, people appreciate things.¡±


    Eli thought that this sounded like some kind of weird scheme to hide a tax. The vender no doubt parroted the state¡¯s justification perfectly. He wanted to say something, to try to inoculate the man against the ideology, but decided that it would be best if he kept his mouth shut. He took the box of food to a table and opened it up.


    The stuff looked like someone had put scraps of parchment into unused motor oil. It tasted like chicken.


    After he had finished his meal, he made a slow circuit of the station¡¯s shopping district. He ended up purchasing a box of the stuff that tasted like chicken. No extra charge was added. Now if he could only find something that tasted like buffalo sauce.


    Then he picked up a selection of alcohol. He received one extra charge, it was enough that he thought about cancelling the transaction, but then he noticed the sign that informed outsiders that such things were forbidden. It made sense, as being able to pull out of something would negate the risk. By the time he left the shop, he received a message saying that the customs inspection had been completed.


    The walk back to the hangar bay felt longer than it actually was. He lugged the bags of food and drink, trying to ignore the propaganda that surrounded him. At last, he had reached his ship.


    An attendant approached him, ¡°We refueled your ship, but there was a problem.¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    His explanation sounded more like a desperate plea, ¡°Every few months an example must be made. You must understand. It¡¯s totally random. Someone has to be chosen. They must be reminded. You must understand.¡±


    Eli became aware that guards were moving in on all sides. The tips of their spears were pointed at him. He suddenly felt the absence of the pistol belt, its comforting weight denied to him.


    One of them spoke, he wore the insignia of a high-ranking commander of the guard, ¡°Your luck ran out, captain. Even if you are a foreigner, you are still subject to our laws. Your execution will be carried out shortly. I suggest that you prepare yourself mentally and spiritually.¡±


    Sitting the shopping bags down, the human balled up his fists and raised his arms into a fighting position. The guards encircled him, began to slowly move in.


    He darted toward one of them, dodging a reflexive spear thrust and landing a savage blow to the Tigue¡¯s chest. The guard took a few steps back. Eli tried to make a break for it through the sudden gap in the formation. A surge of pain brought an end to this effort, when a pulse of energy from one of the guards¡¯ spears struck him. The next blast knocked him out cold.


    ***


    The cell door slammed shut, causing Eli to come to. It was a simple little holding room, much like any other. The plain surfaces were clean, polished in some places. There was a bunk, toilet, and sink.


    He plugged up the sink, took the pill case out of his pocket and dumped out the contents. The pills rolled and rattled around in the metal basin. He picked up a yellow tablet and crushed it. Then he took the resulting powder and poured it into the pill case. He did the same for a lozenge made of green gel and a few red saucers that had the emblem of a large medical company carved into them.


    Little hints of joy as he used his pinky finger to carefully stir the mixture. Then he spat into the case and repeated the process. Lastly, he added several round pills, which were rock hard. He sat on the bunk and waited.

 Chapter 16: Risk vs Reward Part 2

    The cell door opened. A guard took a step inside, ¡°It¡¯s time.¡±


    ¡°Yes, it is,¡± Eli said, before standing up. He clutched the pill case between the thumb and index finger of his artificial hand, the open end facing outward. He stuck this in the face of the guard and squeezed, crushing the case.


    The substance he had mixed together in the tube reacted to the sudden impact, detonating. There was a bright flash and a blast that sounded deafening in the confines of the cell block. The hard spheres rocketed out of the end of the cylinder and ripped through the head of the guard.


    The tips of his fingers smoking, Eli reached out and grabbed hold of the dead guard¡¯s spear and turned the setting to kill. The body hit the floor. The other guards began to recover from the shock, bringing their weapons to bare. But it was too late; Eli was already firing.


    Golden energy rippled and cracked down the wires, forming waves that ran across the surface of the blade, culminating at the tip. It was released in a pulse of pure death. The pulse of golden light struck one of the guards square in the chest. Blackened ribs splayed out, flames leaping from his back, he toppled over.


    Grinning from ear to ear, Eli let more blasts fly. Guards fell in flaming heaps.


    One of them returned fire, the shot only just missing Eli¡¯s head. It struck the wall behind him, exploding in a shower of sparks and molten metal. The prisoner dove forward as more pulses of light raced toward him. He jumped up, swung the shaft in a wide arch, bashing in the crown of one of the guards.


    Using the stunned and blinded trooper as a living shield, Eli blasted guard after guard. The return fire tore the blinded guard to pieces.


    The final trooper wore an energy shield. Eli sank the blade deep into his foe¡¯s chest. It came back out in a burst of blood.


    Eli spotted a Tigue cowering in the corner. It was the commander. The escaped prisoner leapt onto the commander¡¯s back, put the tip of the spear to the back of his head, ¡°Take me to the control room.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t!¡± the hostage begged. Judging by the desperation in his voice, the seat of his people¡¯s consciousness must have been located in the head.


    Eli pressed the control that wet the blade with a little dose of non-lethal energy. He touched it to the nape of the commander¡¯s neck. He let out an undignified yelp at the sudden burst of pain. Eli moved the spear upward, resting it against the alien¡¯s eye cluster, ¡°Take me to the control room,¡± he repeated.


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    ¡°They¡¯ll have me executed,¡± the commander pleaded.


    A trooper entered the room. Eli braced the spear on his captive¡¯s shoulder and fired, dropping the intruder. He screeched in fear and pain as the stray arcs kissed him on the cheek.


    Eli stuck the tip of the spear into the back of the hostage¡¯s head, drawing blood, ¡°Last chance.¡±


    The Tigue started heading for the exit to the cell block, ¡°Okay, okay. I don¡¯t know what you think you are going to accomplish, but I¡¯ll take you there.¡±


    They marched down wide corridors. More guards appeared, leveling their spears at Eli, but not firing. Their expressions were apprehensive.


    ¡°Tell your goons to fuck off,¡± Eli ordered.


    The hostage complied, instructing them to stand down. They reluctantly placed their spears at shoulder arms and slowly backed away, watching the pair as they took a corner.


    At last, they reached their destination. The commander went for the door¡¯s keypad. Eli gave him a fresh jolt, told him that if he sounded any alarms or pressed a duress button, he¡¯d be dead before he hit the floor.


    The door slid open and they entered the room. The crew that manned the many control systems looked on in horror. Eli ordered them to face the wall and get on their knees. The hostage ordered them to comply. As they obeyed the command, Eli jumped from his perch and locked the door. Then he searched for and quickly found the computer that controlled the civilization¡¯s lottery system.


    ¡°Just as I thought,¡± Eli said to himself, before keying the mic to the station¡¯s PA system, ¡°Attention, citizens of Megau. Your leaders have betrayed you. Here is the evidence.¡±


    He put the data on display, plain for all to see, as it always should be. There it was, the relentless numbers, projected on every screen. The ruling class and their sycophants were far less likely to receive extra penalties. The chance of a death sentence was null. The leadership had cheated the people, just as it always does.


    Eli surfed the camera feeds. He silently watched as the people reacted. Shock morphed into anger. A lone guard was ambushed, his weapon taken. Then another was attacked and relieved of their spear. Ad hoc groups began to form. Before long, there was general fighting in half of the concourses.


    A riot broke out in the shopping district. No store was safe from the looters. Tigue trotted through the smoky haze. A rapid response team was driven back by a barrage of Molotovs. A platoon of guards painted over the insignia of the government that was emblazoned on their uniforms, before joining the rapidly growing rebellion.


    ¡°What have you done?¡± the commander whined.


    ¡°The right thing,¡± Eli said, shouldering the spear and heading for the hangar bay.


    ***


    Chaos surrounded the human as he made his way to his ship. He briefly stopped to lay down covering fire for a group of citizens that were engaging a squad of soldiers. When that engagement ended in victory, he made a beeline for Cavalier.


    As he flew out of the hangar bay, he wondered how he would break the news to Kirjen and Jussco. He supposed that they had no right to be upset. Afterall, they¡¯d sent him there in the first place. If anything, he should give them a talking-to.

 Chapter 17: Picking Up the Trail

    Eli maneuvered Cavalier into the lower atmosphere of a rocky world, vectoring over a city. This city was much like those he had visited back on Earth. A miserable sprawl radiated out from a hub of tall, well-lit buildings.


    Ships formed long lines that stayed somewhat in the vicinity of the designated traffic lanes. Countless vehicles moved along the highways and streets. Monorail tracks ran all over, stretching out to the horizon. There, dust clouds threatened to overshadow the buildings.


    Eli landed at the designated spot. He lowered the boarding ramp. A pair of local police officers entered the vessel. Eli met them in the cargo hold, escorted them to the guest cabins.


    They opened the door to cabin 4 cautiously. The prisoner greeted them with a sneer which was human enough that the tadvash wasn¡¯t needed. Other than her bright blue skin and the set of antennas that poked out of the mane of neon purple hair, she looked human. None of her features hinted at her status as a murderer.


    ¡°How¡¯d you catch her?¡± one of the cops asked.


    His response was simple, ¡°She let her guard down.¡±


    The officers left with their sneering charge. Eli checked the room, in case she had left any surprises. Satisfied that the job was complete, he went to the cockpit and called the broker that had given him the tip.


    ¡°Chiron, target has been handed over to the authorities.¡±


    ¡°Eli, I was about to contact you. There¡¯s a big opportunity on that world.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m listening.¡±


    An image appeared on his wrist computer. It was a male humanoid being, hairless, sporting a bulbus head and puffy features, including a pair of pleated lips. His periwinkle skin was covered with big, deep pores. Nothing good could be seen behind his beady eyes.


    ¡°Aydem Lynard was spotted in one of the residential blocks. He¡¯s wanted on Ujita. A bank job went bad, and he shot the place up. Nineteen bystanders were injured, five were killed. He¡¯s been on the run ever since.¡±


    ¡°Sounds like a real piece of work. Who spotted him?¡±


    ¡°I work with an individual that lives there, a dealer in many things, including information. He caught sight of him in section 7A of block J-018. He watched him go into apartment 104.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll take a look.¡±


    ¡°I have to warn you. This information broker more than likely sold the find to others. The authorities on Ujita aren¡¯t the only ones that are after him. Several criminal enterprises have put a price on his head. Expect company.¡±


    ¡°Do you think any of them could get violent?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d count on it. Happy hunting.¡±


    ***


    The sun had just begun to set. The apartments were arranged in a fashion that was not unlike prison cells, uniform and stretching on. Existence, and nothing else.


    Eli wore a black duster. Under it, an armored vest and a few weapons. He had discovered that the Megau spear had a telescoping shaft, so that it could be more easily carried. It was slung across his back in a simple leather sheath. His jungle boots were starting to get scuffed.


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    Metal and concrete towered over Eli, surrounding him on all sides. The sight and the nature of his visit combined to conjure a memory. A similar place, countless lightyears away, yet so similar. The subject had jumped bail. The charge was the violation of an eight-year-old girl.


    Eli and two colleagues tracked the target to a distant city. The team kicked down the door to his apartment, a dirty hole for a parasite to hide in. He was all smirks as they zip stripped and searched him. Then he started bragging about what he had done, his eyes full of defiance.


    The collapsible baton made a satisfying sound when Eli extended it. The training he had received on its proper use vanished, the muscle memory burned away by rage.


    Each strike was a moment of purist bliss. With each impact, something from deep inside, or perhaps from somewhere outside kissed him. The baton connected with the soft tissue over and over again. When bones broke, the sensation danced its way up the weapon and into his hand, where it brought even more joy.


    Twenty minutes later, Miguel was trying to revive the subject. Ron was on the phone with emergency services, talking the ambulance in. He didn¡¯t make it. The broken rib that had impaled his heart was listed as the cause of death.


    The subject had resisted, come at them with a kitchen knife. Miguel and Ron were adamant about this fact. He must have been on something, something strong, to have kept coming at them like that. If it hadn¡¯t been for Eli, they wouldn¡¯t have made it out of there alive, their children would have had to have grown up fatherless.


    Focus. Force your mind to return to the present. The target is known to be violent.


    Eli cautiously approached the target¡¯s apartment, taking the stairs one step at a time. There was no one around. He moved to the door and pressed the open button. He was surprised when it slid out of the way. Weapon at the ready, he entered.


    The place lacked decoration. The furnishings were sparse, functional. The only unessential item was a large television set and the comfy-looking chair that sat in front of it.


    Eli methodically cleared the apartment. He checked every corner, every potential hiding place. When he finished, he did another sweep, hoping to catch anyone that had come out of hiding off guard.


    Eli returned to the living room. A strange feeling crept in. He was being watched. Quickly closing the door, he gave the room a more detailed check, searching for cameras or other monitoring devices. He found none. The feeling remained. He decided to start searching for clues.


    One of the cabinets had been left hanging open. Cans and boxes of food had been haphazardly piled up on the countertop across from it. A wooden board sat on the floor, propped up against the wall.


    Cautiously, he looked in the cabinet. It was empty. He noticed that at about the halfway point there were brackets. He concluded that a secret hiding place had been installed in the back of the cabinet. There were no clues as to what it had held, but he guessed that it had contained a go-bag. The subject had gotten spooked and bolted.


    No computers or tablets had been left behind. The target appeared to own no physical media, and he could not find the device it was stored on.


    A search of the nightstand¡¯s drawer revealed a few colorful chits. Upon closer inspection he saw that they were from a gambling den on the city¡¯s northeast side.


    He popped the lid off of the toilet tank, found nothing. He tore the vent covers off and shined a light inside, nothing. He ripped open the cushions and the mattress, still nothing.


    The feeling that he was being watched was still there, despite the fact that he hadn¡¯t discovered any cameras during his search.


    Eli took one long look around. He noticed the trashcan. They always forgot about the trash. Flipping it over, he dumped it out onto the floor. He used his foot to sift through the garbage, found the usual refuse. The only thing of note was a ticket.


    He picked the ticket up, wiping a smudge away. The colors were dark, metallic. The design and general energy of it was reminiscent of some sinful thing you could buy out of a vending machine back in the day, something found on the floor of a strip club. Images of piles of coins glittering in exaggerated glory were pictured on it. It was from that same casino.


    The hunter gave the trash another look. There was fast-food packaging, most of it was from places located near the casino. The same was true of a cup that was from a place that sold a liquid stimulant, an analog of coffee. He also found a receipt from a convenience store that was located on the most direct route to the place.


    Eli contacted Chiron, ¡°The target is on the run. What do you know about the local syndicates?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s only one, at the moment. I¡¯ve dealt with them before. They run a gambling den and a brothel. They smuggle in stuff that the local government doesn¡¯t want the miners getting ahold of.¡±


    ¡°They smuggle anything back out?¡±


    ¡°Like people? I don¡¯t know, but there¡¯s nothing stopping them. The casino¡¯s just down the street. It¡¯s run by a woman named Yorai. Place is a cash cow and I¡¯m sure they launder money out of there.¡±


    ¡°Thanks for confirming my suspicions. I think I know where I can find him.¡±

 Chapter 18: House of Lies

    The Northeast side was where the miners went to blow off steam and burn away their paychecks. They came from all over the continent, desperate to get something out of their system, desperate to forget.


    Eli found the casino. It was difficult to miss. The structure¡¯s arches and spires loomed over the surrounding area. Its lights fought to enchant him.


    A sign by the door informed the guests that weapons of any kind were strictly forbidden. The feeling of being watched returned. He wondered if someone monitoring an external camera had assessed him as a threat.


    Beings from across the known universe entered the structure. The tadvash interpreted a hundred different ways of expressing excitement, half as many ways of showing shame. A doorman scrutinized them all. He even stopped and frisked a man who was dressed in especially baggy clothing. This guard was far too vigilant; Eli decided to look for another way in.


    ***


    After completing two circuits of the casino, he discovered that one of the adjacent buildings was completely unguarded. He headed inside. None of the little office¡¯s employees paid him any mind. They had their sense organs focused on computer screens.


    After a few minutes of searching, he found a large window that was located close to a small balcony that looked to be on the fourth or fifth floor. Making sure that no one in either building could see him, he opened the window and leapt onto the balcony.


    Eli peered through the sliding glass door. A set of heavy curtains had been drawn to the sides. It was an office. No one was in sight.


    He tried the handle, found that it was locked. Letting out a hushed curse, he got out his multi-tool and started working on the lock. Through the glass he heard sounds, a muffled racket as machines labored to overload the senses of their victims.


    The lock popped open. He paused, waiting to see if anyone heard it. Satisfied that he had gotten away with it, he gently slid the door open and entered. The office was well furnished. He crept across it and peeked into the hallway. After waiting for what seemed to him to be a clerk to pass by, he left the room.


    Offices lined either side of the hall. Doing his best to keep a low profile, Eli made his way through the administrative area. He ducked out of sight when another noise joined the den of the games, this was a raised voice.


    Eli carefully peered out from behind the corner. A pair of beings entered one of the rooms. One was a woman. Eli found himself picking out those features which were inhuman and weighing them against those that were. The most prominent was the pair of ivory horns that stood out against her dark hair. She wore a long black dress, with dark purple highlights, and a golden brooch.


    The other was his target. He hadn¡¯t done anything to change his appearance. Perhaps he thought that distance would be enough. His clothes were non-descript. He carried a big duffle bag.


    ¡°Passage to Ihanna can¡¯t be that much!¡± Aydem shouted.


    The woman responded calmly, ¡°It is if you want it to be discreet. You¡¯ve got thirty minutes to decide whether or not it¡¯s worth it. The ship will take off with or without you. I suggest that you pass the time downstairs. Maybe you can earn what you need.¡±


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    ¡°I¡¯ve got enough¡± he said, more than a little bitterness in his voice, ¡°I¡¯ll be in the restaurant if you need me,¡± with that, he left.


    Less than half an hour and his target would be on the move again. He looked at his wrist computer and took note of the time. The feeling of being watched returned. Chalking it up to the nerves that battle curses people with, he ignored the sensation. Aydem mentioned that he¡¯d be in the restaurant, he probably meant the one that occupied most of the second floor.


    Another being entered the room, something reptilian wearing a blue jumpsuit.


    ¡°Yes, Yorai?¡± he asked respectfully. Eli recognized the name. So, this was the woman that ran the casino.


    ¡°Sugamb, the plan¡¯s changed. I did a little digging. His real name¡¯s Aydem Lynard. He stole eighty thousand Pygram Work Hour Credits from the Hauk cartel. They¡¯re offering to match that if he¡¯s brought to them alive.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll get a few of the guys. When he heads up stairs to board the shuttle, we¡¯ll scoop him up.¡±


    ¡°Good. Send me a message when you¡¯ve secured him. I bet that he has the money in that bag. It will be a nice bonus.¡±


    Sugamb left. Eli snuck away, making a beeline for the nearest stairwell. He made his way up two floors. Finding a deserted corridor, he started trying to figure out his next move.


    He¡¯d have to get him when he headed up to the landing pad on the roof. The question was where Sugamb and his friends would ambush him. Would it be possible to head them off at the pass?


    Eli stepped out onto a balcony and looked down at the main casino¡¯s floor. Hundreds of beings sat around flashing machines or crowded tables. Coins, chits, and bills of every color moved around, piles of them. Glasses were lifted, powders snorted, vapors inhaled.


    Above him, several enclosed walkways curved upward, connecting the upper floors to the ceiling. He could see where the outer edges of the lower floors ended, many of them in balconies that overlooked the main floor. Everything always led back to that yawing pit. The pit screamed endlessly, calling out in joy and despair.


    He saw it just in time, a weird distortion. Thinking it was some kind of gas leak or dangerous energy field, he moved backward. The distortion seemed to follow him. And in better light, he saw that it had a distinctly humanoid shape.


    Deciding that the potential benefits outweighed the risks, he shot the weird, transparent thing. The sound of the shot was dull under the weight of the racket coming from the casino floor.


    Whatever hid it started to malfunction. The vague humanoid shape became easier to discern. He could make out a female form. Then the device failed completely.


    The woman¡¯s slender body was clad from head to toe in formfitting armor. It was dark grey, polished but marred by the occasional scratch. A few hints of color could be seen. Over her left breast there was a white bar with a set of curved wings above and below, like the biblically accurate version of an angel. A little red triangle on the side of her helmet. Small letters and analogs for UPCs were stamped or etched here and there.


    A network of straps held the sculpted armor pieces together. On the inside of her legs and arms there was a sturdy looking black material that had a mesh pattern on it. A pistol sat in a drop holster, the long barrel looked like it housed an integrated silencer. Pouches on one thigh, a few more on her belt. A simple belly rig held an SMG and a set of pouches of the mags that fed it. A computer interface on her left wrist.


    Her entire head was encased in a helmet. The face plate was grimly shaped, as if it was designed for intimidation, a mechanical horror inspired by vicious beasts and war demons. A pair of optic lenses were positioned where the eyes would normally be. These camera eyes stared at him coldly.


    She held a curved sword, similar to a katana. This weapon didn¡¯t look like it had been forged by ancient blacksmiths. It was the opposite, a product of precision engineering, cold and efficient. But the woman still held it as if she was a warrior of the old days, of the times of honorable bloodletting.


    With no hint that she had recovered from the attack, she darted forward. Eli only just managed to put the shaft of the spear between the edge of the blade and his face. He stared into the optics on her helmet. She stared back, before breaking contact, dancing backward, weapon held in a defensive posture.


    Eli pursued her, twirling the spear, bringing the ends dangerously close to smacking her. She dodged and parried, before reaching out and wrapping her slender fingers around the weapon. His military training had been heavily focused on weapon retention. He took a sudden step backward and attempted to jerk the weapon out of her grasp.


    She had planned for this, perhaps counted on it. Thrusting a foot out, she tripped him up. As he fell to his knees, she kicked him square in the throat.

 Chapter 19: Greed

    Eli finally recovered. He was unsure of how long he had been consumed by agony and panic. It had felt like he had been gasping for air for an eternity.


    There was no sign of the mysterious woman. He looked for any distortions, spotted none. He supposed that if she wanted him dead, she would have killed him while he was struggling for air. He checked the time. The target was nearly due to stumble into the trap that Yorai had set for him.


    He got up, checked to make sure that all of his gear was still there. Then he took off running, bounding up the steps, bolting down hallways. At last, he found them in one of the enclosed walkways that led to the elevator that provided access to the roof.


    Sugamb was going through his bag, dumping out the clothes, toiletries, and other supplies. Eli took note of a collection of ID cards that were strewn on the floor. Two goons stood by, looking on emotionlessly.


    Aydem was on his knees. A line of blood ran down the corner of his weird mouth. Yorai stood over him, gripping the side of his face tightly, her thumb uncomfortably close to his eye.


    ¡°Where did you stash the money?¡± she asked scornfully.


    His tone was resigned, ¡°I spent it all. I¡¯ve only got what was in the bag.¡±


    ¡°You are lying! Where¡¯s it at? Tell me, or I¡¯ll make what the Hauk cartel will do to you feel like a vacation.¡±


    Now a little smirk, ¡°It¡¯s in your casino.¡±


    ¡°Fuck off! Where is it?¡±


    ¡°I told you. It¡¯s in your casino.¡±


    The impact of what he had said finally sunk in, ¡°Well, shit. We¡¯ll have to settle for just the bounty.¡±


    ¡°Hand him over and I¡¯ll give you twenty percent,¡± Eli declared, his spear pointed at her.


    ¡°Who are you?¡± she demanded.


    ¡°Just another gunslinger.¡±


    Her expression changed to fear when she noticed the brand on his neck, but she recovered quickly, yelling, ¡°We¡¯ll sell what¡¯s left of you to the Sad¡¯Daki!¡±


    Perhaps she didn¡¯t know that the spear doubled as an energy weapon. She certainly didn¡¯t know that he had it set to kill. Her personal energy shield absorbed the blast. She dove out of the line of fire, taking cover behind a large planter that sat against the wall.


    His next shot hit Sugamb, who had dropped Aydem¡¯s bag and was going for his gun. His upper torso exploded into a slurry of boiling blood and melted organs. One of the thugs managed to get his pistol halfway out of the holster before what was left of him ruined a large section of the carpet.


    The final thug drew his sidearm and grabbed hold of Aydem, using him as a living shield. Eli switched to stun, fired. The bolt of energy struck Aydem. He went limp. The henchmen tried to take aim, struggling with the dead weight. Eli took his time, putting the next bolt right into the man¡¯s head.


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    Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted the distortion. He lashed out, wrapping his artificial hand around the invisible throat. He choke slammed her into the glass wall, cracking it. After holding her there for a few moments, he let the writhing form fall to the floor.


    Eli moved forward, taking care not to step in the mess. Blood and gore ran down the glass. Yorai was still behind the planter. Her beautiful face was tainted by outrage. She was speaking into a communicator, ¡°Get up here!¡± a brief pause while the person on the other end of the line asked a question, ¡°Everyone!¡±


    In a flash she turned and pulled a derringer. He ripped it out of her hand before she could fire. He made a show out of examining the little gun. Then he picked her up and threw her through the glass and over the railing. She screamed the whole way down.


    The gamblers looked up from their games while she fell. She landed on top of a bank of slots, fell silent. The players returned to their games without a second thought. Eli pocketed the little gun and started heading toward the still unconscious Aydem.


    ¡°Not so fast!¡± a new voice called out. It sounded like a VHS tape being rewound. How the translator managed to pick words out of it was beyond him.


    The thing was a massive brute. Its body wasn¡¯t too dissimilar from a large primate. The thick coat of bubblegum pink fur that completely covered it contrasted with its hideous face.


    A pair of big, bulbus, jet-black eyes sat above a mouth full of many sharp teeth. A set of serrated pincers were located at the corners of this dreadful maw. It had a small, triangular, open nose like that of a bat, and no visible ears.


    Bandoleers full of ammo and grenades were slung across the thing¡¯s gorilla frame. In one of his clawed hands, he hefted a large, blocky gun. The spirals of the rifling could be seen inside of the fat bore. In the other hand he held another big gun. This one was fed by a stripper clip of heavily polished spikes.


    Eli put himself between the newcomer and the unconscious man, ¡°I¡¯m taking Aydem to Ujita. Stay out of my way.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s impossible because I¡¯m going to turn him over to the Hauk cartel. I¡¯ll give you a hundred WHC for clearing the way. No, make that fifty, you robbed me of a few solid kills.¡±


    The sound of rapid, heavy footfalls, lots of them, coming at them from all sides.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, there¡¯s plenty more fun to be had,¡± Eli observed.


    Gunmen burst out of the door that led to the roof. More poured in from down the hall.


    The pink brute opened fire. The silver flechettes pierced their targets, pinning them to the walls. Holes were blasted clean through torsos. When Eli saw his open mandibles the tadvash told him that this was a maniacal smile.


    The human took aim. He cut down a swath of them with blasts. Any that got close were mercilessly run through.


    The other bounty hunter¡¯s guns went dry. The bright pink monstrosity lifted a gangster into the air, holding him aloft horizontally. He ripped his victim in half. Blood and internal organs rained down. The man kept screaming, even has the two halves were casually tossed away.


    A severed head tumbled across the floor in front of Eli. He looked over to see the woman in the armor slice the gun hand off of another thug. He was impressed with how quickly she had recovered from the blow he had dealt her. She grabbed ahold of the weapon and using the man as a living shield, she blasted another enemy to pieces.


    The big pink thing pulled something off his belt and threw it. It landed at the feet of a fresh wave of attackers. Eli dove behind cover, hoping that it was only a fragmentation grenade.


    It went off. The windows shattered. The force of the blast annihilated anyone that was anywhere near it. Limbs flew, sailing over the railing. A deep hole and been blasted out of the floor. Those that were fortunate enough to not get caught in the blast were toppled over, all except the bubblegum pink monstrosity. Even he began to lose his footing when the floor started to shake violently.


    The world became a dizzying blur as the floor collapsed completely. The living and the dead tumbled down. Chunks of shattered metal and other debris rained down on the Casino floor, smashing into guests. People abandoned the games, screaming as they fled in every direction.

 Chapter 20: Greed Part 2

    Eli found himself battered and bruised, laying belly up on a table. He hadn¡¯t hit as hard as he had thought he would. Rolling off of the table, he discovered that this was because the table had a good amount of paper money on it.


    He assessed the situation. There was Yorai, being helped away by two employees. Aydem lay in a heap nearby, still somehow intact, chest still moving up and down as he breathed. No sign of the brute that had carelessly brought the walkway down.


    There was debris everywhere. The last few stragglers jogged out of the room, taking quick glances back at the damage.


    Eli started walking toward Aydem. He saw the blur just in time. He blocked the sword and stepped back, spraying energy blasts out of the spear. One struck her. The field that cloaked her spattered and popped, failing in a burst of electric arcs as her energy shield absorbed the attack.


    Undeterred, she pressed the attack, moving forward. Eli thrust the tip of his spear at her belly. She dodged, pointed her left arm at him. He spotted a protrusion on the outside of her armguard, a place where a curving line ran the length of the piece. Something had been mounted on the vambrace. And there was a borehole at the end.


    Something shot out of the hole, a quick glint of black metal against the light. Pure instinct moved his hand in front of his eye. For the first time he was glad that the appendage was artificial, as a needle tipped spike had penetrated it, becoming stuck in the palm, the tip nearly touching his eye.


    Eli stared his opponent down as he pulled the dart out of his hand. He made a show out of dropping it. The metal rod clattered around on the ground.


    A pile of rubble began to move. The two combatants disengaged, turning to face the greater threat. Eli pointed the spear at the shifting stones. The mysterious woman sheathed her sword, and drew her SMG, extending the collapsible buttstock.


    The bubblegum-colored thing burst out of the debris, sending hunks of metal flying. Eli and the woman ducked. They popped back up, firing at the fiend as he ran. He reached a big machine, a monstrous exhibition of gratuitous lights and empty promises. From this strange piece of cover he returned fire with a pair of heavy pistols. These weapons sent a barrage of Gyrojet-style mini rockets at the two rival bounty hunters.


    Eli dove behind a table. The game it was designed for was unfamiliar to him. One thing was certain, it involved countless colorful cards and tokens. These were scattered in all directions when a rocket exploded nearby.


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    The incoming rockets ceased. Figuring that he had run dry, Eli crawled to a new position. He quickly discovered that his foe hadn¡¯t run out of ammo. He¡¯d switched targets. A fresh wave of syndicate goons charged in. Several were blasted to pieces by the salvo of rockets.


    Eli joined the fray, blasting and stabbing his way through a group of thugs. Alien blood flowed. His shield ate death rays. More explosions rocked the casino.


    The mysterious woman cartwheeled past a row of something similar to slot machines. Stray rounds struck them. A deluged of coins flowed out of the mangled games. As she tumbled along, she fired. Bullets ripped open the torsos of her opponents, bringing forth bursts of blood. She ended the cartwheel and drew her sword, slicing the arm off of a man as he leveled his pistol at her. The armored woman proceeded to slash apart another group of goons, firing whenever a target presented itself.


    The pink thing scooped up Aydem and bolted away. He smashed through a set of doors, signage identified them as the exit that led to the parking garage. Eli followed, charging into the cavernous area. Even after so many patrons had fled, it was still packed with cars.


    The human cautiously made his way up the closest lane. He ran his eyes across the long lines of vehicles, making sure to check between them. He hunkered down low and then got back up, trying to see over into the other lanes.


    A powerful engine revved. Eli dove as a vehicle shot out of a parking spot, narrowly missing him. Behind the steering wheel, he could make out the face of the pink brute, its mandibles locked in a vicious snare.


    It was a truck with an enclosed bed. Eli guessed that it was some analog of the kind of combat utility vehicles he had operated in the army. The vehicle tore out of the exit, almost causing an accident when it joined the traffic on the adjoining street.


    Eli searched for a vehicle that he could take. After about a minute, he began to wonder if he should give up the pursuit and return to his ship, try to pick up the trail from there.


    A car sped into the garage, a convertible with an extra set of wheels at the front. The vehicle¡¯s handsome lines were complemented by a sexy purple and black paint job. It stopped in front of Eli. Two men got out of it.


    The duo were sharply dressed. Their attire contrasted with their hideous, horned heads. One of them spoke in a pointed tone, ¡°Where¡¯s Yorai?¡±


    Eli smirked, ¡°She took a little tumble, had to walk it off.¡±


    ¡°She told us that Aydem was here. You will take us to him.¡±


    ***


    Yorai limped into the parking garage, flanked by underlings.


    Two men lay dead. One had died from a massive stab wound in his chest. The other had been shot in the forehead, his hand frozen on the holster, forever in the act of drawing his gun. She immediately recognized them. There was no sign of their vehicle.


    Yorai turned to one of her escorts, ¡°Contact the Lashua syndicate. Tell them that their representatives were killed by that bounty hunter. Contact the nearest Sad¡¯Daki base too. Get images of him off of the security system so that they¡¯ll have something to go off of.¡±

 Chapter 21: Blur

    Eli hit the accelerator. The car raced through the crowded streets. He could just make out the vehicle he was chasing. Other cars zoomed past, little more than blurs of color.


    The truck that he was pursuing joined the fast traffic on a major highway. Eli followed. The lanes stretched off out of sight. Thick and high walls enclose them. The traffic was heavy but manageable.


    He contacted his broker, ¡°Chiron, someone¡¯s grabbed the target. I¡¯m in pursuit. He¡¯s a big pink furred thing with bug eyes and pincers on his mouth.¡±


    ¡°That sounds like Jiraa the Mauler. Be wary, he¡¯s quick on the trigger and loves a fight.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m already aware, but thanks for the heads up. There was also a woman in armor that had some sort of cloaking device built into it.¡±


    ¡°Did she have a sword?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Eli said as he maneuvered past a line of cars.


    ¡°That¡¯s Gami Urush. She¡¯s been in the game a while, knows several different forms of martial arts. Be careful, she¡¯s always got another trick up her sleeve.¡±


    ¡°I will. I¡¯ll keep you updated,¡± with that, he ended the call.


    Weaving through the heavy traffic, Eli fought to get closer to the target. Horns and flashing lights bombarded him as he dodged oncoming vehicles. Those cars that he aggressively passed weren¡¯t much kinder.


    Eli pulled his sidearm and started taking shots at the tires. Jiraa attempted to ram him in retaliation, forcing him to flee behind a car hauler.


    He became aware of a loud noise coming from behind. He glanced at the rearview mirror, just in time to see a sleek motorcycle rush up and shoot past him. The bike was one of those low-profile speed demons with a streamlined frame. It was painted jet black. Gami was riding it.


    She caught up to the target, pulled a machine pistol out of a holster that was mounted on the bike. She took aim at the driver¡¯s window and fired. The rounds ricocheted off of the bullet resistant glass, leaving little distorted craters.


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    Jiraa veered toward her. She hit the accelerator, only just managing to avoid the attack. She turned around and put the rest of the mag into the windshield. It was hard for Eli to tell, but this didn¡¯t seem to have much more of an effect.


    Taking advantage of the distraction, Eli got near the rear of the truck. He attempted to perform a PIT maneuver, which he had never been formally trained to do, but he wasn¡¯t about to let that stop him. The front quarter panel was obliterated by the impact. Jiraa¡¯s vehicle was unphased, staying totally straight, while the car that Eli was driving began to turn sideways.


    The flashy car began to skid sideways. An odd, chemical odor appeared; Eli supposed that it was from the burning tires. He managed to regain control.


    As he fought to recover the lost ground, he took careful glances at the automobile¡¯s controls. The translator told him the meaning of the simplistic symbols. Just as he had hoped, they had meanings that were comparable to the cars and trucks he had driven on Earth.


    Gami pulled something off of her belt and tossed it at the truck. In the brief moment that it was airborne Eli was able to identify it as a grenade. He reflexively tapped the brake. The grenade landed in the recess where the wipers sat. Jiraa ducked down.


    The grenade went off in a flash of blinding light. By the time Jiraa rose back up, Gami had realized that her attempt to blind him had failed, and she had disappeared down an exit.


    Eli moved into position beside Jiraa¡¯s vehicle. He hit the cruise control. Careful not to nudge the steering wheel or accidently disengage the cruise control, he stood up on the seat. Forcing away any hesitation he felt, he leapt onto the back of the truck. The car that he had abandoned slowly drifted away, eventually smashing into a concrete wall.


    Jiraa moved the truck wildly from side to side. Eli hung on for dear life. Jiraa swerved into one of the concrete walls. Sparks and crumbling stone rained down on Eli. Having failed to dislodge him, Jiraa straightened the vehicle out.


    Ahead, the road rose and gently curved as it intersected with a major highway. He could see the traffic on the overpass, which looked like it could be negotiated, but with some difficulty.


    An unsettling sound caused him to look upward. The source of the sound was quickly identified. A ship was flying above them. It was hard to judge because of the speeds involved and the fact that a flying object has nothing with which it can be judged against, but it looked like it was rather low. No identification could be found. After studying the craft for several seconds, he began to wonder if it was organic in nature.


    Rainbow light appeared on a protrusion located on the underside of the strange vessel. Having seen gravity manipulation devices used as tractor beams before, Eli traced an invisible line from the spot where the light had formed to the overpass.


    Eli watched in fascination as the support pillar for the bridge was ripped out of place, as if the hand of an invisible giant grabbed hold of it. The overpass was unable to take the sudden loss of one of its main supports. It lost its structural integrity. Hunks of concrete, sections of heavy steel, and at least three dozen vehicles rained down onto the roadway below.

 Chapter 22: Pileup

    Eli was forced to brace himself as Jiraa slammed on the brakes and veered to one side, only just avoiding a collision with a packed passenger vehicle. He was, however, unable to avoid the tow truck that had rear-ended a cargo carrier. Another car blared its horn as it slammed into the back of Jiraa¡¯s truck.


    All around them, similar accidents played out as cars braked and tried to avoid collisions. Tires squealed and debris flew. People climbed out of their cars, started making their way away from the disaster.


    The organic ship flew closer, moving with speed and grace. Eli pondered his next move. He wasn¡¯t equipped to take on a starship. But the ship wasn¡¯t going to bring its firepower to bear. The occupant was clearly after Aydem.


    The driver¡¯s door opened. Eli hunkered down low and watched the top of Jirra¡¯s head as he stepped out of the wrecked vehicle. He moved to the rear and opened the enclosed bed. From it, he pulled out a long, thick metal tube that was painted in subdued colors. Eli immediately recognized it as a rocket launcher. Then he started to dig around, refreshing his bandoleers and rearming himself.


    The organic ship came to rest on a patch of undeveloped land, crushing plants beneath its landing legs. A door opened and a ramp lowered. Light rolled off of something as it descended.


    The thing that came out of the ship was a glossy black metal shell. It floated, the tops of the taller blades of grass brushing along the gravity manipulator that was attached to the underside. After studying it for several seconds he decided that it was roughly lozenge shaped, with protrusions or indentations in certain areas.


    Eli was unsure if it was a vehicle or something closer to an encounter suit. There was nothing that resembled a face or cockpit. Eli was able to pick out a variety of optic systems and sensor modules, these dotted the surface of the thing. A pair of plasma cannons were mounted on the sides. A smaller pair of pulse weapons were positioned beneath those.


    Jiraa stepped around the truck and strode forward, launcher at the ready. He shouted at the floating hunk of guns and armor, ¡°They weren¡¯t a part of this. You have no right to involve innocents in our game. I¡¯ll make you pay!¡±


    Jiraa fired, the warhead screamed toward the target, leaving a trail of black smoke. Just as it was about to reach the weird alien, it came to a sudden halt. Eli studied the event. He noticed that one of the spots on the armored thing glowed in the same way as the ship had when the overpass was destroyed.


    Realizing what was about to happen, Eli jumped off of the truck. He went into a roll. Jiraa dropped the launcher and stepped behind one of the wrecked vehicles.


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    The newcomer used its tractor beam to turn the rocket completely around. Now that it faced back toward the attacker, he released his hold on it. It struck, going off in a blast that rattled Eli¡¯s teeth.


    The sound of the explosion echoed off of distant buildings. This was followed by heavy weapons fire as Jirra and the thing in the armor engaged in a firefight.


    One of the truck¡¯s rear doors opened. Aydem jumped out of it and bolted away. Jiraa must have not had time to bind him.


    Eli tackled Aydem, knocking him onto the pavement. The fugitive let out a grunt of pain. Eli pulled a zip strip off of his vest and started tying his hands together at the wrists.


    ¡°Please let me go!¡± Aydem begged, shouting so that he could be heard over the weapons fire.


    ¡°You¡¯re a murderer and I¡¯m going to get paid when I turn you in on Ujita.¡±


    ¡°Please!¡± he begged again, struggling against Eli, ¡°They¡¯ll kill me!¡±


    Eli finished the task, ¡°It¡¯ll be a lot better than what the syndicates will do to you!¡±


    A motor revved. Eli hauled Aydem to his feet and drew his pistol. Gami idled the bike into view. Eli positioned his prisoner so that he was between him and her. Bracing the pistol on Aydem¡¯s shoulder, Eli silently dared her to try it. During a brief lull in the gunfire sirens could be heard.


    Jiraa let out a shout of agony. The gunfire stopped. Gami drove away.


    ¡°Come on, we¡¯ve got to get out of here,¡± Eli growled at his captive.


    Eli pushed Aydem along, applying pressure to places on the arm where it would be most painful, at least on a human being. Aydem let out sounds of pain and protest, which were capped by a gasp of fear when the glossy black thing floated into view.


    Eli aimed at one of the optic systems and fired. Rounds struck around the camera, pinging off of the armor in showers of sparks. One found the target, smashing the lens.


    Before he could pick another target, something smashed into him. It impacted his side, pulling his hand off of the prisoner and throwing him into the side of Jiraa¡¯s truck. A piece of debris had been lifted up using the gravity manipulator and used as a projectile.


    Aydem began to scream. Eli fought against the pain and disorientation. He caught a glimpse of the prisoner floating away. A pitiful crawl turned into a defiant shuffle as he worked his way around the truck. He watched helplessly as the bounty was loaded into the ship, the armored alien followed close behind. The ramp retracted and the craft took off.


    Eli heard heavy footsteps. At first, he thought that it was emergency services. Then he saw that it was Jiraa. He had injected a nasty wound on his side with an Iredell. Void black blood covered the area around the injury, running down his leg. If he saw Eli, he chose to ignore him.


    The big bounty hunter got what appeared to be a cannon from the back of his truck. With some effort, he hefted the gun. The shell screamed into the rear section of the craft, moving far too fast to see. Two of the engines went out. Then another began to smoke badly. The pilot shut it off. Now he was flying on only a single engine. And yet, he continued to climb, albeit at a greatly reduced rate.


    Jiraa had bought himself enough time to get back to his ship and go after the bastard that had stolen his bounty. Unfortunately for him, he had done the same for Eli and Gami.

 Chapter 23: Zigzag

    Eli pushed his way into the upper atmosphere. He was slowly but surely gaining on the organic ship. He remembered the derringer he had taken, so he slipped it into place between two control consoles.


    Another craft was vectoring toward it. He guessed that this was Jiraa. There was no sign of Gami, but it was certain that she wasn¡¯t far behind.


    He called Chiron again, ¡°We¡¯ve got another player on the board, something in an armored pod that floats around.¡±


    Chiron¡¯s tone was dead serious, ¡°Bohoat Mog. Eli, I won¡¯t hold it against you if you bow out of this one. This guy is a killing machine. Rumor has it, the Skoga made him submit to a medical check when he renewed his bounty hunting license. They were worried that he was really a robot.¡±


    ¡°But he is organic? There¡¯s a living being somewhere in that suit?¡±


    ¡°Yes. The medic has kept his silence about the specifics, citing patient privacy. I can¡¯t begin to tell you what species he is or where his seat of consciousness or vital organs would be located. If you do decide to take him on, bring heavy ordnance.¡±


    ¡°Thanks for the tip. Hopefully, the next time I contact you, it will be about sending you your fee.¡±


    Eli shut the com off. He had reached low orbit. The scanner readout was a lightshow. Freighters of all shapes and sizes moved around. They docked with stations and latched onto cargo containers. Shuttles ferried personnel around. Bohoat Mog¡¯s ship charged headlong into the controlled chaos. Eli and Jiraa followed.


    Eli checked the targeting computer. Bohoat Mog¡¯s craft wasn¡¯t broadcasting an ID. The computer identified it as having been manufactured by the Zarak, a species that grew or perhaps bred ships and other technology.


    Jiraa¡¯s ship was a military personnel shuttle, functional and brutish with an ugly face and a flat profile. Wings ran the length of it. It sported several sets of forward mounted guns and a missile pod. Its transponder gave the name Hatchet.


    They reached weapons range. The organic ship dove in close to a gargantuan ore hauler. The pair stuck with him, skimming along the surface of the vessel, even as the captain shouted over the com for them to abort.


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    Bohoat Mog suddenly pulled away from the freighter, straight into a convoy. Eli kept on his tail, weaving his way through the long line of ships, swerving to the side, barely missing an oncoming shuttle.


    A sudden turn sent the organic ship through a hangar bay. Eli copied the stunt, maneuvering around crane systems and over parked craft. Workers looked on in horror or instinctively ducked down. He shot out the other side, immediately veering back into the convoy so that he could keep on Bohoat Mog¡¯s tail.


    A ship appeared out of nowhere, a sleek vessel. Gami must have had a stealth system on her ship as well. She opened fire, discharging pulse weapons and emptying a pair of rocket pods. The organic ship and its two pursuers were forced to take evasive action.


    A pulse struck his ship, stealing a precious shield charge. A rocket passed so close in front of the cockpit that Eli caught a glimpse of a serial number.


    Jiraa must have taken a hit from a rocket, because the side of his ship now had a large hole blasted in it. He turned in the direction of Gami¡¯s ship, which disappeared. The pink furred thing still fired, spraying the general area with plasma, before returning to the pursuit.


    Eli pointed the nose of his ship at Bohoat Mog, who was making a beeline for a massive tanker. Jiraa and Eli flew alongside each other. They took pot shots at Bohoat Mog. The pair would randomly hit the reverse thrusters so that they could momentarily bring their guns to bare on one another.


    Eli opened up the hidden panel that contained the controls for the mine launcher. Jiraa got behind him, bringing his guns to bare. Eli deployed a mine. Jiraa only just managed to avoid it.


    ¡°Should have let me get closer!¡± the pink furred bounty hunter taunted over the com.


    The dance went on. Pausing briefly when Gami made another appearance. They drove her away and continued. They only stopped shooting when the tanker was close, filling up most of the forward viewscreen. Eli saw that the organic ship was going to try to thread the needle between the two fuel pods. Eli vectored in to follow.


    The thing that piloted the organic vessel only just missed one support, then clipped another. He cleared the final obstacle, skirted along the side of one of the tanks. As he shot out of the space between the tanks an object seemed to fall off or perhaps out of his ship.


    Eli caught sight of it, a fleeting glint of light. He swerved away, the bright paint of the fuel pod filling the viewscreen. It suddenly turned to the black of the void when he cleared it. Eli didn¡¯t feel relief, because he knew what was about to happen. He gunned it, going full throttle away from the tanker.


    The explosive charge that Bohoat Mog had deployed went off. It ignited the fuel tanks. The fireball expanded outward. Other explosions joined it, until the entire ship was turned into flaming debris.

 Chapter 24: Searchers

    Globs of melted metal floated around. Many still glowed. Jagged pieces of debris drifted to and fro. Frozen blood of every color mixed with the plain hues of metal and plastic. Occasionally, he would see a charred and mangled corpse.


    A few of the local government¡¯s ships were in the area, trying to find survivors and contain the damage. A handful of civilian craft had joined the search.


    A half an hour of careful scanning and Eli hadn¡¯t spotted a single survivor. No large sections of the ship remained, and no one had time to get to any escape pod.


    He also had yet to see a single sign of his quarry. Perhaps the strange organic ship had been caught in the blast. He had to admit to himself that if that turned out to be true, it would be as much of a relief as it would be a disappointment.


    No sign of the bounty hunter called Bohoat Mog. No sign of the force of merciless destruction known as Jiraa, either. Jiraa might have also been caught in the blast, or, he might be floating around somewhere, biding his time, waiting for Bohoat Mog to make his move.


    Ironically, the only one that he could see was the one that was equipped with the cloaking device. Gami was flying around in her sleek ship, searching. She had finally stopped broadcasting. It seemed that she had given up hope of finding any survivors. Now she was looking for the fiend that had caused the disaster.


    Eli decided to contact her, ¡°It¡¯s Gami, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± whatever language she was speaking consisted of short, vaguely cute sounding words.


    ¡°I¡¯m Eli. Why¡¯d you let me live?¡±


    ¡°That first time? Killing you seemed unnecessary. I have since reconsidered this.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll keep that in mind. So, does that mean that you see me as a threat?¡±


    ¡°I could tease you and say no, but that mark on your neck proves otherwise. Why don¡¯t you get rid of it? The bounty for escaped Sad¡¯Daki slaves is generous. I know that Jiraa got rid of his.¡±


    ¡°That thing was a victim of the Sad¡¯Daki?¡± Eli asked.


    ¡°Yes. He earned his freedom on the battlefield. Now he¡¯s a mercenary and a bounty hunter.¡±


    ¡°They didn¡¯t give me that opportunity. They captured me during a raid on one of their bases. I was freed when the facility I was being held in was liberated. I hunted them during the final days of their occupation.¡±


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    ¡°I¡¯ve read reports about the invasion of Earth. They eventually buckled under the pressure, both on and off world. But not before a lot of damage was done.¡±


    Eli laid out the facts, ¡°Over seven billion dead. Every major city in ruins. Most of the natural resources stripped.¡±


    ¡°To the Sad¡¯Daki, everything is just a resource or a hindrance, something that helps them obtain their goals or keeps them from obtaining them. It¡¯s a sick way to think.¡±


    ¡°Yes. They claimed that they invaded because we were starting to develop robots and A.I. It was an excuse to conquer easy prey.¡±


    ¡°If your people were really developing A.I. then you needed to be stopped. Maybe not like how they did it, but one way or another, it had to be done.¡±


    Eli frowned, ¡°Is it really that bad?¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t understand how bad it would be.¡±


    ¡°Then we should have been allowed to make that mistake for ourselves.¡±


    ¡°Your people never hit the point of full automation, didn¡¯t have advanced AI. But you were close. You tasted it. Your philosophers and your pop culture warned you about it. You can comprehend the horror, you can envision the mass unemployment, the robotic troops, but you haven¡¯t lived it. So many species have reached that point, and those dark times left a scar on their societies.¡±


    There was a pause, long enough that he started to wonder if she was still there, ¡°My people leave home when they reach adulthood, traveling the universe for a period of one hundred years. When I first started, I had no idea what I wanted to do. I wondered aimlessly, taking on random jobs. But that all changed when I had to fight to defend myself.¡±


    ¡°A lot of people find their calling in violence,¡± Eli observed.


    ¡°True. I ended up joining a group. It was part police, part military. Their mission was to protect the nearly lawless systems in the Isenmok cluster. I learned over the course of my enlistment that people have to be protected, even if it¡¯s from themselves.¡±


    ¡°If your people are as long lived as I suspect that you are, then I¡¯m probably a lot younger than you. But even in the relatively short time that I¡¯ve been around, I¡¯ve learned that approaching things like that can only end in disaster.¡±


    Gami didn¡¯t respond. Eli wondered if he had offended her. At least she didn¡¯t take aim at him. She just continued to drift around, scanning the debris.


    Eli concentrated on the task at hand. A piece of wreckage looked similar to the ship they were after, but a focused scan confirmed that it wasn¡¯t.


    ¡°What were you planning to do with the bounty money?¡± Eli asked.


    Gami answered, ¡°Interesting wording. You really think that you¡¯ll take the prize away from me?¡±


    ¡°To go into it with any other attitude would be an invitation to fail.¡±


    ¡°Very true,¡± a brief pause, a change in her voice that was difficult to pin down, ¡°There¡¯s a little orphanage on Xad III. It¡¯s in bad shape. It¡¯s not that far from Ujita, so I figured that I¡¯d stop by after I turned Aydem in.¡±


    Eli went wide eyed, ¡°Wait, you¡¯re taking him to Ujita?¡±


    Before she could answer, the scanner chirped. Bohoat Mog was making a break for it. He¡¯d let his ship drift in the direction of a nearby hyperspace lane, probably firing off the occasional short burst of a maneuvering jet when neither of them was nearby.


    Eli and Gami turned in the target¡¯s direction. With any luck, one of them could get him before he reached the lane. But then they saw that his destination wasn¡¯t the lane.


    A new vessel dropped out of hyperspace. The ship¡¯s transponder gave its name as Shimmering Devil. It was a sizable vessel, which sported heavy armament and Lashua syndicate markings. Eli had smuggled things for them once before. The broker had warned him to stay on their good side.

 Chapter 25: Shimmering Devil

    The organic ship disappeared into Shimmering Devil¡¯s hangar.


    ¡°Stay out of my way,¡± Gami commanded, before activating her stealth system.


    Eli grinned, started looking for ways to get onto the ship. He checked the sensor, thoroughly analyzing the data. He zoomed in on the ship with one of the forward-facing cameras. The hull was immaculately clean.


    There, almost imperceptible, the faint outline of a square. If the ship hadn¡¯t been so clean, he probably wouldn¡¯t have been able to spot it. A focused scan confirmed his suspicion. It was a hidden hangar. This ship could be used for smuggling.


    Cavalier entered the vessel¡¯s weapon range. He jinked around, dodging the barrage of deadly light. At the last instant, he turned the ship 180 degrees. The rear fins slammed into the panel that concealed the hangar, bursting it open. Cavalier punched through the covering, past the plasma screen, and into the little bay.


    The apogee class came to a violent halt, crushing the many stacks of crates and boxes. They burst open, spilling out contraband of all kinds.


    A few armed men rushed into the hangar. Eli came down the boarding ramp firing, emptying his assault rifle into them.


    There amongst the packages of weird powder and thumb drives stuffed full of forbidden knowledge, he saw it, a weapon that could be a threat to his rival bounty hunters.


    ***


    Gami ran the invisible blade across the goon¡¯s throat. Blood burst forth. He gargled and sputtered as he faded away. His eyes stayed locked open when he gave up the ghost, not knowing how he had died. With him out of the way, the hangar was clear.


    She took a few moments to examine his face. The computer that was built into her helmet¡¯s optic systems scanned it, searched the databases she had access to. Sure enough, there was a small reward for his termination. She used the cybernetic connection she had to the system to take a series of stills and a short video, evidence that she had earned the reward. Then she pressed on.


    She had entered the hangar far too late to witness the prisoner being unloaded. But, the destination was clear, a detention area. She willed her cybernetic uplink to search the databases that she had access to. Schematics of military cruisers and pleasure craft raced in front of her eyes. Shimmering Devil was a custom job, no publicly available drawings existed for it.


    Gami put her hand out in front of her, palm held horizontal, fingers spread. The sensation was barely perceptible, but it was there, the faint static that lingered for a short time after a tractor beam or other gravity manipulation device was used. She could trace the path that Bohoat Mog and his prisoner had taken.


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    The ship¡¯s PA came on, ¡°Attention, all available personnel! Arm up and head to the observation deck. Prepare to repel boarders!¡±


    That would be Jiraa the Mauler. She had noticed that he had a boarding device on his ship. The madman would blast his way to the bounty or die trying, and she very much doubted that he would die. This would mean that there would be less opponents in her way, but she¡¯d have to move quicker.


    Gami reached behind her back, made sure that the shaped charge was still there. It would be able to pierce Bohoat Mog¡¯s armor. The only questions were how she was going to get close enough to plant it on him, and how she was going to get far enough away to safely detonate it.


    As for the human, if he was dumb enough to go after Aydem, she would take care of him.


    ***


    Eli worked his way through the ship¡¯s complex network of corridors and decks. The weapon he had found was slung across his back. He kept a pump-action at the ready, but he encountered no foes. They were all busy responding to a boarding action.


    As he searched for the fugitive, he found himself wondering which of his rival bounty hunters was the greatest threat.


    ***


    The trail did not lead to a holding cell. It led to the ship¡¯s overengineered bridge. The layout was complex, a circle of symmetrically arranged pits and elevated stations.


    She imagined what it would be like to look down on it from above, something like the internal mechanism of a lock formed in her mind. The computer in her helmet took these observations and turned them into a map.


    The control stations were crewed by well-dressed beings. Their positions were added to the map. And there in the center of it all was Bohoat Mog. The bounty hunter still held Aydem aloft with his gravity beam. A confident man in a finely tailored suit was talking to him.


    Gami checked to make sure that the stealth field was still fully operational, still wrapping itself around her suit and gear. Then she started planning out her approach.


    Bohoat Mog spoke to the man in the suit, his voice hard and electronic, ¡°Your offer is insufficient. I count five separate parties that are willing to pay more than that.¡±


    ¡°Our organization would very much like to take custody of Mr. Lynard, and we love working with you. We would be willing to up the price to one hundred thousand, along with repairing the extensive damage to your ship.¡±


    The ship¡¯s internal com went off, ¡°We need reinforcements! He¡¯s reached the barracks block!¡±


    ¡°It seems that you are in need of assistance,¡± Bohoat Mog observed, a hint of sarcasm in his voice.


    ¡°We can take care of it. However, we could always use your assistance in other matters.¡±


    While Gami snuck closer, they discussed hunting down certain debtors and tracking the movements of a rival group¡¯s couriers.


    One of the crew members turned in Gami¡¯s direction. She froze, stayed perfectly still as they moved from one station to another. When they finally turned their back on her, she pushed forward.


    Each movement was quickly thought out, guided by training and experience. No unnecessary movement. Always ready to strike with hand or foot, to draw a weapon, to leap away. Muscle memory worked alongside methodical planning as she made her way across the bridge.


    Another message on the internal com, another desperate call for help.


    Gami reached one of the elevated sections, a tower with an enclosed station that reminded her of a simulator. She carefully scaled the tower, one hand hold at a time, laboring to minimize the tell-tale distortion that was the cloaking field¡¯s weakness.


    At last, she reached a point near the apex. Bohoat Mog was directly below her, a floating weapons platform operated by a merciless killer. She reached behind her back and retrieved the shaped charge.


    It was then that the sound of the crazed human¡¯s gruff voice brought the conversation that was taking place below her to a halt. He made a threat and raised a weapon, the sight of which sent her scrambling around to the other side of the tower. The ship¡¯s captain dove behind a control panel.

 Chapter 26: Shimmering Devil Part 2

    Eli took aim down the holographic sights, lining them up on the center of the armored pod. He hadn¡¯t seen a railgun before, outside of news articles about experimental navel weapons. Now, he held one in his hands.


    The methodically shaped hunk of composite alloy sped up as it traveled down the length of the barrel. It struck quite a bit higher than he had expected. A horrific sound tore its way through the room. A clean, perfectly round hole had been punched into the target, a flat black void against the glossy black of the armored pod. Eli couldn¡¯t tell how deep it had penetrated, but it certainly looked deep.


    The human adjusted his aim. Before he could squeeze the trigger again, Bohoat Mog made his move. A bulkhead came lose, was ripped off the wall. The plate raced over to the armored bounty hunter, halting and hovering in place between him and the human.


    Eli fired several more times. The slugs pierced the metal plate, punching the whole way through. He was unable to tell if they were doing any damage to the target that sat on the other side. He checked the indicator, saw that he only had two rounds left.


    The torn and battered plate was thrown at him. He dived to one side. It sailed past, smashing into a terminal, which exploded in a cascade of sparks.


    Eli got back up, hauled the weapon into position. His target was covered in deep dents, but it still floated there.


    ¡°Die!¡± the thing in the armor shouted, the actual word that he used sounded like the name of a demon from a forbidden faith.


    Eli side stepped as he let another round fly. It struck center mass, a jet of nasty looking liquid sprayed out of the hole. Eli reached the cover of a low area as Bohoat Mog opened fire. He hunkered down as superheated death flew overhead. Rays and plasma struct the deck in front of the pit, turning it into a glowing sludge.


    Eli rose up. His shield flashed. He fired the final slug, which struck low. Hunkering back down, he dropped the empty railgun, drew his pistol, and started pondering his next move.


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    ***


    Gami peeked out from behind the tower. The sheer amount of fire that was being put on target lit the bridge up. She saw the captain scramble away, rendered in weird jerky motions by the strobing light. From her vantage point she could see the human bounty hunter pinned down.


    At the rate Bohoat Mog was firing, he¡¯d burn through his energy reserves quickly. Eli likely wouldn¡¯t last that long.


    She dropped down, landing on top of the armored killer, grabbing ahold of him with her free hand. Now she dangled off of the top of the pod. The pull of artificial gravity was almost instantaneous. She placed the charge, before getting ripped off of the shell and flung across the room.


    Gami let out a cry of pain when she hit the wall. As she struggled to recover, she began to hear explosions. Eli was out of cover, firing his pistol at Bohoat Mog. She could tell that it was high caliber, but the rounds were still harmlessly ricocheting off of their target. She used her cybernetic uplink to send the detonation signal to the explosive charge.


    The blast was less than impressive, little more than a flash of light. This was because it was focused inward. Bohoat Mog let out a long, distorted cry of agony. The shell collapsed onto its side.


    The two bounty hunters got up, made their way over to the inert pod. They eyed one another unsurely. At last, Eli put his sidearm back in the holster and thanked her.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to thank me,¡± she said in an annoyed tone.


    ¡°Sure I do, I¡¯m a Texan.¡±


    A hatchway on the downed pod burst open. Something shot out of it, a sickly-looking hybrid of a slug and a snake. It bled from severe wounds. The horror sprang toward Gami, fangs bared.


    Eli caught it with his mechanical hand. The thing looked at him with hate filled eyes, proclaimed that he would end the human¡¯s life. Without a word, Eli used the strength of the artificial hand¡¯s grip to crush it, killing it before it could manage a death cry.


    Eli looked around, found that no one was left on the bridge, ¡°Where¡¯d Aydem go,¡± he asked.


    Gami jogged over to a control station. After punching a few buttons and moving a track ball around, something appeared on one of the screens. It was footage from a security camera.


    Aydem ran into the hangar bay at a dead sprint. Jiraa tore after him, firing a weapon. The rounds missed, bursting into wild arcs of electricity. Aydem ran up the boarding ramp of a luxury shuttle. The ramp went up before Jiraa could reach it. He threw something at it in rage as it took off.


    ¡°You got in my way,¡± Gami chided, as she started jogging out of the bridge.


    ¡°How was I supposed to know that you were planning on doing that?¡±


    ¡°You underestimated me,¡± she briefly glanced at the deck plates, ¡°Maybe I underestimated you as well.¡±

 Chapter 27: The White Ring

    Eli fired up the main thrusters, setting the contents of the little hidden bay ablaze as Cavalier blasted out into space. He quickly locked onto the ship that Aydem had stolen from Shimmering Devil¡¯s main hangar. It was a small shuttle, a scissor-tailed thing that sported a set of forward-facing wings.


    Eli gave chase. He analyzed the shuttle¡¯s trajectory and decided that he was heading for the system¡¯s lone gas giant.


    No sign of Gami, thanks no doubt to her ship¡¯s cloaking system. Jiraa¡¯s ship detached from where it had forcibly docked with Shimmering Devil. None of the vessel¡¯s guns returned fire as he proceeded to systematically and viciously destroy the cruiser.


    The pink furred killer sent out a message on a general frequency, ¡°Now you¡¯ll have to travel all the way to Lashua if you want to turn him in.¡±


    This turn of events interested Eli. What had at first seemed like an act of wanton destruction for its own sake was in fact a move designed to hinder his opponent.


    Eli keyed the mic, ¡°That was pointless. Bohoat Mog is dead, and I¡¯m taking Aydem to Ujita.¡±


    ¡°Where justice will be done for his crimes? I like the sound of that, but the mob will take care of him all the same, and they pay much more.¡±


    Eli discovered, to his discomfort, that Jiraa¡¯s statement sounded reasonable. The screams of the fugitive in the apartment washed across his mind. He forced them away when he saw that Jiraa was going full throttle in the direction of the gas giant.


    Eli brought the massive planet up on one of the long-range cameras. The cloudy world was surrounded by countless moons. Entering the big world¡¯s atmosphere would mean certain death. So, one of those moons must be his destination.


    The human gave each of the satellites a quick check, hoping to figure out which one the target was heading for. There was a mangled ball enclosed in a hell storm of debris, the victim of an asteroid strike. One of the moons sported an odd pattern of craters, as if the universe was trying to use it to communicate with its inhabitants. Another looked volcanic, dreadful wounds covering its surface.


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    There, Aytem was heading for a blue and white sphere that wore a halo of icy shards. Before Eli could intercept his target, the shuttle settled into this halo, disappearing completely. The targeting system let Eli know that Jiraa had just entered weapons range, a reminder that he wasn¡¯t the only player on the board. He entered the ring and began his search.


    The ice ring was thick. The task of navigating it while simultaneously checking the scanner readout was daunting. Eli slid his craft around the frozen obstructions. The neon wireframe projections and simple icons on the sensor screens mirrored the icy chaos.


    Jiraa slowly flew over the ring. He methodically swept sensor beams across it, sometimes wide, other times tightly focused.


    Eli bumped up the speed, struggling to keep ahead of his rival. His eyes strained to pick out details on the readouts. A near miss, followed by a particularly heavy area forced him to totally focus on piloting.


    Jiraa¡¯s voice again, ¡°Your name is Eli,¡± it was a statement, not a question.


    ¡°And you are Jiraa.¡±


    ¡°Correct. I¡¯ll cut you a deal: if you find him before me and give me his position, I¡¯ll give you ten percent of the reward.¡±


    ¡°I appreciate the offer, but I¡¯ll have to pass.¡±


    ¡°I understand. You¡¯ve gotten this far. Now that we¡¯re nearing the end, you can¡¯t bring yourself to bow out.¡±


    ¡°True,¡± Eli admitted, rapidly looking from the scanner to the viewport.


    ¡°I saw the symbols under your brand. They trained you, didn¡¯t they? Tried to bring you into the fold?¡±


    ¡°I rejected it.¡±


    ¡°Yes, again, I understand. But is it from wisdom or resentment? Perhaps neither of us can tell. Perha-¡±


    His words suddenly stopped, and he let out an involuntary cry of shock. Eli checked the targeting computer and saw that Jiraa¡¯s ship was turning sharpy, firing wildly. A mine had traveled up one of the scanner beams and was on a collision course. Just as he managed to destroy it, Gami uncloaked and started shooting at point blank range.


    A shield charge flared out. Jiraa simply turned in her direction and gunned it, ramming her ship. She tried to move out of the way, firing side-mounted maneuvering jets. This was only partially successful. The bulldog front section of Jiraa¡¯s craft tore a wide gash down the length of the underside of her vessel.


    Eli watched in horror as her ship dipped down into the ring. She barely avoided a few of the larger chunks of ice. One struck just to the left of the cockpit, causing more damage. Before long she began to uncontrollably descend into the moon¡¯s atmosphere.


    Aydem chose that moment to make a run for it, bolting out of the ring. Jiraa moved to intercept. He fired a set of hidden turbo boosters, began to rapidly close the distance. Eli¡¯s gaze moved back and forth from the pursuit to the moon.

 Chapter 28: The Wandering Hunter

    Gami pulled up on the yoke. Her ship screamed out of the churning sky. In the cramped cockpit she flicked switches and looked at readouts. Nothing she did stopped the craft¡¯s rapid descent. The instruments told horror stories using a combination of loud sounds and flashing lights.


    Below her, the landscape could only be viewed in brief glimpses through thick mists. Despite the fact that it was daytime, not much could be seen. What was visible looked desolate, nothing but deep mud and harsh rock.


    Gami managed to straighten the ship out just as it struck the surface. She hit her head on the control panel in front of her, the face plate of her helmet shattering a display. The craft slid along a field of mud, churning up sludge and stones. The warning alarms somehow got more numerous and forceful.


    A wing clipped a boulder. Past the daze of the injury, Gami saw on the damage readout that it showed as having been completely ripped off. The power went out, plunging the cockpit into total darkness and absolute silence. The alarms were suddenly muted, as if they were animals in a forest that caught wind of a predator.


    The ship finally skidded to a halt. The heavy rain beat down on the stricken craft. It sank a bit before stopping. Gami pulled her helmet off, examined the damage that had been done to it.


    Her skin was pale white. A trickle of half-dried blood ran down the length of her pallid forehead, running past one of her eyes, dark red against the white. These were artificial, white with a small black pupil, a red circle around it. A pattern of thin black lines formed around this circle when she zoomed in to check the damage to the helmet. With these, the darkness was cast away, replaced by green static, but at least it was better than nothing.


    Her face was that of someone well into their youth, still young, but the years had just started to show themselves. If one could manage to look past her comely features, they would notice that her nose was a bit on the pointy side. Her long black hair was kept in place by a pair of silver clips.


    On the right side of her neck there was a silver aperture. Just behind that there was another implant, a rectangle made of polished black metal.


    Under her left eye there was a tattoo, the ancient letter that was used to represent the Bayhi system of martial arts. Rendered in traditional calligraphy, it was small but detailed.


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    The bounty hunter tossed the helmet away, as the optics had been badly damaged. She gazed into one of the dead screens, tried a few of the controls. Nothing happened. It didn¡¯t take long for her to decide that the craft wouldn¡¯t be able to take off without major repairs.


    Gami exited the crashed vessel. The sun was weak through the clouds and mists. She could just make out the gas giant on the horizon. The rain slapped against her armor and quickly soaked her hair. The blood that had gotten on her during the fight in the casino washed away.


    She walked around the ship, assessing the damage. The rain lightened up, turning into a drizzle. Strands of dark hair stuck to her neck and the shoulder plates of her suit.


    Now that she had a view of the exterior, she understood that it was far worse than she had thought. It was unlikely that the ship would ever fly again. Even when the stealth system and advanced weapons package was taken into consideration, it still wouldn¡¯t be worth the cost of trying to salvage it. But at least she was alive.


    She eyed her surroundings again. She couldn¡¯t make out anything through the mist and rain. For all she knew, there could be a settlement nearby, but she doubted it.


    Gami trudged to the compartment that held her motorcycle. After several minutes of fighting with it, she managed to pry it open enough that she was able to pull the bike out. The tires immediately sank into the mud. She let out a sigh.


    Lights above her, managing to pierce the haze. She started to activate her cloaking device, remembered that she didn¡¯t have her helmet. She started heading toward the hatch, considering which weapons she should retrieve from the ship¡¯s small, but well stocked arms room. The muck slowed her. The sound of the approaching ship drowned out the rain.


    She looked up, saw that it was the Earthling¡¯s Apogee class. He sat the ship down nearby, boarding ramp facing toward her downed craft. She turned to face the ship, wondering if he had come to kill her. If so, why hadn¡¯t he blasted her to pieces with his ship¡¯s guns?


    After almost a minute, the ramp came down. The human walked down it, fat drops of water splashing off of a rain slicker. The only weapon she could see was that weird pistol on his hip.


    ¡°Come on,¡± he said, ¡°Let¡¯s get everything that we can salvage aboard. We don¡¯t have much time.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean? Is a storm coming?¡±


    ¡°No. He¡¯s taking Aydem to the Hauk cartel. They have a smuggling base on Aachen.¡±


    ¡°How do you know there¡¯s a base there?¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± he said dismissively, ¡°Come on, we have to hurry if we are going to catch up to them.¡±


    ¡°You want me to join you?¡±


    ¡°Why not? Your ship¡¯s out of commission. Fifty fifty split. We¡¯re both planning to turn him into the Ujitans. And besides, two guns are always better than one.¡±


    She looked at the horizon, at the massive planet. Then she looked back at the wreck of her ship. Returning her gaze to Eli she looked into his hard, unhinged eyes, ¡°Let¡¯s work on the armory first. I¡¯ve got a lot of good stuff in there.¡±

 Chapter 29: Payday

    Gami pushed the motorcycle up the boarding ramp and locked it into place in one of the bike racks.


    ¡°How do I get a stealth system for my ship?¡± Eli asked, sitting a bag of her stuff down on the floor of the cargo bay and hanging his rain slicker on a hook near the exit ramp.


    ¡°You don¡¯t. It¡¯s very expensive and it helps a lot if the ship is designed from the ground up to use it,¡± a hint of anger on her face, ¡°I really wanted to give most of the reward to that orphanage. Now, I have to spend it on the down payment for a new ship. And it won¡¯t be anywhere near as good as my old one.¡±


    ¡°Well, maybe we can find a way to work it out.¡±


    She ignored him, ran to the cockpit. He raised the ramp and followed.


    The luxury shuttle that Aydem had stolen from the cartel ship¡¯s hangar bay floated aimlessly. The bore hole on the top told them everything that they needed to know. They pushed the scanner as far out as it would reach but didn¡¯t see any traces of Jiraa¡¯s ship.


    Gami conducted a focused scan on the area around the abandoned shuttle. ¡°I¡¯m not seeing any trails.¡±


    Eli smirked, sat down at the controls, ¡°We already know where he¡¯s going.¡±


    ¡°Tell me.¡±


    ¡°He said that he¡¯s going to turn Aydem into the Hauk cartel. There¡¯s a Hauk cartel smuggling base in a nearby system.¡±


    ¡°How do you know?¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± he said dismissively, ¡°We¡¯ll launch a surprise attack, hit ¡®em hard and fast and secure the target.¡±


    She gave him a half-smile, ¡°We¡¯ll make an actual bounty hunter out of you yet.¡±


    ***


    The platform floated in low orbit above a mined-out world. Against the soft blue of the lifeless world, it was barely visible. Mining vessels no longer docked there. Now, it was a collection of quick craft and unassuming freighters. Jiraa¡¯s ship was still there, surrounded by workers in space suits, each operating a piece of equipment as they labored to repair the vessel.


    No one questioned Cavalier as it made its approach. The interior was like the outside, clearly a repurposed logistical hub for an old mining operation.


    A few armed men greeted them as they made their way from the terminal into the station¡¯s main hub. They were easily taken care of. From there, the pair of bounty hunters fought their way to the ad hoc holding area that the cartel had set up.


    ***


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    Eli shot and stabbed his way through the station alongside his new ally.


    Her style was savagely tactical. Merciless attacks were carried out with a fluid grace which was only made possible by eager training. Even without knowledge of them, he was able to tell when she fluidly switched from one martial arts style to another.


    ***


    As she fought, Gami caught glimpses of her temporary ally. While he killed, he wore a maniacal smile. By the time they reached the holding area, she believed that she could properly assess him. He was certainly ex-military, likely a member of some elite group. At some point, he had willfully abandoned his training. But it would always have its hooks in him. He would never be fully free from it.


    ***


    Aydem was locked in a cell. Behind the crude bars the pair of bounty hunters could make out a drained and bloody form. There was nothing behind his eyes, not even fear, just the blankness of a mind that has zeroed itself out to escape what is being done to the body it occupies.


    Eli recognized the base commander from the time he had visited the station. He wore facial scars as if they were trophies. At that moment, he looked outraged. This was an individual that wasn¡¯t used to being challenged or told no.


    Jiraa sat on a bench, swaying his legs back and forth like an anxious child. He took leisurely puffs from a short pipe which was made of a material that Eli couldn¡¯t identify.


    The base commander shouted at the pink mercenary, ¡°Do something!¡±


    Jiraa pointed at his chest, ¡°Me?¡±


    ¡°Yes! Kill them!¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Why the hell not? You were the one who told me that they were coming.¡±


    His response was rapid fire, like it had been thought out beforehand, ¡°I warned you, and you didn¡¯t listen. You said that your people could handle it. You didn¡¯t hire me. I don¡¯t work for free.¡±


    ¡°We gave you the money!¡±


    ¡°The money for bringing Aydem to you,¡± he took a belligerent puff, ¡°This is a different matter.¡±


    ¡°A million for each of their heads!¡±


    ¡°Not worth it. Besides, it¡¯s been a long day, I¡¯m tired.¡±


    Gami had returned the sword to its sheath by the time the syndicate man¡¯s head fell off. Without a word, she went to the cell which contained Aydem and opened it. Eli placed him in handcuffs. The fugitive offered no protest or resistance. Jiraa sat there the whole time, smoking silently.


    ***


    Cavalier touched down in one of Xad III¡¯s major cities. The hustle and bustle mixed strangely with the ancient architecture. Modernity clashed and mixed with the remains of an old, half-forgotten civilization.


    She had spent much of the journey at the workbench. Her helmet sat on a shelf, the cost of its repair beyond her current budget. There was a simpler model in front of her. It sported a wide, darkened visor. She was running a device along its surface.


    Eli¡¯s suggestion rolled around in her mind: ¡°Why don¡¯t you join me? If we combine our skills, we¡¯ll be unstoppable.¡±


    ¡°Our skills are complimentary,¡± she admitted.


    ¡°I¡¯m sensing an objection.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re skilled, but reckless. I wonder if you have a death wish.¡±


    He didn¡¯t answer right away, ¡°I tell you what. Ten percent for me. Ten for you. Ten for refueling and repairing the ship. The rest goes to the kids¡± then he hastily added, ¡°But that wouldn¡¯t be every time. Most of the profits go to upgrading the ship and our gear. So, what do you say?¡±


    After a few long moments she told him that she¡¯d think about it.


    She put the helm on and tested the cloaking field. Its readings showed that it would envelope the new helmet.


    Eli entered the room, ¡°We¡¯re here.¡±


    She smiled under the helmet, ¡°I know. Let¡¯s go make their day.¡±


    They stepped out of the ship. The orphanage was within sight. The first thing that she had noticed was the roof. It was a patchwork of rotten lumber that looked like it could collapse at any moment. From there, her eyes had been drawn around the structure, from the dilapidated roof, to the ruined awnings, to the crumbling walls, she viewed each aspect of the ugly scene like it had been planned out by a renaissance painter.


    ¡°I¡¯ll stay on for a while,¡± she announced, ¡°At least until you hire a crew.¡±

 Chapter 30: Memories of Chaos

    Eli pressed the buzzer on the door to Gami¡¯s cabin. After a few moments she opened the door and greeted him with a polite nod. She was wearing her armor. She¡¯d been aboard for several days and he had yet to have seen her without it. But he knew from her use of the washing machine that she did change out the bodysuit which she wore underneath it.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got a job lined up for us, something low impact,¡± he said.


    ¡°Good. We need money, especially if we are going to install those turrets you were thinking about.¡±


    ¡°True. You get settled in?¡±


    Gami stepped aside so that he could see into the cramped room. She had lined the edges with weapons racks, one dedicated to curved, katana-style swords. There was a stand for her suit, upon which her helmet rested. The walls sported a few posters. Eli was surprised to see that they were depictions of cute animals and babies.


    ¡°We used a lot of Apogee-classes when I was with the Isenmok Security Service,¡± she stated, ¡°In a way, it feels like I¡¯ve returned to an old home.¡±


    ¡°I remember you mentioned being a part of that group. What was it like?¡±


    ¡°The Isenmok cluster consists of eleven star systems. They all had at least one habitable world. None of them had a stable government, not from at least a decade before I got there, not at any point while I served there, and probably not since then.¡±


    ¡°How long have you been gone?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d have to think about that. After my contract was up, I spent a few years traveling around studying different martial arts systems. Then I started working again. I¡¯ve been a bounty hunter for about a decade now.¡±


    ¡°But you just don¡¯t do that, right?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve done merc work and such, as long as it¡¯s for a good cause. What about you?¡± the question that she finished on sounded close to an accusation.


    Eli considered his response, ¡°I¡¯ve never done anything that I regret, if that¡¯s what you¡¯re wondering.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just trying to get to know you better. Afterall, if you¡¯re going to be my partner. It only makes sense.¡±


    ¡°Partner? I mean, don¡¯t get me wrong, I can be a team player, and I¡¯m willing to learn everything that I can from you, but I don¡¯t think that partner is the right word to use.¡±


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    ¡°And what is the right word?¡±


    ¡°Well, it is my ship.¡±


    ¡°So, crewmember, then.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t say that.¡±


    ¡°Then what are you saying?¡±


    Eli thought about this, after a few seconds he gave her his answer, ¡°You¡¯re a guest on my ship. Everything begins and ends there.¡±


    Gami tapped her foot, which to her people was like nodding her head, ¡°Fair enough.¡±


    She went into her cabin and came back out holding a pistol, which she presented to Eli. He took the weapon and admired it. The handgun was high capacity, trading stopping power for magazine size. The frame was long and boxy, but still managed to evoke a certain style.


    There was a symbol etched into the slide. It was the same as the one on her chest, the horizontal bar with wings above and below it. This one had a sequence of symbols on the bar. These symbols represented honor, duty, pride, martial prowess, and authority. Eli gave her the gun back.


    Gami let out a sigh, ¡°I remember my first mission with the ISS. There I was, a fifth order imp,¡± this was a slang term that was an equivalent of being at the bottom of the totem pole, ¡°I¡¯d been around, gotten into things before I joined up. I figured that I¡¯d been hardened by it.¡±


    ¡°I was the same when I enlisted.¡±


    ¡°I guess that we all are,¡± she said, a hint of sadness in her eyes, despite their artificial nature, ¡°A little wildcat mining ship had gone down on Yuung. The place had been civilized once.¡±


    ¡°What happened to it?¡±


    ¡°A series of wars. Conflicts so savage and widespread that the death tolls were in the billions. The survivors arguably had it worse. When we reached the crash site, we only found dead bodies. But the thing was that most of them had survived the initial impact. The natives had killed them. We could tell because the¡­the meat had been picked clean off the bones.¡±


    Eli listened in silence. He allowed himself to picture a different version of her, someone that lacked the hard edges. He omitted the cynicism and grace.


    ¡°We followed the tire tracks back to their camp. I was put on point, my rookie hazing. We could see the glow of their bonfires as we approached. The cages were the first thing that I noticed, why would they need so many cages? Their eyes when they charged at us. They¡¯d lost their minds a long time ago.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to talk about it if you don¡¯t want to.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. Nothing can stop me from remembering it. I¡¯ll bring my experiences back to my people, where they¡¯ll be added to the others. But that won¡¯t be for a while yet.¡±


    ¡°How long?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll be dead by then, even if you give up the gun and settle down somewhere. My walkabout will simply outlast your lifespan.¡±


    ¡°And you can remember everything?¡±


    ¡°Yes, every second, in perfect detail.¡±


    ¡°That sounds terrible.¡±


    ¡°Depends on the memory. There were a lot of good times. I served with some great people, and we did a lot of good. I¡¯m going to go to the storage room, get a count of our supplies.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a good idea. We are going to have some guests for a few days.¡±


    She started walking toward the rear of the secondary hull. Eli turned toward the ladder. He stopped, half-turned and spoke, ¡°You said that there weren¡¯t any governments in the cluster.¡±


    ¡°Yes. Just raiders and the juntas that ran the settlements.¡±


    ¡°Then who controlled your group?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Who sponsored your group?¡±


    ¡°Self-sponsored,¡± she said, as she entered the little supply room.

 Chapter 31: Easy Money

    Cavalier touched down on a worn and patched landing field. The sun was just starting to set. A little electric shuttle drove up, towing a trailer. The passengers got up off of the benches and grabbed their bags off of the trailer. Eli greeted the weary procession as they lumbered up the boarding ramp. Gami sat on a container in the cargo hold, pretending to read something on a tablet while she watched them through her helmet¡¯s visor.


    The first passenger was a tall, pale female with wild red hair. Eli wondered if she was the same species as Gami, till he saw that a second pair of arms grew out of her back, these were skeletal and naturally tipped with blades. She identified herself as Sateen.


    The second passenger was a spindly thing, like a network of tubes had taken on a humanoid form. It reminded Eli of a nervous or circulatory system. He had no idea how it perceived the world around it or took in nutrients. Its name was Thracia, and as it checked in, it made sure to mention that it was a skilled freelance computer engineer.


    The third was a tall and muscular female whose body was covered in brown fur. She smiled with a toothy maw. There were several natural holes in her chest and back, which reminded Eli of the hole on the top of a tarantula¡¯s head. Her name was Eibel.


    The fourth was named Lukas. Eli could picture the handsome being as a fashion model or a movie star, despite his alien features. The green and blue skin and the general shape of his face caused Eli to see him as an inhabitant of some lost undersea race, a noble and strong people.


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    The fifth was a leathery skinned businessman named Ka¡¯darka. His most notable feature was his wide head that curved up at the top. The sides were tipped with a pair of large, black eyes.


    ¡°Business or pleasure,¡± Eli jokingly asked.


    He didn¡¯t pick up on the joke, ¡°Just passage.¡±


    The sixth was humanoid and female, but everything else was a mystery, because she wore an encounter suit. An effort had been made to decorate this suit, the functional lines broken up by strips of colorful cloth and the occasional engraving. Her name was Azai.


    The seventh was a squat being with dark green skin. He wore red and yellow robes. Religious icons made of heavy metal hung from these robes. He identified himself as a monk. His name was Babur.


    The eighth and final passenger strutted up the ramp and into the ship. He was a big brute with dark grey fur and a long, toothy snout. Oddly, He kept looking over his shoulder while Eli checked him in. He went by the name Skant.


    The passengers went to their cabins. Eli raised the boarding ramp. Gami walked over to him.


    ¡°Anything interesting?¡± he asked.


    ¡°No, none of them have bounties or warrants in any databases that I have access to.¡±


    ¡°Great. A nice, quiet voyage will do us both some good.¡±


    ¡°Transporting passengers is boring and the profits are low.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s easy money,¡± he countered.


    ¡°¡¯Nothing which is easy is ever worth it,¡¯ the third mantra of D¨¹ren,¡± she recited the words proudly.


    ¡°Sometimes you just have to take what you can get. Now come on, it¡¯s time to get on the road.¡±

 Chapter 32: Passing Time

    The passengers got settled into their cabins. Eli took the ship into space and navigated to the hyperspace lane. From there, the simple autopilot program would take them down the lane.


    Although the view was great, the ship¡¯s little galley was too small for so many people, especially when some of them were rather big. So, he had them pick out what they wanted, and he prepared it himself. Azai, the woman in the encounter suit, was able to eat most of the same foods as him. So, he fixed them a meal which she suggested, something that looked like little lumps of orange clay.


    Gami made her own food. She arrived in the kitchen wearing a light, lose fitting robe made of a soft, white colored material. Her hair was down, resting on her shoulders. Her garment was slightly sheer. He could see the outline of her pale nipples and the blurred shapes where she had tattoos or cybernetic enhancements.


    They all gathered in the cargo hold, where a table and chairs had been set up. There they ate and drank and talked and laughed. The lumps of orange clay tasted like a soft pretzel. Azai opened her mask in quick bursts, popping one of the pieces into her mouth and closing the mask up again. Eli caught glimpses of bright pink skin and eyes that glowed white.


    They finished their meals, praising the chef and bringing out liquids and other substances, each according to what their species was affected by.  As with his food, Thracia dipped a few of its finger-shaped tendrils into a bowl and absorbed the liquid.


    Babur the monk excused himself, saying that his order forbade the imbibing of intoxicants. He would retire to his room to read from scripture before bed.


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    Eli put on music, a series of catchy albums from a pop band that were, strangely, members of a warrior race. He believed that this fact greatly enhanced the music.


    Gami was talking with Lukas. They were close enough and spoke in low enough tones that they were separate from the rest of the party.


    Skant, the big, grey furred being was sitting beside the brown furred female. Eli had noticed that they had slowly been moving closer and closer as the evening went on.


    ¡°What about you, Eibel, are you on vacation?¡± Skant asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid not. I¡¯m on a business trip. Lahnarr Shipwrights is thinking about opening up a new facility.¡±


    ¡°Really,¡± Ka¡¯darka said, slurring his words more than a bit, ¡°I¡¯m actually a financial officer for Quality Shipyards.¡±


    Eibel¡¯s expression soured, ¡°Is that a fact?¡±


    ¡°Yes, but I¡¯m thinking about changing my career,¡± he answered, a bit of fear had crept into his eyes.


    Thracia hastily changed the subject, ¡°What do you think about starship data systems? The ban on AI, while necessary, is a big hindrance. Tech has advanced so slowly for the past few thousand years, but I think that we are on the verge of a breakthrough!¡±


    Sateen, the one with the blade tipped arms, was drinking and smoking. Between puffs and sips, she took little jabs at the spindly computer programmer. He was oblivious to this. She finally got frustrated and went to her cabin.


    The evening rolled on. Laughter filled the bay. Gami and Eli amused the others when they got into a less than serious disagreement about how many times they had saved each other¡¯s lives. This was contrasted with how many times they had tried to kill each other.


    It started to get late, at least by the standard of the passengers. Skant and Eibel left together. Eli wondered why Azai felt that she needed to help him get to his room. He wasn¡¯t that drunk. He only stumbled a few times and didn¡¯t have too much trouble getting up the ladder. She helped him open the door, locked it behind her. Eli tried to help her out of the suit, but only seemed to get in the way, and yet, she didn¡¯t seem to mind.

 Chapter 33: Rude Awakening

    Eli awoke to the door buzzer. It kept going off, each time it was like a blow to his head. He got up, wrapped the bed sheet around his waist and stumbled over to it, head pounding. He opened the door and found Sateen standing there, looking distressed.


    ¡°There¡¯s been a murder!¡± she declared.


    ¡°What?¡± Eli asked dumbly, not yet fully awake.


    ¡°Ka¡¯darka, Ka¡¯darka is dead! Thracia found him. He¡¯s dead. Someone killed him.¡±


    ¡°Okay, okay, shit. I¡¯ll be down in a minute,¡± he started back into the room but turned back around, ¡°Please tell Gami. She¡¯s in the other cabin.¡±


    Bright pink against the white of the sheet as Azai turned over to face him. She rubbed her white eyes and put her hands against the little segmented bumps on the sides of her forehead. On her arms, and the sides of her stomach there were recesses, in which there were some kind of vent.


    As he put on his pants, boots, and pistol belt, he filled Azai in. She was slow to react. His head still hurt and he felt dirty, smelling like her secretions, which were flowery. She began the laborious task of putting her suit back on.


    He stepped into the corridor and started heading toward the ladder. Gami came out of her room. She was clad in something like a house robe, carried a big pistol in each hand. Lukas followed behind her, looking a bit sheepish.


    They made their way down the ladder and into the guest quarters. All of the passengers were out in the hall. Each looked bedraggled and shocked.


    The suite¡¯s door had been set to stay in the open position. Ka¡¯darka lay there on his bunk, stone dead. His blood had soaked the sheets. The look on his face was distressed, but his eyes were shut.


    Gami started aggressively asking questions, ¡°Who found him? Who¡¯s been in the room? Get out of there, Eli! You¡¯ll contaminate the crime scene.¡±


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    Thracia, the weird, tubular entity stepped forward, ¡°I found him. I panicked. I woke everyone up. I think that they all went in there to see for themselves.¡±


    ¡°Damn. Alright, I¡¯ll take a look.¡±


    ¡°Why you?¡± Skant demanded, ¡°For all we know, you were the one that did it.¡±


    Eli found himself jumping to her defense, ¡°Gami did time as a cop. I know her, she isn¡¯t the one that did this.¡±


    Gami spoke as she entered the room, ¡°I¡¯ve conducted over two hundred investigations, let me handle this.¡±


    ¡°Fine,¡± Skant growled.


    ***


    Gami gave the room a once over before she even looked at the body. Nothing looked out of place. All of the cheap, generic furnishings Eli had supplied the cabins with were intact and in place. It didn¡¯t look like his luggage had been gone through.


    There were no prints on the carpet. Even if there had been, they would have been compromised by the others.


    One single stab wound to the chest. His eyes were closed. His face was frozen in a grimace. A check of his hands and arms didn¡¯t reveal any defensive wounds. There was nothing on his hands or under his fingernails from a struggle.


    Gami knew the name of his species. She searched her databases and found anatomical charts. Just as she thought, the victim had been stabbed in exactly the most critical location. A nerve cluster rested above several vital organs. He probably didn¡¯t even wake up, only felt a sudden shift in his dreams, the last few moments of his existence transforming into a nightmare. The perfect silent kill.


    ¡°Ka¡¯darka was killed by someone that knew what they were doing,¡± Gami announced, ¡°The murderer knew exactly where to strike. This suggests that it is personal, or that the killer is a professional.¡±


    Eli addressed her, ¡°Gami, watch them. I¡¯ve got to check on something,¡± he went to the forward section.


    Gami stared them down, looking for tells. They looked around nervously, each passenger¡¯s eyes moving from one suspect to another. If any of them noticed something incriminating, they didn¡¯t show it.


    After a few minutes, Eli returned, ¡°I checked the cameras, the footage from last night has been erased and the cameras switched off.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have a password on it?¡±


    ¡°No. I didn¡¯t think that it was needed. I¡¯ll fix that issue when this is over.¡±


    ¡°What about the ship¡¯s auto logs?¡± Gami asked, ¡°They are hardcoded in and would be very difficult to tamper with.¡±


    ¡°The door to the bridge was opened some time after everyone went to their rooms. Then the door to the victim¡¯s cabin was opened a few minutes later. And a few minutes after that, the airlock was cycled.¡±


    ¡°They disposed of the evidence. I bet that there¡¯s a bloody knife floating somewhere in the void.¡±


    ¡°My thoughts exactly¡± he addressed the gathering as a whole, ¡°Everyone into the cargo hold. We¡¯re going to figure out who the killer is.¡±

 Chapter 34: Tension

    Eli and Gami escorted the seven passengers to the cargo hold.


    ¡°Alright, we¡¯re going to get to the bottom of this. I know that Azai didn¡¯t do it because I was with her at the time.¡±


    ¡°You slept with her?¡± Gami, said, taken aback, ¡°You really do have a death wish.¡±


    Azai became more than a little animated, ¡°I made sure that it was safe for him. I used the scanner and everything.¡±


    What had happened suddenly dawned on Eli, ¡°She wears that suit for our protection, not hers.¡±


    ¡°Exactly,¡± Gami said, ¡°Her people are highly toxic to most other species. You¡¯re very lucky.¡±


    Eli shrugged. Azai¡¯s posture told everyone that she was fuming, even if they couldn¡¯t see her face.


    ¡°And I can vouch for Lukas,¡± Gami added.


    Eli frowned, pointed to one of the clamp-lined spots where cargo containers could be secured, ¡°You two over there, that¡¯s the spot for the ones we¡¯ve cleared,¡± then he turned to Gami, ¡°Who else?¡±


    ¡°Babur. The monk. His order takes a vow against killing.¡±


    ¡°How do you know that he isn¡¯t an imposter?¡± Eli asked.


    ¡°When I studied Bayhi they would make pilgrimages to the temple, which is a sacred site in many faiths. It would be nearly impossible to fake all of their mannerisms and practices.¡±


    The short being in the robes spoke, his face and tone showing no signs of lying, ¡°I can assure you, Captain, I didn¡¯t kill Ka¡¯darka.¡±


    Gami looked at Eli, ¡°They also take a vow to always tell the truth. A member of his order is totally honest, even if telling a lie could save lives.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± Eli gestured to where Azai and Lukas stood, ¡°Join them.¡±


    ¡°Eibel was with me,¡± Skant declared.


    Eibel chimed in, ¡°That¡¯s true.¡±


    Eli smirked at the pair, ¡°So, that must mean that if one of you did it, then the other one was in on it too.¡±


    Skant balked, ¡°You think that you can talk to us like that?¡±


    ¡°I do. It¡¯s my ship, and I¡¯ve got a gun. You understand the power of a firearm because you are a veteran.¡±


    ¡°Good catch!¡± Gami said enthusiastically, ¡°The way he stands, the way that he moves with a sense of purpose. Why didn¡¯t you mention it? You spent the whole night wooing Eibel, but you didn¡¯t boast about being a soldier?¡±


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    He looked away, spoke in an uncomfortable tone, ¡°I didn¡¯t say anything because I¡¯m a deserter. I wasn¡¯t a commando or anything. I was just main line infantry. I didn¡¯t do it.¡±


    ¡°Why did you desert?¡±


    ¡°I was a conscript in what was supposed to be a defense force. I was willing to do my time and fight if necessary. But they decided to pick a fight with a Vorak Liburna.¡±


    Eli had heard of them before. The Vorak had been the Talgar¡¯s warriors before they had switched to the terror drones. Now, they wandered around, the old spawning ships converted into homes for nomadic clans and warlords.


    ¡°You two,¡± Eli pointed at another cargo zone, ¡°Over there. That¡¯s for the ones that we aren¡¯t sure about.¡±


    The pair of big aliens complied.


    Gami gestured toward Sateen, who was staring at the human, ¡°Be careful, Eli. Askari have evolved to close the distance in a flash. And the majority of them are masters of melee combat.¡±


    ¡°Thanks for the advice. That brings it to you. The airlock could have been a ruse. There could still be blood residue on your arm blades. Or you could have used a knife to avoid that problem. Well, you got an alibi?¡±


    She kept the second set of arms folded across her chest, which the tadvash interpreted as a defensive stance, ¡°I¡¯m innocent. I haven¡¯t seen or heard of that guy before I boarded your ship.¡±


    ¡°Alright, go join the furballs,¡± he looked at Thracia, ¡°And finally, there¡¯s you.¡±


    Thracia stood there, practically frozen in horror, like a textbook illustration of the nervous system of someone that has been frightened.


    A hard edge in Eli¡¯s voice, ¡°You made damn sure that everyone knew that you were a computer programmer. That¡¯s a nice cover, a nerd that couldn¡¯t hurt a fly.¡±


    ¡°A computer tech could have tampered with the auto log, covered for someone else,¡± Gami added.


    ¡°True,¡± Eli said thoughtfully.


    Resolve crept in, then it turned into a sudden rush, erasing the apprehension, ¡°You people are crazy! Worst, then that, you are stupid! It was obviously Eibel.¡±


    She gasped. Skant made a show out of being upset.


    Eli pointed at Thracia with his chin, ¡°Go on.¡±


    ¡°The victim worked for Quality Shipyards. She¡¯s a member of a rival company. I¡¯ve worked data security in that industry. I¡¯ve heard things. Those two firms have placed assassination contracts on each other before.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a wild rumor!¡± Eibel shouted, ¡°My company hasn¡¯t assassinated any one since it was a noble house.¡±


    ¡°You saw how scared he got when he realized that he shouldn¡¯t have spoken. She killed him, probably thinks that she¡¯ll get a promotion out of it.¡±


    ¡°You were the one who found him!¡± Eibel shouted, ¡°Why were you in there?¡±


    ¡°I wanted to see if he wanted to get breakfast. I thought I could land a job with his corp. But you messed that up by killing him.¡±


    She denied it. The argument burned out there. They went back to nervously looking at each other. Gami stood back, watching.


    ¡°Let¡¯s see if any of you have a cover story that you haven¡¯t fully memorized,¡± Eli said, picking up a tablet and accessing the passenger list. He proceeded to quiz the passengers on details, such as the spelling of their names and their dates of birth. They answered nervously, as if they were afraid that they would somehow mess it up.


    That was when Eli noticed something odd. He double checked it, then turned toward Babur, ¡°I think that you accidentally paid twice. When this is over with, I¡¯ll make sure that you get a refun-¡±


    The human¡¯s words came to a halt when he realized what had happened. He drew his sidearm. Gami pointed her guns and the monk. The others gasped and took several steps back.


    Babur¡¯s mannerisms changed radically, so that he didn¡¯t seem like the same individual, ¡°You figured it out, congratulations,¡± he said, sounding less like a monk, and more like a hardened killer.


    ¡°Where are they hiding?¡± Gami demanded.

 Chapter 35: The Ninth Passenger

    ¡°I don¡¯t understand,¡± Thracia blurted out.


    Eli laid it out for them, ¡°The monk¡¯s vows demand complete honesty. He helped a stowaway get aboard, the one who murdered Ka¡¯darka. Even though he helped a killer, he still had to pay the other passenger¡¯s fare.¡±


    The monk¡¯s mannerisms changed again, now he seemed passive, ¡°Captain, you must think that I¡¯m a hypocrite, or that my faith simply doesn¡¯t make any sense if I cover the fare of a murderer. I will tell you this: it isn¡¯t my place to kill, but that doesn¡¯t apply to everyone. Some people are meant to fight and take lives, it is their destiny. And I can assure you, my companion has reason to kill.¡±


    His mannerisms changed again, ¡°My friend knows that he is in the right. We had a good reason to take care of Ka¡¯darka. You see, we¡¯re the stowaway. And yes, we did it. We waited till everyone was in their cabins. We disabled the cams. We killed Ka¡¯darka and threw the weapon out of the airlock.¡±


    ¡°Why are you talking like that?¡± Eli asked.


    ¡°Of course!¡± Gami exclaimed, ¡°He¡¯s got a Drakulich colony in his brain.¡±


    ¡°Sounds like a parasite,¡± Eli observed.


    Babur spoke, still in that radically altered manner, ¡°Many see us as such. We are called Shikakuu. The monk saw our relationship as closer to symbiotic. When the opportunity to be the host of our hive mind was presented to him, he jumped at it. But it was more than that. He knew that helping us was the just thing to do. Ka¡¯darka was a member of a group that seeks to exterminate our people.¡±


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    ¡°And you eliminated the threat,¡± Gami stated.


    ¡°Yes. Our enemy is winning. There aren¡¯t many of us left. This colony has dedicated itself to fighting back.¡±


    ¡°Eli, listen,¡± Gami said, ¡°I¡¯ve run into one of these beings before. In order for them to take such an extreme stance, they had to have purged their hive of all dissenters.¡±


    ¡°So, we aren¡¯t just dealing with a terrorist, but also a nation that survived a civil war.¡±


    ¡°Exactly. And now we have to ask ourselves if it is right to turn him in or not. Was killing Ka¡¯darka the right thing to do if he is trying to exterminate them?¡±


    ¡°Depends on whether or not he¡¯s really a parasite or a symbiote. Hell, that might depend on the individual hive.¡±


    Babur spoke, this time it was the monk himself, ¡°Captain, please join us. You and Gami are warriors, and this ship would be a great asset to our cause.¡±


    Several long moments passed before Eli replied, ¡°I¡¯m not gonna lie, you had me wondering for a sec there. But you killed someone on my ship without asking permission first, and that¡¯s unacceptable. Gami, where can we find an honest government to take him for trial.¡±


    ¡°They are rare. On Garbo III they¡¯ve managed to keep a small, representative government. It¡¯s been a struggle, but they¡¯ve made it work.¡±


    The hive took over, ¡°We won¡¯t allow ourselves to be captured. There are too few of us and our mission is too important,¡± he showed them a device on his wrist, ¡°Last night, we did more than remove that threat. We placed a bomb on the power core. It can be manually detonated, and it acts as a dead man¡¯s switch as well. If you kill or incapacitate our gracious host, it will go off. Now, bring the ship out of hyperspace at the nearest settled system. Cavalier belongs to us now.¡±

 Chapter 36: Ready to Go Off

    In the memory, Eli walked toward a large military vehicle. He had once heard a passerby refer to it as a hybrid of a school bus and an excavator. This comparison neglected the tan paint job and prodigious armor.


    Eli wore a US army combat uniform, the rank of sergeant on his chest. On his right shoulder, the old stars and stripes. On his left shoulder, the patch that identified him as a member of an EOD team, the military version of the bomb squad. Under that, a ranger scroll, the symbol of those soldiers that had passed an elite course.


    A young woman walked beside him. She wore blue jeans and a button-up shirt. Over this, a flack vest with the word ¡°PRESS¡± emblazoned on it. Her sunglasses and short blond hair gave her an air that was close to, but not quite defiant.


    ¡°In your opinion, how is the war going?¡± she asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s become a sick game where we try to keep them from blowing us up and they figure out ways around our countermeasures. My team¡¯s mission is to deal with the roadside bombs.¡±


    ¡°And how is this achieved?¡±


    ¡°Usually via controlled detonation. Sometimes, we try to keep the devices intact.¡±


    ¡°So that you can study them?¡±


    ¡°Yes. We have to stay a step ahead of them. In order to do that, we have to keep the enemy from detonating them.¡±


    ¡°How do the insurgents detonate the IEDs?¡±


    ¡°They are very devious. They¡¯ve used everything from buried wires to thermal cameras to trigger them. The most common is a good old fashion cell phone.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Yes.,¡± Eli grinned ¡°Now, get in the truck, and hope that our jammer gets the job done.¡±


    ***


    The bridge of Cavalier was crowded. The hive had forced Eli, Gami, and the other passengers into it. Presently, the ship was cruising down a hyperspace lane. A populated system was just a half an hour away.


    The view out the forward-facing windows was strange. It was something like a thunderstorm. Clouds, only made of silver energy loomed in mammoth banks. These clouds were on all sides, at all elevations. Flat beams of light shot between them, the colors seemingly random. White dots grew out of nothing, burst apart just as they formed. A tunnel had been bore through this madness. Every once in a while, they passed one of the small structures that kept the lane intact.


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    Babur and the hive mind known as Shikakuu were sitting at one of the control stations. They had the guns they had taken from Eli and Gami lined up on the console. Skant, the veteran, was talking to him, trying to convince him to stop, just as they were trying to convert him to their cause.


    ¡°Destroying the power core would cause severe damage, but it wouldn¡¯t destroy the ship,¡± Gami stated.


    ¡°Makes me think that our terrorist is still a novice.¡±


    ¡°It does suggest that.¡±


    ¡°But still, it would cost a fortune to repair. We need to jam the signal.¡±


    ¡°What if it works the other way around? What if losing contact with a continuous signal sets it off?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s too risky. The device that he showed us looked like a communicator. The bomb would be triggered when a call is placed to another communicator, which is wired directly to the charge.¡±


    ¡°How do you know this?¡± Gami asked.


    ¡°I was a combat engineer. I used to disarm bombs for a living. I¡¯ve built a few too.¡±


    ¡°No offence, but this isn¡¯t your primitive world.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t think that I caught myself up? Besides, we stole munitions from the Sad¡¯Daki to use against them.¡±


    ¡°Fair enough. So, we need to find a way to jam the signal or disconnect the communicator from the bomb.¡±


    ¡°Yes, but it¡¯s probably set up to go off if we do that. I¡¯ll have to take a look at it first. I¡¯ve got a jammer that I took from a Sad¡¯Daki patrol. It¡¯s in the workshop.¡±


    ¡°Whether we go for the bomb or the jammer, the problem is still the same. We have to find a way to get away from him.¡±


    ***


    In the memory Eli stood in front of his brigade commander, the highest, most severe authority they could immediately put him in front of. It was a whole room full of angry, men and women, each with a hair-trigger temper and the mentality of a prison warden. Outside the tent, a sandstorm converted the morning sun into an eerie orange glow.


    The commander addressed him as one might address an animal that had misbehaved, ¡°Private Cisneros, do you understand why we did what we did?¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think that you do,¡± this was his first sergeant, a man who he had not seen express joy once during the year and a half he had known him.


    ¡°First Sergeant, I completed the assigned task. I answered her questions and made us look good.¡±


    ¡°You endangered a journalist,¡± the commander countered.


    ¡°Sir. She understood the risks. She wanted to go. And her piece was very favorable.¡±


    ¡°She was wounded by an IED!¡±


    Eli thought about making his case, that it had only been a minor wound, that they had promptly given her first aid. But he knew that it was a lost cause. So, he just said, ¡°It built character.¡±


    ¡°Being a smart ass isn¡¯t going to help you. On top of everything else, you slept with her!¡±


    ¡°It helped to give her a good opinion of the military,¡± he countered.


    ¡°This, this is why your military career will end in failure!¡± his first sergeant bellowed, ¡°You can earn back the rank that you lost. You can receive awards and accolades. But at the end of the day, you will let your twisted impulses get the better of you.¡±

 Chapter 37: Ready to Go Off Part 2

    Gami walked over to Shikakuu, and his host, Babur. He picked up one of the pistols but didn¡¯t point it at her. Eli stayed at a respectful distance while she asked if she could go to her room to take some medication.


    ¡°Of course you can, but remember,¡± he pointed to the screen that displayed the feed from the security cameras, ¡°We are watching.¡±


    She nodded, thanked him, and left. Eli approached, made sure to not get close enough to spook him.


    ¡°And how can I help you?¡± Babur asked.


    ¡°I was thinking about your offer.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid that it is too late for that, captain. Take heart, your ship will be used for a good cause.¡±


    On the monitor, Gami hurried into her room, setting the door so that it stayed in the open position. From the camera¡¯s vantage point, they couldn¡¯t see into her room.


    Eli was able to tell when Shikakuu took over. He started fiddling with the security feed, switching between the available cameras. He was unable to find one that could see into her room.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you have a camera in that room?¡± the hive mind asked Eli.


    ¡°No. I respect the privacy of my crew and my guests.¡±


    ¡°Respectable but foolish.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m saying this, but you¡¯re too paranoid.¡±


    ¡°Surviving the things that we¡¯ve been through does that.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d like to hear about it. I¡¯ve been through a few things myself.¡±


    ¡°Not like us,¡± Shikakuu sneered.


    If the hive mind or its host noticed the distortion of light on the monitor, they didn¡¯t give off any tells that Eli could pick up on. Now she had to make her way to the workshop, balancing speed against the risk of being spotted. But she had Eli to help distract him.


    ¡°Try me,¡± Eli said, hoping that he didn¡¯t tip him off by sounding too much like he was trying to provoke the entity.


    ¡°Ka¡¯darka wasn¡¯t our first kill. He won¡¯t be the last. We¡¯ve had to kill many times before. Sometimes, it¡¯s what must be done.¡±


    Sudden inspiration. The original plan had been to get him to engage in an ideological discussion, maybe convince him that Eli could be converted. But this was much better. Shikakuu had convinced itself that it was not only capable but obligated to do anything that it deemed to be necessary. This naturally defaulted to the mentality that extreme measures and mercilessness was always required.


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    ¡°I can admire someone that has that kind of will,¡± Eli said, ¡°On my home world, such things were done many times throughout history. Populations were starved, cities carpet bombed, massive prisons established, all for a good cause.¡±


    ¡°True. Very true. Those civilizations carry our spirit with them. We¡¯ve done terrible things, we¡¯ll admit that. But we never let the horror of it cause us to waver.¡±


    ¡°Tell me,¡± Eli said, trying his best to sound like a student that wants a wise teacher to reveal some harsh, but necessary truth.


    ¡°We were being hunted. Our host was unwilling, but we had run out of options. He was a crewmember aboard a passenger ship. The kill team tracked us to the vessel. They didn¡¯t tell the crew why they were there, didn¡¯t want to spook them. This was a wise move, we subverted it.¡±


    ¡°Wait, you let the crew know that you were aboard?¡±


    A little frustration in its voice, ¡°She¡¯s taking too long,¡± it keyed the intercom mic, ¡°You¡¯ve got five minutes to make it back, or we kill your friend.¡±


    ¡°You let the crew know about you?¡± Eli pressed.


    ¡°Yes. Of course. We knew that their paranoia would get the best of them. The hunters thought that one of them had said the wrong thing and raised their suspicions. From there, we killed various members of the crew, leaving behind false clues. At one point, we had them thinking that we had taken control of one of the hunters.¡±


    ¡°How far did it go?¡±


    ¡°Till our host was the only one left. Our host was a young and beautiful woman. We were all tears and horror stories when the ship was found. They took us in without question.¡±


    It was suddenly the monk again, the arrogance instantly wiped away, ¡°You kept that from me. What else have you hidden?¡±


    The hive again, ¡°Stay out of there! You can¡¯t handle that! We had to! We had to!¡±


    The monk spoke with dignified defiance, ¡°You keep saying that. You keep telling yourself that. It isn¡¯t true. It is a cover for cruelty. I can see that now. I can see every one of your sins.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m losing control!¡± Shikakuu growled. He pressed the call button on his communicator. Nothing happened. He pushed it again, nothing.


    The hive mind was incensed, ¡°We should have killed you earlier. We were too merciful. We won¡¯t make that mistake again.¡±


    Shikakuu pointed the gun at Eli. A little hint of the monk as he removed his finger from the trigger. Shikakuu fought back, sticking the finger back in the trigger well.


    Eli looked into the being¡¯s eyes, ¡°Babur, you can do it. Don¡¯t let that monster win.¡±


    One last effort. The gun fell out of the monk¡¯s hand. Eli snatched it out of the air. Sateen darted across the room and swept her arm across the consol, knocking the other handguns to the floor. Skant and Thracia scooped up the weapons as they clattered around.


    Babur fell out of the chair. Eli got down next to him. Lukas ripped a medkit off of the wall and tossed it to the human.


    The monk spoke in a low, weak voice, ¡°Shikakuu forgot, I have spent countless hours meditating. I have mastered my mind. Thank you, captain. I will repent for my mistake,¡± with that, he passed out cold.


    The door to the bridge opened, Gami entered, the jammer in her hand, ¡°I see that you took care of him.¡±


    ¡°Not me. The host ended up rejecting the hive. We need to get him to a medical team so that they can get that thing out of his head.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re almost at the spot where he planned to drop us off at. They can take care of him there. I have to say, this trip wasn¡¯t anywhere near as boring as I was worried it would be.¡±

 Chapter 38: Pain & the Void

    The monk had been taken to the hospital. The other passengers had been dropped off at their destination. Now they were between jobs. That was where the real danger was, when the mind started to wander.


    Kirjen and Jussco had a mission for them. It would take them several days to reach the hyperspace lane that would get them to it.


    Gami was in the cargo hold. Eli had watched her for a while. Her exercises were as beautiful as they were brutal. She wore a strange, weighted suit, like the images he had seen French artists from the 70s dream up.


    Now Eli sat on the floor in his cabin, the Sad¡¯Daki artifact laying in front of him. He allowed the rituals they had taught him to pass in front of his mind¡¯s eye. He focused on the intricacies, analyzing them, figuring out ways to reverse or mock them.


    He had music playing. It was something psychedelic, something with heavy, ultra fuzzy guitars and hallowed organs. These songs must have been created in the light of a far-off sun, under the guidance of some extraterrestrial hallucinogen.


    Calling up the faces of his wife, son, and daughter, he used that agony to keep his will sharp.


    Things from outside took little nips at him. They begged to be let in. He smiled, cast them away.


    How to convince Gami that they should attack the Sad¡¯Daki? He pondered the problem.


    She was a virtuous person, she understood that the Sad¡¯Daki were a negative force in the universes. Opposing them was the right thing to do. That was a problem for another day.


    First, he had to keep her from turning him in to whoever¡¯s laws he was about to violate. Again, this would be a matter of morality.


    ***


    Gami swung the sword. The motion was not just fed by muscle memory, but by a sharp need. For her, the strike was a call to a higher power, a tribute to something greater than herself.


    Memories forced their way past the pain and fatigue. She¡¯d stopped trying to resist them a long time ago. It was healthy to let them do what they needed to do to her.


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    She squeezes the trigger. The target drops his machete as he falls. She moves the sight a bit to the right and squeezes it again. The downed target fires wildly as he falls. Even with the buttstock tight against her shoulder, the recoil still hits her hard.


    It was right that acts of violence always came with a price. She put the sword down and adopted the Kinski style of kickboxing. After a short warm up, she punched an empty container. This act came with its own little price, a little hint of pain.


    Her sergeant watches over her as she pries the crystals off of the dead soldiers¡¯ foreheads. Her hands are unsteady. It is difficult to get the edge of the blade under the crystals, as they are a natural thing, directly attached to the central nervous system. He tells her to hurry up. They don¡¯t have much time. And each of those crystals is proof of a kill.


    Gami switched to the system that the Isenmok Security Service used. This had been her first style, her introduction to the martial arts. She went through the simple, functional movements in order, from the top of the list to the bottom, each category undertaken in turn.


    She stumbles out of the smoked filled room. Her mask had filtered out the fumes, but one of the strike plates had failed. She places a hand on her side, trying to slow the flow of blood. The jagged piece of shrapnel pokes through the palm of her glove, piercing her skin. She watches through cracked eye pieces as several members of another team run toward her. She shouts a warning about explosive vests. One of them helps her while the others enter the room.


    More of these cruel memories flooded in. Her answer was the focused cruelty of Rijalva, a common style of advance, military service focused melee combat.


    ***


    Eli sat on the edge of the bed. He was staring at the screen of his tablet, going over lists of prices, comparing them to job offerings. The turrets were next, a pair of dual, general purpose pulse cannons on the dorsal and ventral surfaces. The ship had been designed for their inclusion, so it would be quick and relatively cheap to have them installed. They would be controlled from the bridge.


    What about after that?


    More armor? That would make the ship slower.


    A better shield would be a solid investment. The more charges, the more expensive they got. This was true of personal shields as well as those used on starships.


    They just needed to get enough money together to fund a hit and fade campaign. If they were successful enough, they would inspire others.


    An alarm shattered his thoughts. He jumped up and raced out of his room. He dashed into the bridge and discovered the source of the disturbance. He settled down at one of the consoles and started to analyze the problem.


    Gami entered the bridge.


    ¡°What is it?¡± she asked.


    ¡°There¡¯s a distress signal coming from an uncharted debris field.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s more than likely a trap. But we still have to investigate in case someone actually does need help.¡±


    ¡°True,¡± he said with a chuckle, ¡°And if it is a trap, we need to find a way to keep someone else from falling for it.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll deal with that if it comes to it. Now, let¡¯s get ready.¡±

 Chapter 39: Cautious Approach

    ¡°Looks like it¡¯s in far orbit, way out beyond the final ice planet,¡± Gami observed.


    They were passively scanning the collection of random junk. There was enough room to maneuver their ship, but in many places it would get close. No signs of life. No thruster bursts. No com signals. Just cold metal.


    Pieces of equipment, ranging from small appliances to starship subsystems floated around. Hundreds of sections of melted and mangled hull plates were present. Other pieces of starships, including the wreck of a fighter could be seen. There was the upper deck of an Apogee class. A few small asteroids were mixed in, contrasting with the refined metal and plastics. They even spotted the discarded shell of an old chemical rocket. All of it orbited around a derelict warship, the class of which the computer and Gami were both unable to identify.


    ¡°It look natural to you?¡± Eli asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s possible. Look in the center. That big dreadnought might have enough gravity to attract the rest of it over time. Maybe a part of the artificial gravity system is still active. Stranger things have happened.¡±


    They had received another distress call on the way there. It was a general call for aid, prerecorded in an artificial trade language that was created before the tadvash.


    ¡°Could be some nice salvage in there,¡± Eli suggested.


    ¡°Could be. Could be a lot of things.¡±


    ¡°Ya, and one of them might be a stranded starship crew.¡±


    ¡°True. Let¡¯s get in there and find out what¡¯s going on.¡±


    Eli settled into the retractable cockpit. Gami sat at one of the bridge¡¯s adaptable control consoles. She focused on monitoring the scanner and communications system while the human flew the ship into the debris field.


    Eli slid the ship around a com satellite that looked like it had taken a hit from a meteor. He maneuvered around an engine that was twice the size of Cavalier. Then he struggled to avoid a smashed-up cargo container. He shut off the proximity hazard warning, as it was constantly blaring.


    ¡°Anything?¡± he asked Gami via the internal com.


    ¡°Nothing yet. Should we risk active scanning?¡±


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    ¡°No. Don¡¯t try to raise them either. If it is a trap, stealth is our best approach.¡±


    ¡°Then how are we supposed to find the people that are in need of help?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll make damn sure that it¡¯s safe first. They¡¯ll understand.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s for the best,¡± Gami agreed, ¡°But the longer that we stay in here, the more likely we¡¯ll take a hit.¡±


    The junk was starting to get so thick that he could barely see outside of the debris field. He could no longer pick out individual stars. The only things he could see were the system¡¯s distant sun and the burning orange light of a nebula.


    ¡°Just heard the distress signal again,¡± Gami told him, ¡°It came from somewhere on the dreadnought but it¡¯s difficult to pinpoint.¡±


    ¡°Luring us in deeper,¡± Eli suggested.


    ¡°Maybe. I haven¡¯t seen any movement.¡±


    Then he saw it, a brief flash of light, a little dot of green that was gone in a blink. He straightened the ship out as best as he was able and focused on that spot. There was nothing out of the ordinary there, at least that he could tell with all of the junk floating around. Perhaps it had been a glimpse of a particularly bright star. Then it happened again. He could have sworn that it was pointed at Cavalier.


    ¡°I just saw something, a light,¡± he informed Gami, before giving her a rough estimate of its coordinates.


    It happened again. Gami indicated that she had seen it on the camera feed. Eli dodged a few pieces of scrap metal, before focusing on the area in question.


    ¡°I think it might be an intact ship,¡± she announced.


    ¡°Really? Any idea what kind?¡±


    ¡°A light cargo hauler would be my best guess. I¡¯m seeing some damage, possibly from combat.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll head toward it. Keep your head on the swivel.¡±


    Eli vectored the craft toward the spot that Gami indicated using the scanner readout. It was an especially thick patch of debris. The wreck of the dreadnought loomed behind it.


    The light flashed a few more times, occasionally in fast pulses. He was unable to tell if this was something like Morse code, or if they just wanted to make sure that the signal was seen. The tadvash stayed silent.


    After a few minutes of steady cruising, he was able to visually pick out the small freighter. It was a simple, functional design. Bays and clamps for containers were positioned in long rows on the sides of a central spine. The crew quarters and life support were located at the front. There was a small hangar on the topside, a bit forward of the engines. A pair of turrets were mounted on the front section.


    The red paint that outlined the bays was heavily chipped. On a flat section the silhouette of a mountain had been painted in green. Under this, the name of the ship had been stenciled: Rust Goddess.


    He saw the light one more time. It was coming from one of the ship¡¯s portholes.


    Gami spoke, ¡°I¡¯m picking up some very faint power readings. They¡¯re laying low, alright. Just enough energy to keep the life support going.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a bad sign. Ever see that symbol before?¡±


    ¡°The mountain? Probably just a corporate logo.¡±


    Something happened. Lights in different spots, many of them near the dead warship. At first it was just one, but many others quickly joined it. Jets of white light, popping and casting out molten sparks. They were filled with a pattern that reminded him of TV static. The tadvash spoke, saying things like, ¡°They¡¯re here,¡± and, ¡°More prey,¡± and, ¡°We have them.¡±

 Chapter 40: Rust Goddess

    Eli moved the ship behind the burned out remains of a slowly rotating power core, ¡°Did you see that?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Yes. This is bad. It¡¯s definitely a trap, they just jammed our long-range coms.¡±


    Resolve in his response, ¡°I¡¯ll blast my way out, or die trying.¡±


    ¡°Fleeing certainly isn¡¯t an option. They just activated a hyperspace field jammer. We can¡¯t change dimensions while we¡¯re anywhere near that dreadnought. They also powered up a large tractor beam. If they spot us, we¡¯re theirs for the taking.¡±


    ¡°Damn. Okay. I¡¯m gonna try to reach that freighter. If it¡¯s another victim of this trap, they¡¯ll make a good ally. If it¡¯s a part of the trap, then the goal is to take hostages.¡±


    ¡°Good thinking. I¡¯ll highlight a small hanger located on the topside.¡±


    Eli worked his way over to the stricken vessel, always keeping something between them and the massive ship. More jets of white, static flame. These got closer and came from all sides. Their messages were related to coordination and calling out the location of their prey.


    Eli turned off the primary thrusters, choosing to coast the rest of the way. He caught flashes of the messages that the lights carried. They had lost track of Cavalier, at least for the moment.


    ¡°You get a good look at them?¡± he asked.


    ¡°No. The only thing that I saw was a few black dots. They might be out there in EVA suits.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fine, I can take those out.¡±


    ¡°If you can get a bead on them. They might be highly maneuverable,¡± Gami warned.


    ¡°That¡¯s a weird way of communicating.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s my first time seeing something like that too.¡±


    They reached the vessel. Eli extended the landing gear and settled down in the little hangar bay, which was barely large enough to accommodate the craft. They almost crushed a few plastic barrels that were sitting up against a wall.


    Eli retracted the cockpit section. He had a selection of weapons lying against one of the control panels. Already wearing a heavy vest, he was ready for a fight.


    Gami was in her armor and kitted out as usual, ¡°How we playing this? I could use the cloak and go in first, scout it out.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a good plan, but I say we stick together. Move fast and get out of there quick.¡±


    ¡°Agreed. We haven¡¯t practiced room clearing together.¡±


    He picked up the simple pump-action that he¡¯d begun to fall in love with, ¡°We¡¯ll just have to hope that we can make it work.¡±


    They exited the ship, making sure to secure it before they left the hangar. It was dark, a few emergency lights providing the only illumination. Eli slipped his night vision glasses on. Gami¡¯s artificial eyes had basic night vision capability. The place was cold enough that Eli could see his breath.


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    Weapons at the ready, the pair started up the central spine. The tunnel was wide and tall. It stretched out far enough that Eli knew his shotgun¡¯s buckshot would spread out to the point of being completely useless if something hostile came through the door at the opposite end of the spine. Beyond that hatchway, they would find the crew quarters and living area.


    They entered the first bay, sweeping their weapons across its length. It was large enough that a decent sized home could fit inside of it. Aside from the wear and tear that had been done moving cargo around, the walls were plain and bare. This one only housed a scattering of small crates.


    They moved onto the next hold. Large containers formed a maze. The pair moved through it quickly, checking corners, doubling back after running into dead ends. Eli was starting to get used to the cold, but the dark still pressed in on him, the thought of what it might conceal causing his mind to race.


    They entered another one of the cargo bays. This one was just as dark as the others. There was some damage on one of the sidewalls, maybe an incompetent forklift operator had run one of the blades down it. There was a collection of pallets and gaylords, most of them stuffed with discount goods.


    They were well into the bay when he spotted it. There was something hanging from the ceiling. It had what looked like a pair of leathery wings wrapped around itself, like a bat. He could only see the top half of its head, make out a pair of low, swept back ears that ended in points. The thing¡¯s eyes opened. Light from the corridor shone in two black orbs.


    Before he could make a sound, the thing detached itself from the ceiling and flew at them. It darted in between the two bounty hunters. They started to take aim but stopped when they realized that they might hit one another.


    ¡°What the hell was that?¡± Eli asked, as frustrated as he was startled.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. It wasn¡¯t any species that I recognize. But I¡¯d wager that it was intelligent, given the way it went between us like that.¡±


    ¡°Good thing we are so disciplined. Well, at least we know that there¡¯s something alive on this ship.¡±


    ¡°And now it knows that we¡¯re here. Let¡¯s keep moving.¡±


    They went back into the spine. There was no sign of the flying creature. They cleared the final few bays without incident. Then it was onto the living area.


    The cramped corridor that they entered was just as dark as those parts of the ship that they had already seen. The scant sources of light softly washed across the pieces of equipment and control systems that were imbedded in the walls. The stark, functional nature of the environment was broken up by wall hangings. As they moved up the corridor, the tadvash spoke of religious parables and the good works of countless deities.


    ¡°What¡¯s with these decorations?¡± he asked Gami in a low voice.


    ¡°I was wondering the same thing. They are clearly from a wide variety of faiths. I recognize several of them and they aren¡¯t remotely related to one another.¡±


    They started searching individual rooms. The galley was as dark and silent as the rest of the vessel. They gave the cages in the toolroom a once over, found nothing of interest. The provision room was also vacant.


    Eli and Gami entered the chamber that contained the power core and several other pieces of vital equipment. A walkway wrapped around the bulbus mass of metal. Banks of slowly shifting lights lined the walls.


    Something stepped into the chamber. They kept their weapons on it as it moved along the walkway toward them and came to a halt.


    The being was short, the top of its head flush with Eli¡¯s navel. It was bipedal and had two arms but the proportions were much stockier than a typical human. Its face was similar to a cat¡¯s. The fur was blue grey. His hands were three fingered, they, and his thumbs sported short claws.


    Like the flying thing that they had seen earlier, the pointed ears were low and swept back, as if he was moving at great speed. The eyes were large and totally black, and yet, he saw nothing sinister in them, only a tempered sense of warmth and wonder.


    It wore a baggy jumpsuit which was a faded shade of orange. The garment sported many pockets. A tool carrier was slung across his belly. There was a pair of little work boots on his feet. And he wore a belt with a small handgun and a shield projector on it.


    The thing spoke, its words akin to ethereal and laced with a focused rawness, ¡°Lower your guns, dumbasses,¡± he turned and started walking into an adjoining room, ¡°Come on, I¡¯ve got a plan to get us out of here.¡±

 Chapter 41: One Mountain

    ¡°The best kind of plan is a simple one,¡± the short, furry being said as it strolled into the next room, ¡°We let them capture Rust Goddess with that gravity beam. At the last moment, we hit the accelerator, ramming it into the emitter.¡±


    ¡°And we fly away in my ship,¡± Eli said, a big smile on his face and a vicious look in his eyes.


    ¡°Exactly. A nice little surprise for those bastards. The only catch is that we have to get the ship working first.¡±


    Gami rubbed her left temple with two fingers, the equivalent of shaking her head, ¡°I knew it. Okay, what do we need to do?¡±


    The being scratched a fuzzy ear, ¡°I was circling the field, looking for the source of the distress call when they ambushed me. The whole debris field suddenly shifted. I believe that that warship is still at least a little bit functional. I think it moved toward me, and the field moved with it.¡±


    ¡°So, the whole thing was a setup from the beginning,¡± Gami declared, ¡°They probably gathered up all of this junk to use as a screen.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what I think. A lot of it is probably from their other victims. They hit me from every direction. I managed to take a few out with the turrets. Never did get a good look at ¡®em. I lit them up bad enough that they fled. I was able to slip away and hide. One of the fuel pumps got taken out. Luckly, the flame arresters worked, otherwise, the whole ship would have gone up. I need a replacement. I just don¡¯t think a single engine will get the ship up to speed fast enough for my plan to work.¡±


    ¡°You haven¡¯t been able to find anything in one of the wrecks?¡± Eli asked.


    ¡°Nope, not for lack of trying. I¡¯ve found a few bits. It only has to work for a while, nothing permanent. I think that I might have something. Come on, I¡¯ll show you. Name¡¯s Tarl, by the way.¡±


    Tarl turned and started walking into another room. Gami introduced herself and cautiously followed him. Eli did the same, automatically keeping an eye on their flanks and rear while his companion focused on the being in the mechanic¡¯s outfit.


    As they passed a doorway, he thought that he saw someone in the room, another short being. It was difficult to see due to the low lighting. Eli discreetly stopped and took another glance into the room, but he saw no signs of life.


    ¡°Do you think that the autopilot will be able to get the job done?¡± Gami asked.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got something better.¡±


    Tarl led them into a room that was located near the outer hull. He gestured toward a porthole, ¡°There¡¯s a relatively intact ship that isn¡¯t too far away. It¡¯s just a matter of getting to it without attracting their attention. I think that the best approach would be to ease over to it with extremely short thruster bursts.¡±


    Gami kept away from the window, no doubt fearing that it was a distraction, ¡°They¡¯ll be in the area looking for us. It¡¯ll be risky. We need to make sure that we¡¯re ready first.¡±


    They kept their eyes on him as he went around a corner and out of sight.


    ¡°How long have you been here?¡± Eli asked, his hand rested near his sidearm.Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.


    ¡°About two-weeks,¡± he called out from the adjoining room, ¡°To be honest, it¡¯s been pretty nerve-racking.¡±


    Gami chanced a quick peak out of the porthole, ¡°And what happened to the rest of the crew?¡±


    He came back into the room, only he was now wearing a completely different set of overalls. These were blue and looked a bit newer. He was also carrying a different sidearm and shield.


    ¡°It¡¯s just me¡± Tarl said, ¡°I had two helpers, but a labor dispute caused them to leave.¡±


    ¡°Right. Start getting everything that you want to take gathered up. Me and Eli are going to go prep our ship.¡±


    ¡°Works for me. Let¡¯s hurry. If they¡¯re in the area they might find us before we even get a chance to act.¡±


    The two of them left the room, started making their way back to Cavalier. As they walked, they took cautious looks at their surroundings. Their eyes sought any clues as to what was really happening.


    ¡°What do you think?¡± Eli asked in a low tone.


    ¡°Not sure. He seems legit, but that¡¯s what we thought with that monk. I don¡¯t recognize his species. It happened so fast, but I think that his head was similar to the flying thing from before. He¡¯s definitely not the only one on board. I know that he couldn¡¯t have gotten changed that fast and there was no reason for it.¡±


    ¡°I think I saw someone else, but I can¡¯t be sure. Do you think that they could be clones?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s an interesting idea. He¡¯s our best chance of getting out of this mess, so we¡¯ll just have to keep our eyes open and go along with it.¡±


    They jogged down the spine. Eli lowered the boarding ramp. He and Gami entered the nearest cargo bays, searching for anything of value. They returned to the ship with a few odds and ends and were shocked to find that several beings that looked identical to Tarl were bringing things in. One was driving a forklift up the ramp. Two of the flying things that they had seen before swooped in, bundles clutched in their talons.


    The two bounty hunters gave each other a concerned look. They entered the ship and deposited their findings.


    Eli spoke in a hushed tone, ¡°Sneak off and go invisible. Keep an eye on them. I¡¯ll keep moving stuff over.¡±


    She gave him her equivalent of a thumps up, which was tapping the right side of her temple with two fingers. Then she headed deeper into the ship.


    Eli started exploring the darkened bays. He piled anything that looked useful onto a pallet, which the furry creature on the forklift moved onto his ship. When he was alone, he keyed his com, asked Gami if she had seen anything suspicious. They had rehearsed a series of quick codes that she could use to signal him without giving herself away. She sent him the beep that signified a negative.


    When he visited his ship¡¯s cargo hold again, he saw something strange. It was kind of like a table, only a dull shade of grey, a bit taller, and much thicker. At first, he thought that the thing was a piece of furniture, carved so as to appear stylized and natural. Then he switched his assessment of the object between a piece of equipment and some sort of otherworldly modern art.


    The first thing that he noticed, the thing that had drawn his eye to begin with, was something like a bulb, which sat on the top, in the exact center. Inside of this bulb a tube or hose glowed hot pink. It swayed around, appearing to be suspended in a clear liquid.


    Its legs were curved. Recesses were carved into the object. Eli wondered if something was meant to be plugged into them, maybe batteries or gear that needed to be charged. Several cables were attached to the sides, though they had nothing like a plug on them and weren¡¯t connected to anything.


    Eli saw the fuzzy beings bring equipment, tools, weapons, pieces of luggage, and food into his ship. He noticed a number of statuettes, things that were like idols. After a frantic half an hour, they vacated the bay. One of them walked over to him. This one wore red overalls.


    The being had an identical voice to the other, ¡°Alright, that¡¯s everything that can be salvaged. I think that we need to start moving toward that ship. I¡¯ve moved my butar around the ship to keep watch. You have spacesuits, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes. But there¡¯s something that I have to ask you first: why did Tarl lie?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Tarl told us that he was the only one aboard,¡± Gami declared as she stepped out from behind a stack of foodstuffs, ¡°I see a lot more than one here.¡±


    ¡°What, you¡¯ve never met a Mandruuka before?¡± he said defensively, then his attitude softened a bit, ¡°Ah, I guess we haven¡¯t expanded that far out. The war kinda hampered that.¡±


    ¡°How far are you away from home?¡± Eli asked.


    Tarl turned around and started heading to a nearby porthole, ¡°A long way. I¡¯m Tarl, we are all Tarl. Come on, let¡¯s get started.¡±

 Chapter 42: Walking Across Infinity

    ¡°I¡¯ve got a body in the cockpit,¡± Tarl told them, ¡°I¡¯ll start nudging us toward the wreck. Get suited up. We¡¯ll need to do an EVA.¡±


    ¡°What are you, a hive mind?¡± Eli inquired.


    ¡°I have many brains, but just one consciousness, one soul,¡± then he hastily added, ¡°If you believe in that sort of thing. Enough small talk. Go and get ready. We need to be quick.¡±


    ¡°Fine,¡± Eli said, before heading into his ship.


    Gami followed him, ¡°There¡¯s a few pulse rifles in the armory. We can use them in the void without worrying about recoil.¡±


    ¡°Good thinking. What do you make of this? Is this some kind of cult?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. It¡¯s weird.¡±


    They retrieved a pair of plasma rifles from the packed armory. Then they made their way to one of the airlocks, where several spacesuits were stored. She showed him how to properly wear the suit and how to check the seals. Then she went over how to use the maneuvering jets which were positioned in different places on the suit.


    ¡°How many times have you done this before?¡± he asked, with a knowing smile.


    She gave him one back, ¡°A few. What are we going to do if he betrays us? What if he tries to steal the ship?¡±


    ¡°Remember that bomb on the power core?¡±


    ¡°You never removed it?¡±


    His answer was an evil grin.


    ***


    They met Tarl at one of Rust Goddess¡¯s airlocks. He was wearing a well-worn spacesuit. It was covered with tool pouches. Several tool kits had been placed on a bench in the airlock.


    ¡°I¡¯ve done a few salvage jobs before,¡± the strange being explained.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never even done an EVA,¡± Eli admitted.


    ¡°Be careful and plan out your moves. You¡¯ll be fine,¡± then he looked at Gami, whose face was visible under the wide visor of the space suit, ¡°A Gaaktar. I used to know a Gaaktar. He was fifty years into a pilgrimage that had become focused on finding the one true faith. Another one that I met died of an overdose less than a year after he left home.¡±


    Gami frowned, ¡°Each of us chooses the direction of our journey. For many, this is the key to endless joy and glory. For many others, this is a death sentence.¡±


    They picked up the tool cases and cycled the airlock. The outer doors opened. The half-destroyed wreck of a brightly painted ship greeted them. Eli was unsure exactly what type of vessel it had been, but the prominent gun turrets screamed military. It was much smaller than the vessel that sat in the center of the debris field. He guessed that whoever was behind the trap had picked it up from an old battle site.Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    Other pieces of detritus floated around the stricken vessel. A fuel container that had long ago lost its contents sat off to one side. A mangled ore collector could be seen somewhere behind the warship.


    Tarl and Gami stepped out and tapped their rear thrusters. Eli followed. A memory returned, the first time he had dove out of a plane in jump school. Hesitation was highly frowned upon. His strategy was to just go for it, to just force any fear, any thought at all out of his head.


    The thought washed across his mind, there wasn¡¯t anything more than a few layers of material between him and the unforgiving horror of the void. What would it feel like? Perhaps some mixture of the agonies of freezing, burning, choking, and being rapidly depressurized. He realized that his heavy, rapid breathing was loud in the helmet. Feeling shame, he worked to control it.


    There in the gap between the wounded freighter and the corpse of a warship, he felt like he was hanging over an abyss. At least there was the debris field. If not for that, he¡¯d be surrounded by deep space. In every direction, the junk tumbled and turned.


    They had all picked out a com channel for the operation. Eli spoke, ¡°You said that you were a¡­what was it?¡±


    ¡°A Mandruuka. I get that it weirds you out. The idea of having only one body weirds me out. It¡¯s total nightmare fuel.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve seen weirder,¡± Gami declared. Eli surmised that it was her way of telling him that she believed the fuzzy being.


    ¡°Ya. I¡¯m having trouble wrapping my head around it,¡± Eli admitted.


    ¡°I just saw one of those lights!¡± Gami exclaimed.


    ¡°What did it say?¡± Eli asked.


    ¡°It was an order to check around the ore collector.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re closing in!¡± Tarl warned, ¡°We¡¯ve got to hurry.¡±


    The group cleared the gap between Rust Goddess and the wreck. Tarl pushed ahead a bit, leading them through a jagged rip that had been torn in the hull. Eli focused on the controls, trying to stay as far away from the sharp edges as possible.


    They drifted into the belly of the dead ship. Tarl activated a forward-facing light. Gami did the same. After spending several seconds searching for the correct key, Eli turned his light on. The beams swept across warped lumps that had once been highly sophisticated pieces of technology.


    ¡°There!¡± Tarl said excitedly, ¡°A fuel line. If we follow this, we should be able to find a pump.¡±


    They moved in close, skimming along the surface of a pipe that was big enough for them to easily fit inside of. After a few minutes, it disappeared into a wall, and they were forced to find a way around. They managed to find it again. The line snaked through the absolute darkness.


    Tarl pointed at something that was mounted on the pipe, ¡°There! Gami, please give me a hand. Eli, can you cover us?¡±


    Eli moved the beam of light around the innards of the ship. Bolts and other fittings floated by as his companions worked to get the fuel pump free.


    The interior walls were plain grey, seemed to press in on him. The darkness started to take on a life of its own. It felt like he was underwater, like they were exploring a sunken ship.


    The beam found something, something jet-black, as black as the places between the stars. Details were difficult to pick out. He believed it to be a hardened spacesuit, something armored, both to survive the hazards of open space, and combat. But the lines were curved, organic. The head was elongated, as if it was a downward curving snout.


    It started to raise a weapon. Eli fired first, the pulse of blue light struck the target. An energy shield absorbed the attack. The enemy returned fire, the burst of energy striking his shoulder. His own shield ate the ray.


    Tarl and Gami joined in. One charge at a time, the three of them burned through their adversary¡¯s shield. The enemy tried to jet away. Eli was unsure who scored the kill shot. But it was certain that the series of explosions killed them.


    Gami and Tarl scrambled to complete the task. By the time they had gotten the pump free, more enemies had arrived. The trio fired their thrusters, darting away as rays filled the area around them. Gami carried the pump. Tarl and Eli took potshots as they sped away.


    They raced along the fuel line. Rays melted through the pipe, which had thankfully been drained by damage countless years ago. They took a turn, zoomed across an open space. They spotted the rip in the hole and went through it.


    The mangled remains of the ore hauler filled the space in front of them. They had come out of the wrong side of the warship.

 Chapter 43: Covering Fire

    Rust Goddess appeared, sailing over the dead warship. Her turrets were spitting hellfire. Under a lightshow of return fire, they maneuvered into the airlock and hit the button that cycled it.


    ¡°Alright,¡± Tarl managed to say though his heavy breathing, ¡°I¡¯ll get this thing installed. You two cover me.¡±


    Movement attracted their attention to the outer door¡¯s viewport. One of them had its face pressed against it.


    It had a long snout, the gaping maw full of needle teeth. A thick lens on the side of its head. Under this, something organic squirmed, a twisted version of an eye.


    The hide was thick, like armor, or an insect¡¯s exoskeleton. It moved a long-fingered hand into view. There was a small hole in its wrist, not a wound, but something natural. Eli was able to see another on its back.


    A jet of weird, static flame came out of its mouth, ¡°We¡¯ll find a way in. There is no escape. You will suffer!¡±


    The thing moved away. The airlock finished cycling. Another one of Tarl¡¯s bodies was waiting for them. This body and the one that had gone with them into the derelict grabbed the pump and picked it up. In tandem, they carried it down a series of corridors. Eli and Gami followed them.


    Gami rubbed her left temple with two fingers, ¡°Voidborne beings are notoriously difficult to kill. They have to be tough to survive in space.¡±


    ¡°They have some kind of thrusters on their bodies,¡± Eli offered, ¡°Those could be weak points.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s worth a try. You provide close support. I¡¯ll try to get the drop on them.¡±


    They reached a machine room. This was an open space, large enough that even at a sprint it would take at least a half a minute to cross it. Bulky equipment lined the walls. Large pipes stretched across the length of the room, dividing it up at different heights.


    The Tarls lugged the pump into a corner. They picked up tools and got to work. The Rust Goddess¡¯s captain had placed a collection of weapons and ammo in the room. Gami selected a scout carbine and a pair of heavy pistols. Eli picked up a squad support machinegun.


    Gami stripped out of her space suit, put her helmet on, and activated her stealth system, disappearing, at least from the spectrum which he could see in. It took her several minutes to atune the carbine to the field, so that it too disappeared. Eli tried to follow the nearly imperceptible blur as she climbed up one of the ship¡¯s subsystems and leapt onto a pipe. From there, he lost her.


    A klaxon sounded. A prerecorded voice accompanied the alarm. It alerted them to the fact that there had been a hull breach in one of the forward compartments.


    Eli took up a position behind a piece of equipment. He unfolded the bipod, sat the weapon on top of his cover, and braced the buttstock against his shoulder.Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.


    The entrance opened. The things began to pour through. At that proximity, and in that light, he got a much better look at them. They were evolved to survive in the vacuum, and atop those hardy attributes mother nature had gifted them, they had added technology. They had salvaged weapons and gadgets of all kinds and origins. They wore these things over their armored exoskeleton.


    Eli fired in long bursts, cutting them down as they came through the door. White blood burst out of the gaping wounds that the gun blasted into them. When their maneuvering jets were struck, they exploded violently, blowing even more gristly holes in the victim.


    They returned fire. Pulses and bullets struck the thing that Eli was taking cover behind. Rounds ricocheted off in storms of sparks. Light melted holes into metal. Some brandished cruel melee weapons, which looked like they had been fashioned from starship hull plating.


    Even over the deafening sound of the barrage he was laying down, he heard a shot from above. One of them fell beside him. It had found a way around and tried to stab him in the back. But Gami had dealt with it.


    Gami¡¯s voice in his earpiece, ¡°Watch out! They¡¯ve found a way through one of the vents!¡±


    Eli moved out of cover, firing short, controlled bursts into them as they bolted at him from behind instrument panels or tried to drop down on him from one of the pipes that crisscrossed the room. He started making his way over to Tarl, who kept working, despite the chaos going on around him.


    ***


    Gami lined up the iron sights and squeezed the trigger. One of their heads exploded, it fell, the shot that it was lining up failing to hit one of Tarl¡¯s bodies.


    Gami took potshots from above, dropping enemies as they tried to get at Tarl and Eli. She had let go, fully immersing herself in some of her earliest training. One shot at a time, she dropped them. Headshots were instant kills. Shots to their maneuvering jets were also effective.


    Some of them seemed to have realized that there was a threat above them. They were ascending as she had, jumping between the pipes, making their way toward the high ceiling.


    The mag ran out. She switched to the pair of pistols. A blur of death, she leapt around, killing one with a brief salvo, before changing position and opening fire again. The guns ran dry. She dropped them, drew her sidearm and knife, and started working her way down toward Tarl and Eli.


    ***


    The drum ran out. Eli dropped the big gun and drew his pistol. One of them charged, swinging a crude axe. Eli fired as he dodged, putting a round into the attacker. A long jet of flame shot out of its mouth, the static conveying a death cry.


    A thud on the deck plates startled him. Gami decloaked, gunning down one foe, slashing another¡¯s throat open.


    ¡°Pump¡¯s installed,¡± Tarl shouted, ¡°Start making your way to your ship.¡±


    ¡°Copy,¡± Gami said, ¡°You got that autopilot set up?¡±


    Tarl¡¯s tone was nonchalant, ¡°I¡¯ll just sacrifice one of my bodies.¡±


    Eli frowned, ¡°You sure that you really want to do that?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, I¡¯ll just grow another one. Now, let¡¯s get to your ship!¡±


    The four of them ran out of the room. They barreled through a maze of corridors, only slowing down to take potshots at the beings which chased them. Tarl¡¯s bodies took the lead, guiding them back to a familiar area. They went through the door that led to the spine.


    The vessel shook violently. One of Tarl¡¯s bodies fell over. The other helped it back up. Eli braced himself against a wall. Even with her physical training Gami struggled to stay on her feet.


    ¡°The tractor beam¡¯s got us,¡± Tarl reported, ¡°We¡¯re moving fast. Hurry!¡±


    The group ran down the long corridor. Enemies jumped out of the cargo bays. Firing as they went, they pushed through them. Two of Tarl¡¯s flying things glided over their heads, grenades clutched in their talons. They conducted a bombing run on the group¡¯s pursuers. Then they circled back around, swooping into Cavalier.


    Another one of Tarl¡¯s bodies was waiting in the hangar. It provided suppression fire using a pair of submachineguns. Crawling under this barrage, they made it into the hangar and onto the ship.

 Chapter 44: The Ace

    They raced to the bridge. Before Eli could object, one of Tarl¡¯s bodies climbed into the pilot¡¯s seat.


    ¡°Wait, you can fly two ships at once?¡± Eli demanded.


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve flown four at once, many times before. Sorry, but I¡¯m the best pilot here,¡± this last declaration was said as a statement of fact, no hint of a boast present.


    Satisfied, Eli didn¡¯t say anything else. He took a seat and watched as Tarl lifted off, moving the craft upward till they were nearly touching the door. Gami took another seat, her emotions concealed by her helmet.


    ¡°Just a few more seconds,¡± the fuzzy pilot said through clinched teeth.


    The hangar door opened. Tarl continued to keep the ship in place, hovering near the edge.


    ¡°Now!¡± the pilot shouted. He moved the ship out of the hangar and hit the accelerator.


    Rust Goddess was very close to the big warship that sat at the center of the debris field. Now they could see that it wasn¡¯t as badly damaged as it had appeared to be. It had certainly taken a beating at some point. But they could tell that it was still functional. The mismatched assortment of parts that had been used to repair the ship clashed heavily with the original components, like it had been subjected to crude grafts. In several places, the layout of the decks could be seen where the outer hull had been torn away.


    The tractor beam was flanked by a pair of heavy, triple barreled turrets. The thing was like a spike, only, it had been blasted in half at some point. The other half had been recovered, repaired, and reattached via a band of riveted metal.


    Tarl gave his old freighter one last burst of speed. Flames shot out of the engines as he went full throttle. They shut off the tractor beam, before switching into reverse, but it was too late. Rust Goddess ran into the gravity manipulator, impaling itself on the spike.


    The device was completely destroyed. The freighter slammed into the warship¡¯s hull, piercing the metal skin and causing internal damage. Explosions rocked the big ship. They tried to fire up their engines, but they sputtered out and died before they could reach full burn.


    ¡°Three fast movers just launched!¡± Gami reported. Eli looked at the scanner readout, saw that she was correct. A trio of small ships were closing in on Cavalier. They were ugly, just as ramshackle as their mothership. He was able to pick out several different design styles present on each of them.Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    ¡°We can¡¯t outrun them in this,¡± Gami stated.


    ¡°I got my start piloting cargo ships for the military,¡± the fuzzy alien said, ¡°Enemy raiders chased me all the time. I can lose these guys.¡±


    Tarl raced away from the big warship, darting directly into a thick patch of junk. Eli knew from the time that he had spent studying his ship¡¯s design drawings and technical details that it wouldn¡¯t survive an impact with one of the objects, not at the speed which they were traveling.


    Tarl weaved his way through the debris.


    Eli watched a feed from the rear camera, ¡°Tarl, the touch screen with the red decals on the sides, it can be moved out of the way.¡±


    ¡°Got it,¡± the fuzzy being confirmed, ¡°I can work with this.¡±


    He dove toward a mangled and torn piece of metal, what had once been some major substructure of a spaceship. At the last moment, he veered away, threading the needle between it and a cargo container. One of their pursuers failed to make the turn. It clipped the hunk of warped metal. The flaming craft spun away, exploding into a ball of fire.


    Another sharp turn. They began to spiral around and around what was left of a small orbital weapons platform. As soon as they reached the end and leveled out their pursuers began to take shots. A hit took away a shield charge.


    Then Tarl more or less straightened the craft out, only jinking around a little, but keeping to the same general course. A wrecked troop ship started to get bigger and bigger as they closed in on it.


    ¡°I¡¯m gonna head for that transport Tarl explained. ¡°Make them think that I¡¯m blindly fleeing for cover. Lure them into a false sense of security.¡±


    ¡°That sounds risky,¡± Gami warned, ¡°This ship only has a few shield charges.


    ¡°It¡¯ll be enough,¡± Tarl assured her, even as another charge disappeared.


    Another hit, another charge. Even with Tarl¡¯s wild maneuvers, they were still getting hits in. Eli wondered how much damage the ship could take before the hull gave out. He could practically see Tarl¡¯s finger resting on the button that deployed a mine, waiting for the perfect moment.


    Eli was shocked to see that Tarl launched every mine in rapid succession, emptying the magazine. The incoming fire came to an abrupt halt as the two fighters scrambled to dodge the flurry of explosives. A flash of light in the rear camera feed. This was followed by sparks and spinning flames. One of the fighters burst out of the maelstrom of burning fragments.


    ¡°Damn, one left,¡± Gami exclaimed.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got it!¡± Tarl shouted.


    He shut off the engines and kicked on the reverse thrusters. The last fighter zoomed past them. Tarl lined the nose up with the glow of their engines. He fired Cavalier¡¯s guns. The enemy ship didn¡¯t have a shield installed. The bolts of energy melted through its Jerry-rigged armor, tore into its salvaged machinery. The fighter died under the barrage of well-placed shots.


    Eli let out a sigh, ¡°That¡¯s over. Get us out of here, Tarl. We need to report this to the system authorities so that they can take care of these bastards.¡±


    The translator interpreted Tarl¡¯s response as the military phrase ¡°Roger.¡±

 Chapter 45: Pilot

    Eli and Gami stood on the bridge of Cavalier, watching the strike force sail past. One of Tarl¡¯s bodies occupied the pilot¡¯s seat.


    ¡°They¡¯re going to get taught a lesson,¡± Tarl said.


    ¡°We already did that,¡± Gami politely corrected him, ¡°This will be justice. They¡¯ll put a stop to what was going on.¡±


    ¡°True,¡± Eli agreed, ¡°Now for our next move. We¡¯re heading to Cyh¡¯sahm for a cargo run to Vorgax. Tarl, I¡¯d like to make you an offer. I think that you proved that you are more than capable to serve aboard this ship.¡±


    Tarl retracted the cockpit and got out of the chair, ¡°Interesting. I¡¯ve always wanted to fly an Apogee class. It didn¡¯t disappoint. And I have to say, you two are very capable yourselves.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Gami said, ¡°We all have skills that complement each other. We¡¯ll make a great team.¡±


    Tarl spoke with a bit of apprehension, ¡°To be honest, I don¡¯t have much going for me. I¡¯ve seen some hard times recently. Rust Goddess was about the only thing that I had.¡±


    ¡°Was it insured?¡± Eli asked, before wondering if this was a concept that even existed off of Earth.


    ¡°Yes. But they won¡¯t honor the claim because I destroyed the ship myself.¡±


    ¡°And they don¡¯t care about the reason why,¡± Eli snarled, ¡°Typical.¡±


    ¡°What about family?¡± Gami asked.


    ¡°My people tend to keep to ourselves, it¡¯s in our nature. But they¡¯d help if I was in real trouble. My home world is a long way off. I¡¯ve wondered far over these past few years. I know that you¡¯re on your pilgrimage. I¡¯m on one of my own.¡±


    ¡°What are you seeking?¡±


    ¡°The truth about religion, or spirituality, if you prefer. It might be better to call it a walkabout,¡± he absentmindedly walked across the room, ¡°I saw a lot during the war. There were times when the ship in front of me in a convoy got blasted out of existence. Or when the ship behind me got jumped by gunships. Why not me? I was pressed into service as a fighter pilot when we were finally able to go on the offensive. I¡¯ve killed, and it always made me wonder, why them and not me?¡±


    Eli nodded, ¡°I¡¯ve found myself wondering the same thing.¡±


    ¡°Everyone that¡¯s been in battle does,¡± Gami said.Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.


    Tarl rubbed the side of his head, an analog of a nod, ¡°That is true. I had been interested in religion from a young age. I studied the faiths of our world and many others. After the war I acquired my first ship and started wandering. I saw things that brought back my old curiosity.¡±


    Eli nodded again, ¡°Believe me, I understand.¡±


    ¡°Me too,¡± Gami agreed.


    Tarl walked over to the forward-facing window. The armored shutters were up. The big orange nebula blazed across the blackness of space, like a flame licking infinity. From there, his gaze traveled to a magenta planet. A white wheel stood before it, the military station that guarded the system.


    A determined look formed on Tarl¡¯s face, ¡°I¡¯ll do it, at least until I get back on my feet.¡±


    ¡°Great. Pick out one of the passenger cabins and get settled in.¡±


    ¡°Ya, I¡¯ll do that. I was starting to get into a rut anyway.¡±


    Gami smiled, ¡°Then this will be a fresh start for you.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, yeah, I¡¯ll save up some money and get a new ship,¡± his eyes widened a little, ¡°Wait, what¡¯s the pay like?¡±


    Eli answered him, ¡°As long as we all pull our weight, it will be equal shares for every job, with a portion going to repairs, fuel, and ship upgrades.¡±


    ¡°Good, good. Um, what exactly do you do?¡±


    ¡°A little bit of everything. We run cargo. We do merc work, as long as it¡¯s for a just cause. We are both bounty hunters. You mentioned that you¡¯ve done salvage work. There are lots of opportunities to make money out there.¡±


    ¡°Good, good. Yes, this is a great opportunity. You know, I¡¯ve kind of been in a rut since I lost my last crew. Was starting to get lonely, even if I wasn¡¯t fully aware of it. This will be a nice change of pace.¡±


    ¡°Lost your crew?¡± Gami wondered, ¡°You mean the ones that you had a ¡®labor dispute¡¯ with?¡±


    Tarl rubbed the back of his head, ¡°Ya, it¡¯ll be fine. The odds of us running into them are astronomical.¡±


    She glanced at Eli unsurely, ¡°Would it be a problem if we did?¡±


    The translator was not needed to interpret his sudden fidgety movements, ¡°Na. The two of you could take them on.¡±


    ¡°Why would we need to do that?¡±


    ¡°Ya,¡± Eli said, ¡°Why would we need to worry about them?¡±


    ¡°I just said that you wouldn¡¯t need to worry about them. They are no threat to a couple of mercs like you.¡±


    Gami rubbed her left temple with two fingers, ¡°You are missing the point. Why are you worried about running into them?¡±


    ¡°Well, I may have shot one of them in the stomach.¡±


    ¡°May have?¡±


    ¡°It all happened pretty fast. I¡¯m not sure if the bullet landed. I definitely shot one of them in the leg.¡±


    ¡°Why did you do either of those things?¡±


    ¡°They tried to kill me. Wanted to take over the ship and run off with the cargo that we were hauling. One of them zeroed a butar while it was bathing. The other one jumped the one that was at the helm, ripped his shield off and cooked him with a ray gun. From there, it was one hell of a full body hunt,¡± the translator told Eli that this was the equivalent of a cat and mouse game. It typically referred to two Mandruuka hunting each other.


    ¡°But you managed to drive them off of your ship?¡±


    ¡°Yep, they called in some friends. I lost a hakan but took five or six down with it.¡±


    ¡°Kamikaze attack?¡± Eli asked.


    Tarl and Gami both made uncomfortable faces when the tadvash conveyed the dark meaning of the word to them.


    ¡°Yes, that exactly, only the sacrifice was a lot less, because I just grew another one. But anyway, that put the fear into those assholes. They¡¯re heads just weren¡¯t in the game after that.¡±


    Eli nodded and smiled, ¡°For a religious man, you can be vicious. I like it.¡±

 Chapter 46: The Strange Pilgrim

    Eli entered the ship¡¯s galley. He fixed himself a bowl of food and grabbed a boxed drink. The human settled down, watching the weird effect of hyperspace as the ship traveled down a lane.


    At some point, the weird table thing with the bulb on top of it that he had seen in the cargo hold had been moved to the galley, where it sat beside the dining table.


    One of Tarl¡¯s bodies darted into the room. Eli watched as he bounded across the room and jumped up onto the table. He held a colorfully adorned container. For some reason, he placed the package on the table and moved to the object with the bulb. Then he climbed up into one of the recesses and settled into place, appearing to go to sleep. So, it was a piece of furniture.


    One of the cables that was connected to this weird piece of furniture rose, moved over to the dining table. Smaller wires snaked out of the end of the cable, opened the container. Then the cable removed a piece of food from the container and moved it to somewhere near one end of the thing with the bulb on it. A long tongue or proboscis scooped it up.


    ¡°So, we managed to get out of that one,¡± the table thing said, the voice the same as Tarl¡¯s, the sound coming from the same place where the food had gone.


    ¡°Ya,¡± Eli said in a weary tone, he pointed at the critter that slept in the cubby, ¡°Those little guys are symbiotic?¡±


    ¡°More like limbs. Limbs and sense organs which operate separately from my main body. A lot better than the way all of you do it.¡±


    ¡°That is¡­strange. How do you keep track of it all?¡±


    ¡°I have several brains. My awareness is a lot more expansive than most species. I can keep track of a lot of stuff at once.¡±


    ¡°I bet that really helps when you are piloting.¡±


    ¡°Damn straight. The one here is a butar. I also have flying ones called hakan. My primary body is called a kurtaran.¡±


    ¡°Helpers and scouts, interesting. And this,¡± he pointed at the thing with the bulb, ¡°is your main body, where your consciousness is located?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°When you had that ¡®labor dispute¡¯ why didn¡¯t they go for your real body, your primary body where your consciousness is located?¡±


    ¡°They didn¡¯t know about it.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t even begin to comprehend something like you,¡± Eli commented before taking another bite.


    ¡°I understand. I never really sleep. A butar sleeps, my awareness of them softens, blurs, but I remain conscious. The brain that runs that body sleeps, the mind that processes that body¡¯s sensations and movement sleeps, but the rest of me is fully awake. One of the brains that coordinates everything sleeps, while another takes over. I just can¡¯t quite deal with the idea of being completely unconscious every day for hours and hours.¡±


    ¡°It is kind of scary, when you think about it,¡± Eli acknowledged.


    ¡°And the dreams! They tell me about dreams. I could only compare it to a drug trip, or maybe some kind of spiritual vision.¡±


    ¡°Some people see it as a spiritual thing. Usually, it¡¯s just the mind trying to process what happened that day. Your minds probably do the same, you just aren¡¯t aware of it.¡±You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.


    ¡°True. Strange how it all works. When we get a chance, you will have to tell me about the faiths that exist on your planet.¡±


    ¡°Really? You are interested in that?¡±


    ¡°That is my quest. I am a scholar of religion. I seek the universal truth of God,¡± he quickly added, ¡°God being a loose term. And what do you believe in? If you don¡¯t mind me asking.¡±


    ¡°I believe that there is something, some higher thing,¡± the human stared into hyperspace, ¡°This journey just keeps getting stranger and stranger.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s only the beginning.¡±


    ***


    One of Tarl¡¯s butar relieved the body that was piloting the ship. That butar went to the galley and ate a meal, before heading to the cabin that he had picked out. There, it returned to the main body to rest.


    In the cabin, another butar worked to hang scrolls and tapestries over the wood panel walls. A little shrine had already been set up against one wall. It contained those items which had affected him the most.


    The butar that he had grown to replace the one he had lost lay on the bed, wrapped in the sheets. When it woke up, it would feed again. The next few weeks would be spent in this cycle of sleeping and eating as it grew.


    A hakan flew around the ship, giving each area a brief check. Another swooped around the cargo hold, dive bombing empty crates and barnstorming through bare shelves. One went about its task with cold efficiency, using hard won experience to make judgement calls on whether or not the ship was truly space worthy. The other sent him sensations of pure joy.


    The cold, silent void. Nothing on the coms, not even an errant transmission or an ancient telecom signal. He knew that if you tuned to the right frequencies, you could hear the songs of the stars. But these always put him on edge.


    A silent sector of space. Just the sound of one¡¯s own thoughts or whatever you used to try to distract from or even drown out those thoughts.


    Gami was sitting in the galley, meditating under the watch of the stars. She was deep into the mystique of Bayhi. Tarl was unable to tell if this was true devotion or if it was just a fa?ade. He would have certainly liked for it to be genuine, but all of the years he had been through had thought him to err on the side of caution. Expect the worst, hope for the best. It wouldn¡¯t be the first time he had encountered someone that dabbled in that art.


    But she knew other styles as well. None meant as much to her as Bayhi, though the others certainly had a place in her heart. It was a good thing. It was good to have friends that could handle themselves in a fight.


    Of course, there was more to her than that. Tarl could tell that she had a strong sense of morality. Just how flexible, for good or ill, this sense of morality could be was yet to be seen. Again, he caught himself being cynical. And again, he told himself that this wasn¡¯t necessarily a bad thing.


    The ship¡¯s captain was in his room again. When the hakan flew past the door he heard music, something deep and drawn out. The man loved music. Tarl had never cared for it; he wondered why that was. Perhaps it was the terrible shit that his teachers had made him listen to.


    Eli was ex-military. The bearing and muscle memory couldn¡¯t be fully escaped, even though he had tried. Other things had left their mark. He had lost people, it was clear. The Sad¡¯Daki invasion of his world had no doubt been devastating.


    There was that brand on his neck, and the tattoos under it. He hadn¡¯t gotten rid of it, despite the bounty on escaped Sad¡¯Daki slaves. Why keep it? Was it a twisted source of pride? Was it out of belligerence? They considered him to be among their most dangerous foes. Maybe that was why. He wanted people to know that fact.


    Tarl decided that pride wasn¡¯t the reason why he kept the markings. Eli just didn¡¯t seem like the type. He wanted people to know that he was a threat, just not to stoke a sense of arrogance. The real reason was tactical. He wanted to present a hard target. The human was, after all, ex-military.


    Gami had Bayhi. What did Eli have? Something drove him, that was certain. Perhaps the mark was kept as a reminder of those that had wronged him? Did he plan on getting revenge?


    The body in the cockpit saw the endless void. The little points of light and the spectacular displays of color, all of them were nothing compared to the black infinity.


    There was that strange feeling again. Tarl could no longer tell himself that it was just his imagination. There was something on the ship, something giving off a bad vibe.


    These things existed. He had witnessed them before. Perhaps they were true magic. Or perhaps these phenomena were explainable but were simply as of yet unknown to science.


    That one symbol on Eli¡¯s neck. It meant that he was susceptible to conversion. The Sad¡¯Daki saw potential in him, the potential to bring him into the fold. This meant that the true danger wasn¡¯t from the bounty that they had put on his head, but to his soul.

 Chapter 47: Upgrade

    Workers clambered down the step ladders that had been rolled up beside Cavalier. They had just put the finishing touches on the dorsal turret. It was identical to the ventral gun they had mounted that morning.


    Cavalier and her crew were on a trade station. Countless bays were positioned around the enormous, tiered structure. It was a civilized place, clean and organized.


    Eli and Tarl inspected the new weapon¡¯s systems. They were duel barreled, designed to spit out a lot of pulses of directed energy at fast moving targets. Both of the guns had been wired up so that they could be controlled from any of the multi-purpose consols on the bridge.


    ¡°These will work great!¡± Tarl exclaimed.


    Eli smiled, ¡°We won¡¯t be a sitting duck anymore.¡±


    ¡°The only problem is how bad it hit our funds.¡±


    ¡°About that. Go ahead and take the ship to hangar 53. They¡¯ll load up the cargo that we¡¯re taking to Vorgax.¡±


    ¡°Vorgax is a less than civilized place,¡± Tarl warned, ¡°I guess that is why they are paying us well.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve got the turrets now. We reloaded the mine launcher. We¡¯ve got the forward guns. And most important, we¡¯ve got you behind the controls. We¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    ¡°Fair enough. What are we hauling?¡±


    Eli turned to leave, adopted a dismissive tone, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. I¡¯m going to go find Gami.¡±


    ***


    Gami fell, smashing into the deck plates. Her opponent moved in. She performed a kip-up, took on a defensive stance.


    Gami wore a pair of blue and white coveralls. A rivulet of blood ran down the left corner of her mouth. Her right eye was badly bruised.


    Her opponent was a humanoid woman, hairless, with a spiky head and several piercings. She wore a colorful leotard.


    The place had no mats, only a crude chalk circle to mark out the ring. The surfaces were hard metal and industrial plastic.


    Gami was taken to the floor again. The bounty hunter¡¯s mind rapidly browsed a catalog of options. The pain was terrible, the thought of losing was just as agonizing. Anger rose up and made the choice for her. She sprang back up, launching a series of brutal attacks that were the base moves of the Kinski style of kickboxing. These were expertly dodged.Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    The counter attacks came quick and hard. Gami switched styles again. One of her most catastrophic defeats had been at the hands of a being that practiced Namun grappling. She had started learning it as soon as she had recovered.


    Her adversary threw a punch. Gami grabbed her wrist and using her opponent¡¯s own momentum, redirected the attack. The woman with the spiky head landed on the floor. The problem was that at some point during the execution she had seen through the move and countered it. Gami found herself off balance. The opponent sprang back up and delivered a powerful blow to Gami¡¯s ankle, followed by a leg sweep. She landed hard again. Despite the pain, she moved to get back up, a merciless kick put a stop to this.


    A row of battered and bruised beings sat on a bench. These were Gami¡¯s previous opponents, although their wild cheers made them seem more like they were her victims.


    She became aware that someone was standing over her, ¡°You gonna make it?¡± Eli asked.


    ¡°I¡¯ll live,¡± she said, her pride dueling with the pain as she struggled to get up.


    ¡°Don¡¯t get too badly hurt. We¡¯re headed into dangerous space.¡±


    ¡°I know. I¡¯ll be fine. I¡¯ll rest on the way,¡± she realized that she was explaining herself to him, making excuses.


    ¡°Come on. They¡¯re loading up in bay 52 now.¡±


    ¡°And the turrets?¡±


    ¡°Installed. You ever use one?¡±


    She took her pistol belt off of the hook she had hung it from and after checking her piece, put it on, ¡°Yes, during my time in Isenmok.¡±


    They started walking, ¡°I should have known. The place that we¡¯re going to isn¡¯t much different, or so I¡¯ve heard.¡±


    ¡°There are many such places.¡±


    ¡°Hey, more opportunities for us.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s one way to see it.¡±


    They left the engineering area and entered a thoroughfare.


    Eyes and other sense organs shifted around. The ones that wore survival suits contrasted with those who were clad in fine clothes.


    One being wore a faded rain slicker. Another carried a small arsenal of weapons. Gami allowed her eyes to run across the side arms that the pedestrians carried. She was particularly fond of some of the tried-and-true models.


    Gami became aware that she was walking with a bit of a limp. Experience told her that it would get worse before it got better.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have thought that you were the type to engage in underground boxing,¡± Eli commented, she could detect no malice in it.


    She managed a little smile, which was paid for with pain, ¡°Just a little innocent fun.¡±


    They entered the bay where Cavalier was parked. The hangar was stuffed with pallets, each covered by tarps of every color and condition. Workers were starting to move them onto the ship.


    ¡°What are we hauling?¡±


    ¡°The kind of stuff that people who live in less than civilized places need.¡±


    Eli lifted the edge of one of the tarps, revealing packages of food and drink.


    ***


    The hangar was empty. Gami and Tarl were waiting onboard the ship. Eli approached a lumpy being, whose garments were heavy black leather and a pair of safety glasses with dark lenses.


    ¡°Everything ready?¡± the human asked.


    ¡°Yes, you will collect your payment from the receiver.¡±


    ¡°Good. We¡¯ll get going.¡±


    ¡°One more thing. You came highly recommended by Kirjen and Jussco. So, I¡¯ll give you a warning. The people that you are delivering these goods to are new customers, and they are known to be less than trustworthy.¡±


    ¡°Thanks for the heads up. I¡¯ll take special precautions.¡±

 Chapter 48: Bound

    Tarl¡¯s main body, his kurtaran, sat in his room. One of his butar awoke, hunger gnawed at this body. Tarl walked it into the shower. While the body that was in the cockpit took in the sights of the cosmos, the other body enjoyed the sensation of the warm water. The third body was inspecting the power core, making sure to stay well clear of the bomb that Eli had left attached to it. The thing was located just out of sight. The metal canister could have been mistaken for a food container, if it didn¡¯t have all the antenna sticking out of it.


    The new body slept soundly. Soon, it would wake up and need food. The kurtaran was starting to get hungry as well. So, he had the butar dry itself off, get dressed, and head to the ship¡¯s galley.


    The body in the cockpit checked the scanner, saw nothing of note. Then he checked the coms, also nothing of note. The navigation computer showed that they were still several days out.


    The patrols were thin. The few convoys that he had seen were heavily escorted. Coms traffic was rare, and often encrypted. The ship reached the lane and switched to hyperspace.


    The hungry body settled down at the table, facing inwards, as there was no reason to get a second view of the stars. It sat there munching, enjoying a meal that was not unlike one he had frequently eaten while growing up.


    The body that had been checking the power core headed into the cargo hold. A loud bang startled it. He quickly figured out that Eli had set up a firing range using sandbags as a backstop. He was plinking at used cans with a long-barreled target pistol. Tarl let him be.


    Gami entered the dining room, dressed in a long, soft-looking robe. She moved stiffly. Her right eye was almost swollen shut. With only a brief, polite greeting, she went about the task of fixing herself some food. After several minutes, she settled down in front of him at the table.


    Tarl kept his eyes on his own plate, not because he disliked looking at her or felt awkward, but because he was revolted by what she was eating. Gami watched the mesmerizing pattern of hyperspace while she ate. The pilot knew the horrors that lurked in those strange storms. Some part of him always feared that the devices that kept the tunnel intact would somehow fail to keep them at bay.


    Gami glanced up at him from her meal, ¡°I¡¯m starting to feel the call of the hunt. We should ask Eli to take on a bounty after this delivery.¡±


    ¡°Sounds like an opportunity to chase someone, I¡¯m in.¡±


    She managed a little smile, ¡°Your people evolved from hunters, didn¡¯t they?¡±


    ¡°Yes, the butar were mainly gatherers and workers. The hakan did most of the hunting, for obvious reasons. But they would also act as scouts for hunting teams of butar.¡±


    ¡°Hunting something from several directions at once, interesting.¡±


    ¡°I have to admit, now that you mention it, I do enjoy the occasional hunt.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s in your blood, just as it is in my blood to wander.¡±


    ¡°I feel like it¡¯s in my soul to wander,¡± Tarl observed.


    ¡°Could be. I¡¯ve learned that things have a way of getting into your heart.


    ¡°I think so too,¡± he hesitated for a second, ¡°I hope that you don¡¯t take this the wrong way, but is that why you pushed yourself so hard in that match back on the trade station?¡±This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.


    ¡°Maybe. Maybe I¡¯m just driven. I don¡¯t think I was born like that. It was something that grew in me over time,¡± she took a bite of her repulsive food and chewed it up, ¡°I have loved the martial arts for a long time. I got my first taste of them when I served in the ISS. They taught us a basic melee system. When my time was up, I went around learning some of the martial arts systems that interested me.¡±


    ¡°Is that where you learned to love the hunt too?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m certain of it.¡±


    ¡°Tell me about it. Who did you hunt?¡±


    ¡°Raiders, terrorists, the agents of hostile governments.¡±


    ¡°Interesting,¡± Tarl said, ¡°What was the first mission that you would consider to be a hunt?¡±


    ¡°The gunship is an apogee class. It dives toward the ground at a nearly straight angle. My whole body struggles to adjust as it flattens out at the last second. The gunship doesn¡¯t touch down, it can¡¯t in a swamp. It hovers in place as we jump out into the waist deep water. The bodysuit under the armor keeps the water out, but the sensation of its warmth still makes me feel uncomfortable.¡±


    Tarl listened in silence. He chewed his food softly. She wasn¡¯t in a trance, and yet, it was as if she was reliving the memory.


    Gami continued, ¡°I feel things swim past my legs, things that I can¡¯t see through the murky water. The trees are thick enough that someone could be hiding in them. The sunlight has difficulty getting through. I catch glimpses of flying creatures.¡±


    Real fear had crept into her voice. Tarl wondered if he should ask her to stop.


    ¡°They¡¯re somewhere in here. They must be desperate to hide out in a place like this. How can we hope to track them in such a place? There, a spent battery floating on the surface of the water. It¡¯s a common model used in military gear. We¡¯re heading in the right direction.¡±


    At this point Tarl had stopped eating. She might not have been in a trance, but he was.


    ¡°A corpse floating in the water. I inspect the body, exactly how I¡¯ve been taught to do. The cause of death is blood loss from deep lacerations. We follow the stream and find the camp. They are all dead. The thing that killed them stalks us all the way back to the extraction zone. It picks us off one or two at a time.¡±


    ¡°How the hell did you survive?¡± Tarl asked.


    ¡°I covered myself in mud and climbed up a tree. Didn¡¯t have to wait long for it to come. My friend was wounded, insisted that he be used as bait. It took everything we had to kill it. What about you? Do you have any memorable hunts?¡±


    Tarl glanced to one side, ¡°It was late in the war. I have spent most of the conflict piloting cargo ships. But when we mounted a final offensive into enemy territory. I was sent to an ad hoc fighter school. I passed and went to the front. The enemy was desperate, outnumbered five to one.¡±


    ¡°That meant that they were especially dangerous,¡± Gami observed.


    ¡°Exactly. There was one that was taking out our recon units. I was tasked with putting a stop to it.¡±


    ¡°How did you go about it?¡±


    ¡°I did the same thing as you, I left out some bait. My butar flying a wing of recon ships. My primary body operated an interceptor, our most advanced model.¡±


    ¡°And the enemy ace took the bait?¡±


    ¡°Yep. The ace took his time, stalked the fake recon flight for hours. When he finally attacked, he went in full bore, zero hesitation, no mercy. I lost two of the ships, one was badly mauled. I made my move when he was about to finish his attack run. I fired every missile I had. He survived, counterattacked by laying into his thrusters and getting up close. The two of us gave it everything that we had. I performed every maneuver that I knew. My shields were gone, my hull condition was critical.¡±


    Gami stared, fascinated, ¡°How did you survive?¡±


    ¡°I still had one recon ship left. I rammed his fighter with it, completely destroyed it in an instant.¡±


    ¡°That wasn¡¯t very sporting,¡± she said, her tone neutral, like she wasn¡¯t sure how she felt about it.


    ¡°No, it wasn¡¯t, but it got the job done.¡±


    ¡°In war that¡¯s really all that matters.¡±


    ¡°Unfortunately, that¡¯s the truth.¡±


    The butar gathered up some food for the primary body and the growing body. Then it headed back to Tarl¡¯s quarters.


    ***


    They were two cycles into their journey. It was what they had decided would be the ship¡¯s version of night. Most of the lights had been dimmed.


    Eli entered the cargo hold, carrying a bundle. He approached a pallet that had a brand-new blue tarp draped over it. Removing the tarp, he confirmed that the pallet was what the shipper had told him it was. Taking the occasional glance at the doorways, he went about the task of implementing his special precaution.

 Chapter 49: Wildcat

    Cavalier had come to a halt. A massive asteroid field occupied the area in front of the ship. It stretched from one edge of their sensor monitor to the other. The stones drifted around randomly, like leaves on the surface of a pond. One of the larger rocks was silently struck, the impact causing a slow-motion geyser of fragments.


    A swirling conflagration of green light sat in the distance. The asteroid field was overlooked by a sweeping nebula, its emerald splendor contrasting with the dead rock.


    One of Tarl¡¯s bodies sat in the cockpit section, which was open. This was the newest body. It hadn¡¯t reached full maturity yet, but it was certainly capable of piloting the ship.


    Gami and Eli stood beside him. Gami¡¯s injuries had mostly healed, but a few ugly bruises still marred her pallid skin. Her right eye was still noticeably red. She wore her suit, with the helmet resting on a control console.


    Eli wore jeans and a t-shirt with the logo of a band from Narrin IV on it. This logo reflected the nature of this band¡¯s music, as one side was formal and controlled while the other was barbarous and chaotic.


    ¡°Their base is hidden inside of an asteroid field,¡± Gami observed, this comment armed with an invisible razor edge.


    ¡°Yes, inside of a hollowed-out asteroid,¡± Eli stated, wondering if he should just go ahead and answer her next inevitable question.


    It was actually Tarl that asked it, ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Because they are wanted in a neighboring system. They are wildcat miners.¡±


    ¡°So, the neighboring system has mineral rights for this field?¡±


    ¡°For this whole system, so they say. They say that they have it for most of the surrounding stars. This group has chosen to ignore this claim. And when you think about it, that is a pretty ridiculous demand to make.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fair,¡± Gami said in a slow, steady voice, ¡°But just because that government is corrupt, doesn¡¯t mean that we can trust these people.¡±This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.


    ¡°That is also fair.,¡± Eli admitted, ¡°That is why you¡¯ll stay invisible and get the drop on them if they try anything.¡±


    ¡°Agreed.¡±


    ¡°And Tarl, two of your bodies will back me up.¡±


    ¡°One,¡± Tarl corrected, ¡°That will leave one in the cockpit and one on each of the turrets.¡±


    ¡°Okay, good, good. And you¡¯ll keep the flying ones in reserve, ready to drop explosives on them.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve got it all planned out,¡± Gami said, it sounding close to an allegation.


    ¡°We¡¯ve got this,¡± Eli countered, even though an accusation hadn¡¯t actually been made.


    Gami¡¯s tone stayed even, just a series of facts being stated, ¡°Of course we do. There are no valid governments in this sector. So, I¡¯m sure that none of them will have bounties that I¡¯ll be interested in taking.¡±


    ¡°And if they did?¡±


    ¡°Then I¡¯d have to take them.¡±


    Tarl spoke, but it did little to break the tension between the two, ¡°We just received a transmission, tight beam. They say that we are welcome aboard.¡±


    ¡°Take us in,¡± Eli ordered.


    Tarl retracted the cockpit and gave the primary thrusters a bit of gas. Even with Tarl on the internal coms, this made it feel like the two of them had been left alone.


    Eli stared out the window, silently watching the tumbling rocks. They needed the money. They needed the money, and Gami was going to mess up the deal.


    Tarl carefully wove his way through the asteroid field. He weaved around, plotted out a course, only to adjust it at the last second as a threat presented itself. A rock that was nearly as big as the ship zipped toward them. Tarl dodged it, turning at the last moment.


    ¡°How do they operate in such a place?¡± Eli asked.


    ¡°We boarded a base that was hidden in an asteroid field when I was with the ISS,¡± Gami began, ¡°Lost a ship going in. Turned out that it had been overrun by some sort of creature that was native to a nearby dwarf planet. Lost three squads worth to them.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Gami,¡± Eli grumbled, ¡°Now you¡¯ve put that image in my head. Tarl, you think that you can handle this?¡±


    ¡°Of course. I used to cut through one all the time during the war. And that was in ships less maneuverable than this. It¡¯s a good way to lose pursuers or discourage fast movers from thinking that they can score an easy kill,¡± he dodged another rock, ¡°Although I will admit, this field is particularly thick.¡±


    They pushed on, dodging the countless rocks. Even with Tarl at the controls, Eli was starting to get nervous. Taking a cautious glance at Gami he discovered that even she was starting to look anxious.


    ¡°There,¡± Tarl said, ¡°The one with the big crater on one side and the huge chunk missing on the opposite side.¡±


    Eli looked at it through the window. It was indistinguishable from any of the others. He brought it up on the scanner feed. Gami leaned over his shoulder and they examined it. They could see where a plasma screen had been cut into the side of the rock. In another spot, there was an antenna and a dish.


    Eli nodded his head, ¡°Alright. It¡¯s show time. Gami, let¡¯s get to the cargo hold.¡±


    Cavalier entered the plasma window and gently settled down onto the deck plates.

 Chapter 50: Raw Deal

    Eli and Tarl walked down the boarding ramp.


    Tarl wore a simple vest, little more than an armor plate inserted into a fabric holder. He held a break action grenade launcher. A lever action camp carbine was slung across his back, but to him, it was a full-sized rifle.


    Eli wore a long, hooded grey cloak. The only thing that was visible were his scuffed-up jungle boots.


    The hangar was a simple, straight forward design. Rows of supports stretched across the length of the high ceiling. The back wall had a few blast doors that led deeper into the facility. At the top of this wall a control room jutted out.


    Several ships were parked off to one side. They looked like older models, sporting numerous repairs and modifications. One ship sat in a maintenance area. Damaged hull plates were in the process of being replaced. Two of them sported drills and heavy tractor beams. Another was loaded with several pieces of digging equipment.


    One craft hung from hoists. This ship had been stripped of all of its hull plates and many of its components. These had been placed around the half-dissected vessel in neat formations.


    Beings stood among a scattering of boxes and equipment. They were a light shade of tan; the skin had the texture of uncooked chicken. There was no visible front or back. They had eight arms, two sets with claws, and two sets with long fingered hands. The shape of the torso was difficult to make out with all of the appendages in the way.


    Walking on four legs, which looked strong, a few of them milled about. These legs branched out of their underside and curved upward on a joint, with a second joint directing them back toward the ground. They were each tipped with two-toed feet. All of them had holsters on several of their legs.


    The neck wasn¡¯t visible, it was unclear if it even had one. The flat-topped head might have been directly connected to the top of the body. The edge was lined with formations of small, unblinking eyes. The shapes of these eye clusters differed for each individual. Between these formations, there were repulsive tubular protrusions, as if deep sea worms had attached themselves to a host.


    One of Tarl¡¯s bodies spoke into the com, ¡°Erarat, they are very dangerous. All of the sensory organs are in the head. They have two brains that work in tandem. The one in the head is all survival instincts and reproductive drive. Higher level awareness is handled by a mind located in the lower body.¡±Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    ¡°Have you fought them before?¡± Gami asked.


    ¡°No. I knew one that had himself decapitated. Did it so that he could live as a blind monk. Watch the legs, they can move lightning quick, and they¡¯ve got retractable claws in their feet.¡±


    ¡°Good going so far,¡± Gami reported. ¡°I¡¯ve worked my way up to the rafters. Got a good view of the bay. I don¡¯t think they have any turrets set up. That ship looks like it¡¯s being prepped for a stealth system.¡±


    ¡°How many do you think there are?¡± Tarl asked.


    ¡°About a dozen.¡±


    Eli was glad that the dorsal turret could lay down covering fire if it came to it. Unfortunately, the ventral gun was blocked by the boarding ramp, but that was a moot point when he considered the fact that those guns would run the risk of hitting him or Tarl if they were used in a firefight.


    Eli and Tarl stood watch while two of Tarl¡¯s other bodies used pallet jacks to unload the cargo. Then the pair of Tarls ran back into the ship, where they would make a beeline for the cockpit to man the gun turrets. When this process was completed, Eli and Tarl stepped behind two skids that had been intentionally placed close to the ramp. These skids held sturdy pieces of equipment.


    One of the Erarat spoke, it was unclear where the noises came from on its body. Its eye clusters were triangular. His words sounded like the distorted electronic laughter of a cheap Halloween decoration, ¡°My name is Hexul. We don¡¯t see in the same spectrum as you. Which pallet has the blue tarp?¡±


    Silently cursing, Eli pointed to it. One of them walked over to the pallet he had indicated and pulled the tarp off. Plastic boxes were stacked up on the pallet. They bore the logo of a weapon¡¯s manufacturer. They were held in place by no less than eight pieces of brightly colored plastic cable.


    ¡°I guess that they do need weapons to survive out here,¡± Gami commented.


    ¡°Alright,¡± Eli snarled, ¡°If you¡¯ll give us our payment, we¡¯ll be on our way.¡±


    ¡°What about ammunition, power cells?¡±


    ¡°That wasn¡¯t in the manifest.¡±


    ¡°Without them, these weapons are useless,¡± Hexul said, the faux laughter filled with disdain.


    ¡°Should have thought about that before. If you place another order, we¡¯d be more than happy to bring it to you.¡±


    ¡°Good. You will receive your payment when you bring it.¡±


    ¡°That wasn¡¯t a part of the deal.¡±


    ¡°It is now.¡±


    ¡°You want to play games, we¡¯ll play games. Tarl, please start bringing everything back aboard.¡±


    Tarl didn¡¯t get the chance. The leader let out a haunting sound, a burst of nightmarish chortling. The others drew weapons and took aim. He took position behind the cover of the skid. Pointing the grenade launcher at a high arch, he waited for Eli or Gami to make a move.


    Eli stepped behind his skid, dropping the cloak as he did so. Now they could see that he wore a heavy vest. Among the mag pouches there was a device which was covered in little lights. He kept his weapon pointed at the floor. It was some kind of rifle with a big barrel and a large banana mag.


    ¡°You are outnumbered. Leave or die,¡± the Erarat with the triangle eye clusters demanded.


    ¡°There¡¯s one problem,¡± Eli said, placing his free hand on the device, ¡°You see, the bindings on that pallet of weapons are actually det cord.¡±

 Chapter 51: Mexican Standoff

    In the memory, Sergeant Cisneros looked at each of the new recruits in turn.


    They were privates fresh out of training. While his uniform bore many badges and other insignia, theirs were plain.


    The one glanced at him, eyeing him meekly from under her patrol cap. The things that he would do to her if she let him.


    The range facility felt like every other range facility. A small clearing had been carved out of humid wilderness. Simple wooden and cinderblock buildings had been erected. Signage gave clear, obnoxious instructions. Foul graffiti full of jargon had been written with ballpoint pens.


    Military vehicles were parked in a perfect row. Spools of bright yellow cable had been hauled out of the trucks. Soldiers stood around, waiting, always waiting, so little time left, and still waiting.


    ¡°I love det cord, it¡¯s so versatile,¡± Sergeant Cisneros said to one of the other NCOs.


    The other man was fully immersed in the role, wearing the gruffness and love of the brutal life like a second skin, ¡°You can certainly do some fun stuff with it.¡±


    Sergeant Cisneros spoke like he was enraptured, ¡°With the right kind of imagination, you can do a lot of incredible things with exploding rope.¡±


    A plain concrete wall had been built for this purpose. Their task was to blast a hole into it, one which would be large enough for troops to pass through.


    The newbies stuck the det cord to the wall, arranged the ropes into different shapes. One went with a plain square. Another chose to make a triangle, hoping that it would make the blast more effective. The one with the glasses got a good laugh out of everyone when he formed his into the outline of a person.


    After some thought the cute girl settled on a simple square with an X through the middle, like a box had been ticked.


    They set off each of the privates¡¯ projects in turn. Slow motion footage of each blast was viewed by the troops and analyzed by the sergeants. They all watched in fascination as the explosion traveled up the length of the cord and at incredible speeds. The whole length of it went up, destroying whatever it came into contact with.


    ***


    The Erarat that was standing next to the pallet load of weapons suddenly sprang up, leaping away from the danger. It rocketed up the ceiling, landing on one of the rafters, where it held fast, staring down at them with its oval shaped eye clusters. Eli was unable to see if it was anywhere near Gami, and he didn¡¯t dare to spend much time trying to spot her.


    The other Erarat stared at Eli and Tarl down the barrels of their guns. They knew that one wrong move and all of those weapons would be turned into slag.


    A series of short beeps on the com. This was one of Gami¡¯s signals that she had gone over with Eli and Tarl. It meant that she was in close proximity to a hostile and was therefore incapable of movement or communication without compromising herself.If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    ¡°If you want to cut some kind of a deal, I¡¯m listening!¡± Eli shouted.


    ¡°Remove the explosives and leave,¡± Hexul, the head Erarat commanded.


    ¡°Not without my money.¡±


    ¡°If you remove the explosives and leave, we will give you a five-minute head start.¡±


    Eli let out a frustrated sigh.


    ¡°This guy¡¯s one tough negotiator,¡± Tarl quipped.


    ¡°It¡¯ll be fine,¡± Eli assured him, ¡°We¡¯ll wear him down,¡± then he called out to Hexul again, ¡°Tell you what, for every ten grand that you give me, I¡¯ll remove one of the strips of det cord.¡±


    ¡°For every weapon that is damaged,¡± the Erarat countered, ¡°I¡¯ll remove a strip of your skin.¡±


    Eli considered his response. He had no doubt that the threat wasn¡¯t an idle one. These things had demonstrated their willingness to act in an underhanded way. Their attitudes told him that, for whatever reason, they believed that they had both the right and the ability to do whatever they wanted.


    ¡°We¡¯ve got company!¡± Tarl exclaimed.


    ¡°How far out?¡± Eli asked.


    ¡°They decloaked right outside the plasma screen!¡±


    Eli glanced backward, peering down the side of his ship and out of the plasma window. Sure enough, green and dark grey had replaced the brown and black of the asteroid field and the void beyond.


    ¡°Can we escape?¡± Eli asked the pilot.


    ¡°Negative. We could fit through the space between the ship and the asteroid, but they¡¯ve got a lot of firepower and several tractor beams. We wouldn¡¯t get far.¡±


    ¡°Damn. Any idea who they are?¡±


    ¡°None. The ship lacks any markings whatsoever. I do recognize the design, a fast attack cruiser used by several big militaries. They¡¯re helmsmen must be amazing to have gotten them here in one piece.¡±


    ¡°Who are your friends?¡± Eli shouted at Hexul.


    ¡°They aren¡¯t our friends. They are a pirate group that call themselves the Damatok Wraiths. They are here to demand protection money.¡±


    ¡°And you¡¯ve got the money, right?¡±


    ¡°We do not,¡± it said curtly, ¡°You are under the same storm cloud as us.¡±


    ¡°How so?¡±


    ¡°Because they will take your ship too.¡±


    ¡°They can try,¡± Eli countered.


    ¡°They certainly will. That is why I propose a temporary alliance.¡±


    Eli gave it a few seconds of thought, ¡°Make it a non-aggression pact and you¡¯ve got a deal.¡±


    ¡°Agreed.¡±


    No sooner was this said, than Tarl reported that a craft had launched from the ship. It swooped into the hangar. The thing was all guns and engines, with wide doors on the sides and rear. The paint job was red, purple, and black, and it bore no emblems or other identifying marks. It settled down in the only open space that remained, which was a bit off to the left of where cavalier was parked.


    ***


    Gami was fully immersed in her training. Muscle memory took over. Thousands of years of knowledge locked itself into place. This was the kind of control that only the most determined, disciplined, and expertly guided individuals can obtain.


    She was hanging upside down from one of the rafters, her legs wrapped around the support. One of the Erarat had leapt from the floor, clear to the ceiling. It had taken everything she had been built up to be for her to stay in place. Using her cybernetic link, she sent her comrades the signal that updated them on her situation.


    Gami slowly adjusted her position. Her movements were smooth, yet imperceptibly slow. The barrel of her sniper rifle rose gently, like the sunrise.


    The fleshy, many limbed thing continued to stay in place. She knew that it saw in a panorama. This was beyond her mind¡¯s ability to fully comprehend. But that didn¡¯t matter, what mattered was the fact that its mind was able to handle those inputs, that it was able to see in 360 degrees. Was it fully aware of what every eye cluster was seeing at all times or was it more or less focused on Eli and Tarl? Going with the prudent assumption that it could still see perfectly out of the eye cluster that was pointed at her, she kept moving at a slow, even pace.


    Tarl gave his warning. The temptation to move her head to take a look was heavy. She resisted it. Even when the pirates boarded the facility, she only allowed herself the slowest movements. Craning her neck ever so much to see would have to do. The question burned in her mind, when to go loud?

 Chapter 52: Out of the Frying Pan

    The pirate assault craft¡¯s doors opened simultaneously. A ragged and savage collection of beings poured out of the ship, at least six score in number. No two were alike in dress or origin. There were twisted humanoids, horrific flying things, insect-like abominations, blobs of vaguely anthropomorphic flesh, skeletal horrors, and beings so malformed they must have been mutant outcasts.


    Their clothes and gear were a mixture of desperate salvage and plundered finery. Patched and rusted gear sat atop expensive dresses and suits. Advanced pieces of hardware were secured to ancient leather belts or surplus military webbing.


    Their weapons were the same as their gear, a mixture of old and new. Those who weren¡¯t naturally equipped with claws or sharp teeth carried melee weapons. These ranged from homemade monstrosities to military issued killing tools.


    At the head of this chaotic procession a feminine figure strode. The vividness of her scarlet skin made her stand out from the others. The tall crest on her head made her stand out even more, like nature had gifted her a crown.


    She had a striking face which could have passed for that of a demoness, sharp cheeks and a wicked, black lipped mouth. Something was going on with her eyes, but she was too far away from Eli for him to tell what was going on. Perhaps it was the play of light off of lenses.


    It was hard to tell, but it looked like she was wearing a high cut leotard with a pair of leather pants, both of them black. These garments clung to her voluptuous body. Three badges were pinned to her leotard. These were all silver luster and bright enamel.


    Where her belt touched her left hip there was an object, a silver circle with a black, star shape running across it, probably a shield projector. Other belts ran across her body. Things that were familiar to the soldier were positioned next to objects that were totally foreign to him. On her left thigh, a row of tubes, all similar, but no two exactly the same. Each of these Iredell were adorned with a different language¡¯s version of a medical symbol.


    A pair of pistols sat in a shoulder holster. These were of differing designs, but both of them were examples of fine craftmanship. A long knife on her right thigh, another on her left boot. A long, gold and black cylinder hung from her belt, like the ornate handle had come off of a decorative weapon.


    ¡°She¡¯s a Pygram! Watch out, Gami!¡± Tarl warned. Eli had no idea what this meant. He had heard the word before, but only related to a kind of commonly traded currency.


    The Damatok Wraiths spread out a bit. Some took positions near the Erarat. Others poked around near the pallets that had been aboard Cavalier, but none of them got too close to Eli and Tarl. The pair stayed in position near the boarding ramp.


    The scarlet woman¡¯s voice was seductive. Her language sounded like it was designed to carry the spirit of hardcore punk, ¡°Hexul, I see that you have visitors. And who do I have the pleasure of making the acquaintance of?¡±


    ¡°Captain Cisneros,¡± Eli said confidently, ¡°And you are?¡±


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    ¡°I am called Rotek. I¡¯m the first mate aboard Dancing Phantom. I don¡¯t see any markings on your ship. Are you an independent vessel?¡±


    ¡°Lie,¡± one of Tarl¡¯s bodies said into the com, ¡°Don¡¯t let her know that we don¡¯t have anyone backing us up.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m a member of a trade guild,¡± Eli stated, ¡°You ever hear of Kirjen and Jussco?¡±


    ¡°A front for smugglers, which would explain why you are here.¡±


    ¡°And why are you here?¡± Eli asked.


    ¡°Because the Just Alliance pays us to help keep these scum in line. You know that this wasn¡¯t originally their base? They took it from someone else.¡±


    ¡°And you¡¯re here to take it from them?¡±


    ¡°Only if they stop paying.¡±


    ¡°So, you take bribes.¡±


    ¡°Only for as long as we can get away with it. Then we¡¯ll actually do some privateering.¡±


    ¡°I kind of like you,¡± Eli said with a smirk, ¡°Let¡¯s cut a deal. You let us go, we¡¯ll bring you all the fun toys that you want from the more civilized sectors of space.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s an interesting offer, but we can just lift anything that we want or need off of the convoys.¡±


    ¡°But that comes with risk, and you¡¯re stuck with the luck of the draw.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve got a better offer, Captain Cisneros.¡±


    ¡°Please, call me Eli.¡±


    ¡°Eli, then. I¡¯ll cut you the best deal of your life. Come work for us.¡±


    ¡°Captain Bukhara won¡¯t like you recruiting like this,¡± one of her comrades warned.


    He was mammalian, or some analog of it. The pirate looked like something out of a cartoon from the 80s, like a possum had been mutated into a large, anthropomorphic form. The thing¡¯s beady eyes shone with white light and a love of disturbing things. The wide, toothy smile had the same effect. Its short snout was tipped with a little pink nose. Eli liked the fohawk that its fur seemed to naturally form into. He wore worn leathers and several bandoleers. A retractable eye piece sat on the side of his head. He carried a rifle with a smaller pump action mounted under the barrel.


    ¡°Karr, you¡¯ve always got something to say,¡± Rotek sneered, ¡°Captain Bukhara told me that he wants to be an admiral, to command a whole fleet of raiders. All I¡¯m doing is trying to get him one little step closer to that dream,¡± her tone suddenly became vicious, ¡°Challenge me again and they¡¯ll unfurl the banners, bring out the full shining regalia at your funeral.¡±


    He countered this strange statement without hesitation, ¡°I¡¯ll go straight for the karana, soon as Bukhara gets sick of you,¡± the translator told Eli that karana was understood to be any species¡¯ seat of consciousness.


    ¡°Mass sacrifice in your name. Rivers of blood. Mountains of skulls,¡± Rotek purred.


    ¡°I¡¯ll throw myself on the pyre.¡±


    She grinned wickedly, ¡°I¡¯ll throw a thousand on the pyre before me.¡±


    The crowd stirred, as her words had affected them in some way that went beyond their macabre nature.


    ***


    The sniper rifle was still pointed at the Erarat who had jumped up beside her. Even as Gami watched what was going on below her, she kept it level, finger on the trigger.


    Below her, Eli talked to the leader of the pirates. Tarl¡¯s warning about her had not fallen on deaf ears. That woman¡¯s presence would greatly complicate things. The gaggle of armed killers that accompanied her certainly didn¡¯t help things either.


    Unable to use the scope of her sniper rifle to get a close look at them, and unable to freely move her head around, she struggled to assess the threat that they presented. That was when she spotted them on the edge of her vision. A trio of pirates were sneaking around to the side of Cavalier. There, they would likely crouch down and move under the craft, move to a position where they would be able to get the drop on her friends.


    Unable to warn them while staying hidden, Gami did what needed to be done. She squeezed the trigger.


    The round punched clean through the Erarat. A jet of black blood followed the hypersonic round. The fleshy thing dropped, its long limbs trailing behind it as it fell.


    ¡°Under the ship! Three of them!¡± she shouted over the com.

 Chapter 53: Into the Fire

    Tarl rotated the ventral turret to the left and instantly caught sight of a very surprised looking trio of pirates. They were unshielded. He hoped that the mess that splashed against the underside of the ship wouldn¡¯t be too difficult to clean off.


    ¡°Got ¡®em!¡± he reported.


    The body that was manning the dorsal turret saw the dead Erarat fall. It also saw that Gami was already firing at targets on the ground, picking off pirates as they rushed between the pallets of supplies that Cavalier had unloaded into the hangar. Seeing that the other Erarat were drawing weapons, he opened fire on them. Only those that wore shields survived. Energy danced and popped as they retreated deeper into the facility.


    The body that was taking cover near the edge of the boarding ramp fired the grenade launcher. The explosive arched high in the air, detonated somewhere over the pirate¡¯s furthest flank. The cluster munition spread its warheads out. They rained down on the buccaneers, blowing at least a dozen into smithereens.


    The doors at the rear of the bay opened. Dozens of Erarat poured into the hangar. They fired wildly in every direction. One of them carried a crude tube, an anti-tank weapon. The rocket struck the pirate¡¯s shuttle, blasting a gaping hole in its cockpit.


    Gami dropped a smoke grenade. A cloud of white was already bellowing out of the canister before it hit the floor. Before long, it filled most of the hangar.


    ***


    Eli fired the large rifle from the hip. The explosive tipped rounds were devastating, blasting massive holes into his foes.


    They kept pushing forward. Incoming fire struck the skid he was using as cover. The mag ran dry, he let the weapon hang from its sling and pulled his pistol and started shooting the advancing pirates.


    A bullet struck high on his vest. He felt the impact dislocate his left shoulder as it took him off of his feet. Landing hard on the metal plates that passed for a floor, he let out a shout of pain as his shoulder was conveniently relocated by the impact.


    Sprawled out of the floor, he used his prosthetic hand to push the detonator. The det cord went off. Pieces of metal from the destroyed weapons sprayed those pirates that were near the pallet.


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    Steadily working his way through the carbine¡¯s mag, Tarl started making his way over to him. Rounds passed uncomfortably close to the butar. His shield absorbed a pulse of red light. He worked the lever, dealing out death one well-placed shot at a time.


    ¡°Are you okay¡± he asked, before dropping another enemy.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. Where¡¯s Gami?¡±


    ¡°No clue. The smoke is too thick.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s stopped firing,¡± Eli observed, then he keyed the com, ¡°Gami, come in!¡±


    ¡°On my way. Get into the ship.¡±


    ¡°Copy,¡± Eli said, putting a fresh mag into his sidearm as he jumped up.


    Tarl¡¯s carbine ran out of ammo. The smoke was so thick that they couldn¡¯t see a thing. The butar drew his own pistol. The pair blindly fired in the general direction of where the pirates had come from. Eli scanned his right flank as they went up the ramp, hoping to catch a glimpse of a blur that meant that Gami had made it.


    The pair entered the ship and turned around. There was Rotek, leading a group of her comrades through the smoke screen and up the boarding ramp. She took something off of one of her belts, threw it into the bay.


    ¡°Frag in!¡± Eli bellowed.


    Tarl took the hint, even if he wasn¡¯t necessarily familiar with the terminology. He rolled over the top of an empty crate and landed on the other side. Eli desperately looked around for cover. The grenade went off before he could find any. Blinding light filled his vision, forcing his eyes shut, causing his free hand to shield them.


    The pirates kept coming, shielding their eyes by placing their appendages across their sense organs. Rotek strode forward, unbothered by the light, calling out for them to follow her. She took the gold and black rod off of her belt. What looked like a cord of energy snaked out of it. She moved the object over her shoulder and quickly brought it back. The weird cord of energy flailed like a whip. It wrapped itself around Eli¡¯s legs.


    Eli¡¯s legs were pulled out from under him. The back of his head smashed into the deck of Cavalier¡¯s cargo bay. Flat on his back, he found it difficult to stay conscious as he took aim at the blurry woman standing in front of him. She pressed a button on the whip handle. Arcs of electricity traveled the length of the strange whip, shocking him.


    Despite this, he tried to take aim again. She kicked the gun out of his hand. He heard it land somewhere at the rear of the bay, near the doors that led deeper into the ship. Then she planted the high boot squarely in his gut.


    Tarl took aim at her. The whip unwrapped itself from around his feet. She used it to knock the gun out of Tarl¡¯s hand. He let out a cry of pain and cupped the place where it had struck. Another pirate grabbed him, and he was promptly placed in zip strips.


    Eli tried to get back up, tried to draw his knife. Several of them put a stop to this effort. They took his knife and gave him a brief pat down and put him in flex cuffs. He noticed the lack of training they displayed during this quick search, and it gave him a bit of hope. They missed several important things, such as his earpiece. Tarl and Gami could still communicate with him in secret.

 Chapter 54: Ruff ‘n’ Tumble

    Relief washed over Eli when he heard the tone that meant that Gami was safe, but unable to communicate due to the presence of enemies. Where exactly she was in the bay, he did not know, and he willed himself to keep it that way. Because if he managed to spot her, one of them might wonder what he was looking at and follow his eyes.


    The ramp rose, the pressure door began to close. Rotek reached out, pulling another pirate aboard the ship.


    Eli felt the ship lift off. It was hard to tell with what had happened, but he believed that a good number of pirates had gotten on board. As it was, several of them were moving deeper into the ship. At least a few would make a beeline for the bridge.


    Tarl got up onto his knees. Eli managed to do the same.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you just shoot them?¡± Karr asked Rotek, the question full of hostility.


    ¡°Because they¡¯re smugglers. They have secret compartments and other tricks on their ship. I want to know about them,¡± she placed the barrel of one of her pistols against Eli¡¯s head, ¡°Straight for the karana, if anyone tries anything silly.¡±


    Eli grinned and pointed at Tarl¡¯s butar with his chin, ¡°Shoot him instead.¡±


    Judging by his expression, he understood Eli¡¯s gambit, ¡°Thanks boss, real kind of you.¡±


    Rotek drew her other pistol and pointed it at Tarl, ¡°Why not both?¡±


    Now Eli could see her eyes. They were pools of black. In that blackness, bursts of light of every color; like ink being dropped into water, like little fireworks.


    ¡°What do you see with eyes like that?¡± Eli asked.


    ¡°Everything.¡±


    ¡°She isn¡¯t joking,¡± one of Tarl¡¯s other bodies said over the com, ¡°A Pygram can see in pretty much every spectrum. That¡¯s why I warned Gami about her.¡±


    Eli forced himself to stay cool and not let his displeasure show on his face. One of their biggest assets had just been removed from the game.


    Rotek keyed her com device, ¡°They tried to screw us. Send in a full strike team. Kill them all and take anything useful. We¡¯re on the Apogee-class.¡±


    The being on the other end of the call sounded female, and more than a little irritated, ¡°It will be done. I¡¯m bringing Bukhara out of hibernation.¡±


    This caused Rotek to examine the deck plates for a few long moments, ¡°Do it. We can¡¯t come aboard yet. We¡¯ll hold station until this ship is secured.¡±


    Another voice on the pirate¡¯s com system, ¡°Three more in the cockpit. They look like they could be the little one¡¯s brothers.¡±


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    Rotek spoke into her com, ¡°Tell them that if they try anything, we¡¯ll kill this little one. Tell them that there¡¯ll be lines of mourners in every direction, all the way out beyond the horizon,¡± she turned toward Eli and Tarl, ¡°That it?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s it,¡± Eli confirmed.


    ¡°What about the one using the stealth field, that one of yours?¡±


    ¡°Oh, her? She¡¯s tried to kill me several times.¡±


    ¡°She told me that when you first met, she kicked you in the throat,¡± Tarl stated.


    The pirate woman returned her pistols to their holsters, ¡°I don¡¯t blame her. Well, I aint gonna lie, I only caught a glimpse of her, lost track during the chaos. regardless of whether or not she¡¯s with you, I have to be sure that she hasn¡¯t gotten on board before we return to Dancing Phantom.¡±


    Over the com one of Tarl¡¯s bodies spoke, ¡°Gami, if you need a hiding place, they just searched my quarters. They overlooked my primary.¡±


    Rotek grabbed the back of Eli¡¯s head and slammed his face onto the deck. Then she put the sole of her booted foot on the side of his face.


    ¡°Tarl, buddy, I think that I¡¯m falling in love,¡± Eli managed to say, despite the pain and disorientation.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure that you¡¯ll make a cute couple.¡±


    She pushed down harder, ¡°Where is she hiding?¡±


    ¡°No clue. If she¡¯s invisible, she could be in a lot of places.¡±


    In a flash, Rotek drew the whip and struck Tarl with it. It was electrified, the arcs dancing across the pilot¡¯s body. The crack of the whip was a frightful thing, a weapon in itself. Agonized cries followed as he writhed around on the floor.


    ¡°Hey! We don¡¯t know where she is!¡± Eli shouted.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Rotek purred, ¡°He clearly means something to you. I should have used it on you first so that you understood how much pain he is in!¡±


    She stepped away and brought the whip down on Eli¡¯s back, going slow, taking her time, drawing out the pain. The electrified whip screeched like some cybernetic phantasm. By the fourth strike any sort of sick pleasure he had gotten from it had vanished. The eight strike was the breaking point for him. His response to the pain wasn¡¯t to cry out, but to retreat inwards. The tenth lash was against a body where the mind had temporarily let go of the controls.


    A message came in on the pirate¡¯s com, ¡°There¡¯s a bomb on the power core.¡±


    ¡°Interesting,¡± Rotek purred, ¡°Did Pon make it aboard?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Get him to take a look at it,¡± she turned back to Eli and Tarl, ¡°You put that bomb there?¡±


    ¡°I can honestly say that I didn¡¯t,¡± Tarl said.


    ¡°One of your brothers?¡±


    ¡°No. I think that Eli¡¯s gone into some kind of shock. Can you please use an Iredell on him?¡±


    She grabbed the back of his head and pulled it up. Ripping one of the Iredells off of her belt she injected it into his neck.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Tarl said meekly.


    She let his face rest on the deck again, ¡°What about you? Did you put that bomb on the power core?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Eli said with a surprisingly vigorous voice, ¡°It¡¯s a long story. But the funny thing is that I have the detonator on me,¡± with that, he showed them that he had the remote in his hands, having slipped it before they had bound them.


    ¡°If I find out that it isn¡¯t wired to a dead man¡¯s switch, I¡¯ll throw you out of an airlock,¡± Rotek snarled.


    Eli smirked up at her, ¡°You don¡¯t want to be buddies anymore?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve got people that can crew this ship, no problem. The only question now if you and your friends get dropped off on a habitable world or dumped into the void.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve got an even better option,¡± Karr said, the eye piece moving back into place on the side of his head, ¡°We turn him in for the reward.¡±


    Her voice was laced with venom, ¡°We don¡¯t do that, and you know it. Escaped Sad¡¯Daki slaves aren¡¯t our concern.¡±


    ¡°I aint talking about his brand. The Lashua syndicate has put a price on his head.¡±


    Her tone and expression changed to happiness, ¡°Now that¡¯s what I like to hear!¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t go without a fight,¡± Eli insisted, ¡°I¡¯ll set the bomb off before I go.¡±


    Karr¡¯s evil smile somehow got even bigger, ¡°This is a nice ship, but the money we¡¯ll get from Lashua is worth it.¡±


    Rotek was smiling too, ¡°And it will help to get us in their good graces. This is a wonderful turn of fortune.¡±

 Chapter 55: Optic-camo and Blades

    Rotek had temporarily abandoned her interrogation. She and the deranged pirate named Karr were locked in a heated, but hushed discussion.


    ¡°They just launched a few shuttles,¡± Tarl reported, ¡°They flew into the asteroid.¡±


    ¡°They didn¡¯t tie up your bodies on the bridge?¡± Eli asked.


    ¡°Na, not seen as a threat. I gotta ask. How did you manage to get in trouble with the Lashua syndicate?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. It might have had something to do with that incident in the casino.¡±


    ¡°Ya, that sounds about right.¡±


    ¡°Storming one of their ships to take a prisoner from them might be a part of it too.¡±


    ¡°Nice. Well, it looks like we¡¯re screwed.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve still got a few aces up our sleeves,¡± Eli reassured him.


    ¡°Do you actually have the dead man switch activated?¡±


    ¡°No. What if something happened to me? It would screw you two over.¡±


    ¡°Good point. What now?¡±


    ¡°Depends on what Gami does.¡±


    ***


    Gami softly opened up the maintenance panel and placed the used Iredell inside before closing it back up. She was hiding in a little alcove in the section of the ship that housed the life support systems. Her stealth system finally adjusted to the change caused by the bullet hole and the pressure dressing she had placed over it.


    A loud clank which sounded like it came from the power core. She decided that this was worthy of investigation. The bullet wound in her left side throbbed with every step. She paused and checked to make sure that she still wasn¡¯t leaving a blood trail before she pushed on.


    The loud clank had been a toolbox being sat down. A pirate was examining the bomb that had been placed among the countless pipes and cables that ran in and out of the core. This being was green round, held up by four legs. Two arms moved around the eyestalk on the top of its body in a gesture of deep contemplation. The wide mouth that spanned most of one side of its torso smacked, a tell among that species that they were nervous.


    The decision to kill him was based less on a desire to preserve the bomb and more out of the fear that he would accidently set it off and cripple the ship.


    The one that was working on defusing the bomb had protection. Another being was acting as an overwatch. It was humanoid, not too dissimilar to Eli¡¯s people, other than the grey skin and long ears.


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    Using her dart launcher would be a bit of a risk as it might not kill a member of his species. The poison that she currently had loaded into it was an especially versatile one, instantly fatal to many common species. The issue was that she was unfamiliar with either of their species. A blade to the throat was harder to pull off, but a guaranteed kill. The one that was examining the bomb didn¡¯t have a neck, but it did have that eyestalk.


    The throwing knife became visible when it left her hand. The grey-skinned pirate caught sight of it far too late. The one that was diffusing the bomb turned to see why his crewmate was staggering around with his hands clutched at his throat.


    The dash forward was very painful. Her sword went a little higher than she had wanted. The top third of the eyestalk fell away. It started to let out panicked cries. She brought the sword down vertically and it went silent. It took two more swings to fully bisect it. Not her cleanest kills, not by a long shot. As she hid the bodies, she wondered just how bad her wound was.


    Moving up the stairs, she could hear them clearing the passenger quarters. Encountering one in the corridor, even while invisible, would be fatal. She could also hear one of them trying to break open the weapons lockers in the workshop.


    Peering into the hallway, she watched a pair of pirates enter one of the rooms near the end of the corridor to search it. She slipped into Tarl¡¯s room and shut the stealth field down.


    ¡°Gami just walked in,¡± Tarl¡¯s primary body said into the com.


    ¡°Sorry. I wasn¡¯t able to speak till now, too risky.¡±


    ¡°Are you hurt?¡±


    ¡°Yes, caught a stray round when I was running to the ship. I¡¯m not sure how bad. I took out the pirate that was trying to diffuse the bomb. What¡¯s our plan?¡±


    Eli spoke over the com, ¡°It¡¯s only a matter of time before they check on him. Gami, they know that you¡¯re aboard.¡±


    ¡°Damn, I thought that Pygram saw me, but I wasn¡¯t sure. I was distracted when that stray round hit me. I managed to get behind cover before the invisibility field failed.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re holding off on taking Cavalier aboard their ship till you¡¯re delt with.¡±


    ¡°But at the same time, we need to get aboard.¡±


    ¡°You think that you can disable it?¡± Tarl asked.


    ¡°I know that I can,¡± she said, settling down on the edge of the bed.


    ¡°Don¡¯t overexert yourself!¡± Tarl warned, ¡°I have no doubt that you could pull it off but not with a bullet in your gut.¡±


    ¡°In my side,¡± she corrected, ¡°There aren¡¯t any vital organs there.¡±


    ¡°Just very useful ones,¡± Eli joked, ¡°Gami, I trust you to make a judgment call on whether or not you¡¯re up to the task.¡±


    ¡°Yes. Just give me a minute,¡± she stammered, pulling a multi-tool out of the pocket of one of Tarl¡¯s jumpsuits. She opened it up, so that it became a pair of pliers. Terrible sounds came out of her helmet¡¯s speaker as she worked it into the hole. After a minute she pulled it back out and put the dressing back into place.


    Gami held the deformed rifle slug up like it was a jewel or hunk of precious metal that she had found.


    ¡°See,¡± she said, still breathing heavily, ¡°I got it.¡±


    After saying this, she collapsed backward onto the bed.


    ***


    Rotek and Karr ended their conversation. Karr activated his com, ¡°Pon, how¡¯s it going with that bomb?¡±


    Tarl¡¯s primary body told Gami about this.


    ¡°Alright,¡± Gami said, clearly still in a great deal of pain, ¡°timetable¡¯s been moved up. I¡¯ll start picking them off one by one. They won¡¯t kill Eli as long as he¡¯s got the detonator. Securing the bridge won¡¯t help that much because we can¡¯t leave while that ship¡¯s still here.¡±


    ¡°The cameras!¡± Tarl said triumphantly, ¡°If you can free my butar on the bridge, I can use the camera feeds to tell you where they are.¡±


    Karr tried two more times to raise Pon, then he tried the pirate that had been guarding him. Neither answered. He looked at Rotek knowingly.


    Rotek pointed at two of the pirates in the hangar, a pair of dangerous looking humanoids, ¡°You two, come with me. We¡¯re going hunting.¡±

 Chapter 56: On the Hunt

    Rotek and her new hunting partners left the cargo hold. Karr had his cybernetic locked into place over his eye and was seemingly staring off into space. Another pirate milled around the bay, absentmindedly looking into random containers for anything of value.


    Tarl looked at Eli, ¡°I have to ask, did Gami really kick you in the throat like that?¡±


    ¡°Yep. Next time we met, I choke slammed her into a wall. So, I think that makes us even.¡±


    ¡°Fair enough. Well, what now?¡±


    ¡°We need to get ourselves into a better position. Gami might need us.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s a master of stealth, even without the ability to go completely invisible,¡± Tarl offered.


    ¡°That¡¯s true, but she¡¯s still at a big disadvantage, and so are we as long as we¡¯re tied up.¡±


    ¡°Your cuffs don¡¯t look like they were meant to be used for this. They look like they were made for quick maintenance jobs.¡±


    Eli looked at the cuffs that kept Tarl¡¯s hands behind his back, ¡°Ya, I think you¡¯re right. I wonder if I could break them.¡±


    Eli flicked the safety on the detonator on and started flexing his muscles. The pain in his shoulder felt like a blade being pushed in, slicing muscles and tendons as it was worked around beneath the skin. The cuffs didn¡¯t budge.


    ¡°Damn, well it was worth a try.¡±


    ¡°We aren¡¯t out of options yet. Remember how we had my hakan in reserve?¡±


    Eli grinned, ¡°And you never sent them out, probably because of all the smoke.¡±


    Tarl grinned back, ¡°Exactly.¡±


    ***


    ¡°Where are you?¡± Rotek taunted as they entered the maintenance area.


    She forced herself to move with cool confidence. Inside, she knew just how dangerous someone like her target could be. The fear was eagerly kept at bay by visions of glory and treasure. She allowed these images to feed into her movements giving them a sense of joyful belligerence. She wore a big smile, showing the rows of sharp teeth.


    The formations of micro brains in her head crest fed data into the mind that controlled the rest of her body, which contained her seat of consciousness, her ¡°Karana.¡±


    Some of these little brains saw shadows in which her prey could hide. Others didn¡¯t know the meaning of that concept. Whether Rotek saw her heat signature or layers of radiation that her stealth system didn¡¯t hide, one thing was certain, that woman would be caught.


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    In one of her secondary minds, blood glowed on the deck plates in front of the power core. She cautiously followed the droplets to the life support compartment and quickly found where the bodies had been stashed. She reported this to Karr and moved up to the passenger cabins.


    She had one of her underlings keep watch in the hall while she cleared the first cabin. It was unoccupied, clean and ready for use. This made sense, they¡¯d want to keep as many rooms open as possible, so the brothers would share one of the crew quarters located in the upper hull. The hairy thing with the Sad¡¯Daki brand would live in the other room. She had always been taught to avoid crazy men, this would not stop her from making use of him before he was put in an airlock or left on a habitable world, which ever it ultimately came to.


    Pistol in one hand, long blade in the other, she searched the room. The third member of her ad hoc hunting team kept watch on her while she checked the closet, searched the tiny restroom, and looked under the bed. Nothing. She went out into the hall and gave it a look, still nothing. So, she crossed the hall and entered the next room.


    To her surprise, this room was being used. And from the decorations, footlockers, and other signs of habitation, she guessed it was by a permanent crewmember.


    There was some sort of machine against one wall. She could tell that it was a piece of equipment because it was giving off heat. There was a transparent bulb on the top. She could make out signals being sent and received from it in constant streams. She was also able to perceive pulses of ultrasound emanating from nodules on the sides, pulsing out in steady waves. Deciding that it was a monitoring device, she looked elsewhere.


    Rotek recognized a few of the religious symbols that hung from the walls and sat upon the altar. Strangely, they were for different faiths.


    There was blood on the bed. It looked fresh. No other traces of it. Interesting.


    She took another look at the thing with the bulb on it. If it was a monitoring system, what was it monitoring and who was it reporting to. Then she took note of the heat signature again. It wasn¡¯t a device, it was organic!


    The sliding door to the closet was open. The clothes that were hanging there moved ever so slightly. Rotek went to one knee. The knife sailed over her head. She put three rounds into the closet. Wondering why her escort wasn¡¯t firing, she glanced over to see him sliding down the wall, a nasty-looking metal dart stuck in his neck.


    No more movement from the closet. There were too many heavy garments in the way to see heat or other giveaways. If she had realized this, she would have checked it sooner. She was contemplating if she should go ahead and put another couple of rounds into the closet when two things simultaneously happened.


    The other pirate entered the room, no doubt summoned by the gunshots. The thing with the bulb moved toward her, the cables that hung from it lashed out, wrapping around one of her legs and the arm that held the gun. She was pulled to the ground.


    She slashed at the cable that was around her leg with her knife. The thing let out a cry of pain and pulled it back.


    The heavy work clothes moved violently. The woman in the armor bolted forward, holding a sword in a ready position. Her camo system was malfunctioning. Two of the bullets had struck her, the slugs denting plates on her belly and left breast. In those places, in certain spectrums, light squirmed and bubbled. The glitches ceased and the system failed completely, leaving her completely visible by the time she had made it across the room.


    The pirate that had been guarding the hall took aim. Rotek moved to cut the cable that held her gun hand. It snaked away. A jet of blood shot across the space in front of her face. Rotek turned her head and saw that her comrade¡¯s hand had been severed. It and the gun it held lay on the floor. Pain and horror twisted his face as the woman in the armor moved behind him and wrapped an arm around his throat.


    Rotek pushed herself using her legs, sliding under the thing with the cables. She pressed the barrel of her pistol against the bulb on it, ¡°Let him go or this one gets it!¡± then she keyed her mic, ¡°Karr, I¡¯ve found her! Send reinforcements to the passenger section!¡±

 Chapter 57: On Swift Wings

    The two hakan silently glided down off the tops of a shelf. One landed on top of the butar, the other on Eli. Using their talons, they cut away the plastic cuffs that bound them. The pirate named Karr suddenly looked in their direction. His eye piece moved out from in front of his eye.


    Tarl¡¯s butar and both of his hakan let out expletives. Karr¡¯s weapon had been leaning up against the contain he stood beside. He grabbed it and took aim.


    Tarl¡¯s bodies scattered in all directions. Karr used the underbarrel shotgun to blast a hakan out of the air. Eli rolled behind one of the shelves. He got up and started running. Karr blindly fired his rifle at the shelf, blasting holes through containers. Eli kept running, pieces of shredded plastic striking him, bullets zipping by.


    There was still another pirate in the room. He had been hanging around, looking in random crates and such. Now he was rushing out from behind a shelf, struggling to unsling his carbine. Tarl¡¯s remaining hakan swooped above a shelf, grabbed one of the frag grenades that it had left up there, and swooped back down. It dropped the explosive onto the pirate. The explosion cut off his scream.


    Karr stopped to reload. Eli rounded a corner. There it was, laying on the floor against the wall, his biomechanical horror of a pistol. Smiling, Eli picked it up out of the dust. He moved into a position where he could engage Karr.


    Karr was holding Tarl¡¯s butar. He had the underslung shotgun pressed against his belly.


    ¡°Don¡¯t do it,¡± the pirate warned, ¡°or little buddy will get a tummy full of shot.¡±


    Eli did it anyway, putting a bullet right between his all white eyes. A death reflex kicked in. Karr¡¯s last act was to do what he had threatened. Tarl¡¯s body lay on the floor screaming.


    The surviving butar landed nearby, ¡°Do me a favor and take care of it. It is agonizingly painful!¡±


    Eli walked over to it and pointed his gun and its head. His finger was on the trigger, but it refused to move.


    ¡°Do it!¡± Tarl pleaded, ¡°It isn¡¯t me! The part of me that matters is in my room.¡±


    Eli did it. Even after what Tarl had said to him, it was still extremely difficult.


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    ¡°Damn!¡± Tarl¡¯¡¯s remaining flying body moaned, ¡°I just got done growing a butar, now I got to grow another one and a hakan too.¡±


    ¡°That sucks,¡± Eli managed, still a bit disturbed.


    Tarl went wide eyed, ¡°Oh no, Rotek just took me hostage.¡±


    ¡°You mean the real you?¡±


    ¡°Yes. If she shoots the part that she¡¯s got her gun pointed at, I won¡¯t be able to move any of my other bodies.¡±


    ***


    On the bridge, three of Tarl¡¯s butar sat in a row. The pirates heard Rotek¡¯s call for help and rushed out of the room. The trio jumped up, one taking the controls, another bringing up the camera feeds.


    ***


    Holding Karr¡¯s weapon, Eli made his way to the staircase.


    ¡°Two coming from the bridge!¡± one of Tarl¡¯s bodies warned.


    Eli squeezed off a few rounds, dropping both of them.


    ¡°From the work room!¡±


    Eli blasted him with the underslung shotgun. Then he went up the stairs and into the passenger section. The door to Tarl¡¯s room was open. Weapon at the ready, he entered.


    There was a dead pirate leaning against the wall, a dart stuck in his neck. Another was lying on the bed, looking very pale and clutching the stump of a severed hand. This hand, still holding a pistol, lay on the floor.


    Gami was in the process of giving Rotek a very aggressive pat down. She had been relieved of her weapons, along with the whip and a lockpicking tool.


    ¡°Okay! Stop! He¡¯s bleeding out!¡± the female pirate pleaded.


    Gami finished her search. Rotek went to the pirate and injected the wound with an Iredell. Then she proceeded to tie off the stump.


    ¡°How did you get her to surrender?¡± Eli asked Gami.


    The armored woman stood there, cold and soulless behind the mask, ¡°I promised her that I would let her treat his wounds,¡± she glanced at Eli before returning her gaze to the prisoner, ¡°You look like you¡¯ve been through hell.¡±


    Rotek stepped away from the pirate, ¡°He¡¯s gone.¡±


    Gami spoke coldly, ¡°You surrendered for nothing. Gave away your advantage for nothing.¡±


    ¡°Not for nothing. There was a chance. He was one of my people. I had to try.¡±


    Rotek went over to the pirate that had been hit with the dart. Foam bubbled out of his mouth. His eyes were locked open, but there was nothing behind them.


    ¡°Why use a lethal agent?¡± the pirate woman asked Gami.


    ¡°He didn¡¯t have a bounty on his head.¡±


    Rotek stared at her with those wild eyes.


    ¡°Come on,¡± Eli said.


    He escorted her into one of the other passenger cabins. Removing a hidden panel that sat next to the door¡¯s regular controls. He converted it into a prison cell. Bars slid into place, while the door stayed locked open.


    ¡°Wait!¡± Tarl objected, ¡°They can do that?¡±


    ¡°Ya, I¡¯m a bounty hunter. I need to be able to transport prisoners,¡± Eli stated.


    ¡°Fair enough, but my room is a prison cell.¡±


    ¡°Can be,¡± Eli corrected, ¡°But I wouldn¡¯t do that. Unless you really pissed me off.¡±


    Tarl went wide eyed.


    ¡°It was a joke, man.¡±


    ¡°No, not that. Remember when I told you that the pirates sent more ships to take over the asteroid? Well, they just launched back out, and they¡¯re being pursued by the Erarat.¡±

 Chapter 58: Dancing Phantom

    Eli and Gami rushed to the bridge. When they arrived, they saw the last of the wildcat ships enter the hangar of Dancing Phantom.


    ¡°Now¡¯s our chance,¡± Gami proclaimed, ¡°We follow them in and plant a few satchel charges on critical systems. Let¡¯s add a pirate ship to our tally!¡±


    ¡°Are we really in any kind of shape to board that thing?¡± Tarl wondered.


    ¡°Maybe he¡¯s right,¡± Eli admitted, ¡°We got pretty tore up and we could just wait for the Erarat to cause enough damage to the ship. All we need is for them to be distracted enough that we can slip away.¡±


    ¡°There are no guarantees that they¡¯ll make it that far. They might be repelled before they even make it past the hangar.¡±


    ¡°In that case, we¡¯d die right alongside them.¡±


    ¡°Fine, then we won¡¯t go to the hangar. We¡¯ll find another way in.¡±


    One of the Tarls spoke, ¡°We¡¯re being hailed by them.¡±


    A being appeared on one of the monitors. It had green skin and was covered with spikes. Its large eyes had the look of oily water in a puddle. Eli could somehow see grogginess in those alien eyes.


    ¡°Dancing Phantom to Cavalier. This is Captain Bukhara. I haven¡¯t been able to get in contact with any of my people, so I¡¯m going to assume that you came out on top.¡±


    ¡°This is Captain Cisneros. I¡¯ve got your first mate in one of my holding cells. Let¡¯s talk about letting us out of this mess.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve got something better in mind. Twenty thousand sterling if you help me deal with these wildcats. Once they¡¯ve been dealt with, you can land and hand over Rotek.¡±


    ¡°Agreed, Cavalier out,¡± Eli ended the transmission.


    ¡°Please don¡¯t tell me that you actually trust him,¡± Gami said.


    ¡°Not for a moment. But it gets us into the ship, and he might just keep his word.¡±


    ¡°Why would he?¡±


    ¡°So that others would be willing to work with him. Unless either of you has a better plan, I say that we head in there and light them up.¡±


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    Tarl didn¡¯t need to hear anything else. He hit the thrusters and headed into Dancing Phantom¡¯s hangar. It looked like it had been expanded. A flight of stairs led from the landing deck to another platform, which sat atop a pair of tanks. Horizontal racks had been placed on the ceiling, rerouted pipes and cables haphazardly running around them.


    Erarat had flooded into the chamber. They had sat their ships down on the deck and were pushing out from them in all directions. The crew was fighting back, shooting at them from any position that provided them cover and a line of fire. The corpses of several score of Erarat lay on the floor, but the pirates had also taken many casualties. The crew was starting to lose ground.


    Cavalier¡¯s turrets opened up, blasting the fleshy things off of the ceiling and hitting those that were fighting on the landing deck from above. Tarl used the main guns on the Erarat¡¯s ships. Their shield charges ran out and they exploded, scattering flaming debris across the hangar. The surviving enemies took cover from the onslaught.


    Eli used one of the control stations to highlight a landing spot on the targeting computer, ¡°Sit her down there. Gami, are you up for another fight?¡±


    ¡°Always.¡±


    ***


    The pair left the ship firing. Gami fired her SMG in three round bursts. Black blood flowed out of nasty wounds left by hollow point rounds.


    Eli carried a heavy pulse rifle. Few of his targets were shielded. All of them exploded into mangled hunks of weird organs and black fluid. The long, fleshy limbs went still.


    Some of the Erarat fired back, marking themselves for death. One jumped high, becoming a living skeet target. Several charged, moving rapidly with their powerful legs. Eli and Gami calmly gunned them down.


    An enraged sound came from a maintenance pit. The pair looked over the railing and saw an enemy. They recognized the triangular eye clusters. It was Hexul, the leader of the wildcat miners. He was commanding his troops from the safety of the trench.


    Without a word, Gami dove over the edge, blade at the ready. One of its clawed hands lashed out. Gami parried the attack, slashed one of its eye clusters. It hopped back and tried to shoot her. She darted forward and took that hand. It jumped out of the pit. The bounty hunter followed.


    Hexul let out distorted chuckle-like sounds as it extended the claws on one of its feet and tried to spear her. She dodged the attack and hacked the limb off. The Erarat leader toppled over. She delivered the final blow.


    The surviving Erarat surrendered. Their weapons were taken, and they were herded into cages. Wounded pirates were treated.


    The crew scrambled to put out the fires. Smoke lingered around the top of the bay, the jet-black smoke of artificial things.


    The damage was extensive. The pirates had taken many casualties. It would be a miracle if they could recover.


    An Askari woman with sapphire skin approached them. She looked very pleased with herself.


    Her voice was the same as the one that Eli heard on the pirate¡¯s com earlier, ¡°Good day, it really is such a good day! I¡¯m afraid that during all of that chaos Captain Bukhara was killed. I¡¯m in charge now.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Eli said, ¡°I¡¯m in charge.¡±


    The Askari woman looked very surprised when he put the barrel of his gun against her forehead and squeezed the trigger.

 Chapter 59: The Captain

    The Askari woman lay on the deck, stone dead, blood flowing from the exit wound.


    Eli stood his ground. Gami stayed at his side. Pirates moved in from all directions, taking up positions around them. The buccaneers stared at the pair, some in disbelief, others with fury. A handful looked pleased.


    ¡°Dancing Phantom is mine now!¡± Eli declared, lunatic glee in his eyes.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have any claim!¡± one of them shouted.


    ¡°Neither did she!¡± another countered.


    ¡°My ship!¡± Eli bellowed.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s my ship!¡± another cried out, several others showed their willingness to back him up.


    ¡°The mourners will weep until their eyes bleed!¡± Eli yelled.


    ¡°The mourners will tear out their own eyes!¡± one of them countered.


    ¡°The mourners will disembowel themselves!¡± Eli roared.


    A few dozen cheered. There were shouts of joy. One voice cried out, calling for the war slave to be the new captain.


    Someone fired a shot at a pirate that was leaning against a railing. He fell, slamming into the lower deck. The sound of this impact was like the peel of a bell to the pirates, signaling a fresh call to ultraviolence. They exploded into a frenzy.


    ¡°Come on!¡± Eli shouted to Gami above the insanity going on around them. He went low, started moving in the direction of Cavalier. She mirrored him. Together, they worked their way across the bay, gunning down any pirates that looked like they were going to take a shot at them. Stray shots flew over their heads. Crys of pain and battle joy drowned out their footfalls.


    One pirate stabbed one of their former crewmates over and over again with a long knife. Another fired wildly at anything they caught sight of, indiscriminately gunning down dozens. On the fly, Eli was able to pick out no less than five factions, all of them vying for power.


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    Eli was shocked when his ship suddenly took off. Had one of them gotten aboard? It flew low, came in over him and Gami. The boarding ramp came down.


    ¡°Hop in!¡± Tarl ordered over the com link.


    They holstered their weapons and grabbed ahold of the ramp, hauling themselves up. The ship started moving and the ramp began to rise before they had even gotten onto their feet. One of Tarl¡¯s bodies ran over, helping them inside as the ramp moved back into place.


    ***


    Eli and Gami made their way to the cockpit. Tarl had already piloted the ship out of the hangar and was maneuvering through the asteroids. Dancing Phantom was listing and starting to burn.


    Tarl spoke, ¡°Nothing targeting us. Tractor beams aren¡¯t powered up. No one is pursuing us. I guess that we¡¯re in the clear.¡±


    Eli nodded, ¡°Good. Take us out of the asteroid field. We¡¯ll figure out our next destination from there.¡±


    ¡°I guess that you can add a failed attempt to take over a pirate ship to your list of exploits.¡±


    Eli took a few moments to think up his response, ¡°I gave the problem the opportunity to figure itself out.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s one way to see it,¡± Gami stated, ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go talk to our guest. I think that I know where you¡¯ll want to go next.¡±


    ***


    Eli, Gami, and one of Tarl¡¯s butar stood in front of the room that had been repurposed as a holding cell.


    Rotek was standing at the bars, looking at them belligerently. They had already informed her about the fate of her ship. She kept her cool.


    Those eyes, it reminded him of that time in Iraq when they had gotten bored one night while waiting to roll out. They had cut open some chemlights. They let the glowstick fluid drop into a ditch full of stagnant water. The drops burst into fluorescent puffs, silent fireworks bringing them a few little moments of joy.


    Gami spoke, ¡°Rotekalanochala Morloth: there are quite a few bounties on her head, most of them for acts of piracy. But one stands out. It¡¯s a bit of a trip but more than worth it.¡±


    ¡°Well, Gami, don¡¯t keep us waiting,¡± Eli said, naked greed on his face.


    ¡°She¡¯s wanted by the Pygram Central Authority. Reward: one million Work Hour Credits.¡±


    Eli felt like his eyes had turned into dollar signs. Even Tarl looked pleased with the figure.


    ¡°I¡¯d say that we just made that little fiasco worth it,¡± Gami proclaimed.


    ¡°We won¡¯t have enough fuel to make it there,¡± Tarl advised, ¡°We¡¯ll have to do some jobs on the way.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fine with me,¡± Eli said, still grinning, ¡°Set course for the best hyperspace lane. I¡¯ll contact my brokers and see what¡¯s available. My friends, we just hit the jackpot!¡±


    They began to walk away. Their movements were light and full of pride, despite their injuries.


    Rotek called after them, ¡°They¡¯ll start a new religion with you at the godhead. The eternal throne is yours, Eli,¡± her words got louder, sounded more violent, ¡°You¡¯ll become a thing of legend. Billions of pilgrims will come from across the universes!¡± she was shouting in such a rage that her words became somewhat distorted, ¡°Your temples will stab the sky!¡±

 Chapter 60: Scavengers

    The maddening storm of hyperspace filled the forward-facing viewport in Cavalier¡¯s galley.


    Eli stared at a bowl full of little neon green Os and eggshell white Xs. His shoulder was getting better, but it was still sore.


    One of Tarl¡¯s bodies was chowing down on something that looked like someone had placed a helping of leftover spaghetti in a container, and it had hardened, solidifying into a cube. Gami was busy preparing a salad made from gray, pastel, and tangerine-colored leaves.


    Eli gathered up a spoonful of false letters and placed it in his mouth, ¡°It tastes like chicken,¡± he said to no one in particular.


    Tarl finished chewing a big bite of the weird, orange block, ¡°Got any jobs lined up for us, Eli?¡±


    ¡°Not yet. Kirjen and Jussco aint got nothing. A broker named Chiron might have something. He¡¯ll get back to me.¡±


    Gami took a seat, ¡°The Funhouse isn¡¯t too far. There¡¯s sure to be work there.¡±


    ¡°The Funhouse?¡± Eli queried, before consuming another spoonful.


    ¡°It¡¯s a large space station. The Funhouse is a nickname, of course. It¡¯s an,¡± a slight pause while she tried to find the right word, ¡°interesting place.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll head there if we need to.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard things about that place,¡± Tarl declared, ¡°They say it¡¯s pretty wild.¡±


    ¡°Sounds like Vegas, or maybe Amsterdam,¡± Eli said with a little chuckle.


    Gami finished a bit of the oddly colored leaves, ¡°It can get rough. We¡¯ll have to be careful.¡±


    ¡°Then I expect higher pay. More risk, equals higher rewards.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll have to get there first.¡±


    ***


    Gami approached the room that Rotek was locked in. Keeping a careful eye on the prisoner, the armored woman placed a metal tray of food and a plastic glass of juice on the floor, before sliding it through the slot and into the cell. The pirate sat on the bed and stared at her the whole time.


    Behind the helmet¡¯s dark visor she was faceless, an instrument that happened to share a form which beings with souls often held.


    Rotek got up and walked across the room. Smirking at her captor, she tilted her head from left to right twice, her equivalent of an appreciative nod.


    Gami pointed at the stately badges that the prisoner wore, ¡°Take those off.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


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    ¡°Because it¡¯s stolen valor.¡±


    ¡°They aint stolen. I earned ¡®em! Kingdom of Moraff hired my first ship to do privateer work. And then they paid us to hunt slavers. We captured forty-four slave ships.¡±


    Gami walked away without saying anything else.


    ***


    ¡°Alright, Tarl. I trust your judgement,¡± Eli said, ¡°Set course and get the tools ready.¡±


    They were on the bridge. One of Tarl¡¯s bodies was manning the helm. He rubbed the side of his head, which was like a nod, and retracted the cockpit.


    Gami entered the room.


    Eli nodded at her, ¡°Just in time. Tarl found a little debris field. It looks like a frigate lost a battle. He thinks that we can find some salvage.¡±


    ¡°As long as it goes better than the last time,¡± she said, her even tone and unseen face made it unclear how serious she was being.


    Eli chuckled anyway, ¡°This is a much smaller field, just a scattering of blasted up ship parts. We¡¯ll do a quick sweep and gather up anything valuable that we find.¡±


    ¡°Easy,¡± Tarl declared, ¡°I¡¯ve done enough salvage work to know what to go for.¡±


    ¡°I believe you,¡± Gami said, before leaving the room.


    ***


    Nighttime on the ship. Rotek got out of bed. She stood there naked. An urge came to wrap the blanket around herself, but she resisted it, telling herself that she didn¡¯t care.


    She walked around her room randomly. Everything that she could see, on every spectrum, was carefully considered. She would find a way to escape. She would not go back. She would kill them all or die trying before she let that happen.


    ***


    It started as quick glints, hints of red light against the backdrop of white dots. These were reflections from a sprawling nebula. As Cavalier drew closer, the faint hints of red became twisted and mangled hunks of dead metal. The scarlet nebula loomed over this grave.


    Tarl made good use of the scanner system. The electric eye mapped out the little debris field. Prospects were discovered and marked. He maneuvered the ship to what had once been an internal subsystem, a configuration of pumps, valves, sensors, and a coil made out of a valuable metal.


    Eli, Gami, and one of Tarls butar exited one of the airlocks. Using short thruster boosts they moved into position around the piece of junk.


    Tarl lit his cutting torch and got to work. He sliced away a mounting. Nuts floated by as Eli worked to remove a pressure relief valve. Gami moved around, removing a large section of casing.


    Eli on the shared com, ¡°Hey Tarl, you like music?¡±


    ¡°Some of it is good. Kuuni chamber music is enjoyable. Some great crusade hymns came out of Neustria. Blues from Locotha. For me, it must have a deeper meaning behind it.¡±


    ¡°I get ya, but I disagree. Even a silly song with bubblegum lyrics can have an effect on a person, help them get through a bad time. What about you, Gami?¡±


    ¡°A bit of Zabala pop every now and then.¡±


    ¡°I would have thought that you¡¯d be into something heavy, aggressive.¡±


    ¡°Not if I want to relax,¡± she countered.


    ¡°Fair enough.¡±


    The trio picked apart a few other pieces of debris, taking the loot back to the ship and heading back out for more. Cavalier followed them around the field, always staying close. They headed into a section of the ship that was still somewhat intact, as if a compartment had been cut away. A pressure door that had once separated it from a corridor provided easy access. Once inside, they got to work disassembling the equipment recharging station that made up much of the back wall.


    ¡°Looks like there¡¯s still some power running through it,¡± Tarl stated, ¡°Must be an energy cell that¡¯s still attached. The local system probably got knocked out during the attack. I¡¯ll try activating it so that I can bring up a map of the live cables.¡±


    ¡°Safety first,¡± Eli said, shining the suit¡¯s built-in light around the room.


    Objects floated around aimlessly. There were several holes in the wall. Perhaps they had been left when munitions had punched through the ship.


    ¡°Okay, got it,¡± Tarl proclaimed.


    The overhead lights turned on. Indicators began to flash on the charger¡¯s many ports.


    A large monitor which was mounted on one of the walls came to life. Words appeared, the letters blocky and joyless. The tadvash fed the three scavengers their meaning, ¡°Warning! Hull breach detected! Closing blast doors!¡±


    The door via which they had entered the room slammed shut.

 Chapter 61: Trapped

    The trio stared at the closed door.


    ¡°Well, shit.¡± Tarl said flatly.


    Gami shined her light around, ¡°Let¡¯s see if we can squeeze through one of the holes.¡±


    They each picked a direction and started searching. Gami gave what had once been the floor and ceiling a check as she headed toward one of the walls. She reached her destination and got started. Making sure that she avoided the numerous pieces of floating debris, she guided her light along the wall. There were a few holes, but none of them were large enough to even fit her arm through. One looked promising at first, but upon closer inspection it was just a bit too small, especially with the risk of their space suits getting hung up on jagged edges.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got nothing,¡± Eli said.


    ¡°Me either,¡± Gami reported, trying not to sound dejected.


    ¡°Even I couldn¡¯t fit through any of them,¡± Tarl observed.


    ¡°Okay, okay,¡± Eli said, ¡°No reason to panic. Tarl, have the bodies that are manning the turrets come out here and work on cutting us out.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll try, but it will take a while. Even the inner hulls of this ship were sturdy.¡±


    ¡°Then lets just blast our way out, use the ship¡¯s guns.¡±


    ¡°That might work. Might also turn us into boiling mush.¡±


    ¡°Okay then, what about a bomb. I¡¯ve got some shaped charges in the armory.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯d have to instruct me on how to use them. Then there¡¯d be the same problem. You think that we can make a hole big enough to fit through, without killing us?¡±


    Eli took another look around the room, ¡°You could toss them in through one of the holes and direct the blast outward. No air to make a shockwave. But I don¡¯t see anything that we could use to protect us from shrapnel. It¡¯d be risky.¡±


    ¡°Better than suffocating,¡± Gami advised, ¡°I¡¯ve only got thirty more minutes of oxygen left.¡±


    Eli checked the indicator on his suit¡¯s HUD. His was about twenty-five minutes.


    ***


    Rotek stuck the metal food tray through the bars. She examined the reflection. The logo of the Cyn¡¯luth corporation was proudly displayed on the door¡¯s control panel. This was a good sign. She knew how to pick several of their locks. Stray particles from a dozen spectrums were reflected off of the tray, giving her important information about the power network.


    If she went to the edge of the door that was furthest away from the panel and craned her neck, she could just make out a little stream of heat radiating from the bottom of the device. From this, she was able to identify the location of the encryption board.


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    Wearing a satisfied smile, Rotek got up and went to the closet. She removed the rod from which the clothes hangers were suspended. Afte several minutes, she had fashioned several crude tools. Returning to the door, she used these curved tools and the mirror to start working on the panel.


    Rotek had just gained a lot of important information about the door to her cell. But the most important thing she had discovered was the fact that no one was going to come and keep her from messing with the control panel. As she looked at the security camera on the wall opposite her cell, she pondered the reasons why this could be.


    It could very well be a test. Maybe they were letting her try to escape so that they could learn their vulnerabilities. Or maybe there was something wrong. Maybe some pressing issue had absorbed their attention. Either way, she¡¯d make her move while she had the chance.


    ***


    Two of Tarl¡¯s butar maneuvered out of one of Cavalier¡¯s airlocks. They carried a collection of tools, including cutting torches and welders. The duo sped toward the section of the ship, making a beeline for the largest hole that the trapped crew members had been able to find. They got to work, trying to enlarge the gap into an escape route.


    Eli was at the hole, working from the inside out. Gami was posted up on the door panel, trying to find a way to override the decompression lockdown. Tarl was at the computer station, trying to do the same thing.


    ¡°How we lookin¡¯?¡± Eli asked the others.


    Tarl unnecessarily turned his head to speak, ¡°I¡¯m not getting anywhere.¡±


    Gami let out a sigh, ¡°The system is specifically designed to prevent someone from opening the doors when there¡¯s been a hull breach. I don¡¯t think we¡¯ll be able to get them open without tampering with the mechanism itself.¡±


    Tarl pushed himself away from the computer and boosted across the chamber to the door, ¡°Then that¡¯s what we¡¯ll have to do.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think we¡¯ve got the time. My readout says twenty minutes of oxygen left.¡±


    Eli had been trying to ignore his indicator, which had been periodically flashing red. Just twenty minutes away from an agonizing death. He kept cutting away at the sturdy wall plate. The ranger hadn¡¯t come this far to die in any way that wasn¡¯t a blaze of glory.


    ***


    Rotek worked diligently. After a few tries she had gotten the panel open. Now, she was attempting to reroute the power. She took quick glances up and down the hall. No one yet, not even one of those little furry guys.


    Just a few more minutes. She just needed a little more time and she¡¯d be out of that cell. From there, she¡¯d do whatever it took to stop them from taking her back home.


    ***


    Fifteen minutes worth of oxygen left. Eli kept fighting to widen the gap in the hull. He could see two of Tarl¡¯s bodies on the other side, frantically working to do the same. One was operating a cutting torch. While the other was using a pair of hydraulic claws to rip and tear away the obstructions


    Eli supposed that the situation was especially hard on the pilot. Afterall, he¡¯d not only have to experience the agony of suffocating, he¡¯d have to live with the memory of it. That, and he¡¯d have to watch his friends die as well.


    The body that was trapped was still at the door. That body was helping Gami as she labored to manipulate the mechanism that opened and closed the door. She must have known what her companions did. They lacked the tools needed to operate the heavy pneumatic cylinders.


    It was hopeless. That door was going to remain shut no matter what they did to it. Its creators had designed it to keep the rest of the crew from being killed when all of the air rushed out of the room and into space. Ironically, it was going to doom Eli and Gami to that very fate.


    It was then that the solution came to him.


    ¡°Wait. Wait. Tarl, stop!¡± Eli shouted into the com.


    ¡°What?¡± the pilot asked, the two bodies shutting off their tools.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got an idea. Move the ship in closer. And go to the other pieces of debris. Hurry, there¡¯s still time if we hurry!¡±